The Mysterious Black Paper was a fragment of the Immortal Record, an Immortal Record page.
It was said to have been deliberately scattered across the world by the Heavenly Emperor, one of the Nine Ancient Emperors.
It recorded a peerless cultivation art.
The cultivation method for the Great Solar Undying Body, the preliminary form of the Eternal Undying Body.
The Eternal Undying Body was one of the Ten Primordial Dharma Bodies, and only five remained in the world.
In the Great Thousand World, it ranked fourth on the Ninety-Nine Ranks of Supreme Beings!
The Great Solar Undying Body, the Immortal Golden Body, the Eternal Undying Body.
This was a path of ascension, a glorious sacred road pointing straight to the source of the Great Dao.
There were three Immortal Record pages scattered outside.
One was in the hands of Garuda, the Holy Son of the Saint Demon Sect on Tianluo Continent. Another was in the hands of a mysterious expert, whom Garuda later killed and refined into a golden body.
In addition, a mysterious sealing formation of unknown origin was carved into the Immortal Record pages. It could suppress even divine beast essences and ancient demons.
That was why Mu Chen had said that Zhou Ling, the Level 6 spiritual body born from the northern lands, had no idea what she had truly lost.
Thinking of this, he touched the page of black paper inside his robes and hurried on, head down.
--
At night, a bonfire burned quietly.
"Old Shi, have you heard? The Black Demon Forest has been quite lively lately."
"You mean that forbidden area crawling with high-level spirit beasts?"
"Exactly. Word's been spreading that a silver-haired beauty wielding a sword has fallen into dire straits. Zhao Tiandu and four others are hunting her down together. It's been ten days and ten nights, and they've made quite a commotion."
"Hey, those five, Zhao Tiandu and his lot, are mad dogs. They're cruel, and infamous on the Spirit Road."
"If that beauty falls into their hands, won't she be as good as dead?"
Two human geniuses had set up a tent. One was thin and wiry, the other tall, their temperaments quite different. They sat beside the fire with their knees bent, chatting idly.
At night, this land was exceptionally dangerous, with fierce beasts appearing everywhere.
The fact that this pair dared to camp in the wilderness was proof enough that they had real skill.
The wiry man, who had been vividly recounting the gossip, suddenly turned toward the darkness and barked, "Who's there?"
His companion immediately gripped his weapon, their understanding of each other clear.
"Gentlemen, don't misunderstand. I mean no harm; I just happened to be passing by."
"I hadn't intended to bother you, but I was so eager to hear more that I made a noise."
From the darkness, a tall figure emerged, arms hanging at his sides, striding with an imposing gait.
The newcomer made a point of keeping his hands empty. His steps were steady, his movements unhurried, his expression calm.
It was as if he were deliberately using this gesture to convey his goodwill to his hosts.
"If you have nothing to say, then be on your way. Let's avoid any misunderstandings."
The wiry man narrowed his eyes and ordered him off.
Neither of them let their guard down just because the newcomer had said a few words.
No one who had survived more than a year of the brutal slaughter on the Spirit Road was simple. Who among them didn't have a few lives on their hands?
Countless human geniuses had been caught off guard after letting their guard down.
What's more, this man had been traveling at night—
"I'm Mu Chen. I've disturbed you because I'm hoping to ask for some information."
"May I ask if the swordswoman you mentioned was silver-haired, dressed in black, and exceptionally beautiful? Was her name Luo Li?"
Mu Chen offered a warm smile and cupped his hands.
What a stroke of luck!
He'd gone all the way to the Sanctuary to seek information and come back empty-handed.
Yet while hurrying along with his head down, he'd heard news of his beloved by the roadside.
"So what if she was?"
Mu Chen's reaching into his robes made the two men tense at once, as if facing a great enemy.
"Then it's her. To be frank, she's an old friend of mine. Please tell me what you know, gentlemen. I'll give you ten Spirit Beast Essences in return."
Under normal circumstances, Mu Chen was quite kind. He wouldn't start by threatening to fight and kill.
"I see."
The two exchanged a glance and both relaxed.
"Brother, you should've said so sooner. Don't ask Old Shi about it—I know everything."
The more outgoing wiry man took the Spirit Beast Essences and shamelessly stuffed them all into his pocket, then spilled out everything he knew in one breath.
--
As it turned out, the Black Demon Forest was a forbidden zone where high-level spirit beasts roamed unchecked.
Luo Li had ventured into the forbidden zone alone to train.
Caught off guard, she killed the cub of a high-level spirit beast, the Golden Armored Dragon Tiger Beast.
The adult Golden Armored Dragon Tiger Beast, powerful enough to fight a Spirit Soul martial artist, flew into a rage and gravely wounded Luo Li. But she managed to escape thanks to her remarkable skills.
At that point, the beauty should have been lying low and nursing her wounds.
But, as luck would have it, Zhao Tiandu and his men, who had set their sights on Luo Li long ago, immediately descended like sharks smelling blood, taking advantage of her weakness to hunt her down relentlessly.
Zhao Tiandu's group had five members. They came from the same continent and were sworn brothers.
Every one of them was a prospective king at the Half-Step Level 6, with astonishing combat strength on par with Chu Qi. Together, they could probably bring down even an ordinary king.
These men were notorious on the Spirit Road. They specialized in ambushing human geniuses who were alone, looting their points and seizing their treasures. They were vicious, and everyone hated them.
But they were also cunning. Though they had the strength to contend with Level 6 experts, they never provoked true king-level opponents. They only picked on the weak, making them virtually impossible to deal with.
If Luo Li, who seemed to possess a Level 6 spiritual body, hadn't fallen into trouble this time, those mad dogs would likely have stayed hidden, waiting for their opponent to weaken before baring their fangs from the darkness.
--
"Luo Li is exceptionally gifted. Until now, she's always traveled alone, quietly hunting spirit beasts and honing her martial skills in remote places. She hardly ever showed herself in public, so few knew her name."
"The first time she appeared openly before the world was in the Black Demon Forest."
"She escaped unscathed while being pursued by high-level spirit beasts."
"Then, with wounds covering her body, she fought for ten days and ten nights against five Half-Step Kings skilled in coordinated attacks, and still showed no signs of defeat."
"She must have already reached Level 6. She's absolutely a seasoned king-level fighter."
"She appeared once, and already dazzled most of the Spirit Road!"
At last, the wiry man summed it up like this.
He and his companion wore expressions of deep emotion, sighing in amazement.
Who would've thought that among the hundred thousand men of the Spirit Road, one woman would outshine them all!
"How are things now? Can Luo Li still hold out?"
Mu Chen was so worried that he pressed for answers without pause.
If the situation was dire, he'd have to hurry over and help her.
The wiry man met Mu Chen's anxious gaze and, for some reason, felt a sudden twinge of jealousy. He couldn't have explained why, even if you'd asked.
So you're a pretty-faced young man, born to a noble family, refined and elegant, and skilled in a fight, too. And you've got a female friend as beautiful as a celestial maiden, whose talent is every bit as impressive as yours.
Heh. You call her a female friend, but isn't that just another way of saying she's your sweetheart?
Why should all the good fortune go to you aristocratic sect brats?
I, Rong, lost my father when I was young and came from a poor family. I've kept my integrity and worked my fingers to the bone for more than a decade, just to barely earn the right to enter the Spirit Road.
When you get down to it, weren't all the opportunities snatched up by you bastards?
--
"The situation... the situation's all right. That silver-haired beauty is incredibly strong. Her ancient swordsmanship is terrifying, and she's skilled in movement techniques. She's leading those mad dogs on a merry chase."
For reasons he couldn't explain, the wiry man changed a few details with artful subtlety as the words left his mouth, then quietly omitted several key points.
ps: Here she comes, just like you asked! Luo Li's about to make her entrance!
You kept pestering me so much, Old Li's head was about to explode. Damn it (〃＞皿＜)
Before you continue