Black Domain Great Plains: Come Whenever There's Work

Seven days later, a fleet of Flying Magical Beasts set off from Misty Cloud Mountain.

In the spirit of showing off just a little, Yun Congxin rejected the beast handler's proposal to send everyone off on two beasts.

"Who's supposed to make do with so few beasts? If those bastards in the Black-Corner Region see us, they'll think we can't afford more. Bring another one—one beast per person!"

And so, the grand fleet of Flying Magical Beasts swept across the skies of the Jia Ma Empire, flying toward the Black Domain Great Plains.

Throughout the journey, Yun Congxin stayed in the room on the Flying Magical Beast's back, studying the glittering golden energy in his Niwan Palace.

Combining his findings with the results of his experiments in that mysterious space, Yun Congxin identified several properties of this energy that could interfere with time.

First, its appearance and disappearance were both abrupt. Although Yun Congxin could predict the appearance of Time Particles by following the patterns of spatial fluctuations, he still could not observe the process of their creation. Likewise, their disappearance was sudden, like individual frames of animation: a Time Particle present in one drawing might vanish in the next.

Second, although the particles themselves were discontinuous, their effects were continuous. This applied to both the spatial fluctuations they caused and the Golden Energy they released. The former needed no further explanation, but the latter's continuity existed only within Yun Congxin's Niwan Palace.

It seemed that only when enveloped in Soul Power or contained within his Niwan Palace would the energy remain continuous. Once outside those conditions, even if Yun Congxin wrapped it in his purest, most powerful Dou Qi, it would still become discontinuous like the Time Particles.

Its discontinuity seemed to weaken in stages. Time Particles were the most complete form, so neither their appearance nor their disappearance could be observed, like tiny golden dots mistakenly drawn onto a single frame. The energy they released was weaker, so it displayed discontinuity only under specific conditions. Their effects were weakest of all, so neither the spatial fluctuations nor the Dou Qi that suddenly appeared retained that discontinuous quality.

"What does this mean? Am I too weak to observe it, or are these substances and energies inherently discontinuous?"

Yun Congxin pondered this for a long time, but even by the time they reached the Black Domain Great Plains, he still had no answer.

What he did not know, however, was that the Golden Energy in his Niwan Palace was silently nourishing his soul, like sweet rain falling after a long drought.

And precisely because of this, the once rock-solid barrier of his Two-Star Dou Zong rank had begun to loosen...

"Is this the Black-Corner Region?" Yao Ye stepped off the Flying Magical Beast and glanced at the vast plain before her, asking in confusion, "Sect Master Yun, what are we here for?"

Yun Congxin glanced at her. This girl was clearly his maid now, yet she already acted more like a leader than he did. Yao Ye's distant manner and cool bearing stirred wicked thoughts in his heart, chiefly manifesting as a rapidly swelling desire to conquer her—at that moment, he resolved to give this girl a proper lesson!

"Not here, of course, but we're close," Yun Congxin explained. "Up ahead are the famous Black Domain Great Plains. See that black line? That's the gateway to the Black-Corner Region!"

"Let's go. It's time you experienced this fertile land for yourselves, brimming with life and teeming with all things vying to flourish."

Yun Congxin's eyes darted as a good idea came to him. He instructed them, "I have a task for you three. Once we enter the Black Domain Great Plains, find me a map to Black Seal City. Can you do that?"

"A map? That's easy! Leave it to me!" Yao Yue said excitedly, patting her chest.

All three girls were unconcerned. Even Yao Ye, the steadiest of them, did not think obtaining a map would be difficult. Only Xiao Yan had his doubts. The more he looked, the more he felt that the smile tugging at Yun Congxin's lips was full of mischievous delight.

"Since nobody has any objections, let's set off. Mr. Gu He, after you." Yun Congxin smiled and reached out to grab the air. His Wind-Attribute Dou Qi formed a vast wall of wind, scooping up Xiao Yan and the others.

As soon as they entered the Black Domain Great Plains, the sky grew dim and gloomy. The gray heavens joined the black earth in the distance, resembling an enormous sack waiting for the ignorant and fearless to crawl inside.

Yun Congxin carried the youngsters while Gu He beat his Dou Qi Wings, and the group flew swiftly toward the Black-Corner Region. Behind them, the Flying Magical Beasts took flight again, soaring into the clouds toward the light.

These Flying Magical Beasts were hardly powerful. If they swaggered so openly through the Black-Corner Region, a fertile land crawling with madmen, they would probably soon be shot down as easy pickings.

Yun Congxin did not mind teaching those blind bastards a little lesson, but he feared that everything they owned put together would not cover even a fraction of a Flying Magical Beast's price.

So it was better to let them fly back.

"There happens to be a tribe up ahead. Go trade for some maps."

Yun Congxin landed gently beside a small tribal settlement and spoke as he pointed at its towering stockade gate.

"Uh... I'll go with them." Xiao Yan scratched his head and raised his hand. "I happen to need some supplies, too..."

Yun Congxin nodded his agreement. This trip isn't anything like your journey in the book. What supplies could you possibly need? More likely, you want to talk to Yao Lao and are afraid Gu He will notice...

"Teacher, what's this all about?" Once he was certain they were far enough away, Xiao Yan asked impatiently.

"Heh heh, this Sect Master Yun's idea has its merits. Those three girls are each prouder than the last, like spirited little fighting cocks. Having them do business in the Black-Corner Region—I'd guess he wants to wear down some of that pride." Yao Lao chuckled as he explained.

Xiao Yan blinked. He did not understand what could be so tempering about something as simple as buying a map.

His confusion did not last long before a flying arrow shattered it.

Xiao Yan hurriedly dodged, then looked back to see that the arrow had effortlessly pierced the black earth and buried itself deep within. Clearly, that shot had not been a warning—it had been meant to kill him!

"Well, well!"

Xiao Yan was so angry that he laughed. Looking up with a cold sneer, he demanded, "We're only passing through and want to replenish our supplies here. Friend, what's the meaning of this?"

"Hahaha! He called you his friend!"

On the stockade's high walls, the armed men burst into laughter.

"Rookie, you're new here, aren't you? Don't know the rules of the Black-Corner Region?"

After laughing for a while, the middle-aged man at their head wiped tears from his eyes and shouted, "If you want to enter the stockade, you have to hold your toll high above your head from a hundred meters away!"

"Cut the crap! Hand over five hundred Gold Coins for the toll, or get lost!"