For a moment, Nan Yan wanted to curse along, but before leaving, Yin Ya secretly transmitted a message to her.
“Hey, chubby girl! Sandworms hate rocky ground. Head west to the Shi Mountain for a chance to survive.”
…Thanks for your rare display of conscience!
Sandworms were devouring people everywhere. Soon, two demonic cultivators were bitten and dragged underground. Nan Yan relied on her spherical body to escape.
“Ah Yan, activate the Silver Shark Pearl,” Ji Yang said, arriving with the still-restricted Mu Zhanting.
Nan Yan had already suspected something about her pearl. When Ji Yang mentioned “Silver Shark,” she immediately understood and channeled a third of her spiritual power into the pearl.
The Silver Shark Pearl trembled, instantly concealing the trio’s presence from all cultivators’ divine sense.
“They have Silver Shark Gauze too!”
“No, that’s—!”
Amidst the chaos, Nan Yan felt a wind-riding talisman slapped on her back. A gust lifted them, transporting them hundreds of feet away in an instant.
“What about our sect members?” Nan Yan asked.
“I’ve informed them. The Shi Mountain downhill is safe. If they focus on escaping, they should be fine.”
However, those driven by greed to explore further up the mountain would be left to fate.
With the wind-riding talisman, their speed matched the early Foundation Establishment stage. Even so, the spiritual power consumption was enormous. Despite Nan Yan’s extraordinary spiritual power, protecting three people through the sandworm territory with the Silver Shark Pearl was taxing. In just 45 breaths, her spiritual power was nearly exhausted.
Fortunately, they moved quickly. Soon, they saw rows of massive stone forests resembling a maze, with dark red mist floating above.
Ji Yang unhesitatingly entered the stone forest, finding a secluded spot to rest. He gave Nan Yan a self-refined pill to restore her spiritual power, then used a spell to remove the restriction on Mu Zhanting.
“You’re so mysterious. You can even break a late Foundation Establishment restriction?” Nan Yan asked.
After catching her breath and recovering most of her spiritual power, Nan Yan looked up at Ji Yang. “Shao Cang, those sandworms earlier…”
“Since pointing towards Absolute Cliff, Yin Ya had been planning to use us as sandworm bait. His actions were subtle but flawed. Knowing sandworms are blind, I guessed he intended to use Silver Shark Gauze to protect himself and claim the treasure alone. Though he harbored ill intentions, he did leave us an escape route. He even transmitted the safe path to me, so you both should have received it too.”
Nan Yan and Mu Zhanting nodded. Ji Yang continued, “This is the final obstacle before Absolute Cliff. These stone forests are said to be remnants of an earth-element divine ability used by Nascent Soul cultivators in battle. The forest is a complex maze, and… there should be Yin Zhu inside.”
At the mention of Yin Zhu, all three grew solemn. The small cloud vehicle’s power was astonishing, capable of slaying millions of Foundation Establishment cultivators with one strike, yet it couldn’t kill a Yin Zhu. What chance did three pre-Foundation Establishment cultivators have?
Realizing this, Nan Yan felt a chill down her spine. “Shao Cang… when did you know my mother’s pearl was a Silver Shark Pearl that could conceal our presence?”
Ji Yang softly countered, “Are you angry? This isn’t the only thing I’ve kept from you.”
Nan Yan replied, “I wouldn’t dare.” She hadn’t fully explained the Seven Buddha Karma Sutra matter, so she had no right to demand full disclosure from him… though she disliked this lack of honesty.
Ji Yang added, “When I live long enough to be completely honest, I’ll tell you everything. This stone forest is also full of treasures, but since Yin Ya’s goal is clear, I believe what he wants is beyond the cliff peak. Think again – for him to temporarily abandon his pursuit of something on Zhanting and go to such lengths, the item’s value is self-evident.”
Nan Yan and Mu Zhanting were puzzled. “So?”
Ji Yang explained, “I placed a tracking talisman on him when he was drunk.”
“You did tamper with him!”
Ji Yang reiterated, “A gentleman loves wealth but acquires it properly.”
Nan Yan lamented, “That’s a crooked way.”
Mu Zhanting added, “It’s an unorthodox method.”
Ji Yang and Nan Yan both looked at Mu Zhanting.
…He used an idiom correctly for once. It seems being cut off from his sect has matured him.
After resting for a while longer, they regrouped. Due to the eerie mist above the stone forest, they dared not rely solely on the Silver Shark Pearl. Instead, they followed the tracking talisman’s trail.
The stone forest was vast. The rock formations on both sides seemed to have a special sound-dampening effect, creating an eerie silence. Occasional gusts of cold wind made them shudder.
“There’s a Yin Zhu.”
Upon hearing the mental message, Nan Yan immediately activated the Silver Shark Pearl to conceal their presence again. This time, the passing Yin Zhu didn’t stop, floating about thirty feet above them before disappearing around a distant corner.
They dared not move for a full quarter-hour after the Yin Zhu left.
The stone forest contained many treasures. When they found something suitable, Nan Yan would stop to carve out spirit ores from the rock walls using an ice pick.
“No wonder they call this place a treasure mountain. My dimensional pouch is almost full.”
Nan Yan’s hands ached from mining. The spirit ores she extracted from the stone forest were enough to support her continuous practice in becoming a Foundation Establishment-level artifact refiner.
Soon after, while excavating a piece of jasper rock, Nan Yan felt a slight stirring from the Seven Buddha Karma Sutra in her body. She sensed powerful demonic energy approaching from afar. Quickly, she pulled Ji Yang and Mu Zhanting into a nearby crevice, covered the entrance with sand and stones, and activated the Silver Shark Pearl to conceal their presence.
About a hundred breaths later, they heard an angry voice from the other side of the stone forest.
“To think righteous cultivators would resort to such tricks! If you dare deceive me, I’ll make you suffer the agony of soul extraction and refinement!”
It was the old man Deng Ba. Nan Yan’s heart tightened. This elder’s power far exceeded their expectations, having escaped the sandworm swarm and entered the stone forest.
Another voice, however, startled the three of them.
“Junior… wouldn’t dare deceive you, elder. That traitor, Mu Zhanting, was once the shame of our Yanyue Sect’s inner circle. He clung to our sect’s void-crossing ship during this Filthy Valley trial. The sect treated him well and even forged a life token for him. As the senior disciple of the inner sect, I can activate the sect’s life tokens to guide you.” Fu Lang’s voice was both fearful and sycophantic.
Life tokens were essential items for important cultivators in a sect, especially disciples traveling abroad. They would carry a life token corresponding to one in the sect. If a disciple perished outside, the token in the sect would shatter, informing the sect members of the disciple’s fate.
Life tokens not only indicated life and death but also allowed sect members to sense each other.
Even with the Silver Shark Pearl, if Fu Lang’s life token sensed a fellow sect member nearby, they would be discovered once Nan Yan’s spiritual power was depleted.
Nan Yan angrily transmitted, “We should have killed that dog when we had the chance!”
The demonic cultivators were still far away. Mu Zhanting immediately stood up, but Nan Yan grabbed him tightly, her face contorted. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to lure them away alone?!”
Ji Yang also shook his head, “Zhanting, think carefully.”
Mu Zhanting exhaled slowly, looking fearless. “If I stay here, we’ll all die. If I go out, there’s still a chance. Unless you want us to die together on the same day.”
Nan Yan exploded, “Who wants to die with you? If you want to die, do it after we leave the Filthy Valley! I’ve had enough of these storybook scenarios. Don’t act one out in front of me!”
…She was afraid of losing someone else.
Ji Yang restrained Nan Yan and suggested, “I have a compromise. Ah Yan, uses the Silver Shark Pearl to cleanse Zhanting’s spiritual power. He won’t be able to hide from Yin Zhu, but he should evade Foundation Establishment divine sense detection. After cleansing, Zhanting can leave the stone forest the way we came, then head east. Claiming to be a Yanyue Sect disciple, he should be safe once he meets any righteous cultivator.”
Mu Zhanting lectured Nan Yan, “See? Ji Yang’s smarter. You’re just pig-brained.”
Nan Yan snorted, cleansing Mu Zhanting’s spiritual power while saying, “I’m the chosen one. You ordinary mortals better not come back once you leave. We’ll take all the treasures and that fox spirit for ourselves.”
After the cleansing, Mu Zhanting ruffled Nan Yan’s hair one last time and said to Ji Yang, “She’s my only sister. I’m entrusting her to you.”
“I’ll guard her with my life,” Ji Yang replied.
Mu Zhanting left quickly. After he disappeared from their divine sense range, Nan Yan clutched Ji Yang’s clothes.
“Shao Cang, I’m scared. Should we have never come? At first, I was just blinded by hatred, wanting to see if those demonic cultivators had taken my mother’s remains…”
Outside, the demonic cultivators’ voices drew nearer. As they sensed Mu Zhanting moving further away, they began violently lashing Fu Lang in frustration.
As screams echoed, Ji Yang held Nan Yan, stroking her hair and whispering, “Did you know that every midnight in Zi State, a soul river appears in the sky?”
“What’s that?”
“It’s for cultivators who died tragically on the path to immortality. Their dying obsessions prevent them from reincarnating. The soul river leads them to the heavens. As long as the Heavenly Dao exists, they believe that one day, wandering in the soul river, they’ll see someone who can shatter the void.”
“…”
Ji Yang continued, “I’m not fearless, but if we let the fear of death hinder our cultivation, we might as well go all in.”
“But I’m truly afraid. It feels like everyone’s suddenly leaving.”
“At least I won’t let you die before me. If you can’t complete this path in the end, don’t fear. I’ll wait for you in the underworld for ten years.”
His tone seemed to have seen through worldly affairs. Though calm, it evoked a sense of melancholy.
Nan Yan sensed something and tried to look up to understand his expression, which seemed shrouded in mist. Suddenly, the commotion outside grew louder.
Abruptly, dark red bloody characters appeared in the clouds above Absolute Cliff’s peak. Though not physically present, these words seared into everyone’s divine sense:
“I am the Buddha of Killing and Karma, enlightened to offer Chan to the Demon King!”
It was the Seven Buddha Karma Sutra again. Wasn’t Yin Ya deceiving them? How did it manifest here?!
The demonic cultivators outside erupted in excitement.
“The day of our demonic path’s glory is near! In the struggle for supremacy, the demonic path will ultimately triumph!”
Old Man Deng Ba’s voice trembled with excitement. Beside him, Diewan, though equally excited, cautiously suggested, “Old Deng, I see you don’t want to let those three kids and their treasures go. Why don’t we split up? You go to the peak for the demon scripture, and I’ll take this life token bearer to intercept them.”
Deng Ba, now calmer, sneered, “Diewan, I know your nature well. With that treasure in hand, you could enter half the world’s secret realms unimpeded. You’d likely leave the Divine Coffin Sect immediately and flee to another realm as a rogue cultivator. With this treasure, you could reach Core Formation in time.”
“Tsk, how could you think so lowly of me? I’m also eager for the demon scripture.”
“Let’s do this: I’ll take this life token bearer to chase those three treasure-bearing brats. You lead the rest of the disciples to the peak. If you find anything, you must immediately inscribe it on jade talismans for safekeeping.”
Diewan seemed reluctant but dared not disobey Deng Ba. She snorted coldly and left with the others.
“The cliff top is…”
Ji Yang also saw that ominous sentence filled with demonic energy. A single glance shook him to his core. Without any need for confirmation, he could assert that if this were the beginning of a new orthodoxy, it would undoubtedly be a perversion of the human realm.
Among the five reversals in the cultivation world, the most intolerable was the reversal of the Dao giving birth to Heaven.
“Shao Cang.”
Nan Yan’s voice sounded bewildered. Ji Yang looked down and saw her gaze vacant, her pupils glowing with a golden light.
“I think I see my mother’s shadow. She’s over there… right there on the cliff top.”