Archfiend

Chapter 191: Danxia Temple (10)

For the time being, the Rootless Nine Bends Aqua was finished being divided. Everyone’s gazes looked towards the livyatan. The body was excessively immense, and Its belly was flipped over and soaking under the water. Searching for the location of the demon core and the ambergris would take at least half a day.

No matter how spiritual sense was used, the beast’s skin and blubber was too thick, simply incapable of being broken through. Xu Yangyi’s brows slightly furrowed: “Will we be delayed too much?” 

“Not necessarily.” Zhao Fenglai didn’t know what to think and muttered: “We don’t know what’s behind that door at all. According to a few recordings of past secret realms, any path will have its own destiny. However, these chances are divided into true destinies and false destinies.”

“A true destiny points to this survival path. We’re able to take these chances and walk out of the secret realm. A false destiny…” He chuckled dryly. The implication was self-evident. He paused for a few seconds and said: “We seem to have been held up here for almost four-plus days. In that case, we can’t say for sure that we’re even necessarily the very first to arrive.”

“Moreover, out path is completely different from others’. The final destination point might be the same or different. Who can definitely say?” Zhao Fenglai laughed indifferently and nodded towards the two rescued Zhao Clan disciples: “You are also lucky. If you’re able to return alive, I will be certain to promote you two as true disciples. Hehe… To be able to come out alive from Danxia Temple, the position of true disciple is deserved.”

The two disciples originally had sorrowful expressions, but upon hearing these words, they immediately bowed down to their shoes: “Thank you, third uncle, for your regard and affection!!”

“I remember you’re named Qi Yansu, and you’re Liu Qingfeng?” The smile on Zhao Fenglai’s face became even more amiable: “You’re disciples from thirteen years ago, right?”

“Yes!” The duo’s complexions slightly flushed red in excitement. Ordinarily, who would know of their names? If one wasn’t discontent in the clan, how many people would dare come to Danxia Temple for such a destiny fought with mortal fate on the line? Unexpectedly, the Zhao Clan’s lofty third uncle-ancestor had remembered their names!

“Allow me to take a look at your abilities.” Zhao Fenglai glanced at the livyatan trivially: “Go. I know the demon core and the ambergris is your specialty.”

Afterwards… like the two of them were hopped up on caffeine, their butts jolted and they ran over.

Everyone watched this in speechlessness. It was too unfortunate that this old fox wasn’t in a marketing organization. His level of tricking people had already reached a certain realm. With a few words, he had the seriously wounded disciples joyously set out to do the most filthy and strenuous work. Moreover… it seemed that he hadn’t even spoken of benefits? Merely drawing the large flat bread of a true disciple? With the premise if they even made it out alive?

“There’s still much for me to learn, eh…” Xu Yangyi revealed his emotions. From behind, a faint voice was heard.

“I think junior brother has already learned pretty well…” Fang Cheng’s gaze cruised into Xu Yangyi’s back like a nail. From the latter’s shoulder to butt, Fang Cheng seemed to be searching where to kick and the most opportunistic moment to make Xu Yangyi freshly remember it in his memories.

Flutter… In the wake of a hawk puppet’s sound of flapping wings, everyone was lead towards laughter at the lakeside. They meditated and rested. The casualties of this battle were horrendous, but the gains were likewise extremely ample. Nonetheless, in order to cope with the proceeding path, they had to maintain their best conditions.

It was then that Xu Yangyi detected that there seemed to be an island here. However, it was piled up and formed from stones.

“Over the course of hundreds of years, the Zhao Clan stacked up and established this white-jade platform bit by bit.” Zhao Wuye meditated in a place not too far from him. Taking note of Xu Yangyi’s gaze, he sighed: “Who would’ve expected that such a situation would occur?”

Xu Yangyi carefully took a look. In the past, this place ought to have been a thousand-meter-sized space, yet the place they were meditating should’ve been a high platform that required a step to get on. Even the places connecting to the cave had formed the shape of a dragon’s mouth. Not too distant behind them, there was a connecting tunnel that was hidden in depth. It was mystery as to where it lead to.

The water here was no longer able to pervade everywhere. Xu Yangyi looked for a few seconds and asked indifferently: “How far is it?”

“We can do it in three hours.” Zhao Wuye recalled and said: “But… there’s another road apart from the front of the honeycomb wall…” His gaze looked over everyone, and he said lowly: “Everyone, the following section is in no way completely safe. That’s because… the path we’re going to walk down on is called ‘the Yellow Springs’.”

No one spoke. In meditation, everyone drew out a fraction of energy, listening to Zhao Wuye’s account.

Originally, it was nameless, but…” Zhao Wuye seemed to recall something and shivered: “When you walk on this path… you must not turn your head back… Once the head is turned back, there is no doubt to a certain death!”

“It’s a rather normal path… but the Zhao Clan has lost ten-plus people in battle to it. We then deduced that the head cannot be turned back at all… Fellow Daoists…” He said sternly: “When I speak of not turning back, this isn’t confined to just turning the head, but spiritual sense and even glasses can’t be used. It can be understood as things that ‘mustn’t be looked at from behind with all methods’.”

“Things?” Yao Xintan opened his eyes and furrowed his brows. He stared fiercely for a moment at Qin Xueluan who was healing his wounds.

Qin Xueluan turned a blind eye. Her healing methods were very odd. With countless green patterns on them that formed a strange design, a scorpion and a golden scorpion were spewing out green qi from their mouths. Through the wound, they nourished his internals. Originally, there was nothing wrong with this, but Yao Xintan discovered that the other’s hand was quite licentious, very much immoral. It was moving down south of him.

“Yes, things.” Zhao Fenglai followed up, his voice trembling a little bit: “Everyone, the alligator gars and the livyatan were indeed desperate battles, but… these were still things that could be dispatched with strength. As for this Yellow Springs path… it’ll make you feel strange… A kind… of feeling as if something is shadowing you, retching at your ear side, and speaking… I guarantee that everyone won’t wish to walk it a second time. In the Zhao Clan, there are no less than five cultivators who have gone insane because they walked on the Yellow Springs path.”

“It’s not an illusion?” Xu Yangyi asked cautiously.

“Absolutely not…” Zhao Fenglai’s complexion whitened: “If an illusion can pat your shoulder and make you turn your head back…”

“Not far from going into this entrance is the Yellow Springs path. Everyone, remember at all costs, no matter what happens, you must not turn back… Otherwise, no one can save you. The Yellow Springs path is around 800 meters. Through it, the honeycomb wall is next.”

No one spoke. Danxia Temple’s strangeness was being unmasked little by little. The alligator gars and the livyatan on the outside could still be regarded within an acceptable scope, but once they entered the domain of the Yellow Springs path, that was the true supernatural.

Already… they were getting closer and closer to Danxia Temple’s suspected, real entrance!

“Let’s rest up.” Xu Yangyi closed his eyes and seized the roaming qi in the world: “After a full qi cycle, we’ll set out.” A full qi cycle was twelve hours. He wanted to ensure that everyone returned to peak state.

Time flowed on by the second. Several hours passed quickly. They hadn’t meditated for twelve hours but were instead awakened on the sixth hour by a vile stink assailing the nostrils.

Xu Yangyi furrowed his brows, opened his eyes, and discovered that the crowd in front of him had already placed down a hard, irregular snow-white stone that had the diameter of a meter. Mao Ba’er had woken up early on and had left saliva all around the irregular stone, spinning it.

“Ambergris?” Xu Yangyi asked in a probing manner. 

Mao Ba’er fiercely nodded: “That’s right! It’s the ambergris! I’ve never even seen such a big chunk! This is gonna earn a lot!”

Quite a few surrounding gazes cast over, especially Zhao Wuye’s. Xu Yangyi didn’t speak but rather resisted the vile stench and walked over. The ambergris had already been washed squeaky-clean. Its shape was rather uneven, and its entire body appeared sleek. On its snow-white color, there were even places that presented a kind of transparent gelatin.

He extended his hand and placed it on the surface. Suddenly, his spirit felt clear and bright. A sensation… To be a tad course, it was like moving bricks at a construction site and then getting a full-body massage after a bath. It was akin to walking through a desert in scorching summertime and a soaking rain suddenly arrived. In addition, the entire body was plunged into an oasis.

The whole body was penetrated, and a sliver of peppermint-like coolness pervaded the entire brain. It caused his thoughts to seemingly become nimble, a true sensation that one was begrudging to part from!

“It’s practically a drug.” After a long period, he pulled his hand back. He studied the medium-sized chunk of ambergris, somewhat too fond of it to let go. Just now, he had even completely forgotten about this item’s stink. So much that it caused him to recall the feeling of using the high-grade Spirit Focusing Formation back then for the first time!

“This is an A-rank spirit object. It ranks ninety-nine.” Peony’s complexion was fairly flushed. Like Zhao Wuye had said, a Qi Condensation cultivator thanked the heavens to have a B-rank item. Now, with such a large A-rank spirit object before her, even she felt it to be somewhat inconceivable.

“The smell of an ambergris just dug out is like this. However, as soon as its placed in a forty-nine day cycle, seven days at seven weeks, or goes through artificial curing, it’ll produce a bewitching scent. In ancient times, this was a supreme item that only the privileged and emperors had the qualifications to use. As for a whale demon’s ambergris… Commander, if this piece gets put up for auction, it’ll smash out a sky-high price!” 

She paused and laughed: “But allow me to be frank. Without specialized techniques, this item won’t exhibit its effects. Wouldn’t you say? Fellow Daoist Quan?”

“In legend, ambergris is a famous medicine that can put heart devils into order and steady the mind.” Quan Ningyue gently smiled and said quietly: “However, there must be special research in technique and study. Like a cat… Fellow Daoist can understand it like the Myriad Spirits Pill. Master once told me about a secret artificing art. There was a special technique called ‘Sunken Heart, Still Shadow’. Unless one is a grand artificer or above, it cannot be used. But, with this art, the ambergris can be sealed in an incense burner personally crafted by a grand artificer and ignited when used. Not only can it enhance cultivation speed, it can further amplify a person’s comprehension.”

Xu Yangyi laughed and cupped hands: “In that case, may I request Fellow Daoist Quan?”

“No problem.” Quan Ningyue giggled and took a brocaded pouch. Her hand beckoned and the ambergris flew in. She pursed her lips and laughed: “It looks like the Xingtian Legion’s future cultivating days will be extremely lavish, right…”

A remark caused everyone’s hearts to heat up. Myriad Spirits Pill… Ambergris… These items were priceless in the outside world. Now, they could actually put them to use! The legion’s benefits were too good, so  good that not a single person wanted to leave now. However, even better benefits had to be waited for until they left to be enjoyed!

When they thought about the kind of cultivating life they could take pleasure in after leaving… each person was incredibly glad about their original choice.

“Commander, let’s go.” Gao Wuguo stood up and twisted his body. His joints cracked and he laughed heartily: “I really want to see… what the suspected door of Danxia Temple that you spoke about is like!”

“Yeah, we haven’t even entered, but our gains are already so huge. Up next… what else is waiting for us?” Yao Xintan also stood up and laughed enthusiastically: “As long as we make it out alive this time, we’ve already made a killing!”