Chapter 760 - 111: Treacherous Land

The Dragon-nosed Horse galloped briskly along the river, its hooves kicking up mud. The two packhorses following behind were not slow either and managed to keep up.

Chen Chuan had never specifically learned to ride a horse, but with his bodily control and coordination, he adapted almost instantly after getting in the saddle. With just a few minor adjustments, he looked like a veteran rider.

This undeveloped territory was heavily forested, but the banks of the river were wide open. According to the map Chen Bitong had given him, the river flowed directly toward his destination, so all he had to do for now was follow it.

However, things in the Merging Land changed frequently and defied common sense, so he would have to adjust based on the situation.

Besides, this region was not as peaceful as it seemed on the surface.

He would occasionally encounter strange and bizarre creatures near the water. To save time, he generally avoided engaging them. If he couldn’t, he would use his Spiritual Power to drive them away.

After riding for several Hours, the river ahead suddenly narrowed. The banks were covered in a large number of river pebbles, all roughly the same size, as if they had been artificially polished.

He glanced at them and spurred his horse to leap over them. But as he did, the pebbles stirred by the hooves suddenly grew legs, stood up, and scurried into the river.

These "pebbles" were actually insects with carapaces that looked just like stones. As he galloped past, the stones, stretching for miles, began to undulate like a tide.

Chen Chuan paid them no mind and simply urged his horse forward. He wasn’t even close to pushing the Dragon-nosed Horse to its limit, and the two packhorses could still keep up.

After crossing the miles-long stretch, he glanced back. The stones had vanished without a trace. The narrow river was now dammed up in the middle, its water overflowing the banks.

The two packhorses were panting heavily, seemingly from the hurried pace, so he decided to stop. He then raised his hand and glanced at the Activity Index on his wrist.

Even without using his Second Self, the display still read zero.

Since he had cultivated sufficient Spiritual Power, he could clearly feel the encroaching contamination and easily resist it.

From this, he gathered that having strong enough Spiritual Power was the key to adapting to this region.

He looked up. Chaoming was circling overhead, scouting the surroundings for him. It didn’t stray too far, as the environment and its creatures were simply too dangerous. Staying close meant they could support each other.

After a short rest, he gave the horses some water and Nutrition Paste, then continued on his way.

The next few Hours of travel went smoothly. But in the afternoon, he saw the river take a wide turn. The surrounding land was a boundless expanse of black, rotting earth. From time to time, he could see fat, red-headed longworms burrowing and churning through the soil.

Chen Chuan looked at them, and a memory immediately surfaced: they were a type of insect called Red-headed Geometers.

The reason the memory was so vivid was that, according to the experiences Chen Bitong had passed down, these insects were exceptionally fragrant when roasted and required no seasoning. Skewering them on maple branches before roasting made them even more flavorful.

This wasn’t because Chen Bitong and his companions were gluttons; eating the organisms of the Merging Land was part of their pioneering work.

Many things in the Merging Land were highly nutritious. Some could be used as medicinal ingredients, and many others as rare biological materials. Otherwise, so many companies wouldn’t have established branches here.

One could say that while the undeveloped regions were extremely dangerous, they were treasure troves if they could be explored and exploited.

A Third Limit Fighter could roughly discern a creature’s life-level, knowing what was edible and what wasn’t. And with their tenacious Life Force, even if they accidentally ate something they couldn’t identify, it wouldn’t be a problem. They could simply endure it.

Of course, this was all assuming they had teammates to watch their back. A lone person wouldn’t dare to be so reckless.

Chen Chuan wasn’t concerned about this. With his Second Self, he had nothing to fear. But he didn’t have the leisure to roast insects. He would rather spend that time cultivating.

He knew, however, that while the surface of this black, rotting earth looked stable, there was a risk of sinking if he stepped on it. There was no solid ground inside to push off from. Even he had to be cautious. The best option was to go around it.

So, after a brief stop, he began to detour around it. It took several Hours before he finally bypassed the area.

This, however, took him far from the river’s original course. It wasn’t easy to get one’s bearings in the Merging Land. Although there was day and night, the sun, moon, and stars were not visible. He could only get a rough sense of direction from his immediate surroundings.

He checked the map stored in his Lower Realm Token. If he hadn’t strayed too far, there should be an indigenous settlement nearby where he could communicate with the locals.

Chen Bitong had once stayed there for a few days. If Chen Chuan could find it, he could pinpoint his own location. If he was lucky, he might even get news about the Federation and Lynx Federation encampments.

But the detour had wasted a lot of time. He felt he wouldn’t be able to reach it before nightfall.

And night in the Merging Land was exceptionally dangerous and strange, making it completely unsuitable for travel. So, he first needed to find a place to make camp.

Nothing in the wilds of the Merging Land could be trusted, not even the trees. Places near water were even more dangerous. He eventually found an open area with its back to an earthen slope.

Once he had chosen the spot, he punched the ground several times in succession. With a series of BOOMING sounds, a deep pit was blasted open. Several meters of gravel, insects, and weeds below were pulverized by his Power.

Then he took out and unfolded a folding shovel, effortlessly digging a cave large enough to shelter him. It was big enough for two people to turn around in.

After coming out, he took out some specially prepared insect-repellent powder and sprinkled it inside the hollow. Then, he pulled a special sheet from a pack on one of the horses and laid it out inside the cave. He sprayed some liquid from a bottle onto it, and the sheet quickly hardened, reinforcing the structure.

Once this step was complete, he took out a tent coated in a special substance. First, he laid down a layer on the bottom, covering the hardened sheet. Then he set up the upper part, securing it firmly. Finally, he fastened the clasps on the edges and sealed all the hook-and-loop fasteners tightly, leaving not a single gap.

After finishing, he checked it over one more time to make sure there were no issues. He went back to the surface, gathered some firewood, and built three campfires in a triangular formation about five meters from the tent. He inserted a "fire core"—an essential item for overnighting in the Merging Land—into the very center. After leading the three horses near the tent, he lit the fires.

The roaring flames illuminated each other, completely encircling the tent.

Chen Chuan glanced at his watch. It was almost six o’clock. He called Chaoming down and had it enter the tent. He then stepped inside himself. The moment he entered and lowered the flap, the sky behind him suddenly darkened, and the inside of the tent was plunged into pitch-blackness.

He reached out and flicked something at his side. With a CLICK, the provided oil-gas lamp lit up. Chaoming was already curled up obediently in a corner.

After feeding Chaoming a few sticks of Nutrition Paste, he descended into the dugout he had excavated beneath the tent.

He didn’t intend to waste time. He planned to open a Rift and engage in spiritual cultivation.

There was no Fumu or Domain monitoring here, and no one to bother him. However, the Merging Land was much closer to that world on the other side, and it was hard to say what might happen.

Given the dangers of the Merging Land, he wouldn’t have attempted this if he could only open a Rift. But now he could also repair them. If things went wrong, he could just seal it in time.

He sat down and began to regulate his breathing. But only ten minutes or so passed before he suddenly felt something crawling on top of the tent, trying to find a gap to get in.

At the same time, he felt as if the entire piece of land he was on had started to move, as if being pushed forward by something.

His gaze remained calm. He steadied his mind and ignored it all, focusing only on regulating his breath. After a while, once he was in the right state, he took the Snow Monarch Blade and cast the Sword Scabbard aside.

After gripping the hilt for a moment, he slashed forward. Instantly, a glowing opening the length of his forearm appeared before him.

At that moment, he felt a current of air rush out from within. The tent was suddenly filled with countless piercing shrieks that seemed to scream right next to his ears.

And he saw them. On the other side of the Rift were countless eye-like things, packed together in a viscous mass, occasionally turning and rolling over one another.

His Second Self was also rapidly fading.

Chen Chuan stared at the other side. When he opened a Rift in Central City, what he saw was mostly just illusory shadows. But here in the Merging Land, they seemed to have taken on solid form.

He did notice, however, that after these things appeared, the strange disturbances from outside vanished completely. He couldn’t feel them at all anymore.

With a serene expression, he sat before the Rift, the Snow Monarch Blade resting on his knees. He watched the things inside as he operated the Dharma Gate for absorbing essence.

He didn’t need to know what those things were. If any tried to cross over, he would immediately cut them down. If he couldn’t hold them back, he could seal the small opening in an instant.

After cultivating for a while, he quickly discovered that the essence he absorbed from the Rift was far greater than in Central City, completely incomparable to his usual sessions.

Moreover, the Rift also lasted for a very long time. Back when he was cultivating at sea, a Rift would last for about four Hours. Today, however, four Hours had passed, and the Rift showed no sign of weakening.

In response, however, the things on the other side grew restless and began trying to seep through toward him.

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