Chapter 428 - 301: The Moment

"A Realm?"

Zhao Xuanqi seemed to have heard a similar term before, but he didn’t fully understand its meaning. Hua Guangcan hadn’t taught this kind of information in his classes, as it was still a distant concept for New Disciples like them.

Zhong Maolin gave Zhao Xuanqi a strange look, seemingly wondering why a Senior Brother with a higher cultivation level than his own wouldn’t know about Realms. After all, Guming County had just experienced an Evil Cultivation incident a short while ago.

"Explain it in detail."

Zhao Xuanqi didn’t offer any explanation and simply continued his questioning.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Maolin’s mind raced. However, he quickly let the matter go. He wasn’t a fool. The name the other man had given was clearly not his real one, and his identity was likely unusual. But in a situation like this, with life and death uncertain, he had no intention of prying into the man’s true identity. After all, the man had just saved his life a short while ago.

"Senior Brother should know that evil afflictions are divided into four levels: A, B, C, and D. But this is just the standard classification. Above them, even more terrifying afflictions exist. The recent incident in Guming County was defined as ’Red Grudge Level,’ which is a level above A."

"And the most distinct feature of afflictions that surpass Level A is the ’Realm.’ It’s a terrifying area that emanates from the affliction’s main body, a place where the rules of Heaven and Earth have become twisted and chaotic. It’s as if another world has invaded our own, possessing all sorts of unimaginable abilities."

"Different Realms have different characteristics, but they share some commonalities. The most obvious one, which Senior Brother should be able to feel, is that the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi in this city has been cut off. It’s very difficult to replenish any consumed Primordial Qi, and any Techniques that draw upon Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi are greatly weakened."

"Not long ago, a Realm appeared during the Evil Cultivation incident in Guming County. It enveloped the entire county in just one week. Countless Evil Spirits spawned within it, as if the Ghost Gate itself had been opened. In the end, it took the combined efforts of our sect’s Elders, masters from the Government Office, experts from the four sects of Heqing, and agents from the Celestial Net Department to eliminate the threat, all at a great cost."

"However, based on the current situation, it seems the threat wasn’t completely eliminated. Instead, it was merely hidden in the shadows," Zhong Maolin said in a low voice.

"So it really is related to the previous Evil Cultivation? How did the Evil Cultivation appear in the first place?" Zhao Xuanqi said with a frown.

"That, I don’t know. I’m afraid only the sect’s Elders know those secrets," Zhong Maolin shook his head.

"Is there a way to leave this place?" Zhao Xuanqi asked.

"Well..."

Zhong Maolin sighed and said, "I’m not too clear on the specifics of this Realm. As for a way to leave, the most direct method would be to find the Evil Cult Statue and destroy it. The Realm would naturally break apart after that. That’s the method the sect Elders used before. I do know that the source of this Evil Cultivation incident was the Huang Mansion, so the Evil Cult Statue might be there. But with our strength..."

He trailed off.

"Perhaps... it’s not impossible," Zhao Xuanqi said, his expression flickering slightly.

"Oh?"

Zhong Maolin looked somewhat surprised.

"A short while ago, I did a rough search of the entire street," Zhao Xuanqi said. "I found that while there are quite a few Evil Spirits in the city, their strength isn’t outrageous. Some of the evil creatures might be difficult to deal with. But if this truly is a remnant of the previous Evil Cultivation incident, it means its power has likely been greatly diminished and can no longer reach its former level."

"You searched the entire street?!"

Zhong Maolin was even more shocked. He had been discovered and surrounded by Evil Spirits not long after he arrived. Yet this man had somehow managed to walk through the entire street. This level of strength far exceeded his expectations once again.

"If that’s the case, then it is indeed very likely," Zhong Maolin said after a moment of thought. "However, it will be very difficult for just the two of us to accomplish. Moreover, this is something we can’t delay. We have to act as quickly as possible. The reason we appeared here is likely because the Evil Cult Statue within this Realm needs to feed on blood and flesh. Life Primordial Qi is the very foundation of an Evil Spirit’s power. Once it absorbs enough Life Primordial Qi, this Realm’s strength will probably recover rapidly. I have no idea how many people were dragged into this Realm."

"Yes. I suspect quite a few Cultivators have also been dragged into this Ghost City. If we can gather them together, we might have a hope of breaking this Realm," Zhao Xuanqi said. He knew it would indeed be very difficult to accomplish this alone. Besides, he couldn’t just openly cultivate inside this Ghost City. The Blood Qi he would emit would be like a beacon, attracting swarms of Evil Spirits. That would be no different from suicide. Therefore, he had to rely on the strength of others.

"The city is crawling with Evil Spirits. Accomplishing that will be incredibly difficult," Zhong Maolin said with a sigh.

"I’ll handle that. You should hide here for now. Stay concealed and conserve your Physical Ability," Zhao Xuanqi said after a moment of thought. He could replenish his consumed Life Primordial Qi with the Rebirth Jade, but Zhong Maolin couldn’t. Once Zhong Maolin’s Physical Ability was spent, he had no way to recover it in this Ghost City. Every bit he used was a bit gone forever, so it should be saved for a critical moment.

"Will you be alright on your own?" Zhong Maolin looked at Zhao Xuanqi in surprise.

"Actually, the problem would be if you came with me. Remember, don’t leave this place carelessly. If you do have to leave, make sure to leave a mark indicating where you’ve gone."