Chapter 347 - 191: The Secret of the Depths of Darkness

Chapter 347: Chapter 191: The Secret of the Depths of Darkness

"You never know what’s hidden in these pitch-black places. Perhaps a demon kingdom lies in wait, or a stretch of unholy land, or maybe some supreme Great Demon King is lurking about. In short, the deeper you go, the more bizarre it gets.

There are also many strange creatures hidden in the darkness. Even Outer Saint Level experts must be extremely careful. The slightest misstep could lead to a violent, tragic death."

"I’m actually quite interested in these places."

Chen Xuan said.

"Interest is one thing, but you must not act recklessly. It’s easy to get lost in the depths of the darkness, and once you are, there’s basically no chance of survival."

Chu Shanhe warned gravely.

"Don’t worry. I’m not a reckless person."

Chen Xuan smiled.

’At the very least, I’ll wait until I’m strong enough before I go exploring.’

"Do you see this area?"

Chu Shanhe pointed a finger toward a patch of darkness far from the continent. "Over four thousand years ago, when the Martial Alliance was at its peak, it organized a group of masters to explore deep into these parts. The furthest they reached was right here. According to ancient records, they discovered what they suspected were powerful Primordial Qi fluctuations, perhaps hinting at a larger world buried by the darkness.

Unfortunately, before they could explore further, a dark vortex appeared, causing devastating casualties. They were forced to retreat. After that retreat, internal strife broke out within the Martial Alliance, and since then, no one has returned to explore this place. Of course, perhaps people from Heaven-Burning Valley have gone, but we in the Martial Alliance wouldn’t know."

Heaven-Burning Valley was the largest faction to split off from the Martial Alliance, inheriting seventy percent of its resources and territory.

The immense loss of life in that dark vortex was what ultimately caused the Martial Alliance to fracture.

"Oh?"

A glint appeared in Chen Xuan’s eyes as his gaze fell upon the area Chu Shanhe had indicated.

The ink marking this region was very faint.

It looked as if it had been specially marked.

It certainly seemed quite distant from their current location.

"In all these years, haven’t the things from the depths of the darkness ever tried to enter our world? Aside from that event every ten years, I mean."

Chen Xuan inquired.

"How could they not have?"

Chu Shanhe shook his head. "I suspect many people from the Grotto Heavens have made contact with creatures from the Dark World. They may have even reached some kind of agreement. After all, for things from the Dark World to come over, they must first pass through the Grotto Heavens. There’s no other way for them to get here. So, no one on the outside has any idea how many dark creatures the various Grotto Heavens have actually engaged with. Perhaps some of them are harboring wicked intentions, just waiting for the day they can let the wolf into the house."

"Alright."

Chen Xuan nodded again.

’It really is quite complicated.’

’But on second thought, it isn’t.’

’The root of all this is a lack of strength!’

’If I were strong enough, I could just charge into the depths of the darkness, tear it to shreds, drag out whatever is in there, and smash it to death. Then all the darkness would just vanish on its own.’

’See? Simple, right?’

"Also, I killed Su Lun of the Northern Barbarians. They’re saying it could spark a Grotto Heaven war. What do you think?"

Chen Xuan said.

"A Grotto Heaven war?"

Chu Shanhe let out a cold laugh. "What’s there to fear? We’ll handle whatever they throw at us. I’ll have your back. The Northern Barbarians are just paper tigers. If we really drop all pretenses and go at it, they won’t be able to handle the consequences either."

"I’m not afraid. I’m just asking—is a fight likely?"

Chen Xuan asked.

To be honest, he was actually a little excited.

’Only through fighting could he advance faster.’

"Hard to say. The Northern Barbarians are probably in an uproar over this right now. It all depends on whether they have the guts. If they do, we’ll see it through to the very end."

Chu Shanhe replied.

"And will the Grotto Heavens on our side agree to it?"

Chen Xuan asked.

"On other matters, they might try to hold you back. But when it comes to fighting the Northern Barbarians, they’ll get all fired up. A few might run their mouths and complain, but it won’t sway the majority’s decision."

Chu Shanhe said with a laugh.

"Alright."

Chen Xuan smiled as well.

"Chen Xuan, you were cultivating Primordial Barbaric Energy last time, correct? I happen to have something for you."

Chu Shanhe smiled faintly, took an object from his sleeve, and tossed it over. "It’s a bone from a Primordial Giant Demon, found in the depths of the darkness. Take a look. Perhaps you can gain some insight from it."

"Oh?"

Chen Xuan’s eyes lit up as he deftly caught it.

Golden patterns swirled across the palm-sized black bone, looking mysterious and complex.

It emanated a profound aura.

’Excellent!’

’My Primordial Barbaric Energy can level up again.’

’It’s about to reach Primordial Barbaric Energy (Lv. 3).’

’Another huge leap in strength!’

"Many thanks, Alliance Leader!"

Chen Xuan smiled.

"It’s nothing. If you have any other questions, go ahead and ask them now."

Chu Shanhe smiled.

The two of them then spoke freely.

An hour later, Chen Xuan finally took his leave and headed once more for the sixth floor of the Scripture Pavilion.

’There shouldn’t be anyone here now, right?’

Chen Xuan stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room first.

’Hm, no one’s here.’

He relaxed and began his search.

The sixth floor of the Scripture Pavilion had only three rows of bookshelves.

They held true Outer Saint Level Martial Arts, techniques that could lead directly to the Dharma Aspect stage when cultivated to their peak.

Chen Xuan went directly to the shelf for Fire Attribute techniques and began to look.

As expected, there were even fewer Fire Attribute Outer Saint Skills.

There were only three in total.

Great Sun Glaze Body!

Nine Netherworld Flames Skill!

Myriad Phenomena Beacon Fire Dao!

Chen Xuan picked them up one by one to examine them.

He barely had to compare them before quickly making his choice.

First, there was the Nine Netherworld Flames Skill. Although it was a fire technique, it used yin-fire. The True Essence it cultivated was black, which was a clear mismatch for his current golden True Essence.

Next was the Myriad Phenomena Beacon Fire Dao. It followed the path of drawing power from the "lights of a myriad of homes," forging them in a single crucible to cultivate the ’All Things Fire Seed.’