RUMBLE—!
With the Profound Yellow Earth Essence completely dislodged, it was as if the spine had been brutally ripped from the Earth Vein Dragon Qi, which had lain dormant for millennia. A furious roar echoed from the depths of the Underground Palace, shaking space itself until it rippled.
On the surface, the surrounding hundred miles of mountains resonated in unison.
Countless slumbering abominations were instantly shattered by this pressure, as rocks rained down the slopes.
Directly above the ruins of the Pill Kiln, a pillar of light erupted toward the heavens. It was a mixture of heavy, earthy-yellow Qi and cyan divinity, resembling a sky-piercing blade. In an instant, it pierced through the long-accumulated clouds of cyan Evil Qi, soaring straight into the firmament.
An incredible phenomenon unfolded.
"What is that? The Earth Vein is churning, and divinity is soaring into the heavens... A great treasure, one that has been suppressing this entire region, has just emerged!"
Several miles away, amidst a pile of rubble, a young man wearing a Silver Patterned Robe abruptly looked up.
The longsword at his waist trembled violently, as if surrendering to the might within the pillar of light. Behind him, the faces of three other Cultivators, all exuding the aura of Qi Cultivation Perfection, broke into expressions of wild joy.
"A phenomenon of this magnitude is far beyond what any ordinary Spirit Grass could produce. If we can seize this treasure and get the Merit, our rankings will surely rise even higher!"
"Let’s go! If we’re late, there won’t even be scraps left for us!"
Greed burned like a wildfire in the hearts of these prodigies.
In that moment, all thoughts of the Secret Realm’s dangers and the exam’s cruelty were cast aside. Dozens of streaks of light shot through the Cyan Nether mist, heading straight for the source of the phenomenon.
「Underground Palace—Altar.」
The air was thick enough to suffocate. Outside, dozens of undisguised Spiritual Pressures, thick with greed and malice, felt like sharp spikes stabbing into the senses of the Divine Body on the throne.
The Lingma Mountain God’s hollow eyes snapped fully open.
The original golden light in its eyes had been replaced by a malevolence as thick as ink—a sign that the Divine Spirit’s corruption was reaching its peak.
Stimulated by the mountain’s tremors, the ocean of Divine Power within its body began to reawaken. With each pulse of revival, however, the parasitic black-and-red patches of Evil Qi on its Divine Body writhed more frantically, attempting to completely devour their former host.
"Traveler, they’re here! These greedy auras are enraging the Lord Mountain God!"
The clay Land God knelt below the altar, his voice laced with unprecedented terror. He was almost screaming. "Once the Lord Mountain God feels threatened and undergoes complete Demonization, this hundred-mile mountain range will collapse in an instant! It will become the domain of a life-devouring demon god! They’ll all die! No one will survive!"
Chu Bai stood on the highest tier of the altar, the gale whipping at his green robes.
He could sense that among the dozen or so auras, there was no shortage of elites from Dayuan Prefecture and even other famous clans of Qingzhou. Every last one of them clutched a life-saving trump card.
’If they want to steal my prize, they’d better have the mettle to survive it.’
Chu Bai snorted. He used his formidable will to forcibly suppress the rampaging lifeblood—a side effect of refining the Profound Yellow Earth Essence—and channeled it into his Dantian, where it transformed into even deeper Spiritual Power.
He ignored the Land God’s terror and gave his wide right sleeve a sharp flick.
A crisp clinking sound echoed through the Underground Palace.
The few Cyan Nether Pearls he had saved from killing the abominations flew from his sleeve like a shower of stars. They circled the throne, forming a brilliant, flowing halo of cyan light.
"Land God, since I took this Earth Treasure, I’ve also taken on the Cause and Effect that comes with it. I will protect this remnant spirit of the Mountain God for you."
Chu Bai stomped his foot, and the crimson flames of his Fire Step Ascension erupted across the dark gold flagstones. He glanced back at the pitch-black exit, a vicious killing intent flashing in the depths of his eyes.
’As for those freeloaders outside... I just so happen to need some more refined Cyan Nether Pearls for energy.’
He was clearly not referring to the abominations underground, but to the other exam candidates carrying their own pearls.
The rules of this Secret Realm may have discouraged infighting, but since they were coming for *his* fortuitous opportunity, they would all become stepping stones for his ascent up the Celestial Ladder.
"Protect this place!"
With a low shout, Chu Bai shot forward like a Divine General emerging from flames. He didn’t retreat; he advanced, pushing against the terrifying vibrations and charging straight for the Underground Palace entrance.
Behind him, the Land God stared blankly, first at the Mountain God now shrouded by the cyan Array, then at Chu Bai’s disappearing back. His lips trembled as he muttered to himself,
"That young man... he’s truly insane!"
At the entrance to the Underground Palace, Chu Bai plunged headfirst into the cyan mist.
The Underground Palace trembled, sending plumes of dust coiling like dragons.
When the earthy-yellow pillar of Qi shot into the sky and shattered the eternal gloom of the Cyan Nether Secret Realm, the entire Lingma Mountain awoke like a slumbering behemoth, letting out a roar that made one’s very Divine Soul tremble.
Deep underground, the Dragon Vein was simultaneously wailing in agony and reawakening. Every inch of rock groaned under the strain, crushed by five times the normal gravity.
And at the epicenter of this chaos—the entrance to the crumbling ruins—a young man in green robes stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his clothes whipping loudly in the fierce wind.
Chu Bai’s expression was exceptionally calm, so calm it was chilling.
He could feel the violent fluctuations from the Lingma Mountain God’s demonized body deep within the Underground Palace. He could also feel the powerful auras converging on him from a hundred miles in every direction, swarming like sharks that had caught the scent of blood.
A piercing shriek tore through the air. It was a beam of dark gold sword light, condensed to its absolute limit. It wasn’t just fast; it carried an air of unstoppable finality.
Before the sword light even arrived, its razor-sharp aura had already pulverized the rubble at Chu Bai’s feet.
"You’ve been in the Underground Palace for quite some time and caused such a commotion. You must have acquired an extraordinary treasure."
A young Cultivator emerged from the mist, clad in robes whiter than snow and standing atop a Flying Sword.

Comments

Loading...