Chapter 646 - Sealed Earth
Purple energy rose from the east. It was peaceful.
Shi Hao and the others descended. They sized up the surrounding scenery.
Ancient trees stood sparsely in this region, but they were all incomparably old, every single one with trunks so thick several people had to work to get to wrap their arms around it. Their old bark was cracked, making them look like dragon scales.
These trees were not lush or flourishing with leaves and branches. However, they could still see heavenly light.
There was a lot of space between every tree, opening up vast areas of land in between. There were purple mists floating about, accompanied with multicolored light. Most of it poured over from the east.
Shi Hao and this group of people entered this secret realm, feeling a spiritual essence so thick that it wouldn’t thin out.
“Fire Devil Palace truly are good-for-nothing!”
These people were furious. Fire Devil Palace actually looked down on them so much, thinking of them as the most useless muddled fish, sending them to their own sect’s region.
“When the time comes, they might use us as cannon fodder.” Someone said in a rather worried manner.
Fire Devil Palace thought that their fighting strength wasn’t high and that they were all just there to make up the number. They thought that weren’t much of a threat at all, and they couldn’t contend against their own sect in searching for the various types of natural luck at all.
Soon after, the angered people closed their mouths, no longer saying too much, because after entering here, there was a high chance of them encountering people from that sect.
In addition, several dozen people quickly scattered, taking precautions against each other.
Once they entered this secret realm, they were rivals. Regardless of whether it was picking medicines or finding supreme being true blood, cooperation would be difficult. It would be full of competition.
Shi Hao began to move out, walking east.
There were quite a few people who even moved out before him, leaving behind some afterimages in that direction. It was because purple energy was scattering outwards, and it was all coming from the east.
“Yi, it’s a stalk of hound leaf vine!” Someone cried out in joy. Before they traveled that far, he saw a stalk of vine at the base of a mountain that took root between the cracks of the stone. It had multicolored light swirling about it.
This stalk of medicine was less that three feet tall. It looked like it was carved from black jade. Its leaves looked like a vicious hound. They released strands of dark light, and the entire medicine filled the air with spiritual essence.
This cultivator squatted down. He took out a jade shovel and carefully dug it out to avoid harming the roots and scattering the spiritual essence. He quickly obtained this spiritual medicine.
Chi!
Suddenly, a sky splitting sound rang through the air. A streak of scarlet multicolored light quickly rushed over, and then a miserable cry sounded. This cultivator that could be considered quite powerful as well widened his eyes, showing fear. His face gazed into the skies as he collapsed into a pool of blood.
This was a scarlet feather arrow. It pierced through his skull, killing him on the spot, fierce and accurate. A single arrow took his life, not leaving him with any chance.
The hound leaf vine in his hands fell onto the ground. A bit of blood splashed onto its surface.
This made the minds of the cultivators that entered this secret realm tremble. This was too fierce and ruthless! He just plucked a single stalk of spiritual medicine, yet he ended up provoking death.
“This is a forbidden land. None of you are allowed any closer!” Someone released a word of warning from the mountain up ahead.
It was a middle-aged man with thick crimson hair. His eyes were like copper, and in his hands was an enormous bow, looking like an iron tower. In addition, blood energy surged, and an imposing aura surged outwards.
While speaking, he made a waving motion, bringing that hound leaf vine over to him. It landed in his hands.
A dozen or so people came over from his direction. When they saw this scene, they were all resentful. This was just too domineering. Did they really not think their lives were worth anything?
Only, everyone could only feel angry inside. None of them dared to say anything and they held it all in, because they noticed there were many figures up ahead. There were a few others, clearly Fire Devil Palace’s experts.
This was a well known great sect that sent multiple experts with their divine flames lit inside. If they truly fought against each other, with their cultivation realms only being at the supreme expert realm, they would be completely wiped out.
Shi Hao watched this scene from the distance, feeling discontent inside. Fire Devil Palace was too overbearing and ruthless, but this also meant that there was definitely something incredible up ahead that made this sect feel so nervous.
There were quite a few individuals who had similar thoughts as himself. A few individuals felt a bit itchy fingered, but after comparing themselves to the enemy's’ strength, they had no choice but to shake their heads and helplessly withdraw.
There were a few others who were hesitating. They hid themselves among the trees and thus vanished.
Shi Hao didn’t fight them head on. Towards any divine level expert, he wouldn’t underestimate them, let alone the fact that there were more than one. He had to deal with them carefully.
However, he didn’t want to leave just like that either, instead choosing to roam about the surrounding region to see exactly what kind of divine treasure there was up ahead.
“There shouldn’t be an archaic supreme beings’ blood pools that appeared, right?”
The terrain rose and fell. Ancient trees were sparse and thinly spread. One could look very far into the distance. This place was full of spiritual essence, but there weren’t many poisonous bugs or ferocious beasts. It was a relatively peaceful pure land.
Shi Hao stood on top of a tall mountain and gazed into the distance. The heart of this region was a vast and boundless mountain valley. It was incredibly majestic. Purple energy rose, surging upwards. It was as if there were draconic cries that sounded. It was an extremely unordinary and unique place.
“What a precious land. What is there inside?” Shi Hao said softly.
Fire Devil Palace’s people protected this valley entrance, standing there seriously and not allowing anyone to come closer. There were many people watching the surroundings as well, strictly locking down this place.
Shi Hao paced back and forth, walking to a zone even further out in search of opportunities, as well as investigating if there were shortcuts to other regions, like transport formations.
Before entering, he heard that Origin Sky Secret Realm was large to an unbounded degree, but one would often discover some ancient transport formations, making the amount of land one has to travel become much shorter.
“Yi, things don’t look too good.” Shi Hao discovered and abnormality. He only walked a few dozen li, but was already blocked. There was a great formation sealing the skies!
He frowned, following the edge of the sealing formation as he walked. He wanted to see if there were any openings.
In the end, he was shocked. This area of a hundred li was completely surrounded by an ancient divine level formation with not faults. He couldn’t free himself from this place.
Just like him, several tens of other people encountered the same problem. While exploring through this region, they instead discovered that their route of advance was broken, and that there was no way to leave this place.
“What kind of place is this? How can there be a great formation sealing it up? We can’t even leave the Fire Devil Palace’s people even if we wanted to!” Someone’s expression changed. He had a bad feeling.
That purple valley was the center of a perimeter of a hundred li. It was occupied by Fire Devil Palace’s people. Could it be that they found something, that there was a path there?
Everyone finally understood why this place lacked poisonous bugs and mysterious beasts. It was because this was a sealed earth that was separated from the outside world. Even if there were vicious beasts of divine birds, they couldn’t come in.
Some people tested things out, wishing to leave this ancient formation. However, they quickly suffered disasters. There were several people who were killed by the symbols, making everyone’s expressions change. Forcefully trying to break out was definitely no good.
Everyone looked at each other in dismay. They really had no way!
Shi Hao followed the original route back, closing in on that spacious valley that was seething with purple energy.
Many people returned, watching from the distance. They felt that if there really was no way, then they’ll just follow behind Fire Devil Palace to see how they leave.
Hong!
The valley suddenly released a ferocious noise. Scarlet light rushed into the air. An enormous Scarlet Feathered Crane rushed out. Half of its body was burning, and blood covered it. It fell outside the mountain valley.
That place was in absolute chaos. It drew many cries of alarm.
“It’s seriously injured.”
Shi Hao and the others were astonished. Fire Devil Palace’s expert that ignited its divine flame suffered serious injuries in the valley. However, they didn’t dare to act recklessly. There should be more than a single divine level expert that came.
“I should just search for a few natural opportunities for now.” Shi Hao said to himself. He originally didn’t want to waste time, but there was no way to leave, so he began to collect the herbs nearby.
The others also roamed about, watching Fire Devil Palace’s Scarlet Feathered Crane Race’s actions.
Soon after, the peace was shattered.
Shi Hao climbed up to a mountain cliff and discovered a stalk of spiritual medicine. As soon as he wanted to pick it, a scarlet feather flew over, hitting the cliff with a peng sound, making this place collapse. Enormous rocks rumbled downwards.
He leapt into the air and gazed into the distance.
A sinister looking youth who had a head of fiery red hair flowing down could be seen. He was extremely handsome, only, he was a bit feminine. His eyes were long and and slender. With a smile that was yet not a smile, he looked over and said, “You should leave. My martial uncle has summoned you all.”
The individuals behind him were all Fire Devil Palace’s experts. They all raised their bows, their faces cold and full of killing intent.
“Is there something you need?” Shi Hao asked.
“Less nonsense. If I tell you to go, then hurry up and go.” The sinister looking youth was a bit impatient as he glared in this direction. He didn’t put Shi Hao in his eyes at all.
Meanwhile, the other cultivators were also herded by Scarlet Feather Crane Race’s people, forced towards a certain direction. They were going to bring them into the valley.
Shi Hao licked his lips, and then he sized up this youngster.
This sinister looking youth felt a shiver for some reason, but this feeling quickly disappeared, making him wonder if it was a misconception.
“Leave, you all don’t have any other choice. This place is sealed up by a great formation, and we can only leave through the valley. We need to work together.” An elder said.
When everyone heard this, they all looked at each other in dismay.
Meanwhile, a middle-aged expert appeared. His eyes were like a small suns, releasing blinding radiance. He descended in this place. This was an expert that ignited his divine flame, representing the highest power here.
"Everyone, please go on your way,” he said indifferently.
Everyone felt helpless and walked towards the valley together.
In front of the valley, the spiritual essence became even more thick. The ordinary plants all carried sparkling luster. This was the result of being nourished by spiritual essence for a long period of time.
Rather than saying they were inviting several tens of cultivators here, it was more correct to say that they were being escorted like criminals. However, everyone had no choice. Fire Devil Palace had four divine level experts standing guard here.
This made everyone feel horrified. Not even an exceptional talent would be enough here, unable to fight over natural luck with them!
The valley was surrounded by an expanse of large purple mountains. Every single one was flowing with purple energy and incomparably hazy. The inside of the valley was extremely vast with large areas of historical remains. There were several tens of collapsed enormous palaces. This place was a pure land in the past.
The most shocking thing was that there was still a mountain inside the valley that was entirely yellow. It was formed from gold, and it was releasing divine splendor. There was a tree on it.
“Lightning tree?” As few individuals cried out in shock. Even though they were forced inside, right now, they were still shocked. Their eyes burned with desire.
The golden mountain was majestic and imposing. The ancient tree on its surface was extremely unordinary and incomparably thick. It was entirely pitch black and accompanied by endless lightning radiance. However, there were a few leaves on top of the tree that were green and sparkling, releasing holy radiance without withering.
Everyone’s eyes were fixated on it. Forget about that golden mountain being different, just this tree alone was a priceless treasure!
Apart from this, there were large amounts of abandoned ancient medicinal fields nearby the golden mountain. Even though it was covered in weeds, there were still some old medicines growing there that released rich medicinal fragrances.
Only, those places were extremely dangerous. Large amounts of symbols lit up.
“Everyone, this is a hidden place that might hold a tremendous secret. Why don’t we explore it together,” Fire Devil Palace’s people said.
However, even though their words sounded nice, the Scarlet Feathered Crane’s people forced everyone forward, having them find a path while they themselves followed behind.
“Seniors, there is a restriction here. It is extremely dangerous.” Someone said in a soft voice.
“Don’t worry. With us old ones here behind you, if there is some changes, we will rescue you.” An expert that had ignited his divine flame said indifferently.
Everyone’s hearts burned with anger. Even Fire Devil Palace’s expert that ignited a divine flame was seriously wounded, unable to defend itself, so how could they possibly protect them?
Forcing them forward like this was the same as sending everyone to their deaths!