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Chapter 857 - Passing the Ordeal
There were many mountains, all of them like volcanoes, hollow on the inside. There was chaotic energy around them, producing a shocking scene.
This area was like the nest of some type of enormous beast. The mountain had been completely excavated with many exits leading to the outside world.
Of course, this was not the strangest thing, nor was it the most shocking thing. What was even more astonishing was that there was primal chaos swirling about in the sky, and when it scattered outwards, incomparably shocking irregular scenes would appear.
Ten blood suns hung in the sky, thirty three blood moons were suspended above, and three thousand stars swirled about. They weren’t that far from the mountain, with only a few hundred zhang of distance in between, exerting a great pressure.
“Immortal blood dying the stars red!” Lan Yichen sighed and said.
It was clear that these stars had all been refined, or else a single one of them would be enough to collapse the void and surround this place. However, right now, so many of them were suspended above like stone rollers.
Chi!
At this moment, Shi Hao and Shi Yi took action at the same time, activating the fist sized clump of blood, scattering it forward.
Only world shocking divine blood could cause a change in this place, open up a mysterious path to make it relatively safer.
Otherwise, directly entering through the volcano’s passages so recklessly would easily result in accidents.
It had to be said that Six Crown King was extraordinary, his blood different. There were dragon patterns on his forehead as soon as he was born, and a heavenly diagram on his back. His blood was blessed by the heavens, carrying a mysterious energy.
Hong!
This fist-sized lump of blood essence released dazzling radiance, forming a blood-colored symbol in that mountain region, unexpectedly making one of the thirty-three blood moons above them move.
Chi!
A streak of light descended, unexpectedly opening up a path.
In the mountain, an ancient path mysteriously opened, extending outwards and appearing beneath Shi Hao, Shi Yi, and Qin Hao’s feet.
“Go!” Shi Yi walked forward, entering inside.
Shi Hao frowned, but in the end, he still entered. Luo Dao, Lan Yichen, and the others naturally didn’t hesitate, wishing to enter and take a look.
There was even less of a need to talk about Qin Hao. As a member of Stone Clan, the two Stones already entered, so he was naturally entering as well.
“Bring us with you!”
“We are willing to pledge our lives to follow behind you, obey your orders!”
In the rear, many people shouted, among them no lack of powerful outstanding experts. They were willing to follow behind them.
It was because these people personally saw the Stone Clan’s three brothers kill Ning Chuan, seeing how terrifying they were. They might be the greatest power in Nest Realm, so following these people would likely result in obtaining a portion of their natural luck.
Shi Yi, Shi Hao, and the others didn’t say anything, not paying attention to their voices.
“Gonna risk it all and follow!” There were a few people who were especially courageous, believing that even if Stone Clan’s three brothers didn’t pay them any attention, they still likely wouldn’t make things difficult for them.
It was because with how these three didn’t fear anything, people like them weren’t even seen as competitors.
The ancient path shone, bringing Shi Hao’s group into a mountain, moving underground without them even walking as it carried them forward.
Shua!
At the same time, a group of people followed them as well, entering the underground nest.
Then, the cultivators of the outside world couldn’t see through the Immortal Dao Flower’s petals any more. The inside of the vicious nest couldn’t be seen, their view obstructed.
In the underground ancient nest, everything was hazy. There were chaotic mists, as well as dark red colored walls. It looked ancient and mysterious. This was a peaceful ancient land.
The nest was deep and remote, but also large. This path took them directly in front of a stone cliff, and then the path stopped, reaching its end.
However, upon closer inspection, one would find that there were there stone gates here, all of them dark red in color. They looked just like the stone walls, as if they were covered in dried blood.
“Only one dao life, all things three life, three gates, is it this type of meaning?” Qin Hao said softly.
“Let’s separate here. I’m choosing this path.” Shi Yi said calmly. After giving Shi Hao and Qin Hao a nod, he exerted force, opened up a path, and then walked in.
An expanse of mist rushed out from that gate that shone brilliantly.
“Big brother, I’m taking the second path.” Qin Hao said. He was going to enter alone.
Shi Hao shook his head and said, “You should still go together with me. This underground world is quite strange, so it’ll be dangerous for a single person.”
After saying this, he produced a stone diagram. There were a few paths recorded on it.
“No need. If there is an accident, I have a way of leaving. I also found a diagram outside.” Qin Hao said. He brought it out and showed it to Shi Hao, having them observe it to see if it is the same.
It was just as old and ancient. The stone inscription diagram had a mysterious route within it, but it wasn’t quite the same as Shi Hao’s.
“It seems like one map will lead to one place, containing different natural luck. Older brother, let’s travel separately.” Qin Hao was quite stubborn, wishing to proceed alone.
Shi Hao didn’t stop him again. He pointed outwards, leaving an imprint on his body and saying, “Be careful.”
Then, he, together with Luo Dao, Lan Yichen, and Lu Yi entered the third gate.
In the rear, when the crowd saw this, they all rushed over, separately entering through three different gates.
There were other cultivators who entered the volcano through other entrances, not following Shi Hao or the other two.
In reality, many, many people had hurried over during these past few days, entering the nest. Many of them died, and only a few people came out with natural luck alive.
Everyone threw themselves over like moths to a flame, wishing to seize natural luck and obtain opportunities.
As soon as Shi Hao’s group entered, they immediately sensed a rich heaven and earth spiritual essence. Five-colored multicolored light swirled about, as if they were standing within a divine earth.
However, as soon as they relaxed, a colored ribbon moved through the void. It was completely silent, unexpectedly making Shi Hao’s fine hairs stand on end. He hurriedly dragged those people over.
Ah...
In the rear, the group of people who followed had several dozen individuals brushed by the ribbon. They were all sliced apart at the waist. Blood splashed outwards, creating an incomparably bloody scene.
“Heavens… what is that?” Lu Yi’s expression was deathly pale. How could such a disaster appear in this type of peaceful place?
“A divine chain or order, drifting along this path, moving with the wind…” Shi Hao released a soft sigh.
This place was too strange. They had just entered, yet this type of bloody disaster happened.
They proceeded quietly, quickly passing this misty region. The area in front of them quickly became hot. There was a black colored flame that was burning fiercely.
“A black lotus is blossoming in the flames!” Luo Dao was shocked.
However, that black flame was too terrifying. It was incomparably hot. Even as deities, they all still felt as if it was a bit hard to handle.
“Half divine medicine, it has special fragrance!” In the rear, there were creatures who hurried over. All of their eyes were shining, revealing looks of shock. They really wanted to immediately rush over.
“An illusion, not a half divine medicine. If you all still want to have a go, knock yourselves out.” Shi Hao said.
With a raise of his hand, black flames surged outwards, making all of these Divine Flame Realm cultivators’ breathing difficult. Their bodies were burned until they felt intense pain, their flesh about to collapse.
Against this type of flame, unless one was the outstanding talent of a province, it was difficult to pass.
Shi Hao walked over, walking through the flames and finding a path. He was going to make his way through.
Luo Dao and Lan Yichen followed. Even though it was uncomfortable for them, they could still make it through.
Lu Yi was the only one that cried out miserably, almost being in danger. He was grabbed by Shi Hao and protected under his own radiance.
It was clear that this black flame would block a lot of people. Unless one was a powerful individual, they wouldn’t be able to pass it.
In the rear, the crowd sighed. They wanted to follow a powerful individual and borrow his power to make things a bit easier, but they couldn’t even do so in the end.
There were some who were quite decisive, however, saying, “It’s too dangerous. It seems like it really isn’t a place we should have came to.” After saying this, these people turned around and left.
Of course, when they turned around, they became stupefied. There was already no path behind them. It all turned into a dark red stone wall, blocking their escape.
Shi Hao frowned as he proceeded, leading these individuals through this region. They were actually moving through a woodland. It was quite strange, there was actually a forest underground.
Hou!
Following the sound of a few roars, a few brightly colored ancient beasts rushed out from the forest. Shi Hao’s group didn’t recognize these creatures at all.
“They are actually all at the True Self Realm?!” Lu Yi shivered inwardly.
This was just the beginning, yet there were true deities that came out.
Hong!
Shi Hao took action. Symbols erupted. Precious symbol light pervaded the air, blasting apart all of those brightly colored ancient beasts.
“These aren’t true ancient beasts. Someone engraved them on that enormous rock.” Luo Dao was shocked.
There was an enormous rock in the mountain forest with a few ancient beasts casually carved on them. These unexpectedly emerged from them.
This immediately made those people horrified. What kind of methods are these? Just the beasts one randomly engraved could truly appear and become true deities.
The mountain forest was peaceful without any other dangers.
When they walked out from this forest, a few people's minds were shaken. Lava surged, scarlet red light covering everything like a sea in front of them.
“So fragrant, there’s a fruity smell.”
“Produced by natural laws once again, another illusion…” Lu Yi curled his lips.
“This time, it isn’t.” Luo Dao said, staring forward.
In the magma, there were a few plants that weren’t over three foot in height. They were silvery white, shining, and releasing a gentle fragrance. These were rather strange looking thistles and thorns, with a few of them having fruits on their branches.”
“Holy fruits.”
Those were holy fruits. Their names weren’t known, but they possessed abundant spiritual essence.
“Worthy of being Immortal Ancient, the spiritual essence so dense that several tens of holy medicines appeared at once. This is truly astonishing.”
Shi Hao sighed in amazement. Compared to this place, his homeland in the lower realm was just too ‘barren’. The spiritual essence was incomparably lacking, the precious medicines there unable to evolve.
However, when they picked these, they encountered quite a bit of trouble. The sea of magma surged, and dense symbols surged to suppress and kill them.
In the end, they picked six or seven fruits.
With a weng sound, a bone flood dragon emerged from the magma. It unexpectedly opened its mouth towards these fruits.
“So strange, it doesn’t have a consciousness and only a type of instinct?” Shi Hao was stunned.
There were bits of light within the bone flood dragon’s skull. That wasn’t a primordial spirit, only a remnant will.
When one holy fruit entered its mouth, it unexpectedly allowed these people to step on its body. Then, all of the bone texts on its body flourished, carrying them through the void with a sou sound towards the other side of the scarlet sea.
“Heavens, this flood dragon should have been at least a heavenly deity before its death, but it was refined into a tool to travel through this sea…” Those individuals cried out in astonishment.
Its will hadn't faded after all this time. It was purposely transformed into its current state.
The sea of magma was quite hot. There were strange ancient flames hidden within that could kill deities!
Lu Yi gave it a test. As a result, his arm was injured, almost melting off.
The bone flood dragon was fast, quickly carrying them to the other side of the scarlet sea, arriving before an expanse of rubble.
“Is it testing us? Why is it one dangerous place after another?” Luo Dao’s face became serious, because he had seen a few sword traces in the forest that unexpectedly released powerful killing intent.
This was indeed the case. They were stopped again. Only after breaking through them could they pass.
Just like that, they continuously encountered all types of dangers again and again. There were several dozen trials, each enough to stop exceptional talents. They were all extremely dangerous.
After an entire fifty trials, the stone inscription diagram Shi Hao was carrying lit up, displaying some abnormalities. Only then did they discover that they had entered a path recorded on the stone diagram.
“En, why is there no more dangers?”
They proceeded through the ancient path, advancing through the underground world. In the end, they unexpectedly made it through without any hindrances, about to reach its end.
“We are almost at the end!”
Up ahead, close to the end of this place, a praying mat was blocking them. Chaotic energy was released from it.
Aside from this, there were a few corpses as well that were collapsed here. They were all quite strange, the skeletons shining with astonishing luster.
“These are powerful individuals who have died in the ancient past. All those who could reach this place are definitely not ordinary.” Shi Hao said with a sigh. They had just passed fifty trials. It was definitely not an easy task, with dangers lurking all around.
“Yi, there are some words carved on the ground.”
They discovered that there was someone who left behind a few words on the ground. They carefully inspected them.
“Divine Wing Clan -- Peng Tianyi.”
Six characters, written quite hurriedly, seemingly running out of strength towards the end. This was clearly left behind before death.
“What?!” Luo Dao and Lan Yichen’s fine hairs stood on end, feeling incomparably shocked.
“What is it? Is this person famous?” Shi Hao asked.
“This is an ancient freak, someone who had overlooked an era, only, after he entered Immortal Ancient a second time, he never appeared again!” Luo Dao’s expression was serious and grave.
A powerful ancient freak died here endless years ago!
Shi Hao couldn’t help but become serious. He looked at the few other corpses, all of them appearing quite powerful, their bones shining and extraordinary.