Chapter 335 Entering Purple Mountain
A swarm of demon bats!
He launched a reckless attack on Jiang Liu.
This is a humanoid creature, two meters tall with a wingspan of four meters, rushing towards the river from the depths of the ancient mine.
Claws, sharp as knives and gleaming with cold light, aimed straight for his throat, while strange vibrations emanated from their mouths, causing his eardrums to ring. Furthermore, a beam of bright light could be emitted from their mouths, slashing down like a sharp blade—clearly an innate magical ability.
According to ancient records, this is a species that lives underground, called the Demon Bat, which is very rare and almost never seen in the human world.
Legend has it that when bats become spirits and attain great power, their offspring, after dozens or even hundreds of generations, gradually lose their blood and, if they fail to improve, degenerate into these demonic bats.
Jiang Liu crossed the area, shooting down hundreds and thousands of demonic bats. The stench of blood filled the space, but his stone armor remained unstained by a single drop of blood.
"A group of species living on the edge of a place of great misfortune. Now, have I truly entered this ominous land?"
Then, he saw a series of faded images. Jiang Liu knew that they were a set of pictures depicting the Great Emperor Wushi suppressing the Undying Empress.
This Purple Mountain was first the mausoleum of the Immortal Emperor, and later occupied by the Great Emperor Wushi. This is an ancient secret, known to few in the world.
As they continued forward, the soil on the ground suddenly became soft, covered with a large amount of ashes, and even more withered bones that had not yet decomposed. The yin energy was even more intense, like a north wind blowing snow on their bodies.
Then, more skeletons appeared, densely packed and scattered all over the ground. They had long since decayed, and a light step would turn them to dust. Under the power of time, nothing can last forever.
Such an extremely yin place naturally has vengeful ghosts, but this is no problem for him. Not to mention the stone armor and the stone knife in his hand, even if he came alone, with his violent blood energy, he could directly annihilate those yin creatures.
Suddenly, the sound of iron chains came from among the pile of bones ahead. Jiang Liu felt a chill in his heart as he sensed a cold, malevolent aura.
Just a hundred feet ahead, in the rock wall of the mine, there was a dark hole, and the sound of iron chains shaking was coming from inside.
The cave was extremely deep, and the biting cold was terrifying. It emanated a tangible substance that felt like needles pricking the skin when it touched it.
From the depths of the black hole, a barely audible roar could be heard, accompanied by the sound of iron chains swaying, as if a ferocious creature had been subdued.
It can be clearly seen that there are many ghostly figures among the pile of bones, which are shattered by the roar, turning into yin energy and being swallowed into the black hole.
"Let's not cause any more trouble. Let's go find Jiang Taixu..." Jiang Liu stared at the black hole for a while, but then gave up the idea of exploring it.
After traveling a long distance along the ancient mine, the skeletons finally disappeared, and the eerie atmosphere vanished, seemingly indicating that they had entered a safe zone. However, Jiang Liu knew that the real disaster was just beginning.
A pure light appeared on the path ahead, flickering gently. A rich spiritual energy emanated from it, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility.
"Anything that seems out of the ordinary must be suspicious!"
The river continued its unchanging course, accompanied by the cries of cranes, the murmur of flowing springs, and the chirping of birds. Then, an illusion appeared: various creatures emerged from the white light—lifelike cranes, a flock of fiery red birds, and even an earth dragon…
"An illusion caused by divine energy?! Master Zhang said that when divine energy leaks out, it will transform into all sorts of strange creatures, running and roaring around..."
Fortune favors the bold, and since there is a divine source, there must be danger as well. Jiang Liu glanced around and discovered many fossil skeletons, not humanoid, but ancient creatures.
Let's keep going!
"Haha... What a magnificent Tai Chi diagram! If one possesses great supernatural powers, could one refine it into a Tai Chi diagram, a magical artifact used by Laozi to attain enlightenment? Even if it were a replica, it would surely possess the power of an acquired spiritual treasure!"
Right before Jiang Liu appeared two bottomless pits. One was brimming with spiritual energy, with primordial energy constantly surging upwards; the other was filled with murderous aura, more terrifying than the sharpest sword light, making one tremble in their heart. The two were very close together, and all around them was deathly silent.
This is a natural Tai Chi diagram with boundless power.
This is also the most important barrier to entering the interior of Purple Mountain. Jiang Liu felt that even a Celestial Immortal would be helpless here. The hole spewing out Origin Qi was surrounded by fossilized bones, and the hole emanating the malevolent energy was surrounded by shimmering light, with Origin Stones scattered everywhere.
Embracing yin and yang, embracing yang and embracing yin, this is a natural Taiji diagram, not carved by man; it is the great power of nature.
It contains the divine power of the Great Dao!
Jiang Liu was naturally helpless against this natural magic array. Not to mention collecting it, even passing through it would be extremely dangerous. He saw the surrounding skeletons, many of which contained specks of light, like jade, indicating that they were powerful figures, but still could not escape the fate of death.
The Origin Qi emanating from the Divine Origin Cave was like unparalleled sword energy, which even powerful beings could not withstand. However, it had no effect on the Divine Origin Stone Armor, suggesting a subtle relationship between the two.
"Clearly, a thousand years ago, the Zhang family ancestor also walked in this way..."
Protected by the stone armor, Jiang Liu descended into the depths of Purple Mountain, carving his way through the rocks. To his astonishment, the passage he had created behind him rapidly closed as he moved forward; Purple Mountain seemed to possess a life of its own, its broken sections quickly healing themselves.
Jiang Liu gritted his teeth. At this point, there was no turning back; he could only move forward. He didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly the view opened up before him. A magnificent building appeared before him, with steps made of green jade and gates made of white jade.
We finally arrived at our destination and entered the interior of Zishan Mountain.
Climb the steps and ascend to this ominous place that has been untouched for thousands of years.
"Let fate decide! If there's a truly fatal crisis, I'll have no choice but to open the portal and leave!"
This is his last resort to save his life, and he won't use it lightly unless absolutely necessary.
A cave dwelling carved out of the Purple Mountain. Stepping up the green jade steps and entering the white jade moon gate, it is very quiet, as cold and serene as the Moon Palace.
This palace is deserted, with nothing left but ancient jade carvings, and not a single word has been left behind.
The palaces and pavilions were all carved from ancient jade, truly magnificent palaces and pavilions. Jiang Liu searched the entire place but found nothing unusual.
Finally, at the end of the building complex, he saw a dozen or so blood-jade steps leading to a deep, dark cave.
Up until now, there seemed to be no danger. In fact, Jiang Liu even saw a line of words on the purple stone wall:
"God King Jiang Taixu has mistakenly entered Demon Mountain and decides to investigate!"
Chapter 336 God King Jiang Taixu
Purple Mountain is truly eerie; it's terrifying!
Inside Purple Mountain, a hazy purple glow swirled, not so dim as to create a dreamlike atmosphere. The terrain was extremely complex, resembling both natural caves and ancient mines left behind from the excavation of the source vein. The purple rocks, with their subtle, shifting light, illuminated small patches of space.
The ground was uneven and full of pits, and the river flowed along a winding path from one abandoned tunnel into another ancient mine.
On the ancient mine's rock walls, many stone skeletons are faintly visible, a truly startling sight. Numerous prehistoric fossils are intertwined with Zishan Mountain.
Moreover, a terrifying demonic power was invading the mind, causing mental confusion and threatening unconsciousness, with all five senses fading away. At the same time, the stone garment began to glow, revealing its spirituality, and the demonic summons immediately weakened.
As he went deeper, the effects of the stone armor weakened, and even Jiang Liu's current cultivation level couldn't withstand it. Just as he was about to retreat, a red light overflowed from the Sea of Bitterness, and the small tree rooted in the Spring of Life finally reacted, its fiery branches swaying and releasing a red light that enveloped Jiang Liu entirely.
"What a strange power! Luckily, I have the Immortal Fire Tree, so no evil can get close! Could that demonic power have been emitted by a creature from ancient times?"
Soon after, Jiang Liu discovered seven skeletons, all gleaming with a jade-like luster, clearly left behind by an unparalleled powerhouse.
Without exception, their cause of death was the same: a clear finger hole in their skull, a fatal blow that shattered their consciousness.
"The flames on your body possess a mysterious power that seems capable of suppressing misfortune!" A sudden voice rang in Jiang Liu's ears, filling him with joy. The God King Jiang Taixu had finally spoken.
"Who are you?" Jiang Liu asked again, his keen senses indicating the direction of the transmitted voice.
The voice was very weak, as if it might stop breathing at any moment.
"God King... Jiang Taixu," came the weak, barely audible, and completely disjointed voice.
Taixu refers to the appearance of the Dao, which is vast and serene, and can also be used to refer to the Great Dao in general. To dare to use these two characters in a name certainly demonstrates great ambition, and if one also possesses such strength, it would command even greater respect.
The name of the God-King Jiang Taixu still resonates powerfully even after four thousand years. He was like a sun, illuminating an era. Even after four thousand years, the world can still feel the warmth emanating from four thousand years ago.
Jiang Taixu achieved his goal of shining brightly throughout the ages.
A fully accomplished God-King, a God-King whose combat power crushes all others of his generation, and the inheritor of the Nine Secrets of the Fighting Technique. If the Jiang family were to learn that one of their clansmen is a fully accomplished God-King here, they would probably go mad and mobilize all their resources to rescue him.
This also illustrates how terrifying Zishan is; a god-king from the Eastern Wilderness has been besieged here and has been struggling to escape until now.
"You... are very different... you have a divine object protecting you..." The aged voice was extremely weak, as if it might breathe its last at any moment. Even a powerful god-king would find it difficult to endure being trapped for four thousand years. If it were any other cultivator, they would probably have already returned to dust and decayed for thousands of years.
Jiang Liu quickly approached the source of the sound. Ahead lay a smooth, purple wall, as clear as jade, its surface reflecting light. The place was empty and silent, with nothing but him standing there alone.
The moment the Immortal Fire Tree reacted, all the ominous signs seemed to vanish, daring not to approach Jiang Liu's body.
Jiang Liu stared intently at the rough rock face and saw a withered figure with ribs, thin legs, and skin and bones, devoid of any flesh.
The God King Jiang Taixu was also exhausted and nearing the end of his life.
"I'll get you out!"
"What... realm are you...?" the God King asked weakly.
"The other side of the sea of wheels!"
"You... emulate... the ancient sages..."
"I am special. Although I do not cultivate a single secret realm, I still possess the combat power of a Dragon Transformation Secret Realm cultivator!"
"Alas! Without... a great power... without the ultimate holy weapon... you can't save me... alas..." A heavy sigh came, seemingly filled with utter despair, as if all the power of the God King had been drained away.
"I've decided to rescue you. You're already at your last gasp, why not take a chance!"
After a long time, as if he had finally gathered enough strength, he was filled with utter disappointment. His voice was desolate and lifeless as he asked, "Why did you save me?"
"Because you are Jiang Taixu!"
Because you are Jiang Taixu, it's that simple.
“I… have lost all my power… you…”
"Don't say anything, just watch me!"
Jiang Liu reached out and broke through the stone wall, revealing a skeleton-like body inside. The flesh was completely dried up, without any luster, and was dry and brittle, wrapped around the bones.
As he was moved off the mountain wall, a drop of divine spring water from the ancient forbidden land split into ninety-nine parts, which were injected into ninety-nine acupoints that Jiang Liu knew very well, to nourish his withered body.
The God King Jiang Taixu sat cross-legged in front of Jiang Liu, motionless, as if he had long lost his life. He could not sense any vitality at all and was no different from a piece of withered wood.
In the past, Jiang Taixu was handsome and elegant, and his fighting prowess was unparalleled. Wherever he went, he attracted attention and was a peerless hero.
Looking back more than four thousand years ago, he was full of vigor and looked down on the world. But now he is like a withered branch, thin and decaying. How tragic is this?
The fading beauty of a woman and the downfall of a hero are the most helpless tragedies in the world.
A prodigy with extraordinary talent, he was destined to be a genius, yet his tragic end is truly lamentable.
After waiting for seven days deep in the Purple Mountain, Jiang Liu used forty-nine drops of divine spring water, combined with his own blood energy, to finally pull the God King out of his near-death state.
"Phew... I can finally take you with me, otherwise I was really afraid you would die on my back!"
Carrying the God King on his back, Jiang Liu did not feel any weight at all. Even though he had escaped the near-death state, he was extremely weak, like an ordinary centenarian who could not withstand any more torment.
“Those ninety-nine acupoints seem to possess supreme power. I can sense that even by cultivating only these acupoints, one can become a great master… Is this cultivation method something that has been explored and developed over the past few thousand years?” From Jiang Taixu’s current speaking speed, Jiang Liu could tell that he had truly escaped the state of near death.
"God King, you're overthinking it. This is my ultimate technique. If you want to learn it, I'll teach you. These ninety-nine acupoints are only a part. The human body has a total of 1296 acupoints. Theoretically, refining them all can lead to immortality! This method of acupoint cultivation will greatly benefit your recovery. You can explore it!"