"Who are you people? Why are you arresting me?"
Jiang Liu stared at those bright, watery eyes, which faintly exuded a strange allure. Those eyes were slightly greenish, and... deep within those pupils, there seemed to be three extremely tiny emerald green dots hidden.
Everyone stared intently at those somewhat eerie emerald eyes, especially Gu He, who suddenly felt a slight daze. A moment later, he was jolted back to his senses, a hint of horror appearing on his face.
"What kind of eerie eyes are these? Even with my heightened spiritual sense, I was slightly momentarily stunned?"
In his shock, Gu He stared into the little girl's eyes again, only to find to his astonishment that the three tiny green dots had disappeared.
"I am Medusa, the Queen of the Snake People. You have the blood of the Snake People, so you are naturally my subject. I rescued you from the fire and water. Shouldn't you thank me first?"
Medusa spoke with an air of queenly authority.
"Queen? Why don't you have a snake tail?"
"Haha, because I am the queen!"
Her bright, clear eyes looked at Medusa, then at the towering palace and the powerful snake-man guards, and she immediately knelt down and said, "This humble woman, Qinglin, pays her respects to the Queen."
"Qinglin, would you be willing to be my personal maid?"
As the offspring of a snake-human and a human, Qinglin was of lowly status and at the very bottom of society. Ever since awakening the "Azure Serpent Three-Flower Pupil," she had been fought over by various forces and lived in constant fear. She immediately and meekly said, "Qinglin is willing, Your Majesty!"
Chapter 160 Riding a Sword Down to the Central Plains
At dawn, the six men left the Tagor Desert.
I rode my sword down to the Central Plains.
Compared to the Gama Empire, or even the Black Corner Region, or the entire northwestern region of the Dou Qi Continent, the Central Continent is the most exciting place on the Dou Qi Continent. Its vast expanse is teeming with powerful individuals; one could say that standing at its peak is equivalent to standing at the very top of the Dou Qi Continent.
The presence of one palace, one tower, two sects, three valleys, and four pavilions in Zhongzhou was already enough to make Jiang Liu extremely wary. The eight ancient clans hidden away were even more numerous and powerful.
"Master, are we really not going to Zhongzhou through a spatial wormhole?"
After a day of flying on swords, everyone was exhausted, especially Medusa, who had to take care of her little maid Qinglin. By the end of the day, she felt completely drained and her brain was about to explode.
Spatial wormholes are unique to the Central Continent. They are two points in space connected by the spatial power of a Dou Zun expert, similar to a teleportation array. The distance between the Ghana Empire and the Central Continent would take at least half a year for even a Dou Zong expert to cross, but if traveling through a spatial wormhole, it would only take a month. However, spatial wormholes are extremely difficult to construct and require frequent maintenance. The maintenance personnel must be at least Dou Zong level, so they are rarely found outside of places like the Central Continent.
Jiang Liu revealed a wicked smile and said, "Unlike short bursts of speed, the speed of long-distance sword flight is more than five times that of a Dou Zong. Whether we use sword flight or spatial wormholes, the time it takes us to reach Zhongzhou is not much different. And in a month of sword flight, your strength will be enough to rise to a higher level. Since that's the case, I will definitely squeeze you out as much as possible, especially you, Queen Medusa. Compared to them, you are the strongest. I will let you know that this month will be something you'll never forget!"
Looking at Medusa's pale face, Yun Yun whispered, "How about Medusa and I take turns taking care of Qinglin tomorrow?"
Jiang Liu grinned: "Hehe, since you have so much energy, tomorrow is a crucial time for my cultivation. You can take me with you on your sword."
Seeing Jiang Liu's smile, the woman in green shrank back and began to cultivate on her own. Gu He, after preparing dinner, silently sat down to meditate and cultivate.
After another day, Medusa's voice was trembling. As soon as she landed, she began to meditate to recover. Ordinary sleep could not restore her consciousness at all. Only the "Mind-Calming Mantra" could barely restore it and allow her to persevere in the sword flight the next day.
Yun Yun was even worse off; her strength was inferior to Medusa's, and she had already completely fainted halfway there.
He flew down to the Central Plains on his sword, first stripping them of half their skin, and his strength slowly grew amidst the pain.
In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed. The monotonous red and yellow desert gradually disappeared, and green gradually appeared before their eyes, but there was still no sign of human habitation. They encountered quite a few magical beasts, many of which were killed by Yun Yun's sword, and many were poisoned to death by the green-clothed woman. There were also some snake-like magical beasts that were controlled by the little maid Qing Lin and stored in the space opened up by the Azure Serpent Three-Flower Pupil.
After killing the monster, Guhe also collected a lot of materials for alchemy.
"Master, take a look. What level of magic weapon is my Hundred Poisons Cold Light Miasma?" The green-robed man took out a jade bottle, from which a dazzling cloud of light was released.
This is a magical artifact she crafted based on the "True Scripture of a Hundred Poisons," combining countless deadly poisons from the desert with her own mortal body's essence of calamity and poison. When not in use, it resembles a dazzling cloud; when released, it can cover an area of a hundred meters. Anyone enveloped by this artifact will have their blood and qi instantly frozen. Previously, a level six magical beast was frozen to the bone and turned into water within a short time.
"A low-grade spiritual artifact! This is your first magic weapon. It's enough to deal with a Dou Huang, but it won't be of much use against a Dou Zong. How's the Gu worm I had you refine before?"
The woman in green put away the dazzling clouds, then a palm-sized black scorpion crawled out from her sleeve, saying, "This four-winged demon scorpion has been completely refined by me. It can change size at will, and its venom has doubled. Go..."
In an instant, four pairs of giant wings spread out from the back of the scorpion. With a flap of its wings against the wind, it transformed into a giant scorpion that was dozens of feet long. This giant scorpion had four pairs of giant wings on its back, and its hairy, jet-black legs stood upright in the sky. Its legs were covered with sharp serrations that were as long as a human thigh, and they gleamed with a faint purple light. Behind it, a scorpion tail that was as long as its body swayed back and forth, and a cold light flashed at the sharp tip of the tail.
"The girl in green is indeed incredibly talented; this Heavenly Demon Scorpion should have already reached level seven!"
As soon as Medusa finished speaking, the giant scorpion shrank again and then crawled into the sleeve of the green-clad woman. The green-clad woman laughed and said, "Your Majesty, please don't make fun of me. I should be able to kill ten of these magical beasts with one punch."
"No matter how fast I improve, I can't match Yun-mei's speed! Holding this Azure Ox Sword, even I have to be a little afraid!" Medusa said sourly, looking at the azure flying sword in Yun Yun's hand. Among them, only Yun Yun received a treasure bestowed by Jiang Liu.
Just then, Gu He suddenly shouted excitedly, "Master, Master! It's a success! It's a success... The Soul Gathering and Body Refining Pill has finally been successfully completed..."
Jiang Liu's eyes lit up, and he leaped into the air. Gu He held three pills in his hand. Jiang Liu picked one up, smelled it, and then swallowed it in one gulp. He then circulated the "Mysterious Female True Explanation" for a long time before saying, "Unfortunately, it only has 10% of the effect. Gu He, I said that day that as long as you can refine this pill to 30% of its potential, I will consider you to have made a great contribution. Everything is difficult at the beginning. Now that you have taken the first step, I believe you will definitely succeed in refining it."
Gu He nodded and said, "Master, please give me some more time, and I will surely be able to master it to repay your kindness in recognizing and revitalizing me."
Jiang Liu patted Gu He on the shoulder, pointed to the blue sky and yellow earth, and said, "This magnificent land is the place where we can roam freely. A true man should live a life of luxury, and die a life of luxury. If we do not stand at the top of this land, how can we see the world below us?"
"If I cannot live, I will be cooked in five tripods; if I die, I will be cooked in five tripods! I will climb to the top of the mountain and look down on all the mountains below!" Gu He murmured, then bowed and said, "Master, I am willing to follow you to see the myriad landscapes of this world and meet the heroes of Zhongzhou."
"I, Medusa, am willing to follow the Lord, through life and death!"
The maid Qinglin glanced at it and immediately whispered, "I'm willing too..."
After a brief rest, the six of them set off again on their swords. The howling wind, carrying sand, swept across the desert, and the howling sound of the wind was quickly left behind. Gradually, pale yellow wild grass and tall poplar trees appeared before them. After flying on their swords for a while longer, signs of human habitation appeared, and a large town came into view.
Chapter 161 News of the Blood Pool of Tianshan
Bone-Melting City!
A small town in the northern part of the Central Plains, even more prosperous than the capital of the Gama Empire. The Bone-Melting Sect is the most prestigious sect in the town, along with several other smaller sects.
The Bone-Melting Sect, as the name suggests, mainly cultivates fighting techniques similar to the Bone-Melting Palm. When fighting, water-based fighting energy unknowingly invades the human body, dissolving the soft force. Once hit, all the bones in the body will soften.
Therefore, the Bone-Melting Sect is quite powerful in this northern region. Although it is far from the "One Hall, One Tower, Two Sects, Three Valleys, and Four Pavilions", the sect still has several Dou Zong level experts among its highest-ranking warriors.
Arriving in Zhongzhou for the first time, I was completely unfamiliar with the place and its people. Although I had gained a basic understanding of the major powers, it was limited to the world-renowned ones, and I knew nothing about the smaller powers. Moreover, wandering around aimlessly was not a good idea; I needed to get a map of Zhongzhou first, so I wouldn't end up bumping around like a headless fly.
Furthermore, Guhe needs to refine the "Soul Gathering and Body Refining Pill," and the necessary medicinal materials need to be searched for in various cities. He also needs to gather information about the Central Plains.
Jiang Liu held a black pill in his hand, then threw it into his mouth, chewed it up like a candy, and swallowed it.
"Bone-Melting City!"
The six people walked slowly into the building. Although the four women were covered by black robes and veils, they still attracted a lot of attention on the street.
Within the City of Bone Dissolving, the dominant color is a pale white. At first glance, it looks like a city built of bones, which sends a chill down one's spine. However, the city's vitality is not diminished by this. The deafening noise can be clearly heard even from a distance.
The sun shone brightly, and the grass was lush and green, showing no signs of being a frontier city near the desert. The pale color came from the white stone mountains unique to Huagu City, quarried from which white stones were used as building materials. The city was filled with ancient trees, their lush greenery a tapestry of plants Jiang Liu couldn't name. And now, in their flowering season, they were in full bloom, their white blossoms as beautiful as cherry blossoms. With a gentle breeze, many petals drifted down like falling cherry blossoms, like catkins dancing in the air—a tranquil and enchanting scene that was unforgettable.
The six strolled along without anyone stopping them. Even the most audacious lecher wouldn't easily offend anyone by openly harassing a woman whose background they didn't know.
In the Central Plains, there are too many powerful individuals; Dou Zong are as common as dogs, and Dou Huang roam the streets.
Moreover, the lessons of history over thousands of years have become textbooks for educating disciples of various schools and sects, with countless examples of clans and families being wiped out for strange and unusual reasons. When disciples of various schools go out to travel, the most frequent advice from their elders is: when traveling, there are three types of people you should not easily offend: the elderly, children, and women, especially beautiful women.
Beauty is the original sin, and to protect this original sin, either the woman herself must have great strength, or the man behind her must have immense power.
Jiang Liu surveyed the city, bathed in the wind and petals. Most of the city's buildings were white, exuding an exotic charm he had never seen before.
They found an inn to stay in. The past month had been incredibly arduous for the group, and now that they had finally entered the human world, they naturally needed to rest and recuperate. Although Jiang Liu had reached the stage of abstaining from grains, he was still human. As a human, he had desires, emotions, and the craving for food and drink, which he could not suppress.
What is the purpose of cultivation? When the threat to one's life is gone, one desires to live longer and better. To eat delicacies others cannot, drink fine wines others cannot, and enjoy unparalleled beauties that are hard to find in this world.
Qi cultivators cultivate the ability to follow their heart's desires, to roam freely in the mortal world, and to play games in the mundane realm.
In no time, the private room was filled with a dazzling array of delicious food. However, overall, it didn't exceed the scope of Chinese cuisine from my previous life.
After eating and drinking their fill, Gu He and Medusa took advantage of the night to leave the inn, one in the light and the other in the shadows, to inquire about news about the area surrounding Huagu City and Zhongzhou.
As the moon rose above the willow branches, the two returned one after the other. Gu He took out several maps, including a map showing the locations of various forces in the Central Plains, a topographical map of the mountains and rivers of the world, and a detailed map of the Northern Region.
"Master, I've found out some useful information!" Gu He unfolded a map with the words "Tianmu Mountains" written on it. He pointed to a red dot in the center and said, "At the top of the Tianmu Mountains is a volcano called the Tianshan Blood Pool. This place is extremely famous; almost everyone in the entire Northern Region of Zhongzhou knows about it. It is said that every three years, a tide of celestial energy appears above the volcano, and after the tide recedes, the Tianshan Blood Pool inside the volcano will be filled with an extremely strange red liquid. This blood pool will only exist for five days before it disappears completely."
"The Blood Pool of Tianshan is said to help some peak Dou Huang experts break through to the Dou Zong level. Moreover, even Dou Zong experts who enter it can undergo a marrow cleansing and bone-refining effect, thus improving their strength. This Blood Pool should be considered the rare treasure that the Abbot mentioned!"
Every three years, the Tianmu Mountains are filled with countless powerful individuals from the Northern Region of Central China and even other places. And in a little over a month, that three-year mark will have arrived.
Jiang Liu pondered for a moment, then murmured, "The Blood Pool of Tianshan? I have some recollection of it. Medusa, tell me what information you've gathered?"
"I have roughly the same information, but there are some secrets. First, since the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool is so precious, it should naturally attract many powerful forces to possess it. However, so far, no force has successfully monopolized it. The Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool involves too many people. If it is monopolized, it will inevitably become the target of everyone's hatred. Even a major force in the Central Plains like the Four Directions Pavilion does not dare to monopolize it due to the mutual entanglements among them."
"Secondly, the days when the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool appears will cause energy tides. The stronger one is, the more they will be rejected, and it may even trigger the Heavenly Tribulation mentioned by the Abbot. Therefore, those above the Dou Zong level rarely participate. Abbot, if we can stabilize these energy tides, the Heavenly Eye Mountain Range can serve as the place where we establish our sect."
Seeing Jiang Liu nod, Medusa continued, "Thirdly, there is a magical beast clan in the Tianmu Mountains called the Gold-Eating Rat Clan. Although most of them are ordinary second or third-tier magical beasts, their numbers are quite terrifying. It is said that the clan leader has reached the seventh tier, with strength comparable to a six-star Dou Zong expert. If we can subdue them, it will be a great help to us."
Chapter 162 The Gold-Eating Rat
The Tianmu Mountains stand majestically in the northern part of Zhongzhou. Compared to them, the Magical Beast Mountains of the Jia Ma Empire are utterly insignificant, and the Cloud Sea Mountains where the Yunlan Sect is located are even less impressive. Even before reaching the outer edge, thick clouds and mist shrouded most of the mountains, making it impossible to discern their true appearance.
The vast sea of clouds resembles a fairyland. A strong wind blows, the mist dissipates, and all sorts of wondrous sights unfold before our eyes. From above, the white clouds look like pairs of white butterflies, fluttering and dancing around the mountains. From a high vantage point, they resemble a rolling sea, with only the peaks of the green mountains visible, like small islands in the ocean, appearing and disappearing in the clouds and mist, making one feel as if they have entered a fairyland.
Moreover, the sea of clouds seemed to contain an extremely vast energy. Even Yun Yun felt a chill under the influence of this immense energy. If she hadn't mastered the art of sword control, she would never dare to use her battle qi to fly through the sea of clouds. If her battle qi resonated with that energy, it would definitely cause a massive explosion. The stronger one was, the more severe the attack would be. No wonder no one dared to fly in from the sky; the path in the sky was practically a dead end.
As they soared through the sky, they noticed others heading deeper into the mountains. The Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool's miraculous ability to help one break through bottlenecks was enough to tempt anyone below the Dou Zong level. Even a peak Dou Huang could bathe in it and absorb it, with a high probability of directly breaking through to Dou Zong. Such allure would be irresistible, even if it meant overcoming eighty-one obstacles!
Looking at the massive mountain range shrouded in mist before him, the man in green said, “Master, this place is surrounded by mist and has a vast energy supply. Moreover, it contains extremely potent fire poison. Even diluted to such a state, it still retains such great toxicity. If we were to set up the Hundred Poison Cold Light Miasma, it would be twice as effective with half the effort!”
"We'll know the specifics once we see the source of this energy. Besides, a single Hundred Poisons Cold Light Miasma won't be enough to form a mountain-protecting array. Those Dou Zun experts aren't afraid of the poison you've just concocted."
With that, Jiang Liu took the lead, breaking through the clouds and flying towards the central area of Tianmu Mountain. At this moment, the sea of clouds was like an ancient ferocious beast about to awaken, emitting a series of deep rumbling sounds, and along with this loud noise came a vast and overwhelming energy.
"Whoosh!"
The sound of waves crashing against the rocks reached their ears clearly. In an instant, a vast amount of energy surged rapidly within the thick clouds. If the river had not possessed some supernatural power, it would have been impossible to withstand such power from heaven and earth.
This extraordinary scene prompted Jiang Liu to exclaim in amazement, "Nature truly is full of wonders!"
The five people behind him all trembled. Jiang Liu was like a sword, cutting through the waves. A huge tide of energy flowed around his body, like a five-colored river hanging across the sky.
He couldn't help but think to himself: If he were swept in by that terrifying energy tide, even a Dou Zong expert would probably be severely injured, if not killed!
Looking at the vast torrent of energy, and sensing the rapid absorption of the天地元气 (heaven and earth's primordial energy) into it, Jiang Liu exclaimed, "As expected of Zhongzhou! Such a wondrous place is comparable to the Western... cough cough, blessed lands! Cultivating in such an environment, what difference is there between it and a celestial realm? It's truly heaven's help!"
With a light laugh, the sword light pierced through the torrent of energy, and the six of them landed on the summit of the main peak of Tianmu Mountain.
Before them lay an extremely wide crater, from which torrents of energy were released in waves. Near the exit, the energy carried a strong fiery poison. At the edge of the crater was a small pool, several meters in size, now extremely sparse, with only a faint, fiery red hue visible, like magma.
This is probably what people call the "Blood Pool of Tianshan," but there is still very little of it accumulated at present!
Jiang Liu stared blankly at the volcano, his brows furrowed, and he secretly pondered.
Not long after the six arrived, a thin, old man with a somewhat sleazy appearance rapidly approached from the foot of the mountain. He did not dare to fly, but instead moved swiftly along the ground. When he was about to reach the top of the mountain and saw the figures of the group, he suddenly stopped and then turned around and rushed down the mountain at an even faster speed.