Word Count: 2,317 Words
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"Alright. We'll rest for a day. Remember, if you encounter any danger you can't overcome, use the jade slip immediately to leave the Ancient Wasteland Region." Xiao Yan's expression was grave as he addressed everyone present.
This was no trivial matter. Even if they failed to obtain the Bodhisattva Heart or Bodhisattva Seeds, with Xiao Yan's alchemy skills he could always spend some resources later to trade for seeds. There was no need to fight to the death. For the current Xiao Yan, becoming a Dou Saint was only a matter of time.
The weight in his tone made everyone nod solemnly. Hai Bodong, in particular, felt as though he were dreaming. In his wildest fantasies, he had never once imagined that one day he would be contending for the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree alongside the elite experts of the Central Plains!
It was the kind of thing that would sound like pure fantasy if you tried to tell it!
Early the next morning, outside Wasteland Town, a dense sea of figures had already gathered. Countless voices merged into a massive sonic wave that rolled across the barren land.
Xiao Yan's group stood toward the rear, gazing at the thousands assembled ahead. He couldn't help clicking his tongue and shaking his head in amazement. His Heavenly State Spiritual Strength swept outward discreetly and revealed no fewer than three hundred Dou Venerates scattered throughout the crowd!
"This is simply outrageous. Just how many Dou Venerates have gathered here?"
Not only was Xiao Yan shaking his head with a bitter smile, even Cai Lin stared in open astonishment. This was their first time witnessing such a grand assembly of elite experts. With numbers like these, it truly felt as though nearly every Dou Venerate in the Central Plains had been drawn here!
And this was only one of the main contingents. Other forces were entering from different locations. More importantly, Xiao Yan and the others had yet to spot a single member of the Dou God Clans.
One could well imagine how many Dou Venerates the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree had attracted!
Of course, most of these Dou Venerates were below the 3-star level. The truly powerful factions likely had their own methods of entry.
It was hard to blame anyone for being greedy. Back then, the Bodhisattva Ancient Saint had only been a 2-star Dou Venerate when he obtained the Bodhisattva Heart. That alone naturally drew countless hopefuls, all dreaming of becoming the next Bodhisattva Ancient Saint.
A short distance ahead stretched a primeval forest radiating an ancient aura. Giant trees hundreds of meters tall stood like titans, their canopies so dense they blotted out the sun. Even sunlight struggled to filter through the leaves. Looking into the forest depths revealed heart‑stopping darkness, and from time to time savage roars rolled out from within, sending chills through the heart.
Anyone deceived by this lush, life‑filled forest would pay in blood. The Ancient Wasteland Region's true savagery lay far deeper within.
Xiao Yan's brows furrowed slightly. His tone grew heavier. "Why hasn't the Flower Sect arrived yet?"
Cai Lin caught his worried look and shot him a cool sideways glance. Under that gaze, Xiao Yan rubbed his nose awkwardly and forced a laugh. "Ahaha, the Flower Sect is our Yan Alliance's ally, after all. Having their support would make things much safer."
Qing Lin covered her mouth, smiling sweetly beside them. "Young Master Xiao Yan, you always touch your nose whenever you have a guilty conscience."
!?
Xiao Yan's hand froze mid-motion. Embarrassment flooded his face as he laughed weakly, then reached out and pinched Qing Lin's cheeks. "Qing Lin's getting bold. You dare tease your Young Master now, do you?"
With her cheeks squished between his fingers, Qing Lin managed to squeak out, "Sorry, Young Master."
The playful exchange took the edge off the tension. After a moment, Xiao Yan withdrew his hand and produced a soul jade slip, passing it to Nalan Yanran. "The Psychic White Fox has special sensing abilities. Once we're inside, try to detect your Master's Spiritual Strength."
Though Xiao Yan possessed far more powerful spiritual perception, special environments like the Ancient Wasteland Region and Heaven Eye Mountain Range suppressed Spiritual Strength. Only unique magical beasts like the Psychic White Fox could sense the flow of nature unhindered.
"Mm." Nalan Yanran nodded. She knew full well that with her current strength, her contribution in battle would likely be limited. Xiao Yan had brought her both to help search for resources and to provide her with opportunities for tempering.
"Don't worry, you won't die. I'll keep an eye on you."
Nalan Yanran froze. Though she understood his meaning wasn't what it sounded like, her cheeks still flushed as she quickly retorted with feigned indignation, "Hmph! Who needs your protection? I can take care of myself perfectly well!"
Even so, a subtle sweetness colored her voice, and without realizing it, she unconsciously moved half a step closer to him.
The massive crowd soon grew restless. Some people could no longer contain themselves and prepared to charge in.
BOOM!
Thousands of people stampeded through the air simultaneously. The combined force made the surroundings tremble with thunderous vibrations. Amid deafening roars, countless figures shot forward like arrows loosed from bowstrings, eagerly plunging into the silent, ancient domain.
Xiao Yan could only shake his head at the chaotic spectacle. After waiting about fifteen minutes, his group finally began to move.
"Let's go. Everyone stay alert!"
With those words, Xiao Yan pushed off the ground and shot forward like a black shadow, taking point as he rushed into the ancient forest. Behind him, Cai Lin, Little Fairy Doctor, and the others followed closely.
The instant Xiao Yan crossed into the forest, the surrounding light dimmed dramatically. The stench of rotting leaves drifted over from all directions.
Once inside, he paused briefly and glanced at the scattered groups nearby. None of them were familiar faces. He had no interest in idle chatter. Pushing off a sturdy tree trunk, he continued forward at speed.
Their pace was not slow. In less than ten minutes, they had covered nearly a dozen miles. The journey proceeded smoothly. Any ferocious beast that happened to appear was instantly swarmed by nearby people and hacked into meat paste.
Despite the lack of obstacles, Xiao Yan grew increasingly wary. Both he and Little Fairy Doctor had entered the Ancient Wasteland Region before. This place was absolutely not so peaceful.
Cai Lin and the others understood the danger as well. The calmer things seemed, the more perilous the hidden threats. Everyone gradually heightened their vigilance as they ventured farther from the region's edge.
"Be careful. I'm sensing poison mist in the area." Little Fairy Doctor's beautiful eyes suddenly narrowed as she swept her gaze around them. Her sensitivity to toxins was unmatched; the moment poison seeped into the air, she noticed it.
"Stay within my Heavenly Flame poison barrier. Inside it, you won't need to fear these toxins." Little Fairy Doctor smiled gently and blew out a soft breath. A faint dark-green fire ring materialized in the air and drifted outward until it encircled the group.
The moment the fire ring appeared, crackling sounds erupted continuously.
"Are those poison insects?" Hai Bodong asked in surprise. He stared hard at the poison mist ahead for some time but saw nothing at all. Yet judging from the way the Heavenly Flame burned, that mist clearly wasn't gas. It consisted of countless minuscule poisonous insects.
"These poison insects are incredibly tiny. They float throughout the forest. What people breathe in are actually billions of microscopic poison bugs. Each one contains deadly venom in its body. Once these insects enter someone's system, death is inevitable." Little Fairy Doctor explained calmly.
Venerable Tian Huo and the others couldn't help but feel their expressions change. If this was the work of poison insects, ordinary antidote pills would be completely useless.
"Just the poison insects alone in this Ancient Wasteland Region are enough to give many people a bitter taste. This place truly lives up to its fearsome reputation."
Xiao Yan sighed. These poison insects could kill countless people. If not for Little Fairy Doctor's timely detection, their group would also have accumulated insects inside their bodies. Once the quantity reached a terrifying level, the explosive toxicity would prove extremely troublesome.
As Xiao Yan's group continued deeper into the primeval forest, more and more screams echoed around them. They likely came from those who had failed to notice the poison insects and were now dying agonizing deaths.
"The poison miasma is gradually thinning. Looks like we're almost through this area," Cai Lin observed, noting that the view around them had grown somewhat clearer than before.
"Let's pick up the pace. The Central Plains' major factions couldn't possibly be ignorant of these toxins. They've probably already entered the Ancient Wasteland Region's interior. Falling behind would be troublesome."
Everyone nodded at his words, then shot forward like arrows, rapidly passing through the poisonous barrier.
Cai Lin's perception proved accurate. As the group pressed deeper, the surrounding toxic miasma grew increasingly sparse until it finally vanished completely.
After breaking through the miasma, Xiao Yan's group leaped onto a nearby boulder for a better vantage point. Ahead stretched a vast chasm hundreds of meters across. Poisonous gas swirled in its depths, concealing the bottom from sight. Beyond the chasm rose an endless mountain range—peaks tens of thousands of meters high that coiled like sleeping dragons. An ancient, wild aura permeated the surrounding world.
There, beyond that chasm, lay the true Ancient Wasteland Region!
Xiao Yan gazed at the distant mountains and exhaled slowly. A touch of gravity entered his eyes. The real test was about to begin.
The Ancient Treasure Pavilion's three factions had lured so many experts here precisely to restrain the various ancient ferocious beasts within the region. Most of these ancient beasts had low intelligence but killed on sight, and beast tides were a constant threat.
"The ferocious beasts here have been isolated from the world, passed down since ancient times with terrifyingly formidable strength. Though their excessive ferocity means their intelligence can't compare to magical beasts of equal rank, even magical beasts cannot match their explosive power." Xiao Yan had personally experienced how troublesome these fearless beasts could be. Ordinary magical beasts would flee if outmatched, but in the Ancient Wasteland Region, even a Rank 5 beast would dare fly over to take a bite out of you, utterly unafraid of death.
He clenched his palm. A bead tinged with a faint green luster appeared in his hand. It was the very Bodhisattva Seed that had precipitated from the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva. Though innately deficient, this seed maintained a weak connection to the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree, functioning like a compass that could indicate its general direction.
"This way."
Stowing the Bodhisattva Seed, Xiao Yan wasted no time. He pushed off the boulder and soared upward like a great roc, then raced through the air toward the chasm's opposite side. Behind him, Cai Lin, Little Fairy Doctor, and the others followed swiftly.
The several-hundred-meter distance seemed vast, but at their speed, they crossed it in the blink of an eye. However, just as they entered that airspace, bestial roars erupted from below. Several black shadows carrying a nauseating stench shot upward like lightning, lunging toward the airborne Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan's group remained utterly composed in the face of these ambushing venomous serpents. Green light flickered through Qing Lin's eyes, and the snakes froze mid-strike as if petrified. Only after Xiao Yan's group had traveled far did the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils' control release.
After entering the true Ancient Wasteland Region, they occasionally encountered other teams, but since neither side recognized the other, there was little interaction. The ferocious beasts they met along the way weren't particularly strong—the most powerful reached only Rank 7—so their journey proceeded quite smoothly.
Wuwu!
Suddenly, the Psychic White Fox in Nalan Yanran's arms released a series of whimpering cries.
The Ancient Wasteland Region possessed a unique primordial aura that suppressed even early Heavenly State Spiritual Strength, preventing perception over great distances. But special magical beasts like the Psychic White Fox weren't affected by natural forces, just as in the Heaven Eye Mountain Range.
Nalan Yanran stopped abruptly, her expression turning grave. "Xiao Yan, the Psychic White Fox senses Master's position, and it seems she's fighting!"
!!
Xiao Yan's heart immediately sank, a cold light flickering in his eyes. That gentle woman who had once saved him still held a special place in his heart. It was undeniable that when he founded the Yan Alliance, beyond protecting his clan, part of his motivation had been helping Yun Yun.
"Lead the way."
"Mm." Nalan Yanran nodded firmly. Clutching the Psychic White Fox, she sprinted in another direction, worry heavy in her gaze.
…
Within a mountain range suffused with ancient aura, several figures flashed through midair like lightning, their movements tinged with desperation.
They pushed off tree branches as they shot forward. Their attire clearly marked them as members of the Flower Sect.
The leader wore a flowing white dress that fluttered as she flew, exuding an indescribable noble elegance. That absolutely beautiful face added a touch of ethereal splendor to these wild mountains.
Such features could belong to none other than Yun Yun, who had already become the Flower Sect's leader.
"Those bastards from the Profound Sky Sect! To think they would launch a sneak attack while we were fighting ferocious beasts, causing Elder Qing Hua to die tragically under a beast's claws! When we return, we must mobilize our entire sect's strength and fight the Profound Sky Sect to the death!" An old woman with a slightly pale complexion raged continuously behind Yun Yun. Traces of blood remained at the corners of her mouth, clear evidence of a recent, vicious battle.