Translator: CinderTL
Fifteen months later.
A Giant Flying Ship sliced through the azure sky, leaving a faint trail as it pierced through drifting white clouds.
The scorching sun beat down on the ochre-colored earth, baking the desolate landscape.
The land stretched vast and desolate, a sea of yellow soil crisscrossed by deep ravines and punctuated by towering, undulating mountains.
Sparse vegetation clung stubbornly to life amidst the barren terrain, its tenacity a testament to its resilience.
Song Wen stood at the ship's prow, gazing down at the desolate landscape with a slight frown.
They were now less than a million miles from the Primordial Qi Death Zone.
Yet the Spiritual Qi in the surrounding area had grown increasingly thin, clearly not an ideal place for a breakthrough.
Throughout his journey, he had stopped at every major cultivator city along the way, gathering information about the terrain ahead.
If he discovered treacherous terrain or powerful factions ahead, he would detour accordingly.
This cautious approach had significantly lengthened his journey.
His current destination was Lotus Square City, a small town closest to the Primordial Qi Death Zone.
Before long, the silhouette of a city emerged from the vast yellow plains.
As they drew closer, the city gradually came into focus.
The city spanned several dozen miles and lacked walls. Its buildings were somewhat haphazardly arranged, most of them low and squat.
While there were many cultivators moving about within the city, their cultivation levels were generally low. Even nascent soul cultivators were a rare sight.
Song Wen retracted his Giant Flying Ship, donned a black cloak to conceal his aura, and landed outside the city's largest shop.
The shop's facade was impressively wide, stretching over thirty meters.
A golden plaque hung above the entrance, bearing the four large characters: "Chen Family Treasure Pavilion."
Inside, customers streamed in and out, ranging from qi refining to nascent soul cultivators, creating a bustling scene of diverse figures.
The shop had four floors. Qi refining stage cultivators mostly lingered on the ground floor, while those with higher cultivation levels ascended the stairs to the upper floors.
As Song Wen stepped inside, a Qi Refining Stage 5 servant girl approached him.
"Welcome, sir. What may I assist you with today?"
"Do you have any information about the Primordial Qi Death Zone? The more detailed, the better," Song Wen's deep voice rumbled from beneath his pitch-black cloak.
"G-Guest... Senior..." The maidservant suddenly became visibly nervous.
Anyone inquiring about the Primordial Qi Death Zone was invariably a cultivator of profound cultivation.
"Senior, please follow this junior. I will take you to see Master Steward," the maidservant said cautiously.
"Mm," Song Wen nodded slightly.
Only after receiving Song Wen's acknowledgment did the maidservant step toward the inner part of the shop.
The pair arrived at a tea room in the shop's rear courtyard. After excusing herself, the maidservant left briefly before returning to escort an elderly man in the Nascent Soul Stage.
The old man dismissed the maidservant and entered the tea room alone, his gaze lingering on Song Wen's black cloak before a faint smile appeared on his face.
"This old one is Chen Jing. May I ask for your esteemed name?"
As he spoke, he moved to sit across the tea table from Song Wen.
Song Wen lowered the hood of his black cloak, revealing the square-jawed face of a middle-aged cultivator.
Before he could speak, the elder named Chen Jing's expression shifted slightly. He abruptly rose, clasped his hands in a respectful bow, and said,
"Greetings, Senior. I was unaware of your status as a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator and have shown you disrespect. Please forgive my rudeness."
Song Wen's revealed cultivation level was the early Divine Transformation Stage, making him a dominant force in the vicinity of Lotus Square City. Chen Jing couldn't afford to treat him lightly.
According to Song Wen's prior intelligence, the Chen Family, owners of this shop, was the most powerful faction in the area. However, even their highest-ranking Ancestor had only reached the late Divine Transformation Stage, still slightly inferior to Song Wen.
Song Wen waved his hand dismissively. "No need for such formalities, little friend Chen. My name is Xing Chang. As a newcomer to this region, I require your assistance."
"Senior Xing is too kind," Chen Jing replied, slowly settling back into his seat. "I understand from my subordinates that you seek information about the Primordial Qi Death Zone?"
"Precisely," Song Wen confirmed. "As long as your establishment can provide satisfactory intelligence, spirit stones will be no issue."
A bitter smile crossed Chen Jing's face, deepening the wrinkles on his face.
"Since Senior has honored our Chen Family Treasure Pavilion with your presence, I will naturally share what I know truthfully. However, our knowledge of the Primordial Qi Death Zone is limited."
Song Wen frowned. "Your Chen Family has been entrenched here for ten thousand years. The Primordial Qi Death Zone lies right beside your territory. How could the Chen Family know so little about it?"
Chen Jing replied, "Senior, you may not be aware, but the Primordial Qi Death Zone is no place for ordinary cultivators. To be frank, every year many cultivators from afar, like yourself, come seeking its secrets. However, most only reach the edge, pause to observe, and then retreat, realizing the futility of their efforts. Even those with profound cultivation and extraordinary courage who dare to venture deeper rarely penetrate more than a few thousand miles before succumbing to the Primordial Qi's corrosive power, forcing them to retreat in defeat."
"Then tell me everything your Chen Family knows about it," Song Wen said. "Every rumor, every hearsay—spare no detail."
Chen Jing pondered for a moment, organizing his thoughts before slowly beginning to speak.
However, the information he shared proved largely unhelpful to Song Wen.
It consisted mainly of well-known facts: the threat Primordial Qi poses to cultivators and other living beings, the presence of Resentful Spirits and other malevolent entities within the Death Zone—all information Song Wen already possessed.
However, one particular statement made by Chen Jing piqued Song Wen's interest.
"Legend has it that countless years ago, the Primordial Qi Death Zone was not as vast as it is now. Primordial Qi only existed in the sea north of the Qicang Domain. Over time, it gradually spread, consuming portions of the coastal land."
Song Wen asked, "Are you saying the Primordial Qi Death Zone is gradually expanding?"
Chen Jing nodded. "Indeed. According to observations by the Chen Family, over the past millennium alone, the Primordial Qi has advanced southward by at least ten thousand li."
Song Wen had no reason to doubt the elder's words.
Even when he was in the Lower Realm, he had noticed the Misty Ghost Realm of the Chaotic Sea gradually spreading outward.
At that moment, a sudden realization struck him.
The Lower Realm he had seen was not the entirety of the Lower Realm, but merely a corner of it. Vast regions lay submerged beneath the boundless Primordial Qi, becoming forbidden lands for all living beings, including humanity.
(End of the Chapter)