Chapter 429: In the Central Region, the Hunt by Ice River Valley
Seeing the dark expression on Mo Yu's face, Black Bat King stood silently to the side, too afraid to speak.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Mo Yu finally spoke, "We need to head to the Central Region."
"When will we leave?" Black Bat King immediately asked.
"Now," Mo Yu replied firmly. With Xiao Yi Xian 's life in jeopardy, he had no time to linger.
The Ice River Valley was a force even stronger than the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion. Mo Yu needed to find Xiao Yi Xian as soon as possible.
Without hesitation, Mo Yu left a farewell letter in his room and then, together with Black Bat King, swiftly departed. With the urgency of the situation, he had no time to say goodbye to Elder Bing and the others. Besides, there was a possibility that the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion and Master Swordsmith were still watching him from the shadows, so the quicker he left, the better.
At the massive square in the center of Ten Thousand Weapons City, the spatial wormhole swirled, sending out powerful spatial waves.
Standing before the spatial wormhole, Mo Yu retrieved a small silver spaceship. Without delay, he and Black Bat King boarded the ship and entered the wormhole.
Inside the glowing silver spatial passage, Mo Yu sat cross-legged at the front of the spaceship, his expression heavy. He had a strong feeling that this journey to the Central Region would not be easy.
The chaos caused by the Woeful Poison Body wasn't unexpected. After all, it was a body that could destroy entire regions. Moreover, Mo Yu knew that the Ice River Valley's Valley Master had been eyeing the Woeful Poison Body for a long time. Now that Xiao Yi Xian had appeared, the Valley Master would be more eager than ever to capture her.
The sudden turn of events reinforced Mo Yu's understanding of how crucial strength was. Ice River Valley was one of the Three Valleys, a force far more powerful than the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion. With Mo Yu's current strength, it would be incredibly difficult to shake such a powerful entity.
Thus, he needed to do everything possible to strengthen both his abilities and his trump cards.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Mo Yu's gaze fell on the beast ring on his hand, and his thoughts turned to Qingzhi.
Having been in Zhongzhou for so long, Mo Yu knew the importance of having a Dou Zun-level combat force. Such a figure could truly stabilize a battle.
While Mo Yu had befriended a few Dou Zuns, they weren't under his command. Each time he sought their help, it cost him favors and resources—things Mo Yu didn't have in abundance.
The only way to ensure success in his endeavors was to have a Dou Zun under his own control.
Currently, Mo Yu was only a two-star Dou Zong, still a ways from becoming a Dou Zun. However, Qingzhi, a peak Dou Zong, was only one step away from Dou Zun level. And there was indeed a method for Qingzhi to break through, one that aligned perfectly with Mo Yu's destination.
Thinking of this, Mo Yu's silver eyes gleamed with determination as he muttered, "Cold Sky Qi…"
After mapping out his plans, Mo Yu's expression became cold and resolute. He handed over the task of piloting the spaceship to Black Bat King and closed his eyes, ready to focus on his cultivation.
The fierce battle with Green Sword and the activation of the second stage of the Heavenly Thunder Body had given Mo Yu the sense that his breakthrough to the three-star Dou Zong level wasn't far off.
Time flew by like sand slipping through fingers in the spatial passage.
During the few days of their journey, Mo Yu immersed himself completely in cultivation. Being a cultivation genius, combined with the advancements of the second stage of his Heavenly Thunder Body, Mo Yu's progress was swift.
Moreover, the Devouring True Thunder within him constantly absorbed the surrounding energy and fed it back to Mo Yu, accelerating his progress even more. He could feel that he had reached the peak of two-star Dou Zong and was only a step away from the three-star level.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
One day, while cultivating, Mo Yu opened his eyes just in time to see a distant silver ring of light. There, intense spatial waves were emanating.
"Master, we're about to arrive in the Central Region," Black Bat King said, reminding Mo Yu at the right moment.
"Oh, finally," Mo Yu murmured, clenching his fists. A cold, eerie light flickered in his silver eyes.
Taking a deep breath, Mo Yu stood up. White lightning crackled across his body before slowly dissipating.
The silver spaceship streaked like a bolt of lightning through the spatial passage, closing in on the ring of light. As the spatial waves intensified, the ship began to tremble violently.
Mo Yu remained calm and unfazed by the shaking. Black Bat King, at the helm, carefully steered the spaceship as it sped toward the ring of light. In mere moments, the spaceship pierced through the ring with a flash, disappearing from sight.
Suddenly, a massive stone platform came into view before Mo Yu.
The platform was made entirely of pure white stone, towering nearly a hundred meters high. Supporting it were a dozen giant stone pillars, which made the platform look like a colossal structure, as if it was holding up the sky itself.
The space above the platform was chaotic and unstable. Large areas of space were distorted, and dark cracks occasionally appeared, snaking through the air.
Silver light constantly flickered in the twisted space, and with each flash, numerous figures were spat out from the spatial rift, landing on the platform below. It was clearly a hub for spatial wormhole travel.
Another silver flash streaked across the chaotic space, and two figures, one slim and the other tall, emerged. After briefly stepping through the air, they gently landed on the platform.
These two figures were none other than Mo Yu and Black Bat King, who had traveled from Ten Thousand Weapons City.
After landing, Mo Yu let out a soft breath and scanned his surroundings. He raised an eyebrow as he took in the sight of the towering stone platform.
"So, this is the Central Region? It really is the heart of the Dou Qi Continent. Even the spatial wormhole hubs are this grand," Mo Yu thought to himself as he observed the bustling activity on the platform.
"Breaking news! The Woeful Poison Woman has appeared and is being hunted by Ice River Valley!"
As Mo Yu took in his surroundings, a sudden shout from the platform made his expression darken.
He turned his head toward the voice and saw a small, thin man holding a stack of papers. The man was sticking them to the stone pillars around the platform.
A crowd had gathered around him, curious about the news of the so-called Woeful Poison Woman.
Mo Yu's face grew grim. He had no doubt that this "Woeful Poison Woman" was referring to Xiao Yi Xian .
His eyes flickered, and he slowly approached the small man. With a flick of his hand, Mo Yu drew one of the papers toward him with a light suction force.
Glancing at it, Mo Yu immediately recognized the rough sketch of a woman's face. Though the drawing was a bit vague, Mo Yu could instantly tell it was Xiao Yi Xian .
"Heh, you must be new to the Central Region, my friend. That woman is the legendary Woeful Poison Body. Recently, she's caused a huge uproar, escaping from many forces that tried to kill her," the small man said with a flattering smile. Though his own strength was limited, he had a sharp eye and could tell that Mo Yu and the imposing Black Bat King behind him were not people to be trifled with.
Clenching the paper tightly, Mo Yu looked at the man and asked in a calm but cold tone, "I've heard that Ice River Valley fought with her recently?"
As he spoke, Black Bat King casually tossed a bag of gold coins to the man.
Overjoyed, the small man's face lit up, and he smiled even more obsequiously. "You've heard correctly, sir. About half a month ago, the experts of Ice River Valley found the Woeful Poison Woman.
"The battle was fierce. Ice River Valley sent two elders, Bing Yuan and Bing Fu. They're quite famous in the Central Region, both six-star Dou Zong experts."
Mo Yu's expression darkened, and his voice grew colder. "What was the outcome?"
"Ice River Valley sent a lot of strong people, but the Woeful Poison Woman isn't easy to deal with. She killed several of their people and even managed to escape from the two elders.
"However, it's said that while she escaped, she was injured by their Heavenly Ice Mystical Palm. Word is that the Woeful Poison Woman is now heavily wounded. Rumor has it that she was last seen near Falling God Gorge, and Ice River Valley has sent more people to surround the area."
Upon hearing this, Mo Yu's expression changed, and he quickly asked, "What kind of experts has Ice River Valley sent this time?"
The small man hesitated before rubbing his fingers together, hinting for more payment. He grinned slyly at Mo Yu.
Mo Yu frowned but knew that time was of the essence. He nodded to Black Bat King, who handed over another bag of gold coins.
Grinning, the small man weighed the bag in his hands and explained, "Don't take offense, sir. This is top-secret information. If it weren't for my cousin, who's a disciple of Ice River Valley, I wouldn't have known either."
When Mo Yu's face began to show signs of impatience, the small man quickly continued in a serious tone.
"Ahem, according to my cousin, Ice River Valley has sent the two elders, Bing Yuan and Bing Fu, to lead the search. They fought with the Woeful Poison Woman last time.
"But besides them, there are other strong experts with them as well. I don't know exactly who, but I'd guess at least four Dou Zong-level experts, all quite formidable."
"Four Dou Zongs…" Mo Yu nodded slightly. It seemed Ice River Valley hadn't sent any Dou Zun-level experts for this mission.
That made sense. With Xiao Yi Xian 's current strength, the elders of Ice River Valley would be more than enough to capture her.
After gathering this information, Mo Yu wasted no time. He quickly asked the small man for directions to Falling God Gorge and then, together with Black Bat King, rushed toward the location.
As the two of them hurried away, the small man stood there, momentarily stunned. But when he looked down at the two bags of gold in his hands, he grinned widely, clearly satisfied.
"Selling just one piece of information earned me this much gold. Heh, the Woeful Poison Body really is the hot topic right now. I need to find a few more customers…"
Falling God Gorge was located in the northern part of the Central Region. The terrain was incredibly complex, with the land split by countless massive fissures, each stretching for thousands of feet.
These ravines were bottomless, filled with poisonous mists and home to countless venomous creatures. It was an extremely dangerous area and considered one of the more treacherous places in the Central Region.
Ordinarily, no one would come to Falling God Gorge unless they had a special reason. But the recent uproar about the Woeful Poison Body had turned this desolate area into a bustling place.
The people of Zhongzhou had vivid memories of the Woeful Poison Body. In the past, a few individuals with this deadly physique had appeared, and they had all left devastation in their wake.
Wherever the Woeful Poison Body went, life withered, and everything turned to ash.
Those few words alone captured the terrifying nature of the Woeful Poison Body in full eruption.
As Mo Yu and Black Bat King ventured deeper into Falling God Gorge, encountering more and more poisonous creatures, they faced no obstruction.
Mo Yu wasn't surprised by this. Due to the Black Lotus Poison Thunder within him, he had no fear of these poisonous beings. In fact, he even felt a faint hunger from the poison within him.
However, with the urgency of the situation, Mo Yu didn't waste any time.
As for Black Bat King, being a seventh-rank transformed magical beast, he had no fear of these poisonous creatures either.
With no obstacles in their way, and moving at full speed, it took Mo Yu and Black Bat King less than half a day to reach the depths of Falling God Gorge.
By now, the poisonous mist had grown thicker, but with the Poison Thunder acting as a barrier, neither Mo Yu nor Black Bat King was affected.
After another half hour of rapid travel, they finally reached a massive ravine, over a hundred meters wide, filled with swirling poisonous mists.
However, scattered around the gorge were dozens of figures dressed in white, standing guard. One figure hovered in mid-air above the ravine, and in the distant cliffside, a cave entrance could faintly be seen.
"Woeful Poison Woman, surrender and come back with me to Ice River Valley. Maybe then you'll still have a chance to live!"
Hearing this voice, Mo Yu's expression shifted, and he quickly looked toward the cave entrance. His pupils contracted as he saw a familiar figure standing elegantly within.
Her grayish-purple eyes gleamed with icy killing intent.
"Xiao Yi Xian …"
(End of Chapter)
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