Chapter 325: Enraptured and Ecstatic

Inside the Void Realm, two mountain-patrolling beasts traversed the empty space, their eyes locked onto Dongbo Xueying.

Dongbo Xueying, gripping a long spear, stood cautiously prepared.

He reflected that his strength had improved considerably, and within the Void Realm, he should be able to withstand the attack of two mountain-patrolling beasts for a while. This was also an opportunity to hone his spear techniques.

“Hu!” “Hu!”

The two beasts transformed into two gusts of wind, revealing terrifying speed as they charged directly toward Dongbo Xueying.

Despite the dual hindrances of the Void Realm and the gravitational domain, the two beasts still reached speeds of thirteen to fourteen hundred miles per second. Although still faster than himself, it was at least not as overwhelming as the previous “two thousand miles per second” that had made even reacting difficult.

“Buzzzzz~~~”

Dongbo Xueying did not engage them head-on. Instead, each time a beast charged, he quickly dodged. This agility was indeed a weakness of the mountain beasts. Earlier, Chen Jiu had also seized upon this weakness of the beasts to barely endure their attacks repeatedly.

The long spear spun and struck out time and again, exuding a destructive aura of falling stars. Each strike either pierced the beasts’ bellies or struck their hooves.

The battle raged on.

The two beasts coordinated their attacks with repeated lunges, their tails whipping out in strange, unpredictable ways. Dongbo Xueying relied on his refined spear techniques to hold his ground, his skills becoming increasingly fierce and powerful. His secret technique, “Star Annihilation Strike,” began to absorb experience from the real combat, gradually improving and perfecting itself.

The battle lasted roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

One of the two wind-like beasts suddenly disintegrated mid-lunge. The other continued battling Dongbo Xueying for a dozen more exchanges before also dissipating.

“Exciting! Exciting!” Dongbo Xueying stepped out of the Void Realm and returned to the real world.

“You won?” Chen Jiu asked.

“It was still pretty tough,” Dongbo Xueying replied with a smile. “Thankfully, the mountain beasts aren’t real living beings. Once they accumulate enough damage, they naturally disperse and retreat.”

The mountain beasts were trials set by the master of Hongshi Mountain, conjured into existence by formations, just like the Black Armor Guardians created by the formation in the Black Wind Divine Palace.

The mountain beasts were also conjured into being—just far more powerful.

“What do you think? Are you still planning to face four of them?” Chen Jiu asked.

“Within the Void Realm, two are already quite challenging for me. I might barely withstand three if I go all out, but four is definitely out of the question,” Dongbo Xueying replied. “But in the real world, without the hindrance of the Void Realm, the mountain beasts would be even stronger. I would struggle even against two.”

“With your gravitational domain aiding me, I can handle two mountain beasts easily and even withstand three,” Chen Jiu said. “Together, we might be able to hold off four, but ten is definitely impossible.”

“Hmm,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.

“We can’t stay in the Grand Canyon for more than a month,” Chen Jiu reminded. “We’ve already been here for over a day. Let’s go check out other places. Many parts of the canyon walls bear traces of the ancient divine experts.”

With a maximum of one month, Dongbo Xueying and his companion also had to calculate their time carefully.

…

You Lan, the Lord, faced the same time constraint. With the Deceleration Truth of Time at his disposal, he could easily handle one mountain beast and, with divine scrolls, even two. But five was definitely beyond his capacity. Therefore, he too had to cross the Grand Canyon within a month.

He was also cultivating and comprehending the teachings at various spots, advancing slowly.

…

On the eighth day within the Grand Canyon.

“Master Meishan, where are your companions?” Dongbo Xueying and Chen Jiu met Master Meishan again.

Sitting cross-legged on a large rock, Master Meishan shook his head. “Shan Xuan and Yan Qing have already shattered their talismans and left. I thought I could protect them against three mountain beasts, but the beasts were too fast, especially their tails, which were unpredictable and strange. I couldn’t protect them, so they had to leave by breaking their talismans.”

“Facing three mountain beasts and still trying to protect them? Admirable, truly admirable,” Chen Jiu teased. “Actually, now only you, Dongbo, me, the Sword Emperor, and Lord You Lan remain inside Hongshi Mountain.”

“Indeed,” Master Meishan nodded. “Only Wuma Hai died in the First Vine World. The rest of us have survived until now. But the First and Second Vine Worlds were mainly meant to test the potential of the extraordinary beings. They weren’t too dangerous. Starting from the Third Vine World, the danger will increase dramatically.”

Dongbo Xueying secretly felt amazed.

Indeed, the number of people remaining inside Hongshi Mountain was dwindling.

Now only five remained. And Dongbo and Chen Jiu still planned to eliminate You Lan. Once successful, only four would be left.

The Third Vine World, the Fourth Vine World, the Fifth Vine World… how many would reach the Fifth? And how many could pass through the entire Liantian Vine and reach the higher space?

Or perhaps, not a single one?

“Let’s go,” Dongbo Xueying and Chen Jiu continued forward.

…

Whenever they encountered canyon walls beneficial to their cultivation, they would briefly stop. If both were deeply moved by a wall, they would stay longer.

On the eleventh day within the Grand Canyon.

“This… this…”

Dongbo Xueying and Chen Jiu stood in shock, staring at the cliff wall before them.

The upper part of the cliff wall was entirely white.

The lower part was completely dark.

Right in the center of the cliff wall was a massive slash mark left by a blade!

“Too… incredible,” Dongbo Xueying gazed at the enormous slash mark across the cliff wall’s center, even imagining how, long ago, an existence of unimaginable power casually drew its sword from its sheath, slicing horizontally across the cliff wall, leaving such a mark. Where the blade struck, the cliff itself naturally transformed.

“Ultimate Penetration? This single slash contained every law I can imagine, embodying all the might of all things, condensed into a single ultimate strike.”

“Stars? A single slash gives birth to heaven and earth. Compared to heaven and earth, stars are but tiny specks.”

“The Void Realm? How does the Void Realm compare to this complete world of heaven and earth?”

Dongbo Xueying was completely awestruck.

To him, this single slash was almost comparable to the feeling he had when witnessing the “Creation of Heaven and Earth” imprint. Of course, that was an imprint, with a stronger sense of presence. What lay before him was merely a slash mark.

Beside him, Chen Jiu was equally entranced, utterly amazed. Such a sword technique was beyond imagination.

Without hesitation, both chose the area with the fastest time flow rate around—fifteen times the normal rate. Chen Jiu sat on the grass while Dongbo Xueying stood nearby, unable to resist pulling out his Starfire Cloud Spear and occasionally practicing. They were completely absorbed, obsessed. To them, this slash mark was infinitely more profound than all the cliff carvings they had previously seen.

…

In the Second Vine World, among the endless mountains.

Atop the highest peak.

An old man with white hair and a youthful complexion sat. His body was thin, his white hair flowing, his skin as smooth and rosy as a baby’s. His eyes were bright as he gazed down from above, watching Dongbo Xueying and Chen Jiu, who stood entranced and ecstatic below. Chen Jiu sat cross-legged, muttering unconsciously, while Dongbo Xueying stood holding his spear, repeatedly practicing techniques.

“These two young ones,” the old man with white hair shook his head. “Seeing this sword technique has them dancing with joy.”

“This sword technique was left by Huiming, I suppose. A pity he spread his faith too widely and became bound by it. A great pity.”

“In those days, Hongshi Mountain was so lively.”

“Now it’s empty…”

“One by one, they’re all gone.”

Sitting atop the mountain peak, the old man produced a green wine pot, took a gentle sip, and gazed into the distance, seemingly lost in thought.