Chapter 981: Chapter 955: Return to the Dark Nether
“Those are—so many corpses, are those the bandits from Ox Demon Mountain?”
“Huh? Are those the corpses of demons?”
When Tangyu and the others emerged and saw the corpses covering the mountain top, the people were stunned and finally fully believed in Tangyu and their identities.
“Indeed, they are Immortals of the Yanshan Sect. Immortals descend to rescue us, quickly kneel and worship!”
Immediately, the people all knelt down to Tangyu and his companions, each expressing their gratitude and mumbling words of thanks. This feeling of surviving through a deadly situation can only be deeply understood after personally experiencing it.
Tangyu waved his hand to the crowd and said, “Fellow villagers, you don’t have to be so polite. This is just what we should do. Now that you’re safe, please return quickly. We will take our leave now.” After speaking, Tangyu and his companions quickly departed, disappearing from the crowd’s sight in just a few breaths.
After seeing off Tangyu and his companions, the crowd slowly stood up, their eyes filled with immense respect, and their belief in the Yanshan Sect deepened.
Even the eyes of a few children sparkled with innocent dreams; when they grow up, they too want to be like these elder brothers, become Immortals, and enter the Yanshan Sect as disciples.
—–
A day later, Tangyu and his companions entered a desolate and silent land. Occasionally, towering ancient trees could be seen, some even reaching a thousand meters in height, their branches spreading out and resembling a small hill from afar. Intermittently, steep mountains could be seen, some piercing the clouds like a sword, others rising like a Heavenly Pillar.
The atmosphere became increasingly ominous, entering it gave one an inevitable feeling of crisis and tension.
Tangyu looked around, furrowing his brow. He couldn’t help but be on high alert here as well, “Dark Nether Region, once again entering the Dark Nether Region.”
The four were now at the edge of the Dark Nether Region, and their second task was to enter there and obtain an unusual item called the ‘Dark Nether Flower.’ It’s said to be a test, rather than just obtaining the Dark Nether Flower itself. Moreover, the Dark Nether Flower is quite rare in the Dark Nether Region, so finding it is not easy. To find the Dark Nether Flower, one has to venture through the Dark Nether Region, naturally facing numerous dangers and challenges.
This test is one that not many disciples dare to take.
This time, Zhuang Qian’s skills and courage were high enough, and it was with the combined power of the four that he dared to take on this task. Yet even so, this task was not without its dangers. After all, within the Dark Nether Region, any kind of danger may exist. If one is careless, not only would they face danger, but even seasoned disciples might meet their end here.
Zhuang Qian also said, “I’ve long heard of the notorious reputation of the Dark Nether Region. It’s said that even Golden Core Realm experts who enter deep into the Dark Nether Region face a Nine Deaths one deep. The Dark Nether Region is vast, its notoriety spread wide. Countless cultivators die in the Dark Nether Region every year. Yet, the Dark Nether Region is also a place filled with endless opportunities. It’s said that during the Ancient Era, many powerful cultivators died in the Dark Nether Region, leaving behind many treasures and legacies. Danger always coexists with opportunity.”
“Haha, this time we are taking advantage of this task to have a good venture and training opportunity, and perhaps we might gain some additional unexpected harvests.”
Zhuang Qian’s personality had always been very optimistic and straightforward, always capable of laughing in the face of danger.
Tangyu smirked slightly, “Since we’re here, naturally we must have a good venture.” Tangyu also wished to take advantage of this opportunity to break through.
To cultivate the Great Rift Vajra Technique to the Great Perfection of the First Layer, some profound insights are necessary, and that is exactly what Tangyu needs now.
Zhuang Qian said, “Let’s go. The outskirts of the Dark Nether Region are relatively safe. Only when entering deeper does it become terrifying. The deeper you go, the more fearsome it becomes. It’s said—even no one knows exactly how deep the Dark Nether Region is. It’s said—that Golden Core Realm cultivators can travel at most ten thousand miles deep, and even then, they face Nine Deaths one life. I’ve heard that an extremely powerful cultivator ventured as deep as a hundred thousand miles but still didn’t see the end of the Dark Nether Region. That person is said to be of the Zifu Realm, and it’s said he died in the Dark Nether Region.”
“There are simply too many tales about the Dark Nether Region, often spreading stories of Golden Core Realm or even Zifu Realm great powers entering, and many dying inside. Truly, we don’t know how terrifying the deeper parts of the Dark Nether Region are, nor how many unknown secrets are hidden within.”
Tangyu knew relatively little about the tales of the Dark Nether Region and said, “Don’t worry about those for now. Those are not something we can imagine yet. We, at most, can only venture within a thousand-mile perimeter of the Dark Nether Region’s outskirts. Going deeper, we’d surely face Nine Deaths one life.”
“Yes, that’s right. Within a thousand miles we can still venture, but not deeper. That would be the Thunder Pond.” Zhuang Qian agreed, nodding.
As for the Dark Nether Flower, it can be found at the outskirts of the Dark Nether Region. With time, it should be possible to locate.
Tangyu was also pondering in his heart, remembering last time when Senior Qing Yazi brought them from Earth, was probably around ten thousand miles deep into the Dark Nether Region, right? Of course, that’s just Tangyu’s estimation, he isn’t sure of its accuracy, but it should be between ten thousand to twenty thousand miles, no more than twenty thousand miles.
According to this, at least a Golden Core Realm cultivator is needed, and a powerful one at that, to safely reach there. To tear through space from there and return to Earth, the minimum power required is of the Golden Core Realm, and definitely not a weak one, but rather a more formidable Golden Core Realm.
With this comparison, Tangyu also had a general idea of the matter.
In the blink of an eye, it had been three days since Tangyu and his three companions entered the Dark Nether Region. The search area in these three days was quite extensive, yet they still hadn’t found the Nether Flower.
In these three days, Tangyu and his companions had encountered no less than a hundred ambushes and robberies. The Dark Nether Region is teeming with fierce beasts and also infested with demon monsters. Of course, there are more fierce beasts and dangerous places.
Among these, Tangyu and his companions encountered two dangerous situations. Once, they accidentally strayed into a perilous area surrounded by a pack of fierce beasts. Fortunately, it was Tangyu’s eruption at the end that led them out safely.
Another time, they were targeted by a group of the Yao Race, who set up an ambush for Tangyu and his companions. Among these demon monsters, there was even a formation master, causing Yu Feng and Zicang to almost succumb. Thankfully, Tangyu unleashed his power at the end, turning the tide and avoiding disaster.
With Tangyu as the backbone, the group could venture a bit more confidently. Without Tangyu, it’s likely that only Zhuang Qian and the other two might have ended up trapped there.
The dangers of the Dark Nether Region were deeply felt by Tangyu and his companions.
However, such high-frequency attacks also served as motivation and training, making Tangyu feel the bottleneck in his “Great Rift Vajra Technique” starting to loosen slightly. He faintly grasped some insights, and with continued training, he might just cultivate the First Layer to Great Perfection.
The four treaded cautiously through a valley, where the surroundings appeared desolate, yet adorned with numerous exotic flowers and plants. Despite their beauty, they were equally terrifying. These exotic flowers and plants could be heavily poisonous, and once tainted, they were exceedingly dreadful.
On a mountaintop, in the shadows, several figures hid there, extremely concealed, undetectable unless you approached very closely.
“Only four of them, they seem fairly capable, there’s probably some good stuff on them. Shall we make a move?”
“Heh heh, only four, and two of them look quite young. How formidable can they be? Judging by their demeanor, it appears to be their first time in the Dark Nether Region, they’re unfamiliar with the area. Such fledglings are best preyed upon.”
“Should we act?”
“Let’s do it. Here in the Dark Nether Region, isn’t this what we’re here to do? With a few more scores, we can return to the sect. If we hit big, we can make a good haul and exchange it for treasures back at the sect, further strengthening our power. Power is everything, nothing else matters.”
“Right, we’ve already done six scores these days, with one fairly rewarding, while the other five were average. But still, it’s been quite a harvest. A few more, save up a bit more, and the training this time could be considered quite perfect.”
“Alright, let’s do it then.”
Tangyu and the four were completely unaware of being targeted. After a while of walking, Tangyu suddenly halted, his brow furrowed as he gazed in one direction. There, seven well-dressed men were approaching, each exuding an extraordinary aura, clearly individuals of remarkable prowess.
It’s easy to infer that those daring to roam the Dark Nether Region must have considerable strength. The vitality of these seven men appeared excellent, suggesting their expeditions in the Dark Nether Region were relatively easy, which further proves their strength.
“Haha, four daoists, don’t be nervous, we’re just passing by without any malice. It’s quite rare to encounter fellow daoists in the Dark Nether Region.” The leading man laughed heartily, clasping his fist toward Tangyu and his companions.
Although there seemed to be no hostile intent from the seven, Tangyu inexplicably felt an uneasy premonition, making him discreetly observe them. However, he saw nothing amiss. Judging by their demeanor, they seemed to be from reputable sects, which left Tangyu a bit puzzled.
If there were no issues, why did he feel that way just now?
Believing in his instincts, Tangyu quietly grew vigilant and subtly signaled to Zhuang Qian and the other two. This was the tacit signal they developed over three days of training in the Dark Nether Region.
No matter what, being cautious is always wise. In the Dark Nether Region, anything might happen, and one naturally couldn’t easily trust others.
With a calm smile, Tangyu returned a fist salute, “Esteemed daoists, greetings. It’s indeed rare to meet fellow daoists in the Dark Nether Region. An impromptu encounter might just be a form of destiny.”