Free Web NovelChapter 108: Chapter 108: Emperor’s Treasure (Part 2)
For some unknown reason, the Holy Heaven Sect’s Elder Ancestor did not emerge from seclusion. This forced the Baosheng Human Emperor to settle for the next best thing and request the use of an Immortal Emperor’s Treasure!
Although the Treasure Sacred Upper Country had many Princes and a forest of experts, and the Baosheng Human Emperor himself was an unrivaled Human Emperor of his generation, they were still incredibly wary in the face of an Emperor’s Immortal Power. From True Masters and Ancient Saints to even Saint Emperors, none would dare claim they could withstand an Emperor’s Immortal Power without an Emperor’s Treasure in hand.
The Sheng Tian Heaven Daoist’s eyes flared with a terrifying light as he said grimly, "Xiyan Ancient Sect, one day I will personally crush you! I will personally reap the lives of everyone in the Xiyan Ancient Sect! This hatred in my heart will never be extinguished unless I kill that little beast with my own hands!"
It wasn’t just the Sheng Tian Heaven Daoist who was driven mad by hatred; even Master Situ was bottling up a bellyful of rage. But there was nothing they could do. ’Who asked them to have an Emperor’s Treasure?’
The various Princes of the Treasure Sacred Upper Country were unwilling to be left behind, so in the blink of an eye, they all charged into Demon’s Back Ridge.
Everyone charged into the Stone Sect and was transported into Demon’s Back Ridge. Once everyone was inside and had found their footing, their vision brightened as a wild, desolate aura washed over them.
The area outside the cliff had once been the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s territory. Later, due to a mutation, the mountains lost their color and the rivers dried up, leaving everything in a state of decay. However, the world inside Demon’s Back Ridge was completely different.
Here, green mountains were veiled in an emerald haze, and gigantic peaks rose and fell in waves. As far as the eye could see, this world was like a primeval forest that no one had ever set foot in.
In this place, mountain ranges crisscrossed the landscape, resembling Giant Dragons lying dormant upon the earth. Ancient Vines coiled like dragons, and colossal trees formed canopies like umbrellas, obscuring vast patches of the sky.
From the depths of this land, the faint roars of tigers and cries of dragons could be heard. Every furious roar was soul-shaking, suggesting that enormous, invincible Celestial Beasts were entrenched here. Deep within the gloomy jungle, it felt as if Longevity Spirits were coldly spying on them, making one’s blood run cold.
Upon stepping into this land, everyone could feel the incredible abundance of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. The essence qi here was even stronger than in the Ancestral Land of any Great Teaching Territory. It was as thick as mist; only a powerful and invincible Emperor Immortal Gate could compare to such richness.
Behind them stood a Stone Sect identical to the one on the cliff, and cultivators from the outside were being teleported in batch by batch.
Many of the cultivators entering Demon’s Back Ridge for the first time were visibly moved by the abundant Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. They realized that if they could remain here to cultivate, their progress would be much easier than it was outside.
"Demon’s Back Ridge..." Upon setting foot in this land, even Li Qiye let out a soft sigh.
In the Great Middle Realm, there were many legends about Demon’s Back Ridge. One rumor claimed that the land where the Xiyan Ancient Sect resided was inherently full of miracles, and Demon’s Back Ridge was once its core. That was why it was not only brimming with Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, but was also home to entrenched Celestial Beasts and Longevity Spirits. At the same time, Spiritual Elixirs and Herbs grew in thickets, and Treasure Gold Divine Stones were scattered everywhere.
It was precisely for this reason that Mingren Immortal Emperor had used his invincible Divine Techniques to sever this place from the outside world, turning it into a world of its own.
Another rumor claimed that Demon’s Back Ridge was not native to this area. Legend said it was once a Little World from beyond the heavens, a place where Divine Spirits dwelt. After its decline, Mingren Immortal Emperor supposedly carried it back on his shoulders to the Xiyan Ancient Sect, making it the sect’s private property.
Yet another rumor claimed that Demon’s Back Ridge was a Demon Land, once home to an invincible demon-god. Later, Mingren Immortal Emperor slew the being and suppressed the Demon Land. It was precisely for this reason that cultivators at the Ancient Saint level and above were unable to enter!
...There were many legends about Demon’s Back Ridge, and no one knew which were true and which were false.
"Don’t go too deep. We only need to go a thousand miles in. Be careful of the Celestial Beasts and Longevity Spirits," an elder from a Great Sect reminded his disciples as soon as they set foot on this land.
Many sects knew their own limits. Although Demon’s Back Ridge held coveted Spiritual Elixirs and Herbs and Treasure Gold Divine Iron, it remained an incredibly dangerous place. It was overrun with a great number of Celestial Beasts and Longevity Spirits. Moreover, the deeper one went, the more powerful these creatures became—powerful enough to easily kill even a Prince.
In fact, over the last thirty thousand years, many sects and even more cultivators had entered Demon’s Back Ridge. However, an unknown number of Princes had met their end here! Even quite a few True Masters had died in this place.
So, in later times, after the various sects had gained more experience, they stopped taking such risks. They demarcated Dangerous Areas and didn’t dare to advance recklessly.
No one could say for sure just how vast Demon’s Back Ridge was. In short, over the last thirty thousand years, no one had managed to grasp its true size, and some of its regions remained completely unexplored to this day.
"Let’s go," Li Qiye said to the group. He then had Gu Tieshou unfurl the Immortal Emperor’s Portrait of Mingren.
The moment they had stepped into this land, everyone had felt the menacing glares of Fierce Beasts watching them from the surrounding jungle. But now, as soon as the Immortal Emperor’s Portrait of Mingren appeared and its Emperor’s Power rippled outward, all of them—be they Celestial Beast or Longevity Spirit—fled for their lives, not daring to linger for even a moment.
After all, this world had been personally sealed by Mingren Immortal Emperor. Here, his Divine Power was not to be challenged!
The members of the Xiyan Ancient Sect, riding the snail, were the first to advance into the depths of Demon’s Back Ridge.
"The foundation of an Emperor Immortal Gate is truly something else." Seeing the Immortal Emperor’s Portrait hanging high, forcing Celestial Beasts and Longevity Spirits to retreat and Fierce Beasts and vicious birds to keep their distance, an unknown number of onlookers were filled with envy.
"Hmph, it’s just a portrait, not a real Immortal Emperor’s Treasure." Of course, some people were feeling particularly sour. Whether it was Marquis Jiangzuo, Nan Tianhao, or the Sheng Tian Heaven Daoist, all of them were extremely displeased with Li Qiye’s arrogant and conceited posture.
Li Qiye’s hearing was sharp. He glanced back at the crowd and said, "So what if it’s just a portrait? You got a problem with that? If you’ve got a problem, come up here and bite me!"
A provocation like that from Li Qiye made many people so angry they could spit blood, especially his established enemies like Nan Tianhao and the Sheng Tian Heaven Daoist.
"However, my hands can be a bit unsteady," Li Qiye said nonchalantly. "So you’d better not be sneaking around behind us. If I accidentally lose my grip on this portrait and it happens to fall on all of you... well, that would be a real shame." His gaze swept over Nan Tianhao, the Sheng Tian Heaven Daoist, and their groups.
This provocation made the Sheng Tian Heaven Daoist and the others’ faces turn livid. Li Shuangyan couldn’t help but shoot Li Qiye a sideways glance. ’This guy’s arrogance is really on another level!’
This was exactly the effect Li Qiye was aiming for. The Xiyan Ancient Sect had forced its way into Demon’s Back Ridge, and neither the Holy Heaven Sect nor the Treasure Sacred Upper Country would take that lying down. That was why he had to make such a high-profile display of the Immortal Emperor’s Portrait. Anyone who wanted to make a move on the Xiyan Ancient Sect would first have to measure their own strength. With this deterrent in place, the sect’s disciples could at least have a period of peace to train in Demon’s Back Ridge without constantly worrying about being targeted.
RUMBLE—RUMBLE—RUMBLE— Finally, under the furious glares of the crowd, Li Qiye led the disciples of the Xiyan Ancient Sect away on the giant snail, vanishing into the depths of the ancient forest in the blink of an eye.
What no one had expected was that the gigantic snail, despite its clumsy appearance, was as fast as lightning—not a bit slower than any Flying Treasure.
With everyone on his back, Niu Fen sprinted madly under Li Qiye’s direction. Its speed was incredible, and in an instant, they entered a Dangerous Area of Demon’s Back Ridge—a zone that even ordinary Great Sects dared not enter casually.
"What direction are we heading?" Seeing how clear Li Qiye’s objective was, Li Shuangyan found it strange. ’If he weren’t so young, I would really think he’s been here before.’
"South," Li Qiye said slowly, sitting on the snail’s back and gazing toward the distant horizon.
"We’ve already entered a Dangerous Area. If we continue any deeper, we’ll be in a region where no one dares to tread," Gu Tieshou said worriedly, looking around. "If we keep going, I’m afraid we might encounter million-year-level Celestial Beasts and Longevity Spirits."
"A million-year-old Celestial Beast?" Hearing this, the Washing Stone Valley disciple, Xu Pei, couldn’t help but shiver. She cried out, "I heard that a million-year-old Celestial Beast can swallow a Saint Venerable whole! A-are we just marching to our deaths?"
"Senior Sister, with First Brother here, what’s a million-year-old Celestial Beast to us?" Luo Fenghua, who was also on the snail’s back, chimed in. "As long as First Brother is here, we’ll definitely be able to turn this danger into safety!"
Luo Fenghua’s words left even Li Shuangyan, who was also on the snail, speechless. ’These young disciples have completely blind faith in Li Qiye,’ she thought. ’He’s only at the Yun Body Realm! Even the older third-generation disciples have a higher level of Dao Practice than he does.’
Niu Fen carried the group and sprinted onward at extreme speed. Soon, even Gu Tieshou and the others had no idea where they were.
In truth, along the way, because Li Qiye and his group had barged into the territories of Celestial Beasts and Longevity Spirits, many of them were already spying on them from the shadows. However, the moment they saw the immortal portrait of Mingren Immortal Emperor, neither the Celestial Beasts nor the Longevity Spirits dared to approach. Mingren Immortal Emperor possessed a supreme Emperor’s Power in this place; any Celestial Beast or Longevity Spirit that saw the portrait would give it a wide berth!
After sprinting at full speed for some time, Niu Fen slowed and said in a heavy voice, "We have entered the territory of million-year-level Celestial Beasts and Longevity Spirits."
Just as he spoke, a fierce, primordial aura permeated the air from the depths of the jungle. Everyone felt their souls tighten, as if some terrifying entity was trying to suck them out. Many of the Xiyan Ancient Sect disciples instantly collapsed onto the snail’s back.
"It’s a Longevity Spirit!" Even Li Shuangyan’s expression changed. She grew cautious and held her Treasure Artifact at the ready.
"All spirits, withdraw!" Li Qiye took the portrait from Elder Gu and bellowed. At his cry, the Emperor’s Immortal Power within the portrait responded, and its Emperor’s Power surged. Strands of Dao Patterns interwove to form the word "Withdraw," which hovered above Li Qiye’s head.
When the Emperor’s Power emerged, the True Words were peerless. An Immortal Emperor’s words were law! As the word "Withdraw" hovered above Li Qiye’s head, the terrifying aura receded like the tide. Even a million-year-level Longevity Spirit silently withdrew without a sound.
