Free Web NovelChapter 920: Chapter 919: Strange Black Tide, Terrifying Evil Spirit
"Lu Guardian, I’ll go."
He’d heard about the forbidden zone from his martial uncle Liu Mubai, and had long since been filled with curiosity about that unknown place. Now hearing this woman named Jiang Hui say they were heading to the forbidden zone, Ye Chen immediately made his decision.
Lu Li’s brows twitched together as he said, "You’ve only just entered the Inner Sea. Maybe you’ve heard of the forbidden zone, but what you’ve heard is forever just the surface. The cruelty of the forbidden zone is bound to be countless times more terrifying than you imagine."
Ye Chen cupped his hands toward Lu Li and said, "Many thanks for your concern, Lu Guardian, but the path of cultivation is one where you face hardship head-on. I’ve also heard that people of the Three Alliances in the Inner Sea all have to make a trip to the forbidden zone sooner or later.
Whether I go earlier or later, I have to go all the same."
On the way into the Inner Sea, Ye Chen had already learned that Lu Li was a Guardian of the Body Alliance, so he no longer addressed him as Chief Envoy Lu.
A trace of surprise flashed in Jiang Hui’s eyes as she said, "I didn’t expect you to have some guts. Don’t worry, this trip to the forbidden zone isn’t to fight to the death; it’s purely to let you newcomers first get a feel for the forbidden zone and prepare for the future."
Combining this with what his martial uncle Liu Mubai had said earlier, Ye Chen realized that the Inner Sea side was becoming increasingly urgent about matters concerning the forbidden zone. Perhaps something special had happened inside.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t be in such a rush to have newcomers familiarize themselves with the forbidden zone.
"Very well." Lu Li let out a sigh and said, "I’ll personally send you over."
Jiang Hui stared at Lu Li and said, "I can send him over myself."
"Hmph, the person I took in, I’ll look after myself!" Lu Li glanced at Ye Chen and said, "Let’s go!"
On the way.
Lu Li said, "You heard about the forbidden zone from Liu Mubai, didn’t you?"
Ye Chen nodded and did not deny it.
Lu Li: "Then do you know where exactly the danger of the forbidden zone lies?"
Ye Chen: "I ask Lu Guardian to clear up my doubts."
Lu Li organized his thoughts before saying, "The risks in the forbidden zone are threefold: first the black tide, second the evil spirits, and third, people.
The black tide is a special change that occurs within the forbidden zone. Its appearance has no pattern whatsoever—sometimes once a day, sometimes once every ten days or half a month—and its duration is just as irregular.
Once the black tide appears, even the perception of an Emperor Realm Powerhouse will be heavily suppressed; below the Emperor Realm, you’ll almost lose all perception.
If the black tide appears and you don’t manage to find a lighthouse in time, then it’s a road to certain death."
Ye Chen was shocked and said, "Are you saying even Emperor Realm Powerhouses can’t survive within the black tide?"
Lu Li said, "For an Emperor Realm Powerhouse, it’s not guaranteed death, but it’s still nine deaths out of ten. The number of Emperor Realm experts recorded as having fallen within the black tide exceeds ten. The most famous among them was called Emperor Mutian, a transcendent existence infinitely close to godhood. A hundred years ago he swaggered in to contend against the black tide and never came back out."
"Then what is the lighthouse?"
"The lighthouse is a light ignited by the power of a god. It can disperse the black tide to a certain extent. There are now one hundred and twenty lighthouses within the forbidden zone. They are the sanctuary of life for those who enter the forbidden zone."
After introducing the black tide, Lu Li paused for a moment to let Ye Chen digest this information, then continued, "As for evil spirits, they’re actually a type of malevolent will.
Life that dies within the forbidden zone will, with high probability, have its body occupied by an evil spirit.
Evil spirits delight in devouring divine souls to strengthen themselves. Once an evil spirit leaves the forbidden zone, it will bring about unimaginable disaster.
There was once an evil spirit of Great Emperor level that escaped the forbidden zone. In just half a day, everyone on over a thousand islands was devoured, and the sea beasts in that stretch of sea were wiped out as well.
The Three Alliances of the Inner Sea, as well as the Ten Thousand Islands Sect, all station people year-round in the forbidden zone to intercept evil spirits.
After killing evil spirits, you may have a chance to obtain Evil Spirit Essence. Evil Spirit Essence can be exchanged for Divine Blood, Divine Power, and Divine Sense.
As for how to exchange it, you’ll know once you reach the Body Alliance’s main base in the forbidden zone."
Ye Chen nodded, indicating that he understood.
Lu Li said, "As for the third major risk, I don’t need to say more, do I?"
Ye Chen: "People—their greed, jealousy, and so on—are a risk no matter where you are, so one must never be without vigilance against others."
Lu Li gave a grunt and said, "As long as you’re clear on that in your heart."
......
Lu Li took Ye Chen on the road for half a day, then entered a sea island.
On the island, the Body Alliance had constructed a teleportation array specifically for going to the forbidden zone.
Passing through the teleportation array took another half day before they finally arrived at the forbidden zone.
The so-called forbidden zone was not on the seabed, nor on any island, but rather located in the void!
A vast swath of sky had vanished, revealing a huge pitch-black opening. This was the entrance leading to the forbidden zone.
Just by looking at the entrance of the forbidden zone for a while longer, Ye Chen felt a suffocating pressure.
And beneath this entrance to the forbidden zone lay five enormous islands.
These five islands were respectively the main bases of the Ten Thousand Islands Sect, Martial Alliance, Spirit Alliance, Body Alliance, and the Inner Sea Loose Cultivators.
"Come on, I’ll first take you to the Body Alliance’s main base to get a few things."
A quarter of an hour later.
Ye Chen walked out from a room within the Body Alliance’s main base, now holding a bead in his hand.
The bead was transparent, about the size of a baby’s fist, with ten star patterns on its surface.
This was a Spirit Storage Bead specially crafted in the Inner Sea, used to contain Evil Spirit Essence.
When the collected Evil Spirit Essence reaches a certain amount, the stars on the surface will light up.
The number of stars lit represents the purity percentage of Divine Blood, Divine Power, or Divine Sense you can exchange for.
"If you’re not fully prepared yet, I can help push back the time a bit." Lu Li also walked out of the room and spoke.
Ye Chen raised his head again and looked at the huge black hole symbolizing the forbidden zone’s entrance, then said, "Since I’ve come, there’s naturally no reason to turn back."
"Careful you don’t go in and never come out again." At this moment, a cold sneer rang out.
Following the voice, Ye Chen looked over to see two people walking this way. The one speaking was precisely Hu Fei, who had already formed a grudge with Ye Chen back in the Outer Sea!
"Hu Fei, shut your crow’s beak, or I’ll help you shut it!" Lu Li roared angrily.
Hu Fei sneered and said, "Lu Li, out in the Outer Sea you were the Chief Envoy and I couldn’t do anything about you, but in the Inner Sea you and I are both Body Alliance Guardians. Neither of us is above the other. If we really fight, you think I’d be afraid of you?"
"Martial uncle, could this hotheaded brat be the Ye Chen you said has the potential to become a Celestial-tier Divine Appraiser?"
The young man beside Hu Fei gave Ye Chen a contemptuous glance and said, "Potential to become a Celestial-tier Divine Appraiser sounds impressive, but right now you aren’t even a Yellow-tier Divine Appraiser, are you?
The forbidden zone is not some playground in the Outer Sea where you kids fool around. You’d better be very careful. If you die right after arriving in the Inner Sea, wouldn’t that be a pity?"
Ye Chen said calmly, "Relax. Even if your whole family drops dead, I won’t die."
The young man’s face instantly darkened with rage. "Bastard, you’re a mere newcomer of the Body Alliance, and you dare talk to me like that? Are you looking for death?!"
Ye Chen looked at him as if at an idiot.
Idiot!
So it’s fine for you to insult me but not for me to insult you?
Back in the Outer Sea, even your martial uncle Hu Fei got cursed by me until his head was dripping dog blood!
Feeling the contempt in Ye Chen’s gaze, the young man beside Hu Fei became even more enraged and shouted, "Ye Chen, in the Body Alliance I’m considered your senior. Since you don’t understand the rules, I’ll teach you a lesson as your senior!"
