Free Web NovelChapter 1289: The Immortal Land
Whooosh!!
On the battlefield, Souta hovered in the air, his body continuously emitting blood-colored lightning.
He perceived everything around him, down to every crack in the fabric of space.
Nothing could escape his perception.
Souta slowly descended and stopped in front of a massive monster covered in deep wounds.
"Still alive... I’m impressed. As expected of an Advanced Fifth Stage Monster."
He looked straight into the monster’s eyes.
"Everyone is dead except you."
Sea Devourer’s vision was blurry, but he knew Souta was standing before him.
He could barely move his body. Most of his internal organs had been destroyed, his bones were shattered into powder, and he had lost far too much blood.
Even his senses had dulled to the point where he could barely perceive anything beyond a one-kilometer radius.
For others, sensing everything within one kilometer would have been extraordinary.
But for an Advanced Fifth Stage Monster like Sea Devourer, it was a clear sign that he was on the verge of death.
Urhan, Armante, and Aldemaran.
All three were dead.
"Let me send you to the other side. Fret not, I will not absorb your soul, since I’m the one who forced you into this."
Souta raised the sword in his hand once more.
Darkness and light converged in the surrounding space once again, while blood-colored lightning gathered along the blade.
[First Form: Lifeless Tribulation of the Blood Lightning]!
Sea Devourer watched as blood-colored lightning filled his vision once more.
He slowly closed his eyes.
The next instant, an overwhelming torrent of lightning engulfed his body.
BOOM!!
An Advanced Fifth Stage Monster had fallen.
Souta flicked his sword before returning it to its sheath. His appearance gradually returned to normal as the armor covering his body dissolved into blood.
Cough...!!
He covered his mouth and tasted the blood on his lips. freewebnovёl.ƈom
"It’s taxing... I can barely maintain it for half an hour. The energy within my Primordian and Nebula Heart has been completely depleted, leaving only a quarter of the energy in my Monster Orb."
Souta knew he still had a long way to go before he could maintain that form for an extended period.
For now, his goal was to sustain it for one hour. Then several hours. If this power alone already placed such a burden on his body, what about the Thirteenth Sign?
As expected, he wouldn’t be able to wield the Thirteenth Sign normally until he reached the Monster Lord Realm.
Even if he reached the Peak Fifth Stage, it would still drain an enormous amount of his stamina and strength.
Moreover, even after activating his Third Eye, he could achieve only fifty percent assimilation. He was still far from reaching one hundred percent, the point at which he could truly pave the way to the Eternal Moon.
"At the very least, this battle helped me vent my true nature. Sooner or later, I have to control it before it controls me."
Souta waved his hand, and a spatial rift opened behind him.
Ohm!
In the next instant, the rift swallowed him whole.
He vanished from the territory of the Creasant Republic.
...
Immortal Land, Xinyang City.
Three figures entered through the city gates after paying the entrance fee to the guards.
One of them was a man standing nearly one hundred eighty-nine centimeters tall. With his short, wavy white hair and sharp eyes, he calmly surveyed the bustling streets before him.
"So this is Xinyang City..." he muttered. He turned to the two companions beside him. "What do you think we should do first, Doranjan? Vashno?"
"Gather information, of course," replied the golden-haired man, Vashno. "That’s our top priority."
The third man, Doranjan, possessed distinct draconic features. Although an immense aura slumbered within him, he had suppressed it completely, ensuring it wouldn’t alarm the people around him.
"We don’t have much time," Doranjan said. "Our parasites have already reacted. Souta is calling for us."
"Yeah, the boss is back." Eztein grinned faintly. "We need to find Isabella as soon as possible. Still... how did she even end up in Immortal Land? This place is incredibly far from the Hall Plains."
The three continued deeper into the city.
Xinyang City was lively and full of activity. Children ran from one stall to another, their carefree laughter blending into the bustling crowd.
The rich aroma of roasted meat, freshly baked bread, and exotic spices drifted through the air.
Merchants lined both sides of the streets, enthusiastically advertising their wares. Weapons, medicinal herbs, monster materials, talismans, and countless everyday goods filled the colorful marketplace.
Home to more than six hundred thousand residents, Xinyang City was considered a prosperous settlement.
Although it wasn’t among the strongest cities in Immortal Land, it still housed a respectable number of experts.
Most, however, had yet to reach the Shackled Realm.
The majority were B-rank, A-rank, or S-rank experts.
As for those who had stepped into the Shackled Realm, there were so few that they could almost be counted on two hands.
The trio wandered casually through the streets as if they were ordinary travelers.
In reality, their senses quietly spread throughout the city.
Every conversation, every rumor, and every whispered discussion.
Nothing escaped their perception.
To ordinary people, they appeared to be leisurely sightseeing.
But the three were meticulously gathering information.
After all, even the wildest rumor often contained a grain of truth.
And at times, that single grain of truth was enough to lead them to the person they were searching for.
By midnight, the three had regrouped at their temporary meeting place.
"Well, we know where we need to go now," Vashno said as he looked at Doranjan and Eztein.
Eztein nodded.
"The Heavenly Potion Pavilion is famous throughout this region, so plenty of people were talking about it."
He paused before continuing.
"What’s strange is that none of them know the Pavilion Master’s name. They simply call her ’Pavilion Master.’ Apparently, only a handful of people have ever met her in person."
"Even so, we’ve confirmed one important piece of information," Doranjan said.
Vashno nodded.
"The Guardian Elder of the Heavenly Potion Pavilion is an Eight Shackle Realm expert who wields Vermilion Flames."
A faint smile appeared on Eztein’s face.
"That’s definitely Erkigal."
He let out a relieved sigh.
"To think she survived that tragedy a few months ago... She’s fortunate."
After a moment of silence, Eztein glanced at Vashno and Doranjan.
"...There’s another problem."
He tugged lightly at his clothes.
"We’re attracting too much attention. The customs here are completely different from those in the Hall Plains. Even our clothing stands out."
As they had wandered through Xinyang City earlier, countless curious gazes had followed them.
Without saying a word, the locals could immediately tell they were foreigners.
"Now that you mention it..." Vashno rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Doranjan nodded in agreement.
"It would be troublesome if we drew unnecessary attention."
"Then let’s buy some local clothes."
The three immediately headed toward a clothing shop that was still open despite the late hour.
After changing into garments commonly worn by the people of Immortal Land, their appearance became far less conspicuous.
Satisfied with the result, they left Xinyang City under the cover of night.
According to the information they had gathered, they would have to travel through five more cities before reaching the Heavenly Potion Pavilion.
Without wasting another moment, the three disappeared into the darkness, their figures swiftly fading into the distant horizon as they hurried toward their destination.
...
Great Shen Empire, Yunze City.
Yunze City was one of the largest cities in the Great Shen Empire. With a population of more than five million, it welcomed countless merchants, cultivators, and travelers every single day. Towering walls stretched for kilometers, enclosing the entire city like an impregnable fortress. Ancient runes were carved into every section of the walls, while countless formations lay hidden beneath the stone, ready to activate against any invading force.
Situated along the coast, Yunze City was also known as Yunze Port City.
Although it possessed a bustling harbor, nearly three-quarters of the city’s territory extended inland. Only a quarter bordered the sea, yet the city itself still spanned nearly twenty kilometers from end to end.
It was one of the Great Shen Empire’s most prosperous commercial centers.
Standing prominently within the city was a magnificent structure whose reputation had spread throughout empire.
The Heavenly Potion Pavilion.
One of the most influential organizations in the empire, renowned for producing high-quality potions and medicinal pills sought after by experts from every corner of the empire.
Deep within the pavilion, a woman slowly rose to her feet.
She possessed long emerald-green hair, bright green eyes, and flawless fair skin. Draped in an elegant white robe, she carried herself with the calm dignity of a master alchemist.
Before her stood dozens of porcelain bottles.
Most contained failed products.
Some had turned murky.
Others had crystallized or lost their medicinal properties entirely.
Only a single porcelain bottle remained untouched.
Inside it swirled a deep golden-yellow potion, radiating a faint yet pure medicinal aura.
A successful product.
A satisfied smile appeared on the woman’s face.
"Finally..."
She let out a soft sigh of relief.
"After two weeks of trial and error, it’s finally complete."
Had another Potion Master heard those words, they would have been left speechless. Completing an incomplete potion formula normally required years of research, countless failed attempts, and an enormous amount of resources.
Many masters devoted years to perfecting a single recipe.
Yet this woman had accomplished the feat in just two weeks.
If news of her achievement spread, it would undoubtedly send shockwaves throughout the alchemy world.
She was Isabella Dynaie, the enigmatic Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Potion Pavilion.
Very few people knew her true identity.
To the outside world, she was simply known as the Pavilion Master, a mysterious alchemist whose mastery of potions had elevated the Heavenly Potion Pavilion to unprecedented heights.
Only a select handful had ever met her in person.
Even fewer knew her name.
