Desolate Era (Book 1 - Book 5)

He had never before entered the cavern in the mountain. That was a forbidden area.

“Quick, enter.” The shrill voice carried anger within it.

“Yes.” The handsome youth didn’t dare to hesitate any longer. Clearing his throat, he hurriedly walked towards the black tunnel, then leapt into the cavern.





* * *





Book 4, Chapter 19 - Hearteater


The dark tunnel was deep and also almost as straight as a pen. It was nearly three hundred meters deep, and the handsome youth, when jumping down, released his Xiantian Ki, allowing himself to descend as lightly as a goose feather, while at the same time, every so often, he would grab onto the sides of the dark tunnel to slow his descent. After a while, he finally stepped on the ground.

“This is so deep. Uh, where is Master’s secret room?” The handsome youth hurriedly looked everywhere while carefully advancing through the winding tunnels. Up ahead, there was a dazzling green light. Soon, he reached an open stone door, behind which was an area filled with green life, as well as ripples which made the heart tremble.

“Master.” The handsome youth called out from outside the stone door.

“Enter.” The shrill voice screeched.

“Yes.” The handsome youth suppressed his terror and walked in. This was a sealed stone room that was ten meters in diameter. In the center of the stone room, there was an enormous boulder, upon which was a man who wore loose black robes, had a skinny, pale face, and long, flowing black hair. The man’s eyes emitted an otherworldly green light, and his entire body seemed to be made out of solidified evil.

In front of this person was an enormous cauldron, and above the cauldron, there was a burning green flame that emitted a freezing aura. Beneath the green flame, there lay hovering an unadorned, blood-red cloth banner, which had a number of either hidden or visible ferocious faces on it. The faces were either screaming soundlessly or bellowing as they tried to swallow each other and battled each other.

The entire cloth banner was surrounded by a layer of black light that was visible to the naked eye.

“Sin!” The handsome youth’s heart was trembling. “A grave sin.”

Those who did good accumulated karmic merit. Those who did evil accumulated sins.

Those who had committed grave sins would naturally emanate a heart-shaking evil aura. But the aura of sin around the cloth banner was actually so strong, it was visible to the naked eye. This was simply astonishing.

“This is a magic treasure which was born from endless amounts of sin.” The handsome youth was both terrified as well as desirous. He knew very well that when one created this sort of magic treasure that was refined from sins, when one underwent the Three Calamities or Nine Tribulations, the power of the trials would be incomparably powerful. But this sort of magic treasure itself was incomparably, astonishingly powerful as well. This was why some evil schools were clearly committing countless grave sins, and yet were still able to continue forward in training to become an Immortal.

It was because these evil paths allowed one to advance more quickly, and to even battle against foes of higher levels.

“No wonder Master said that once his magic treasure is completed, he wouldn’t even fear a Wanxiang Adept.” The handsome youth couldn’t breathe.

“Little Seven.” The long-haired man, seated in the lotus position, spoke in a shrill voice. “My boy Gan was my first disciple. He was like a son to me! This Ji Ning killed my son. How could I, Bei Goodson, possibly forgive him?”

The handsome youth lowered his head.

“I need to refine this magic treasure. I can’t spare any attention.” Bei Goodson’s green eyes stared at the handsome youth. Creating this sort of deeply sinful magic treasure was incomparably dangerous to begin with, and there were constant repercussions from the creation process. There were some people who were themselves bitten to death and had their souls dispersed by the dread wraiths they had created. Of course, if one truly wanted to force a pause, one could, but the price would also be great.

“Little Seven, I bequeath unto you one Hearteater Powder.” A bottle appeared out of nowhere in the palm of Goodson’s right hand, and he casually tossed it towards the handsome youth.

The handsome youth accepted it, then stared at the bottle in terror. “Hearteater Powder?”

He had heard of the famous Hearteater Powder before.

The price of this one bottle of Hearteater Powder was more valuable than even a ranked magic treasure. Countless Zifu Disciples had died to Hearteater Powder, and it was incredibly hard to procure. Even his own master had only been able to acquire this terrifying poison because he had been born into their school and had connections.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that I can’t be distracted, how would I possibly be willing to waste this Hearteater Powder?” Goodson said shrilly. “Remember. Smash the bottle within thirty meters of that Ji Ning, and he will definitely be poisoned. Once the Hearteater Powder enters his body, although it takes effect slowly and will need three days, it is virtually impossible to get rid of it once one has been poisoned. He, a mere Xiantian Fiendgod Body Refiner, will die without question, even if what he is training in is the legendary number one Fiendgod Body Refining, the [Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens]!”

The handsome youth nodded

“Remember. You yourself need to be careful. Stay far away. If you are poisoned, come to me. I will give you the antidote.” Goodson said.

“Your disciple is still competent to perform a minor task like releasing poison.” The handsome youth said.

“Go.” Goodson’s gaze fell upon that blood-red cloth banner beneath the swirling green flames. The countless dread wraiths within the cloth banner occasionally appeared, extending their necks out towards Goodson and wildly trying to bite at him, but Goodson’s oily green eyes remained cold and deadly.

The handsome youth bowed respectfully, then left. When leaving this deep, dark tunnel, he jumped at high speed, occasionally clamping onto protruding pieces of rock on the stone walls. Soon afterwards, he left the tunnel.

Kakaka…

The iron boards turned, and the tunnel was shut once more.

–––––––––—

Within the black mist.

The Waterflame Lotus surrounded him, and Ning’s soul was currently pondering at high speed, with one hypothetical formation after another appearing within his mind, and the construction of the formation changing nonstop. As Ning frantically analyzed these formations, his level of understanding with regards to formations continued to rise.

“Huh?” Ning suddenly felt a spike of fear.

When a person’s soul was as powerful as his, one would be able to unconsciously sense terrifying dangers approaching. The last time his soul had this feeling was when he was attempting the third trial in the ancient Aquatic Manor. This time, however, the feeling was even stronger than last time, as though no matter how he struggled, he still wouldn’t be able to escape this danger.

“Danger?” Ning opened his eyes to stare around himself.

Suddenly…

The black fog in front of him to the right naturally parted, and in that instant, a large amount of white threads instantly wrapped towards him. In the distance, that handsome youth could be seen wielding a horsetail whisk in one hand and a Dao-seal in the other. The white threads of the horsetail whisk instantly attacked Ning.

“Hmph.” Twin swords appeared in Ning’s hands, and the Waterflame Lotus blocked those white threads.

“Boom!”