章節 85: Chapter 221: The Youth Enters the Great Wilderness
The Donghuang Continent was vast and boundless. Using the Divine Zhou Dynasty as its heart, the Imperial City was the bullseye.
The outline of the nineteen states resembled a teapot, with Tianmenguan at the curved spout. Beyond Tianmenguan lay the grayish foreign demon lands, where demons and monsters dwelled. Further out, on the map, was the deep black region of the Great Wilderness.
The Ministry of War of the Divine Zhou Dynasty had four divisions, overseeing military selection, maps, transportation and weaponry.
The second division, the Job Function Department, was in charge of managing the maps of the world and regularly updating them.
In the over three thousand years of the Divine Zhou Dynasty's history, the maps had gone through multiple iterations, not to mention the changes in terrain within the states.
The demon-infested foreign lands were marked as gray areas, but over the years, mountains, rivers, and peaks had been surveyed and named.
This provided great convenience for the Demon Suppression Division in tracking wanted demons outside the borders. The maps served as their eyes, and countless talented individuals had sacrificed their lives just in the process of mapping these lands.
However, no matter how the maps changed, beyond the demon-infested lands, deeper and farther away, lay a region named "Great Wilderness" by the previous emperor during his expedition. This area remained a deep black on the maps.
There were no descriptions or introductions to the terrain.
It was like a black abyss surrounding the edges of the continent, a forbidden and perilous place for humans.
Over the millennia, talented individuals from the Ministry of War had attempted to venture into the Great Wilderness to uncover its secrets, but countless sacrifices had only yielded scant information.
The messages written in blood were compiled into a book called the "Scriptures of the Great Wilderness."
It consisted of merely two pages with a few hundred words of brief narration.
Life was as fragile as paper.
Even so, these two thin pages were carefully preserved in the Imperial Palace, and only top-tier forces like the Divine General Mansion had copies.
At this moment, on the fringes of the Great Wilderness, a young figure was walking through an ancient, wild forest with towering trees and misty shadows.
"It is said that the Great Wilderness is filled with poisonous miasma, rampant giant beasts, and rampant demons. There are even traces of ancient ferocious beasts," Li Hao said as he carefully examined his surroundings while moving forward.
This record was indeed true. Although he had not encountered any giant beasts or demons yet, he could already sense the damp and venomous miasma in this forest.
Fortunately, his indestructible body was exceptionally strong and could easily resist the miasma without harm.
However, if it were another Immortal realm cultivator, even if they stayed in this forest for a long time, their body would be damaged.
For those with lower cultivation levels, it would be even more challenging.
"Could it be that my mother actually lives in such a place...?" Li Hao's eyes flickered as he asked the elderly man from the Ji family, who had shrunk and hidden himself on Li Hao's body.
"Not humans, but the Sacred Clan!" The elderly man from the Ji family immediately corrected him.
He, too, had developed a fondness for Li Hao's talent and was willing to explain further: "My Ji family is a primitive Sacred Clan. Although we originated from humans, our clan members possess ancient sacred bloodlines, making our bodies exceptionally robust. We are far superior to you barbarians. Moreover, our clan is protected by a sacred site, immune to the miasma. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a divine land."
Upon hearing this, Li Hao finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that his mother lived in a relatively good environment.
As they walked, Li Hao chatted with the elderly man, learning that his name was Ji Yunguo.
Ji Yunguo only briefly discussed the Ji family but did not delve into details. However, he provided Li Hao with valuable insights about the Great Wilderness, confirming that it was indeed extremely dangerous, just as countless pioneers from the Ministry of War had explored.
However, the dangers varied across different regions.
For example, the area they were currently in belonged to the outer fringes of the Great Wilderness. Although they might encounter terrifying demons and monsters, the probability was low.
Most of the area was inhabited by demons, monsters, and ferocious beasts with low-grade bloodlines.
Nevertheless, the energy of the heavens and the earth here was abundant, and even demons and monsters with low-grade bloodlines had the potential to cultivate to the Demon King realm. Thus, the Divine Zhou Dynasty's warning that no one below the Four Establishments realm should venture into the Great Wilderness was indeed reliable.
Li Hao swiftly made his way through the ancient forest, guided by Ji Yunguo.
He weaved through these massive trees, each with a diameter of several dozen meters, their branches large enough to accommodate several people lying down comfortably.
As he was walking, a sudden shadow shot towards him.
The attack, guided by the Dao Charm, seemed unavoidable.
Li Hao was slightly taken aback, but his descending foot suddenly stepped forward rapidly, disappearing in an instant with the Heaven's Stealth technique.
Before the Dao Charm's guidance could reconnect, Li Hao reappeared at the point of attack, as fast as lightning. He saw a female demon hiding behind the thick leaves on a treetop.
The lower half of her body resembled a menacing mantis.
Seeing Li Hao suddenly appear before her, the female demon was also startled. She hadn't expected that this human youth, who seemed to conceal his aura, possessed such extraordinary martial skills!
Her pupils suddenly contracted, but she reacted swiftly, spewing a mouthful of greenish poison.
Bang!
Li Hao raised his hand and punched forward, the fierce gust from his punch dispersing the poison and slamming into the female demon's face. Her exquisite, pale face was shattered, revealing the shell-like bones beneath as she let out a painful scream.
"A genius of the ancient wilderness?!"
The female demon's body retreated in shock as she stared at Li Hao.
At such a young age, he possessed such terrifying explosive power. How could she have encountered a genius of the ancient wilderness at the edge of the Great Wilderness?!
She cursed her bad luck inwardly, ignoring the pain on her face as she turned and fled.
Li Hao reacted with lightning speed. He unleashed the Thousand Mountains Flying Birds Chart along with the Heaven's Stealth technique, instantly catching up to the female demon. In her shocked gaze, he punched through her head.
Her soul burned with intense speed, but Li Hao's Quwu power had already condensed into a sword, instantly slicing through her body and then quickly splitting into sword energy, shredding and utterly annihilating her soul.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye; this Dao Heart Realm Demon King had perished at Li Hao's hands.
Hidden on Li Hao's body, Ji Yunguo couldn't help but smile at the sight.
Although he had witnessed Li Hao's extraordinary talent in the River of Extinction, it was partly due to Li Tianzong's obsession secretly favoring him.
Now, with Li Hao's true power unleashed, the skill and strength he displayed were no less impressive than in the River of Extinction, which put Ji Yunguo's heart at ease and left him feeling satisfied.
He thought that once they returned, he would introduce Li Hao to the Ji family. If Li Hao could cultivate in the Ji family, it would be an excellent opportunity for him.
At this moment, after killing the female Demon King with his punch, Li Hao felt a stinging sensation in his fist. The poison had splashed onto his fist and was corroding his skin.
If his flesh could be damaged, a typical Triple Immortal Realm cultivator would likely have their flesh and blood corroded to the point of exposing their white bones.
Li Hao took a deep breath. He hadn't expected to encounter a Demon King ambush so soon after arriving in the Great Wilderness, not even a few dozen miles into his journey.
He glanced at the corpse of the female Demon King; aside from her smashed head, her body was still intact.
He quickly flew back to her remains, reached out, and absorbed her life essence.
The female Demon King's body swiftly withered, eventually turning into shriveled gray flesh.
Li Hao casually waved his hand, turning her body to dust to hide their tracks.
After absorbing the female Demon King's life essence, Li Hao circulated and refined it within his body. The stinging sensation on the back of his hand immediately disappeared, and the corrosion stopped, allowing his flesh to regenerate.
He had just come out of the River of Extinction, and his true body was still at the level it had been before the conclusion of the previous battle in Liangzhou. His flesh was only comparable to a seven-time molten divine weapon.
Now, it had improved even further.
This showed how powerful the female Demon King's poison was. His flesh, even with the Indestructible Body, would have struggled to cause serious injury to a Demon King like Land Abyss, who possessed an ultimate-level technique. Yet, this Demon King at the Dao Heart Realm had managed to draw blood!
"To be able to injure me at the Dao Heart Realm... Are the Demon Kings of the Great Wilderness this strong? They seem even more formidable than those outside." Li Hao muttered to himself.
Hearing this, Ji Yunguo couldn't help but laugh.
Is it praiseworthy to be injured by a Dao Heart Realm expert when you're at the Triple Immortal Realm? It's ridiculously defying the heavens!
However, that's how it is for the proud sons of ancient times. Slaying Demon Kings in adverse circumstances may astonish the barbarians in the outer lands, but in the Great Wilderness, it's merely considered excellent.
But he knew that Li Hao's true strength was not what it seemed. Even among the ancient sacred clans, Li Hao would be considered a proud son of heaven, and that was why he valued him so highly!
After dealing with the female Demon King, Li Hao didn't linger and continued on his way.
He possessed the Myriad Attributes, which could conceal his aura, but the sounds of his movements would still attract some passing demons and monsters.
Along the way, Li Hao dealt with two more, both at the Triple Immortal Realm, who tried to ambush him. He slapped them to death without ceremony.
Without any weapons by his side, Li Hao's body had become as formidable as a divine weapon, and his punches and kicks packed immense destructive power.
As he traveled, Li Hao also digested the memories and martial arts techniques he had obtained from the River of Extinction.
Due to his memory, these techniques were directly incorporated into his menu. Within the menu, after being interpreted by his Fleshly Body Dao at the seventh level, they evolved into new techniques.
For example, the previously interpreted Ten Thousand Blood True Demon Art had now become the Spirit Sacrifice True Demon Art.
The absorption and refinement of demon and monster essence had become even more efficient.
This allowed Li Hao's fleshly body to refine itself faster toward its limit.
Ji Yunguo guided Li Hao, bypassing some of the more dangerous forbidden areas within the Great Wilderness.
Each of these areas was occupied by famous and powerful Demon Kings and was not to be entered lightly.
Li Hao had no intention of taking such risks. His priority now was to send Ji Yunguo back to the Ji family, and if possible, he wanted to see his mother, even if just to know that she was safe.
Night fell, cool and tranquil.
In the endless expanse of the ancient forest of the Great Wilderness, scattered bones lay on the ground.
A small fire, built from dry leaves and twigs, burned on a thick branch, but it didn't ignite the wood.
The thick branch was filled with abundant moisture and vibrant life force, making it difficult for ordinary flames to start a wildfire or burn these resilient ancient trees.
Moreover, the area was filled with miasma and moisture, so without a constant supply of fuel, the fire would soon go out.
At this moment, Li Hao rested by the fire, adjusting his condition.
Leaning against the tree trunk, he picked up a blade of grass and brought it to his mouth, folding it into a mouth organ and blowing a gentle tune.
The moonlight scattered, and the ancient trees of the Great Wilderness kept him company as the wistful melody of the grass flute gently floated through the air, only to be blocked by the soundproof barrier Li Hao had set up.
It echoed only among the branches.
His musical experience slowly increased.
With nothing else to entertain himself with, he could only cultivate his musical skills.
Ji Yunguo stood at the other end of the branch, his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the distant stars and moon, his eyes filled with longing for home.
Hearing Li Hao's melodious and lilting grass flute song in the quiet moonlight of the night, his heart was filled with even deeper longing.
He turned to look at the young man, only to see Li Hao's eyes fixed on the pitch-black ancient forest, lost in thought.
"You said in the River of Extinction that you didn't want to go home, but your music is filled with longing." Ji Yunguo's eyes narrowed as he spoke.
"Those are two different matters," Li Hao replied, removing the blade of grass from his mouth. He spoke softly, "I yearn for my friends."
Ji Yunguo glanced at him, "Are your friends also extraordinary?"
"That depends on the aspect," Li Hao smiled. "Some are good at fishing, some enjoy eating and drinking, and some don't have any particular talents, but they're always happy."
"I believe that being able to live a joyful life is also a skill in itself," Ji Yunguo remarked, his eyes glinting slightly.
"I noticed that you spent quite some time in the River of Extinction, indulging in comfort and entertainment, even in such a dangerous environment. Are you truly not afraid of death?"
"Should one give up on living just because of the fear of death? That would be putting the cart before the horse," Li Hao replied without explaining about his stat panel. However, he shared his thoughts, "It's like diligently cultivating for the sake of living, but then spending all your time cultivating, neglecting to actually live... What's the point of that?"
"Without strength, you're left with only despair in the face of life and death, and against demons and monsters," Ji Yunguo stated.
Li Hao smiled faintly, "But how many powerful warriors, with their strength, have died? Many of them didn't even get to enjoy life. Take you, for example, your cultivation is not low, is it?"
Ji Yunguo was taken aback, his expression shifting slightly. Li Hao's words implied that even someone as powerful as him had perished.
This was somewhat offensive.
However, instead of getting angry, he seemed lost in thought.
Reflecting on his life, he had lived for a long time, but most of it had been spent cultivating.
At this moment, as he reminisced, he realized that what he often missed in the River of Extinction were the moments outside of cultivation.
The playful fights, drinking sessions, hunting competitions, and the everyday warm conversations...
He fell silent.
When faced with life and death, it wasn't the cultivation he thought about, but people and memories.
Not to mention that he was already dead.
His obsession to return to the Ji family was driven by his desire to go home, and the reason he wanted to go home was that he couldn't bear to leave that sacred mountain and the people on it behind.
Seeing Ji Yunguo's silence, Li Hao didn't say more. He put the blade of grass back in his mouth and continued to play the gentle tune.
He didn't oppose cultivation, but during the breaks from the busy cultivation, one could also take some time to sip a cup of tea and chat.
That was what made life truly "alive."
The night was slightly chilly, with a flickering flame, a clear and melodious whistle, and two souls with different thoughts.
And a bright round moon...
...
For several consecutive days, Li Hao was on the move.
During his journey, he also took the opportunity to practice the martial arts techniques recorded in his stat panel one by one.
Each practice session further refined and improved his body, and by hunting the demons and monsters along the way and absorbing their essence, Li Hao's progress was astonishing. His physical body had reached a level comparable to an eight-cast divine weapon.
In the River of Extinction, his physical body was comparable to a nine-cast, and in the Great Peace Realm, it could barely hold its own.
Now, he was getting closer and closer to that level.
After all, in this reality, he didn't have many divine pills to consume, nor could he consume them. He relied solely on the techniques to absorb and convert, and fortunately, the effect was not inferior to divine pills, it just required a bit of time.
"Hmm? Something feels a bit off here."
Li Hao stepped into a blood-red mountain range shrouded in crimson mist. The mist seemed to soften his flesh and blood, which was even more terrifying than the miasma.
"This is the Redwood Death Ridge, the place where a cultivator who had attained enlightenment met his end. His domain didn't disperse, and it formed a special forbidden area here, which is extremely dangerous," Ji Yunguo explained.
Then he continued, "However, it won't be much of a problem for you. The domain rules here are not as strong as they were when that cultivator was alive. It will only continuously decompose your qi and blood, making your body weak and eventually leading to aging and death. But with your physical body, you can withstand it."
"Deep within this place, there's a bloodthirsty demon vine king that has taken root in that cultivator's skeleton. Every sixty years, it bears a Resonance Blood Fruit, a fruit of great power. It can greatly enhance one's physique, aiding in the advancement of physical strength to the extreme, and even awakening divine power."
"You can try to find that bloodthirsty demon vine king. It has absorbed too much of that cultivator's flesh and blood, and is restricted here, unable to escape. However, its combat power is average, and you should be able to defeat it."
Li Hao was taken aback, feeling a bit dumbfounded. The fruit of the domain might not be of much use to him.
However, since he was already here, there was no harm in taking a look. If he couldn't use it, he could bring it back for Qianqian.
As Li Hao's thoughts turned, suddenly, several breaking sounds approached from the front.
"Stop!"
"Who is that? Quick, help me stop him! I am from the ancient sacred clan, the Qin family!"
Several angry shouts rang out.
Li Hao looked up and saw a short man flying ahead, with three figures chasing closely behind, their movements incredibly fast.
The short man in front, upon seeing Li Hao standing in mid-air, had a slight change in expression. He quickly said, "Don't block me, I'll give you the treasure!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already arrived next to Li Hao.
Li Hao was still puzzled when the man suddenly attacked, slapping Li Hao's face with his palm.
Bang!
Li Hao grabbed the man's wrist, and with a crisp crack, he crushed it.
""
Li Hao asked in confusion, "What are you trying to do?"
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