As they set foot in new territory, the woman in red continuously pointed the way forward through the gloom.
Along the path, Xu Xian did not forget to give instructions, briefing the group on several matters...
The group listened intently and agreed to each point one by one.
At the same time, they also understood that Xu Xian's ascension to the Heavens was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a long-premeditated plan.
Though they had been swept up to the Heavens by him, as they gazed at his back, the anxiety in their hearts quietly settled into a calm silence.
If there was even a slim chance of survival, they knew they had to follow him.
A long and arduous escape had officially begun.
They replenished their energy while on the move, never resting for a moment, traveling day and night through the gloom to chase the distant, unreachable light.
Several days passed.
During this time, they encountered no danger. The tides of dark Death Spirits did not block their path, which caused the eight followers to lower their guard slightly.
Only Xu Xian, with the help of his Pupil of Insight, knew that Grey Spirits and dark spirits, as mentioned by Li Shuhe, were constantly hurrying back and forth on the road ahead.
Those were scouts on the move. Their choice to avoid the group was certainly not just out of fear of Li Shuhe.
Somewhere on the road ahead, a killing tribulation was undoubtedly waiting for them.
However, since Li Shuhe continued to lead the way from the front, Xu Xian naturally had no intention of stopping.
There are some paths with no shortcuts, and some hurdles that must be faced.
He had understood this truth long ago in Fanzhou.
The next day...
They had already galloped over a hundred thousand li through this wasteland. At the edge of the horizon, they saw a brilliant light for the first time.
Yet, the appearance of this light did not dispel the gloom in the hearts of the group.
This was because the light was blood-red. Consequently, instead of relief, a sense of unease and wariness rose within them.
It was a blood-red sun, hanging lonely in the grey sky, dyeing half the heavens with the colors of a dying sunset.
A faint blood-red hue lingered across that firmament, lighting up the world.
They looked down and, by the light, saw a massive city—a boundless giant of a city.
The giant city lay quietly in the blood-red light, looking like a ghostly city from the netherworld.
It was eerie and sinister, a silent manifestation of dread...
“That is...”
Once the premier city of the Sword Province, Tianjian City, it was now the dark Black Spirit City.
Xu Xian gazed at the high tower supporting the great sun, and the answer formed in his mind.
That was a Spirit Tower!
The group’s expressions became complex at the sight of the city, filled with shock, worry, and fear...
Shocked by the city's sheer size,
Worried by the city's wickedness,
And fearful of what lay within. The scents of blood and darkness were intermingled, and an aura of yin malice soared into the sky.
Xu Xian suddenly stopped. The group halted in the sky, shifting their gaze from the giant city ahead to a high mountain at their side, where they once again saw that flash of a bright red bridal gown.
“Rest and regroup here!” Xu Xian said.
Understanding his intent, the group landed on a high rocky peak for a brief rest.
However, they did not take their eyes off the giant city for even a second.
Jin Yu couldn't help but exclaim, “To think such a vast city exists in the world. It is truly breathtaking!”
The others remained silent.
Who could disagree?
In Fanzhou, the size of the Nether Capital was second to none, and the Jiangnan region of the Central Plains was a continuous stretch of walled cities.
But compared to this behemoth sleeping in the blood-red light, those places were truly not worth mentioning.
In particular, the giant tower supporting the blood-red sun was so thick that its base surpassed the size of the Boundary Mountain that once stood between the Northern Borders and the East Desolation.
That was no mere tower; it was as if a single tower were a city in itself. It was a testament to the divine craftsmanship of its builders.
Before seeing it with their own eyes, none of them could have even imagined such a massive city.
Only Lu Yuan remained as calm as ever, even offering a mocking comment. “A tiny city like this is breathtaking to you? If you ever see the God's Courts of the Nine Heavens or the Immortal Palaces of the Ten Lands, you’ll probably die of shock.”
The group gave Lu Yuan a meaningful look. They all knew this fellow knew too much; he certainly wasn't from Fanzhou and was likely a leftover from the Heavens.
Therefore, his words were credible. Even if he looked down on them, they accepted it. Compared to the world above the Heavens, they, the powerhouses from Fanzhou, were indeed like frogs at the bottom of a well.
“How big are they?” Tu Sisi asked.
Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes and said in a tone of feigned seniority, “The God's Courts hang high like the sun and moon. The Immortal Palaces rest on the ground, and their width from north to south and east to west is a full hundred thousand li...”
“Hiss—”
“Hiss—”
“Hiss—”
Hearing this, everyone inhaled a sharp breath of cold air.
Hanging in the sky like the sun and moon,
And spanning a hundred thousand li on the ground,
Just how big was that?
A single city larger than the entire Fanzhou?
Was that even reasonable?
In the God Realm, the Immortal Realm, and the Heavens, perhaps it was...
Lu Yuan looked at everyone’s unworldly expressions and felt immensely proud, gloating with a cool, detached air.
Chi Ming couldn't stand his smugness and retorted, “So what if it's big? It was still swallowed by the darkness just the same. It's useless now...”
Lu Yuan was left speechless, unable to utter a single word in response.
Indeed,
So what if it was big?
Fanzhou still had light, while the Heavens had been turned into a wasteland.
Glory?
That was only in the past.
On the other side, after Xu Xian instructed the group to rest, he took the initiative to find Li Shuhe and asked, “Senior, are we stopping here?”
Li Shuhe gazed at the distant city and said, word by word, “That is Tianjian City.”
Xu Xian shifted his gaze back to the giant city, staring at the high tower. “That must be the Spirit Tower, then?”
Li Shuhe replied, “Yes.”
Xu Xian remarked, “It really is quite large.”
Li Shuhe glanced at him and said calmly, “In the three thousand provinces, there are no fewer than ten thousand such towers.”
Xu Xian lowered his eyes. The three thousand provinces? It was likely more than just three thousand; there were probably more than ten thousand provinces, and that wasn't even counting the dead stars and forbidden zones where no life existed.
He reasoned to himself, “In other words, in the three thousand provinces alone, there are over ten thousand Spirit Lords at the God Immortal stage?”
Li Shuhe’s brow furrowed. “Far more than that!”
Xu Xian curled his index finger and rubbed his nose, falling into a sheepish silence.
Far more?
That meant much more than ten thousand.
If the three thousand provinces alone had so many God Immortal stage experts, how many would there be if one included the Nine Heavens, Ten Lands, and the Boundary Sea?
A hundred thousand?
Then there were the Ancestral Spirits, the First Spirits above them, and the True Spirits mentioned by the Little Book that were sleeping in seals. All these beings were his lifelong nemeses. The mere thought of it gave Xu Xian a massive headache.
Even if he were to slaughter them like pigs in the future, how long would it take?
But thinking about it, it wasn't surprising. If their numbers weren't so overwhelming, how could the Cangming Realm have fallen to the darkness in a mere ten thousand years?
Xu Xian returned to the main topic. “Are we going to bypass it?”
Li Shuhe shook her head.
Xu Xian asked tentatively, “Sneak through?”
Li Shuhe said flatly, “Attack it.”
Xu Xian was stunned, thinking he had misheard. “What?”
Li Shuhe looked him deep in the eyes and confirmed, “Attack the city.”
Was she crazy?
Xu Xian asked, “You’re not joking?”
Li Shuhe explained, “The Spirit Tower contains dark spirit sources. By wrapping ourselves in those spirit sources, we can block the invasion of the breath of darkness and mask our aura as living souls, avoiding detection by the Eye of Darkness.”
As soon as Li Shuhe said this, Xu Xian understood.
They were here to seize spirit sources. Only by obtaining them could they complete the long road ahead.
Right now, it was fine as they were only facing Great Spirit Lords at the God Immortal stage. But as they neared the Spirit River, they would enter the battle zone between light and darkness, where experts at the Immortal King level would surely exist.
If they were targeted there,
It would be extremely dangerous.
Li Shuhe was planning ahead.
Xu Xian whispered, “No wonder the journey was so smooth. Those monsters likely anticipated this. They probably know you’re bringing us here to seize the spirit sources. Right now, the city is likely an inescapable net.”
Li Shuhe furrowed her brow and said, “Yes, it is very troublesome.”
Xu Xian didn't complain and asked, “How do you want to fight this?”
Li Shuhe patted the sword at her waist. “Take my sword and hack our way in.”
Xu Xian asked, “Can we win?”
Li Shuhe replied, “We won't know until we try.”
Xu Xian said, “...”
“Alright!”
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