Chapter 239 - 237: An Eternal River Consigned to Flames

Despair was spreading. The tide of the Corpse Calamity was relentless.

Ever since it began its rampage a thousand years ago, nothing had ever been able to stop the flow of the River of Calamity and Pestilence. Today seemed no different.

Deng Ming could no longer remember how many of the undead he had slain. Thirty thousand? Three hundred thousand?

Within this vast river of death, it seemed to make no difference. It was like scooping a single ladle of water from the ocean.

Unlike the indestructible robots and deadly traps of the Xu Realm, the undead of the Noon Realm were fragile. They had possessed little noteworthy strength even when they were alive.

But the dregs of an entire planet’s lifeforms, gathered together, were still enough to make one’s blood run cold.

The newfound courage of the Europe Temple Warriors was rapidly cooling. They kept glancing around, searching for a new escape route.

An escape route only a Martial Artist could take.

Only Huo Jun remained forever steadfast, forever berserk.

He was even having a blast!

Yang Shen, wreathed in golden flames, came to Huo Jun’s side and shouted,

"Huo! I have a bold idea!"

Huo Jun swept through the enemy ranks, his Tiger-Headed Saber a whirlwind of steel. "Tell me about it! Just how bold is it?"

"You know the composition and strength of our vanguard better than I do. Can you get me to an altitude of 4,000 meters?!"

"I asked Professor Xu. The River of Calamity and Pestilence is at an altitude of roughly 4,000 meters. It’s not as high as it looks!"

Huo Jun froze for a second. In a brief lull from mowing down enemies, he glanced up at the sky.

In truth, the magnificent purple light made it difficult to discern its exact altitude. Moreover, the River of Calamity and Pestilence wasn’t static; it always maintained its height relative to the ground.

This meant that if it flowed over a mountain, it would rise, and if it entered a valley, it would descend.

But 4,000 meters... Even Deng Ming, at the Late-stage of Jade Viscera, couldn’t fly that high.

Whether at the True Gang or Jade Viscera realm, floating and low-altitude flight were both achieved by using True Gang to push against the air. The higher the altitude, the less force they could generate. Even a Late-stage Jade Viscera master could only reach about 2,000 meters.

A True Gang Martial Artist would top out at a hundred or two hundred meters, at most.

Yang Shen explained, "A little girl told me her father once encountered the River of Calamity and Pestilence during his explorations in a faraway place. He tried leaping from a high mountain and gliding into the river where it flowed through a great canyon. He discovered that this strange thing doesn’t actually harm humans."

A small flame lit up in Yang Shen’s palm. "But I... might be able to harm it!"

Huo Jun stared at Yang Shen, his iconic steel teeth slowly being revealed by a grin he could no longer suppress.

"Good!"

"I like your bold idea!"

Huo Jun immediately passed down a series of orders.

Soon, Xu Mo, Guan Mountain, Qi Xiujie, and Deng Ming had all received their instructions.

Together with Yang Shen and Huo Jun, the group of six moved swiftly toward a distant mountain peak.

Freed from the need to move the entire group, the power of a Martial Artist was on full display. The endless undead hordes couldn’t stop them; they could easily escape with simple leaps and bounds.

However, this scene caused many among the Hei Race to panic. "Look! The outsiders are leaving!"

"No! Lord Huo!!"

The Hei Race Clan Leader kicked the man to the ground. "Shut your mouth! Lord Huo must have another plan!"

He looked toward the other Martial Artists still holding the line. ’That man! He would never abandon his own comrades! He wouldn’t!’

Only a little girl, holding onto an even younger child beside her, looked up at the receding streaks of light, like distant meteors.

’Father... the dream you spent a lifetime chasing, all the adventures you had... can they really help everyone...?’

...

The small team of six was incredibly fast. In just a few minutes, they had charged more than ten kilometers to the base of a mountain. This happened to be the highest peak in the area, measured previously at around 1,400 meters.

This was its height relative to the ground, not its altitude above sea level.

The team of six didn’t stop, each displaying their own Divine Techniques as they turned into blurs and scaled the dark, towering peak.

Then, they landed in unison upon a great boulder at the very summit.

From here, looking down, they had a clearer view of the boundless tide of the Corpse Calamity, as well as the struggles of the group trying to break through.

Xu Mo said, "Yang Shen, are you sure about this? Our research on the River of Calamity and Pestilence is still incomplete."

Yang Shen shook his head. "Here in an Exotic Realm, and as a Martial Artist, when is there ever a perfect time? I just know that I want to try."

Huo Jun barked, "Well said! As a Martial Artist, you seize victory with your fists! Lying at home is the only way to be perfectly safe! Courage is always born from desperation!"

Xu Mo took a deep breath and finally relented. "You’re right. Let’s give it a try!"

The six of them briefly discussed the plan and then scattered.

A flame ignited in Yang Shen’s right hand, and he slapped it against his own chest, burning away most of his clothes. Then, black Curse Engravings spread across his entire body.

The pattern mimicked Jiang Xin’s combat suit. For this, he needed to reduce air resistance as much as possible.

"I’m ready!"

Huo Jun, Xu Mo, and Yang Shen stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the great boulder, and the three of them performed an action in unison.

The power of the Curse Engravings on their bodies materialized as tendrils, forming a back-to-back triangular structure as they stood close together.

Evidently, as the chief developer of this technology, Xu Mo had naturally inscribed himself with the Curse Engravings as well.

Then, the black substance continued to emerge, forming a cone-shaped spindle, just as Xu Mo had proposed.

The three of them were squeezed back-to-back inside the container. Xu Mo couldn’t help but mutter, "If only we had a helicopter. This altitude would be nothing. We wouldn’t have to use such a reckless method."

Huo Jun said, "What’s the use of thinking about that? By that logic, why not wish for rockets or fighter jets..."

The dimensions of the Gate of the Exotic Realm doomed any large equipment from passing through. They would at least need to stabilize a forward base and establish an "assembly" capability before using that sort of thing.

Once they were ready, Huo Jun immediately called out, "Qi Xiujie! Get ready!"

Qi Xiujie, an Early-stage True Gang Martial Artist who stood over two meters tall like a veritable Giant Spirit, let out a thunderous shout. "Ready!"

The powerhouse from the Horizontal Training Route grabbed the deliberately formed "handshake," took hold of the "handle" at the tail of the conical spindle, and began to spin it violently.

He spun it more than a dozen times, faster and faster, until it was a blur like a propeller. Even with Yang Shen’s Middle Stage Innate physique, the centrifugal force made his head ache.

However, this was the essential first step of the plan!

Qi Xiujie’s strength reached its apex. With a final roar, he bellowed, "Fly!!"

Martial Skill: Cauldron-Throwing Break!

The trio shot upward at incredible speed, launching from the 1,400-meter summit toward an altitude of 2,000 meters.

Tossing something of this weight 600 meters straight up was no easy feat!

The spindle, angled with exquisite precision, cut through most of the air resistance and maintained an extremely high velocity.

At 2,000 meters, Deng Ming was already waiting. This Late-stage Jade Viscera expert couldn’t go any higher, but he could give them another push!

Step two!

Deng Ming caught the slowing spindle with a delicate technique. He then imitated Qi Xiujie, spinning it for a second acceleration. He hadn’t practiced such an obscure martial art, but his cultivation level and power were enough to mimic the move.

Finally, he too flung it upward with all his might. "Go! Go to a height that I can’t reach!"

The spindle continued upward, rising from 2,000 meters to nearly 2,800.

Its velocity began to decrease again as it approached the apex of its trajectory.

And then... the black spindle began to break apart from the inside. Xu Mo emerged, but Huo Jun and Yang Shen didn’t move.

Xu Mo was at the Middle Stage of Jade Viscera; he couldn’t provide any more upward acceleration at this altitude. However, he possessed a special technique.

Step three!

The professor’s hands began to glow, and rings of energy pulsed outward, one after another, encircling the spindle.

"Sigh... When we get back to Yanhua, please don’t tell anyone I took part in such a stupid plan..."

The next moment, the spindle accelerated again, shooting upward like a cannonball. The recoil sent Xu Mo plummeting down, falling even faster than the spindle was rising.

Altitude... 3,400 meters.

But it still wasn’t enough!

The spindle disintegrated completely, revealing Yang Shen and Huo Jun.

The teacher and student had already decided on their plan. They exchanged a look and, in the midst of their rapid ascent, both raised their right fists.

"Kid! Don’t you die on me!"

"Don’t worry! I’m hard to kill!"

Step four!

The next moment...

Overlapping Waves!!! x2

Fifth Wave!

Two fists, both crackling with red lightning, slammed together!

A terrifying burst of Powerful Qi erupted. The two of them shot off like meteors—in opposite directions!

A trickle of blood escaped the corner of Yang Shen’s mouth, but he quickly swallowed it back down.

’So this is the danger of clashing with Overlapping Waves.’

But Yang Shen had finally reached an altitude of 3,900 meters.

And now, for the final step!

The long saber at his waist suddenly twisted, transforming into the figure of Guan Mountain.

This particular Living Blade wasn’t very powerful, which was why it had been saved for the final step.

Yang Shen planted his foot directly on Guan Mountain’s body and kicked off forcefully, unleashing his Fire Element Escape with all his might!

This final boost finally sent him to the 4,000-meter mark.

As the blank-eyed Living Blade plummeted, it didn’t forget to give Yang Shen a shaky mid-air salute, mouthing, "Yoshi!"

Yang Shen, buffeted by the roaring wind, drew closer and closer to the River of Calamity and Pestilence...

The black Curse Engravings on his back formed a pair of membranous wings. Though they were nowhere near strong enough to support his weight in flight, they could provide a small amount of extra lift.

Yang Shen, at an altitude of 4,000 meters, just beneath the magnificent, purple river, broke into a wide grin, revealing a set of steel teeth that were the hallmark of his lineage!

’One day, I will soar to the highest heavens and dive into the deepest abyss as if it were child’s play!’

Yang Shen stretched out a hand, and golden flames surged forth, taking the form of dragons and serpents.

Amid the roars of tens of millions of undead.

As over a thousand Noon Realm People looked on from below.

Amid the gasps of the Europeans.

In the eyes of everyone who had helped him reach this height, all of whom were still falling back to earth.

From the young man’s palm, a golden dragon was born.

And it ignited that eternally dark sky!!