Chapter 555 - 554: Passage

Chapter 555: Chapter 554: Passage

Golden Peak and Zhao Quan crawled toward the corner, leaving a gory trail of blood in their wake. Despite each missing an arm and a leg, they used their remaining limbs to drag themselves along. The long, bloody smear on the ground was a shocking sight.

However, the physical agony was completely consumed by the terror in their hearts. Unable to feel any pain, they just kept shuffling backward, desperate to escape.

"Go!"

As they neared the wall, Golden Peak and Zhao Quan slammed the ground. Even with their injured arms, they mustered every ounce of strength to spring to their feet and dash for the outside.

Though surrounded by a grand array, they knew the location of the exit and were confident they could escape.

But a figure had already flashed before them. He swung his sword, and a streak of Sword Aura blazed across their vision. In the next instant, they both collapsed to the ground, twitching uncontrollably.

Deep gashes had been carved into their necks, and blood poured out ceaselessly. It was a single, fatal strike to the throat—death was certain.

"You... you..."

They glared at Yi Tianyun, but besides the word "you," they couldn’t force out anything else. A moment later, they breathed their last, becoming two corpses on the ground.

"Ding! Successfully killed Golden Peak. Obtained 13,000,000 Experience, 4,300 Madness Value, 300 Sin Value, and 500 Divine Rune Mastery Proficiency. Obtained Tyrant Pattern Paper (Rare), Celestial Pillar Sword (Low-Grade Sacred Artifact)..."

"Ding! Successfully killed Zhao Quan. Obtained 12,000,000 Experience, Madness Value..."

The experience from killing them was decent, but the item drops were rather paltry in comparison. At least, they were paltry for someone like him, who was used to killing Spirit King Stage experts. Still, a Low-Grade Sacred Artifact could drop, even if the enemy didn’t possess one themselves.

Some of the dropped items were related to what they owned, while others weren’t. For example, a great item like the Tyrant Pattern Paper was something they definitely wouldn’t have possessed.

’That’s a decent haul. The Tyrant Pattern Paper is certainly a good item...’

’Using this for Engraving Divine Patterns yields incredible results. He’d used it once before but didn’t want to be wasteful. Each use meant he had one less, and until his position was completely secure, there was no need to slap a Tyrant Pattern Paper on every weapon he saw. That would be an undeniable waste.’

’In the System Shop, a Tyrant Pattern Paper costs a whopping five million Madness Value. He could afford it, but he couldn’t afford to be frivolous with it.’

"Boss, you’re finally back! If it hadn’t been for you, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have survived to see you return." His men were overjoyed. After all, the only reason they had waited so long was for Yi Tianyun to come back.

"Yes, I was caught up in a few things. I can’t believe this happened the moment I got back." Yi Tianyun nodded. He hadn’t been worried, though. If they had been attacked, the system would have sent him a notification.

Since they were his Divine Generals, he would definitely be alerted if one was on the verge of death. If that happened, he could simply use a Divine General Summoning Order to teleport them to his side. It was the perfect solution.

"Sigh, it’s all our fault. If we had just stayed put, we wouldn’t have provoked them," Yang Zhiwen sighed. A Sacred Artifact was a wonderful thing, but it was also a magnet for envy.

"What’s the point in hiding here forever? The best solution is to become stronger. Then, no matter how many people like that show up, you can kill every last one of them!" Yi Tianyun said coldly.

"Right!"

The three of them felt a jolt. They had been so focused on blaming themselves that they’d forgotten the most fundamental truth: as long as your cultivation was high enough, you had nothing to fear.

"Pack up. We’re preparing to return to the Mortal Realm." With a wave of his hand, Yi Tianyun sent the weapons on the ground flying into their grasp.

They hastily caught the weapons, cradling them with extreme care. To Yi Tianyun, they were little more than scrap metal, but to his men, they were priceless Treasures.

"We’re going back now?" Their eyes lit up.

"Yes, and it’s urgent. We must get back immediately to prevent any complications." Yi Tianyun’s eyes grew cold. ’If the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom dares to make a move against my faction, they’ll have only themselves to blame for my ruthlessness!’

They quickly got ready. Once they were outside the city, Yi Tianyun waved his hand, and the Ice Phoenix flew out, leaving his men completely stunned.

"A phoenix..." They swallowed hard. This was a Divine Beast, and it was Yi Tianyun’s mount!

"In the blink of an eye, the Boss went and tamed a phoenix! A Divine Beast!"

"Seriously, the Boss is incredible. Wow..."

"Alright, that’s enough. Flattery will get you nowhere," Yi Tianyun said. "Hurry up and get on. Your flying speed is too slow." He gestured for them to climb aboard. At their pace, there was no telling how long it would take to reach the passageway.

The Ice Phoenix’s speed was first-rate. With a cultivation base so much higher than theirs, it could fly dozens of times faster, drastically cutting down their travel time.

HMPH!

The Ice Phoenix was clearly displeased about others climbing onto its back. It was resistant to carrying anyone but its master.

"Alright, now. It’s just for a little while. I’ll reward you with some Elixir Pills later," Yi Tianyun said with a smile, placating the beast. The Ice Phoenix’s mood stabilized, but it still let out an unavoidable snort of dissatisfaction.

The Ice Phoenix took flight. Its massive body could easily carry five or six people. In an instant, it became a pale blue streak of light, disappearing over the horizon.

The passage to the Mortal Realm was in a remote location. Even with the Ice Phoenix leading the way, it took them several days to arrive. Had they flown at their own pace, the journey would have taken at least a month.

"We’re here," Yi Tianyun said, looking ahead.

"So this is the passage to the Mortal Realm? It’s much nicer than the one we took to get down here..."

Not far off lay a paradise-like expanse. It was a place of lush mountains and clear streams, filled with the songs of birds and the fragrance of flowers. White mist coiled around everything, making it look like a true immortal realm.

"You’ve got the wrong idea. The passage we need is over there," Yi Tianyun said, pointing to the sky ahead.

They followed his finger and saw a patch of sky choked with dark clouds, roiling with thunder and lightning. Thick bolts of lightning continuously arced down, slamming into the ground below. With a deafening CRASH, another strike left a patch of earth scorched black.

In fact, that entire region was pockmarked with countless scorched patches; not a single piece of ground was unscathed. The contrast with the serene, verdant mountains next to it was like the difference between heaven and earth.

It seemed this place had once been just as scenic, but after being ravaged by lightning for so long, it had become this terrifying.

"That... that’s our passageway...?"

They swallowed hard. It certainly looked far more dangerous than the path they’d taken to get down here... Indeed, descending was always easier than ascending, but even the descent had been incredibly difficult for someone of their cultivation level.