Chapter 481 482: The Path of Exploration

In truth, his ability to so freely control the Dao Essence came from the Creation Dao Light Pillar—the new pillar that had appeared among the Six Paths Light Pillars after he fused with the 'profound qi'.

He had a gut feeling that he could feed this Dao Essence to the Creation Light Pillar.

However, the fluorescent light within the pillar was a finite resource, and he was reluctant to use it. This was Dao Essence, after all!

So, he placed the Dao Essence beside the Fire Phoenix within his Divine Sense, as both were fire-aspected. The arrival of the Dao Essence made the Fire Phoenix even more active, and it began to chase the essence, like a phoenix playing with a pearl. Perhaps it was also because of the Creation Light Pillar, but the Dao Essence had no adverse effect on his Divine Sense.

Seeing him acting as if nothing had happened, the others were all lost in their own thoughts.

But for Zisang Jin, it was for the best that he had taken the Dao Essence. If it had remained, the Demon Race would have had a greater chance of obtaining it than the Human Race.

Zisang Jin's mood improved immensely, and she no longer dwelled on the matter of the forced kiss.

She smiled radiantly and said, "The Demon Race is surely still blockading the area. We might as well take some time to recover here on Xuhua Mountain."

In truth, thanks to her 'exchange' with Chen Dong, her injuries had already completely healed. The same could not be said for the others, especially Jiang Hongqin and her two companions. Their wounds were so severe that they relied entirely on the resilience of their Golden Core Physiques just to walk.

Liu Ling looked like she wanted to speak but held her tongue. Chen Dong had a good idea of what was on her mind, but he wanted to explore the Xuhua Mountain Range. Mu Qingzhu had told him that, according to the divinations of the Great Art of Divine Calculation, a supreme treasure lay within the mountains.

The spot where Chen Dong and his group were located had likely been shielded from the Sun's Divine Light by the Dao Essence's influence. The moment he absorbed the Dao Essence, the Divine Light began to scatter toward them.

Chen Dong hastily had everyone move out.

The cliff cave had been destroyed, so it was no longer a safe place to stay. Chen Dong led the way forward, performing calculations as he walked.

After a full half-day, Chen Dong found another temporarily safe location. It was a gentle slope facing away from the sun. There was no cover aside from the mountain itself, but it would be free from the scattering Sun's Divine Light for the next four hours.

The group began to meditate and recover their energy once more. Chen Dong sat beside Murong Qing and sent a voice transmission to Liu Ling.

"You're thinking about that place with the Dao Essence you mentioned, aren't you?"

Liu Ling replied, "It's fine to tell you now, Master. That Dao Essence is located in the Land of Extinct Demons, which lies behind the Xuhua Mountain Range!"

Chen Dong was puzzled. He knew of the Land of Extinct Demons—any member of the Demon Race who entered it would vanish without a trace. This even applied to some from the Human Race. Long before the great war, humans had explored the area but found nothing, and many of them disappeared. All of this was documented in the records of the Cyan Sky Sect.

'But if it's truly the Land of Extinct Demons, how would Liu Ling know there's Dao Essence there?'

As if sensing Chen Dong's thoughts, Liu Ling continued, "You must be curious how I know, Master. The truth is, I was born in the Land of Extinct Demons!"

Chen Dong was stunned. 'A member of the Demon Race born in the Land of Extinct Demons?'

'Even though Liu Ling was of the Spirit Race, being born in the Land of Extinct Demons was simply unimaginable!'

'I'll go check it out after we've explored the Xuhua Mountain Range. Besides, it feels like half the Demon Race is out here hunting us. Breaking through their encirclement would be too difficult, so why not explore these hidden lands instead?'

Four hours later, the group set off again. Liu Ling made no move to help treat Jiang Hongqin and her companions, seeming to sense that her master, Chen Dong, still harbored ill will toward them.

Night fell, and under the moonlight, the Sun's Divine Light became even more magnificent, scattering endlessly like fireworks or shooting stars.

The group dared not linger. The Sun's Divine Light was just as terrifying at night; even Zisang Jin could only withstand two of its rays at most.

Chen Dong led the group toward the Tier Four Spirit Vein, figuring that if a supreme treasure truly existed, it would be there.

However, traveling in fits and starts, constantly hiding and dodging, it took them three days to reach the main peak of the Tier Four Spirit Vein. The Sun's Divine Light here was even more terrifying. The rays scattered with frightening frequency, with one appearing every few breaths on average. Sometimes several would burst forth at once, each one spreading out to cover an incredibly wide area.

Even Mu Qingzhu found it strenuous to constantly employ the Great Art of Divine Calculation.

Chen Dong frowned. "Maybe we should forget it. This is just too dangerous."

Chen Dong wasn't one to give up easily, but the danger here was immense. At his Golden Core Stage cultivation, if he were hit by one of those rays, he doubted even his Golden Core would be able to escape. It wasn't worth risking everything for a vague, uncertain treasure.

Mu Qingzhu replied, "I agree. At our current Realm, this is too difficult. Although my divination shows the treasure is on the peak, the Sun's Divine Light is likely even more intense up there."

'So this is what a place unclaimed by either the Human or Demon Race for millennia is like. Truly a different beast. Even with a supreme divination Secret Technique like the Great Art of Divine Calculation, we dare not tread here.'

After careful consideration, Chen Dong led the group on a detour, setting their new destination: the Land of Extinct Demons.

During the three-day journey, the usually magnanimous Murong Qing had stopped sulking at Chen Dong and now followed by his side with a blissful expression. Zisang Jin, on the other hand, frequently shot displeased glares at Chen Dong. If it weren't so dangerous here, it seemed she would have liked nothing more than to break every bone in his body.

This detour took them a full ten days. The injuries of Jiang Hongqin and her two companions improved significantly thanks to the medicinal pills Chen Dong gave them as a supposed 'repayment.' However, Xu Fu and Zhang Tashan's cultivation levels kept dropping, falling all the way to the First-Layer Golden Core. They showed no signs of suspicion, but would occasionally break into strange, idiotic giggles.

Zisang Jin seemed to have tacitly accepted the existence of Meng Yingluo's demon soul. She asked no questions and made no moves against it, which left Chen Dong somewhat puzzled.

Finally, the group arrived at the edge of the Land of Extinct Demons. Before them lay a vast marshland, shrouded in a dense fog that not even Divine Sense could penetrate.