Chapter 768 Sudden Contact During the Assembly

Since the territory was shaped like a fan, Yuanzhou, home to the Celestial Spirit Sect, couldn’t be the only prefecture backed by the Hengduan Mountain Range.

Just as there were prefectures far from the Hengduan Mountain Range, there were also those that lay along the straight edge of the fan. Luanzhou was one such prefecture, and it too was backed by the Hengduan Mountain Range.

Among the dozen or so prefectures, five of them bordered the Hengduan Mountain Range to some extent. Besides Yuanzhou, three of these were quite rich in Spiritual Power—far from barren, they were considered prosperous lands within the Celestial Spirit Sect’s domain.

Of course, to mortals, these prefectures were nothing but treacherous mountains and vile wilderness, overrun with poisonous miasma and venomous insects. They were desolate, rarely-trodden lands where one could go an entire year without seeing another soul.

This situation was not only due to geographical factors; it was largely the intentional work of Cultivators. The less a Spirit Mountain Blessed Land was tainted by the Red Dust of the mortal world—people, livestock, thieves, and the like—the better it was for the Spiritual Energy Immortal Mountain.

Therefore, in a world ruled by Cultivators, it wasn’t just desolate mountains that were kept clear; even plains, as long as the Spiritual Qi wasn’t thin, would never be allowed to become densely populated.

Luanzhou, however, was the odd one out among the five prefectures backed by the Hengduan Mountain Range. Although it shared the same geography as the other four—backed by the Hengduan and covered in mountains—

…its Spiritual Power was not concentrated. In fact, it was exceptionally barren, with abnormally thin Spiritual Power, making it one of the most desolate prefectures in the entire Celestial Spirit Sect domain.

For this reason, one might not see a single Cultivator in Luanzhou for a thousand years. It was completely like a mortal land where Immortals existed only in legends.

Though it was a mountainous region, the lack of Immortal influence allowed mortals, with their tenacious will to survive, to gradually establish a population over time. Still, it was considered a desolate and sparsely inhabited prefecture.

…

A long time ago, Luanzhou wasn’t actually barren. Backed by the Hengduan Mountain Range, it had been abundant in Spiritual Qi; in fact, it was once the most spiritually rich prefecture within the Celestial Spirit Sect’s domain.

An untold number of years ago, the region where Luanzhou bordered the Hengduan Mountain Range was sundered by a sky-shattering fissure. This chasm, like a Celestial Abyss, not only severed Luanzhou’s connection to the mountains but also cut off its source of Spiritual Power, breaking the entire earth-vein.

After the fissure appeared, Luanzhou’s Spiritual Power began to deplete at a visible rate, and the land grew barren.

With the exodus of the major Noble Families and Major Sects, and the decline of the minor ones, Luanzhou became the place it is today—a land where encounters with the immortal path are exceedingly rare.

「Luanzhou. Inside the Celestial Abyss, within the Hengduan Mountain Range.」

The Spiritual Qi here was abnormally dense. It seemed all the Spiritual Power from the earth-vein, severed by the Celestial Abyss, had accumulated on this side.

Furthermore, since Luanzhou had no Cultivators and no one could easily cross the massive Celestial Abyss, this area was untouched. The moment one stepped into this part of the Hengduan Mountain Range, it was as if they had entered its deepest reaches without needing to travel far; even Tai Chi Stage Demon Beasts could be easily found.

…

In this environment, a group of five struggled through the endless primeval forest. Their conditions varied, but all were exceptionally poor. Even the one in the best shape was deathly pale and bore several wounds.

Of the five, four were at the Three Lives Tai Chi stage, and one was at Duality First Transition. Yet the Duality Cultivator was not their leader—or at least, not their only one.

The group had two leaders: a young Cultivator at Tai Chi Peak and the Duality First Transition Cultivator. From the looks of it, however, the young man at Tai Chi Peak was the one primarily in charge.

As the five struggled onward, the Tai Chi Cultivator at the center continuously emitted a faint, cold qi that enveloped them all. This chill not only suppressed their injuries but also concealed their auras.

The most severely injured among them was the Duality First Transition Cultivator. He had to be supported by two Tai Chi Stage Disciples just to move forward slowly.

GACK…

As they advanced, a sweet, coppery taste suddenly filled the Duality Cultivator’s throat, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Among the group, the youth emitting the cold qi, whose expression had been stretched taut with tension, reacted almost the instant he saw the other man’s throat convulse.

As the man spat the blood, the youth’s expression flickered. He mobilized a fraction of his already scarce remaining Spiritual Power, and with a faint ripple, flakes of frost suddenly materialized in the air.

The flakes of frost flew directly into the stream of blood. Before it could even hit the ground, the frost infused it, freezing it into a solid rod of bloody ice and preventing any splatter that might leave a trace.

CRACK…

The rod fell to the ground, but its shape was too irregular from being coughed up, and it shattered on impact.

Among the five, besides the two supporting their injured companion and the one emitting the cold qi, there was one other. At that moment, his only task was to stand guard.

The moment he saw what was happening, his expression also shifted. A Vine shot out and gathered up all the chunks of frozen blood from the ground.

At the same time, a seedling sprouted before him. As it swayed, two leaves, pulsing with immense Life Force, unfurled.

As the leaves unfurled, his already pale face grew a few shades whiter. Of the five, his injuries were the lightest, but his expenditure was the greatest. He had already reached a state of unsustainable over-exertion.

He plucked the leaves and walked over to the Duality Cultivator, Ximen Jianqiu. But before he could speak, Ximen, who had just coughed up blood, frowned and said, “Didn’t I tell you not to use your Healing Techniques anymore? You’re the only one in the group who still has any healing-type Techniques. If you collapse before we get out, then none of us will make it out of this Hengduan Mountain Range, let alone escape the pursuit.”

The young man holding the leaves brimming with Vitality was named Fan Chengxin. His face was exceptionally pale, but upon hearing this, he managed a faint smile. “It’s alright, Martial Uncle, you don’t need to worry. I can still hold on. Please, hurry and use this to heal. I’ve already created them, after all.”