Volume 14 Chapter 50: Unknown
The golden phoenix disappeared from the sights of everyone in Central Continent City.
On the blood-soaked street, those subordinates who were loyal to Di Choufei surrounded his corpse, all of them in incomparable grief.
The thunderous horse hooves stopped. All of Central Continent City became quiet.
Many cultivators in the city looked in the direction Lin Xi disappeared into, all of them completely silent.
Compared to other cultivators, the cultivators in Central Continent City felt a natural type of pride.
This type of pride originated from Central Continent City being the very center of Yunqin. Central Continent City was large, but living here wasn't easy. If one wanted to have a footing in Central Continent City, it would be much more difficult than having a footing in any other city. This type of pride also came from Central Continent City's power... For many, many years, the powerful Sacred Experts of enemy countries, and even the powerful cultivators from a place full of unknowns like Purgatory Mountain didn't dare step foot in Central Continent City.
After Principal Zhang, there already wasn't anyone else who could unleash a slaughter in all directions within Central Continent City, and then safely leave.
However, today's Lin Xi instead came, unleashed a slaughter, and then left Central Continent City as if it was nothing.
Together with Purgatory Mountain's Great Elder who appeared in Central Continent City previously, those cultivators in Central Continent City began to sense that today's Central Continent City already wasn't the former Central Continent City. Meanwhile, they also began to feel chills inwardly, wondering if perhaps, during all these years, the reason why figures like that Purgatory Mountain Great Elder didn't dare enter Central Continent City wasn't because of the cultivators in Central Continent City, but rather because of Heaven Ascension Mountain Range's cultivators[1].
Central Continent City's countless influential figures also entered a state of silence.
At this time, quite a few of them began to feel strong remorse inside.
All of them had already passed their childhood frivolousness. However, only after a loss, would one learn to cherish; this was a mistake people of any age would often make.
...
Inside True Dragon Mountain's Boundless Palace, the golden dragon robed Yunqin Emperor was always watching the Central Continent City in front of him.
The movements of the great army, the Divine Wooden Flying Crane being blasted apart by Big Black's power, all of this already allowed him to understand what happened.
Only, his face didn't carry the slightest bit of anger of disappointment, instead producing zealotry and happiness.
It was because this was the result he wished to see.
From this day forth, his will would precisely be Yunqin's will. He wouldn't have to feel any misgivings towards any of his decisions anymore.
"Principal Zhang and your Green Luan Academy, how long have they existed for in Yunqin? The entire world is this king's, my monarchical power bestowed by the heavens... how many more years has this existed for?" An unprecedented relaxed and powerful unfeeling smile began to spread across his face. "This emperor really wishes to see how your sixty or so years can compete against the popular will and the sentiment of a thousand years."
...
Big Black's reappearance in Central Continent City and the last two streaks of black light even more so covered half of Central Continent City in darkness.
Ni Henian was one of the oldest elders in Central Continent City. Previously, just like an earnest student, he followed Principal Zhang's steps, personally watched Principal Zhang's battles in the city one after another. Now that Big Black's true power reappeared, he naturally witnessed it as well.
He was one of the few people who had the most chances of keeping Lin Xi in the city.
However, he was also one of the people in Central Continent City who understood Divine Generals the most.
That was why he believed whether or not he would even make an appearance would be seen ahead of time by Lin Xi, that it wouldn't change the ultimate result.
Moreover, the most important reason was that he was just like the emperor, at the most splendid, the most crucial moment of his life.
According to the understanding of powerful Sacred Experts like Zhong Cheng and He Baihe, Ni Henian's body already suffered countless injuries that couldn't be recovered from. This type of injury already didn't only consist of some internal injuries and dead regions like scars and scabs inside and outside of a tree, but rather this entire tree's roots withering away, already continuously dying.
However, those who had a chance of crossing over the Sacred Expert level and reaching the Sacred Master level were only a trifling few. Most Sacred Expert level powerful existences only had a vague and blurry concept of what the world beyond the Sacred Expert level meant.
They didn't realize that apart from them, Ni Henian also encountered many powerful individuals, including an existence like that Purgatory Mountain's Great Elder.
These battles that were completely different from before brought Ni Henian heavy injuries again and again, but these battles also granted Ni Henian opportunities one after another.
These opportunities made it so that Ni Henian, who was standing in complete darkness, already finally saw daylight.
Right now, in front of him, the light of dawn already passed through the cracks in his window. As long as he was willing, he could push open the window at any time, see the radiance outside the window.
Crossing the Sacred Expert level and becoming an existence like Vice Principal Xia and Purgatory Mountain Patriarch, this was the sole goal of his life.
Only, before this type of boundary, he instead felt a mysterious feeling of fear, a powerful fear.
It was as if behind that window, together with greater power, there were even more terrifying things waiting for him.
This type of fear made it so that even someone like him whose will was already firm to the extreme didn't dare do anything, to the extent where he had to wait for one final opportunity.
The last streak of black light above Imperial City's walls was precisely the final opportunity he needed.
This black streak of light made him recall the past Principal Zhang's power again, made him want to transcend beyond. Lin Xi's attack, directed at the Imperial City, was also filled with the bravery to surpass everything, looking down on all in this human world.
When the golden Yunqin phoenix flew out of Central Continent City, the body of Ni Henian who was standing on a certain Imperial City attic began to release faint yellow light.
The yellow light on his body became stronger and stronger, to the extent where his clothes couldn't be seen clearly, even his face couldn't be seen clearly.
The yellow radiance became more and more concentrated, becoming translucent glittering light. It was as if there was a layer of sparkling and transparent crystals scattered across his body.
There was suddenly a powerful gust of wind that swept about in the Imperial City.
The great winds that swept over from all directions completely flew towards the building he was in.
The cultivators in the Imperial City all looked towards the building Ni Henian was in with horror. They saw that endless snow was swept about by the winds. Within the flying snow, there were some crystals that were even brighter than the white snow, having even more brilliant sparkling radiance.
This glittering light, together with the great winds, entered Ni Henian's body.
Ni Henian's body seemed like a massive mountain cave, swallowing up everything.
After who knew how much time passed, Ni Henian's body was covered by layers of white snow, turning into a snowman.
With a boom noise, it was as if this building was penetrated by countless arrows, suddenly shattering and collapsing.
Ni Henian landed on the ground amidst the rubble. The thick shell of snow around him fell off chunk by chunk.
Ni Henian emerged.
His face was shockingly even older.
He slowly reached out his hands, seeing that his hands were covered in countless blade carving like wrinkles.
A hint of a bitter smile appeared on his face.
He finally understood why during all these years, Purgatory Mountain Patriarch only took action against Li Ku once. He finally understood what Sacred Master level cultivators had to face.
...
While Central Continent City was covered in white snow, within the Sky Devil Prison Plains behind Purgatory Mountain, there were still sky reaching flames and thick pillars of black smoke.
Within this place where the limits couldn't be seen at all, it was as if there were thousands to over ten thousand Purgatory Mountain Great Elders continuously releasing soul force, releasing terrifying power.
Zhang Ping and more than ten Purgatory Mountain red robed Divine Adjudicators were currently making their way through this boundless unknown land.
Only Zhang Ping's red robes had flame symbols, the other dozen or so red robed Divine Adjudicators were clearly only the most ordinary existences among Purgatory Mountain's disciples.
However, even the most ordinary Purgatory Mountain Divine Adjudicator possessed an aloof and remote divine awe.
Only, right now, these red robed Purgatory Mountain Divine Adjudicators and Zhang Ping were in extremely sorry states, like ants in a pot, carrying deep fear.
Their line of sight was completely covered by giant chimney-like volcanoes, everywhere around them the same sight.
Under their feet, it was all black molten volcanic rock, with fiery red magma flowing between the cracks.
There would often be conical shaped hardened magma that fell like shooting stars, descending after being released by the distant volcanoes' eruptions.
The rocks that looked steady beneath their feet also had a high chance of only being rocks floating on magma. A single moment of carelessness and one might suddenly sink down.
Some streams of heat that couldn't be seen were even more so deadly assassins. When you sensed the formless heat attack at your body, it would already be too late. The skin and flesh would already be completely cooked, every part ulcerating.
As a core disciple Purgatory Mountain trusted, when Zhang Ping left Purgatory Mountain and entered Sky Devil Prison Plains, he oversaw a total of more than thirty red robed Divine Adjudicators and random disciples. However, after spending just ten days in Sky Devil Prison Plains, only ten or so people remained.
This was a true hell.
Everyone really wanted to return.
However, without discovering anything of value to Purgatory Mountain, or if they couldn't complete the exploration within the designated region, no one could return.
"What is that?!"
Suddenly, a red robed Divine Adjudicator walking at the very front released a loud cry of pleasant surprise and shock.
"Shut up!"
Zhang Ping released an overcast vicious shout.
In these Sky Devil Prison Plains, within Purgatory Mountain's past experiences, any loud noises released by the exploring troop might bring about misfortune, bring about unknown great dangers.
The red robed Divine Adjudicator in the front no longer dared utter any more sounds, his entire body starting to shake continuously.
Zhang Ping and all of the remaining red robed Divine Adjudicators climbed up the tall slope he was at, and then all of them clenched their teeth tightly, grinding noises being released from between their teeth.
They saw that up ahead, there was a depressed valley.
Within the valley was a winding river of magma.
At the border of this river of magma stood a ruined black and red colored palace. Even though there were only a few ruined walls left, it still stood eight zhang tall!
However, what was most alarming weren't these building remains, but rather a dozen or so meters large rock at the center of this valley region.
A thin river of magma surrounded that large black rock.
That large rock was actually a giant human face!
It was a human face whose features were full of a demonic feeling, the same face as that of the devil king portrayed in some ancient texts!
"You five, go down!"
Zhang Ping took a deep breath. The hot air made it so that his throat and lungs felt as if there were many burning small blades inside. He coldly ordered the five red robed Divine Adjudicators up ahead.
These five red robed Divine Adjudicators' eyes revealed expressions of hatred and resentment, but not a single person dared defy this red robed Apostle[2] whose pale face released an indigo blue color.
They descended the slope, making their way through the boiling black grains of sand and strands of black smoke, shaking as they walked towards that part of the magma river.
1. Heaven Ascension Mountain Range is where Green Luan Academy is located
2. Apostles are existences like Divine Judges B12C1