Chapter 1495: No Way Back
Tang Feng paused, a look of helplessness in his eyes.
“The ‘True Earth Domain’ is only so big, and there are only so many cultivation resources in total. If too many Body Integration realm experts were to appear, then the use of cultivation resources here would surely collapse. To be honest, our sect may seem powerful and prosperous, but in fact, half of the resources we accumulate each year are consumed by the two Body Integration realm elders. From this one point, Brother Li can imagine what the result would be if more Body Integration realm cultivators were to appear here. The entire ‘True Earth Domain’ might not have any inheritance left in the end!”
As Tang Feng spoke, a look of sorrow appeared on his face. They were the core disciples who knew this information, and they had a sense of crisis that others did not. But this kind of thing could not be widely publicized. That would lead to a strong turmoil in the entire “True Earth Domain.” Every cultivator and every sect would think of hoarding cultivation resources on a large scale.
And those sects that had Void Refining cultivators still thought that there were many unexplored perilous lands. As long as they were excavated, they would definitely get more and better cultivation resources. But what they didn’t know was that the Body Integration cultivators of the Soul Suppression Palace had been doing their best to enter those unexplored perilous lands. But after their life-and-death explorations, they finally discovered that many of the perilous lands were actually dead lands, with not many resources available for cultivation.
Even if they were to open those places, the various poisonous miasmas inside would quickly spread, which would lead to a boundless disaster. For this kind of dead land, the Body Integration old monsters also had their guesses. They felt that those places might be the calamitous areas formed by some of the internal organs of the “Dream Return Ant,” which was why they were filled with some of its body’s deadly poisons.
However, they did not spread the news of the perilous lands. Without seeing it with their own eyes, no one would believe it. Others would only think that you, the Soul Suppression Palace, just wanted to occupy more resources. Of course, there were also some perilous lands that really had good cultivation resources, but that was not enough for too many Body Integration realm cultivators to consume.
In the end, the Soul Suppression Palace simply did not open these perilous lands, leaving them as a backup plan. In any case, with the means of those Void Refining cultivators, it was not that it was difficult to open them, but that there was no return.
And among these perilous lands, to the north of the solitary peak of the Soul Suppression Palace, there was a particularly perilous place. And it was the most dangerous of all the perilous lands, without exception. As for what it was like inside, not many people actually knew. In the sect, there were only some records left by the old Sect Master.
“Although the perilous lands in other places are dangerous, even if it was a life-and-death situation, the Supreme Grand Elders, with their cultivation, were able to escape. But this perilous land in the rear of the sect has taken too many cultivators from the sect! There were no less than seven Void Refining realm elders. Even the first-generation old Sect Master was trapped there while exploring and was never heard from again. And ten thousand years after his disappearance, his soul lamp was also completely extinguished.
“After that, no one in the sect dared to explore there again. It was also during that period that, because the old Sect Master had disappeared for too long, other forces discovered something was wrong, which led to turmoil in the sect, and the sect almost came to an end. In the end, they managed to hold on until the second Supreme Grand Elder appeared, and then until the third Supreme Grand Elder appeared…”
Tang Feng continued to speak, and Li Yan became more and more alarmed as he listened. Although what Tang Feng was saying was still inseparable from the matter of that treasured land for advancing to the Body Integration realm, the information he revealed was definitely very shocking to him.
Here was actually the reason for the disappearance of the first-generation old Sect Master, as well as the exact place of his disappearance. This was something that was still being constantly speculated about in the outside world.
After Tang Feng had spoken to this point, he suddenly stopped and looked at Li Yan seriously.
“Brother Li, after you have learned of these matters, you have actually been pulled into a list, and you are now firmly tied to the sect. It is no longer possible to separate. This sentence, I should have asked you at the very beginning, whether you wanted to listen or not, before I told you.
“However, you have more than once been asking around for ways to leave the ‘True Earth Domain,’ and you have also asked me for such information. And the information you got in the end was just what everyone knew. It didn’t have much meaning.
“Whether Brother Li yearns for the regions outside the ‘True Earth Domain,’ or whether Brother Li is a Soul Cultivator from the outside world and is bent on going back, if you only rely on the information you have gathered, it is of no use. To take a step back, even if you have gathered clear information, what can you do?
“Here, Brother Li, no matter how hard you cultivate, you will never be stronger than a Body Integration realm cultivator. A matter that even a Body Integration cultivator finds difficult to solve, what can you do?”
Tang Feng did not continue to talk about the previous matter, but suddenly changed the subject. And the content of what he said made Li Yan, who was still secretly shocked by the information Tang Feng had revealed, his heart suddenly clench.
‘As expected, some of my actions have already aroused their suspicion. They are already suspecting my origin!’
Through Tang Feng’s short words, Li Yan also realized one thing: he had still exposed himself. This was not because he had been asking about the way to the outside world. Li Yan believed that someone would have brought this up out of curiosity, and there were quite a few of them, which was why he had dared to ask some people.
Li Yan felt that what had allowed the other party to discover a problem was that he had shown some extraordinary means, which had attracted the attention of others. When this was connected to his previous actions, some unreasonable speculations would be made. If Li Yan were just an unknown rogue cultivator, then his previous actions would naturally not be a problem.
But if you were to show a strength that surpassed others, then logically, you should not have been unknown all this time. Any cultivator, along their path, would definitely have to fight with others. Then there would definitely be people who could deduce you. If one couldn’t, what about two, three… a hundred? Some information about you would always be exposed.
As long as you were alive, you would leave traces. But no one knew of Li Yan’s previous traces. And the many secrets on Li Yan should not have all erupted at once after he had entered the Soul Suppression Palace. This was also obviously unreasonable.
But in order to be able to leave this place as soon as possible, he had to think of a way to get close to the core of the sect, such as an important figure like Grandmaster Lan. If you wanted to get close, you had to have value. If you wanted to show your value, you had to display your ability. This was in itself a very contradictory matter.
If Li Yan was not in a hurry, through a thousand or ten thousand years, he might be able to slowly infiltrate like the nine major forces. That would be the safest. But he couldn’t wait that long. After a thousand or ten thousand years, he didn’t know what his relatives would have become. They might not even exist anymore. And family affection, to Li Yan, was his greatest weakness. He had never been able to make up for this “shortcoming.”
So Li Yan now knew that just as he was slowly releasing his plan, the people of the Soul Suppression Palace were not fools. It was fine if they didn’t notice him, but once they did, they could find out a lot of problems.
“What does Brother Tang mean by this? Could it be that because I saved you, you intend to let me enter the core disciples of the sect?”
Listening to the meaning in the other party’s words, Li Yan sensed that the other party had no malice. He also deliberately did not mention what Tang Feng had said about his own origin. And he directly asked the other party what the reason was for coming here and telling him these secrets.
The most important basis for judgment here was that Tang Feng had come alone, and he had also told him so many things. Tang Feng knew his own means. A Spirit Transformation cultivator like him was no match for him. On the contrary, he could even kill him. Sensing the aura emanating from Tang Feng, he had even come over before his own cultivation had fully recovered. It could be seen that he had only stayed in the rear mountain for a short while before rushing over.
If the sect really wanted to kill him, it would not be Tang Feng who had come. At least it certainly would not be him alone.
Tang Feng saw that Li Yan’s expression had not changed at all. He then showed a solemn expression, and his tone also became solemn.
“Yes, this is my own decision. So I have told you the matter first. From now on, Brother Li, you can only share life and death with the sect. You can no longer be like before, where even after seeing the sect at a disadvantage, you can still choose to defect to the nine major forces. As long as you are not caught by the sect on the spot, the sect will not pursue you for thousands of miles just for a small Nascent Soul cultivator. There is no need.
“To put it bluntly, the sect doesn’t need one more of you, nor will it miss one less of you. But after you become a core disciple, if you betray the sect, you must be killed. Or even if you are captured, it will be a fate worse than death. It might even be a futile attempt to step onto the Way of Reincarnation.”
Tang Feng’s starry eyes stared intently at Li Yan’s eyes. But Li Yan’s face was calm, as if he had long known what he was going to say next.
“Telling me this, is it to make me go on some suicide mission, or some other mission?”
Although Li Yan’s face was impassive, his mind was already spinning rapidly, quickly analyzing the situation before him in his heart. Why had the other party suddenly come over and told him these things, and there was also a feeling of being pulled onto a pirate ship?
The only explanation was that the sect needed him to carry out a mission related to this. But it was clear that the risk of this kind of mission was very great. But if they were sending him to his death, Li Yan could only feign compliance first, and then he would have to think of a way to escape from here.
When things had reached the point that Tang Feng had described, how could Li Yan let the other party see his thoughts?
“Brother Li guessed right, but also wrong. The sect does need your help. It’s not wrong to count this as a mission, but there is no danger at all. It’s just that the content we are about to discuss cannot be said here. Brother Li, we need to change to a safer place.
“Brother Li is a smart person. If I had any ill intentions towards you, there would be no need to waste my breath here. What’s more, I, Tang, am not a wolf-hearted and dog-lunged person. Although I can’t say I’m a gentleman, I dare not forget the kindness of Brother Li saving my life. This matter, for Brother Li, is actually a great fortune!”
“Oh? A great fortune?”
“Yes, a great fortune, absolutely not an exaggeration!”
Li Yan nodded, and the expression on his face finally changed. He gave a wry smile.
“Brother Tang, I feel I shouldn’t have saved you. Now you’ve said all the good and bad things. I don’t even know if I should be happy or sad next.”
Upon hearing Li Yan say this, Tang Feng’s expression also relaxed, and he immediately put on a smile.
“Hahaha… Brother Li, what I said is absolutely true. As long as the Soul Suppression Palace is not destroyed, your status from now on will be like a fish leaping over the dragon gate. This should be a happy event, a great happy event!”
Li Yan stood up after hearing this.
“Alright then, I will go and see this great fortune!”
As Li Yan spoke, his gaze swept to the side.
“Brother Li, this matter is confidential. There is no need to bring your two Soul Slaves. Just let them cultivate here in peace. Even if you do bring them, they can only stay in the Void Shadow spirit-storing space and cannot be brought out. Otherwise, the Sect Master and the elders will not agree.”
Upon hearing this, although Li Yan was already prepared in his heart, hearing the person the other party mentioned still made a chill run down his spine.
‘Even the high-level members of the sect are paying attention. I thought only the Soul Palace’s Rear Hall knew. It turns out he went to find the Sect Master and some elders. He’s taking me to the rear mountain…’
In an instant, Li Yan knew where he might be going. He certainly couldn’t bring Feng Hongyue there. But thinking about it, it would be useless to bring him. A Spirit Transformation cultivator, even a peak Spirit Transformation realm one, what could he do? Under the eyes of so many Void Refining cultivators, he would be of no use at all.
After leaving the courtyard, Li Yan activated all the grand formations of the entire courtyard, completely sealing it off. Then he followed Tang Feng and flew all the way north…
…
The moment Li Yan and the other approached the halfway point of the solitary peak, streaks of soul power immediately swept over. But when they saw the purple token hanging from Tang Feng’s waist, the soul power quickly disappeared. Thus, the two of them, without any obstruction, flew rapidly towards the summit of the mountain.
Soon, they landed on a huge platform. Looking at the magnificent main hall before him, Li Yan had a feeling of looking up at a high mountain. The red-armored guards on the platform also just swept a glance at the two of them. Similarly, after seeing the purple token at Tang Feng’s waist, they all turned a blind eye to the two of them. None of these people knew Tang Feng, but they recognized the token.
The moment Tang Feng landed, he strode towards the side of the main hall. He was going around the main hall in front. Li Yan also followed closely while observing.
This was the first time Li Yan had reached the most core position of the Soul Suppression Palace in the decades since he had joined the sect. The closest he had been before was at the foot of the mountain below.
The main hall in front of them was extremely grand. Tang Feng led Li Yan along the towering wall on one side, continuously advancing towards the rear. The red walls shot straight into the clouds. The blue sky above was filled with white clouds, and the ground below was as smooth as a mirror, also reflecting a patch of blue sky and white clouds, as well as the clear figures of the two of them.
This place seemed extremely empty. The two of them did not speak, and only the sound of their footsteps continuously echoed, as if each step was striking at the bottom of their hearts.
It was not until they had turned around the back of the main hall that Li Yan saw a number of small halls of varying heights, scattered about. They were a series of side halls hidden in the rear.
They arrived in front of a side hall. Tang Feng stood in front of the door and spoke softly.
“Grandmaster Lan!”
“You may enter!”
As soon as Tang Feng’s voice fell, Li Yan heard a familiar voice from inside. Then, the main door of the side hall opened silently on its own.
Then, Li Yan saw Grandmaster Lan sitting in the center. Apart from her, there was no one else here.
“Brother Li, please!”
Tang Feng turned slightly to the side and actually motioned for Li Yan to enter first.
Now that they were here, what was there for Li Yan to be polite about? He nodded slightly and then strode in. And then Tang Feng also followed behind him, and the two of them stepped into the side hall together.
The moment the two of them stepped into the main hall, the main door behind them closed again without a sound.
“Sit, make yourselves at home!”
Grandmaster Lan’s pair of purple eyes flickered with a bright light. Her usually cold voice had actually become a bit softer today.