Chapter 373 - 8: New Arrival (2)
Even so, not a single third-tier strange bug could get within thirty feet of Fang Cheng.
Half a day later, countless strange bugs had fallen. The black clouds in the sky had thinned out, with few remaining.
Only two third-tier strange bugs were left.
Seeing that the tide had turned, the two strange bugs gathered their swarm and flew high into the air. They circled for a while before completely abandoning their attack on Fang Cheng, returning once more to the crevices in the cliff faces.
Fang Cheng paid the strange bugs no more mind. He directly channeled all his power into the Grand Array, using the underground Spirit Vein to make the Ten Thousand Worlds Compass grow larger and larger.
...
「A few months later.」
The Ten Thousand Worlds Compass had grown to be a thousand feet wide, bursting out from the Green Light Cloud Shadow Formation. It hung high in the sky like a blazing golden sun, emitting a colossal, heart-pounding aura.
Sensing the vast aura of this Fifth-rank Magical Artifact, the strange bugs were even more terrified, hiding in the rock crevices and not daring to emerge.
Fang Cheng stood within the Grand Array, feeling the wondrous fluctuations coming from the Ten Thousand Worlds Compass. A smile finally appeared on his face. "It’s done!"
With the Ten Thousand Worlds Compass’s current power, it could send him into that Boundary Heaven and bring him back at any time.
A round trip would consume the full operational power of a Tier Four Array running for several months!
Fang Cheng cast a Spell at the Green Light Cloud Shadow Formation. Then, with a wave of his sleeve, numerous Array Flags flew up and, along with the Array Disc, fell into his storage bag.
The glowing clouds on the clifftop also slowly dissipated, revealing his figure once more.
Immediately after, his expression turned grave as he cast several Spells at the Ten Thousand Worlds Compass.
The golden Compass, hanging high in the heavens, began to slowly rotate. The point of starlight on the Compass was bright and dazzling.
With his hands behind his back, Fang Cheng stood motionless at the edge of the cliff, watching the Ten Thousand Worlds Compass.
The next moment, the Ten Thousand Worlds Compass shot out a blinding golden light that landed squarely on Fang Cheng.
A flash of gold suddenly lit up the space between heaven and earth.
Then, both the Ten Thousand Worlds Compass and Fang Cheng vanished completely!
*
*
*
Crimson sky, black earth, with nine suns hanging across the heavens.
Swirling snowflakes drifted down from the sky. Against the crimson firmament, nine great purple suns were aligned in a row, exuding a strange and chilling aura.
Beneath the heavy snow, the outlines of mountain ranges and dark, twisted, giant trees were faintly visible.
「Nearby.」
More than ten cone-shaped volcanoes stood upon the land. Billowing smoke churned from their peaks, surging toward the sky.
The mountains were covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash.
Atop a slightly more distant volcano, searing white steam rose into the air. The falling snowflakes were instantly vaporized by the rising heat.
On the peak of this volcano was a massive lake. The water was boiling and bubbling, yet remarkably clear.
By the lake, a stunningly beautiful woman with a tall, enchanting figure stepped barefoot into the water. She gracefully waded into the shallows and gently untied the purple satin ribbon at her waist.
Her jade-like skin and proud, firm breasts were partially obscured by the swirling white steam and snowflakes. She casually placed her long dress on a rock by the shore, her slender, graceful torso revealing a provocative curve before she submerged herself in the lake.
The woman contentedly enjoyed the comforting warmth of the boiling water, humming a pleasant tune that sounded exceptionally lively in the silent world.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, she raised her head and looked into the distance.
Within the crimson clouds, several dark, sinister cracks appeared.
Then, a wheel-like object radiating golden light emerged.
The wheel spun slowly, and the space around it immediately shattered and collapsed. Faintly, a human figure could be seen walking out from the golden light.
"This is..."
The beautiful woman watched intently, her dark brows furrowed in thought.
...
「Hundreds of miles away.」
A Treasure Pagoda, entirely black and resembling a colossal peak piercing the heavens, stood amidst the vast snow.
Around the Treasure Pagoda, countless Celestial Demon corpses were piled in disarray. Wisps of bloody light swirled up from the corpses, drifting toward the Treasure Pagoda and ultimately being absorbed by it.
A sturdy man sat motionless inside the tower. His skin was like cast bronze, his features ugly, and half of his face was covered by a Profound Gold Mask.
Suddenly, the sturdy man opened his eyes. His gaze was cold and profound as he looked into the distance.
Between heaven and earth, a pinprick of golden light flashed into existence, exceptionally eye-catching in this demon-tainted world.
The man seemed to sense something and said in surprise, "Has a treasure appeared? It seems the Prison Marquis was right. My luck really has taken a turn for the better lately!"
As soon as his voice fell, a dense and vast bloody light surged from within the tower, enveloping the Treasure Pagoda and sending it hurtling toward the distant sky.
...
「Above a dark and deep grand canyon.」
The Netherworld ghostly winds, capable of instantly freezing the life force of a Life Talisman Cultivator, howled past incessantly.
A Flame Lion emerged from the bottom of the canyon, pulling a massive, luxurious chariot.
Seated on the chariot was a majestic-looking middle-aged man. He wore a black Imperial Robe intricately embroidered with scenes of the cycle of life and death. He wore a tall crown, from which black tassels hung, obscuring his entire face.
When the dangerously bizarre Netherworld ghostly winds blew near him, they seemed to become strangely fearful and docile, circling around him like a school of small fish.
The man looked to the distant sky and saw a streak of golden light flash across the horizon before landing on the ground.
He was silent for a moment, then without another word, he drove the Flame Lion to pull the chariot straight toward the golden light.
...
For Fang Cheng, the world before him changed in the blink of an eye.
The sky was a strange, crimson color.
Floating clouds condensed from Demonic Qi drifted unpredictably across the horizon. Snowflakes fluttered down, reflecting the light of the great purple suns and seeming to turn purplish-red.
A deathly silence pervaded the surroundings.
A chilling demonic intent instantly enveloped him. Looking up, he discovered that its source was the crimson firmament itself.
This vast, boundless sky seemed to possess a consciousness of its own.
Last time, he had arrived here through the Void Ghost Marketplace.
But this time, he had come here in the flesh.
Fang Cheng activated a Spell, and the Ten Thousand Worlds Compass in the sky slowly shrank until it was the size of his palm, which he then put away.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, he let out a soft sound of surprise and looked into the distance.
’Hasn’t this world already been invaded by Celestial Demons? How can there still be Human Race Cultivators here?’
He saw a bloody Escape Light streaking toward him like a bolt of lightning from the horizon.
And from the opposite direction, a fiery light pulling a chariot was also rushing over.
With his Spiritual Sense, Fang Cheng could clearly perceive the situation within these two auras.
Life Soul Realm, Human Race Cultivators!
In the blink of an eye, the bloody Escape Light arrived first.
Within the bloody light, a black Treasure Pagoda hurtled toward Fang Cheng, intent on crushing him to death.
"The Cultivators of this world are quite rude!"
Fang Cheng flicked a finger, and a chilling Sword Aura shot out in a straight line.
The Sword Aura, formed from a Tier Five Flying Sword, was plain and simple, but it was sharp to the extreme.
The Treasure Pagoda was merely a Third-tier Magical Artifact. In an instant, it was cleaved in two by the sword strike, and the sturdy man inside it was killed on the spot.
The bloody light filling the sky abruptly dissipated.
"Too weak."
Fang Cheng commented before casually releasing the Li Hen Demon Light to refine the sturdy man’s corpse.
The Cultivators of this world didn’t have storage bags, but instead wore a Mala-like storage Magical Artifact on their wrists. Fang Cheng took it.
He had intended to only injure the man and question him about this world, but he hadn’t expected to misjudge the power of his Mountain-Slaying Flying Sword and accidentally kill his opponent.
He calmly turned to face the approaching fiery chariot and, raising a hand, brought out the Immortal Binding Rope.
On the chariot, the majestic man in the black Imperial Robe was about to speak when he saw a golden light flying toward him. He activated his Ghost Dao Divine Techniques to defend himself.
Suddenly, a sword light gracefully descended, easily and cleverly shattering his Protective Spiritual Light, allowing the shimmering golden rope to bind him tightly.
His Magical Power, Divine Sense, and Physical Strength were instantly sealed.
Then his vision blurred, and a tall, handsome figure appeared before him.
"Fellow Daoist..."
He had just started to speak when the newcomer slapped a palm onto the top of his head.
His tall crown shattered into pieces. The man felt a tyrannical Magical Power surge into his body, completely suppressing him.
Following that, a Divine Sense invaded his sea of consciousness and began to forcibly conduct a Soul Search.
...