Chapter 29: Li Xuanfeng, Scouring for Treasures

Half a day later, the first wave of martial artists to reach the Soul-Devouring Abyss stood at the edge of the precipice, staring at the scene before them, dumbstruck.

"Is... is this still the Soul-Devouring Abyss?"

A rogue cultivator at the mid-stage of the Spirit Martial Realm spoke with a trembling voice, his legs shaking involuntarily.

The dangerous land that had been shrouded in yin energy and haunted by evil spirits for thousands of years in their memories had been utterly transformed. The gray mist that had blanketed the area for eons had dissipated completely, revealing the shattered earth beneath. Countless fissures snaked across the ground like a spiderweb; the widest ones measured several yards across and were bottomless. Even more shocking were the edges of these cracks, which displayed a bizarre crystallization that glittered blindingly under the sunlight.

"The yin energy... it’s all gone," a senior martial artist of the Profound Martial Realm muttered to himself, his eyes filled with disbelief. "And those evil spirits, too..."

Everyone swallowed hard in unison. What kind of terrifying power could destroy the Soul-Devouring Abyss, which spanned hundreds of miles, to such an extent that even its environment had been fundamentally altered?

"At least a Heaven Martial Realm expert, right?" someone guessed in a low voice.

"Bullshit!" a scarred, burly man scoffed. "My ancestors once included experts at the peak of the Heaven Martial Realm, but according to the elders, even a full-force strike from such a person could only level a small hill. Look at this..."

He pointed to the crystalline region in the distance, his voice dropping instinctively. "This is absolutely the work of a Venerable Martial Realm—no, a Sovereign Martial Realm master!"

The crowd fell silent. A Sovereign Martial Realm expert? That was a level beyond their imagination. In Tianyun City, the Earth Martial Realm was enough to make one a member of the upper echelons; the Heaven Martial Realm was the pinnacle of strength, and those of the Venerable Martial Realm were as elusive as dragons. As for the Sovereign Martial Realm... those were figures of legend.

"Wait," a thin, small martial artist suddenly thought of something. "How did such a powerful figure enter this secret realm? Doesn't the Dao Court have restrictions in place?"

Before he could finish, everyone’s expression changed. The Dao Court did indeed set restrictions at the entrances of all Spirit-level secret realms; any expert above the Profound Martial Realm who entered would trigger an alarm. If a Sovereign Martial Realm master had slipped in silently... the thought was chilling.

Just as the rogue cultivators were whispering among themselves, the ground suddenly vibrated rhythmically. In the distance, dust billowed as a team of several hundred people approached rapidly.

"It’s the Li family!" someone exclaimed.

The crowd scrambled to clear a path. As the "masters" of the Qingming Secret Realm, the Li family was generally reasonable—far better than other factions that extorted "entry fees"—but no one wanted to provoke them. Only a few peak Profound Martial Realm experts, whose aura suggested they were at the Half-Step Earth Martial Realm, stood their ground, forcing the Li family’s procession to veer slightly. The hundreds of Li family martial artists marched in neat formation; even the weakest among them was at the late stage of the Spirit Martial Realm.

The man leading them was the same green-robed individual who had collected an "entry fee" from Lin Chuan outside the Green Wood Forest—Li Xuanfeng, the younger brother of the current Li family head. Li Xuanfeng’s cultivation was only at the mid-stage of the Profound Martial Realm, and he was surpassed by many of the younger generation in his own family. However, thanks to his status, even the elders of the Venerable Martial Realm treated him with great respect.

"Second Master, the Soul-Devouring Abyss is just ahead," a burly man said, bowing.

Li Xuanfeng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the rogue cultivators as he signaled to his men. Several Li family disciples immediately stepped forward to inquire about the situation, but they returned empty-handed soon after. Li Xuanfeng gave a light huff and waved his hand. "Let’s go in and see."

The Li family procession moved into the Soul-Devouring Abyss in a grand manner. As they ventured deeper, Li Xuanfeng’s expression grew increasingly grave. As a core member of the Li family, he knew better than anyone how terrifying the Abyss was—the evil spirits and yin energy alone were enough to make ordinary Earth Martial experts give it a wide berth, not to mention the other perils that might lurk within. But now...

Li Xuanfeng crouched down and touched the ground with his fingers. The soil, which should have been cold and damp, was now dry and warm, even carrying a hint of a strange... thunderous aura?

"This isn't right..." he muttered, an ominous premonition rising in his heart.

When the group reached the core area and saw the massive crater more than ten miles in diameter, everyone froze. The edges of the crater were as smooth as a mirror, forming a perfect circle. The bottom was entirely crystallized, refracting seven-colored light under the sun. Even more eerie was the faint, stinging sensation on their skin even while standing at the edge—it was the lingering fluctuations of energy.

Li Xuanfeng trembled like chaff in the wind. He swallowed with difficulty and, as if possessed, reached out to touch the crystallized rock at the edge of the crater.

"Second Master, don't!" the burly man warned urgently.

But it was too late. The moment Li Xuanfeng’s finger touched the crystal surface, a flash of blue light, nearly imperceptible, flickered.

"Ah!" Li Xuanfeng shrieked, yanking his hand back. His index finger was charred black, looking like a branch struck by lightning. The excruciating pain drenched his forehead in cold sweat, but what terrified him more was that fleeting blue glow.

"Divine... Divine Thunder..." Li Xuanfeng’s voice was hoarse, his eyes filled with horror.

The Li family members around him looked at one another, most of them confused. These clansmen who guarded the secret realm had lived here for generations and had limited knowledge of the outside world. Only a few Li family guards who had come from Cang City turned pale and stepped back involuntarily.

"Second Master, do you mean..." the burly man’s voice trembled.

Li Xuanfeng did not answer, his eyes fixed on his finger. Divine Thunder! These were the traces left behind by a master of the Thunder Dao in the God Martial Realm! And not just an ordinary God Martial expert!

"Withdraw immediately!" Li Xuanfeng suddenly commanded sharply. "Everyone, leave the Soul-Devouring Abyss at once! No one is to investigate this matter further!"

Although the Li family members were confused, they dared not disobey the order. The team turned around and retreated at a pace even faster than when they arrived. Li Xuanfeng walked at the rear, looking back at the giant crater from time to time, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and longing. A God Martial expert had appeared in the Qingming Secret Realm; this news had to be sent back to the family immediately. As for why such an existence had come here... Li Xuanfeng didn't dare to dwell on it, but he vaguely felt it was related to the secret at the heart of the Soul-Devouring Abyss.

"Second Master, what about those rogue cultivators..." a white-haired elder asked in a low voice.

"Ignore them," Li Xuanfeng shook his head. "They don't even know what Divine Thunder is."

Just as the Li family was hastily retreating, in a hidden valley five thousand miles away from the Soul-Devouring Abyss, Lin Chuan was taking stock of his gains from the past half-day.

"Purple Soul Flower, Nether Grass, Profound Yin Fruit..." Lin Chuan counted the spiritual herbs in his storage bag one by one, his eyes brightening. "Fatty, how much would these fetch on the black market?"

Xiao Pang’s soul body floated to the side and said lazily, "Seven or eight million low-grade spirit stones, enough for you to squander for a while."

Lin Chuan whistled. Seven or eight million! He knew that just half a month ago, when he had first crossed over to the outskirts of Tianyun City, he couldn't even afford the twenty taels of gold for an entry permit. Now, after half a day of gathering herbs in the secret realm, he had collected this much...

"Don't get too happy," Xiao Pang threw a bucket of cold water on him. "These are just appetizers. The real treasure is that." He pointed to the purple sphere hanging at Lin Chuan’s waist—the essence condensed from the yin energy and evil spirits of the entire Soul-Devouring Abyss.

"How do I use this thing?" Lin Chuan asked, weighing the sphere curiously.

"Eat it directly," Xiao Pang said, dropping a bombshell.

Lin Chuan’s hand shook, and he almost dropped the sphere. "Eat it? This thing looks like it could poison a dragon to death!"

Xiao Pang rolled his eyes. "With me here, what are you afraid of? This yin essence has been tempered for tens of thousands of years by the Nine Nether Soul-Refining Array and purified by my Divine Thunder. It is now the purest soul energy in existence."

Seeing Lin Chuan still hesitating, Xiao Pang added, "I’m not telling you to eat it now. The energy inside is too strong; if you eat it now, your soul will burst. Once you reach the Venerable Martial Realm, you can absorb and refine it completely with my help."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chuan nodded and tucked the purple sphere into his Blood Spirit Ring.

"Next, we should consider what to do with this guy." As he spoke, Xiao Pang summoned a purple bead from the Blood Spirit Ring—it was the sealed Lord of the Nine Nether Realm.