The sky was a dreary gray, devoid of sun, moon, or stars. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth here was thin and meager—this was an ancient, forsaken wasteland.
A colossal mountain peak stood as if cleaved in two by a giant sword; its summit was flat as a mirror, and the shimmering green light of a condensed Heavenly Gate hovered above it.
Shi Yan stood on the summit, gazing in all directions. He realized the entire world was shrouded in a layer of gray cloud cover. When he extended his spiritual sense, it was immediately blocked by those very clouds, unable to cover even a thousand meters around him.
Looking into the distance, one could see numerous enormous, fathomless chasms, pitch-black and plunging into unknown depths.
The rivers were dry, and not a single blade of grass or tree was visible. There was no breath of life; this place resembled a death zone, exuding an intensely oppressive feeling.
“So, this is the Abyss Battlefield,” Li Feng’er exhaled softly. “There is no orientation here, no sun, moon, or stars, and the ambient spiritual energy is extremely scarce—it's utterly unsuitable for martial cultivation. In the ancient eras, this was the battlefield of the Great Purge, littered with the skeletal remains of countless ancient powerhouses. These formidable ancient warriors left behind many secret treasures and exotic martial skills within the Abyss Battlefield, but obtaining those treasures is extraordinarily difficult.”
“Since the Abyss Battlefield was unearthed, numerous cultivators from the Boundless Sea have been buried here while seeking ancient mysteries. Nine out of ten who venture in do not leave alive. Our purpose in coming here is not to seek out its secret treasures; therefore, preserving our lives is our primary directive,” Yang Mu said, frowning, his expression grave.
“I have been here before; I can lead you to a relatively safer area. See that direction where the gray clouds are thickest? There is the ruin of an ancient palace there. Many restrictions and barriers have lost their effect there, and we can stay for a while,” Li Feng’er pointed with her slender, jade-like finger, saying sweetly, “Follow me, and at least until we reach that area, there shouldn’t be any danger.”
Yang Mu nodded. “En, Feng’er, you lead the way. We’ll leave traces along the path so those pursuing us know our whereabouts.”
“No problem,” Li Feng’er chuckled, glancing sideways at Shi Yan, then raising an eyebrow. “Shi Yan, you need to behave yourself here, mind you. And… remember to listen to Uncle Jiang. Uncle Jiang is highly skilled in all types of formations and barriers; he knows certain secrets of the arrays that can help you evade much danger.”
Shi Yan’s eyes were indifferent as he slowly nodded.
“Little Yanzi, take this Illusory Void Ring. It contains food and fresh water, along with a large bottle of Spirit Recovery Pills, which can quickly restore your vital essence,” Yang Mu handed over a green ring. “It’s hard to find food and water in the Abyss Battlefield, and the ambient spiritual energy here is very thin. Once your vital essence is heavily depleted, recovery is quite difficult. That bottle of Spirit Recovery Pills has one hundred counts—with them, after a fight, you can quickly return to peak condition.”
Shi Yan took the Illusory Void Ring and immersed his consciousness into it. He immediately discovered that inside the ring was a space the size of a small house, filled with various foods and fresh water. A white jade bottle rested atop the provisions—that must be the container for the Spirit Recovery Pills.
“The Illusory Void Ring can store items. This particular ring is worth a thousand top-grade Primordial Crystals in the Boundless Sea. Only Saint-tier Artifact Refiners can forge one,” Yang Mu explained with a smile.
Shi Yan nodded.
“Take this Sound Stone as well. Its use is simple: just condense your vital essence and input it into the stone, then speak into it. We who hold identical Sound Stones can hear you,” Yang Mu continued to instruct. “Many restrictions in the Abyss Battlefield are quite peculiar; a moment of carelessness could separate us. With these Sound Stones, we can communicate even if we are in different zones.”
“En.” Grasping the Sound Stone, he channeled a wisp of vital essence into it. The stone immediately emitted a faint white light, and it seemed echoes arose from the many sound apertures on the stone.
“Shi Yan is a pervert!”
A clear, crisp shout suddenly echoed from the Sound Stone. The voice was unmistakably Li Feng’er’s from ahead, startling Shi Yan.
“Hehe, interesting, isn’t it?” Li Feng’er, already a hundred meters away, turned back with a radiant smile. She held up her own Sound Stone toward Shi Yan.
Shi Yan shook his head and said lightly, “Next time, don’t be so loud. I’m timid; I’m afraid you’ll startle me into developing a chronic illness.”
“Let’s go. We follow Feng’er. We should be safe until we reach those palace ruins,” Yang Mu said, smiling. After a moment’s thought, he formed his hand into a blade and marked a direction on the ground, leaving behind a line of text: We went that way. If you have the guts, follow us. – Yang Mu.
Shi Yan glanced at the writing but said nothing more, inwardly anticipating that Gu Linglong and the others might indeed follow.
He vaguely felt that he was on the cusp of entering the Earthly Realm, seemingly needing only one final epiphany. In his view, Gu Linglong, Pan Zhe, and the others were natural restorative elixirs within the Abyss Battlefield—grindstones for his own refinement. Through them, he might grasp the secret to breaking through to the Earthly Realm.
Naturally warlike, he had no fear of being hunted by people like Gu Linglong; rather, he was secretly exhilarated.
Li Feng’er took the lead, guiding her team of martial artists as they slid down the mountain peak, soaring toward the area dense with gray clouds. Yang Mu, Yang Qi, and Yang Xue followed closely behind, while Shi Yan lagged at the rear, constantly observing the developing situation.
Soon, the group descended the majestic mountain. Looking back at the peak where the Heavenly Gate resided, Shi Yan suddenly asked, “When we exit, do we have to come back here?”
“That’s right. The Heavenly Gate in this direction flashes with strange light. From extremely far away, you can see the dazzling glow here. Since the Abyss Battlefield has no sun, moon, or stars, the light of this Heavenly Gate serves as guiding starlight. Generally, within a hundred miles, you can see this light. As long as you remember the general direction, returning should not be difficult,” Li Feng’er stopped and explained briefly to everyone.
Shi Yan nodded and said no more, silently following Li Feng’er. He quietly sank his divine sense into his Blood Pattern Ring, first transmitting friendly and gentle emotions toward the Ten Thousand Year Earth Core Fire within, cultivating a harmonious relationship with it.
If it hadn't been for the Ten Thousand Year Earth Core Fire suddenly releasing its flame power during his battle with Gu Linglong, he might not have been able to clear away the power of the seven Divine Swords that invaded his body so easily. The Earth Core Fire's help at that critical moment filled him with gratitude, greatly increasing his affection for it.
His divine sense flew into the Blood Pattern Ring, converging with the consciousness of the Ten Thousand Year Earth Core Fire. Shi Yan immediately sensed joyful emotions emanating from it.
Sensing Shi Yan’s arrival, the Ten Thousand Year Earth Core Fire was delighted. It wrapped Shi Yan’s thoughts with its spiritual consciousness, playfully intertwining within that blazing mass of light, behaving like a child acting spoiled toward its parent.
Turbulent soul fluctuations rippled out from that cluster of light. Shi Yan clearly sensed that the Earth Core Fire’s soul seemed to be undergoing transformation, becoming increasingly intelligent and progressively stronger.
It seemed that, before long, it would complete its evolution and possess the complete soul of a Heavenly Fire.
Evolving from Earth Fire to Heavenly Fire, it was already in the final stage. Once its life form fully took shape, the Earth Core Fire could truly be called a Heavenly Fire, possessing greater divine abilities and wisdom comparable to a human’s.
After communicating with the Earth Core Fire for a while, Shi Yan withdrew his divine sense and then sent a message to the Profound Ice Cold Flame: “I have arrived at the Abyss Battlefield.”
“The Abyss Battlefield?” The Profound Ice Cold Flame immediately responded. “Why are you here? This place is extremely dangerous. Rushing about in the Abyss Battlefield with your current realm and cultivation will only lead to a swift death. The spiritual energy here is thin, and it’s not suitable for your cultivation. Why did you come here?”
“How much do you know about the Abyss Battlefield?”
“Not much,” the Profound Ice Cold Flame pondered for a moment. “I haven’t been here either, so I’m not clear on the environment. However, I once obtained the memory of a certain fellow who had visited the Abyss Battlefield and even ventured deep within. He possessed cultivation at the Divine Connection Realm, yet he was trapped by a single restriction for three hundred years and barely escaped with his life. After breaking free from that restriction, that fellow didn't linger; he left quickly without gaining anything. Therefore… my knowledge of this place is also very limited.”
“Understood,” Shi Yan nodded. “Keep an eye out; there might be another type of Heavenly Fire here. If you sense its aura, remember to notify me immediately.”
“Another Heavenly Fire?” The Profound Ice Cold Flame sounded slightly excited. “A peer! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one of my own kind. I hope to meet it here.”
“You want to meet it?”
“Of course. Perhaps it has a similar attribute to me, and we could evolve together. Uh, but it’s also possible it might try to devour me. Most Heavenly Fires can consume each other. Once consumption is successful, the victor’s wisdom and power surge exponentially, allowing for a massive leap in evolution.”
“Your power is restricted by the Blood Pattern Ring. If you truly encounter a Heavenly Fire, you might be at a disadvantage.”
“That is true. But if it dares to come looking for me inside this damned ring, perhaps it too will be sealed by this strange ring. Your ring is very bizarre; it can restrain life forms like us. If it can trap me, it should also be able to trap another Heavenly Fire.”
Shi Yan’s expression jolted, and his eyes lit up brightly.
Flashes of strange light pulsed from the Heavenly Gate within the Abyss Battlefield.
Pan Zhe, Cao Zhilan, Gu Linglong, Xie Kui, and others, leading nearly a hundred Earthly Realm martial artists, stepped out one by one through the Heavenly Gate.
Looking up at the dreary gray sky, Pan Zhe’s expression was heavy, and he commanded sternly, “We have arrived here at last.”
“We went that way. If you have the guts, follow us. – Yang Mu,” Xie Kui read the line of writing on the ground in a low voice, his face gloomy, and he coldly snorted. “They truly have no sense of self-preservation, daring to leave tracks actively. The Yang family truly cannot shake off their arrogant nature.”
“Excellent,” Gu Linglong gritted her teeth. “It seems we won’t have to waste much time searching. Demonic Beasts cannot enter the Abyss Battlefield this time. I’d like to see how the Yang family plans to escape this calamity now!”
“Yang Mu and the others are not the main threat; once we catch up, they are certain to perish,” Pan Zhe frowned, reminding everyone. “But the omnipresent restrictions and barriers of the Abyss Battlefield are extremely lethal. Everyone be cautious; don’t end up being lost to the restrictions and barriers.”
“As long as you follow me, I guarantee your safety,” Cao Zhilan smiled faintly. “My Martial Soul can exert its greatest advantage within this Abyss Battlefield. Any restriction, barrier, or formation requires energy support. I can pinpoint the exact location of surrounding restrictions, barriers, and formations, ensuring you won't fall into them.” Upon hearing this, everyone’s expression brightened with joy.