“There might be danger inside the Forbidden Zone, but I can run. If I encounter danger, I’ll just run out. Also, I think the sealing Formation has been continuously releasing Soul attack energy, so there probably aren’t any powerful Cultivators inside, perhaps no life at all. I’ll check out the situation and then come out,” Qin Chu said to Qin Lingxi and Qing Yi.
“That’s right, an environment covered by this kind of Soul attack is indeed not suitable for Cultivators to survive, whether they are human Cultivators or Yao Cultivators,” Qing Yi said.
Qin Lingxi helped Qin Chu straighten his robes. “Be careful in everything you do. If it doesn’t work, just come out. We can still go in and search for Opportunity after the sealing ends.”
Qin Chu nodded. He knew that both Qin Lingxi and Qing Yi were worried about his safety.
After making his decision, Qin Chu sat in meditation to conserve his energy, preparing to sneak into the Forbidden Zone at night.
Qing Yi and Qin Lingxi quietly exchanged thoughts, discussing what might happen.
As night deepened, Cultivators who were supposed to meditate did so, and the daytime hustle and bustle disappeared.
Feeling that the time was right, Qin Chu stood up, nodded to Qing Yi and Qin Lingxi, then used the Vermilion Bird-enhanced Spirit Shadow Steps, rushing out of the canyon. With two flashes, he plunged into the Forbidden Zone.
Only after entering the Forbidden Zone did Qin Chu activate his Vermilion Bird Sacred Flame for protection, but his body still swayed a bit. Because the moment Qin Chu entered the Forbidden Zone, the Soul attack began, and his Vermilion Bird Sacred Flame protection was a little late.
This was also Qin Chu’s reluctant choice. If he activated the Vermilion Bird Sacred Flame for protection outside, his body would be engulfed in fire, which would be too conspicuous in the night. Others would definitely see it, and then Qing Yi and Qin Lingxi would become the focus of attention. When he came out, the three of them would be targets, and the Cultivators who came seeking Opportunity would surely besiege them.
With the Vermilion Bird Sacred Flame protecting him, Qin Chu steadied himself, then drew out his Azure Spirit Sword and headed deeper into the Forbidden Zone.
After traveling for a while, Qin Chu found that the problem he had been worrying about did not occur. The Vermilion Bird Sacred Flame showed no consumption; in fact, it was even absorbing that special energy.
This situation reassured Qin Chu. Before, he had always worried about not being able to endure it and having to retreat, not daring to go too deep. Now, there was no issue of not being able to endure.
Since he could endure it, Qin Chu was no longer worried. He continued to advance, wanting to thoroughly explore the Forbidden Zone and secure any benefits before others could enter.
After advancing more than three hundred zhang, Qin Chu’s vision cleared. Although it was still nighttime, the situation was different from before. Previously, the dense fog made it impossible to see anything, but now he could.
Had he passed through the Forbidden Zone? Qin Chu turned to look back, then looked up at the sky. He found that the misty area was like a large dome, with three hundred zhang of Soul-attacking mist forming a large dome that covered a space. He was now standing inside this large dome; it should be said that he was already within the Forbidden Zone.
This space contained rich fire energy. Earlier, from the outside, one could notice the towering flames within the Forbidden Zone, but due to the sealing barrier, no one noticed what was inside. Qin Chu, having entered the Forbidden Zone, saw it more clearly than the Cultivators outside. In the area in front of him, some flames danced in mid-air, but there was no fire on the ground; these were rootless fires, a situation that only occurs when fire energy reaches a certain density.
Qin Chu began to move forward. Although it was night, he discovered many Spiritual Plants, all of which were rare.
While collecting Spiritual Plants, Qin Chu slowly advanced. Here, he couldn’t be too reckless. If the situation had remained like the sealed mist, with Soul attack energy present, then no Cultivators would exist. But now, the situation was hard to say. When he entered the Azure King Secret Realm back then, it was said there were no Yao Beasts or Cultivators above the fifth rank, yet Zilan, a sixth-rank Yao Beast expert, appeared.
As he advanced, Qin Chu collected many Spirit Medicines, including the extremely rare Flowing Light Flower, a main ingredient in mainstream Medicinal Pills for sixth-rank King Realm Cultivators!
The Medicinal Pills used by fourth-rank Cultivators are Spirit Origin Pills, fifth-rank Cultivators use Heaven Origin Pills, and sixth-rank King Realm Cultivators use Medicinal Pills called Flowing Light Pills. The main ingredient for Flowing Light Pills is the Flowing Light Flower.
However, Flowing Light Pills are rarely seen on the market. King Realm Cultivators either rely purely on themselves to absorb the energy of heaven and earth to Cultivate, or they use Spirit Stones. But both paths are difficult; absorbing the energy of heaven and earth is a very slow process, which slows down Cultivation speed. As for Spirit Stones, they are rare products, only found in large powers and powerful Families. Therefore, generally powerful high-level King Realm Cultivators mostly come from large powers, and powerful King Realm Cultivators among Loose Cultivators are not common.
Upon discovering the Flowing Light Grass, Qin Chu was quite excited. He was already a fifth-rank Heaven Origin Realm Level Six, and with diligent Cultivation, he had a chance to reach the King Realm, so a reserve of Flowing Light Grass was very necessary.
As he collected Medicinal Pills and advanced, the sky gradually brightened. Although the Forbidden Zone blocked the sunlight, the brightness naturally increased.
With improved visibility, Qin Chu’s speed in collecting Flowing Light Flowers increased. Whatever he saw, he collected into his Storage Ring.
As he advanced, flames even appeared above Qin Chu’s head. There were no flames on the ground, but the Spiritual Qi was extremely rich. Qin Chu understood that this was fire energy rising; the fire energy in mid-air was dense, while the ground area was a bit less so.
While collecting Spiritual Plants, he advanced for nearly half an hour, and then a special sight appeared in Qin Chu’s vision: a natural stone altar.
On the altar, there was a cluster of dancing flames. The flames were black around the edges and white in the center, with black and white intertwined, constantly leaping on the altar.
Exotic Fire! Qin Chu knew that this was an Exotic Fire, and it might also be the biggest secret of this Forbidden Zone.
Steadying his emotions, Qin Chu walked forward.
Upon closer inspection, Qin Chu clearly saw the specific situation: a huge pit, with the altar extending up from the center of the pit. Inside the pit were many scattered, exposed Spirit Stones.
As he observed, Qin Chu also determined the reason for the Forbidden Zone’s discovery: the pit was trembling and sinking, and the altar-like stone platform was being forced upward. This caused the Exotic Fire to surface, creating towering flames. Perhaps when the Exotic Fire ascended to near the sealing energy zone, that would be when the seal would dissipate, because Qin Chu saw that the sealing energy above the Exotic Fire was weaker than elsewhere.
How to proceed? Qin Chu fell into thought. According to the ancient texts Mei Tianling gave him, when encountering an Exotic Fire, one needs to envelop and nourish it with Origin Qi. Newly born, weaker Exotic Fires are easier to subdue; mature Exotic Fires that have developed sentience are very difficult to subdue.
What Qin Chu needed to do now was to approach the altar stone platform. He had to get close to the Exotic Fire before he could do anything.