Chapter Seventy-One: The Vast Azure Sea True Energy

The two fleshy hills began to roll at breakneck speed, like two wind-wheels driven by fierce, surging currents. The protective veil formed by the poisonous haze shattered at a single flicker and dispersed into nothingness.

Within the void, the howling gale roared. The dense swarm of golden insects was swept apart in an instant, their armored wings flapping wildly as they drifted in all directions. Yet the two wind-wheel mountains of flesh, riding the shrieking currents, raced away toward the distant horizon.

“Damn it!”

Juda stared after the two fat mountains vanishing like lightning on the wind and could not help blurting out a curse.

Leng Tian felt a silent amazement. The techniques of these two were truly terrifying. For an ordinary cultivator of the Profound Realm, facing such rolling, gale-driven masses of flesh would probably be enough to make them hesitate to fight head-on.

Looking at the two long trails of violent wind left hanging in the void, he felt a trace of admiration. Not for anything else, but for the technique that could instantly enlarge the body; such power must have come at an enormous cost. Judging by their swollen forms and short stature, one could tell this was the price they had paid for it.

It had to be said that the devouring insects' defenses and vitality were truly formidable. If this were ordinary demonic beasts, being struck by those fierce techniques would have left them severely injured even if they were not killed. Yet they remained unharmed, vigorous as ever. Regathering themselves once more, and finding no target to attack, they swarmed back around Leng Tian.

A piercing sound split the air. Leng Tian's expression changed slightly, and he turned to look. A black greatsword, about a zhang long, flashed past his eyes like a streak of black lightning, trailing a long tail of light. In the blink of an eye it vanished at the edge of the sky.

“Damn, that’s fierce!”

Juda's green eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as he cried out in admiration.

Leng Tian was speechless. He could not help thinking what kind of day this was, to run into one freak after another. It was enough to be discouraging.

Just as he was about to rise and leave, another soft exclamation came from nearby, followed by a clear voice.

“This brother here truly inspires admiration. Even the ferocious devouring insects have been subdued by you. I wonder how many gifted martial talents would envy you to death. My name is Ling Wushuang, and I am pressed with urgent matters. In the future, I shall certainly make your acquaintance properly. Farewell.”

This man was precisely the mysterious figure pursuing the one known as Dark Night. Following Dark Night's aura all the way here, he had just sensed Leng Tian's presence, and moreover, that he was surrounded by thousands of devouring insects. For a moment, he even assumed these insects had been tamed by Leng Tian, and thus spoke in goodwill, hoping to strike up an acquaintance.

Leng Tian was quite startled by the appearance of this stranger. Even with Juda's invisible concealment, he could still be detected. It was truly vexing.

But since the other party had already shown friendliness, he could not pretend to ignore him. So he replied, “I am Leng Tian. If Brother Ling has matters to attend to, there is no need to linger. If fate permits, we shall drink together another day.”

“Haha... It seems you are also a straightforward man. Then Ling is fortunate to have gained a friend like you. We shall meet again if destiny allows.”

With that, Ling Wushuang flew away.

“Farewell, Brother Ling!” Leng Tian called toward the void.

“Boss, are you surprised that, despite my concealment, someone still found us?” Juda grinned, baring his teeth.

Leng Tian frowned and asked, “Did you deliberately let him discover us?”

“Boss has keen eyes. It was not exactly deliberate. It was just that his aura felt very familiar to me, so I revealed myself on purpose, hoping he would stop and let me sense it carefully.”

After listening to Juda's explanation, Leng Tian asked with some doubt, “You know him? Or is he, like you, not human either?”

“Not at all. He is certainly human, and if his origin were made known, it could probably shock the entire continent's martial world to death!” A rare trace of fear surfaced in Juda's eyes.

“Then you know his background?”

“Just as I suspected, he truly comes from that place. Only...” Juda paused, then said awkwardly, “I cannot tell you, Boss. Higher powers do not allow it.”

Juda's eyes were filled with fear as he pointed toward the sky.

Leng Tian looked up at the blue heavens, then back at Juda, and seemed to understand. “You mean his origin is rejected by the supreme will?”

“Exactly, Boss. Otherwise, with my abilities, who would I be afraid of?” Juda thumped his chest, pride written all over his face.

“Afraid of me...” A vicious glint flashed in Leng Tian's eyes, and his tone turned cold.

Juda's smile froze at once, and he fell silent.

“Let’s go. Since they are all heading in the same direction, we may as well join the excitement.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Wait...” Leng Tian stopped Juda. Looking at the golden swarm of insects circling and dancing around his body, he thought for a moment and said, “We cannot let them keep following us so conspicuously. If we run into a large number of cultivators, they will no longer serve as a surprise. Better to put them into the Underworld Prison first.”

As soon as he finished speaking, crimson light burst forth from his dantian and instantly enveloped the swarm.

“Take them in.”

With a flash, the light vanished from the void, taking the thousands of golden insects with it.

Seeing that he could so effortlessly draw thousands of devouring insects into the Underworld Prison, Leng Tian was greatly satisfied. Only then did he have Juda carry him away toward the distance.

When Du Qingfeng saw thousands of golden devouring insects vanish in the blink of an eye beneath a wash of crimson light, he was shocked. Yet when that crimson light appeared, he sharply sensed a familiar aura. After a brief check, he confirmed it was indeed Leng Tian.

This made Leng Tian somewhat mysterious in his eyes. With a Heaven-Level cultivation yet strength comparable to an ordinary Profound Realm warrior, he could traverse the void and had somehow taken in so many devouring insects. It seemed he had truly been arrogant before. Even this Heaven-Level martial artist was not someone he could look down upon.

With a sigh, Du Qingfeng decisively did not continue in the direction the others had taken. Instead, he chose the opposite way, fleeing to find a place to recover as soon as possible. With strong experts emerging one after another, his proud heart was dealt a severe blow as well.

Several days later,

at the far end of the grassland there was unexpectedly a pool of clear water and green lotus blossoms, yet this lotus pond seemed boundless, stretching beyond the horizon.

Above the pond, the sky was likewise a jade-green hue. Where the grassland met the lotus pond stood a clear divide, like a watershed joining two utterly opposite worlds, yet making them seem sharply out of place with one another.

Deep within this endless lotus pond stood many towers soaring into the clouds, like colossal pillars holding up the green sky.

These towers were all a purple-jade color. From afar they looked like purple bamboo growing from the heart of a blossom. Though they lacked green leaves for accompaniment, they still formed a scenery all their own.

Now and then, fish would leap from the water, spitting out strings of bubbles. Ripples spread across the green sky like waves upon water, and as the ripples dispersed, surging billows rose behind them. Though no wind was present, waves rolled up from nowhere, one after another, each higher than the last.

With each crash of the waves, spray burst upward. A low booming sound descended from the sky like muffled thunder, yet no lightning appeared. Fine rain began to fall, and the green raindrops seemed like heavenly nectar. Every drop that landed on the lotus blossoms instantly nourished them into fuller bloom and richer color.

The drizzling rain continued for a full three hours before finally stopping. Yet after the rain cleared, the boundless water surface revealed a field of pure white. White petals bloomed across it, while a refreshing floral fragrance drifted through the air.

Several rainbows arched over the water. Great fish leaped from the surface, their massive tails flicking as they crossed the seven-colored bridges, painting a scene of natural divine wonder. The purple towers also emanated a faint halo, reflecting upon the white petals below and casting shimmering radiance.

Several figures appeared by the pond. They were the experts of the Demon God Domain. Hovering in midair, they gazed upon the beautiful scene before them, and all of them brightened at once. In a daze, they almost thought they had arrived at some secluded place of divine cultivation.

“Brothers, look at the sky. It seems we have reached our destination!” the leader said, pointing at the green heavens beside him.

“Senior Brother is right. This must be the entrance to the true Jade Sea Azure Heavens,” another agreed from the side.

“See those purple towers? They are probably the so-called Heaven-Ascending Towers leading into the Jade Sea Azure Heavens,” the leading man said, excitement flashing in his eyes. Before setting out, the higher-ups had already instructed them that once they entered the Jade Sea Azure Heavens, they were not to focus on obtaining the Divine Spring of the Jade Sea. Instead, they were to strive to seize as many ancient treasures as possible. That was the true purpose of this journey.

Looking intently at the distant purple towers, the man immediately said, “Brothers, while no one else has arrived yet, let us hurry into the Jade Sea Azure Heavens. Once others come, the chance to seize treasures will no longer be ours alone.”

After speaking, the leading man transformed first into a streak of light and flew straight toward the nearest tower. The others followed in a rush of escaping radiance.

But before they had gone very far, all of them suddenly halted in the air, panic freezing their faces. Their earlier excitement was gone; now their complexions had turned somewhat pale, and their eyes were filled with fear.

Weapons appeared in their hands at once, unleashing brilliant beams and blade-light in every direction, but all of it struck empty space. After a round of attacks, they scattered again as if dodging something—something that terrified them deeply.

Above the grassland, in the void, two massive men stood suspended in the depths of space. Their bodies were covered in scales, and a single horn grew from each of their foreheads. Their eyes flickered as they watched the few from the Demon God Domain entering the lotus pond, and seeing the sudden disturbance, both men broke into broad, delighted smiles.

“Brother Scarlet Flame, these human cultivators really think the Jade Sea Azure Heavens are their own backyard, somewhere they can enter whenever they please,” said the man in green scales beside his companion.

“Heh... Greed can make them forget caution,” said the man in red scales, pointing toward the lotus pond. With a sigh, he continued, “The natural trapping-and-killing formation formed by the Azure Sea True Qi is not something one can simply break through.”

“Indeed... Brother Scarlet Flame speaks truly. For endless ages, no one has ever been able to control or absorb this Azure Sea True Qi for their own use. Perhaps only by comprehending one’s own law-mark can it truly be mastered.”

“Who can say otherwise? You and I have been stuck at this level for hundreds of years. We have tried countless ways to absorb the Azure Sea True Qi, yet none succeeded. It seems our fate with it has simply not yet come.”

The giant known as Scarlet Flame spoke with some dejection.

Martial Peak, chapter seventy-one: Azure Sea True Qi. Update complete!