Chapter 848 - Martial Astral Pulse

This place had a primitive and ancient charm that exuded an old-world aura.

When Liu Wuxie walked past an ancient palace, he estimated it was constructed at least twenty thousand years ago. The runes carved into the stone slabs had long since faded, yet the structure itself had endured the test of time, standing strong for countless millennia.

Shops lined both sides of the streets, still operating in the ancient style. There were no counters, as the goods were displayed openly on the roadside for passersby to examine, and some shops even retained the ancient practice of bartering.

Liu Wuxie strolled around leisurely and occasionally paused to observe the wares. Most items were useless, and those he needed were exorbitantly priced.

"If only I can find treasures containing fire or water elements. This way, I can forge all five suppression steles for my internal organs," Liu Wuxie mused quietly. Just one suppression stele wasn't enough to help him reach the True Profound Realm, which meant he had to forge both suppression steles, using the contrasting elements to form yin-yang energy and help him open the gateway to the True Profound Realm.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Though it was common knowledge that water and fire couldn't coexist, if perfectly balanced, they could produce astonishing effects.

This was the last city he would stop at before reaching the Martial Astral Vein. After leaving the city, he would enter an endless ancient mountain range.

At the depths of the Martial Astral Vein, a heavenly peak pierced the sky—his ultimate destination. The city's very name, Heavenly City, was closely tied to it. Legends claimed that those who reached the summit could reach out and pluck the stars, as it was the closest point to the Celestial Realm.

After wandering the city, Liu Wuxie bought a few trinkets, mainly to craft spiritual talismans. Since he had to repair the cracks, these talismans were necessary.

Once he was done, he found an inn and checked in. After entering his room, he sat cross-legged on the bed and fell into deep thoughts.

There was no doubt that Heavenly Peak was extremely dangerous, and it would be a life-or-death gamble if he climbed it at his current cultivation. The violent astral winds at the summit alone could tear him apart, and even those at the True Profound Realm had to tread carefully.

Fortunately, his physique was comparable to the pinnacle of the True Profound Realm, thus giving him a chance to withstand the astral winds. But just the physique alone wasn't enough, as the dangers of the Heavenly Peak far surpassed his imagination.

What worried him the most were the astral beasts—colossal creatures with monstrous strength, capable of ripping apart even Spirit Profound Realm cultivators with ease. These beasts appeared without warning, lurking in the shadows to hunt profound beasts for food.

But reaching the True Profound Realm couldn't be achieved overnight, and he couldn't afford any mistake in his breakthrough. If he could step into the True Profound Realm, the path ahead would become smoother, and his cultivation would advance rapidly.

Clearing his mind of distractions, Liu Wuxie devoted himself to cultivation. The laws and spiritual energy in the Heavenly City weren't inferior to those of the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy. After cultivating through the night, his strength became more refined.

When he exited the inn, he was prepared to set off for Heavenly Peak. After leaving the city, he would have to spend a few weeks in the mountain range, and he stocked up on supplies to prepare for any unexpected situations.

Aside from him, many people were venturing into the Astral Martial Vein to train. Standing at the Martial Astral Vein entrance, Liu Wuxie took a deep breath before stepping forward.

"Let's go!" Liu Wuxie entered the astral vein with firm steps.

Any region within a hundred thousand miles could be considered a mountain range, and anything beyond that would be called an astral vein.

The Martial Astral Vein was a vast region, consisting of more than ten interconnected mountain ranges. It was rumored that mysterious races lived deep within, rarely showing themselves to the outside world. Thus, one could imagine the sheer size of the Martial Astral Vein.

Liu Wuxie wasn't worried about getting lost, as Heavenly Peak was located at the center of the astral vein that reached the astral domain. The mountain pierced the clouds and was obscured from view.

The Martial Astral Vein was a land of peril. While flight was possible on the outskirts, attempting to fly deeper inside was nothing short of courting death. No one knew how many spiritual beasts lurked in ambush, waiting for the moment a reckless cultivator exposed themselves in the air.

Once Liu Wuxie stepped into the Martial Astral Vein, he released Fiery to help him scout the way. After all, Fiery could help him avoid many dangers.

Riding on Fiery, he traveled all day and night without encountering any threats. At night, he lit a bonfire and sat in its warmth, gazing at the stars in the sky. Fiery, lying beside the bonfire, quietly watched the roasting meat.

"I wonder how my father-in-law, mother-in-law, and Xue'er are doing," Liu Wuxie murmured as the faces of Xu Lingxue, Murong Yi, Jian Xing'er, and Chen Ruoyan flashed before his eyes.

As the aroma of roasted meat filled the air, Fiery grew restless. It suddenly snatched a piece from the fire and devoured it in one bite.

Liu Wuxie took out a few Azure Yang Pills, swallowed them, and resumed cultivation. The night in the Martial Astral Vein was quiet, but dangers lurked, and a single mistake could be fatal.

A Spiked Wolf lay hidden a thousand meters away. Known for its ferocity, this species of wolf differed from others, preferring solitude over pack life and hunting alone.

Most wolves thrived in packs, led by an alpha, to hunt together.

On the other hand, the Spiked Wolf, like the Sabertooth Tiger, was covered in spikes.

Fiery suddenly stopped eating and stood up with its crimson fur bristling.

Liu Wuxie opened his eyes and stroked Fiery. He had already sensed the Spiked Wolf lurking nearby but hadn't paid attention to it as long as it didn't attack. If it did, he wouldn't hesitate to kill it.

Seeing this, Fiery crouched back down to feast on the roasted meat.

Finally, the Spiked Wolf couldn't wait any longer. The scent of roasted meat attracted it as it approached Liu Wuxie. It moved slowly at first, but when it was about a hundred meters away from Liu Wuxie, it suddenly leaped forward, streaking through the sky like a silver comet with extraordinary speed.

Speed was the Spiked Wolf's greatest weapon, so it dared attack Liu Wuxie. If its assault failed, it would flee the next second.

"You're courting death!" Liu Wuxie was enraged. The Spiked Wolf was only a tenth-grade profound beast, corresponding to the first- or second-level True Profound Realm for human cultivators.

The Spiked Wolf targeted Liu Wuxie, assuming his lower cultivation at the Nascent Transformation Realm made him an easy prey. However, it was unaware that his true strength rivaled cultivators at the Spirit Profound Realm.

Without even standing, Liu Wuxie casually pointed his finger, unleashing a cold ray from the Frost Ray Seal that froze the Spiked Wolf instantly. The attack was something most True Profound Realm cultivators couldn't withstand. The beast remained in place, now an unmoving ice sculpture.

Leaving Fiery behind, Liu Wuxie entered his tent to cultivate.

As the night deepened, a powerful gale swept over Heavenly Peak's summit in the distance. The clouds only reached the mountain's waist, revealing a strange creature weaving through them, its body resembling grey-white stone.

It was only a fleeting moment as the creature soon plunged into the clouds and vanished.

At dawn, the Martial Astral Vein was bustling with profound beasts emerging to hunt for food, and Liu Wuxie noticed many profound beasts heading in his direction. But upon seeing the Spiked Wolf turned into an ice sculpture, they didn't hesitate to flee for their lives.

Liu Wuxie packed up the tent as Fiery rose from the ground, fully energized after a night's rest. They continued their journey toward Heavenly Peak, still seven to eight days away. Along the way, they would undoubtedly encounter many dangers, and the Spiked Wolf had been nothing more than an insignificant obstacle.

Fiery had grown significantly in size and looked more imposing. With Liu Wuxie riding on its back, they moved steadily through the rugged terrain.

As they weaved through the dense forest, they occasionally came across rare flowers, including massive trumpet flowers the size of basins and man-eating flowers lurking among the foliage.

They made frequent stops along the way, with Fiery changing directions, which suggested they might've wandered into the territory of a powerful spiritual beast. Liu Wuxie even used Ghost Eye to maintain vigilance on their surroundings, and his gaze soon fell on a spot a thousand meters away.

They hadn't intruded into a spiritual beast's domain—instead, a spiritual beast had marked them as prey and had been silently tracking them.

"Golden-Scaled Roc!" Liu Wuxie exclaimed. The aerial spiritual beast was a troublesome predator. Once it set its sights on prey, escape was nearly impossible. Rocs were relentless hunters, pursuing their target until they either caught and devoured it or perished in the attempt.

Fiery bared its fangs and released its aura as a divine beast. But the Golden-Scaled Roc remained unfazed. Fiery's aura was weak and only effective against ordinary profound beasts. Against a spiritual beast, the aura wasn't enough to drive it away.

Liu Wuxie gripped the Heretic Blade and was prepared to fight at any moment.

"Fiery, head that way!" Liu Wuxie patted Fiery's neck and directed it toward the dense forest.

The Golden-Scaled Roc's greatest strength was its flight, but the dense forest would limit its mobility. With its massive wingspan, maneuvering through the thick trees would be difficult, making it cautious in its attacks.

The Golden-Scaled Roc seemed to understand Liu Wuxie's intention, but it wasn't in a hurry and circled above them instead. It produced strange calls from its beak, seemingly summoning other spiritual beasts to surround the forest to prevent Liu Wuxie from escaping.

"Damn it!" Liu Wuxie cursed.

Spiritual beasts had high intelligence, and they often worked together. To provoke a spiritual beast meant provoking an entire pack.

Though the forest offered protection from the roc, it also turned into the perfect battleground for land-dwelling spiritual beasts.

Liu Wuxie could handle a spiritual beast, but facing more than two at once would force him to flee. Without hesitation, he increased his speed, determined to escape before the encroaching spiritual beasts could completely surround him.

Fiery's hooves thundered against the ground, sending tremors rippling through the earth.

Suddenly, a gigantic crimson python emerged from a tree hole, releasing a torrential, bloodthirsty aura.

Blood Pythons were extremely rare and possessed terrifying combat strength. From another direction, an Eight-Legged Bull emerged. It had a bizarre appearance that even Liu Wuxie didn't recognize.