Chapter 16: The Tunnel

Roughly 20 years ago, in the 821st year of the Divine Martial Calendar, a foreign region descended on the lands. More than half of the You Continent was affected, and a massive region was sealed, turning into the place they now called the ‘battlefield between two worlds’.

Perhaps it was because it was somewhere that contained the properties of both worlds, all sorts of precious resources were born within.

Naturally, the greater the treasures, the greater the risks that accompanied the journey to retrieve them.

In the twenty years that passed, there had been countless conflicts between cultivators of both worlds! Enough blood was spilled to fill a sea.

The Tongyou Institution was created not too long after the other world descended.

Speaking of which, the location of the Tongyou Institution was pretty special. They sat on the southern frontier, and everything past the institution was complete wilderness.

Tongyou City sat comfortably behind the institution.

When cultivators from the city entered the institution, they would only use the rear entrance. That was because the main entrance of the institution was shrouded in mystery.

Even in the institution, not many people would choose to approach the main entrance, much less use it.

…

“There’s a simple reason behind this!” Yuan Zilu explained, “Right outside the main entrance of the institution lies the only entrance to the battlefield between the two worlds in our You Continent!”

“Our Tongyou Institution was created to defend our land from the dangers contained in the battlefield between the two worlds!”

Seeing the looks of amazement on the faces of the outer division disciples, Yuan Zilu smiled and a triumphant expression formed on his face. “You can even say that our You Continent suffered minimal damage because of the presence of our Tongyou Institution!”

Even though the others were surprised by their newfound knowledge, Shang Xia knew about it for a long time.

However, that was the first time he would be using the main entrance of the institution.

When they finally arrived at the main entrance of the Tongyou Institution, anticipation filled Shang Xia’s heart.

Yuan Zilu was seemingly content with their reaction, and he quickly stood atop the carriage. “Now, it’s time for you to witness the opening of our institution’s main entrance!”

“This might be where your fates truly change! The moment you step through the entrance of our Tongyou Institution, you will carry the weight of defending our world!”

A loud rumbling sound filled the air as the massive entrance started to open. A refreshing breeze swept across their faces.

Even though it was his first time entering the battlefield between two worlds, Shang Xia wasn’t as excited as the rest of the outer disciples. His expression was solemn, similar to the disciples from the Protection Division.

“Onwards!”

With Yuan Zilu’s command, the convoy advanced, and they were quickly surrounded by a colorful mist.

Disciples who were leaving the main entrance for the first time looked at the giant gate they just passed and their jaws fell. They were awed by the giant gate and imposing walls all around them.

Shang Xia raised his head and saw the weathered walls. There were even signs of damage made by some sort of projectile. There were also scars left on the wall by what seemed like a claw of a giant beast.

Other than that, there were large black streaks that extended all the way to the ground. It was clear that those were dried up blood.

“Look at the ground!” One of the disciples from the outer division yelled. Shang Xia recognized him as Huang Zihua, and he was a disciple who was just a step away from breaking into the Martial Realm.

The carriage rolled along as everyone turned to look at the blood-red dirt under their feet.

It didn’t take much imagination to know that there was a massive battle that took place outside the main entrance of the Tongyou Institution. The damage to the walls were an indicator, but the blood stained land solidified their guess.

“There might even be more than one battle that took place!” The person who spoke was a female disciple, and Shang Xia recalled her name. She was called Jiao Haitang.

Silence fell upon the land as soon as she spoke.

None of their gazes left the massive walls. Shang Xia was no exception. His status in the Tongyou Institution might be high, but it was his first time leaving the institution. It was the first time they realized that their lives might not be as safe as they thought.

Yuan Zilu and the disciples of the Protection Division looked at the disciples who were entering the battlefield between two worlds for the first time and they remained silent. They experienced the exact same feeling in the past.

A neigh from the Scarlet Cloud Horse pulling the carriages broke the silence. They were much sturdier than ordinary horses, and they had a trace of the Fire Cloud Beast’s bloodline. The Fire Cloud Beast was a demonic creature that existed a long time ago, and even though its bloodline was thin, it allowed the Scarlet Cloud Horse to be much stronger than ordinary horses.

That was the reason why they could pull the Embroidered Cloud Carriage created by the Hundred Profession Pavilion.

Just the name of the carriage was enough to draw a connection to the Embroidered Cloud Case.

In fact, both items were created by a great craftsmen of the Tongyou Institution.

The Embroidered Cloud Carriage was like the Embroidered Cloud Case, and the space contained within the carriage was much larger than what it seemed. After Shang Xia asked around, he learned that a single Embroidered Cloud Carriage could contain eight times its original size!

Sitting on top of the carriage, Shang Xia felt that traveled across a thin veil that separated the institution from the battlefield between the two worlds. His senses became much clearer than before.

“This… The qi between heaven and earth seems to be denser here.” Shang Xia looked around and thought to himself.

He discovered that he wasn’t the only one. He discovered that everyone who arrived became much more excited.

The oppressive atmosphere that filled the air was nowhere to be seen.

“This isn’t all… The heaven and earth qi didn’t just grow denser. It seems to be more active than usual.” Shang Xia noticed.

Very quickly, he received confirmation of his guesses from Yuan Zilu. “Do you guys feel a lot more alert than usual?”

A smile hung on his face when he said that.

“Many of you should have guessed…” He glanced at Shang Xia for a second before continuing, “The density of heaven and earth qi is much higher than that in our institution! Moreover, we are only at the outskirts of the battlefield between two worlds! When we go deeper, all of you will realize that the heaven and earth qi will grow even denser and more active!”

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

A sigh followed, “Naturally, the heaven and earth qi might be denser here, but you’ll find it much harder to control!”

! Many disciples of the outer division looked at each other in confusion.

Shang Xia was the only one who revealed an expression as though he had expected it. He was cautious the moment they entered. He started to circulate his inner qi and tried to control the energy in his body more effectively. He no longer allowed the inner qi in his body to run wild.

“All of you might not understand what it means to lose control of your inner qi, but this is something quite common in the outside world. Yuan Zilu continued, “In our own words, you’ll experience cultivation deviation!”

The faces of many disciples changed when they heard what he said.

Many of them hastily suppressed the inner qi in their body, but unlike Shang Xia who had such precise control over his own body, many of them suffered from their overhasty actions. Some of them felt the blood rushing to their head, and there were even some who suffered slight internal injuries.

“This is only a small lesson to all of you.” Yuan Zilu seemed to have expected something like that to happen. As such, the smile on his face disappeared and he gave them a serious warning. “All of you need to know that there are dangers lurking all around the battlefield between two worlds. Even the heaven and earth qi you absorb might pose a threat to your life!”

His words were like a bucket of cold water that doused the excitement they had.

He didn’t stop there. “Some of you might already know that many disciples gave up their lives in the battlefield between two worlds. Disciples of the inner and outer division alike. I bet none of you know the reason behind their deaths.”

Yuan Zilu looked at the disciples around him and he saw that many of them had suppressed the chaotic flow of inner qi in their bodies and a satisfied smile returned to his face. “One third of those who die here were killed by experts from the outside world! Half of the remainder were killed when they tried to forage for treasures! The rest died after suffering from cultivation deviation!”

Looking at the surprised expression that was forming on their faces, Yuan Zilu chuckled, “Are you amazed? Who would have thought that so many cultivators would die when cultivating?! If that’s the case, why are so many people rushing over here?”

“Are you confused?”

Many disciples nodded solemnly.

As a sharp light flashed through his eyes, no one dared to meet Yuan Zilu’s gaze. “That is because this is the battlefield between the two worlds! There’s not much else for me to say! All of you will have to search for the answer yourselves!”

Thinking of something, Shang Xia turned to look behind him. He discovered that even though it hadn’t been long since they left the main entrance of the institution, it appeared to have been left a long way behind.

Shang Xia’s actions attracted the attention of the other disciples, and all of them turned to look behind them.

Yuan Zilu’s voice rang in their ears once again, “The boundary between the You Continent and the battlefield between two worlds is something you cannot comprehend. It’s a spatial wonder that might cause you to lose your way forever.”

“Naturally, the path we’re taking is an exception. The moment we left the gates, we entered the spatial tunnel connecting the continent to the battlefield!”