Chapter 163: Earth Immortal

As dusk settled, Grandmaster Ma tumbled through the bamboo grove, snapping many of the green stalks beneath its heft. Its body, drenched in blood, painted the earth beneath it in somber reds. After consuming a variety of miraculous herbs in the afternoon, its body was enveloped in mysterious symbols, undergoing a violent transformation that had persisted until now, with blood continuously seeping from its pores.

The creature's fur was stained a deep crimson as it let out low, anguished roars. The dormant demon bloodline within it was partially awakened, prompting a renewal of its very lifeblood. If this continued, signs of a transcendental evolution were inevitable!

Its wings had grown noticeably amidst the tumult, with the runes adorning them dazzling more brightly, crackling with tiny arcs of electricity. Like the ancient pegasus that relied not on the flapping of wings but on the shimmering runes to propel themselves at breakneck speeds across the heavens, Grandmaster Ma was evolving.

Meanwhile, Zhao Qinghan was a portrait of tranquility compared to the tormented Grandmaster Ma. With her eyes closed, she felt every subtle shift within her, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Her visage glowed faintly in the evening sun’s dying light.

Wang Xuan produced several metallic tokens, abruptly extending his spiritual domain to attract the mysterious essence within. He drew this arcane substance out steadily, channeling it into Zhao Qinghan’s being. Her body quivered slightly under the influx, the effects of the extraordinary herbs already at work now amplified.

Wang Xuan monitored her condition with a touch of awe. Zhao Qinghan had claimed her practice of ancient techniques was to maintain her figure, and now, it appeared there was truth in her words. She was exceptionally attuned to the old ways; the potent mystical essence from the tokens, combined with the herbs, made her inner organs luminescent, significantly vitalizing her flesh. She was rapidly advancing into the domain of a grandmaster.

Though her combat prowess remained a topic for further scrutiny, her breakthrough speed was undeniably swift. It seemed Zhao Qinghan's initial desire for beauty was beginning to be fulfilled in an extraordinary journey of transformation.

Wang Xuan watched as Grandmaster Ma, the demon horse, underwent its transformation. Holding the metallic token, he too began to channel the essence of the mysterious factor for it.

With nightfall, Grandmaster Ma finally completed its blood renewal. In the soft lunar glow, it emitted a faint luminescence, its expansive wings gently flapping, casting about electrical arcs.

To replenish its expended strength, Wang Xuan roasted a bear-like beast for it. The demon horse had officially stepped into the later stages of a grandmaster's power, almost ascending to the pinnacle of its kind.

Meanwhile, Zhao Qinghan sought refuge in a clear spring. Even the most beautiful and pristine of maidens could not escape becoming sticky and sweat-soaked amidst the grandmaster-level metamorphosis—a result of the violent changes within her body, where metabolism raged with intensity, honing and optimizing her physique, imbuing her with vibrant life force.

Soon after, dressed anew, her hair damp, Zhao Qinghan emerged. Her face, under the moon's caress, was radiant and fair. "It turns out that after a bodily transformation, no matter what physical technique one practiced before, the effect is extraordinary; the skin becomes better," she remarked, admiring her snow-white arms. Pulling out a small mirror from her makeup kit, she gazed at her own face, now glowing with a pearlescent luster, and her joy was palpable.

She hadn't forgotten Wang Xuan's own skin-shedding episode.

"Wait for me in the bamboo grove tomorrow; it's safe here for now," Wang Xuan instructed. Although Grandmaster Ma had evolved, traveling alone would be faster.

Even so, he harbored concerns, for the places he intended to visit brimmed with danger, guarded by extraordinary beasts. His first destination was the Land of Wonders, to retrieve the mysterious treasures left by the immortals from the inner landscape's treasure trove.

Since these treasures were meant to alter the fates of those below the transcendent level, it was prudent to acquire them before venturing to the eight great transcendent lairs in the Land of the Departed.

The spider was a lesser worry now. Grandmaster Ma had acquired the ability to fly and burrow, making it possible to provoke and draw the creature away.

What weighed on Wang Xuan's mind was the potential of unleashing something untoward from the treasure trove. Because of this concern, he planned to scout the inner landscape's treasures himself first.

If all proved safe, he would lead Grandmaster Ma and Zhao Qinghan to be baptized by the mystical substances.

At dawn, Grandmaster Ma emerged from a distant waterfall, cleansed of bloodstains, its newly awakened demonic bloodline rendering it even more majestic and spirited.

As dawn's light stretched over the landscape, Grandmaster Ma's transformation was complete. It stood resplendent, its fur aglow as if bathed in the light of the morning sun. Its magnificent wings, now wide and powerful, were streaked with golden arcs, echoing the mythical Pegasus of lore.

Wang Xuan turned to Zhao Qinghan with assurance in his voice, "Once I've ensured the path is clear, I will have Grandmaster Ma come for you." She nodded in understanding and handed him the great bow, a silent pact between them.

Armored for the journey ahead, the duo—the man and his mystical steed—surged forward, their ascent a gleaming streak across the sky, reminiscent of an arrow seeking its target in the heavens.

Alone with his thoughts, Wang Xuan recognized that despite Grandmaster Ma's swiftness, it had not quite matched the velocity of the silver bear that roamed near the Land of the Departed. Yet, as he contemplated the potential of riding the beast into an aerial assault on the earthbound dens of other transcendent monsters, a strategic confidence took hold.

They arrived over a desolate stretch of mountainous terrain, marked by the remnants of what was once verdant—now overrun by the vestiges of decay and a sprawling web that seemed to hold the ruins in an eternal embrace.

The vitality that once pulsed through this secret land was now confined to memory, leaving a haunting stillness in its wake.

Atop his valiant mount, Wang Xuan released a wild boar from the sky, its fall stirring the dust of the ancient rubble. "Spider, consider this a gift," he announced into the still air. "I ask for but a moment's passage to retrieve an item, and then I shall depart."

The behemoth spider, with its striking dichromatic patterns, awakened fully at his approach. Its eyes, cold and calculating, fixed upon the intruders, their gaze like icy lances in the morning air.

Tension crackled between them as Grandmaster Ma's instincts kicked in, carrying them higher into the safety of the sky. The creature's sense of alarm was palpable, a testament to the spider's hidden might, which had been nurtured by years spent near the mystical treasures of the inner landscape.

When a subtle psychic threat whispered through the air, Wang Xuan steeled himself. Diplomacy had failed, and the time for action had come. He drew the great bow with measured calm, the iron arrow notched and ready.

With a swift release, the arrow, empowered with runes and the might of his intention, descended in a furious arc. It struck, disrupting the ancient silence, as earth and stone erupted in protest. The spider, now provoked beyond patience, readied itself for a battle it had not sought but was fully prepared to wage.

The spider, with a monstrous fury, opened its maw and unleashed a beam of white light. What would typically be strands of silk now transformed into a lethal weapon, soaring over two hundred meters into the sky in pursuit of its target.

Wang Xuan, recognizing the impending danger, gestured to Grandmaster Ma to maintain a safe distance and descend to the ground ahead. He turned his body once more, drawing the great bow with the intent of further inciting the wrath of the extraordinary arachnid.

Thud!

His arrow struck true, landing upon the spider’s black and white head. However, the creature's exoskeleton was like iron, its dark sheen flashing as the iron arrow shattered upon impact.

Despite the spider’s formidable strength, its limited sentience was evident—the brute savagery of the beast overshadowing any glimmer of wisdom. With a thunderous burst, it broke the sound barrier, leaving a trail of mist in its wake, relentlessly pursuing the provocateur.

In this desolate place, devoid of anything precious for the spider to guard, it was unrestrained, chasing down its agitator with primal ferocity.

Meanwhile, Grandmaster Ma displayed a newfound comprehension of strategy, hugging the terrain in flight, glancing back in defiance, its posture proud and challenging. It seemed almost as if the creature was hurling insults, maintaining a constant distance of three hundred meters from the spider.

Wang Xuan, too, continued his provocations, sending arrow after arrow, each one a deliberate taunt.

An explosion disrupted the forest as Grandmaster Ma and Wang Xuan led the enraged spider away from the ruins, drawing it into the depths of the secret land, inciting its anger further with every passing moment.

Over mountain ridges and across rivers, they journeyed on for what seemed an eternity, eventually luring the spider into an expanse of primeval woodland.

“Let’s go, return. It is time,” Wang Xuan commanded.

At his word, Grandmaster Ma soared skywards, racing back towards their origin. Before long, they descended amidst the rubble once again.

Wang Xuan made haste towards the black and white pedestal, where indeed, he discovered twelve indentations—sockets for metallic tokens, keys to some greater mystery.

Without a moment’s hesitation—for there was no time for doubt or fear—he marshaled the mysterious essence within him. Then, sparing no cost and guided by his will, he poured this essence into the twelve hollows, as if sowing seeds of ancient power into the heart of the enigma before him.

The pedestal, swathed in shades of black and white, began to quiver. The mysterious essences that Wang Xuan had poured into it now boiled and swirled, enveloping the space in a misty dance of energies.

Wang Xuan's expression shifted; he realized the amount of essence he had expended was significant. He made a mental note that once inside the Inner Landscape of this strange relic, he must recoup his investment, with interest.

In an instant, the black and white dais roared to life, and to Wang Xuan’s heightened senses, it underwent a profound transformation, morphing into a current of dark and light qi.

Finally, the swirling energies gave birth to a pathway, a conduit where shadows and mists flowed together. Wang Xuan found his spirit inexplicably drawn out from his physical form, guided by the dual qi into this newly formed passage. He traversed through the mingling black and white haze, propelled ever onward.

Within this journey, grand ripples of power expanded throughout the passageway, echoing like an ancient seal, issuing a warning to posterity: "Those transcendent should not approach, retreat swiftly!"

Was this truly a marvel left for beings less than transcendent?

As Wang Xuan ventured further along the undulating corridor of dual qi, he felt his soul tremble. Ahead, there were figures aplenty.

“I am a Terran immortal, and here I perish?!” cried one silhouette before it burst apart, leaving nothing behind.

Another voice lamented, “I stand on the verge of metamorphosis, the strongest sage of the Heluo era. Here to seek the legacy of sages past, I find my end beneath a mere pedestal. This is not my destiny!”

With a thunderous crash, a nearly transformed and formidable being disintegrated, exploding into oblivion.

“I hail from the pure-blooded Jinchi Peng clan, my magic supreme, dominating an extraordinary planet. I came in search of the legendary treasure, yet here my divine feathers crumble, unable to even enter the Inner Landscape, dying within this passageway. How did it come to this?”

A Jinchi Peng burned to nothingness in that place, its feathers detonating into the void.

“And I, the premier Earth Immortal of the Heluo, Eura, and Yuhua stars, unmatched in my time across three transcendent planets. Even an immortal such as myself dissipates like a soap bubble here. Who, then, is the Inner Landscape’s treasure meant for?”

The preeminent immortal of a grand era, revered across three extraordinary planets, was crushed to dust within the tumult of black and white qi, perishing in an instant.

......

Wang Xuan felt a chill crawl down his spine. Was this truly the place he was meant to find?

In a flash, his mind raced back to the grandiose voice, the imprint, the projection of some transcendental rule that had warned the future. "The transcendent shall not approach? The mundane may enter," he realized with a start.

Undoubtedly, the figures that had burst apart were the imprints of ancient beings of terror, showcasing their final, desperate struggles. Earthly immortals, masters of metamorphosis, the Jinchi Pengs that had trodden the true path beyond their demonic forms... These top-tier warriors from various realms and races had all perished here.

Such imprints, such scenes, were truly daunting.

As Wang Xuan advanced, he encountered even more shattered figures.

"I was consumed by greed," lamented one, "For centuries, I allowed those who had not transcended to seek fortune here, to grasp a chance to alter their fate. I should have been content. Yet, I coveted that mysterious artifact, leading to my own doom. For five hundred years I reigned supreme on Yuhua Star, only to die in such a lowly manner."

"I am the Thousand-Handed True God, and here I perish..."

Wang Xuan became numb to it all; the passageway wasn't long, but in its brief span, he witnessed countless silhouettes of beings who had been the pinnacle of their times explode into nothingness.

Now, where would one find an earthly immortal? Not a single one was left.

And yet, among the multitudes that had died here in the past, earthly immortals were far from the strongest.

"I am but a mortal, with nothing to lose," Wang Xuan murmured to himself. Without hesitation, he surged forward, breaching the tumultuous corridor of black and white qi, and entered the bizarre space within the Inner Landscape of the artifact.