Chapter 894: The Wild Wastes Hidden Realm

Back in Yongding, Xiao Nanfeng began to absorb the energy of the pure yang pillar. He didn't know how much of it Shi Tianbei had already expended; regardless, what remained was an incredible supply of energy. His ten golden crows guided the energy to his dantian, whereupon it erupted.

Xiao Nanfeng burst into golden flames.

"What potent energy," Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

The pure yang energy coursed through his body like a dragon, producing a loud clamor that reverberated.

After an indeterminate period of time, Xiao Nanfeng finally absorbed all the energy that was within the pillar.

With a loud boom, a powerful wave of flame surged outward, sending ripples through the surrounding space.

Xiao Nanfeng opened his eyes and exhaled softly. "The fifth stage of the Golden Immortal realm... To think this pure yang pillar would contain so much energy. If I could acquire the others as well, my cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds."

Excitement flickered in his eyes as he stood up.

He opened his mouth and expelled a piece of white jade—what remained of the pure yang pillar, now drained of energy.

He stepped outside the hall and saw Blue Lantern waiting outside.

"I've absorbed all the energy in the pure yang pillar, Blue Lantern," Xiao Nanfeng said, handing him the piece of white jade.

"Congratulations on another breakthrough, Your Majesty," Blue Lantern replied, astonished.

The pure yang pillar had absorbed pure yang energy for a span of ninety thousand years, and he knew just how much energy lay within it. How could Xiao Nanfeng have absorbed it all? Just how potent were his techniques?

"I have made a minor breakthrough, thank you. Now that the energy has been depleted, will this fragment of white jade that remains be of use to you?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. It will be invaluable for formations, and can serve as a core component for certain supreme formations," Blue Lantern replied.

"In that case, this shall be an asset of Dazheng's imperial astronomer. You will be responsible for it."

"Understood. Thank you, Your Majesty!" Blue Lantern exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng walked toward another hall guarded by spectral guards. Upon seeing Xiao Nanfeng, they bowed.

"Has Yu'er not emerged yet?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Not yet. Her breakthrough is ongoing, Your Majesty," a spectral guard said.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded and gently pushed open the doors leading into the hall.

Inside the hall was an energy-stabilizing formation. Several female spectral guards stood around a glowing purple orb, channeling its energy into Xia Yu'er's body.

The purple orb was naturally from the Yuqing Enlightenment Grounds that he had conquered, which he had specifically saved for Yu'er.

Xiao Nanfeng waited patiently as the purple orb finally cracked, its energy gone.

Yu'er's body radiated with purple light. Then, moments later, a surge of energy burst forth as she opened her eyes, her face brimming with joy. When she saw Xiao Nanfeng standing nearby, she leapt up and grinned. "Nanfeng, I'm a Golden Immortal now! That treasure of yours was incredible. The energy was completely compatible with my techniques!"

"It was a conquered Yuqing Enlightenment Grounds that I specially left for you. I have more that can help you continue breaking through, too." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

"Nanfeng, you're amazing!" Yu'er reached out to hug hin, only for a bolt of purple lightning to erupt from her body.

"This is so infuriating!" Yu'er cried out, flustered and annoyed.

"It's alright. We'll dispel the curse soon enough," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

Yu'er nodded glumly.

"But I'm a little curious—didn't you already refine one of the Yuqing yin pillars? Shouldn't that have helped you break through?"

"Before the grandmaster's specter dissipated, he explained that my body wasn't able to withstand the energy within the Yuqing yin pillar. Only when I became a Golden Immortal would it slowly be released to fuel my growth."

"That doesn't make sense," Xiao Nanfeng murmured. "Why make it so complicated? Advancing your cultivation shouldn't be too hard. If even this orb from an Yuqing Enlightenment Grounds could help you, shouldn't the grandmaster's projection have been able to do the same?"

"I don't know, either," Yu'er replied.

Blue Lantern interjected, "Perhaps the grandmaster's projection really couldn't do it."

"Hm?"

"That was merely a remnant projection of the Yuqing Grandmaster. It might have had some power, but not very much at all. Moreover, the Yuqing yin pillar was likely preset to release its energy at a controlled rate. Changing that flow would have required additional power that the projection must have lacked," Blue Lantern suggested.

Xiao Nanfeng thought for a moment and nodded. "That's plausible."

Yu'er's eyes widened. "Now that I'm a Golden Immortal, I can feel the power radiating from the Yuqing yin pillar and advancing my cultivation. Ah, hold on, I'm going to break through again!"

She quickly sat down in meditation once again. She was enveloped in violet light and surrounded by crackling purple lightning. Her radiant glow was mesmerizing.

An hour later, with a boom, another wave of energy surged outward. Yu'er opened her eyes, smiling with excitement.

"The second stage of the Golden Immortal realm? You broke through just like that?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

Yu'er nodded. "The Yuqing yin pillar is continuously infusing energy into my body while reforging it."

"In that case, about how long will it take for your next breakthrough?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.

"Based on the technique that the Yuqing Grandmaster passed down to me, I'll need differing amounts of energy for each breakthrough. The next one might take a day."

Xiao Nanfeng: ...

Blue Lantern: ...

Just a day to advance from the second to third stages of the Golden Immortal realm? Wasn't this rather ridiculous?

"In that case, let's address your curse as quickly as possible and head out," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Very well!" Yu'er nodded.

Xiao Nanfeng had initially intended for Yu'er to remain in Yongding, but she insisted on accompanying him. He eventually relented.

Outside, Ye Dafu and the other golden cultivators were waiting for them, Xiao Nanfeng, Blue Lantern, Yu'er, and the twelve golden cultivators set off from Yongding and toward the Eastern Sea.

"The wild wastes hidden realm lies in the Eastern Sea. My sect once maintained good relations with the draconic palace here, and I was often sent on missions to the palace. That's how I became acquainted with Ao Zhou," Blue Lantern explained.

"So that's how it is." Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

"Ao Zhou? He's been rebuilding the draconic palace since the Imperial Court fell. I wonder how he's doing now?" Ye Dafu mused, smiling.

"Let's focus on our mission for now," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Understood!" everyone replied.

The cultivators soon arrived at a fog-shrouded island.

"This is the place," Blue Lantern said.

Blue Lantern led them all toward a certain mountain on the island.

"Where's the entrance to the wild wastes hidden realm?" Yu'er asked curiously.

Blue Lantern glanced at the space before him, a complicated look flitting across his face. Once, he had sworn never to return, and yet...

"Your Majesty, the restrictions imposed by the heavens on the wild wastes hidden realm are particularly strict. No one is allowed to enter or exit. In the past, even the leaders of the eight factions who possessed the bronze compasses weren't able to leave. It was only after I toppled a pure yang pillar that some of the internal structures of the realm were disrupted, allowing the faction leaders to use their bronze compasses to enter and exit. Even so, it's impossible for others to pass through."

"Oh? How did you do so, then?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"I have a unique constitution suited to formations, Your Majesty, and can barely bypass the restrictions. However, I can only secure passage for myself. If I am to bring you in, I'll have to trouble you to enter my life compass." Blue Lantern retrieved a transparent compass.

"I shall do so," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Got it!" Blue Lantern replied.

He activated the transparent compass and absorbed everyone within.

Then, Blue Lantern held the compass in hand and faced the void. He formed a seal. Suddenly, the void trembled. Countless runes appeared in a densely packed structure, glowing brightly.Blue Lantern stepped forward and transformed into a wisp of flame that merged into the runes. With a hum, he disappeared along with the runes.

The next moment, Blue Lantern appeared in another space entirely. He activated the transparent compass and released Xiao Nanfeng and the rest of the party.

"Your Majesty, we've arrived. This is the wild wastes hidden realm."

The cultivators looked around. They were in a realm shrouded in thick fog. Within the fog were countless golden runes and characters that shifted constantly. Xiao Nanfeng didn't recognize the runes, but the characters were celestial symbols used in formation compasses: heavenly stems, earthly branches, the five elements, and the eight trigrams. It was a strange and mysterious sight.

"What a peculiar realm," Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

"The Supreme Sect of the Wild Wastes has been trapped here for ninety thousand years. In that span of time, it has elevated the art of formations to its peak. This entire realm is filled with formations."

"Hm?"

Blue Lantern raised a hand and summoned a golden 寅 character from a distance. He pointed his finger at it, causing a portal to appear.

"What's this?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"This is a spatial formation. It allows us to teleport to the location of the other 寅 character.

He stepped through the portal, the others following closely behind him. The next moment, they found themselves before a vast river, over which an 寅 floated.

"How ingenious," Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed, impressed.

Blue Lantern nodded. "This hidden realm has been saturated with innumerable formations laid by countless predecessors from the sect. The entire realm is essentially one massive, intricate formation. Sometimes, even touching a small pebble might trigger a hidden array, teleporting you elsewhere—or even activating some deadly trap."

The cultivators exchanged uneasy glances. This didn't seem like a hidden realm at all—it was more like an elaborate trap-filled tomb!