Chapter 547: Fierce Flames

On the first day, Misty Waters City was filled with wails, but by the second day, it had become peaceful and serene.

After the first day, when the reckless individuals who dared to enter the city were thoroughly eliminated, no one dared to challenge the Penglai Supreme Sect's might again.

Yang Shenlong remained in the city, while his three fellow disciples spread out to hunt. Although their gains couldn't match those of the previous day, they were still quite substantial.

On the evening of the second day, a new figure stepped into Misty Waters City.

This man was tall and thin, with dark skin marked by traces of blood and charred wounds—it was none other than Du Wuhen of the Thunderbolt Stronghold. His breathing was slightly uneven, suggesting he had recently suffered serious injuries and was still in the process of recovering. His cultivation power had not yet been fully restored.

He walked along the empty main street of the city until he reached the center, where someone finally appeared to block his path.

This individual was dressed in black, with a saber strapped to his back and half of his face concealed. He was a young man from the Royal Wave Bureau of the Fuyao Kingdom, who had allied with the Penglai Supreme Sect at some point.

However, the Penglai Supreme Sect had always been the power behind the Fuyao Kingdom, so their collaboration was of no surprise.

"You’re the first one bold enough to enter Misty Waters City today," the disciple from the Fuyao Kingdom said coldly.

"I'm not here to fight. I have something I want to discuss with Yang Shenlong," Du Wuhen replied.

The disciple from the Fuyao Kingdom stared at him for a moment before stepping aside, gesturing for him to pass. He wasn’t the least bit concerned about Du Wuhen having ulterior motives—after all, he was heading toward the strongest person here.

Du Wuhen slowly ascended to the highest tower in the city, and as soon as he entered, he saw a familiar short figure in the main hall.

"Haha! You really dared to come for revenge!" Qi Lin'er cackled as he leaped up, clearly surprised that Du Wuhen had the nerve to actually come.

"I'm not here for you. I need to speak with Yang Shenlong," Du Wuhen repeated.

"You want to see him? Then you’ll have to get through me first!" Qi Lin'er wasn’t going to let him off so easily. He lunged forward, swinging a kick at Du Wuhen.

The brothers from Thunderbolt Stronghold had injured him before, and he was still holding a grudge.

Clang—

A metallic clang rang out as Du Wuhen’s scythe blocked the kick once again. Fortunately for Qi Lin'er, he quickly adjusted his direction, kicking the side of the blade. If not, he would have been injured.

Using the momentum, Qi Lin'er flipped in midair, his palms descending with the force of collapsing mountains.

Boom—

Du Wuhen met him with one palm, his feet sinking one chi into the ground before he stopped.

Qi Lin'er was also thrown back, landing on the ground again.

"Back off!" A command suddenly came from upstairs.

Hearing that voice, Qi Lin'er was still disgruntled but dared not act recklessly anymore. He had no choice but to let Du Wuhen pass.

Du Wuhen ascended to the top floor and saw a figure standing on the open balcony, facing away from him.

Even among the prodigies, there were differences in ability.

If Du Wuhen was considered one of the top prodigies of his generation, then Yang Shenlong was unparalleled. Among the young disciples of the sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten, Yang Shenlong was the only one Du Wuhen had no confidence in defeating.

That was why he came to seek out Yang Shenlong.

"The eldest disciple of Thunderbolt Stronghold, what brings you here?" Yang Shenlong didn’t turn around but asked calmly.

"I'd like to ask for your help," Du Wuhen said. "I need your help to eliminate Mount Shu's team. Once it's done, I’ll give you all twelve soul crystals I’ve collected so far."

"Do you think I need your soul crystals?" Yang Shenlong asked.

"I will also form an alliance with you on behalf of the Thunderbolt Stronghold. Although I’m the only one left, in this illusory realm, I will obey your every command," Du Wuhen continued.

Yang Shenlong finally turned around. With calm, deep, and unfathomable eyes, he said, "It seems Qi Lin'er killed one of your teammates earlier. So, we are enemies, aren't we?"

Du Wuhen remained silent.

It was true.

But the fact that they were enemies was less important compared to the urgent task of eliminating the team from the Mount Shu Sect. Teaming up with the enemy was no longer a big deal.

This was the hardest path for him.

From what he had observed, the rise of the Mount Shu Sect seemed inevitable. Aside from this move, he couldn't think of any way to change the situation.

"Heh." Yang Shenlong smiled slightly. "I accept the alliance, but I don’t need your soul crystals. Just your presence here is sufficient. I’ve already promised someone else that I’d handle the Mount Shu Sect, so I don’t need any extra payment."

Du Wuhen hesitated for a moment before saying, "Thank you."

As he turned to leave, Qi Lin'er stood at the stairway and stared at him with a taunting gaze.

"You came too late. Taotie City and Fuyao Kingdom have already arrived long ago. Your Thunderbolt Stronghold will only be ranked fourth in this city.

"Even before you came here, we were already planning on obliterating the team from the Mount Shu Sect."

…

Meanwhile, within the illusory realm, there was another area where the fighting was just as fierce as in Misty Waters City.

It was the Black Whale Mountain.

Unlike the one-sided slaughter by the Penglai Supreme Sect in Misty Waters City, there were numerous teams on the Black Whale Mountain near the coast. There was not a huge difference in strength between these teams, which was why the battle continued even after two days and one night.

There were only five or six teams remaining, all hiding in the corners of Black Whale Mountain, taking a break to recover.

It appeared they were prepared for a prolonged standoff. No one intended to leave until they had established dominance over the area.

At this moment, a strange-looking team arrived on the scene.

The leader was a cold-looking middle-aged man with an eerie glint in his eyes. Without hesitation, he led his teammates up Black Whale Mountain.

One of the resting teams thought that their territory was being invaded. Instantly, all four members jumped up, prepared to fight. The middle-aged man merely glanced at them and raised his hand lightly.

Whoosh—

Suddenly, black light erupted from the chests of the four young men. In an instant, they swelled up and then exploded with a thunderous bang!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The series of explosions caused the Black Whale Mountain to tremble, sending the teams that had just begun to catch their breath into a panic as they hurriedly gathered to prepare for battle.

Whenever the middle-aged man spotted someone within his line of sight, he raised his hand and effortlessly exploded them.

As for the soul crystals that fell to the ground, he didn’t even glance at them.

He soon reached the peak of the Black Whale Mountain.

There was also a team here, led by a red-haired youth. Although his team came from a small, unknown sect, the youth himself was extraordinarily powerful. After two days and one night of fighting, his presence caught the attention of the surrounding teams. All of them were aware that his body was as indestructible as a living vajra, impervious to divine techniques and weapons alike.

When they saw the middle-aged man’s figure, the red-haired youth and his three lackeys reacted very differently. Instead of leaping into battle, they immediately grew tense and bowed deeply, saying, "Greetings, Sect Leader Yuan!"

The middle-aged man gave them a second glance. Instead of attacking, he asked, "From the West Sea?"

"I’m the Copper Demon Ridge's Third Leader. Five years ago at the Evil Dragon Mountain Assembly, I had the honor of meeting you," the red-haired youth said, all his usual arrogance replaced by respect. "You even praised my exceptional talent. Today, I’ve come in response to your call, Sect Leader Yuan. We are ready to join this grand event!"

The middle-aged man nodded and said, "Good, you’ve come at the right time."

"Sect Leader Yuan, our second leader was killed on the way here!" the red-haired youth continued, his voice pleading. "Please, help us avenge him!"

"Hmm." The middle-aged man nodded again, though he didn’t seem overly concerned. He stepped on the mountain beneath his feet and murmured, "I can only enter this illusory realm with the body of a seventh-realm cultivator, which I thought would be troublesome... but I didn’t expect the battle to be centered on Black Whale Mountain. This saves me a lot of trouble."

As he spoke, he crouched down and pressed his palm to the ground.

Whoosh—

Endless black light surged forth, like a geyser erupting from the earth. In an instant, the black light spread across the majority of the mountain like dark ink, gradually seeping downward.

As the black light expanded, the massive mountain began to rumble loudly, shaking violently.

At that moment, everyone within the illusory realm could feel it...

A fierce flame from the ancient primordial wilderness swept across the heavens and the earth!

GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts

Translator: GT