Chapter 301: No Shelter in a Collapsing Nest

“Moo~”

Brother Ox nudged Chen Xun, whose face was a bit pale. Absorbing so much of the domain’s chilling energy had clearly taken a toll, likely to cause backlash later.

Chen Xun remained unfazed, patting Brother Ox’s head with a reassuring nod.

Only now did Xiao Chi notice Chen Xun's condition. He was still caught up in the awe of Brother Xun’s display against the corrupted beings, forgetting the peril of the life-draining backlash caused by the death of these creatures.

“I’m fine. Brother Ox, steer us to the right while I recover a bit,” Chen Xun said calmly, casting his gaze toward the horizon where countless questions lingered in his mind. “Let’s move forward. We still need Deity Transformation-level techniques, and the Bai Li Clan can help us with that.”

“Moo!”

“Yes, Brother Xun!”

Both Brother Ox and Xiao Chi nodded, bolting into action. They weren’t ones to think too deeply; as long as they could follow Chen Xun, they would trust in whatever he decided.

Buzz!

The massive ship lifted off, its hull surrounded by radiant glimmers as it accelerated into the endless darkness. The vessel darted through the bleak War Realm like a fleeting shadow, picking up speed as it went.

Chen Xun sat cross-legged on the deck, gradually closing his eyes as a gentle breeze swept over him. He let the domain’s chilling energy circulate freely within him, his complexion growing paler.

Slaying so many corrupted beings, even with his enhanced longevity, came at a steep price. He could feel vitality slipping away—a slow drain that brought with it a gnawing feeling of despair.

Reflecting on the effect, Chen Xun realized that the so-called “life-draining backlash” was more than just superstition. The truth was far more straightforward: the War Realm’s cold, hostile energy was the true cause, representing the negative, corrosive side of nature that posed a threat to all living beings.

The corrupted beings thrived by absorbing this dark energy, cultivating a strange technique that allowed them to drain life from others. It struck him that this life-draining technique was likely universal; if these creatures could harvest vitality from living beings, then slaying corrupted beings would yield the same corrosive backlash.

The corrupted ones were indeed cunning, their survival instincts rooted in this unique, symbiotic relationship with the War Realm’s energies.

“If I find a path forward, I’ll capture one of those newly-formed corrupted beings for closer study,” Chen Xun murmured with a strange smile, his mind ticking over his theory. “But I’ll need to refine my skills in the Deity Transformation realm if I hope to uncover the truth and find a way through.”

It was clear that the War Realm itself hid secrets of immense consequence. While the War Realm Camp provided a base for cultivators to prepare for battle, the true War Realm beyond was a chaotic expanse that offered nothing but peril and relentless battles.

Chen Xun’s mind drifted to memories of ancient warships, abandoned on the Forbidden Sea’s coast, bearing the marks of fierce, millennia-old battles. Those battle-worn ships, the surviving Bai Li Clan warriors who held the gates against the corrupted hordes—each piece contributed to the larger picture of an inevitable struggle.

With renewed resolve, he thought,

There’s no way out of this collapsing nest. We’ll have to face the next great battle here in the War Realm itself. Better we stir the pot ourselves and get a head start on the fight.

The air around him thickened with a powerful resolve as he exhaled. Threads of Extinguishing Spirit Force seeped from his body, wrapping around him before drawing back in. A new divine aperture had started to open, expanding his strength and insight into the mysteries of power.

On the crane’s head, Brother Ox and Xiao Chi glanced sharply at him, each feeling the weight of his fierce determination.

“Brother Ox…” Xiao Chi’s voice trailed off.

“Moo!”

Brother Ox snorted, gaze fixed on Chen Xun with a resolute gleam in his eyes. Whatever Chen Xun had in mind, Brother Ox was prepared to follow without hesitation, his usual docility replaced by steely resolve.

Xiao Chi watched Chen Xun intently, feeling a renewed admiration for the man who always appeared carefree, the same Brother Xun who would haggle over a few thousand lower-grade spirit stones, who wore the same rough-spun clothes.

Buzz—

The ship tore through the heavens, a sharp, unstoppable blade slicing through the vast darkness of the War Realm. Brother Ox focused on expanding his divine apertures, positioning his five primordial spirits at each of the five points around the ship to repel corrupted beings, each holding a formation flag.

Xiao Chi also gathered his spirit, beginning to cultivate with the pitch-black stones and millennium-aged spiritual herbs he had gathered.

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Days slipped into years. The ship had traversed the War Realm for over two years now, with Chen Xun and his companions using their longevity points to boost their defenses for the journey through increasingly hostile lands.

Amid the barren wastes of the Black Soil Domain, atop a massive black mountain, three shadowy figures stood at its summit. Corrupted beings lay heaped around the mountain’s base, rivers of tainted blood streaming down its slopes. The skeletal remains of fallen cultivators and blood-stained war banners hinted at fierce battles long past. They had entered the heart of Da Li’s War Realm.

Corrupted beings crawled up the mountain in waves, lured by the rich aura of spiritual energy from their prey.

Whoosh!

A chill wind swept over the mountain, and all nearby corrupted beings froze, collapsing to the ground with lifeless eyes. The mountain had become their graveyard, the bodies piling higher and higher.

“It looks like we’ve arrived,” Chen Xun said calmly, surveying the scene.

“Moo~”

“Brother Xun, there haven’t been many Deity Transformation-level corrupted beings here… not even one,” he added, glancing over at Chen Xun as they looked across the mountain’s desolate landscape.

Swish! Swish!

From the distance, a dozen beams of light approached—scattered cultivators of Da Li, wearing no sect markings. They looked panicked, pursued by a Golden Core-level corrupted being that they were struggling to fend off.

“Run! This one can hide itself—our divine senses are useless against it!”

“Damn it, we’re being hunted by a Golden Core-level corrupted being, and we can’t kill it.”

“Huang Shao, you know we can’t enter the War Realm Camp without proving ourselves with a corrupted being’s head!”

“I know,” Huang Shao muttered bitterly.

The cultivators communicated frantically as they flew, their expressions twisted with frustration and fear. The War Realm was far more treacherous than any secret realm; danger lurked at every turn, and even attacking an enemy required caution.

As they fled, a strong scent of blood filled the air, and a massive black mountain loomed into view. The cultivators froze mid-flight, dread seizing them. How could a black mountain be here? According to reports from the War Realm Camp on the Celestial River’s edge, they were to avoid black mountains, as they could conceal Nascent Soul-level corrupted beings.

What’s more, their map didn’t mark a black mountain in this area—it was supposed to be a less dangerous part of the War Realm.

They were cornered now, a Golden Core-level corrupted being in pursuit and, ahead, the ominous presence of a possible Nascent Soul-level corrupted being. This was a certain death trap.

Huang Shao and Dai Xinqing exchanged fearful glances, their backs soaked in cold sweat. After years of cultivation, they had finally encountered an insurmountable crisis.