Chapter 498 - 495. Entering the Qu Realm (Happy New Year)

At this moment, a voice echoed in my ear.

"Host, why not just pilot the Flying Ship into the Qu Realm and take a look?"

The system’s voice?

Wenping was initially stunned, but quickly realized its presence.

Before these words were spoken, Wenping felt as if he was standing on the edge of weakness, and the appearance of the system’s voice was like suddenly having someone standing behind him, patting his shoulder, and assuredly telling him, "The next moment will be wonderful."

The feeling was indescribably delightful.

"Does the Flowing Cloud Armor resist water?"

"No."

"Then..."

Wenping was just about to ask symbolically but was interrupted by the system.

"Qu Realm isn’t water; it merely exists in liquid form. If you jump in, you’ll experience suffocation and drowning sensations, but what can lead to your death is its unique destructiveness—destroying a person’s spiritual power..."

"Spiritual power? Forget it, explain it to me later, let’s enter the Qu Realm first." This time, it was Wenping who ran out of patience.

Ending the conversation with the system in his mind, Wenping immediately turned around and said to Ji Liangping, "Seal off the area within a thousand meters surrounding the Qu Realm. No matter who attempts to intrude, they will be regarded as a mortal enemy of our Immortal Sect."

Ji Liangping quickly nodded, not daring to look further into Wenping’s blade-like eyes.

"Yes!"

"I pledge that not a single person will be allowed in." After offering a somewhat uncertain but determined guarantee, Ji Liangping turned and left.

Wenping then looked at Long Ke and said, "Zhao Keqing, I will enter the Qu Realm to search for my friend’s body. Until then, guard this thousand meters for me, and regardless of who approaches, whether from the Dragon God Sect or the Sect Alliance, kill immediately... If it’s someone from the Dragon God Sect, capture any Upper Realm strong fighters from the Mountain Suppression Realm until I return."

"You’re risking your life?"

Long Ke was somewhat surprised.

The Qu Realm, is it a place that a mere youth can enter?

Even she, in the Upper Realm of Mountain Suppression, regards it with reverence, let alone considering it lightly.

Wenping responded, "The Sect Leader has his ways."

"For sure?" Just as the doubt arose, seeing Wenping’s resolute gaze made Long Ke believe him.

She didn’t even know why she believed him.

Perhaps it’s because Wenping has never done anything lightly without assurance.

Or perhaps it’s because his expression didn’t suggest a joke.

"Alright, I’ll be the guard for this time. As long as anyone dares approach, I won’t be courteous." With that, a hint of fierceness flashed in Long Ke’s eyes. Wenping also didn’t hold back, and immediately took out the Flying Ship from the system space. The massive Flying Ship materialized out of thin air, landing with a thud into the water and splashing droplets that rose to the height of a Zhang. As the splashes returned to the embrace of the lake, the layers of waves began crashing incessantly against the shoreline.

After jumping onto the Flying Ship, Wenping slowly submerged into the depths of the Qu Realm under the watchful eyes of Long Ke. The ripples continued endlessly, and Long Ke’s face of astonishment lingered and took a while to dissipate. After all, that ship voyaging to the skies, possessing the abilities of a Great Demon; now entering the Qu Realm, resembling a True Dragon, truly amazing.

Speaking of the Qu Realm, that which initially blocked Wenping’s perception, making him feel helpless, the "water" now passed before his eyes incessantly, only a foot away from him. If not for the absence of swimming fish or swaying water plants around, he truly wouldn’t believe he was within the Qu Realm. Besides surprise, an overwhelming sense of lifeless desolation struck him, bringing a sense of melancholy.

This feeling was quite unpleasant.

Like knowing your first love is getting married tomorrow.

"So chilling."

At this moment, the system’s voice appeared again, "Host, it’s best to fortify your heart and focus your spiritual power. The Flowing Cloud Armor, although removing the spiritual tear capability in the Qu Realm, if the heart is disturbed here, the cost of finding Shi Hua further down will be heavier."

Wenping, perplexed, asked, "What do you mean?"

The system replied, "That’s what I intended to explain earlier. Qu Realm isn’t water, it cannot be swum, and does not directly kill people. Why body refinement practitioners or even Profound, Divine Profound, Mountain Suppression practitioners may die entering the Qu Realm is because the Qu Realm destroys spiritual power. Regardless of cultivation method, none have truly trained spiritual power, at most only possessing strong willpower and broader perception; thus when falling into the Qu Realm, that insignificant spiritual power being destroyed is a trivial matter. And for a person, having their spiritual power destroyed results in the same as having one’s heart dug out with a knife — both lead to death—"

After hearing this, Wenping fell into deep thought.

The system doesn’t mention it, and he truly doesn’t understand this.

After all, the world’s people are focused on researching Vein Technique, Meridian Gate, and Vortex Map, none willing to dedicate themselves to studying the perilous Qu Realm.

Upon learning of its dangerous origin, Wenping asked further, "If my heart is disturbed here, what might happen?" With that, he took a look at the boundless, dark Qu Realm.

Alas.

Seems like the Sea Thought Strong Tea brewed in the kitchen might have the effect of enhancing spiritual power.

Drinking more of it, might allow for unhindered swimming in the Qu Realm later?

As he pondered, he was reminded by the system.

"Once wounded in the Qu Realm, the steel mentality forged through thousand layers trials will break, and this damage is permanent, not recoverable by walking ten times, a hundred, or a thousand layers again. After all, Flowing Cloud Armor only upgraded once. Although this harm might be minor, if the host upgrades the Flowing Cloud Armor twice more, the Qu Realm will be as freely navigable as the Four-star Sect’s mountain gates." After saying this, the system ceased speaking.

Wenping smiled lightly, involuntarily tapping the ship’s rail with his fingertips.

Upgrading is certainly a must.

Being able to move freely within the Qu Realm might serve a substantial purpose someday.

Resuming his thoughts, Wenping immediately self-piloted the Flying Ship, proceeding forward while secretly operating the Changmo Technique to keep his spirit focused, closely observing for anything that might emerge within the Qu Realm.

Bit by bit, time passed, the Flying Ship hadn’t collided with Shi Hua, but encountered some indeterminate entities settled long within the Qu Realm.

Swoosh—

The Flying Ship coasted past a giant log estimated to require seven or eight people to hug, and when Wenping inadvertently looked, he found that no moss had grown upon it, the bark’s patterns vividly visible.

Proceeding further.

The Flying Ship then collided with an undefined entity, sending it into a spin, then disappearing behind the ship.

At this point, the system spoke again, "Qu Realm can move, but not too swiftly. The host only needs to search within a ten-thousand meter radius here." Having said that, it helped steer the bow.

Wenping chose to trust the system, steering toward the other side.

As the Flying Ship glided forward a few thousand meters more, a floating shadow made Wenping’s heart momentarily halt because it was a human silhouette, no longer rectangular or any odd shape.

It was, indeed, a human shape.

Not overly robust.

Slender, fragile.

With some shadow extending outward—perhaps hair.

"Hurry!"

Wenping immediately accelerated the Flying Ship, eager to approach and investigate further.