System Granted Me Immortality; I Outlived Everyone

Chapter 24: Return to the Bronze Ancient Hall, Forbidden Land of the Night Moon Country

Following Hu Zhan’s lead, the group walked for quite some time before arriving at the mouth of a valley.

Sensing countless powerful auras lingering in the air, Chen Changsheng frowned.

“Brother Hu, where exactly are we?”

“This is the forbidden land of our Night Moon Country. It also serves as the trial ground for the Son-in-Law Recruitment Assembly.”

“Deep within this forbidden land grows a flower of the other shore. Whoever plucks it earns the right to marry Princess Wanyan.”

“Ah, I see!”

“Then why don’t I see any of the other demon participants?”

Hu Zhan smiled slightly. “They have already entered. I came specifically to fetch you, Brother Chen, which is why I stayed behind.”

“Oh my.”

“To think I delayed Brother Hu’s trial. I am truly overwhelmed with shame.”

“Nonsense!”

“There’s no need to blame yourself, Brother Chen. We hit it off right from the start; a minor delay means nothing.”

“Besides, an early start doesn’t guarantee an advantage. The winner is the one who secures the flower.”

With a gesture, Hu Zhan led Chen Changsheng into the Night Moon Country’s forbidden land.

After traversing a long, winding canyon, the two arrived at a dense forest of towering, ancient trees.

Suffocating heat and thick, drifting miasma clung to the air, practically screaming danger.

Hu Zhan cast a sideways glance at Chen Changsheng, deliberately keeping his mouth shut.

The miasma of the forbidden land was incredibly toxic to cultivators.

Not even those at the Golden Core realm were immune.

He could stand here unharmed entirely thanks to the robust physique of his demon lineage.

A human wandering in here would dissolve into a silent corpse in less than half a day.

“Tsk, tsk.”

“Truly worthy of being the Night Moon Country’s forbidden land. Lethal, as expected.”

After casually appraising his surroundings, Chen Changsheng reached into his robes and pulled out two pills.

He popped one into his own mouth and unceremoniously shoved the other into the little white wolf’s jaws.

“Brother Hu, this miasma is clearly no joke. I have some custom-made detoxification pills here. Want one?”

He produced a third pill and offered it over.

Seeing that Chen Changsheng had easily seen through the trap, Hu Zhan immediately slapped his forehead in feigned realization.

“Brother Chen, if you hadn’t mentioned it, it would have completely slipped my mind!”

“This miasma is dreadfully potent. Even Golden Core cultivators fall prey to it.”

“Fortunately, my fox physique is robust, so there is no need to waste your precious pill.”

With an apologetic smile, Hu Zhan gently pushed Chen Changsheng’s hand away.

Swallowing random pills of unknown origin was a quick way to meet an early grave.

“By the way, Brother Chen. This specific miasma is unique to our forbidden land. How did you recognize it?”

“Could it be that you’ve visited the Night Moon Country’s forbidden land before?”

Chen Changsheng smiled amiably.

“I have naturally never set foot here.”

“But I did read a similar description in an unnamed, ancient text detailing various landscapes.”

“One of those entries bore a striking resemblance to this place.”

“Is that so? How fascinating.”

“To my knowledge, no outsider has stepped into this forbidden land for five hundred years.”

“Who exactly authored this ancient text of yours?”

“I wouldn’t know. By the time I found it, the pages were rotting away.”

“Perhaps it was written over five hundred years ago.”

“Makes sense. We should hurry.”

“Lin Hu and the others have already been inside for quite a while.”

Hu Zhan waved his right hand. A Nascent Soul realm puppet materialized in front of them, acting as a vanguard.

Chen Changsheng stared at the lifeless puppet, a fleeting glint flashing in his eyes.

……

Deep within the forbidden land.

A bald monk sat cross-legged, suspended above a pitch-black pool.

The liquid below was incredibly viscous, periodically bubbling and releasing a foul, cloying stench.

“Yixiu, your Sorrowless Heart Sutra won’t hold out much longer.”

The bald monk slowly opened his eyes.

“Wolf King, by allowing the demons to draw upon such an ominous power, you invite only apocalyptic ruin upon your kind.”

“It is not too late to turn back.”

A harsh sneer echoed in the darkness. “Turn back?”

“Why should I? Power is merely power; it holds no allegiance to righteousness or evil.”

“Without this power, how am I to obliterate the Daqian Dynasty?”

“Despite our different lineages, I admire you. Forsake your misguided path, and I will personally aid your breakthrough into the Soul Formation realm.”

Yixiu merely shook his head, closing his eyes to the temptation.

The Wolf King scoffed, unfazed by the rejection.

He had spent three hundred grueling years tearing a single fissure into the forbidden land’s seal.

Though merely a hairline fracture, the power seeping through vastly exceeded his wildest expectations.

This very power had caused the number of cultivators within the Night Moon Country to erupt, more than doubling their forces.

Unfortunately, word had somehow leaked.

The two ancient fossils from the Heavenly Buddha Temple and the Linglong Sect had actually risked their lives to mend the fissure.

Despite his desperate attempts to stop them, they had managed to patch the vast majority of the tear.

Now, with Yixiu physically suppressing the final, narrow gap, the Wolf King dared not make a rash move.

If Yixiu chose to detonate his life force, the gap would close completely. Tearing it open a second time would be nearly impossible.

At the thought, the Wolf King’s expression turned remarkably grim.

“Turtle Elder, have you still not unearthed that human’s origins?”

“Reporting to the Wolf King. There is absolutely no record of him within the Daqian Dynasty.”

“It is highly probable he is operating under an alias.”

“Hmph!”

“Let him parade his arrogance for a few more days. Once the blood sacrifice is complete, no force in this world will be able to stop me.”

“At that time, whether human or demon, all will bow before my feet.”

Listening to the Wolf King’s grand declarations, the Turtle Elder silently lowered his head, his true thoughts hidden in the shadows.

……

Meanwhile, at the Bronze Ancient Hall within the forbidden land.

Chen Changsheng’s group finally crossed paths with Lin Hu.

Enemies meeting on a narrow road naturally resulted in drawn swords and surging killing intent.

However, Chen Changsheng completely ignored the lethal standoff between Lin Hu and Hu Zhan. He was far too busy appraising the bronze structure towering before them.

“You two, instead of agonizing over how to murder each other, I suggest you take a closer look at these ruins.”

Lin Hu scoffed, his face twisting in displeasure. “Stop feigning profundity. You had a road to heaven but refused to walk it; now you’ve battered down the gates of hell.”

“Today is the day you die, Chen Changsheng.”

The threat severely derailed Chen Changsheng’s train of thought. He turned his head, exasperated.

“I know you want to kill me, but could you please wait your turn?”

“Can’t you see I’m in the middle of studying something?”

Having said his piece, Chen Changsheng turned his back to the raging demon and went back to tracing the intricate patterns and archaic text etched into the bronze.

Lin Hu: “…”

What did he mean, wait his turn? He was trying to execute him here and now! Could this guy take his own impending death a little more seriously?!