Chapter 36: Beyond the Boundary Wall

The Boundary Wall Li Meng chuckled, pointing at the guiding talisman. “Then we’ll have to ask it!” With that, Li Meng formed a hand seal with one hand. A golden talisman shot out from his storage pouch, transforming into a streak of golden light that soared into the heavens.

Hundreds of meters above, it manifested into a massive golden spiritual sword, thirty meters in length. In the next instant, the colossal golden sword plummeted toward the earth.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion echoed as the spiritual sword struck the ground. The earth within a radius of hundreds of meters shattered and collapsed, sending billowing dust sweeping out in all directions. Li Meng flicked his sleeve, and the oncoming dust cloud was dispersed by an invisible force. When the air finally settled, a massive sinkhole was revealed in the ground.

“Senior Brother, how did you know there was a cavity underground?” Qi Wei jogged over to the edge of the sinkhole, peering down curiously. The pit was several hundred meters deep, crisscrossed by numerous stone bridges connecting the opposing rock walls.

“Senior Brother, look! Blood Flame Flowers and Blazing Sun Flowers!” On one of the stone bridges grew a patch of fiery-red spiritual plants. Among the crimson flora, specks of yellow could also be seen. The Blood Flame Flower was a variant of the Blazing Sun Flower; the two naturally grew together.

“Junior Sister, wait here. I’ll go gather them.” Li Meng leaped down into the sinkhole. His aged body landed steadily on the stone bridge. He swept his gaze around. There were no caves in the surrounding rock walls, indicating no guardian beasts lurked within the pit.

A faint smile touched Li Meng’s lips. No beasts. That’s good. Saves me a few talismans. Although high-grade talismans could be used multiple times, there was still a limit. Only a Life-bound Talisman possessed unlimited uses.

He hurried forward, crouching to harvest the plants. With this, all the ingredients for the Dustfall Pill are gathered. Once I return to the sect, I can focus entirely on raising my Alchemist Tier. Once I become a Tier Three Alchemist, I’ll be able to refine flawless Dustfall Pills.

“Senior Brother, hurry up!” Qi Wei was a bit impatient. Seeing her little old Senior Brother moving so slowly, she couldn’t help but urge him on.

“Coming, coming!” Li Meng swiftly cleared the bridge of every Blood Flame Flower and Blazing Sun Flower. He stood up and glanced toward the bottom of the sinkhole. It wasn’t very deep, and there appeared to be nothing of note below.

Li Meng soared upward, riding his sword into the sky. “Junior Sister, come!” As he flew out of the sinkhole, he reached a hand out toward his Junior Sister waiting outside.

Qi Wei’s eyes curved into crescents. Her small body launched into a flying leap, grabbing her Senior Brother’s hand. Li Meng pulled her small hand, drawing her into his embrace to hold her petite form. Her big purple gourd makes this a bit awkward. He shifted her onto his back instead.

“Junior Sister, what’s with this big gourd?” The purple gourd on her back was clearly no ordinary item.

Qi Wei crossed her arms, puffing up proudly like a little rooster. “This is a life-saving treasure Master gave me! It’s incredibly powerful!”

She really is adorable, Li Meng thought, unable to resist patting her head again.

Qi Wei pouted slightly. Honestly, why does this old Senior Brother always like to pat my head? Ah well, I’ll forgive him.

“Junior Sister, where to now?”

“That way!” Qi Wei pointed a small finger eastward.

Li Meng formed a hand seal and directed his sword east. High in the sky at an altitude of a thousand meters, two figures—one large, one small—vanished over the horizon in the blink of an eye.

“Senior Brother, we’ve been flying for so long. Why haven’t we seen anyone?” A thousand meters high, Li Meng flew on his sword. Below them stretched the same desolate volcanic landscape. The scorching air made it feel like they were inside an oven. Qi Wei held onto her Senior Brother’s sleeve, looking around in all directions.

“The Scarlet Forbidden Ground is vast,” Li Meng explained. “Five hundred people scattered here won’t even make a ripple. Unless some heaven-defying treasure appears to gather nearby cultivators… And with the incident in the Ghost Mist Forest, probably less than half of the disciples from the five sects are still alive.”

With fewer people, encounters were naturally rare. Add to that the machinations of demonic cultivators working in the shadows… This opening of the Scarlet Forbidden Ground would likely see heavy casualties for the five great sects once again.

“What’s wrong, Junior Sister? Are you actually hoping someone causes trouble for us?”

Qi Wei yawned, looking bored. “It’s just dull! Having someone to fight and kill, to seize their treasures… now that would be interesting!”

Li Meng was momentarily speechless. Truly a disciple of the Joyous Union Sect. A mix of righteous and unorthodox—they have all sorts.

Over the next few days, Li Meng traveled east with Qi Wei. They flew thousands of kilometers by sword without spotting another soul. Only on the fifth day did they finally leave the territory of Flame Domain Ridge.

“Junior Sister… is that the Boundary Wall?” To the east of Flame Domain Ridge stood a towering Great Wall that pierced the clouds. The massive wall stretched north and south as far as the eye could see. The two descended, landing on the ground.

Staring at the wall before them, Li Meng was filled with awe. The cloud-piercing wall was pitch black, like an endless dark barrier with no visible top. Before this colossal black wall, they felt as insignificant as ants.

“Senior Brother, let’s go!” Qi Wei reached out and grabbed her Senior Brother’s hand. Her gaze was fixed on a stone gate at the base of the Boundary Wall. The stone gate stood open, revealing a deep passageway within.

“Junior Sister, don’t you still have your mission? Are we just leaving like this?” The Boundary Wall was the “gate” to exit the Scarlet Forbidden Ground. A teleportation array lay within its passageway, allowing cultivators who entered to depart.

“Senior Brother, come on! You’ll understand when we get there!” Qi Wei pulled her Senior Brother toward the stone gate. Li Meng had no choice but to follow. They soon reached the gate. It was enormous—roughly a hundred meters wide and tall. They stepped into the stone passageway.

Inside, it was eerily quiet. The rock walls were uneven, marked by raised patterns. As they walked through the corridor, both looked around cautiously. It was their first time here, and everything piqued their curiosity.

“Fellow Daoists,” a gentle voice suddenly echoed from deep within the passage, carrying as if through reverberation from far to near. Though mild in tone, it held an undeniable authority. The voice made both figures—one large, one small—halt their steps.

Li Meng looked down at his Junior Sister beside him. “Junior Sister… is this why you needed help?”

Qi Wei glanced at her Senior Brother’s aged face. He’s way too calm about this. She tugged at his sleeve. “Senior Brother… that person inside is likely a Foundation Establishment cultivator suppressing their realm through a secret technique!”

You can tell he’s a suppressed Foundation Establishment cultivator just from his voice? Li Meng suddenly felt like a frog at the bottom of a well. Having a powerful Master is really something. At least it helps you avoid many pitfalls in cultivation.