Chapter 1052: The Ziya Territorial Waters
Inside the cloth pouch was the mission set by the old woman from the Sorcerer Clan. The mission would be different for each person.
Right now, in the valley, many people had already entered the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield. Only a small group remained. Those who remained were high ranking cultivators that were renowned in the Source World. For example, the Huatian Palace Senate alone had twelve veterans that had levels of cultivation at great attainment at the Tide Changing Realm. The Huatian Palace Parliament also had more than ten senators with great attainment at the Tide Changing Realm that had come here.
As for the heretic organizations, there were ten and twenty members of Demonic Sky and Hades Mountain respectively. No members of Demon Native were seen. No one knew if they had already entered the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield or if they were not partic.i.p.ating.
Among the three major heretic organizations, Demon Native kept the lowest profile. Until now, Mo Wen had never met a member of Demon Native.
Unexpectedly, the various large sects from the Peng Lai Immortal Realm formed the largest group of people. They had six to seven hundred people. Their levels of cultivation were not at all low. Some intermediate stage and even later stage Tide Changing Realm cultivators were not qualified to come. Although a person with low levels of cultivation would not necessarily fail to pa.s.s the test, the recommendation list was limited. They naturally would not send those with low levels of cultivation unless they were members that had high potential and the sect was ready to vigorously train.
After all, the higher the level of cultivation of a person, the greater the benefits they could reap in the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield. Many cultivators with great attainment at the Tide Changing Realm hoped to have fateful encounters in the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield and use those opportunities to break through to the Supreme Profundity Realm. Even a group of old fellows with great attainment at the Tide Changing Realm were competing for these opportunities. How could those with low levels of cultivation possibly have a chance at it?
“Mo Wen, the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield is fraught with danger. Without me beside you, you must be extra careful,” Gu Jingman said, somewhat concerned as she walked up beside Mo Wen.
She had just been chatting with Xiao Jinghe and the others. She knew that the s.p.a.ce-time pa.s.sageway would transport them to different corners of the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield. It would not allow them to be together, and each of them would be separated when the time came.
The Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield was also very dangerous. Gu Jingman could not help but be worried about Mo Wen. In her heart, Mo Wen had just broken through to the Tide Changing Realm. He was not necessarily strong enough for this. The Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield was an Immemorial Age Savage Land. It was so dangerous that even some Heavenly Path Sages never returned from it. All their compet.i.tors were at high levels of cultivation at the Tide Changing Realm. Cultivators with great attainment at the Tide Changing Realm were everywhere. Those who had not achieved great attainment levels of cultivation were—unusually—the outliers. Moreover, the Tide Changing Realm cultivators came from all the realms. Those that came from the Source World were especially frightening.
“Relax. At the very least, I certainly have the ability to keep myself alive. You yourself should be careful.” Mo Wen smiled calmly. Although he had just broken through to the Tide Changing Realm, his combat ability was not low. Even though his abilities could not be compared to the old cultivators in the Tide Changing Realm who had trained for many years, most likely, few people were stronger than him when it came to survivability.
“Humph, do you still have to worry about me? Keep a low profile in the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield. Don’t go philandering everywhere. If you offend a maiden that you aren’t supposed to offend and end up hunted by the strong pract.i.tioners in the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield, that would not be good. Indulging your l.u.s.t is equivalent to hanging a knife upon your head,” Gu Jingman said in a serious tone.
“You are quite stringent in managing me.” Mo Wen was speechless. Him indulging in his l.u.s.t and bringing misfortune upon himself… Was he that sort of person? Mo Wen felt that he had been wronged.
“Why can’t I manage you? I am your older sister.” Gu Jingman snorted coldly. She seemed to feel that this reason was not substantial enough, so she continued and said, “I am managing you on behalf of Qin Xiaoyou. You had better not cheat on her.”
Mo Wen, “…”
“There is another woman called Qin Xiaoyou?” Mo Yuqing curiously came over to join the conversation.
“What does this have to do with you? There are many more aside from Qin Xiaoyou. How long have you been beside him?” Gu Jingman glanced at Mo Yuqing.
Mo Yuqing was initially just curious. In the end, since she was deflated by Gu Jingman, she immediately retaliated and said, “I might not know much of how he was before, but all his future matters will be related to me. He and I have signed a life and death contract. It is impossible for us to be separated in this lifetime. On the other hand, you, a self-proclaimed older sister, are indeed managing him rather stringently.”
“How did you sign the life and death contract?” This time, Gu Jingman ignored Mo Yuqing’s mockery and was especially interested in the life and death contract.
“I don’t know,” Mo Yuqing replied in a cold tone. Then she averted her gaze and ignored Gu Jingman.
Even among the Demon Clan, life and death contracts were rarely seen. Contractual relations.h.i.+ps were common during the Immemorial Age. Afterward, for some reason, they were gradually lost to history. No one knew how to form a contract, let alone now, during the Ancient Age. They were exceedingly rare. She only knew that the Demon Clan could use the power of their bloodlines to form a contract with other races. However, most likely, even now in the Demon Realm, no one knew the exact process of how it might be done.
Mo Yuqing and Mo Wen had mysteriously formed a life and death contract, and it was the harshest master and servant contract. Even Mo Yuqing herself felt that it was somewhat baffling.
With regard to this problem, Mo Wen had also a.n.a.lyzed it previously. The Fighting Spirit Tower’s Tower Spirit should not have such an ability. This was most likely the handiwork of the Purple Bottle Gourd.
The crowd lined up to pa.s.s through the s.p.a.ce-time pa.s.sageway. Soon, it was Mo Wen and the others’ turns.
“Be careful.”
“Have a safe journey.”
…
After they wished each other good luck, they received the cloth pouches from the mysterious sorceress and disappeared into the s.p.a.ce-time pa.s.sageway one after another.
All the others had gone over. When it was Mo Wen’s turn, he stood underneath the s.p.a.ce-time pa.s.sageway and noticed that the mysterious sorceress’ eyes were fixed on him. Her eyes shot out two beams of bizarre blue light. In an instant, Mo Wen felt as though his entire being had been seen through by the old woman from the Sorcerer Clan. He felt uneasy all over.
“Young man, this is your test. You can head over there now.”
The old woman from the Sorcerer Clan handed Mo Wen a cloth pouch and then went on to look at the next person.
After receiving the cloth pouch, Mo Wen did not inspect it immediately. He took a step forward and entered the s.p.a.ce-time pa.s.sageway.
The next moment, endless darkness descended upon the entire world. It was as though there was no s.p.a.ce and no time. Everything was annihilated and nothing existed. His entire being also completely lost a sense of weight. It was as though he was lying in a barren and cold vacuum.
However, this sensation did not last very long. A sense of gravity once again acted on his body. The light around him kept distorting. When he could see his surroundings again, he discovered that he was on top of a ma.s.s of clouds. The sky above was exceptionally blue like a sapphire. The air was so clean that there were no pollutants in it. One breath could make one feel relaxed and happy.
“Natural Vital Qi. This place actually produces natural Vital Qi.”
A look of astonishment flashed past Mo Wen’s eyes. In the entire world, there was formless energy. That energy was natural Vital Qi. In the beginning, the Source World had also been filled with natural Vital Qi. Even though this place did not have natural Vital Qi as rich as the Source World had at the beginning, having natural Vital Qi everywhere signified that this was an excellent s.p.a.ce to train in.
As expected of a remnant ancient land of the Immemorial Age, this place was indeed suitable for training.
Mo Wen was in awe. Natural Vital Qi was one of the purest forms of energy in the world. This type of energy was not too stable. Not long after it was formed, it would be converted to other forms of energy.
Some examples were spiritual energy, Demonic Qi, and Devil Qi. These forms of energy were converted from natural Vital Qi.
In essence, they were all forms of energy. However, for cultivators, natural Vital Qi was undisputedly the most suitable for increasing their cultivation level. It was the easiest form of energy to absorb.
After the Immortal End Day, a huge change occurred in the world. Natural Vital Qi almost completely disappeared from it. Only a few special places and ancient lands still had such energy.
Mo Wen stood on top of the clouds and swept a glance below him. He discovered that he was above an ocean. The deep blue ocean waters spread out as far as a person’s eyes could see.
Mo Wen’s deified soul flew out and blanketed an area of a three thousand mile radius. He could see everything in his surroundings.
“Hmm. This ocean seems to be just an ordinary ocean. However, due to the abundant Vital Qi, there are many powerful ancient beasts living within its waters. Some of these ancient beasts are rather frightening. They can even easily kill Primordial Soul Realm cultivators. Within a range of three thousand miles, there are two to three islands. There are a large number of life auras grouped together on them. They should be the members of the Sorcerer Clan.”
Mo Wen knew that the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield was separated into two sections. One was the wastelands and another was the Sorcerer Domain.
The wastelands were dangerous and unpredictable. Everywhere was filled with danger and death. Even many high-ranking cultivators would not dare to casually enter them.
As for the Sorcerer Domain, it was comparatively safer. They were suitable for the Sorcerer Clan to train and live in. Long ago, some Magical Realm cultivators moved into the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield and lived and multiplied there.
However, the Sorcerer Domain was not necessarily safe. It was merely relatively safer. After all, it was still in the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield.
Mo Wen took out the cloth pouch that the old woman from the Sorcerer Clan gave him. Whether or not he could remain in the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield still depended on whether he could complete the test of the Sorcerer Clan. If he could not complete the test, he would be forcefully sent back. In reality, when he pa.s.sed through the s.p.a.ce-time pa.s.sageway, he discovered that there was a powerful Primordial Soul imprint on his body. The rank of the imprint was rather high. Mere contact with it would make him sense the power of the cosmos.
With his abilities, he could not erase the imprint at all. Even Supreme Profundity Realm or Divine Illusionary Realm cultivators would most likely be unable to erase it.
Hence, once he could not complete the test, a rather frightening being would immediately sense it and would then forcefully send Mo Wen out of the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield. There was no luck to speak of.
Inside the cloth pouch, there was a map made of sheepskin and a crystal ball.
The crystal ball stored information inside of it. When Mo Wen’s deified soul swept over the crystal ball, information immediately appeared in his mind. It was the task set for his test.
“Task: Yingyun City is in danger. The testee needs to aid Yingyun City in weathering their crisis.”
Bouts of information appeared in Mo Wen’s mind. He roughly knew the situation regarding Yingyun City.
Yingyun City?
Mo Wen raised his eyebrows. He never imagined that the old woman from the Sorcerer Clan would actually give him such a task: avert a crisis and save Yingyun City. Mo Wen had never thought of himself as a messiah. He had come to the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield to seek treasures!
Mo Wen pondered, “I am fine with the a.s.sessment and whatnot. But it should at least be a task that I can reap benefits from, such as exploring an ancient land or eradicating a bandit group that likes to rob others of their wealth. At the very least, the Sorcerer Clan could a.s.sign me to save a damsel in distress.” What good could come from saving Yingyun City? He couldn’t line his own pockets while completing this task!
Mo Wen wailed internally. This was an unlucky year for him since he had been a.s.signed with such a task as soon as he entered the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield. Moreover, based on the information that he collected from the crystal ball, this was not an easy task; in fact, it could be said to be arduous. It was definitely not something a beginning stage Tide Changing Realm cultivator could complete.
Mo Wen was just a small cultivator that had recently broken through to the beginning stage Tide Changing Realm. There was no need to have given him such an arduous task. Even those old fellows with great attainment at the Tide Changing Realm would not necessarily be able to complete such a task.
In the end, Mo Wen could only shake his head and say, “How can one not bow to circ.u.mstances? This is the territory of the Sorcerer Clan. If I need to save them, so be it.”
He took out the sheepskin scroll. This item was placed together with the crystal ball. It was a map. However, it was not an ordinary map. Instead, it was a map manufactured using immortal techniques. There was a whole other universe within it. By projecting one’s deified soul into the map, one could understand the surrounding geographical landscape in detail.
The area labeled on the map was not large. It should be the territorial waters that he was now at. There was a blue dot of light on it that should be the location of Yingyun City. Another red dot was Mo Wen’s current position. According to the directions given by the map, he could easily find Yingyun City. It was very similar to a navigation system.
It turned out that these territorial waters were called the Ziya Ocean. It was one of the five major territorial waters in the Sorcerer Domain. Many members of the Sorcerer Clan lived in the Ziya Ocean. They gathered on their own accord, divided into various tribes, islands, cities, and sects.
The social structure of the Sorcerer Clan was very similar to humans. They obeyed the law of the jungle and survival of the fittest. After all, the world’s resources were limited. It was impossible for everyone to have sufficient resources to train with. Those who had no talent and were not powerful enough would gradually be eliminated. Wars occurred every day in the Ziya Territorial Waters, between cities, tribes, and sects.
Mo Wen needed to save Yingyun City, which was a city that was on the losing side and that was about to be eradicated by a powerful adversary. He did not know how the old woman from the Sorcerer Clan was related to Yingyun City. She had actually asked him to rescue this city.
Following the map, Mo Wen flew over the ocean. Initially, he thought that Yingyun City was not far off from where he was. At least on the map, it seemed to be nearby.
However, he was wrong, ridiculously wrong. After flying for five days, the distance on the map had only shrunk by a tenth. That meant to say that he had only completed a tenth of the journey.
“How big are the Ziya Territorial Waters exactly?”
Mo Wen was shocked. The area labeled on the map was merely a small portion of the Ziya Territorial Waters. It actually took him five days of flying to cross a tenth of what appeared to be a short distance on this small portion of the map.
With his current speed, he was rather extraordinary among Supreme Profundity Realm cultivators, let alone among Tide Changing Realm cultivators.
He laughed bitterly. This Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield was most likely many times larger than the Peng Lai Immortal Realm. The Ziya Territorial Waters were actually so huge.
Right now, he could only hurry along. It was because the information showed that Yingyun City would already be unable to survive for long. He did not want to fail his task when he was still on his way over to the location.
Two beams of azure blue light lit up behind Mo Wen’s back, transforming into a pair of wings. It was none other than the illusionary spirit divine wings.
With a flash of his silhouette, a beautiful blue light swept across the sky, forming a beautiful arc. His being disappeared into the horizon. His speed was twice as fast as before.
Just as Mo Wen was rus.h.i.+ng over to Yingyun City, a huge crack suddenly appeared in the sky on the other side of the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield. The crack was extremely deep, seemingly connected to the depths of the turbulent s.p.a.ce between realms.
From the crack, a flash of white light flew out. The white light was initially just a speck of light. However, in the blink of an eye, it grew larger and then emerged in the Ancestral Sorcerer Battlefield.
The world turned calm and the black crack disappeared. A silhouette appeared in mid-air.
It was a girl emanating an astonis.h.i.+ng aura. Her appearance was peerlessly beautiful. She wore a bluish-white palace dress which brilliantly showed off her perfect figure.
Her body emanated an ethereal and awe-inspiring aura, which was astonis.h.i.+ng. The aura caused others to involuntarily have a feeling of reverence that made them want to wors.h.i.+p her.
“Mother said that he has also come to this place. I really miss you,” the girl mumbled softly.