Chapter 720: What Is a Wasteland

Desolate Ruins refer to areas untouched by humanity.

When the Water Mother opened up the Five Continents and Four Seas, humans first appeared in the Tianhe Realm, initially serving as blood-food for demonic beasts. However, a powerful being took pity on them, teaching humanity the art of cultivation. Gradually, human cultivators began to emerge.

However, human cultivators were simply no match for the uniquely endowed True Spirits. Not only could they not contend with the royal clans who achieved God Transformation upon maturity, but they couldn't even defeat ordinary demonic beasts.

To ensure the survival of their race and preserve a spark of hope, they took action. Led by sages, humanity set forth from the Central Continent, spreading far and wide. A portion of them journeyed across the seas, eventually arriving in the Eastern Continent.

Along their journey, humanity continuously faced death, yet persisted through reproduction and survival. Some encountered powerful protectors, akin to Celestial Venerables, who guarded specific regions, and chose to settle there, seeking their protection.

Upon their initial arrival in the Eastern Continent, the fertile spiritual fields were largely occupied by ancient beasts and demonic creatures, alongside destructive insects like earth spirit locusts. These areas, not yet occupied or developed by humanity, were collectively termed Desolate Ruins.

Subsequently, under the guidance of sages, humanity blazed trails, developing habitable areas for themselves, which are now known as the Eastern Domain. However, this was merely one of the most vital areas within the Eastern Continent. Many other regions, abundant in resources and spiritual veins, remained unoccupied and undeveloped by humans.

The reasons for not developing these areas were twofold. Firstly, the existing resources within the Eastern Domain were already sufficient for human cultivators' development and use. Secondly, deep within the Desolate Ruins, ancient True Spirits resided. The power of these ancient True Spirit beasts was at least equivalent to that of human God Transformation cultivators.

For instance, the combined regions of the Eastern Barrens, Eastern Wu, and Yunmeng Marsh were once the territory of a fifth-rank Yellow Dragon. The pioneering cultivators who arrived from the Eastern Lands were almost entirely wiped out here. Had it not been for the later emergence of True Monarch Yiyuan, it's likely that the Eastern Barrens and Eastern Wu regions would still remain undeveloped Desolate Ruins to this day.

It is precisely this challenging environment that endows the Desolate Ruins with inexhaustible resources and dangerous ancient beasts, threats that even God Transformation True Monarchs dare not overlook. Consequently, many demonic cultivators, unable to thrive within human territories or outmaneuver their demonic peers, would resolve to venture directly into the Desolate Ruins in search of opportunities. They hoped to find rare spiritual treasures that could defy the heavens and break through their limitations.

For this very reason, despite the myriad dangers within the Desolate Ruins, whenever the top holy lands and major sects of the Eastern Lands found themselves with excess cultivators, they would conscript cultivators from the Eastern Domain to form pioneering armies, steadily advancing into and developing the unconquered Desolate Ruins.

As information about the Desolate Ruins flashed through Chen Mobai's mind, a spiritual gleam appeared in his eyes. He gazed towards the dark yellow tornadoes that were once again howling and sweeping towards them.

“You little brats from the Eastern Barrens, I'll give you one chance to retreat immediately, or you'll all die here!”

Just then, a hoarse, sharp female voice emerged from within the tornado that had launched the bone spear.

“If it's a demonic cultivator, then I shall act.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing slowly stepped forward from mid-air, his right hand rising to grip the longsword on his back. Just as he was about to draw his sword and strike, Yuan Zhen intercepted him.

“Senior Brother, since you've hired the Five Elements Sect and the Eastern Barrens cultivators, now is precisely the time for them to prove their worth.”

Upon hearing Yuan Zhen's words, both Shen Shanqing and Yu Hai lowered their heads, dreading the possibility of being asked to fight. While they were indeed disciples of a major Nascent Soul sect, their cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Though slightly stronger than the one who had just died, their power was still limited. It was evident that this demonic cultivator possessed at least Core Formation level combat strength. If they charged forward, it was highly unlikely that many would return alive.

Rogue cultivators valued their lives above all else. At that moment, they had already decided that if they were truly sent out as cannon fodder, they would immediately scatter and flee for their lives the moment they exited the flying boat.

“It's a Golden Armored Corpse!”

Just then, Chen Mobai, utilizing his Void-Piercing Spiritual Eye, saw through the surface layer of the tornado, revealing a bizarre, gleaming golden figure within. Streaks of wind blades struck its body, sparking continuously, as if this corpse cultivator was using the natural disaster of the area to temper its physique.

“A Golden Armored Corpse possesses a formidable physical body; even among Core Formation cultivators, its combat strength would be considerable…”

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing nodded lightly, concluding that it would be safer if he dealt with such an opponent himself.

“Senior Brother, Sect Master Chen is renowned as the foremost sword cultivator in the Eastern Barrens. Surely, dealing with a mere Golden Armored Corpse would be effortless for him.”

However, Yuan Zhen interjected just as Ye Qing was about to speak, subtly taunting him. Chen Mobai merely smiled without a word. Ye Qing exchanged a glance with him, then withdrew his right hand from his sword hilt and offered a slight bow, saying, “Then I shall trouble Sect Master Chen.”

Watching this unfold, Yuan Zhen couldn't help but secretly chuckle to herself. Others might be ignorant of the Golden Armored Corpse's immense power, but she was certainly not. Even if she were to act, she would need to employ the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect's secret sword art to be confident of victory. This Sect Master Chen from the Eastern Barrens, though his name sounded impressive, was surely just an exaggerated boast from some backwater region. She planned to wait until he was utterly cornered and desperate for help before intervening. She figured that after the mission, he would be too embarrassed to accept the spirit stones.

As Ye Qing's junior sister, Yuan Zhen rarely participated in battles against demonic cultivators. Consequently, she was accustomed to demonstrating her worth through her knowledge of spirit stones, elixirs, and other resources. She felt that a million spirit stones was an excessive amount to pay for an escort from a small, provincial sect. However, since Ye Qing had offered that sum, and in front of everyone, she couldn't object. Nevertheless, she mentally noted it down, resentful that Chen Mobai hadn't proactively refused the payment. Thus, she decided to humiliate the Five Elements Sect in the Desolate Ruins, aiming to make Chen Mobai realize that his sect wasn't worth such a large sum of spirit stones.

At this moment, Chen Mobai took a light step forward. Multicolored clouds glowed beneath his feet, complementing his red and black robe. He appeared ethereal, yet simultaneously dignified and majestic.

However, this single step infuriated the Golden Armored Corpse facing him.

“Since you seek death, I shall grant it to you!”

With a fierce roar, bone spears erupted everywhere, filling the air. But Chen Mobai opened his mouth, and a searing, lightning-like white beam shot forth. In an instant, scorching air burst out as the white beam sliced through the void, its intense, superheated temperature causing the very air to ignite.

To everyone's disbelief, the white beam cleaved into one of the tornadoes. The wind was instantly severed, revealing a gleaming golden body enshrouded in a black robe. The corpse cultivator's face was rigid, and upon seeing the Extreme Yang Slash descending upon it, it surprisingly raised a hand to block.

However, the white beam was unstoppable. Its hand was severed. Half of its skull was also cleaved open by the white beam. A gush of black pus erupted from the Golden Armored Corpse's head, incinerated by the Extreme Yang Slash's intense heat, dissipating into black, foul-smelling smoke. Concurrently, all bone spears flying towards Chen Mobai struck a layer of brilliant multicolored aura, instantly turning to dust.

Yuan Zhen, witnessing this scene, felt her pupils constrict!

With a dull thud! The headless Golden Armored Corpse's upper half tumbled to the ground. Then, scorching white flames erupted from the wound on its head, rapidly spreading throughout its body and generating plumes of black smoke. Within just a few breaths, it was reduced to a pile of ashes.

Seeing this, Chen Mobai immediately extinguished the flames of the Extreme Yang Slash, preventing the entire mountaintop from being reduced to molten stone.

“This Golden Armored Corpse's physical body was only third-tier, and its spiritual consciousness had obvious weaknesses. Even so, attacks below the third-tier, or even from ordinary third-tier cultivators, likely couldn't penetrate its defenses. Since True Person Ye needed to conserve energy, only my intervention could guarantee a swift kill. It would have been better if it were a bit weaker; then the sect disciples could have gained some experience and practiced with the Five Elements Dao Soldiers.”

After swiftly dispatching the Golden Armored Corpse with a single Extreme Yang Slash, Chen Mobai flew back, speaking with a hint of regret.

Ye Qing's expression remained placid upon hearing this, but Yuan Zhen's jaw dropped, her face etched with shock. What had she just witnessed!? A Golden Armored Corpse slain with a single sword strike! Even if she utilized her diligently cultivated Demon-Slaying Secret Sword, she estimated it would still take several moves to subdue it. But what truly stunned her was the multicolored aura Chen Mobai had used earlier to block the bone spears! As a disciple of the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect, she had personally experienced the signature divine abilities of other holy lands.

“Sect Master Chen just employed the Primordial Chaos True Qi!” As Chen Mobai flew closer, Yuan Zhen couldn't hold back and asked for confirmation.

“Indeed. I was fortunate enough to refine a strand for self-defense.” Chen Mobai responded humbly, then returned to the flying boat, where he began directing the Five Elements Sect disciples to search the vicinity for the corpse cultivator's lair.

“Senior Brother, you knew about this already?” Yuan Zhen looked at the calm expression on Ye Qing's face, and her own face suddenly registered understanding.

“Back at the Heavenly Feast Pavilion, although we didn't exchange blows, I could roughly confirm it was the Primordial Chaos True Qi.” Ye Qing nodded and stated.

“Then why didn't you say so earlier?” Yuan Zhen uttered a slight complaint, feeling a surge of embarrassment recalling what had just transpired.

“I also wished to observe Sect Master Chen's true capabilities.” Ye Qing's words caused Yuan Zhen to pause slightly, then her thoughts returned to the astonishing Extreme Yang Slash. She had to concede that, in terms of sword dao mastery, there was indeed a discernible gap between herself and Sect Master Chen. Even without the Primordial Chaos True Qi, she might not have been his match.

“To think that a mere Eastern Barrens could produce such an astonishing cultivator!” Yuan Zhen still found it difficult to accept. One must remember that as a disciple of the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sect, she had received the finest cultivation methods and inheritances since childhood. Yet, even with that advantage, she could only unleash a fourth-tier sword strike by resorting to desperate, life-risking spells. In contrast, Chen Mobai's Extreme Yang Slash dispatched enemies with apparent ease, demonstrating a level of mastery that could only be achieved through arduous personal cultivation, having reached a state of profound perfection.

“True Monarch Yiyuan also originated from the Eastern Barrens.” Ye Qing's quiet remark instantly shattered Yuan Zhen's pride.