Chapter 606: Thousand Miles of Red Land, Bounded Mountains and Seas

"Cough, cough... What is this place?"

On the scorching red sand, Wang Yu struggled to his feet, looking a bit disheveled. He hadn't expected the immortal to not directly pull him into the True Spirit Realm. Instead, the immortal had allowed him to follow his original plan, letting him randomly teleport through the Taiyin passage to an unknown world that also had a projection of the Taiyin Star.

This was completely different from the treatment the First Human Emperor received, who was directly taken as a disciple. The pressure from cross-realm teleportation also far exceeded his expectations. Theoretically, cross-realm travel was something only Void Refinement cultivators could achieve. He had leveraged a secret eye technique, which was why he felt extreme discomfort, including dizziness and nausea, for a moment.

"Fortunately, my Fiery Golden Body cultivation is largely complete, and my body refinement path has broken through to the peak of the fifth-tier. My physical body is a bit depleted, but eating a highly nourishing fifth-tier demonic beast should restore it." He quickly made a judgment in his mind.

Wang Yu then sensed the strength of this realm's space. It seemed to be just a Minor Realm, with an upper limit around the Soul Transformation stage. Perhaps this world was his true ascent destination.

"It's so hot." Strangely, he should have landed directly on the Taiyin Star, but now, closing his eyes, he couldn't feel any Taiyin starlight. Instead, waves of heat swept over him. Even with his physique and the Frost Demon Essence flowing throughout his body, he felt intense heat. This wasn't ordinary high temperature; it contained a hint of the power of Fire Dao principles.

For caution, Wang Yu did not display the demeanor of a Celestial Dragon.

Speaking of Dao principles, these abstract concepts, like Dharma Intents and artistic conceptions, could all be placed in the idle slot, and their manifestation was different from before.

Bad news: The system changed.

Idle Slot 8: Taiyin Dao Principle (1.03)[Taiyin - Frost Moon: Increases by 1 every century]

At the current rate, it would take a thousand years to reach 10, and ten thousand years to fully comprehend it. Considering that Void Refinement cultivators live for 6,400 years, he wouldn't live long enough to fully master the Dao principle. However, the efficiency of the idle slot was determined by his own state. An increase of 1 per century was actually very fast, likely due to his Nascent Soul being a one-stripe Star God nurtured by the Taiyin Star. After all, he was only in the late stage of Soul Transformation, theoretically far from the realm of comprehending Dao principles. It was already good to make progress by starting early, let alone at such an efficiency.

Whether he used more idle slots to increase efficiency or achieved Void Refinement in the future, this efficiency would significantly improve. Furthermore, perfecting a Dao principle was a power even Dao Integration cultivators sought. Such achievements were typically made only in the Mahayana stage.

Thus, the faster he comprehended the Taiyin Dao principle, the faster his Taiyin Star God would grow, reaching the three-stripe realm sooner. Even if his physical body couldn't bear the Dao principle, his Nascent Soul would be fearless. This trump card would be the foundation for him to continue securing victories against higher-level opponents.

For a moment, he felt a bit abnormal. Ordinary Void Refinement cultivators were still refining their artistic conceptions, preparing for future comprehension of Dao principles. What reason did he have to be dissatisfied, being so far ahead? Perhaps it was precisely because he had comprehended the Taiyin Dao principle that the True Immortal behind the Ice Prison Realm was willing to grant him freedom... and promise him the Dao for life!

He stood there, lost in thought for a long time. Only when all the discomfort from cross-realm travel had vanished did Wang Yu step forward. His immediate priority was to leave this barren red land and find signs of human habitation. He needed to gather all basic information about this realm first.

A few steps later, Wang Yu suddenly frowned and crouched down, plunging his right hand into the red sand. He scooped up a handful of red sand, hotter than ordinary magma, and sniffed it under his nose. Ordinary people only knew that heavenly lightning was the most extreme Yang and rigid substance. However, they didn't realize that fire also had a strong restraining effect on evil spirits. Logically, such a scorching place should only contain fire-element spiritual energy and some pure Yang spiritual energy. There were no volcanoes nearby, eliminating the possibility of contaminated earth veins.

"It's corpse qi..." Casually dropping the red sand, Wang Yu formed a guess in his mind, sparking a rare sense of interest.

If possible, he certainly wanted to cultivate to the peak of Soul Transformation before planning his ascent. This world felt far from simple to him, and if he could secure local residency, it would be ideal. After all, although the True Immortal had promised him enlightenment, no assistance was offered. This attitude was somewhat obscure, and he was also told to join the Great Mystery Heaven lineage. He suspected it might be a test, so he needed to make more preparations. By obtaining local residency, befriending some fellow cultivators, and then collaborating on the ascent, he could legitimize his identity as a native of the Demonic Prison and openly join the Immortal Palace. This would achieve multiple objectives.

Perhaps this was also the immortal's plan?

At this thought, an intensely cold aura emanated from Wang Yu's hand. Ice quickly condensed in his palm, forming a parasol. Chilling air cascaded down the umbrella's edge, making him feel much more comfortable. "That's better~"

Outside the thousand-mile red land, a group of sixteen people entered the red land, where heatwaves rolled and the air shimmered and distorted. Among the group, the highest cultivated individual was a white-bearded old man at the middle stage of Core Formation, but the spokesperson for the group was a young female cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage. The remaining fourteen were all dressed as guards, with cultivations ranging from perfected Qi Condensation to late Foundation Establishment. They were all just beginning their journey on the path of cultivation.

Upon entering the red land, the white-bearded old man's expression became stern. "Miss, before we go deep into the Drought Demon's Red Domain, I must ask you again: are you truly determined to go deep inside to search for Senior Situ's whereabouts?"

"Of course, Elder Fu, please don't try to dissuade me anymore. My mind is made up. Only Uncle Situ, my father's closest friend, can save my Five-Element Corpse Workshop now." The leading woman had a face as beautiful as a flower. There was a heroic spirit between her brows, clearly indicating a strong-willed person, but her eyes held persistent worry and hatred.

"That scoundrel Fang Long is truly ambitious. My father kindly took him in, providing him with the best food, clothing, and shelter, and even guided him onto the path of immortal cultivation. He was treated exceedingly well. Yet now, out of jealousy for my fortune, he has conspired with outsiders to seize my Wei Clan's Five-Element Corpse Workshop. If I don't avenge this, I'm not worthy of being a daughter. Elder Fu... please!"

With that, the beautiful woman bowed deeply, unwilling to rise for a long time.

The white-bearded old man sighed helplessly. "I understand. However, even I, a Core Formation cultivator, can only enter the middle section of the red land. I cannot truly go deep inside. Let alone these guards. Senior Situ is a Nascent Soul expert, so he must have gone at least into the inner circle. Miss, do you have any preparations for that?"

"Yes, I do." A small, sky-blue flag appeared in the woman's hand. She explained, "This is the Black Emperor Water Control Flag, a mid-grade fifth-tier relic. Once activated, it can unleash endless waves of water as a shield, strong enough to last for three days and three nights before being damaged."

"In that case, I will certainly do my utmost to find Senior Situ for you, Miss."

"Let's go!"

Soon after the first group ventured deeper into the red land, another team arrived without stopping. The leader was none other than Fang Long, whom the woman had mentioned, already possessing early Core Formation strength. This man had small eyes, a broad nose, and a rather plain appearance. His eyes were filled with malice.

"Hmph, that wretch! I should have guessed that the supreme-grade fiery corpses in the workshop came from this red land. As for the Five-Element Corpse secret technique, if she won't teach it to me, then they can all die! — Pursue them!!!"

Shortly after these two groups entered the red land, one after another, Wang Yu, who had landed in the core region, gained new insights. A mere thousand-mile red land was nothing for him; a sweep of his spiritual sense would reveal everything. However, he suspected this was a drought demon's lair, which was why he hadn't been so presumptuous.

Drought demons were the pinnacle of the zombie cultivation system. They often evolved from fire-ghouls and theoretically only matched Soul Transformation cultivators. However, the core of this red land carried a faint aura of Fire Dao principles, meaning the entity here had shed its bloodthirsty nature and developed sentience. After all, whether it was comprehending Fire Dao principles or utilizing a special wondrous treasure, this power was beyond what an ordinary drought demon could possess. It must have become a spiritual corpse, truly embarking on the path of cultivation and achieving significant success to have such an opportunity.

Wang Yu also possessed a peak fourth-tier Thunder Ghoul, but its promotion to a Thunder Demon was a distant prospect. Now, having just crossed realms, he encountered such a gifted variant, even a Dao principle-wielding drought demon, whose talent was close to his innate Star God talent. It was hard to say if the immortal had arranged for him to pacify this entity. It wouldn't hurt to try. If he was wrong, then this place likely harbored a wondrous treasure embodying Dao principles, and acquiring it would be no loss.

At that moment, after a small, cautious exploration, he coincidentally found a Minor Nascent Soul stage cultivator from this realm, perfect for gathering intelligence.

Beneath the red land, in a special underground cave, Situ Qiutian was shirtless, and an incessant stream of drought demon power surged around him, making his meridians feel like molten lava. His skin, however, was decaying and grayish-white, like a corpse. The corpse qi was extremely potent, yet it was mixed with incredibly violent fire spiritual energy.

Wang Yu's figure flickered, silently appearing before the man. He observed him with interest.

He had actually seen this type of cultivation technique before, specifically the Thunder Ghoul Lord of the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect. However, that was about cultivating oneself in the direction of a Thunder Ghoul, inversely mastering zombie power with a human body. Upon achieving great success, one could form a Corpse Thunder Nascent Soul. Coupled with the copper-skin, iron-bone zombie physique, one would be impervious to water and fire, ordinary spells would be useless, and even heavenly lightning, the greatest bane of zombies, would be highly resisted. The only pity was that the cultivation technique's grade was insufficient. It couldn't achieve the Thunder Demon body.

This cultivator, the first he encountered in this foreign realm, was quite fortunate. He was clearly on the same path, and his cultivation technique was of a higher grade. This person cultivating in the red land likely harbored thoughts of taking a shortcut. The aura of the drought demon could help him advance faster and more steadily on this path. The only downside was the heightened risk.

"...Hmm?" Situ Qiutian suddenly opened his eyes, his mind nearly in extreme shock. The young man smiling at him was, in his perception, completely illusory.

"You..." Situ Qiutian was about to shout a curse but forced himself to stop, awkwardly changing his tone: "Senior, do you have any instructions?"

A smart one. Since that was the case, there was no need for a Soul Search Charm. As he had just thought, he needed local residency, so integrating into the upper echelons of cultivators was crucial. Having an introducer would be much more reliable.

"Young friend, there's no need to be alarmed." Wang Yu put on a convincing act, as he was no longer young. He gently placed his right hand on Situ Qiutian's shoulder. His unstoppable transformation state was directly halted by Wang Yu. "This humble one is Wang Yu, a reclusive cultivator from the mountains. I haven't been here for a long time and didn't realize when this thousand-mile red land appeared. Young friend, do you know the origin of the drought demon here?"

Situ Qiutian was startled and quickly rose to bow. "This junior is Situ Qiutian. Replying to Senior, this red land has existed for... a thousand years. Are you returning home?" A figure from a thousand years ago would at least be a peak Nascent Soul cultivator, and very likely a Soul Transformation Venerable. For a moment, Situ's head dropped even lower.

Seeing that Wang Yu had no intention of responding, Situ gave an awkward smile and continued, "The drought demon here emerged a thousand years ago. Few know its origin, only that it's a sentient Corpse Spirit, who calls herself Lady Qingqing, and has claimed this area, establishing it as — the Crimson Blood Manor! However, this junior did hear Venerable Xia say that Lady Qingqing is not a native being of our Mountain Sea Realm; she merely used it as a path for ascension."

Wang Yu's expression shifted, and he already had a clear idea. Situ mentioning "Venerable Xia" was clearly a tactic to impress, assuming that a senior like Wang Yu would know, or even be friends with, other venerables. Wang Yu didn't expose this clever move. Mountain Sea Realm, Lady Qingqing, borrowed path to ascension. These keywords flashed through Wang Yu's mind, and he then asked, "Borrowed path to ascension?"

Situ Qiutian quickly replied. "If Senior has been in seclusion for a long time, you might not be aware. A thousand years ago, the ascension passage of the Minor Extremes Palace opened a new service, which is precisely 'borrowed path to ascension.' The several minor realms near our Mountain Sea Realm – Xuanhuang, Azure Sea, Zifeng... – none of them have stable ascension channels, so they can only find a way to use our Mountain Sea Realm as a borrowed path to ascend. There are also reception platforms arranged by the Immortal Palace above, so whether one wishes to join an upper-realm sect or directly enter the Immortal Palace, there's no need to worry about ascending into a dangerous area. Therefore, in the past thousand years, the Mountain Sea Realm has gained many Soul Transformation Venerables, all coming from surrounding realms. We Nascent Soul cultivators below have suffered quite a bit."

As he spoke, Situ Qiutian gave a series of bitter smiles.

"So that's how it is. What conditions did the Minor Extremes Palace set?" Wang Yu spoke in a tone that suggested great familiarity with the Minor Extremes Palace. His acting was already flawless.

"I heard they require an energy crystal superior to supreme-grade spirit stones, or cultivation resources suitable for Soul Transformation cultivators; either is acceptable."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yu immediately thought of the Water-Fire Origin Crystals. He had extensively mined about a hundred of them, causing that underwater mineral vein on Spirit Ruin Island to become barren. In any case, he wouldn't be responsible for such consequences. He had known for a long time that the currency of the upper realms consisted of such high-purity energy crystals, but he had never imagined that the Minor Extremes Palace in this Mountain Sea Realm possessed such business acumen.

"Hmph, insatiable greed. With too many external Venerables, it must be difficult for cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage in our Mountain Sea Realm, wouldn't you say?"

"Indeed... sigh!"

Unconsciously, Wang Yu had adopted the tone of a local. Even though he knew about the 'borrowed path to ascension' service, he couldn't expose his origin as an outsider. The Ice Prison Realm was a demon realm, the immortal's attitude was unclear, and he knew nothing about other minor realms, let alone how to convincingly disguise himself. Therefore, it was most appropriate to temporarily act as a local.

The two fell silent for a moment. Wang Yu then asked, "Does this Lady Qingqing receive outsiders? And you, practicing the Corpse Demon cultivation technique here, transforming a human body into a drought demon, you must have her permission, right?"

"Well—" Situ became even more embarrassed. "This junior entered secretly."