Chapter 187: Endless Plain
Rumbling…
As the Rock Dragon War General fell, the massive stone door from which it had emerged slowly opened. Following that, the pleased voice of the Primordial Azure Dragon came from above:
“Very good. Young human, you have shown me an astonishing result. I have lingered in this continent for ten thousand years, and you are the first person to pass this trial. This ten-thousand-year wait has made me regret leaving behind a sliver of my soul and power in this land several times, because the strength level of this continent is far too low. I gradually realized that the trial I left behind was something the humans of this continent could never possibly pass… Fortunately, I met you.”
“You have already passed the first trial, and you did so under double difficulty while burdened with a tie. You have shown me great hope. The gate to the second trial has already been opened. Once you have made sufficient preparations, step into that open stone door, and you will enter the trial ground of the second trial. Good luck to you.”
That open stone door was the gate to the second trial.
If the first trial was this terrifying, the second and third trials would surely be even more difficult… One could only imagine what degree of cruelty they would entail.
The Ice Soul Barrier still existed, because Yun Che had taken less than a quarter of an hour to destroy the Rock Dragon War General.
“Finally, it’s over.” Yun Che returned to Chu Yuechan’s side, adjusting her to a more comfortable lying position. He then reached out and slowly channeled Profound Force into her body, invigorating her blood and energy.
Chu Yuechan’s beautiful eyes were half-open, staring at him blankly. After a long while, she spoke softly: “Why do your injuries and power recover so quickly?”
Yun Che did not want to deceive her and directly replied, “The Profound Art I cultivate has the function of accelerating the recovery of injuries and power.”
“Can you tell me what Profound Art it is?” Chu Yuechan said softly. At her level, there were truly few Profound Arts that could pique her curiosity. She knew of many Profound Arts that could accelerate injury and power recovery, such as the Heaven Restoration Art, the Nine Revolutions Reincarnation Art, the Wind Flower Snow Moon Divine Art, and so on. However, the severity of Yun Che’s injuries had been clear to her, and the consumption of his power had been so great that even his lifespan had been severely overdrawn… yet he had fully recovered in just three hours. Even the most powerful recovery Profound Arts she knew of, combined, could not achieve such an astonishing effect.
Yun Che hesitated briefly before still speaking out: “The name of this Profound Art—you probably haven’t heard of it—is called the Great Dao Pagoda Art.”
“Great Dao Pagoda Art…” Chu Yuechan murmured softly, her eyes misty. It was indeed a name she had never heard before.
“True Xuan Realm mid-stage profound strength… yet in a short time… you killed over a thousand opponents of the same level… and effortlessly took down an enemy an entire great realm above you… although, at your age, your profound strength level can only be considered an ordinary genius, your talent in the application of profound strength… perhaps even Xia Qingyue… is inferior to you. Your master must be… a very remarkable person.”
Having spoken so much at once, Chu Yuechan was already breathing lightly. The fact that she, who was usually so sparing with words, had spoken so much at once also revealed the shock Yun Che had caused her.
“Mm, I have two masters, and they are indeed both remarkable.” Yun Che nodded with a smile. “One master taught me medicine and how to conduct myself as a person, while the other taught me various Profound Arts. Both gave me a new life. Without them, I would not be who I am today.”
Chu Yuechan closed her eyes and said no more. As her mind relaxed, weakness and fatigue struck her simultaneously, and before long, she fell into a deep sleep.
With her Profound Veins completely destroyed, her meridians almost entirely severed, and her body this weak, being able to stay awake continuously for so long was undoubtedly sustained by an immense willpower. What made Yun Che infinitely relieved was that he could no longer detect any sign of a death wish within her.
Yun Che did not immediately step into the gate of the second trial. Instead, he quietly kept watch by Chu Yuechan’s side. In his hand, the Dragon Gate Sword still existed and had not disappeared with the Rock Dragon War General’s death.
When Chu Yuechan awoke, it was already the next morning. After a night of Yun Che’s Profound Force dredging and warming, although her body was still weak, her complexion had improved considerably.
“Come, drink some water first.” Yun Che propped up Chu Yuechan’s upper body, letting her lean against his chest. He brought water to her lips and watched as she took small sips. Perhaps he had never imagined that one day he would hold this little fairy who stood at the peak of Cang Feng like this, feeding her water as carefully and gently as if feeding an infant. Chu Yuechan would never have imagined it either… At this moment, even Chu Yuechan herself did not realize that being in such intimate contact with Yun Che, her heart did not feel much rejection. Instead, there was a strange sense of reassurance. However, she attributed all of this to her being completely debilitated and lacking the ability to take care of herself or resist.
Chu Yuechan’s current state only allowed her to take liquid food. Fortunately, before entering the Death Wasteland, Yun Che had bought some grains at an inn. He used his Phoenix Flame to cook a small pot of congee for Chu Yuechan and then fed it to her. After all preparations were complete, he carried Chu Yuechan and walked toward the gate of the second trial.
As he slowly stepped through the stone door, his surroundings turned pitch black. After taking two more steps, it suddenly opened up again, as if in just two steps, he had completely crossed from one world into another.
Before his eyes lay a vast, boundless plain. Green grass covered the ground, trees formed shade, and the faint sound of flowing water could be heard. In the distance, low hills rose and fell, and from time to time, the calls of various birds and beasts could be heard.
The air here also had a completely different scent from the place he had been in before—fresh and pleasant. When Yun Che turned around, he still saw an endless plain, with no trace of any mountain wall or stone door. He suddenly understood that he had not walked into a stone door at all, but rather a teleportation formation.
“Is this… the next trial ground? It seems… there is no sense of danger.” Chu Yuechan said softly.
At that moment, the voice of the Primordial Azure Dragon rang out.
“Young human, welcome. This is the second trial ground of the Dragon God Trial. This trial ground has no boundaries and no exit. Only when you complete the trial will you be teleported away from here, or else, before achieving your trial objective, you will be buried in this place.”
“In this endless plain exist countless Profound Beasts. Their levels have all been adjusted based on your strength. And since you are undertaking a double-difficulty trial, all the Profound Beasts here are at least at the Spirit Xuan Realm. Some powerful Profound Beasts even surpass the Rock Dragon War General you previously killed.”
“To these Profound Beasts, this place is an endless paradise. But to you, it is fraught with danger, an abyss filled with countless shadows of death. Because all the Profound Beasts here, upon detecting your aura, will launch relentless attacks against you. Moreover, under the guidance of my soul power, the Profound Beasts near you will all be directed toward your location. You will be constantly hunted by Profound Beasts, unable to sleep peacefully or eat in safety.”
Yun Che: “…”
None of this elicited any obvious reaction from Yun Che. But the Primordial Azure Dragon’s next words made Yun Che almost spit out blood.
“And your objective to pass this second trial is also very simple: within one year, kill 99,999 Profound Beasts here!”