Chapter 129

Chapter 129: The Seal Loosens, Eerie Energy Spreads

Lian Jiuyou stood rooted to the spot, utterly despondent and stunned.

Even a mighty demon emperor felt utterly powerless at that moment.

"I wonder what land we have arrived in now?" Lan Youruo murmured thoughtfully.

"Senior Sister, should we turn back the way we came?"

Her gaze rested on Lin Qianmo.

"No, we cannot go back," Lin Qianmo refused Lan Youruo’s suggestion. The only ancient coin she possessed had already been given to the woman as a toll fee.

If they returned to the Underworld River and encountered "her" again, there would be little chance of survival.

"The Burial Soil isn’t a sealed world. There must be an exit," Lin Qianmo stated. "Once we determine where we are, we will find a way to leave."

"Moreover," she continued, "this place might very well be Godfall Ridge."

"Godfall Ridge?" Lan Youruo exclaimed in shock. They had been deep in the "Return to the Ruins," floating downriver in the coffin left by the Green Lotus Demon Emperor. Was it possible they had somehow entered the world of Godfall Ridge?

"I’m only speculating."

Lin Qianmo wasn’t certain. The reason she suspected Godfall Ridge was a peculiar energy permeating the heavens and earth here; it bore a strange resemblance to the feeling of the seal over Godfall Ridge.

"Demon Emperor Friend, the matter concerning the Green Lotus Demon Emperor is beyond your current capabilities to resolve," Lin Qianmo said, looking at Lian Jiuyou. "The priority now is to first leave this place and return to the Yuan Realm."

Lin Qianmo pondered for a moment before adding, "If you truly wish to unravel this mystery, you should go to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

"In all the vast world, if there is one person capable of discerning the secrets of the Burial Soil, it is the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

Upon hearing this, Lian Jiuyou’s spirit suddenly lifted.

How could he have forgotten Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?

That esteemed master’s knowledge spanned antiquity and modernity; with his insight into the heavens’ secrets, he would surely be able to resolve Lian Jiuyou’s doubts.

"Thank you, Senior Sister, for your guidance."

By now, Lian Jiuyou was thoroughly convinced by Lin Qianmo and willingly accepted her superiority.

"Then let’s move."

Lin Qianmo released her Divine Sense. A green lamp floated near her, its glow casting shifting shadows, making her appear as cold and solitary as the moon goddess, radiating exceptional beauty.

Within a few breaths, Lin Qianmo’s eyes sharpened. She darted swiftly towards the east.

"Senior Sister, have you found a clue?"

Lin Qianmo gave a slight nod. "We are indeed in Godfall Ridge, but not within the borders of the Southern Wilderness. Exactly where, I do not yet know."

"However, if we head east, we can reach the Southern Wilderness."

Godfall Ridge lay within the vast lands of the Southern Wilderness. Though it might seem confined from the outside, its interior held boundless space. Even after flying hundreds of thousands of miles, Lin Qianmo and the others remained within its boundaries.

Mountain ranges coiled like serpents beneath them. The heavens and earth were unnervingly silent.

Lin Qianmo abruptly halted. Her gaze fixed ahead, her brows slightly furrowing.

The skies ahead were blanketed by a vast, impenetrable shroud of black mist. The mist roiled and moved with incredible speed. Wherever it swept past, not a blade of grass remained, an utterly eerie sight.

"Evade!"

Lin Qianmo waved her sleeves, unleashing spatial magic to carve out a separate dimension. She guided everyone into this magical space, sheltering them from the bizarre black mist surging toward them.

Throughout Godfall Ridge, strange phenomena lurked everywhere. Even inhabitants like the ancient divine clans dwelt here with extreme caution regarding these hazards—the black mist before them being one such threat.

"What could be concealed within this mist?" Nangong Zhandao wondered aloud.

"Obsessions, grievances, murderous intent, malice…" Lin Qianmo solemnly identified the entities. "This isn’t a secret. Most cultivators who enter Godfall Ridge meet their end—whether by natural disaster or conflict. Upon death, their obsessions are absorbed, gradually coalescing into the Soul-Eating Demon Mist."

"This mist devours flesh and tears souls apart," she continued. "It behaves like a living creature, feeding on flesh and souls to grow stronger."

No wonder they fear Godfall Ridge so deeply, Lian Jiuyou silently reflected, a chill creeping down his neck as he recalled his own past, careless encounters with the mist.

The Soul-Eating Demon Mist rolled toward them, vast and overwhelming. Within its swirling depths, countless twisted, shrieking faces snarled in vicious fury. Yet it swept past Lin Qianmo’s hidden group, oblivious, vanishing into the distance like a violent storm. They emerged only once the mist had retreated beyond the horizon.

“There’s a grave here,” Lan Youruo announced abruptly, her Divine Sense locked onto a tombstone.

The group descended before the grave. Seven words, deeply carved as if forged in metal, adorned the stone:

From Holy Mother Palace—erected by Chan Yinyue.

“Chan Yinyue of the Holy Mother Palace in the Mysterious Realm?” Lan Youruo tilted her head thoughtfully. The Holy Mother Palace stood as a paramount power within the Mysterious Realm, yet this name held no familiarity.

“She was the Ninth-generation Palace Master,” Lin Qianmo stated quietly, her gaze lingering on the inscription. “All believed her perished. Instead… she buried herself within the Burial Soil.” She paused meaningfully. “She reached her limit and sought a second life, it seems.”

“Should we seek her out?” inquired Nangong Zhandao, interest sparking.

“Do not disturb her,” Lin Qianmo cautioned, her voice firm. “She is not an adversary to be taken lightly.”

Her warning extinguished the group’s nascent curiosity. The blatant declaration of origin etched upon the stone served clear purpose: a stern deterrent to trespassers. Truly, those with great skills are bold.

They turned and proceeded eastward.

After an unknown period of time, they finally entered the Southern Wilderness.

Along the way, they avoided the strange and kept at a distance from cultivators of the ancient divine clans. Finally, after three days, they arrived at a place familiar to Lin Qianmo.

"It has been many years since I last visited this place," Lin Qianmo said emotionally.

She had quite a deep origin with the Ji clan.

"Sister, since we have arrived at Godfall Ridge, why not pay a visit to the Ji clan patriarch?" Lan Youruo proposed.

Lin Qianmo shook her head. "Right now, time is drawing near. I believe he is busy with preparations. Without an urgent matter, it is inappropriate to bother him."

Lian Jiuyou felt utterly confused.

Time is drawing near?

What did that mean?

"I can feel that the seal is beginning to loosen," Lin Qianmo said as she closed her eyes. Her Divine Sense merged with the world and sensed the changes in it.

"Senior sister, what are you speaking about?" Lian Jiuyou frowned. He vaguely perceived that Lin Qianmo’s words hinted at an enormously important piece of information.

"You will naturally understand after three months."

Lian Jiuyou’s frown deepened.

He activated his Divine Sense and merged it with the world. Strangely, however, as Lian Jiuyou’s Divine Sense surged into the world, it was as though it had entered a vast expanse of stars, causing not a single ripple.

He could not feel anything at all.

There was no trace of the so-called seal whatsoever.

"Demon Emperor, do not waste your effort," Lan Youruo said. "Sister has many skills. What she can do does not mean you can accomplish the same."

Lian Jiuyou smiled bitterly. "Daoist friend, you are correct."

"I feel it too."

Nangong Zhandao’s Divine Sense spread out. He could sense a terrifying power hidden within the world. He even saw countless divine patterns and numerous heavenly Talismans.

They were concealed in the deepest void. With Burial Soil and the Underworld River as chains, they tightly sealed the entire world of Godfall Ridge.

Moreover, Nangong Zhandao sensed a power gradually stirring back to life.

Lin Qianmo was not particularly surprised.

Nangong Zhandao bore the luck of the Yuan Realm. Besides, Godfall Ridge was the most vital part of the Yuan Realm, only sealed away.

Therefore, Nangong Zhandao’s perception was even clearer and more direct than Lin Qianmo’s.

"The seal is slowly loosening,"

Nangong Zhandao muttered to himself, "I feel that spiritual energy is leaking from Godfall Ridge."

"Spiritual energy is leaking out?"

Lian Jiuyou’s eyes lit up.

The inner world of Godfall Ridge was immense and boundless, filled with abundant spiritual energy. Once that spiritual energy leaked and surged into the Yuan Realm, it would likely cause drastic growth in the Yuan Realm’s spiritual energy.

At that time, the cultivation environment of the Yuan Realm would improve, and many more experts would emerge.

"This is truly a great thing."

Lian Jiuyou laughed heartily, tinged with a hint of regret. "It’s a pity the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom lies in the Western Region, or I’d claim a share of this bounty right now."

Currently, the Southern Wilderness’ seal was the first to loosen, and the spiritual energy flowed into the Southern Wilderness land from here.

Therefore, it was the Southern Wilderness cultivators who would benefit.

In that moment, Lian Jiuyou also had an epiphany; the event Lin Qianmo had mentioned happening in three months likely referred to the imminent lifting of Godfall Ridge’s seal.

At that time, the Yuan Realm would undergo earth-shattering changes.

"It’s not that simple," Lin Qianmo said with a grave expression. "Once the seal loosens, those damned Creatures inside Godfall Ridge could very well exploit the gaps."

"Let’s go out and look."

Lin Qianmo flew out of Godfall Ridge.

One step across, and the world changed.

The sky stretched vast and clear for thousands of miles, the sun shining brightly overhead.

Lin Qianmo opened her divine eye, surveying rivers and mountains across ten thousand spans.

The next instant, her gaze locked onto a village built against a mountain in the southwest.

That village neighbored Godfall Ridge, its people living there generation after generation.

However, the village was now shrouded in a mass of black mist, devoid of any sign of life.

"Something has indeed happened," Lin Qianmo’s brow furrowed heavily.

The loosening seal and the leak of spiritual energy were good news for the Yuan Realm.

But there were downsides too.

The Soul-Eating Demon Mist was bizarre beyond measure. They were the most sensitive to the seal loosening and would inevitably escape Godfall Ridge through its weakened points, wreaking havoc in all directions.

"It’s that strange mist we encountered earlier," Lian Jiuyou also witnessed this scene, his pupils contracting slightly.

The group descended upon the village. Corpses lay strewn haphazardly in the fields and within the houses – skeletal remains, not a single soul spared. Even the livestock and poultry had not escaped this calamity.

The Soul-Eating Demon Mist still floated in the mid-air.

"Hehehe…"

"Fresh food delivered right to our doorstep…"

Whispers seemed to emanate from the demonic mist, as if countless evil spirits were speaking.

"Sister, shall we act?" Lan Youruo’s eyes brimmed with anger.

How innocently had these villagers died?

Boom!

Lin Qianmo didn’t speak, but she activated the green lamp on her shoulder. Its hazy glimmer suddenly became dazzling, like a green sun shining directly into the Soul-Eating Demon Mist.

"Ahhh…"

Pained shrieks rose from within the mist. Those faces, those evil spirits, began to emit smoke the instant the green light touched them.

The agonized screams did not cease.

In the span of mere breaths, the Soul-Eating Demon Mist dispersed.

These things were mere minnows.

But as time passed and the seal weakened further, true abominations would eventually break out of Godfall Ridge, threatening the safety of the entire Yuan Realm.

"Within a radius of a hundred thousand spans, there are at least hundreds more villages and over a dozen cities. All these people must be evacuated immediately," Lin Qianmo instantly made her decision.

"Daoist friend Demon Emperor, while the Southern Wilderness is the first area affected, it won’t be long before the anomalies spread to the Western Region, Central Prefecture, Eastern Region, and the lands of the North," Lin Qianmo continued.

"Senior sister, don’t worry. I know what must be done." Lian Jiuyou nodded and solemnly stated, "Upon my return to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, I will immediately notify fellow Daoists from the Daoist sects, the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace, the Pure Land, and those in the Northern Region."

"I won’t see you back to Linglong City, Brother Ning."

His magical power stirred, and Ning Wudao appeared mid-air.

"Brother Lian, until we meet again." Ning Wudao offered a cupped-hand salute.

"Farewell." Lian Jiuyou bade farewell to them all and vanished.

"Back to the Red Dust Demon Sect," Lin Qianmo declared, her expression heavy.

She needed to immediately mobilize the forces of the Red Dust Demon Sect to evacuate all cultivators and common people within a hundred thousand span radius of Godfall Ridge.

"In my opinion, we also need to set up a barrier," Nangong Zhandao considered and spoke up.

"I will handle that," Lan Youruo volunteered to undertake the task.

Establishing a hundred-thousand-span barrier wasn’t overly difficult.

Ning Wudao simply stood there, bewildered.