288: Chapter 282 Immortality?

Above the precipice, the sound of the wind was shrill.

Daoist Tian Xuan's corpse had long since gone cold, as withered as a section of decayed old tree bark.

Chen Zhiwen sheathed his sword and walked forward expressionlessly.

He skillfully removed the Storage Ring from Daoist Tian Xuan's finger.

His Divine Sense forcibly broke through the Restriction on it and swept inside.

A moment later, Chen Zhiwen frowned slightly.

There were quite a few things in the ring: mountains of Spirit Stones, various sinister Medicinal Pills, and several Demonic Path Magical Artifacts of decent grade.

For an ordinary Cultivator, this was definitely a windfall.

But for Chen Zhiwen, these things did not hold much attraction.

"Strange."

Chen Zhiwen whispered, his fingers gently stroking the cold ring.

A trace of doubt flashed in his eyes, as if he were pondering some insoluble problem.

"This old ghost had his Foundation heavily damaged three years ago, and even fell in Realm."

"Logically speaking, in this deathly still restricted area, without miraculous Spirit Pills, he would be lucky just to keep his life."

"But during our clash just now, I clearly felt that although there were still old injuries in his Meridians, his main Meridians were exceptionally tough, and there were even signs of them being reopened."

This defied common sense.

Unless...

Chen Zhiwen suddenly looked up, his gaze like lightning as he scanned this forbidden land named the "Dead Sea Precipice."

"Unless there is some kind of Heaven-Defying Opportunity here that can bring the dead to life and regrow flesh on white bones."

"And this Opportunity is right near this precipice!"

If not for this, why would Daoist Tian Xuan have stayed here for three years without leaving?

If not for this, how could his almost irreversible Dao injury have been suppressed?

Thinking of this, Chen Zhiwen's original intention to leave vanished instantly.

How could one enter a mountain of treasures and return empty-handed?

Since this old devil could use this place to heal, then if this Opportunity fell into his hands, it might help him consolidate his Nascent Soul Realm or even take him a step further.

"It seems I'll have to stay a few more days."

Chen Zhiwen casually flicked a wisp of Pure Yang True Fire, burning Daoist Tian Xuan's corpse to ashes.

Then, his figure blurred and he disappeared into the mist.

...

The search process was much more tedious and difficult than Chen Zhiwen had imagined.

This was the deepest part of the restricted area, and the environment was extremely harsh.

The air was filled with "nirvana astral wind" that could corrode Divine Sense; even Chen Zhiwen did not dare to fully spread out his Divine Sense for a long time.

The first day.

Chen Zhiwen searched inch by inch along the edge of the precipice.

He turned over every boulder and checked every withered ancient tree.

Aside from a few nests of reckless poisonous scorpions, he found nothing.

The second day.

Refusing to give up, he leaped down into the bottomless black pool.

The pool water was bone-chillingly cold, as if it could freeze even the Soul.

He dove underwater for an entire day, killing two Third-Rank Water Beasts guarding their territory.

But beneath the water, there was nothing but silt and white bones; there were no traces of any Immortal Cave or Spiritual Vein.

The third day... the fourth day... the fifth day.

Time passed bit by bit.

Chen Zhiwen had almost turned this hundred-mile radius upside down.

He even risked entering several natural spatial cracks and was nearly swept away by the spatial turbulence within.

The result was still nothing.

This place was like a true land of death—barren, hopeless, without any possibility of life.

In the blink of an eye, the seventh day arrived.

As the sun set, the dim yellow light filtered through the thick miasma and fell upon the precipice, dyeing this deathly silent world with a layer of desolate blood-red.

Chen Zhiwen stood at the edge of the cliff, looking at the rolling black mist below, and sighed softly.

"It seems I was overthinking it."

He shook his head, a self-deprecating bitter smile appearing on his face.

Perhaps Daoist Tian Xuan was just lucky and found a Medicinal Pill left behind by some Senior here?

Or perhaps the old ghost had brought some life-saving trump card in with him?

Regardless, seven days of carpet searching had exhausted his patience.

"Forget it. What is meant to be mine will be mine; what is not cannot be forced."

Chen Zhiwen was not one to dwell on dead ends.

Since he couldn't find it, it meant the Opportunity had not yet arrived and could not be forced.

He straightened his clothes, and the Spiritual Qi in his body began to circulate as he prepared to fly away on his sword from this ghostly place.

However.

At the very moment he turned around.

A breeze blew up from the abyss below the precipice.

Whoosh—

The wind was very light, almost imperceptible.

But in this wind, there was a trace of an extremely weak yet extremely special fluctuation.

It wasn't Death Qi.

Nor was it Spiritual Qi.

It was a kind of... ancient, desolate rhythm, as if it came from the primordial ages.

"Hmm?"

The step Chen Zhiwen had just taken stopped abruptly in mid-air.

His pupils suddenly constricted, and he whipped around, staring fixedly in the direction the wind had come from.

Right below the precipice, at a distance of about three hundred zhang.

There was a protruding black rock that looked ordinary, even somewhat ugly.

But in Chen Zhiwen's perception, that special fluctuation just now was exactly what was produced when this rock collided with the surrounding astral wind.

"Something's wrong."

Chen Zhiwen narrowed his eyes; his intuition told him there was a problem.

The space around that rock seemed... a bit distorted?

That distortion was very tiny. If not for the astral wind blowing past just now and causing a resonance, even a Soul Transformation Stage powerhouse would find it hard to detect.

"Hidden quite deeply."

The corners of Chen Zhiwen's mouth curled up slightly, and the fatigue in his eyes was swept away.

It was replaced by the excitement of a hunter discovering his prey.

Without any hesitation.

He leaped down like a hunting eagle, diving straight toward that protruding black rock.

The distance of three hundred zhang was covered in an instant.

When Chen Zhiwen hovered in front of that rock, he finally saw the clue.

How was this any kind of rock?

This was clearly a stone platform concealed by a sophisticated illusion Formation!

It was just that this illusion Formation was too ancient, its spiritual power had leaked severely, and combined with the constant erosion by the nirvana astral wind, it had finally revealed a flaw.

"Break!"

Chen Zhiwen gave a low shout, and a sharp Chaos Sword Qi condensed at his fingertip as he lightly tapped the "rock."

Pop!

A soft sound, like a bubble bursting.

The scene before him rippled like water.

The ugly black rock disappeared.

In its place was a circular stone platform emitting a faint eerie light, covered in complex and obscure ancient runes.

And directly behind the stone platform, where there should have been a cliff face, a pitch-black, deep cave entrance had actually appeared!

That ancient and desolate aura was precisely what was continuously spilling out from this cave entrance.

"So there's a hidden paradise here."

Light flashed in Chen Zhiwen's eyes; his suspicion had finally been confirmed.

That old ghost Daoist Tian Xuan had indeed discovered this place!

He must have stumbled into it by accident, or perhaps he only gained a few benefits at the entrance, which was enough for him to suppress such a serious Dao injury.

If I can go deep inside...

Chen Zhiwen took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

He was in no hurry to enter. Instead, he first took a Puppet for scouting out of his Storage Pouch and controlled it to walk into the cave entrance.

A moment later.

Through the Divine Sense attached to the Puppet, Chen Zhiwen confirmed there were no instant-death traps inside for the time being.

"Wealth is found in danger."

He no longer hesitated. Bolstering a Chaos shield around himself and holding the green lotus sword, he stepped into that pitch-black cave entrance.

...

A wave of dizzying vertigo hit him.

When Chen Zhiwen opened his eyes again, the scene before him had undergone a world-shaking change.

It was no longer the dark and damp precipice.

Nor was it the deathly still restricted area.

At this moment, he seemed to be standing beneath a vast starry sky.

Above his head was the endless Void Realm, dotted with sparse stars.

Beneath his feet was a suspended walkway made of white jade, winding and twisting until it reached the end of his vision.

There was no wind, no sound; it was terrifyingly quiet.

"Is this... an independent Small World?"

Chen Zhiwen's heart shook.

To be able to create such a stable independent space, the master of this Secret Realm must have been at least at the Void Refining Stage or even the Body Integration Stage when they were alive!

Relics of this level were rare as phoenix feathers or dragon horns in the entire Southern Barrens.

"It seems this time, I've really struck gold."

Chen Zhiwen tightened his grip on his sword and cautiously stepped onto the white jade walkway.

However.

The instant his foot landed.

Rumble!

The originally deathly silent space suddenly trembled.

On both sides of the walkway ahead, the void distorted.

Two Bronze Giants, three zhang tall, appeared out of thin air.

They held giant axes, their bodies covered in defensive runes, and red Soul-fire ignited in their eyes, emitting a terrifying pressure comparable to the Golden Core Great Perfection.

"Intruder... die!"

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A dull sound exploded like thunder.

The two Bronze Giants wasted no words, brandishing their giant axes and bringing them down upon Chen Zhiwen with the force to split mountains and shatter stones!

It was pure strength, without the slightest bit of flair.

If struck, even the Physical Body of a Nascent Soul Cultivator would be smashed into pulp.

"Are you guard dogs?"

Chen Zhiwen let out a cold snort, advancing instead of retreating.

His figure was like lightning, weaving through the gaps as the giant axes fell.

The green lotus sword in his hand turned into a bolt of green lightning, stabbing with pinpoint accuracy at the throat joint of the giant on the left.

Clang!

Sparks flew everywhere.

The defense of this Bronze Giant was simply perverse; the green lotus sword, capable of cutting metal and snapping jade, had only left a white mark on it!

"What a tough turtle shell!"

Chen Zhiwen frowned slightly, flipping his body in mid-air to avoid the giant axe that swung horizontally toward him.

Although these two Puppets only possessed the strength of the Golden Core Stage, their bronze skin and iron bones, combined with their tireless nature, were indeed quite troublesome.

"Since brute force won't work, I'll just dismantle you!"

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Zhiwen's eyes.

He activated the Chaos Art, and a strange vibrational force attached itself to the edge of his sword.

It was a technique he had comprehended while observing the destruction of Daoist Tian Xuan's Formation—the Formation-Breaking Style.

Swish!

Sword light rose again.

This time, Chen Zhiwen did not attack their armor, but instead aimed specifically for the gaps at the joints.

Chii!

With a soft sound.

The right arm of the giant on the left was severed at the root!

The giant axe crashed to the ground, causing the white jade walkway to tremble.

Having lost its weapon, this lumbering Puppet instantly became a sitting duck.

Ten breaths later.

Accompanied by two loud bangs.

The two arrogant Bronze Giants turned into two piles of scrap metal, collapsing onto the walkway.

Chen Zhiwen stood with his sword sheathed, his breath steady, not having broken a single drop of sweat.

This level of trial was merely a warm-up for him now.

"Continue."

He stepped over the remains of the Puppets and continued forward.

But this was only the beginning.

The journey ahead could be described as perilous at every step.

After passing the first physical trial, Chen Zhiwen arrived at a sea of flowers shrouded in mist.

This sea of flowers was magnificent, emitting an enchanting fragrance.

But the moment Chen Zhiwen stepped inside, the scene before his eyes changed.

Countless alluring beauties, holding wine, with clothes half-undone, danced around him.

Even old enemies and deceased loved ones emerged from the mist one by one, some wailing, some cursing, attempting to shake his Dao Heart.

This was a Formation of illusions, testing his Divine Soul and willpower.

"Petty tricks."

Chen Zhiwen's expression was calm as water, and he recited the 'Cleansing Heart Mantra' in his mind.

The Eye of Truth between his brows opened slightly, shooting out a beam of golden light.

Those skeletons in alluring guise and hideous ghosts instantly dissolved under the radiance of the golden light.

His heart was like a rock, his steps firm, and he forcefully carved a bloody path out of this boundless illusion.

The third trial.

It was a giant chessboard Formation.

Countless black and white pieces transformed into a killing Formation, pressing in step by step.

Chen Zhiwen did not understand the Dao of chess, but he understood the Dao of the sword.

Since he could not solve this chess game, he would use the sword in his hand to split the board open!

Absolute strength overcomes all techniques!

He fought his way through like this.

Puppet Formations, illusion Formations, killing Formations, Five Elements Formations...

Each trial was enough to make an ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivator die on the spot.

The clothes on Chen Zhiwen's body gradually became tattered, and he even had a few bloodstains.

But the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

The harder the trial, the stronger the master of this Secret Realm must be, and the more precious the Legacy they left behind!

I do not know how much time passed.

Perhaps it was a day, perhaps it was three days.

When Chen Zhiwen smashed the last guardian beast—a flame lion with the strength of the Mid Nascent Soul Stage—with a single sword strike.

The mist before his eyes finally dissipated completely.

His field of vision suddenly opened up.

He saw that at the end of the white jade walkway, a massive palace, magnificent enough to be suffocating, floated silently in the Void Realm.

This entire palace was cast from an unknown type of bronze.

Having gone through endless years, it was covered in mottled verdigris, but that could not hide the magnificent aura that rushed toward him.

The palace was a thousand zhang tall, resembling a towering ancient divine mountain.

On both sides of the gate stood two huge coiled Dragon pillars.

The Dragons were carved so lifelike, with distinct scales, as if they would take flight in the next moment and let out a Dragon roar that would shatter the galaxy.

And directly above the gate hung a huge plaque.

The plaque was slightly crooked, covered in a thick layer of dust.

But one could vaguely discern three vigorous and powerful ancient seal characters, containing supreme Dao rhyme:

"Palace of Longevity"!

"Palace of Longevity..."

Chen Zhiwen stood on the plaza in front of the great hall, looking up at the three characters, feeling a vast and boundless Concept rush straight into his Sea of Consciousness.

In that instant, he felt as if he saw the endless river of time flowing before his eyes.

He saw countless brilliant Cultivators, following one after another on the path to longevity, eventually turning into a handful of dust.

"What a bold claim."

After a long while, Chen Zhiwen snapped out of it and sighed softly.

To dare to name a palace with the words "Longevity," the master of this Secret Realm truly had the ambition to swallow the mountains and rivers.

He took a deep breath, calming his agitated emotions.

The concentration of Spiritual Qi here had reached a shocking level.

It had even liquefied into faint spiritual mist, floating above the plaza.

With just one deep breath, Chen Zhiwen felt the exhaustion in his body vanish, and his cultivation even showed signs of slight improvement.

"No wonder Daoist Tian Xuan could have such good fortune just by grazing the outer perimeter."

"If one could enter the interior of this great hall..."

Chen Zhiwen's heart began to beat violently and uncontrollably.

He took a step forward, with a solemnity akin to a pilgrimage, and slowly walked to the bronze gate that was a hundred zhang high.

The gate was tightly shut, without a single gap.

It was engraved with countless complex Formation patterns, faintly emitting a heart-palpitating pressure.

Chen Zhiwen did not rashly try to push the gate.

He first circled the gate, carefully observing the patterns on it.

"This seems... to be a Bloodline Restriction?"

Chen Zhiwen reached out his hand, stopping a foot away from the gate.

He could feel that this gate was not locked.

But there was an invisible force resisting his approach.

That was the will from the ancient times; those who were not fated could not enter.

"Since I have come, there is no reason to turn back."

Chen Zhiwen's eyes narrowed.

He did not know if he was that fated person.

But he knew that his fate was his own, not determined by the heavens.

If this gate would not open, then he would blast it open!

Thinking of this, Chen Zhiwen stepped back three paces.

The Spiritual Qi within his body surged like a rushing river, madly pouring into his arms.

Chaos Body fully activated!

His originally lean body now faintly glowed with a layer of golden treasure light, as if he were a living Arhat.

"Open... for me!"

Chen Zhiwen let out a low roar, his palms thrusting forward violently, slamming heavily onto the bronze gate.

Boom!

A dull, massive sound reverberated across the plaza of the great hall.

In that instant.

Chen Zhiwen felt a terrifying rebounding force, vibrating his arms until they went numb and causing his blood and Qi to surge.

But his feet were like they had taken root, firmly nailed to the ground, not moving a single inch.

"It moved!"

A piercing light shot from his eyes.

He saw that the bronze gate, sealed for who knows how many tens of thousands of years, actually emitted a teeth-grinding friction sound under this palm strike.

Creak—

That was the sound of time being unlocked.

The gate slowly opened a crack.

A burst of Spiritual Qi, a hundred times denser than outside, accompanied by dazzling treasure light, instantly gushed out from the crack!

The light was too intense, stinging Chen Zhiwen's eyes and forcing him to squint.

Vaguely.

He seemed to see a ball of light floating in the center of the great hall.

And inside that ball of light, it seemed a person was sitting...

Or rather, a skeleton?

Chen Zhiwen held his breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.

He exerted force again, pushing the heavy bronze gate open bit by bit.

The moment the gate was completely opened.

Chen Zhiwen finally saw the scene inside the hall.

In that instant.

This Grandmaster, who could remain calm even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, could not help but gasp in shock.

"This... this is..."

His voice echoed in the empty great hall, carrying undisguised shock.