239: Chapter 239 Crossing the Void and the Laws of Black Soil

At the edge of the North Cold Immortal Domain, an endless belt of Void Realm turbulence.

This is a desolate land between Immortal Domains, filled with spatial storms capable of tearing apart a True Immortal's Physical Body, and colorful yet deadly auroras.

A streak of green Escape Light was traveling through the chaotic energy flow at a speed that seemed slow but in reality transcended spatial dimensions.

Zhou Wannian sat cross-legged on a newly conjured dark green flying boat. This was not the previous “Noah's Ark,” but an excellent flying Immortal Artifact found in Gongshu Jiu's Storage Pouch—the Gale Divine Boat.

At this moment, he was toying with a jade ruler, entirely emerald green, emitting faint spatial fluctuations.

The heaven measuring ruler.

“Good stuff.”

Zhou Wannian's fingertips brushed over the runes on the jade ruler's surface, sensing the power of the Law of space contained within.

“Although it's only an Acquired Immortal Artifact, the Law fragment of 'Inch Distant Horizon' inscribed within it, if I can thoroughly comprehend it, will greatly benefit my understanding of the spatial changes in the Great Five Elements Illusory World Art.”

“Tie Zhu, what's the analysis progress?”

In his mind, Tie Zhu's calm mechanical voice sounded:

“Analysis progress: 15%. Estimated time to fully master the 'heaven measuring ruler' usage permissions is three months. A very strong Divine Thought Seal has been detected inside the ruler, suspected to be a tracking mark left by a high-ranking Heavenly Court official.”

“Tracking mark?”

Zhou Wannian sneered.

“Gongshu Jiu is already dead, what good is a mark?”

With a thought, golden light burst forth behind him.

The true word treasure wheel slowly emerged, its seventy-two rings of Dao patterns rotating in reverse.

“Time · Reversal.”

Golden ripples enveloped the heaven measuring ruler. Under the erosion of the Time Law, the deeply hidden Divine Thought mark rapidly dissolved, disintegrated, and finally vanished into nothingness, like snow under a scorching sun.

“Done.”

Zhou Wannian put away the heaven measuring ruler and looked ahead at the Void Realm, which was gradually becoming turbid and oppressive.

At the end of his vision, the once brilliant starry sky gradually disappeared, replaced by the outline of a vast land, gray and hazy, as if enveloped by countless dust and Evil Qi.

That was one of the most chaotic and mysterious regions in the True Immortal Realm—the Black Earth Immortal Domain... A few days later.

“Rumble—”

The sky was no longer clear blue, but a suffocating dark red, like dried blood. The air was not filled with pure immortal spiritual power, but violent energy mixed with a large amount of Evil Qi, Devilish Qi, and unknown gray mist.

As soon as Zhou Wannian passed through the Immortal Domain's barrier, he felt his body sink.

“Warning. Environmental Law anomaly detected. Gravity coefficient is ten times that of the North Cold Immortal Domain. The air contains trace amounts of 'Gray Realm Evil Qi,' prolonged inhalation may lead to the growth of Heart Demons.”

Tie Zhu's warning came just in time.

“Evil Qi, huh?”

Zhou Wannian took a deep breath, and the Fan Sheng True Demon Art within his body circulated on its own. The minute amount of Evil Qi that entered his body was instantly refined by the Demonic Technique, becoming nourishment for his Physical Body instead.

“For others, it's poison; for me, it's a tonic.”

Zhou Wannian put away his flying boat and began to fly through the air.

To avoid being too conspicuous, he suppressed his cultivation Aura to the Late Stage True Immortal, but even so, in this Black Earth Immortal Domain, which was fraught with danger, he still seemed out of place.

Below him was an endless black wasteland.

Withered black strange trees reached towards the sky like ghostly claws, and giant beast bones and broken Magic Treasure fragments were scattered everywhere on the ground. There were no rules here, only the Law of the jungle.

“Roar—!!”

Suddenly, the black swamp below exploded.

A giant beast, a hundred zhang long, shaped like a crocodile but with three skull heads, charged at Zhou Wannian in the air, bringing with it a sky full of foul-smelling black mud.

A Vicious Beast at True Immortal Perfection Stage—the Three-Headed Ghost Crocodile.

It was accustomed to rampaging across this wasteland and instinctively regarded the lone “True Immortal” as prey.

“Scram.”

Zhou Wannian didn't even look at it, his figure didn't stop, he just casually flicked his sleeve downwards.

“Buzz!”

A streak of azure-gold Sword Qi shot out from his sleeve.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a soft sound.

The menacing ghost crocodile's body suddenly stiffened in mid-air. Immediately after, it split neatly into two halves from head to tail.

Blood sprayed like rain.

Zhou Wannian hooked a finger, and a demon core as black as ink flew into his hand.

“The quality is too poor, full of Impurities.”

He shook his head and casually tossed the demon core to Golden Boy (Gold Devouring Insect King) on his shoulder.

“Jiner, have it as a snack.”

“Squeak squeak!”

Golden Boy swallowed it in one gulp and rubbed Zhou Wannian's cheek contentedly... After dealing with this suicidal Vicious Beast, Zhou Wannian continued for about half a day and finally saw a solitary city at the end of the wasteland.

This city was built against a mountain, its walls entirely constructed from black giant stones, towering a thousand zhang high. The surface of the city walls was pockmarked and covered with traces of various Spell bombardments and claw tears, clearly indicating constant warfare.

Above the city gate, three large, murderous characters were carved—Crushed Stone City.

Outside the city gate, two rows of fierce-looking guards in mismatched armor were inspecting passing Cultivators.

“Stop! Newcomer?”

A burly guard captain, only at the Early True Immortal Stage, with a scarred face, stopped Zhou Wannian. He scrutinized the green-robed man before him, his gaze lingering for a moment on the seemingly Advanced Storage Pouch at Zhou Wannian's waist.

“The rules of the Black Earth Immortal Domain: entry fee, one hundred immortal yuan stone.”

The guard extended his hand, his expression matter-of-fact.

“One hundred?”

Zhou Wannian raised an eyebrow slightly. In the North Cold Immortal Domain, the entry fee was usually only three to five, but here it had increased twentyfold?

“What? Too expensive?”

The guard captain sneered, slamming his long spear heavily onto the ground.

“If it's too expensive, you don't have to enter! Spend the night outside, and tomorrow I'll come collect your corpse! The 'Shadow Evil' around here particularly loves to eat the Nascent Souls of outsiders.”

Zhou Wannian remained silent.

He didn't care about these immortal yuan stone; he cared about the attitude.

In a place like the Black Earth Immortal Domain, keeping a low profile often meant weakness, and weakness was the original sin.

“What if I don't pay?”

Zhou Wannian spoke faintly, his voice not loud, but it clearly spread throughout the entire city gate.

The Cultivators in line around him all turned their heads, their eyes filled with either schadenfreude or pity.

“Don't pay?”

The guard captain's face darkened, and the dozen or so guards around him instantly surrounded Zhou Wannian, their weapons gleaming with cold light.

“Then leave your life and your Storage Pouch!”

“So, there's nothing to discuss.”

Zhou Wannian sighed.

He slowly raised his eyelids, and a terrifying pressure belonging to a Late Golden Immortal Stage was unleashed without reservation in an instant.

Boom!!!

The once noisy city gate seemed to be violently pressed down by an invisible giant hand.

The air solidified.

Those guards, who had been so aggressive, felt as if Mount Tai was pressing down on their heads, their knees went soft, and they fell to their knees with thuds.

The guard captain's face turned even paler, and he lay prostrate on the ground, struggling to breathe, his eyes nearly bulging out.

“Golden... Golden Immortal Senior?!”

He tried to beg for mercy in terror but found he couldn't even make a sound.

Zhou Wannian walked step by step towards him, hands clasped behind his back, looking down at him from above.

“Now, do you still want an entry fee?”

“No... I wouldn't dare... Senior, spare my life...” The guard captain squeezed out a few words with all his might.

Zhou Wannian withdrew his pressure.

“Lead the way.”

He walked directly towards the city gate, his voice calm and indifferent.

“Take me to the best inn in the city, and also, notify your City Lord.”

“Just say...”

Zhou Wannian paused, turning to glance at the awestruck gazes around him.

This time, he wasn't wearing a mask, nor was he using a false name.

“Just say, Zhou Wannian has arrived.”

“Those who want to do business, come find me.”

“Those who want to die...”

Zhou Wannian pointed to the wasteland outside the city.

“It's very spacious there.”

With that, he strode into the city.

Leaving behind only the guards drenched in cold sweat and a group of dumbfounded Cultivators.

“Zhou Wannian? Who's that?”

“I don't know... Never heard of this person.”

“Who cares who he is! This Aura... he's at least a Late Golden Immortal Stage expert! Our Crushed Stone City is about to get lively!”