Chapter 399

"Zhixi, you really encountered an Immortal Spirit Vein?" Ding Huan asked at once.

If there were an Immortal Spirit Vein, what would he have to fear while traversing the Myriad Void Marshes for cultivation Qi?

Wen Zhixi nodded: "Yes, it is indeed an Immortal Spirit Vein. But there is a terrifying human-beast there—those human-beasts call it Lord Xianze. I suspect this Xianze human-beast is a Level Four Immortal Spirit Demon."

"Do you know what species this human-beast is? I've never heard of it," Ding Huan asked.

Wen Zhixi fell silent for a long time before saying: "If I'm not mistaken, this human-beast is unique to the Myriad Void Marshes.

Many human cultivators enter the Myriad Void Marshes and end up trapped inside, unable to leave. Some may have mated with certain demonic beasts there, giving rise to these monstrous human-beasts."

Ding Huan accepted Wen Zhixi's speculation—he was now thinking whether he could seize that Immortal Spirit Vein.

An Immortal Spirit Vein and the Immortal Crystals condensed from the Level Four Immortal Realm's Spirit Spring differ fundamentally.

At least one thing is certain: there are no cosmic restrictions on cultivation—only the quantity of Immortal Spirit Qi matters.

Both fell silent. After a long while, Wen Zhixi spoke: "I plan to confront that Xianze human-beast."

"That should be a Level Four Immortal Demon Beast, right?" Ding Huan said.

Wen Zhixi nodded: "I know. But I must go. My father's Jiulun Seal is there, and a fragment of my mother's soul may also be there."

Ding Huan smiled: "If that's the case, then let's go together."

Wen Zhixi looked at Ding Huan in surprise: "Your Dao is excellent, but your cultivation…"

She vaguely sensed his cultivation was still at the True Immortal realm—a True Immortal confronting a Level Four Immortal Demon Beast would be suicide.

She was different—she possessed an extremely powerful evasion technique.

Moreover, she was an Arcane Immortal.

Her strength was indeed inferior to that human-beast, but she had her own advantages.

Namely, she could outwit it. The human-beast had abysmal intelligence; even if she couldn't defeat the Xianze human-beast, she could still escape.

Ding Huan said: "My cultivation is indeed weak, but don't forget you're alive because I saved you. Besides, on the path to seeking the Dao, how can one avoid all risks?"

"You want that Immortal Spirit Vein?" Wen Zhixi understood.

Ding Huan chuckled: "Of course. Otherwise, why would I go?"

"Fine, then let's work together," Wen Zhixi nodded.

She didn't say anything about protecting Ding Huan—he had saved her life. If she survived, she would never let him die.

Seeing Wen Zhixi prepare to leave, Ding Huan sighed: "Do you always act immediately after deciding?"

Wen Zhixi looked at him in confusion. "What else should I do?"

"Don't you prepare anything?"

Wen Zhixi smiled faintly: "There's nothing to prepare. I'm a Level Two peak Immortal Array Master, and I've forged many array discs.

Besides, no matter how much we prepare, we'll still have to face them head-on. The human-beast has low intelligence but terrain advantage—we can only act on the spot once we arrive."

Ding Huan said: "You know the location and layout of its lair—you should at least tell me the details."

If it were an ordinary Immortal Demon Beast, Ding Huan wouldn't bother. But facing a Level Four Immortal Demon Beast, he preferred caution.

Wen Zhixi hadn't even factored Ding Huan's combat power into her calculations. His Dao was indeed excellent—otherwise he couldn't have stripped the muddled Dao traces from her body.

But no matter how excellent his Dao, at the human-beast's lair, a True Immortal would be useless. A few low-level human-beasts could easily restrain Ding Huan.

She brought him along for one reason: to let him take the Immortal Spirit Vein without guilt.

And another: she carried a forbidden artifact capable of severely wounding—or even killing—the Level Four Xianze human-beast.

Earlier, she nearly perished because when she reached the place, she was already injured and had no chance to activate the forbidden artifact.

Of course, she was lucky—the Xianze human-beast seemed to be in the midst of crucial cultivation and ignored her.

Wen Zhixi recalled: "The Xianze human-beast dwells beside a waterfall. It seems to favor water—its dwelling is built beside a stream…

In front of the house are two Spirit Gathering Trees. They're not large, but they look unnaturally sinister, strangely odd…"

"What about the other human-beasts?" Ding Huan asked.

Wen Zhixi said: "The other human-beasts live clustered around the waterfall. No houses—just crude stone huts."

Ding Huan pondered a moment: "You have the courage to seek out that Xianze human-beast—do you have a powerful one-time-use attack treasure?"

"Correct. I have a Soul-Sealing Explosive Needle. Once it pierces the target, it instantly detonates, annihilating its soul. At worst, it shatters the body and damages the soul," Wen Zhixi replied.

She wasn't surprised Ding Huan guessed she carried a one-time attack treasure.

Without such a treasure, how could her cultivation possibly justify seeking the Xianze human-beast?

Ding Huan said calmly: "What if your Soul-Sealing Explosive Needle misses? What if it pierces but fails to detonate? Or what if you never get the chance to strike?"

Wen Zhixi answered without a flicker of emotion: "I've considered all these. I have no choice. If any of these happen, it simply means I'm unlucky."

Ding Huan sighed: "Why not think of a better plan?"

Wen Zhixi paused, then asked: "To strike the Xianze Great Demon, we must go. Even if we lure it out, we still need to fight directly—what other option is there?"

Ding Huan rubbed his forehead. He'd overthought it.

Wen Zhixi was right—she truly had no better plan. But he did.

Thinking of this, Ding Huan said: "Zhixi, I'll set up some measures first. Don't worry—I'm certain the human-beast won't detect me.

You lie in wait nearby. When I say 'attack,' immediately emerge and unleash your Soul-Sealing Explosive Needle. Agreed?"

"But I can't hide nearby without being detected," Wen Zhixi said, ashamed. She knew her ability to remain unseen near the Xianze human-beast was impossible.

Ding Huan pulled out an array talisman and handed it to Wen Zhixi: "Hold this teleportation array talisman. When its array patterns glow, activate it immediately—you'll appear near me, then strike the beast."

"A Level Two Immortal Array Talisman?" Wen Zhixi stared at the talisman he handed her, astonished.

In the Fourth Immortal Realm, Level One Immortal Talismans were rare—let alone a Level Two Immortal Talisman, especially a Level Two Teleportation Immortal Talisman.

In both the Fourth and Fifth Immortal Realms, cultivators lack time to study Array and Talisman Dao.

That's why Ding Huan's Level Two Low-grade Immortal Array easily placed him in the top ten.

"Can you do it?" Ding Huan knew this concerned his life.

"I can do it." Wen Zhixi's voice was extremely steady, though her inner resolve was unwavering.

Though Ding Huan's cultivation was weak, his understanding of Dao's rhythm and principles ran so deep that, once hidden, he surely wouldn't be easily detected by Lord Xianze.

If he were discovered, she would act at once.

"Good. I'm heading over now. You follow me carefully, then lie low near the human-beasts and wait for my signal."

After speaking, Ding Huan seemed to remember something and pulled out a formation tablet, handing it to Wen Zhixi: "I may set up some trapping and killing arrays. If you're inside them, be careful to move according to the tablet."

Though Wen Zhixi knew Ding Huan's array skills were inferior to hers, she raised no objection and simply took the tablet, nodding: "Alright, I understand."

Seeing Wen Zhixi take the tablet, Ding Huan swiftly departed.

Wen Zhixi carefully followed behind Ding Huan.

Her father was a Luo Tian Xian; his movement and concealment arts, if not the very best in the Fourth or Fifth Immortal Realms, were among the pinnacle.

Soon, Wen Zhixi realized Ding Huan's speed was faster than hers—this utterly overturned her understanding.

She was a Xuan Immortal; Ding Huan was only a Zhen Immortal. How was this possible?

Along the way, she could barely sense his aura; she even suspected that if Ding Huan had wanted to abandon her, he'd have vanished long ago.

One day later, the edge of Wen Zhixi's divine sense began to detect human-beasts appearing; Ding Huan truly had the ability, weaving through them without a single one noticing.

Two days later, Ding Huan's voice reached Wen Zhixi's ears: "Stay hidden here. Don't move. Wait for my signal."

Upon hearing this, Ding Huan's aura vanished from Wen Zhixi's perception.

Wen Zhixi silently marveled: indeed, Ding Huan could easily shed her.

…

Ding Huan had already spotted hundreds of human-beasts gathered around a sizable stream pool, as if rehearsing something.

Earlier, when Wen Zhixi mentioned a waterfall, Ding Huan had been puzzled.

This was a swamp—where would a waterfall come from?

Now he truly saw a waterfall, at least dozens of zhang tall, cascading from the sky with genuine grandeur.

The waterfall was not formed by a mountain, but by a massive stone.

Ding Huan's divine sense reached toward the stone's summit, wanting to see what lay atop it to create such a waterfall.

But the moment his divine sense touched the stone's peak, it was blocked by a barrier.

Not only was the stone's summit barred—the area behind the waterfall was also shielded by a barrier.

Do these human-beasts know how to set up concealment barriers?

Ding Huan longed to transform into a human-beast and approach, but his transformation technique still lacked this ability—he could only alter his face.

Fortunately, all the human-beasts here were absorbed in their rehearsal, utterly unaware of his concealment.

Ding Huan laid down various trapping and killing array patterns while drawing closer to the waterfall.

As for the human-beast dwelling where Lord Xianze might reside, Ding Huan's divine sense did not even approach it.