Chapter 1240: The Sudden Appearance of Humans

But soon, the gray‑robed man whose face was like a crown of jade laughed lightly and said, "Little friend Xiao Yan, my name is Han Yu, and this is Qiu Yue. The two of us are descendants of the Pingnan Army who once guarded this place; our ancestors were among the last cultivators to fight here, but the older generation all perished on the battlefield, dying with the enemy and leaving no parting words for the remaining youngsters."

"My grandfather and my forebears were also too young to know how to leave, so several generations were forced to stay here. Just now, after hearing from the little black one that you have arrived, we felt hopeful and wish to obtain a way to depart from a fellow cultivator."

When the former finished speaking, the burly man immediately buzzed, "Rest assured, little friend, my brother and I are not the type to bully the weak. If you can tell us a way for us to leave, we brothers will certainly not let you suffer loss. Whether it be combat techniques, cultivation methods, or pills, heavenly materials and earthly treasures, we will try our best to satisfy you."

Hearing that the two men so far had shown no hostility, Lin Feng temporarily abandoned his intention to run away, lest he anger them.

However, upon learning that they were descendants of the Pingnan Army, he was momentarily startled, then his gaze, unchanged, glanced at the ring that had just stored the corpse bones.

If his guess is correct, the corpse bones at Pingnan Pass should also belong to someone from Pingnan Pass.

But this corpse showed no signs of having been moved before.

Immediately after, he smiled, bowed, and said, "I, the junior, have seen you, seniors Han Yu and Qiu Yue."

As soon as the words fell, he quickly continued, "As for the matter of leaving that the two of you mentioned, I fear I cannot satisfy you. The reason I know of this place is that many years ago I happened upon a piece of paper documenting this land within the ruins of an ancient cultivator."

"Unfortunately, entering that ruin would randomly transport one elsewhere, and at the time my strength was still weak. Moreover, I encountered a powerful member of the Soul Clan who opposes our Tianfu Alliance, and under that threat I had no choice but to hand over that item. If it were not for my wife Gu Xun'er, who is the daughter of Gu Yuan, the strongest on the continent today, I might not have even kept my life."

Hearing this, Han Yu's complexion changed sharply, and he hurriedly asked, "Little friend Xiao Yan, does that mean you also do not know a way out?"

"Little friend, this place is so perilous; without a way out, how could ordinary people dare to step in? The two of us sincerely request a trade, and our ancestors shed blood fighting the invasion of the Baiyuan Continent as the Pingnan Army, so we would never harm you. If you can tell us a feasible way to leave, I, Qiu Yue, will immediately give you the two nine‑grade Xuan Pills!"

Seeing the implication in the former's words, the burly man suddenly stamped his foot in agitation.

While speaking, before the other person could react, he pressed his index and middle fingers together, extended them, and a blue light flashed over his two fingers; then his waist pouch emitted a subtle vibration, and two high‑quality jade bottles flew out.

"?!"

However, at the sight of the former's action, both Han Yu and Lin Feng were instantly frightened, their souls seeming to rise, and even their heartbeats slowed by half a beat.

As for Lin Feng, one foot swiftly and silently stepped back.

But immediately after, the former seemed to recall something, quickly placed his foot forward again, and his eyes instantly filled with a visible greed, staring fixedly at the two jade bottles the burly man had produced.

Although he did not handle the two bottles up close, the faint fresh pill fragrance emanating from them indicated that their energy was far stronger than the half‑step Xuan Pill Lin Feng had refined.

A pill with such potent medicinal power must be the nine‑grade Xuan Pill, without doubt.

At the same time, Han Yu, seeing Xiao Yan's attitude toward the two nine‑grade Xuan Pills, felt his own anxiety ease considerably.

As for Qiu Yue, who had just reacted, sweat droplets had somehow already covered his back.

He knew that he had almost caused a disaster, and at that point he might not escape death!

Seeing Lin Feng's greedy expression, he immediately grinned, laughing loudly, "Little friend Xiao Yan, how are you thinking? As long as you are willing to give us a way out, these two nine‑grade Xuan Pills are yours, with no delay at all."

As he spoke, the former's voice rang like thunder across the sky, making the surrounding space hum, yet it did not shatter.

But the words from the young man called "Xiao Yan" that there was no way out were met in his heart with ten thousand doubts.

After all, this person is not on his deathbed; he came here only to seek a sliver of hope, so how could he rashly enter this place without any retreat?

Hearing this, the greed on Lin Feng's face slightly subsided, and his brows gradually knit.

When Han Yu saw that the former had not responded for a long time, a gentle smile appeared on his handsome face that could enchant thousands of maidens, and he comforted, "If you have any questions, feel free to speak. No need for that. The realm we are in is far richer in energy than the outside world, with countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Even the nine‑grade Golden Core before us cannot stir greed in our hearts, so there is no need to covet anything of yours."

"If it were not for our ancestors' wishes and their yearning for freedom, even if others asked us to leave, we would resolutely refuse. After all, when one's strength is sufficient, the benefits this place offers to cultivation are evident; you must already have an idea, little friend. Only a person with no desires would not be eager to leave this realm."

While speaking, the crown‑jade man made a reluctant, empty grasp at the air.

After all, this place truly makes one want to claim it as one's own.

"Sigh."

Hearing the former's words, Lin Feng let out a heavy sigh, his tone rather helpless, "Since the seniors say so, I will no longer hide anything."

When the former loosened his tongue, the crown‑jade man instantly rejoiced and hurriedly said, "Little friend Xiao Yan, feel free to speak."

"Yes, yes, Xiao Yan, just speak up. If there truly is a way out, tell us what you need our brothers to help with, and speak freely."

Seeing that the other seemed to truly have a way out, the burly man could not contain his ecstatic joy.

But because the former lost his reason in excitement, his voice instantly went out of control, shattering the space beyond Pingnan Pass in an instant.

Even Lin Feng, under this sound wave, suddenly felt his vision dim and his head buzz.

At the same time, his body involuntarily fell back dozens of zhang, then he thrust himself forward dozens of zhang; only then did the pain ease considerably.

"Little friend Xiao Yan!"

As for the crown‑jade man, seeing his companion lose his mind, he glared fiercely at him, then hurriedly tried to step forward to support the leaping Lin Feng.

However, the moment his foot left the ground, the crown‑jade man seemed to recall something, withdrew his foot, and then asked with concern, "Little friend Xiao Yan, my brother has been trapped for thousands of years. Hearing that we might leave, I got a bit overexcited. Are you alright?"

And as soon as the words fell, he glared at the burly man beside him and then raged, "Look at what you've done! You didn't consider that Xiao Yan might be unprepared… You rely on a flimsy framework built from heavenly materials and earthly treasures, boasting a few thousand years of age. When Xiao Yan cultivates for a few more decades, he'll crush your ancient bones that have taken millennia to reach this level!"

"Uh, my fault, my fault. I hope Xiao Yan will not hold it against me."

Seeing the former's gaze turning toward him, the burly man quickly looked at Lin Feng and forced a smile.

While speaking, after a brief hesitation, he flicked his finger, launching one of the two jade bottles in front of him; the force was just right, disappearing before Lin Feng, and the bottle then floated weakly to rest before him.

As for the burly man, after shooting out the jade bottle, he immediately expressed sincere apology, "Little friend Xiao Yan, consider this nine‑grade Xuan Pill as a deposit for the method I trade, please accept it."

"Seniors, there is no need to worry; I am unharmed. My Dou Qi cultivation is shallow, so I cannot blame others."

Seeing the two apologizing at the edge of the peak, Lin Feng's face first showed a hint of contemplation, but quickly returned to his previous smile; he casually waved, indicating he was fine.

But when he saw the nine‑grade Xuan Pill before him, his eyes instantly erupted with intense greed, and he promptly grasped it.

At the moment he seized the jade bottle, Lin Feng instantly felt that within it lay an extremely dense and pure energy.

According to his calculation, the energy inside this bottle, even a six‑star early‑stage Dou Saint who recklessly ingested it would likely explode and die.

Thus, it must undoubtedly be the nine‑grade Xuan Pill!

"What a fine thing, this Xuan Pill; I must find a way to get it."

After a brief self‑reproach, Lin Feng hesitated, then, seeing their expectant gazes, explained, "Back then, under pressure from that Soul Clan strongman, I reluctantly handed over the paper, but in that split second I managed to note some information on it. I know this world's seal allows only entry, not exit, and the true exit is a special spatial passage that can be opened only by a specific method."

"However, I can't recall the exact location of the exit; my attention was drawn to the text, and the time was too short to memorize the entire parchment." Hearing this, Han Yu and Qiu Yue exchanged glances, surprise flashing in their eyes, then quickly nodded, "Xiao Yan, you're right. After several generations of our investigation, we confirm the seal here indeed only allows entry, and the exit is that spatial passage in the north."

"But as you said, opening this Space Wormhole requires a special method; our families have studied for generations and still cannot discover how to open the spatial passage."

At this point, Qiu Yue couldn't help licking his lips, exclaiming, "Xiao Yan, could you tell us what the method to open the Space Wormhole is? We have been trapped here far too long and yearn to go out. After all, being confined to this world since birth is unbearable for anyone!"

"Exactly. As long as you give us the way out, this remaining nine‑grade Xuan Pill will be yours, little friend."

Seeing that the hope of getting out was right before his eyes, the crown‑jade man could no longer control his emotions and said, his voice trembling a little.

Upon hearing that, Lin Feng gently rubbed the jade bottle in his hand a few times, feeling a bit reluctant. He fell silent for a moment, then continued: "It can be done, but seniors, I must first explain something. Regarding opening the passage, if you insist on a trade, I can trade it to you now. As for your departure, I can only say I have a sixty‑percent chance. Whether it succeeds or fails, I will not return any items, and you must bear responsibility for your lives and safety."

"Sixty percent?"

Hearing this answer, which was completely different from what they expected, Han Yu and Qiu Yue were suddenly startled and hurriedly asked, "Xiao Yan, why is that? Could it be that leaving this place also has a failure rate?"

After speaking, Qiu Yue immediately raised his voice: "Little friend, this passage was a former military passage, surely designed for stability, so how could there be any chance of failure? If you truly cannot bear to give up the complete technique for freely entering and exiting here, then we don't need your treasured technique for opening the spatial passage; just let you take us out a few times."

Hearing that, Lin Feng helplessly spread his hands and said, "Whether you want this technique or not, junior has no reluctance about it. The military passage is stable, but its flaw is that the situation was urgent at the time; I only recorded the method for breaking the seal to enter this place. As for the seal for leaving, I didn't finish studying it; I only recall that the one who opens the passage must possess a Continental bloodline as a prerequisite, and also half of the seal for opening the spatial passage."

At this point, Lin Feng furrowed his brows, fell silent for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, before I entered, the outer part of the exit spatial passage had already been announced by the Soul Clan. Fearing that I might not be able to leave after entering, I studied it for a while and was delighted to find that the exit had, for unknown reasons, been destroyed. It can only be temporarily reconstructed when exiting, and the incomplete seal combined with the broken spatial passage yields a sixty‑percent chance; honestly, that's already quite high."

When his words ended, the former let out a wry smile and shook his head.

"Continental bloodline. Sixty percent is fine; we can try several times. How about this, Xiao Yan, we'll give you three Nine‑grade Xuan Dan and three Six‑Star Dou Saint‑level spirit plants. Whether it takes one try or several, as long as you help open this passage so we can live freely, is that acceptable?"

Hearing the word "bloodline," the handsome man glanced northward, then after a moment of thought, a fleeting inexplicable expression flashed in his eyes, and he immediately, with a breezy smile, turned his back and said.

Upon hearing that, the hatred in the burly man's eyes vanished quickly, and he immediately agreed, "Exactly, Xiao Yan, as long as you open this passage for us and tell us how to leave, we will give you the items right after we get out."

"Hehe, you two are celebrating too early. This passage is ancient and dilapidated; the part inside you haven't described is probably well preserved. But the outside world is not so stable. I probed the passage before entering; due to its special nature, I simply cannot repair it. If I fail to open it here, then there won't be another chance, and because the other end is damaged, the chance of the spatial passage being completely ruined will increase by another percent."

At this point, Lin Feng's eyes flickered slightly, and he added, "To be frank, seniors, if I'm alone, I have at least a ninety‑percent chance of leaving this place without damaging the spatial passage. But if I take you both along, the chance is limited to, as I said earlier, at most sixty percent."

"Ninety percent alone?"

After hearing the former's words, the crown‑jade man's expression changed slightly, his brows immediately knit. If he were in the outside world, he would surely be the type who could make countless maidens' hearts ache, and they would rush to smooth his furrowed brows.

Unfortunately, this place is an ancient continent forgotten by the outside world.

When the former thought of this, he immediately asked, somewhat puzzled, "Xiao Yan, how do you explain that?"

Upon hearing that, the burly man also looked over and said in a low voice, "Xiao Yan, we have already given you a Nine‑grade Xuan Dan in advance; you should feel our sincerity. Why does what I hear sound like a deception? If the spatial passage can be used, why would adding the two of us lower the chance of exiting?"

At this point, the burly man seemed a bit angry, his copper‑bell‑sized eyes glaring unfriendly at Lin Feng.

"Hehe, gentlemen, calm down a bit; let me clear up your doubts."

Seeing this, Lin Feng calmly put away the jade bottle containing the Nine‑grade Xuan Dan, and then, under the other's astonished gaze, his figure suddenly vanished from the space before them.

But the next moment, Han Yu and Qiu Yue instantly turned around, looking toward the empty space behind them.

"Whoosh!"

Shortly after the two turned, Lin Feng's figure eerily emerged from the void and appeared within Han Yu and Qiu Yue's line of sight.

Although the whole process seemed simple, the two behind were extremely astonished.

Because the methods Xiao Yan employed could not be hidden from their Dou Qi perception, yet judging from his mastery of spatial manipulation, even an Eight-Star Dou Saint might not be able to surpass him.

However, while the two ahead were surprised, Lin Feng, walking from the void, saw Han Yu and Qiu Yue's reaction and felt a slight heaviness in his heart.

He quickly composed himself and bowed, saying, "I think after the demonstration, seniors should understand. If I'm alone, relying on my far‑above‑average spatial manipulation ability, as long as my half of the seal can open a sliver of passage, I still have great confidence. With my spatial talent, I can safely walk out, so the success rate is naturally high."

"But if I take the two seniors with me, I must find a way to fully open the spatial passage and keep it stable for a while, so the success rate naturally drops considerably. Because the seal is incomplete, I would need to force the passage open; even if I succeed by luck, there is a risk of it collapsing. Unless the two seniors, like me, also possess special spatial manipulation abilities, then I could keep the success rate from dropping and the passage would remain intact."

"Otherwise, if the two seniors can wait a while until my strength improves, the success rate will increase greatly. As for me, perhaps Senior Qiu Yue could give me another Nine‑grade Xuan Dan, and I would give you the half of the technique I know for opening the spatial passage. After all, with your profound strength, your chance of opening the passage is certainly much higher than mine."

Speaking of that, Lin Feng helplessly spread his hands, indicating that it would be best for you to open the spatial passage yourselves, as he has no other means.

"No wonder, Xiao Yan, you are so confident about leaving this place; it turns out you possess a peculiar spatial ability."

Seeing this scene, Han Yu and Qiu Yue instantly lowered their weapons, and even the anger Qiu Yue had earlier vanished in an instant, turning into a wry smile.

Because what Xiao Yan said left them unable to refute him.

Soon, Han Yu looked up at Xiao Yan and asked, "Xiao Yan, you said the current success rate is low, but later you have great confidence in taking us out. Could you elaborate?"

Upon hearing that, Lin Feng spread his hands and explained, "I've already demonstrated my spatial talent to Senior Han Yu, so I won't elaborate further. With my Six‑Star Dou Saint ability, I only have a slight confidence in escaping on my own. However, if I can advance to Eight‑Star Dou Saint or Imperial Realm Soul, the success rate of taking you both out could rise to around eighty percent."

"Of course, if I can simultaneously reach Eight‑Star Dou Saint and Imperial Realm Soul, I will have a hundred percent certainty of rescuing you both!"

At this point, Lin Feng immediately extended his palm, lightly grasping the void, his expression extremely confident.

"Eight‑Star Dou Saint. Imperial Realm Soul?"

Hearing those two terms, Han Yu and Qiu Yue exchanged a glance, then their brows knit tightly.

After all, each of them is far from a simple thing.

Indeed, relying on the countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures accumulated here over millennia, they have only just now reached the level of Nine‑Star Dou Saint.

But merely raising the strength of this boy named Xiao Yan from Six‑Star Peak Dou Saint to Eight‑Star Dou Saint is not too difficult.

Even so, the other side would still only have an eighty‑percent chance of opening the spatial passage.

(End of chapter)