Chapter 412: It All Belongs to Me

"Break the array with brute force?"

After listening to Xiao Han's account, Ice Imperial could not help but murmur.

He was equally aware of the trouble behind this; the difference in Spirit Array heritage had effectively rendered most of Xiao Han's methods as a Spirit Array Master useless.

"However, at this point, I'm afraid there's no turning back, is there?"

Ice Imperial changed the tone of his voice.

Hearing this, Xiao Han's expression became even more helpless. What the other party said was correct; the entity that laid out the ruins of the Black Abyss Mountain Range possessed terrifying strength, far beyond what he could contend with right now, so he had no choice but to follow the other party's will.

The moment he thought about how he had voluntarily stepped into this trap, he couldn't help but want to slap himself for making that decision—what a self-sabotaging guy!

"So, we just need to keep moving forward; no need to think so much."

Ice Imperial immediately transitioned into a psychological counselor.

Looking toward the darkness in the distance, it seemed as if a giant abyss-like mouth had opened, waiting for some unfortunate fellow to walk in voluntarily and be swallowed.

After adjusting his breathing for a moment, a sharp light suddenly shot from Xiao Han's eyes. He gripped his right hand in the air, a long spear appeared in his grasp, and his figure turned into a phantom, darting into the endless darkness ahead.

Xiao Han traveled through the darkness without pause for half a day until, finally, the corner of his eye caught a glimmer of light in the distance.

His heart couldn't help but leap with joy. He immediately stopped maintaining his original high speed, instead gradually slowing down, and the aura on his body slowly subsided, dropping to the level of the peak of the Supreme Realm.

Yet, beneath his plain appearance, the power of raging waves was surging wildly.

"Looking at a mountain while running kills a horse"—Xiao Han traveled for another full two hours before he finally caught a glimpse of the source of that fleeting light.

A Wanren Mountain stood before Xiao Han's eyes, a transparent light barrier shrouding the towering mountain body, emitting a faint golden glow.

What truly made Xiao Han unable to keep his composure were the precious medicinal herbs planted on the mountain.

"Gulp."

Xiao Han was startled by the sound beside his ear. He turned his head to look and saw that Ice Imperial had appeared beside him at some point, his eyes shining as he looked at the spirit-rich herbs, swallowing his saliva incessantly, filled with desire.

"Look at you, acting like you've never seen the world!"

Xiao Han mocked him subconsciously.

Ice Imperial didn't mind, instead saying as if it were only natural:

"Can't help it, so many years have passed, and I'm a bit tight on funds."

Did he really think he was some wealthy tycoon?

Although he had indeed been one in the past, over the tens of thousands of years, the resources consumed just to keep his own life were countless, and he had even been fleeced by the junior beside him.

The current Ice Imperial could proudly announce that his Storage Ring was so clean that a mouse could run through it.

Seeing a chance to recover his losses, how could he not seize it?

"Then I advise you, don't get yourself buried in there."

Xiao Han sneered from the side.

"Take a look at what is actually on the mountain."

Ice Imperial followed the direction Xiao Han pointed and looked closely.

"Hiss—"

A sound of gasping echoed. Ice Imperial's eyes widened, not in anger, but in horror.

Where his gaze reached, beneath those vibrant, spirit-rich precious herbs, there were actually piles of white bones; at a casual glance, they might have just looked like white stones.

"The remains of those intruders?"

Xiao Han nodded slightly.

"Perhaps those greedy fellows were wiped out by the Prohibition guarding this place."

"Or perhaps..."

Xiao Han's tone was grave and murderous, his voice low, as he spat out a hair-raising conjecture:

"These medicinal herbs are being nourished by the corpses of those people."

"It seems the master of this place is no saint!"

Ice Imperial could not help but exclaim.

Xiao Han did not refute this. An existence capable of orchestrating the cruel event of trapping and killing millions of living beings at once, regardless of the purpose, could absolutely not be called a kind person; calling their temperament indifferent would be a compliment.

However...

"I have no intention of giving up just like that." Xiao Han's mouth curled up slightly, his scorching gaze filled with intense fighting spirit.

"Haha..."

"Well said!"

"Wanting this Imperial to leave the meat right by his mouth uneaten? Wishful thinking!"

Ice Imperial was clearly in full agreement with Xiao Han's thoughts and laughed heartily.

"I'll go help you probe what exactly this Spirit Herb Mountain has in store."

Xiao Han nodded slightly. He still trusted the former's strength; in terms of combat experience alone, Ice Imperial, who had gone through that tragic slaughter tens of thousands of years ago, was far richer than him, a "flower in a greenhouse." Even at the same level, he did not have the certainty of victory.

Furthermore, according to the nature of this ruin, the methods of the Spirit Herb Mountain must have something to do with Spirit Arrays. As the only Spirit Array Master on the scene, he couldn't just foolishly abandon his own advantages to play at melee combat, could he?

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On the other side, having received Xiao Han's affirmation, Ice Imperial smiled slightly. Cold energy gathered in his palm, and bright white snowflakes wound, danced, circled, and extended between his fingers. Within a few breaths, a snow-colored long whip condensed.

Unlike the popular weapons of the continent such as blades, spears, and swords, Ice Imperial used a long whip, a very niche weapon.

However, being niche did not mean it lacked power; in that great war, the white long whip was a nightmare-like existence in the hearts of his enemies.

Step, step...

Ice Imperial walked unhurriedly to the light barrier protecting the Spirit Herb Mountain.

"Nine Shadows!"

With a low shout, the snow whip that Ice Imperial had been dragging behind him casually suddenly vanished. Nine whip shadows appeared in mid-air, and then the nine shadows merged into one, transforming into a solid long whip that lashed heavily against the barrier.

"Hum!"

"Crack!"

A sound like glass shattering rang out in the space, and a door the size of a person suddenly swung wide open.

"Whoosh!"

The figure of the Imperial Ice flashed, and before the door could heal, he entered the Medicine Mountain, which he had been coveting, with ease.

However, despite having entered their destination seemingly successfully and smoothly, Xiao Han and the Imperial Ice did not show the slightest hint of relaxation; instead, they both wore solemn expressions at the same time.

The real challenge had only just begun!

Without making Xiao Han and the Imperial Ice wait long, a space within their field of vision soon rippled, and then an old man dressed in white robes appeared before them.

His greying temples revealed a touch of old age, and his beard, moving without wind, gave him an ethereal, immortal air; however, the pair of seemingly ordinary yet somewhat vacant eyes revealed his identity.

A Puppet!

The same answer jumped into both of their minds simultaneously.

However, the Puppet old man did not give them time to think, and as if following a routine, he introduced himself:

"This place is the site where War Venerable Mingyu passed away; Lord War Venerable has left behind a legacy trial here."

"Anyone who passes the corresponding trial is qualified to obtain the corresponding resources."

"..."

The old man first gave a rough introduction to the general situation of the ruins, giving Xiao Han and the other a baseline understanding, and then mentioned the issue they were most concerned about.

"Medicine Mountain: defeat the Herb Guardian to take away the corresponding Medicinal Herb."

"Herb Guardian?"

The Imperial Ice first furrowed his brows, then relaxed them, and asked the old man:

"Are there any time or attempt limits?"

"A time limit of three days, no limit on attempts." The old man glanced sideways at the Imperial Ice, his expression remaining indifferent.

The implication was that as long as one was fast enough and strong enough, one could move the Medicinal Herbs in the Medicine Mountain as one pleased.

"I see!"

The Imperial Ice revealed a look of realization, murmuring to himself.

"Since that is the case..."

With his back straight, like a sharp spear standing proudly in the world, the might of the Imperial Ice, an ancient powerhouse of the Dou Qi Continent, began to emerge for the first time in the Da Qian world.

A white long whip danced, transforming into a sky full of whip shadows, shattering all the light barriers protecting the spiritual herbs in the Medicine Mountain; countless streams of light passed through the mountain—these were the Herb Guardians the old man had spoken of—and hovered in mid-air.

Expressionless, they looked down from above at this madman who dared to challenge the authority of the Medicine Mountain.

The Imperial Ice was completely unaware of the crisis of being surrounded, his expression indifferent and his tone calm, as he said matter-of-factly:

"These..."

"Are mine!"