Chapter 622

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By the side of the Sinking Sea.

Ding Yi, shrouded in a large black robe, appeared quietly.

He stared at the golden sky and remained silent.

Suddenly, his expression tightened, and he glanced at a corner in the distance.

A giant turtle emerged from the water amidst the rustling waves, with three people standing on it.

The leader looked up at the sky, as if calculating something, and shook his head after a long while.

Behind him stood a man and a woman, both young in appearance.

As Ding Yi watched them, the young man also looked over coldly.

Ding Yi twitched the corner of his mouth and dived under the water without hesitation, disappearing.

The young man frowned and whispered to the middle-aged man with slightly graying temples in front of him: "Father, there are many people aiming for the Sinking Sea secret realm!"

The middle-aged man didn't look back and said indifferently: "This secret realm has appeared for over a thousand years; there is no such thing as an airtight secret in the world, so others naturally know. In the past, the Origin Demon Sect locked it up and others dared not covet it, but now that the Origin Demon Sect is gone, naturally all sorts of riffraff want a share of the pie. Don't think too much; they are just some Core Formation cultivators, and they are just looking for death if they go in."

"Then what about Xiao Xiao Lian and me?"

"You are different; you have my protection. If you can find the Holy Spring of Plastic Spirit that Great Power Li soaked in back then, you can not only reshape your spiritual roots and easily advance to the Nascent Soul stage, but you might even have the hope of comprehending the power of laws in the Nascent Soul stage in the future and step into the Soul Transformation realm!"

"Is the Holy Spring of Plastic Spirit real?" A look of confusion appeared on the young man's face, as if he didn't believe such a treasure truly existed in the world.

His father didn't explain too much. After observing the Sinking Sea for a moment, he made a plan.

"This sea is constantly venting its accumulated baleful energy toward the Northern Polar Yama Heaven, which artificially caused the early opening of the secret realm. It's good news, but also bad news. Opening early means insufficient momentum and incomplete success; we still have to wait a few months before we can enter."

"Let's find a place to stay first, and then find an entrance with a lot of movement to enter."

As he spoke, the giant turtle under his feet dived slowly, and eventually, its whereabouts became unknown.

And on the other side.

Ding Yi, who had left the side of the Sinking Sea, breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"That connection is still weak and untraceable, which shows that the secret realm has not fully opened, which actually left us some time."

"However, we can't delay any longer; we must urge the Senior Qingyang Demon Lord when we go back."

As he muttered in his heart, a touch of ruthlessness appeared in Ding Yi's eyes.

Senior Qingyang Demon Lord was a suitable candidate he had personally selected; he had strength but was still under his control and would not steal the limelight.

But if the other party advanced to the late Core Formation stage, the variables would be too great.

One month later.

On Pengdao.

Ding Yi and the Cave Master of Mowun arrived together, forcefully demanding to see Luo Chen.

This time, Luo Chen did not close his doors to them.

The meeting place was set in the Alchemy and Casting Hall, which was not suitable for receiving guests.

Looking at Luo Chen casting a sword case while repairing a flower basket magic treasure, Ding Yi and the Cave Master of Mowun looked at each other, seemingly somewhat surprised.

"Is this why you closed your doors and didn't even see us?"

Luo Chen said without raising his head: "According to what you said, the trip to the Sinking Sea is quite dangerous, and neither you nor I have absolute certainty of escaping unscathed. Before leaving, some things should naturally have a beginning and an end. This flower basket magic treasure is something I promised a friend I would help him repair years ago. Only after resolving this matter before departure can Luo Mou have a clear mind."

Ding Yi was speechless.

The Cave Master of Mowun didn't care much; it was a rare opportunity to personally observe Senior Qingyangzi's casting, and he was currently focusing on the other party's techniques.

It was just that after watching for a while, he didn't see anything profound or exquisite, which he found quite a pity.

Luo Chen slowed his movements slightly and looked up at Ding Yi.

"You are in such a hurry to see me, surely you are not concerned about Luo Mou's health, right?"

Ding Yi shook his head and immediately recounted everything he had seen and heard at the Sinking Sea.

Finally, he said seriously: "The ruins are opening right now; you and I must plan early!"

Luo Chen frowned, "You didn't say that before. The opening and closing times of the ruins occur simultaneously with the celestial phenomena, ranging from one or two years to forty or fifty years. Don't we still have plenty of time?"

"Times have changed; things cannot be spoken of in the same breath!"

Ding Yi took a deep breath and combined the many situations he had observed to draw his own inference.

"This opening of the ruins is not natural, but artificial. It is rumored that the Shark Emperor Liu Jun used secret techniques to intercept the baleful energy of the Sinking Sea to unlock the Yama Heaven seal, which caused the early opening of the ruins. No one knows whether it will close early. If we are trapped inside, I'm afraid we won't be able to get out."

"Moreover, going a step earlier can also yield more benefits."

"Senior Qingyang Demon Lord, we can't delay!"

After hearing this, Luo Chen's brows furrowed even tighter.

After a long while, he said faintly: "Give me a little more time!"

After speaking, he continued his previous casting work.

This was already a gesture of seeing guests out.

A flash of anger crossed Ding Yi's face, but under the signal of the Cave Master of Mowun, he finally didn't make trouble and left unwillingly.

Luo Chen didn't see them out and remained busy in the Alchemy and Casting Hall.

Half a day later, he stopped his movements.

The flower basket magic treasure was actually very simple to repair; it only required some materials, and after being repaired, the owner would just need to nourish it for a period of time.

He was focused on this strange magic tool that Han Zhan had entrusted to him.

Soul Heaven Sword Case!

By replacing the diseased willow silk with better shark silk, the effect of isolating baleful energy reached its best.

The other auxiliary materials were also excellent choices.

Taking one month, it was completed in one go.

He couldn't say how great its power was, but at least it could meet Han Zhan's requirements.

Stroking the soft surface of the sword case, Luo Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.

Ding Yi, he is very anxious!

And, getting more and more anxious!

This is good news for him.

An anxious mood, even if it can't make him take the initiative, can at least allow him to compete on equal terms in subsequent actions.

And he himself, however, is not anxious.

He is just one step away from the fourth rank of the Desolate Ancient era.

This trump card is perhaps the only means he has to contend with a Nascent Soul True Person, so no matter how anxious he is, he cannot act rashly.

"Take it slow!"

"Maybe those who go early will be reincarnated early?"

Luo Chen chuckled, put away the refined Soul Heaven Sword Case, and turned into the Star Dou Hall.

He had recently gained some insights into "Ten Thousand Paths Converging," and the closer he got to the fourth rank of the Desolate Ancient era, the more he discovered the many flaws in this body-refining technique.

If he could solve them one by one, he might be able to add some power after transforming his true body.

The Wan Xian Society, a gathering place for loose cultivators.

In the hearts of low-rank loose cultivators, it is even a holy land for loose cultivators that is not inferior to those Soul Transformation holy lands!

With the righteous-demonic war over these years, more and more loose cultivators have gathered at the Wan Xian Society, and every day feels like a new atmosphere.

But this year, those low-rank loose cultivators felt increasingly oppressed.

It seems that there are more and more high-rank powerhouses within the territory of the Wan Xian Society?

Especially after the strange celestial phenomenon of the Golden Sky Black Sea appeared, those powerhouses who had sneaked in gradually couldn't hold back.

Slowly, a rumor began to spread among countless people.

In the Sinking Sea, there is an ancient secret realm!

Inside, there are countless treasures left behind after ancient cultivators passed away. If an ordinary person can obtain them, they can either prolong their life or see their cultivation base soar. If they are lucky, they might even advance to the Nascent Soul or Soul Transformation stage and dominate a region!

Logically speaking, these groundless rumors wouldn't make everyone believe them.

But the strange celestial phenomenon has been continuing.

Plus, some people spread that Li Li Canghai, the current number one person in the Northern Sea, gained benefits from that ruin, which is why he advanced to the Soul Transformation realm.

In this way, the authenticity of the news became even more guaranteed.

Many loose cultivators wanted to go to the Sinking Sea to explore.

Originally, they were worried that the Wan Xian Society, which is closest to the Sinking Sea, would interfere.

But they didn't expect that after three eight-star demon hunters led a sweep of the demonic beasts entrenched outside the Sinking Sea, they all withdrew, looking as if they didn't care at all.

Those cultivators with ulterior motives immediately became restless.

Countless cultivators began to gather toward the Sinking Sea.

Until!

Three months later.

Hundreds of sky-reaching tornadoes rose from the Sinking Sea, rushing straight into the sky.

When the water-spouts disappeared, cyclones were left on the boundless ocean!

Massive amounts of heaven and earth spiritual energy were sucked into the cyclones and disappeared without a trace.

Some said that the locations of those cyclones were the entrances to the secret realm, and there were countless treasures inside, first come, first served.

Immediately, everyone watching couldn't hold back anymore.

By the side of the Sinking Sea.

Ding Yi and the Cave Master of Mowun rode the clouds and mist, looking from afar at the streaks of light diving into the black ocean, swimming toward the locations of the cyclones.

At this moment, it was like ten thousand mayflies merging into one sea!

"These people are not stupid; they know not to fly from the air," the Cave Master of Mowun said with a smile.

"Who doesn't know the great name of the Void Burning Wind? However, these people blinded by treasures and opportunities don't prepare any countermeasures, and rushing into the Sinking Sea is purely looking for death."

Ding Yi snorted, extremely disdainful of what those people were doing.

The Cave Master of Mowun agreed very much; in order to enter the sea, which of them hadn't planned for years and gathered powerful companions before daring to enter?

These people were indeed courting death.

Within his line of sight, he saw many loose cultivators panicking and fleeing as soon as they entered.

The black, turbid seawater was frantically corroding their magic power shields and protective treasures.

Those at the Qi Refining stage couldn't swim ten miles.

Those at the Foundation Establishment stage could swim at most a hundred miles.

And that was only for those who knew their limits.

If there were those who overestimated themselves, they would quietly perish in the boundless black sea while swimming.

And some Core Formation cultivators, having made full preparations, stepped into the Sinking Sea cautiously.

But before they could find the cyclones, they were swept up by the invisible Void Burning Wind in the seawater, and just like that, they were confusedly corroded and drowned by the seawater.

In just a few days, the scene of ten thousand streaks of light swimming in the sea disappeared.

By the side of the Sinking Sea, there were more terrified survivors and onlookers.

During this process, the Cave Master of Mowun, who was proficient in array formations, noticed something.

"The demise of these people has brought a large amount of baleful energy to this ocean. The baleful energy flows into the cyclones and strengthens them; it should be the work of some kind of array specifically designed to draw in baleful energy."

Ding Yi thought thoughtfully, "Perhaps this is the reason why the high-level members of the Wan Xian Society do not forbid low-rank cultivators from approaching the Sinking Sea."

Using human lives to fill it up and increase the baleful energy of the Sinking Sea.

After observing for a moment, the Cave Master of Mowun shook his head with regret.

"It's a pity that the Three-Qing Gorge was destroyed, the terrain has changed, and a portion of the baleful energy is constantly gathering toward the Yama Heaven. This has caused these cyclones to generate and grow extremely slowly."

Ding Yi said decisively, "This has nothing to do with us. The Sinking Sea has accumulated baleful energy for who knows how many tens of thousands of years; it won't be drained in a short while, which is enough for us to enter and search for treasures."

The Cave Master of Mowun hesitated, "Then when shall we go in?"

During the days they observed, they even discovered that Nascent Soul True Persons who didn't bother to hide their tracks had already entered.

If they waited any longer, I'm afraid there would be nothing left.

Mentioning this question, Ding Yi's expression instantly turned gloomy.

"Senior Qingyang Demon Lord!"

"Urging me again?"

Inside the Star Dou Hall, Luo Chen flicked away the ashes formed after the sound-transmission talisman burned, his expression neither sad nor happy.

It seemed that others' urgency had nothing to do with him.

Naked, covered in black mud.

Inside his body, true fire was raging, burning every corner of his physique.

Unusual pain was added to his physique; if it were an ordinary person, they would have passed out long ago, but Luo Chen seemed not to notice.

He even used the "Ten Thousand Paths Converging" he had modified over these days to urge the true fire to focus on tempering certain places.

Don't underestimate these details.

Only by relying on quantitative changes can one have the opportunity to achieve qualitative changes.

Time passed slowly.

While Luo Chen was focusing on body refining, the sensation caused by the strange phenomenon of the Sinking Sea in the outside world not only did not disappear due to the demise of a large number of low-rank cultivators, but instead gradually grew larger.

Powerhouses who didn't know where they came from entered the Sinking Sea from all directions.

Even peerless Demon Emperors rolled up waves from the depths of the demon sea and forcefully stepped into the Sinking Sea.

Not only that, but chaos also appeared within the Wan Xian Society.

The three eight-star demon hunters disappeared together!

Some said they also went to that secret realm.

Not only Diao Sou and others, but even the Blood Loose Cultivator, who had been active frequently before, had not appeared for a long time.

The righteous-demonic war that had lasted for decades strangely stopped after the strange phenomenon of the Sinking Sea appeared.

It is rumored that the Mad Loose Cultivator, one of the three loose cultivators of the Wan Xian Society, appeared within the Li Canghai Alliance, and it was he who caused the righteous-demonic war to stop.

And all of this had nothing to do with Luo Chen.

One year later.

Ding Yi stepped onto the shore of Penghu again.

The scene before his eyes was still misty, with clouds and fog, boundless and invisible.

Ding Yi was full of anger, and without waiting for the persuasion of the lake-guarding cultivators, he entered the high sky, with a yellow-skinned gourd appearing in his hand.

He wanted to forcefully break into Penghu!

"Senior Qingyang Demon Lord, you have broken your promise to this extent; today I must have an explanation from you!"

With a loud shout, he slapped the green-skinned gourd with his palm.

Immediately, brilliant golden sand rolled out from the gourd and rushed toward the Penghu array.

Just at this moment, a gust of wild wind swept over, stirring up the golden sand.

Ding Yi snorted, and the rolled-out golden sand instantly took shape, gathering in the air into a hundred-zhang monster that looked like a snake but wasn't, and like an earthworm but wasn't, almost exactly the same as the legendary sand earthworm.

Amidst the mist, a giant black dragon slowly floated up from under the water, revealing the powerful aura of a great demon king.

The black dragon soared into the sky and lashed its tail.

The sand earthworm was fearless; after being shattered into sand and gravel all over the sky, it gathered again, wanting to wrap around the black dragon.

Another strange wind attacked, wanting to help the black dragon blow away the golden sand.

Ding Yi's expression remained unchanged; he slapped the yellow-skinned gourd again, and another sand earthworm flew out.

Amidst the misty smoke, Tian Yu Xuan's expression changed slightly, and she retreated while waving the Nine-Wind Banana Fan in her hand.

Ding Yi's expression was ruthless, and his figure moved, forcefully breaking into the Penghu array.

"The two of you can't stop me; let Senior Qingyang roll out and see me!"

Just at this moment.

In the void, there seemed to be a sword cry!

The biting murderous intent covered his head, and Ding Yi's expression changed slightly.

"Is this the killing move of the Penghu array?"

Ding Yi had a premonition that if that sword were swung, he would definitely be unable to resist.

This was definitely not an attack that a Core Formation cultivator could unleash; only by relying on the killing array set up in the eight-hundred-mile Penghu could it be explained.

"Today I was too arrogant; I should have called the Cave Master of Mowun together."

Ding Yi regretted his arrogance today and flew out of the Penghu range.

Landing on the shore, he looked hatefully toward the direction of Pengdao.

"Senior Qingyang, if you don't go, then don't blame us for not waiting for you."

After a loud shout, he didn't linger and turned to leave, already having the intention of going directly to the Sinking Sea with the Cave Master of Mowun.

Just as he turned around.

Suddenly!

A thunderclap seemed to explode in the clear sky.

Ding Yi looked back suddenly, and the scene he saw made his pupils shrink.

Large swaths of clouds and fog formed a trend of collapsing inward, rolling toward the center of the eight-hundred-mile Penghu.

The lake surface, which was originally peaceful and had no waves, was now like boiling water, stirring up rolling waves.

Not only that, but massive amounts of heaven and earth spiritual energy rose from various islands and even the bottom of the lake, gathering toward that direction like ten thousand rivers returning to the sea.

"This..."

Just as Ding Yi was shocked, the next moment he saw the collapsing clouds and fog fly back, covering the vast Penghu again.

It seemed that everything before was just an illusion, and nothing had happened.

But who was Ding Yi? Even with the array blocking it, he could still feel the boiling and restlessness of the spiritual energy here.

Especially!

In the depths of the Penghu, which was unfathomable, a terrifying atmosphere was brewing at this moment, as if a peerless ancient beast was slowly waking up from its slumber!

(End of chapter)