Chapter 65: The Treacherous Land of Three Shadows

High above the boundless sky, white clouds drift in ethereal silence, bathed in myriad rays of light, exuding an extraordinary aura. Yet the fierce winds here can strip flesh from bone; unless one possesses the cultivation of a celestial, it is nearly impossible to withstand such heights. Amidst the endless expanse of clouds and radiant light, a lone azure cloud, shaped like a small boat, sails bravely through the tumult. Upon this cloud sit two figures, one before the other. The one in front wears a robe of celestial blue, his hair styled high beneath a scholar’s crown, features handsome and refined—he is Qingxu. Behind him sits a man, bare-chested with sinewy muscles knotted like iron, his lower body wrapped simply in the hide of a tiger king, hair loose about his shoulders, resembling a wild man. Though seated, he towers nearly two fathoms tall; if he is not of the Youqiong clan, who else could he be?

In the desolate mountain valley, the Youqiong man insisted, at the cost of his life, on aiding Qingxu in sensing the whereabouts of Qiongqi. Despite the pleas from the Xinshi and the rest of the Youqiong tribe, he would not be dissuaded; in the end, they departed in sorrow with Taiyi and the others, returning to Wanqiu, leaving the matter behind.

Now stripped of all cultivation, the Youqiong man relies entirely on Qingxu's protection; otherwise, the fierce winds above the sky would have reduced him to dust. Even with Qingxu's shelter, he suffered terribly, his body as if being shredded by a thousand blades. Yet his endurance was extraordinary—he uttered not a sound, only gritted his teeth, his face twisted and fearsome. Qingxu, stealing a glance, felt a measure of respect.

"This Youqiong fellow possesses not only innate talent but also remarkable will and integrity—a true uncut gem. What a pity. With the guidance of a master, his prospects would have been limitless, but now he is ruined." So Qingxu mused, but soon set aside his thoughts, for Qiongqi was near.

"Immortal, southeast—fourteen thousand miles or so!" The Youqiong man's face was contorted in agony, cold sweat pouring from his brow, veins bulging, skin twitching, yet his right hand maintained a strange seal.

With a wave, Qingxu channeled a surge of celestial energy into the man's body, temporarily relieving his pain. But Qingxu was not moved by compassion; his actions were purely because the Youqiong man still had value. Once Qiongqi was found, whether he lived or died would matter little.

Following the Youqiong man's directions, Qingxu steered the cloud toward the southeast. They sped onward at lightning pace, covering fourteen thousand miles in scarcely half a moment. Suddenly, the unchanging white clouds ahead transformed into a mass of black clouds, thunder and lightning roiling within, thick with sinister energy that spread in all directions.

"A cloud of sinister energy? Judging by the scale, it's at least ten thousand miles wide. To create such a vast cloud of sinister energy above the sky, the land below must be extremely dangerous—a place where immortals and mortals alike meet their doom." Qingxu's thoughts raced, his expression becoming rare and solemn. His true self was only at the mid-stage of Earth Immortal, not enough to act recklessly. One misstep could mean disaster.

When Qingxu halted the cloud, the Youqiong man released his hand from the seal, his face pale and gray, clearly close to death. Even a layman could tell his life was nearly spent; his vital energy was depleted by ninety-nine percent, leaving only enough to sustain him for a short while.

"Qiongqi is below. It seems he is using this place to recover his wounds. Immortal, you must act quickly. If his injuries heal, he will be much harder to deal with."

Merging his avatar with his true self, Qingxu instantly possessed the early-stage cultivation of a True Immortal of Taiyi. He judged himself capable of handling the crisis below. Bringing the Youqiong man with him, he descended on the cloud—not out of mercy, but caution. Though nothing seemed amiss, he could not afford to be careless; what if the Youqiong man was deliberately leading him to confront Qiongqi, as happened before in the desolate valley? Now, however, the man's life was entirely in Qingxu's hands. If danger arose, he would surely confess, or else die; or, at worst, use his life to drag Qingxu into the abyss, leaving no recourse.

It is said that skill breeds courage. Qingxu possessed one avatar at the early stage of Taiyi True Immortal, and three at the mid-stage of Golden Immortal. With such a formidable lineup, he had every reason to seize the opportunity before him. He did not believe Qiongqi, with only Earth Immortal cultivation, could defy fate. For the sake of the benefits from the Devourer King Beast, he would not let Qiongqi escape; only Qiongqi remained to complete his task, and the reward was within reach.

The reward for subduing the four fierce beasts from the Investiture System was already generous in its first half; the latter half would surely be no less.

Descending along the edge of the sinister cloud, Qingxu avoided unnecessary expenditure of power, though he was not afraid of the cloud itself.

Landing smoothly, he gazed about: the landscape was barren, pitch-black as ink, with giant bubbles rising and bursting in endless cycles—a vast expanse of swamp stretched as far as the eye could see. Filth, stench, and sinister energy pervaded every corner, thick corrosive fumes enveloping the marsh.

"This is... the Three Yin Deadland?" Qingxu exclaimed in surprise, instantly recognizing the swamp.

Yin deadlands in the world are divided into Nine Yin, Six Yin, and Three Yin deadlands. Nine Yin is weakest, Six Yin stronger, and Three Yin the most formidable. The Three Yin Deadland aligns with the heavenly, earthly, and human virtues, forming a seamless whole without flaw. Its power is not to be underestimated, suppressing the cultivation of those on the mysterious path. Whether immortal, deity, Buddha, or sage, upon entering the Three Yin Deadland, their strength is suppressed by at least seventy to eighty percent. However, this only affects those below the level of True Immortal of Taiyi; for Taiyi True Immortals, the suppression is less severe—no more than twenty to thirty percent, and Golden Immortals can even ignore it.

To the strongest, the Three Yin Deadland is scarcely a joke. Yet for those below Taiyi True Immortal, it is a place of extreme peril. If one were to battle an evil cultivator here, even with higher cultivation, they would surely lose.

"How can this be? Nine Yin and Six Yin deadlands can be arranged easily, but the Three Yin Deadland requires perfect timing, location, and harmony of people—extremely hard to form. Its effects are mediocre, so rarely do cultivators bother to expend such effort. Who could have gone to such trouble, and let Qiongqi occupy it?" Qingxu thought in frustration. Facing Qiongqi in this place was a genuine disadvantage.

Seeing Qingxu's gloomy face, a glimmer flashed through the Youqiong man's eyes as he asked in confusion, "Immortal, what's wrong? Is something amiss?"

"Nothing. This environment may bolster Qiongqi's strength, but the qualitative gap cannot be bridged by such means, especially since he is still wounded. No need to ask further, just sense his location. He cannot defy fate; today, I shall rid the world of this menace." With a wave, Qingxu impatiently commanded, squeezing the last bit of value from the Youqiong man's life.

"No need to search. I have arrived long ago. You, Daoist, rush here seeking your own destruction—how amusing!" A low voice, like a night owl's cry, echoed from all directions, impossible to pinpoint.

Witnessing this eerie scene, Qingxu felt a chill in his heart, his expression growing ever more grave. His intuition told him this encounter would be troublesome; Qiongqi seemed unfathomable.