Chapter 144: Requesting Passage Through the Xiling Snow Realm

According to legend, the malignant fiend Qi of immortals and demons only existed in the Battlefield of Immortals and Demons. If Ji Yao's words were true, the origin of this fiend Qi was definitely worth pondering.

There had also been a legend that the emergence of the Fiend-Forbidden Land was related to the Battlefield of Immortals and Demons, but there was no evidence to point to this, nor had any trace of immortal footprints ever appeared.

Ten years ago, such a place suddenly appeared. Although it was wreathed in demonic Qi and tightly sealed, this energy could not be absorbed and utilized by the demonic cultivators of the immortal cultivation world.

Furthermore, this place possessed an innate repulsive force that resisted the approach of other living beings, which was why it earned the name of the Fiend-Forbidden Land.

It was not until sixty-five thousand years ago that this power gradually weakened, allowing people to approach the Fiend-Forbidden Land. As for the phenomenon of demonic spirit Qi gushing forth, it had only begun fifty thousand years ago.

Mu Baiyun mentally tallied the things he knew. If what Ji Yao said was true, then perhaps more than sixty thousand years ago, someone had already utilized this place, and furthermore, this person knew exactly what kind of existence the Fiend-Forbidden Land truly was.

It was not that Mu Baiyun doubted Ji Yao, but rather that the things she knew did not match her age at all, forcing him to overthink. Moreover, she also carried a tree sprite—a creature that basically existed only in the records of the immortal cultivation world—and this tree sprite even possessed its own spatial dimension.

Mu Baiyun deliberated for a moment before asking, "Junior Sister, how did you determine all this? Or rather, from where did you learn of it?"

Ji Yao opened her mouth, but did not know how to answer. After a long while, she spoke in a low voice, "I have other fortuitous encounters and inheritances. I'm sorry, I cannot say."

Having obtained Ji Yao's direct confession, Mu Baiyun finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had long since guessed as much, but in the immortal cultivation world, such matters belonged to another's privacy and were not suitable for prying. Now that the other party had stated it so bluntly, it was already a rare courtesy.

"Well, I understand. As long as Junior Sister has a clear idea in mind, that is enough. It was me this time, but next time it is someone else, do not casually disclose these things to others, lest you plunge yourself into danger."

Ji Yao nodded, but remained silent. Judging by the current state of affairs, she feared that Situ Jing would need to personally manifest and give her own account; otherwise, relying solely on the two of them, they might not be able to fulfill that wish.

Sighing softly, Ji Yao looked helplessly at Mu Baiyun. This person was quiet, yet extremely clever. She had only revealed the tiniest shred of information, and he had already deduced everything for her.

"Junior Sister, once matters here are settled, you must cultivate diligently upon our return!" Mu Baiyun now found himself compelled to dissuade Ji Yao, and furthermore, omitting anything directly related to Ji Yao, he would have to report this matter back to the sect.

The Western Ridge had long remained tranquil, but this recent upheaval likely portended a major movement concerning the entire Micang Realm.

The two lingered within Qianxun's spatial dimension for another two days, making sure there were no other people around them, before Qianxun finally released them.

Looking at the snow-capped mountains before them, which were completely different from the general environment of the Western Ridge, the two of them could not help looking somewhat dumbfounded.

"Qianxun, where on earth have you brought us?" Ji Yao shivered and felt a slight headache coming on.

Ever since they entered Qianxun's spatial dimension, their movements had been determined by Qianxun's abilities, while everything outside had been perceived by Qianxun and reported to them.

Consequently, they had no idea what direction Qianxun had taken, because Ji Yao had not restricted its movements from the very beginning.

"How can you ask me? Just how long has it been since I last manifested in the world? I can only tell you that I traveled in the direction where the vegetation and trees were easiest to communicate with. In broad terms, it should have been heading straight west."

After saying this, Qianxun completely went dormant, and no matter how Ji Yao called out, it refused to make another sound.

Left with no choice, Ji Yao had to dig out the map of the Micang Realm, which she had not used for a long time. Ever since Mu Baiyun began accompanying her on the journey, she basically only needed to follow along, as Mu Baiyun had long since planned out the route for her.

At this moment, facing the abstract map, Ji Yao scratched her head in deep contemplation.

"Junior Sister, don't rack your brains over it. If I am not mistaken, this place should be the Western Ridge Snow Realm." Mu Baiyun tentatively extended a sliver of divine sense toward the snow-capped mountains, and sure enough, he encountered a layer of frigid barrier, unable to advance even half an inch further.

Had he lingered a moment longer, Mu Baiyun's divine sense would have felt as though it were freezing solid.

Hearing Mu Baiyun's words, Ji Yao looked up at the distant snow mountains, then lowered her head to look at her own map once more.

No wonder! This map was far too sketchy, to the extent that some map boundaries were merely drawn in outline without any place names marked.

"Could it be that Junior Sister has never heard of this name?" Mu Baiyun chuckled slightly at Ji Yao's expression; it was a rare sight to see this girl looking so bewildered.

"I've heard of it, but that's all—just heard of it." Regarding this, Ji Yao had no intention of concealing the truth. After all, she had only been in the immortal cultivation world for a little over a decade. Aside from cultivation, all her other time had been spent reading books, so she naturally still had blind spots in her knowledge.

Mu Baiyun understood Ji Yao's meaning, and therefore briefly explained what he knew to her.

The saying went that extremes met, and things that opposed each other also complemented one another; the Western Ridge Snow Realm was a flawless pure land born within a place wreathed in demonic Qi, where all demonic spirit Qi would be purified upon reaching this boundary.

As a result, the Western Ridge Snow Mountains formed a world of their own, uncontaminated by demonic Qi, which was why it was called the Western Ridge Snow Realm.

The Western Ridge Snow Realm was located at the far western extremity of the Western Ridge, and no one knew just how vast its territory was. It was only known that the places accessible to high-tier cultivators were still far from its center.

The mountain ranges of the Snow Realm extended southward, separating the boundaries of Southern Marsh and the Western Ridge, while the northern side happened to connect to the Desolate Abyss. Because of these various reasons mentioned above, very few demonic cultivators would deliberately come here.

And the reason Qianxun chose this direction was undoubtedly because the vegetation and trees nearby were less affected by the demonic Qi and were much purer.

"Does Senior Brother Yun mean that we are safe for the time being?" Ji Yao pondered for a moment and voiced her conjecture.

Mu Baiyun looked at the snow mountains in the distance. "That is merely a possibility deduced from various circumstances. Our true difficulty should lie along the journey back to Boundless City.

My suggestion is that we might as well make a detour, following the Snow Realm southward to circle back to the exit of the Western Ridge, finding a way to avoid those demonic cultivators. Once we enter Boundless City, I imagine the City Lord will not sit idly by."

If he were traveling alone, he naturally would not take such a roundabout path, but with his Junior Sister in tow, caution was the better part of valor.

Ji Yao nodded. "I have no objection. But there is one thing: Senior Brother Yun doesn't need to worry too much about me, lest it hinder your own methods. Your Junior Sister is not as weak as you think. If worst comes to worst, don't we still have Qianxun?"

Ah, yes! There was still that tree spirit.

Having agreed upon their plan, the two began their journey back along the snow mountains. What they did not know was that the entire inner domain of the Western Ridge had been thrown into complete tension because of this incident involving them.

Those entering and leaving major cities all had to undergo scanning by Demonic Pupils at the city gates, and some unwitting individuals, having concealed their identities, were even forcibly sent up to the sacrificial altars of the Fiend-Forbidden Land.

The scent of blood permeated the entire territory of the Western Ridge.