novelraw Chapter 436: Since We’re Here
Chapter 436: Since We’re Here
The Ximen Family did not solely rely on Ximen Wu Ji as its shining star. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to risk death venturing into the God-Abandoned Land for a slim chance at victory.
“Those fellows are only capable of showing off at home. If they dare to come here, I’ll make sure they never return.”
Ximen Wu Ji’s harsh words hung in the air as his expression grew darker.
Sensing the tension, Bei Ming Yan tactfully changed the subject, easing the cold atmosphere bit by bit.
…
The God-Abandoned Land was not a whole planet but a peculiar existence separate from the starry sky, composed of countless fragmented pieces of land.
Each land fragment varied in size and shape, scattered in chaotic disarray, with some passages—hidden or overt—connecting them.
Encasing the God-Abandoned Land was a faint layer of gray mist, obscuring divine sense from the outside and presenting an impenetrable chaos to any onlooker.
Toot—
A loud, piercing horn shattered the stillness.A massive starship slowly docked on the outskirts of the God-Abandoned Land, prompting cultivators to emerge one after another, hovering mid-air. Their gazes fixed on the chaotic world ahead, their expressions varied.
Yu Zhao and Jin Yuan stood together, staring unblinkingly at the God-Abandoned Land. Excitement brewed in Yu Zhao’s chest, almost overwhelming.
Her freedom seemed just within reach.
“When do you plan to leave?” Jin Yuan’s voice rang in her ear through sound transmission.
Yu Zhao’s expression remained unchanged as she replied in four curt words, “When the time comes.”
The God-Abandoned Land was uncharted territory for her, making effective planning impossible. Her only option was to stay vigilant and adapt.
“I’ll lend you a hand when the moment demands it,” Jin Yuan offered.
Yu Zhao responded with a quiet smile.
At that moment, a deep voice echoed from the starship:
“On the first and fifteenth days of each month at noon, starships will dock at the God-Abandoned Land. Cultivators wishing to return may board the ship during this time.”
The announcement reverberated three times before the starship departed in the direction it had come.
Eager cultivators surged into the God-Abandoned Land, their haste setting off a chain reaction as others followed, fearing they’d fall behind.
In moments, the sky was thick with countless figures.
“When I arrived last time, the scene was just as bustling. But when I left, fewer than a hundred cultivators remained on the starship,” Jin Yuan remarked casually, her tone calm yet chilling.
No fixed schedule governed starships traveling from Divine Tree Star to the God-Abandoned Land—they departed as soon as they were full. On average, a starship arrived every two days, each carrying over a thousand cultivators.
Yet the returning numbers were shockingly few, leaving little doubt about the fates of the rest.
Jin Yuan arched a brow at Feng Jiu Si and the others. “You still have time to regret this.”
“Regret isn’t an option once the game begins,” Feng Jiu Si replied, though his eyes lingered on Yu Zhao, filled with tender affection.
Yu Zhao dutifully lowered her gaze, playing along.
Previously hesitant, Huo Shao Yan and Tu Xiao immediately steeled their resolve. Huo Shao Yan thought he couldn’t let Feng Jiu Si claim all the glory, while Tu Xiao harbored his own inexplicable motivations.
Shui Qiu Bai sealed the deal with four simple words: “Since we’re here.”
No one could resist that logic.
With that, the group quickened their pace toward the God-Abandoned Land.
“Though you’re already aware, I’ll repeat this for emphasis: In the God-Abandoned Land, apart from spatial rifts and deadly gales that may appear at any moment, you must also guard against a type of ferocious beast that preys specifically on Nascent Souls.
“They’re elusive, almost invisible, with an acute sense of smell. So, under no circumstances should you get injured or bleed inside the God-Abandoned Land. Any bloodshed will draw them in, and even a Golden Immortal cannot escape death.”
Jin Yuan shared her advice meticulously, prompting nods of agreement from the group.
Soon, they reached the edge of the mist. Beyond it lay the mysterious God-Abandoned Land.
Exchanging glances, they plunged into the gray fog.
A strong sense of disorientation hit Yu Zhao instantly.
It felt as though a pair of unseen eyes scrutinized her from the inside out, leaving no secrets unexposed.
She instinctively scanned her surroundings but realized that the companions who had entered the mist with her—Jin Yuan, Feng Jiu Si, and the others—were nowhere to be seen.
All around her was an endless gray fog.
She froze briefly but suppressed her urge to call out. Pressing onward, she maintained a cautious pace to prepare for any sudden dangers. Yet, the fog remained devoid of life—only her own figure drifted through it.
An hour later, the mist thinned, and the silhouette of a landmass loomed faintly ahead.
Yu Zhao’s spirits lifted, and she quickened her flight. Just as she was about to break through the fog, the sound of fierce combat reached her ears.
She halted abruptly, concealing herself within the fog as she peered outward.
On a barren expanse of land, seven or eight cultivators of unfathomable strength were locked in battle.
Their weapons clashed, sending dazzling bursts of light scattering in all directions.
Among them was a bald, muscular man, bare-chested, whose punches detonated with thunderous explosions. Beside him stood a woman wielding a bell, evidently his ally.
The remaining six cultivators were divided into two groups, seemingly fighting over a half-buried artifact in the ground.
From her distance, Yu Zhao couldn’t discern the artifact’s details. However, judging by the combatants’ lethal moves, it was certainly no ordinary object.
Abandoning any notion of coveting the artifact, she remained hidden in the fog, pondering the whereabouts of her group.
Jin Yuan hadn’t mentioned anything about teams being separated upon entering the God-Abandoned Land.
Judging by the combatants’ coordination, they didn’t seem to have met after entering, implying that groups generally remained intact. Yet, somehow, she had been inexplicably isolated.
Though this turn of events suited Yu Zhao, the unpredictability unsettled her.
While she mused, the skirmish below shifted.
A short man left himself vulnerable, and the bald cultivator seized the opportunity to smash his fist into the man’s right arm.
The arm disintegrated into a mist of blood, leaving behind only a gruesome stump.
The short man retreated with a scream, his eyes filled with venomous hatred. His two companions rushed to his side.
As the trio regrouped, the short man’s dantian abruptly exploded from within. He plummeted like a meteor before he could react.
His companions barely had time to process their shock before their vision went black. Two hollowed corpses fell from the sky in rapid succession.
Thud! Thud!
The remaining cultivators turned pale with fear.
“It’s the beasts! The beasts are here!”