Over six thousand years ago, during its peak, a powerful sacred ground gathered tens of thousands of cultivators to attack this ancient Desolate Abyss. The result was near-total annihilation, giving this place its infamous reputation.
"Those white bones have no signs of life. Why are they crawling out of the abyss?" Everyone was both horrified and confused.
The nine sacred mountains stood tall and vast, imposing and majestic. Countless white skeletons were struggling at the mouth of the abyss. One particular spot was densely packed, with over a thousand skeletons piled into a small bone mountain.
Bronze coffin!
Ye Fan's eyes lit up with dazzling brilliance. He saw a corner of the bronze coffin, it wasn't completely buried under the bones. His heart surged with indescribable emotions. Everything had started because of the Nine Dragons pulling the coffin.
At that moment, Elder Jiang Hanzhong of the Jiang Clan also saw the bronze coffin. His expression grew serious as he muttered, "The Forbidden Ancient Realm has undergone some strange change. Thousands of skeletons are crawling out... Could it all be because of that bronze coffin? What's its origin? Why has it appeared here?"
The old soldier from Radiant Light furrowed his brows and murmured, "Legend has it that something was buried beneath the abyss. Back then, the sacred ground attacked this place because of some mysterious object. Could it have been this bronze coffin?"
"This Forbidden Ancient Realm is one of the seven Forbidden Burial Grounds of the Eastern Wilderness. No one has ever truly broken through it. Anything buried in the abyss must be unimaginable," said Elder Ji Yunfeng from the Ji Clan, squinting as he examined the coffin closely.
Everyone began to worry. Earlier, a single skeleton had wiped out more than ten cultivators. Now, with thousands scattered across the sacred mountains, how could they possibly harvest divine medicine?
"Which mountain have you climbed before?" Jiang Hanzhong asked Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and the others.
Zhou Yi wore a pale blue robe, with long black hair draped over his shoulders. His demeanor was calm and scholarly. He answered, "The one with the ancient coffin lying across it."
Jiang Hanzhong nodded. "That mountain has the most skeletons, and its divine medicine has already been harvested. We'll avoid it and choose another one."
Nearby, some soldiers sighed and whispered, "With so many bones on the mountains, how can we even climb them? It's certain death."
Elder Xu Daoling of Radiant Light said, "We'll find a way. Let's first take a closer look."
Before long, the group reached the foot of the nine sacred mountains. Up close, the mountains were lush and beautiful, with a grand and majestic aura, truly a spectacular sight.
"Should we split up or combine forces and climb one mountain together?" Ji Yunfeng asked with a half-smile.
Jiang Hanzhong stepped forward and said, "Brother Xu, no need to keep secrets. That young soldier once consumed divine medicine from this land. He should be able to resist the curse. Let's work together to help him climb a sacred mountain and harvest enough medicine for all three of us."
Realizing he'd been exposed, Xu Daoling had no choice but to summon Ye Fan. When Ye Fan removed his helmet, revealing his delicate and youthful face, Liu Yiyi, Zhang Ziling, and Wang Ziwen were all shocked.
"We should discuss how to approach this. Let's figure out a viable method for harvesting the medicine," the elders said, gathering the soldiers for a strategy meeting.
Ye Fan and the others were left aside, momentarily ignored.
"Ye Fan…" Liu Yiyi was the first to run over. She hadn't changed much over the past three years, still gentle and fragile. Her big eyes filled with shock. In a low voice, she said, "This place is dangerous. Why are you here too?"
Zhang Ziling rushed over, grabbing Ye Fan's shoulders and shaking him in excitement. "Where have you been these past two years? I went to Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven with my elders to find you and Pang Bo, but we were told you both vanished."
"It's a long story…" Ye Fan had been through too much to explain, and saying too much might endanger them.
Lin Jia, still stunningly beautiful, had her usual graceful charm despite the life-and-death situation. Though she didn't smile, her natural elegance remained. She gently touched Ye Fan's head and said, "You've grown taller."
Wang Ziwen walked over quickly. "Who would've thought we'd meet again here. I don't know whether to celebrate or mourn."
Zhou Yi frowned and whispered, "We're likely doomed today. We have to think of a way out. These people won't care if we live or die."
Dressed in white, Li Xiaoman looked graceful and serene. She simply nodded at Ye Fan without saying anything.
At that moment, the elders finished their discussion and looked over. Jiang Hanzhong pointed to Wang Ziwen and said, "You, come here."
"What would you have me do, Senior?" Wang Ziwen asked politely, as he always had.
"Climb that mountain and try to harvest divine medicine. If you succeed, I'll take you as a disciple of the Ancient Desolate Jiang Clan."
Wang Ziwen's expression changed. This was clearly a death sentence, they wanted to use him as a test subject.
"I… don't have the strength. I'll probably be buried under those bones before I even get halfway," Wang Ziwen said firmly, meeting the elder's eyes. "Please have mercy, Senior."
"You're told to climb, so climb! Enough nonsense!" a soldier barked.
"Then kill me now. I'd rather die here than be sent to my death," Wang Ziwen replied sharply.
"Then I'll kill you!" A soldier drew a gleaming sword.
Even without godpower, cultivators had strong bodies. Wang Ziwen suddenly leapt onto his mount, stabbed it with a dagger, and it reared up and ran.
At nearly the same moment, Zhou Yi, Li Xiaoman, and Lin Jia did the same, leaping onto their mounts and fleeing.
Liu Yiyi and Zhang Ziling grabbed Ye Fan's arms to escape with him, but they were too late. Several spear-wielding soldiers blocked their path.
Liu Yiyi and Zhang Ziling drew their swords and stood their ground, unwilling to surrender without a fight.
"You really think you can escape?" Jiang Hanzhong whistled, and the fleeing mounts abruptly turned around and returned.
Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, Li Xiaoman, and Wang Ziwen dismounted and tried to run, but the beasts chased them down and cornered them.
"These beasts are intelligent. You thought you could control them? They were only lent to you," Jiang Hanzhong sneered.
In the end, the four were captured and brought back.
"You want me to die for you, to test the danger? No way. I'd rather die right now!" Wang Ziwen shouted.
Lin Jia said coldly, "I know this is a world where the strong prey on the weak, but I didn't expect so-called noble ancient families to be so vile."
Jiang Hanzhong shook his head. "There's no pure good or evil. As long as we do right by the majority, a few sacrifices are acceptable."
"Then go ahead and kill us!"
A soldier nearby looked at Lin Jia and Li Xiaoman and said, "You're both stunning. On any other day, no one would want to harm you, but if you disobey, don't blame us for destroying beauty."
Ye Fan looked at Jiang Hanzhong and said, "This is cruel. You could test with beasts instead of sending people to die."
Jiang Hanzhong calmly replied, "In this Forbidden Realm, these beasts are vital. We can't afford to lose them."
"In your eyes, we're worth less than mounts?" Ye Fan said coldly.
Jiang Feng, the soldier who had chased Ye Fan two years ago, stepped forward and said mockingly, "Do we even need to say that?"
He patted Ye Fan's shoulder and said, "Relax. You'll live longer than them. Most of us will help you climb the mountain and gather the medicine, for us."
Ye Fan turned to Xu Daoling and Ji Yunfeng. "Is that your stance too?"
They remained silent, their expressions indifferent.
Jiang Feng laughed and patted Ye Fan again. "Know your place. Who are you to talk to us like this? Even if the heads of the Six Grotto-Heavens came, they wouldn't matter. The elders won't waste time on you."
"You're arrogant," Ye Fan said coldly. "What's your realm?"
"Celestial Bridge Realm," Jiang Feng replied with a sneer. "You're far beneath me. If we didn't need you, I would've killed you already."
Ye Fan was shocked. That realm was a full stage above his. In a normal fight, he wouldn't stand a chance.
Jiang Feng, sensing Ye Fan's shock, said, "Frog in a well. The State of Yan cultivators barely break through the Oceanic Wheel Stage. You're a mortal who can't even cultivate. I won't bother with you."
Ye Fan turned to the elders and said, "If you want me to gather your divine medicine, then let me enjoy it first." He pointed at Jiang Feng. "I want to kill this man."
Jiang Hanzhong shook his head. "You overestimate yourself. You're just a mortal, you can't threaten us. We have many ways to force your obedience." Then, pointing at Zhang Ziling, he said coldly, "Kill him."
The soldier drew his sword.
"If one's not enough, kill them all," Jiang Hanzhong said icily.
"You're really pushing me…" Ye Fan's eyes flashed cold.
Jiang Feng stepped up and said, "You think you can threaten us, trash? You want my life? Ridiculous!"
"We can break your spirit and control your mind anytime." Jiang Feng raised his hand to slap Ye Fan, sneering. "You're just a tool. If we leave you a whole corpse afterward, consider it a favor."
Ye Fan caught his hand and didn't let it fall. "You people think you're superior. So what if you're in the Celestial Bridge Realm?"
SLAP!
Suddenly, Ye Fan swung his arm and smacked Jiang Feng across the face, sending him flying several meters away.
With a cold laugh, he said, "As a mortal, slapping a Celestial Bridge cultivator's face feels damn good."
Li Xiaoman, Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and the others were all stunned. The nearby soldiers stared in utter disbelief.