System Possession, One Sword Shocks the Gods

140: News from the edge of the mountains, in southern XinjiangAfter dealing with the Dark Hall pursuers, Ye Chen did not linger. He pushed his speed to the limit, moving like a wisp of smoke merging with the mountain breeze as he sped toward the outskirts of the Meteorite Mountain Range. He no longer deliberately hid his figure, but the dual effect of Chaos Myriad Transformations and the hidden dragon ring still allowed him to blend perfectly with his surroundings. Unless someone with a cultivation base far exceeding his own inspected him closely, it would be extremely difficult to detect his tracks.

The chaos monitoring compass in his robes vibrated slightly. The Chaos Vortex at its center continued to point toward the depths of the mountain range, the warning unceasing. Ye Chen could feel a deeper, more dangerous malice gathering and spreading in that area, like a waking Vicious Beast baring its fangs, searching for the prey that dared to violate its dignity.

”At least the aura of a Tiangang Realm expert……” Ye Chen felt a chill in his heart. The reaction speed and the forces committed by the Dark Hall far exceeded his expectations. It seemed that the failed ritual to summon the Wujian Demon Lord and the anomalies surrounding the starship wreckage had truly touched a nerve with the Dark Hall’s leadership.

He had to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.

Two days later, the chaotic, jagged rocks and violent Spiritual Qi before him gradually became sparse and peaceful. The distinct scent of sulfur mixed with metal in the air faded, replaced by the freshness of vegetation and the fragrance of soil. In the distance, one could faintly see a crisscross of farmland and wisps of cooking smoke rising.

Finally, he arrived at the edge of the Meteorite Mountain Range.

Ye Chen did not immediately enter the Mortal town but stopped in a dense forest at the foothills where few people ventured. He found a dry tree hollow, set up a simple concealment Restriction, and prepared to rest for a while and take care of some matters.

First, through the hidden dragon ring, he transmitted information regarding the abnormal Dark Hall activities within the Meteorite Mountain Range, the suspected intervention of a Tiangang Realm expert, and details about the ”Wujian Demon Lord” and the ancient starship wreckage (omitting specific details about the chaos monitoring compass) via an encrypted Divine Thought to Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing. This matter was of great importance and beyond what he could handle alone; the imperial leadership had to be informed to take precautions early.

After doing all this, he carefully examined the chaos monitoring compass in his hand.

The incomplete compass was ancient and mysterious; its material, neither gold nor jade, felt cool to the touch. The slowly rotating Chaos Vortex in the center seemed to contain the mysteries of the creation of the world, and the patterns of the sun, moon, and stars around it shimmered under the light. Compared to before, after the initial Fusion of the two fragments, the compass was no longer just an inanimate object; it had developed a close connection with him, as if linked by blood.

He tried to sink his Divine Sense into it and circulate the ”Elementary Star Induction Method”.

In an instant, his ”vision” seemed to be infinitely elevated, transcending the shackles of his Physical Body, and he merged into a vast star map composed of countless starlight and lines of Law! This star map was not complete; most areas were blurry, as if shrouded in mist. Only the area within a radius of several thousand li with himself at the center was relatively clear.

He could ”see” the outline of the Canglan Continent beneath his feet, see the unique and chaotic energy markers of the Meteorite Mountain Range, see Tianfeng City in the distance like a massive energy aggregate, and even vaguely sense some points of light emitting powerful auras, representing experts in various regions.

What shook him even more was that in the extreme south of this vast star map, on the edge of a vast region marked as the ”Southern Frontier,” there was a faint attraction, originating from the same source as the compass in his hand, faintly calling out! The sensation was extremely distant, intermittent, like a candle in the wind, but it undeniably existed!

”Another fragment? Or…… other starship components?” A flash of light shone in Ye Chen’s eyes. According to the information instilled by the starship wreckage, the chaos monitoring compass was not unique, and parts of the starship were scattered throughout the realms. This sensation from the Southern Frontier was undoubtedly an extremely important clue!

At the same time, he also noticed that in several other directions on the star map, there were extremely faint, similar fluctuations, but the distances were even greater, and the sensations were even more blurred, almost impossible to capture.

”It seems that wanting to collect all the fragments, repair the compass, and even find other starship components will not be easy; it will require a long passage of time and fortuitous Opportunities.” Ye Chen understood in his heart. The urgent priority was to improve his strength and head to the Southern Frontier to explore that nearest source of the sensation.

He exited the star induction state and solemnly put away the compass. This object was of great importance and must never be shown to others lightly.

Subsequently, he began to tally the gains from this trip to the Meteorite Mountain Range.

His cultivation had improved to the Earth Fiend Realm Third Layer Peak, just one step away from the fourth level.

He had initially fused with the chaos monitoring compass and obtained the ”Elementary Star Induction Method,” which was crucial for searching for other fragments in the future.

He had comprehended the ”Judgment Sword Intent,” greatly increasing the power of his guixu sword path and making it more effective against evil spirits.

He was now more proficient in using the Chaos Myriad Transformations Divine Ability and could initially perform compound attribute evolution.

He had harvested two stalks of pure starfall orchid (already delivered to the Azure Wood Sect), three stalks of contaminated starfall orchid (already under Seal), one damaged devilish heart, one section of broken evil bone, and some scattered Materials and Spirit Stones looted from the Dark Hall Cultists.

The harvest could be described as bountiful, but risks and Opportunities coexisted. He was now completely standing on the opposite side of the Dark Hall and had even attracted the attention of the so-called ”Wujian Demon Lord.” The road ahead would surely be filled with more blood and slaughter.

”I must reach the Earth Fiend Realm Fourth Level as soon as possible.” Ye Chen thought to himself. Every level gained in the Earth Fiend Realm brought a qualitative leap in strength. The fourth level was a hurdle; his Protective Aura would be further refined, allowing it to be initially released to form more powerful attacks, and his control over his Domain would also become more precise.

He took out some Medicinal Pills to restore his Protective Aura and nourish his Divine Soul, sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, and began to circulate the Chaos Heaven-Opening Scripture to consolidate his cultivation and charge that invisible barrier.

Outside the tree hollow, the sun rose and the moon set, and time passed quietly.

Three days later, Ye Chen opened his eyes. A flash of Chaos color flickered and vanished in his pupils, and his aura was more refined and thick. Although he had not broken through to the fourth level, his Foundation was becoming increasingly solid. He felt that the Opportunity for a Breakthrough could not be obtained by bitter cultivation alone; it needed to be captured in battle and during life-and-death trials.

He removed the Restriction and walked out of the tree hollow. Sunlight spilled down through the gaps in the branches and leaves, mottled and dappled.

It was time to leave.

He identified the direction. The Southern Frontier was located at the southernmost end of the Empire, hundreds of thousands of li away from the Meteorite Mountain Range. The journey was long and required crossing multiple prefectures. He decided to first head to the nearest city with a large teleportation array, ”Wangnan City,” as using the teleportation array would save a lot of time.

However, just as he was about to set off, the hidden dragon ring in his robes received a reply from Nangong Qing!

He sent his Divine Thought inside, and Nangong Qing’s voice sounded with gravity: ”Young Friend Ye, the message has been received. This matter is of great importance, and His Majesty has personally inquired about it. The activities of the Dark Hall have indeed exceeded estimates, and the Empire will unite all parties to step up the suppression. The intelligence you provided is crucial, and the Imperial Family will keep it in mind.”

”Additionally, according to the latest intelligence from the Shadow Guards, there have been frequent anomalies in the Southern Frontier recently. Many ancient Witch Clan ruins have appeared, suspected of having exotic treasures emerging, which may also be related to the activities of the Dark Hall. If you intend to go there, Young Friend, you must be extremely careful. The Gu arts of the Southern Frontier are treacherous and unpredictable, vastly different from the Cultivation Techniques of the Central Plains, and they are extremely xenophobic.”

”Orders have been issued to the Shadow Guard strongholds along the way to provide you with necessary assistance. Take care.”

Ye Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly. Anomalies in the Southern Frontier? Ancient Witch Clan ruins? This seemed to overlap with the location of the fragment he had sensed. Was it a coincidence, or had the Dark Hall also set its sights on something there?

It seemed that this trip to the Southern Frontier was destined not to be peaceful.

He no longer hesitated. With a movement of his body, he transformed into an inconspicuous stream of light and sped toward Wangnan City.

Half a day later, the outline of a towering city appeared on the horizon. The city walls were high, banners were fluttering, and there was an endless stream of carriages and horses at the city gate. It was the key town on the southern border—Wangnan City.

Ye Chen paid the entry fee and walked into the city with the flow of people. The streets inside the city were wide, with shops lining both sides, and the sounds of hawking were endless. Cultivators and Mortals mixed together, filled with the vitality and Chaos unique to border cities.

He did not wander around but walked directly toward the city center, to the iconic teleportation hall that radiated spatial fluctuations.

However, just as he was passing through a bustling main street, a commotion and shouts suddenly came from ahead.

”Get out of the way! All of you, get out of the way! Didn’t you see that our Young Master is about to pass?”

”If you bump into our Young Master’s spiritual pet, can you afford to pay for it!”

He saw several guards in luxurious clothing and with arrogant expressions roughly pushing aside the pedestrians on the street to clear a path. They were surrounding a young man in brocade clothes riding a ”Jade Horned Horse” that was snow-white all over, with a single horn on its head, and looked exceptionally spirited. The young man had an arrogant expression, his eyes scanning the surrounding crowd avoiding him with contempt, as if looking at a group of ants.

His cultivation had reached the Earth Fiend Realm First Level, which was already quite impressive in this border city. The Jade Horned Horse was an exotic beast, its aura comparable to the Condensing Yuan Realm Peak.

An old man who failed to dodge in time was pushed to the ground by a guard, his medicine basket overturned, and the herbs scattered all over the ground.

”My herbs! You……” The old man was anxious and angry.

”Old thing, you’re courting death!” A guard sneered and raised his foot to kick the old man.

Ye Chen frowned slightly. He originally did not want to meddle in other people’s business, but seeing this situation, a trace of annoyance still arose in his heart.

Just as the guard’s foot was about to land, Ye Chen flicked his finger lightly.

An invisible, gentle force arrived first and supported the guard’s ankle, making it impossible for it to land.

”Hmm?” The guard was stunned, feeling as if his foot had sunk into a quagmire and he could not exert any strength.

The young man in brocade clothes riding the Jade Horned Horse also noticed the abnormality here, his gaze sweeping coldly toward Ye Chen: ”Where did this blind thing come from, daring to meddle in this Young Master’s business?”

Ye Chen did not even look at him, but said indifferently to the old man who had fallen to the ground: ”Old man, are you alright?”

The old man scrambled up, looked at Ye Chen gratefully, then looked at the brocade-clad young man with fear, not daring to say more, and hurriedly packed up the scattered herbs and left.

Seeing that Ye Chen dared to ignore him, the brocade-clad young man was suddenly furious: ”Take this ignorant thing down for me!”

Upon hearing this, several guards immediately pounced on Ye Chen with fierce expressions!

Ye Chen’s eyes turned cold. Just as he was about to give these spoiled brats a lesson, the chaos monitoring compass in his robes sent a warning again! This time, it was not pointing into the distance, but right nearby!

He swept his Divine Sense out instantly, locking onto a direction—it was a seemingly ordinary stall at the street corner selling Southern Frontier specialties. The stall owner was a thin, gaunt man with his head lowered and wrapped in a headscarf. He looked ordinary, but in Ye Chen’s perception, this person was emitting a trace of an extremely obscure, yet cold aura that was of the same source as the Dark Hall Devilish Qi! Moreover, his gaze was intentionally or unintentionally sweeping over him, carrying scrutiny and a trace of murderous intent!

An eye of the Dark Hall?! It had actually already infiltrated Wangnan City?!

Ye Chen felt a chill in his heart. It seemed that the Dark Hall’s search net was far more rigorous than he had imagined!

He changed his mind instantly. He could not get entangled with this spoiled brat here; otherwise, he would inevitably expose his whereabouts and bring about greater trouble.

Facing the pouncing guards, he moved slightly, easily avoiding all attacks like a swimming fish. At the same time, he flicked his sleeve, and a gentle, massive force surged out, shaking the guards and the Jade Horned Horse until they stumbled and swayed, clearing the path.

He did not use heavy hands, just pushed them aside.

The brocade-clad young man was jolted and nearly fell off his horse. He was shocked and angry, and just about to flare up, but he saw that Ye Chen did not even glance at him. His figure had already blended into the crowd, disappearing after a few flashes, his speed astonishingly fast.

”Bastard! Investigate it for me! Find out who that brat is!” The brocade-clad young man was so angry that his face turned livid, and he roared on the spot.

As for Ye Chen, he had long since left that street far behind. His expression was calm, but his heart was alert to the extreme.

”Wangnan City is no longer safe either…… I must use the teleportation array to leave as soon as possible.”

He quickened his pace and walked toward the teleportation hall in the center of the city.

The trip to the Southern Frontier, before it had even begun, was already shrouded in a shadow.