Transmigrating Into a Fantasy World: Signing in During Pregnancy, Reaching the Summit with My Childhood Sweetheart

121: Chapter 121: Ancient Battlefield Ruins and the Guardian SpiritThe journey to the northwest was far longer than the southward trek along the Molten Path. The terrain gradually shifted from scorching rifts to desolate plateaus, and the climate grew increasingly dry and cold. The air was no longer thick with sulfurous fire fiendish energy, but a deathly silence and desolation that had accumulated over eons. Within the thin Spiritual Qi, a difficult-to-resolve metallic killing intent mingled with a faint, lingering, and tragic Battle Intent.

Following the guidance of the parchment star map and the increasingly clear resonance after fusing the mars key, their goal pointed directly toward a forbidden land known as the ”Ancient Battlefield Ruins.” Rumor had it that this was one of the primary battlefields of an earth-shaking war in ancient times. The earth had shattered, stars had fallen, and countless mighty experts were buried here, forming this barren land shrouded year-round in killing metallic Qi and resentment. Ordinary Cultivators did not dare to venture deep, fearing their minds would be eroded by the eternal battlefield Evil Qi or that they would trigger some lingering, terrifying Restriction.

The closer they drew to the Ancient Battlefield Ruins, the more active the nirvana golden core within Nangong Xuan became, as if it felt a particular affinity for the deathly and terminal aura of this place. He could even faintly ”hear” the echoes of clashing metal and the roar of Spells from the distant past carried on the wind, along with the silent roars of countless experts unwilling to fall. Su Muxue, on the other hand, appeared more cautious. Her Taiyin Immortal Body was especially sensitive to negative energy; the starlight imprint on her forehead shimmered constantly, cleansing the killing resentment that sought to invade her mind.

Half a month later, a vast, fragmented, dark-red plateau appeared on the horizon. Across the plateau, ravines crisscrossed the land, and everywhere one looked, there were gargantuan craters, broken mountain ranges, and the rusted remains of giant weapons thrust into the ground. In some places, space itself appeared unnaturally distorted—permanent scars left behind after excessively powerful forces had pierced through space.

This was the edge of the Ancient Battlefield Ruins.

The moment they stepped onto this land, a pressure as heavy as a mountain suddenly descended. It did not act upon the body, but pressed directly upon the Divine Soul! It was the residual collective will formed from the unwillingness, anger, and despair of countless fallen experts, unyielding through the ages!

Had Li Mubai and the others been here, their minds would likely have been wounded in an instant. Even Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue felt their Divine Souls sink slightly, as if they were carrying an invisible weight.

“What terrifying battlefield fiendish intent... To think it remains so potent after ten thousand years,” Su Muxue remarked softly. A layer of cold moonlight naturally rose around her, slightly warding off the invisible pressure.

Nangong Xuan closed his eyes to sense for a moment and said, “Though the Evil Qi here is thick, it is upright and majestic. It is not demonic resentment, but the manifestation of pure Battle Intent and unwillingness. For my Nirvana Dao Rhyme, it is actually a form of nourishment.” He took a deep breath, and the invisible killing Qi was drawn into his body in thin threads, crushed and absorbed by the nirvana golden core, and converted into pure Soul Power for replenishment.

The two proceeded cautiously toward the depths of the plateau. The ground beneath their feet was hard as iron and a strange dark red, as if it had been soaked in endless blood and then scorched by intense fire. Huge white bones were scattered everywhere; some clearly did not belong to the Human Race, and the bones still held faint fluctuations of power, speaking to the strength of their owners in life.

Following their senses, they moved toward the Core region where the Evil Qi and Stellar Power were most concentrated. Along the way, they triggered several residual ancient Restrictions—some were bursts of destructive sword light, others were strange force fields capable of devouring Spiritual Qi. However, with the coordination of Nangong Xuan’s Divine Sense, which could perceive the Origin of energy, and Su Muxue’s skillful use of Taiyin Star Power to neutralize the threats, they passed through without incident.

Several days later, they reached a relatively intact, massive basin. In the center of the basin stood a giant pyramid, thousands of feet high, constructed entirely from various massive weapons, armor, and even the skeletons of Yao Beasts!

This “pyramid” radiated a sky-piercing Evil Qi and unyielding Battle Intent. At its peak, a ring of earthy-yellow Stellar light, thick as a mountain, slowly swirled, perfectly matching the resonance of the parchment star map and the chaos star core!

The zhenyu star key must be at the top of that bone-mountain pyramid!

However, the closer they drew to the bone mountain, the more solemn the atmosphere became. The basin was strangely “clean,” with no scattered remains or chaotic energy turbulence, only a suffocating, solemn, and majestic deathly silence. It was as if this were not a corner of a chaotic battlefield, but a... carefully guarded cemetery.

The instant the two stepped onto the edge of the basin—

Buzz!

An invisible, vast, and majestic will suddenly awoke, like a giant spirit that had slumbered for eons slowly opening its eyes. The air in the entire basin froze instantly. The sky-piercing Evil Qi and Battle Intent became orderly, like soldiers summoned by their commander, and locked onto the two intruders with cold hostility.

“Halt.”

A low, raspy voice, sounding like two rocks grinding together, echoed directly within Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue’s Sea of Consciousness. The voice carried no emotion, yet it contained an unquestionable authority and the vicissitudes of endless ages.

Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue immediately stopped and looked toward the bone mountain with solemn expressions. At the foot of the mountain, where there had been nothing, countless threads of Evil Qi and dust converged, slowly condensing into the illusory figure of a giant ten zhang tall, clad in tattered stone armor and wielding a massive stone halberd.

This giant was neither a physical entity nor a soul body, but rather a unique existence formed from the Fusion of the residual collective Battle Intent and Stellar Power of this place—the Tomb-Guarding Spirit!

Its face was blurred, with only a pair of eyes like two lanterns burning with earthy-yellow flames, coldly watching Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue. The energy fluctuations it emitted had reached the level of the Late Golden Core Stage! Moreover, on this battlefield that it dominated, the power it could mobilize was likely even more terrifying!

“Here, sleep,” the Tomb-Guarding Spirit issued another muffled mental fluctuation. The stone halberd in its hand rose slightly, pointing at the two in a clear warning.

Nangong Xuan’s mind raced. He cupped his hands and responded via Divine Thought, “Senior, we mean no offense. we only seek an item that concerns the fate of all living beings under heaven. We are not here to disturb the peace of this place.” He attempted to communicate.

“A place of sleep allows no coveting. Leave.” The Tomb-Guarding Spirit’s reply was cold and stubborn. A heart-palpitating, heavy power began to gather on the stone halberd, and the surrounding Evil Qi surged toward it like a tide, making its form increasingly solid and formidable.

Communication was ineffective. This Tomb-Guarding Spirit seemed to possess only the instinct to guard this place, without much sapience.

Su Muxue sent a secret transmission: “Senior Brother, forcing our way through will be extremely difficult. All the Evil Qi here can be controlled by it; its power is nearly infinite.”

Nangong Xuan’s gaze swept over the massive bone mountain and the earthy-yellow glow at its peak. He said in a low voice, “It is formed from Battle Intent and Stellar Power. Perhaps we can... overcome it with ‘intent’ rather than ‘force.’”

He took a step forward, no longer trying to communicate with Divine Thought. Instead, he slowly released his own newborn Nirvana Dao Rhyme, as well as... the desolate and deathly intent of a battlefield terminator that had been integrated into his nirvana golden core! Simultaneously, he drew upon the aura of the two star keys (the Jiyun portion and mars) within the chaos star core!

“What we seek is not to steal, but to inherit!” Nangong Xuan’s voice was like a great bell, not traveling through the air but booming between heaven and earth through Dao Rhyme and will. “The Star Palace has fallen, and the Night Watchmen have bled, but the starlight must not be extinguished! The nine luminaries star keys are being gathered not for selfish desire, but to relight the astral beacon, to suppress the demons once more, and to console the hundreds of millions of heroic spirits here!”

His words triggered the true meaning of “ending” and “destination” within the Nirvana Dao Rhyme, and further resonated with the orthodox Stellar Origin power within the star keys that originated from the Star Palace!

The stone halberd the Tomb-Guarding Spirit was about to swing down suddenly paused! Its earthy-yellow flame eyes flickered violently, as if Nangong Xuan’s words and aura had touched something deep within the Core of its being.

It was formed from Battle Intent and Stellar Power; what it guarded was not just this land, but a certain... belief in Legacy!

Sensing the wavering of the other’s will, Nangong Xuan immediately increased his efforts. He unreservedly displayed his unyielding will that had experienced life and death and reconstituted his Dao foundation in a desperate situation, as well as his vigilance and determination to oppose the dark side!

Su Muxue also had a sudden flash of inspiration. She fully activated her Taiyin Immortal Body and the imprint on her forehead, emitting a pure and inclusive Stellar radiance that complemented Nangong Xuan’s Nirvana Dao Rhyme, as if Yin and Yang were circulating and stars were being born and extinguished.

The Tomb-Guarding Spirit fell silent. Its massive body trembled slightly, and the surrounding Evil Qi was no longer violent, but flowed slowly as if lost in thought. A hint of struggle and reminiscence seemed to surface on its blurred face.

After a long time, its muffled voice sounded again, but with less coldness and more complexity: “...Upon you... indeed... is the breath of stars... not evil... not wicked... and you possess... the intent to persevere...”

It slowly lowered the stone halberd.

“...However... the rules... cannot be discarded...” The Tomb-Guarding Spirit’s massive arm rose, pointing toward the towering bone mountain. “To reach the summit... and take the key... you must bear... the weight of the heroic spirits... to prove... your... worthiness...”

As its voice faded, its massive body slowly split to both sides, yielding a path directly to the foot of the bone mountain. But on this path, the pervasive Evil Qi and Battle Intent did not dissipate; instead, they became more concentrated, forming an invisible, massive pressure Domain targeting the Divine Soul and will!

This was not an attack, but a test! Only those who could withstand the heavy pressure of the collective will of these ancient heroic spirits and prove themselves worthy of inheriting the star key and bearing the corresponding responsibility could reach the summit!

Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue exchanged a glance, both seeing the determination in each other’s eyes.

“Thank you, Senior, for giving us this chance.” Nangong Xuan cupped his hands, then without hesitation, he stepped forward onto the invisible path of testing!

Boom!

With the first step, it felt as if a mountain of ten thousand tons had pressed down upon his Divine Soul! Countless chaotic battlefield images, roars, screams, and cries of unwillingness surged against their consciousness like a tide! This was not mere pressure, but the direct impact of the residual will from that tragic ancient war!

Nangong Xuan’s body swayed slightly. The nirvana golden core spun rapidly, drawing all the chaotic incoming wills into the true meaning of “Nirvana,” decomposing and settling them to serve as nourishment for his own Dao Rhyme. His eyes grew increasingly deep and desolate as he moved forward with steady steps.

Su Muxue let out a muffled groan, her face turning pale. Her Taiyin Star Power was good at purifying negative energy, but this pure and vast impact of Battle Intent placed even greater pressure on her. However, the starlight imprint on her forehead erupted with brilliant light, and the newborn inclusive quality deep within her Taiyin Immortal Body was stimulated. She slowly guided and neutralized the impact, like moonlight smoothing over ocean waves. Though it was difficult, she followed step by step.

The further up they went, the greater the pressure and the stronger the impact. Eventually, it felt as if countless invisible, battle-hardened heroic spirits surrounded them, scrutinizing them with judging gazes and testing their determination and capacity with residual Battle Intent.

Nangong Xuan’s Daoist robes fluttered without wind, and grey-black Nirvana Dao patterns faintly emerged around him, like a walking black hole devouring all impacts. Su Muxue was enveloped in circulating lunar light that transformed into a hazy silken garment, resisting with difficulty but determination.

Their speed was very slow; every step was like wading through a quagmire, and their Divine Souls endured great torment. But the light in their eyes grew brighter, and their wills became increasingly resilient and pure under the repeated baptisms of these impacts.

After an unknown amount of time, when the two finally stepped onto the summit of the bone mountain, the massive pressure vanished abruptly.

The summit was flat. In the center, a square seal about a foot wide, earthy-yellow in color and engraved with patterns of mountains, rivers, earth veins, and stellar trajectories, floated quietly. It lacked the violence of the mars key, but radiated a majestic power that was heavy, supportive, and capable of suppressing all things!

The zhenyu star key!

Beneath the star key, thrust into the ground of the summit, was a broken, rust-stained bronze halberd. Beside the halberd sat a skeleton in a cross-legged position, clad in tattered stellar armor. The skeleton had long since lost all life, yet its spine remained straight, maintaining a posture of protection. Its hand bone was pressed lightly against one corner of the zhenyu star key.

The massive illusory figure of the Tomb-Guarding Spirit slowly appeared at the foot of the mountain, looking up at the summit. In those earthy-yellow eyes, a complex and indefinable emotion seemed to flow—sorrow, gratification, and even more so... a sense of relief.

Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue walked to the front of the skeleton and bowed solemnly.

“Senior, rest in peace. We of the later generations will not fail your trust,” Nangong Xuan said in a low voice.

As if it had heard his words, the hand bone of the skeleton pressed against the star key actually loosened slightly.

Nangong Xuan took a deep breath, reached out, and grasped the zhenyu star key.

The moment he touched it, a heavy power as vast as the earth surged into his body. It was not an attack, but a gentle way of testing his Dao foundation and will. The nirvana golden core within him roared, and the chaos star core sent out a wave of longing.

The zhenyu star key vibrated slightly and transformed into a streak of earthy-yellow light, actively entering Nangong Xuan’s Dantian. It began to slowly revolve around the dark-gold nirvana golden core and started to merge with the nirvana Stellar Power within it.

At the same time, an even clearer and more massive stream of information surged from the zhenyu star key, pouring into the Sea of Consciousness of Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue.

It was no longer fragmented images, but a relatively complete record!

About the Origin of this ancient battlefield! About a desperate war known as the “Sorrow of the Firmament”! About... the true face of the “dark side”!