True Martial World - Chapter 1028: The Might of Divine Lords

After the phantom vanished, the portrait gradually rolled up and flew into Yi Yun's hand.

"Senior Yin, I would like to know more about what the Azure Wood Manor separatists had previously mentioned. What's the secret zone in the Door to the 33 Skies that Yue Yingsha alone can enter?"

The secret zone and the Key of the Nine Lotus had left Yi Yun somewhat puzzled. However, he found it inappropriate to inquire as it touched upon the Azure Wood Manor's heritage. But now with it possibly crucial to their survival, he had to make a detailed inquiry.

"The secret zone…is a region interior to the divine tree. Its location is perhaps in the main root of the divine tree, an area closest to the spirit of the divine tree. Back in the past, there was one Azure Wood Manor overseer who had managed to awaken the divine tree despite the closure of the Door to the 33 Skies. Her notes spoke of a secret zone and the existence of the divine tree's spirit."

"Based on this progenitor's records, subsequent generations of the Azure Wood Manor came to believe that if they could find this secret zone and control the spirit of the divine tree, they would be able to awaken the divine tree once again. Not only would it save the Azure Wood Manor, they might also attain incredible power. The Azure Wood Manor separatists were here for that. As for the Key of the Nine Lotus, it was left behind by that progenitor."

"The spirit of the divine tree…" Yi Yun cast his gaze at Yue Yingsha and said, "Will finding the secret zone guarantee gaining control over the spirit of the divine tree?"

Yue Yingsha sighed and said with a shake of her head, "Actually…it's not definite…. It was just an insubstantial notebook left behind by the progenitor. She was an impressive person, so I might not be able to accomplish the awakening like she did."

Yue Yingsha had zero confidence, especially after she entered the Door to the 33 Skies. Witnessing the strangeness and dangers of the Door to the 33 Skies had compounded her belief.

"Yi Yun…it's you that has a perception—one never seen in my life. You are practically the chosen one of the gods. This is your first time seeing the portrait, yet you can awaken the Sacred Ancestor's power. Perhaps you are the best candidate…" said Yue Yingsha somewhat sourly.

Yue Yingsha had the impression that the black-dressed woman was equivalent to a god and had existed in a primordial era. Therefore, Yue Yingsha refused to believe that Yi Yun had any relationship with the goddess. In that case, the only reason Yi Yun could awaken the portrait was that it was decided by the heavens!

Such talent and perceptivity made Yue Yingsha lament over her inadequacies. She had been praying in front of the divine tree from a young age and she had injected the divine tree's sap into her bloodline. But even so, it was completely useless. Perhaps Yi Yun was someone more suitable than she was to be the overseer of the Azure Wood Manor.

Granny Yin's lips quivered but she did not say a word. Although she was unwilling to admit it, the facts were laid out in front of her.

"Then…let us walk towards the divine tree. The savanna is sealed off by the bronze giant's power, so there's no way we can leave this place. Apart from us, even Divine Lords aren't able to escape this land. Perhaps we might find a chance of survival in the core of the divine tree."

Walking towards the divine tree meant walking towards the bronze giant. It sounded equivalent to suicide.

But at that moment, a region of death might be the road to survival, and desperate times called for desperate solutions!

Yue Yingsha and Granny Yin exchanged looks. Despite an acute awareness of the danger, no solution came to their minds. In their desperation, they might as well fight for their dear lives rather than suffering a trapped fate in the deadly savanna.

"The divine tree is a god spirit planted by the Sacred Ancestor; and now, the divine tree is sleeping while the bronze giant wantonly hacks away at it. If the divine tree were to awaken, everything might be different."

Yue Yingsha firmly believed that the power accumulated in the divine tree over hundreds of millions of years was redoubtable. Even the bronze giant would be powerless against it!

In this land of doom, the trio embarked on their journey once again. And this time, their target was the core area of the savanna. Heading towards the boundary in their predicament was destined to be fruitless, but the trip towards the core was surprisingly fast. At nearly the rate of one stride equaling five, they could see the divine tree's roots far in the distance with just fifteen minutes of walking.

During this process, there was constantly the emergence of the black evil demons, but they were warded off by Yi Yun's use of the portrait's power.

As for the deadly water of the River Styx, they managed to avoid it from Granny Yin's understanding of the geological features of the area.

Although the trio was limited in strength, they managed to safely traverse the savanna of death through all sorts of guile. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

As the core region approached, Yi Yun began to see the fuzzy black figure that stood far into the horizon.

It was that bronze giant!

The bronze giant's body was wrapped in chains and like a statue, it stood motionless. He was no longer chopping at the tree.

Perhaps it had drained all its strength and it was in the midst of recovery, or it would only move again deep into the night.

"Is he not moving because he's sleeping?"

It could not be any better if the bronze giant was sleeping.

Granny Yin shook her head and said, "It's probably not that simple. We will definitely alarm it if we really approach it. And when that happens, our deaths to him will be as simple as crushing an ant to death."

Yi Yun frowned. They needed to cross the bronze giant in order to approach the divine tree. However, it was an exceedingly difficult task. The portrait left behind by the black-dressed woman could exorcise the evil demons, but it was probably useless against the bronze giant.

While Yi Yun contemplating the dangers he faced, he suddenly saw a few figures in the horizon. As they were too distant, these figures looked as tiny as sesame seeds.

However, one of the figures suddenly expanded rapidly in an instant. A gigantic ghastly claw emerged as it struck at the bronze giant!

Another figure slashed out a strike in the form of an azure-colored greatsword. When the strike flashed, its luster split the heaven from the earth, as though it was the only thing in the world!

Tumultuous might struck at the bronze giant.

"It's Master!" Yi Yun sensed Felicitous Rain Lord's aura from the azure greatsword.

As for the gigantic ghastly claw, it was like the hand of a devil that surfaced from a realm of wraiths. White bone was exposed beneath the rotting flesh and it exuded a creepy air of death.

"That person is…the Fey Phantasm Sect's Demonic Eye Divine Lord."

From the looks of it, Felicitous Rain Lord and Demonic Eye Divine Lord were both trapped in the plains of death. They had taken the opportunity to attack the slumbering bronze giant!

The plains of death was strange in every fashion and everything pointed towards the bronze giant. As long as they killed it, there might be a chance of them escaping the land of death.

The power of the two Divine Lords' attack was formidable!

Simply watching the attacks made Yi Yun feel a piercing pain in his eyes. His protective Yuan Qi could not help but be triggered.

And behind the Fey Phantasm Sect's Demonic Eye Divine Lord, a few figures formed an array formation, condensing a wraith the size of a small mountain that was hurled at the bronze giant.

Yi Yun found one of the figures very familiar.

"Daoist You Ming is here too." Yi Yun's expression sunk slightly.

At that moment, the bronze giant had suddenly opened his eyes—eyes so cold and heartless as though they looked from a deep frozen abyss.

Immediately, the chains on its body issued clamorous sounds that each sounded like thunder.

The bronze giant took a step and immediately caused the world to tremble.

He brandished his ax and attacked Felicitous Rain Lord and Demonic Eye Divine Lord.

The cleaving of the ax seemed to split the world apart!

True Martial World - Chapter 1027: Ancient Portrait

The ancient portrait scroll sat silently in between Yue Yingsha’s fingers. Not only did the woman in the portrait appear to transcend the space they were in, she also faced everything in silence. Even though life was on the line for Yue Yingsha, she remained unresponsive to her pleas.

“Sacred Ancestor…”

Yue Yingsha knelt to the ground and bowed her head deeply. Her hands that were holding the scroll were trembling. She knew that the woman she called Sacred Ancestor had nothing to do with the Azure Wood Manor. She was the creator of the Azure Wood Great World and the Door to the 33 Skies and she was also the person who planted the divine tree. As for the Azure Wood Manor, they had only prospered from excavating the treasures that she left behind in the Door to the 33 Skies.

Under such circumstances, what sort of rights did they have to call themselves progeny of the Sacred Ancestor?

Danger drew near once again. After the portrait lost its radiance, the black shadows began to crowd around apprehensively.

There were about two to three hundred black shadows—evil demons bred in the Door to the 33 Skies. Yue Yingsha knew very well that if the demons were to charge at them as a horde, they would be completely wipe out even if she and Yi Yun were dozens of times stronger. As for Granny Yin, she was about to be devoured by that strange shadow.

The black shadows drew closer, leaving them out of options…

“Let me take a look at that portrait.”

At the moment of despair, Yi Yun’s voice suddenly sounded. Yue Yingsha faltered for a moment before handing the portrait to him.

The moment the portrait landed in his hands, Yi Yun closed his eyes as he slowly infused his Yuan Qi into the portrait. Upon seeing this scene, Yue Yingsha sighed lightly. Yi Yun was apparently attempting to awaken the power sleeping within the portrait.

However, this portrait was something that left her helpless despite her having a vital connection with the divine tree from a young age. Yi Yun was an outsider and this was his first time coming to the Azure Wood Great World, so what could he do? It was just a final desperate attempt.

Yue Yingsha did not stop him, nor did she give any explanation. All she did was silently wait for her life’s final moment.

“Ah! Ah! Ah!”

Two hundred black shadows roared simultaneously when they were certain that the threat from the portrait had vanished. A few of the most powerful ones had begun to slowly approach. Their spectral green eyes and hideous fangs were already in close proximity.

And at that moment, Yi Yun’s eyes were still tightly closed. While being encircled by the black shadows, the Purple Crystal’s energy enveloped the portrait. Suddenly, he sensed a shudder that came from his soul and immediately following that, Yi Yun felt like he had once again entered the space inside the Purple Crystal, allowing him to see that woman.

She was on a nine-petaled red lotus, with her back facing Yi Yun. Her black hair rushed down her back like waterfalls and time seemed to come to a momentary halt. Only when the black-dressed woman seemingly sensed Yi Yun’s presence did she slowly turn her head…

Boom!

As though he had torn through space-time, Yi Yun’s vision immediately returned to the plains of death once again.

He saw the portrait that he was previously holding in his hands drifting up as it spread out slowly in mid-air.

The woman’s figure in the portrait was identical to the one he saw in the Purple Crystal’s space.

“That…” Yue Yingsha was stunned. She had been unable to awaken the portrait and over the past generations, only one of the female saints had been able to awaken a tiny portion of the portrait’s power. Why was Yi Yun capable of doing that?

Vroom!

Rainbow radiance scattered out of the portrait. Yi Yun bathed in the light and immediately appeared as though he was a descending heavenly god!

It was not Yi Yun’s aura, but the aura of the portrait’s woman.

Slowly, the woman’s phantom image seemed to walk out of the portrait. Every step she took seemed to give birth to a resplendent red lotus.

Her fingers gently swiped across the air as though she was engraving divine patterns in them.

Yue Yingsha widened her eyes but the trajectories of the divine patterns were blurry in an alternate space. She was unable to discern it clearly as though something was blocking her vision.

Could those be…the Dao patterns that the black-dressed woman engraved when she created this world?

The black-dressed woman was the creator of this world, so she was equivalent to a god when it came to the Azure Wood Great World!

Cha! Cha! Cha!

Divine beams radiated in every direction, causing the black shadows to issue biting screams. The ones that were a distance away fled in panic, while the ones in close proximity turned to ash when the rainbow light swept past them!

The evil demons born in the Door to the 33 Skies were unable to withstand the power of a god.

Even the evil demon that had entered Granny Yin’s body let out a loud shrill before turning to a blue wisp of smoke.

Granny Yin’s body jolted before she fell to the ground. She had just escaped the jaws of death and she was extremely weak. However, under the divine rainbow light’s illumination, her eyes that had nearly gone blind slowly began to open.

As her blurry vision gradually turned clear, Granny Yin saw the scene of a figure being immersed in divine light.

“Succ…Successor?”

Granny Yin’s first thought was Yue Yingsha, but after a long while, she realized that it wasn’t Yue Yingsha, but Yi Yun.

Wh…What… Yi Yun has managed to awaken the power of the portrait? Granny Yin found it unbelievable. Why did Yi Yun possess the ability to do so?

Yue Yingsha, as well as the past generations of female saints from the Azure Wood Manor, had a faint connection with the divine tree that stemmed from their soul and bloodline. As a result, they were able to possess sacred items like the Sacred Ancestor’s portrait.

As for Yi Yun, he had been labeled an outsider by the Azure Wood Manor, but now, an outsider had managed to awaken their Sacred Ancestor?

Yi Yun was facing the Sacred Ancestor’s phantom image. In the light, the Sacred Ancestor’s figure looked like a dreamy mirage, and there was no way to discern her facial features. Similarly, Yi Yun was unable to discern the Dao patterns that she had drawn with her hand.

Yi Yun only had a feeling that her beauty exuded a divine sacredness. It was impossible for people to have a tiny bit of disrespect towards her.

The nine-petaled red lotus fluttered around her, and there was a profound aura of samsara resonating around her. Even though she was just a phantom image, Yi Yun was still able to sense a tremendous power from her.

For some reason, Yi Yun sensed that the female phantom image had given him a glance.

It was obviously a phantom image left in a scroll that had been left behind in a time eons ago, yet she was able to traverse the long rivers of time to focus on him.

But that feeling was only ephemeral!

The phantom image gradually dissipated…

The evil demons had retreated with shrill cries, and after an unknown period of time, Yi Yun suddenly opened his eyes after feeling like he had experienced a dream.

Only then did he see Yue Yingsha and Granny Yin still prostrated on the ground.

In their eyes, the scene of the Sacred Ancestor’s phantom with dancing sleeves and fluttering dress facing Yi Yun had been deeply imprinted into their minds.

Unknowingly, tears were flowing from Granny Yin’s aged eyes. After tens of millions of years of persistence and protection, with generation after generation of people being guardians of this shattered world and the waning Azure Wood Manor, she, whose days were numbered, had managed to see the Sacred Ancestor making her presence felt today!

Granny Yin gave a deep kowtow. The surrounding evil demons had all been wiped out and coupled with the silence of the savanna, the scene that they were in seemed to be fixed in place for eternity.

True Martial World - Chapter 1026: Sinister Eyes

The black rain fell in a dense outpour. As Yi Yun and company proceeded through the rain, they had conjured a protective barrier to isolate the raindrops from themselves.

The bronze giant had completely vanished. Neither could they hear the tumultuous sounds of the metal chains rubbing against each other. But in the dead silence of the misty rain, Yi Yun felt that there was something constantly staring at them. He felt immense foreboding.

But Yi Yun did not see anything the few times he turned his head.

"Yi Yun, something doesn't feel right," said Yue Yingsha suddenly. She sensed chilly waves assaulting them and despite walking for so long, their surroundings did not seem to change at all. It was as if they were walking in circles.

"Granny…are we continuing?"

Granny Yin had been leading the way by walking in front. When Yue Yingsha called out to her, Granny Yin did not immediately respond. Instead, she was continuing straight ahead.

"Granny."

Yue Yingsha suddenly felt something amiss as she flashed in front of Granny Yin. What she saw drained the color from her face.

At that moment, Granny Yin's face was shrouded in an intense layer of cadaveric air. Her entire being resembled one that had crawled out of a tomb, as though she was almost done rotting!

Granny Yin's eyes were deeply recessed and her wrinkly eyelids were tightly closed. In between the slits of her eyes flowed a trickle of black blood that was nearing complete decay. She could not see Yue Yingsha at all.

However, Granny Yin suddenly raised her stiff right hand. In the palm of her right hand, as well as her neck, there were two additional strange eyes that did not belong to her. The eyes were green in color and as they blinked, they were staring intently at Yue Yingsha, as if they were watching a delicious prey!

"Ah!"

Such a strange scene made Yue Yingsha scream out in horror. Granny Yin was someone she was the closest to. Now, she had suddenly turned alien. Such horror had ten times more impact than encountering any ordinary danger!

"Be careful!"

Yi Yun immediately pulled out his pure Yang broken sword and stood by Yue Yingsha's side. The two eyes that appeared on Granny Yin's body made his scalp tingle.

But at that moment, Yi Yun was at a loss. The eyes were apparently attempting to possess or devour Granny Yin's body.

What should he do? Should he strike?

Yi Yun was unsure if a strike from him could kill the eyes on Granny Yin's body but there was probably no question that Granny Yin was doomed!

"Granny is still alive. I can still sense her aura, but it's very weak," said Yue Yingsha with a trembling voice. She had her suspicions that once the pair of eyes completed its devourment, it would probably become harder to deal with. However, there was no way she could steel her heart to kill Granny Yin at that moment in time.

"Although Senior Yin is still alive, we are out of options. If the eyes can even devour Granny Yin, it will not pose any troubles devouring the two of us. If we do not attack, there will not be any chances left."

Yi Yun could only lay out the facts although he abhorred the thought of attacking Granny Yin. The moment she died, their collective strength would be greatly reduced as well.

Just as Yue Yingsha was hesitating, the sudden scene that followed made Yue Yingsha feel like she had fallen into a frozen cavern. She could see pairs of green eyes lighting up in the distant rain.

These eyes were even bigger than the ones she had previously seen. There were more than a hundred pairs of eyes as they lined themselves up into rows! The biggest pair was situated at the highest point. It was as large as a lantern and its eyes exuded a cold gaze as it overlooked Yi Yun and Yue Yingsha.

A hopeless situation!

Yi Yun's heartbeat stagnated. With the sudden appearance of more than a hundred pairs of terrifying eyes, with each pair able to devour an expert like Granny Yin, did he and Yue Yingsha have any chance of survival?

The God Advent Tower could no longer be used again, and even with the remaining two sword Qi that Felicitous Rain Lord left him, he felt that he could only at most sustain an additional ten seconds. One sword Qi could at best destroy one or two pairs of eyes! Was there still a way out?

"Pa! Pa! Pa!"

More eyes appeared and formed an entire assembly in the shrouding rain!

Finally, a few pairs of eyes moved. They were like arrows that had left their bowstrings, as they propelled at Yue Yingsha first!

At that moment, Yi Yun finally managed to discern the foe clearly. Those eyes were actually shadowy black blobs. Each entity had a fuzzy body and it only left a pair of eyes in its exterior. The eyes were filled with a faint blackness as they exuded an eerie green luminance.

The black shadow moved very quickly, so quickly that Yue Yingsha had no way of dodging. The black shadow had already rushed in front of her!

With her life on the line, Yue Yingsha yelled in fright. She nearly tumbled but at that moment, a rainbow radiance suddenly beamed from her chest!

"Cha! Cha! Cha!"

The rainbow radiance was like indestructible sharp swords. Wherever it passed, the black shadows would emit the howls of feral wraiths. Many of the black shadows were pierced through by the rainbow radiance!

"Peng!"

Yue Yingsha slammed heavily to the ground as a portrait scroll fell from Yue Yingsha's chest.

The portrait was extremely ancient and it had an air of antiquity. The rainbow beams of light had been emitted by it!

The portrait had left the countless of shadows afraid to approach. Not only so, even the shadow that had entered Granny Yin's body was appalled.

"This is…"

Yi Yun looked at the portrait in shock. The portrait tumbled on the grass pains, and despite the dense black rain, not a single drop stained the portrait.

As the portrait scroll tumbled on the ground, it slowly opened and revealed itself. It depicted a woman in it. She was tall and she had a slender waist. She wore a black dress and in the middle of her eyebrows, there was a bright lotus imprint with nine petals.

Although it was just a portrait, it was as though Yi Yun could feel the fluttering of the black dress. The lotus imprint also seemed to project itself into his soul sea. This mysterious woman was untainted by the mortal world, as though she was a heavenly woman who had descended into the mortal world.

It's her!

Yi Yun took a deep breath. Back in the Primordial Empyrean Heaven, Yi Yun had seen two phantoms hidden in the Purple Crystal while gaining insight into the 10000 Demon Wheel of Existence. One was a man that wielded a spear, while the other was this woman. She held a nine-petal red lotus which left a deep impression on Yi Yun.

Yi Yun once suspected that the spear-wielding man and the red lotus woman were the previous owners of the Purple Crystal.

Was a previous owner of the Purple Crystal the person who created the Door to the 33 Skies and planted the divine tree that held up the Azure Wood Great World?

Thoughts raced through Yi Yun's mind, but at that moment, the rainbow radiance from the portrait was gradually dimming. It was as though the divine light from a while ago had burst out accidentally when the portrait opened.

The moment the rainbow radiance dimmed, the black shadows hovering in the sky would stir once again!

"It's the Sacred Ancestor's portrait!"

Yue Yingsha, who had collapsed to the ground, rolled on the ground so as to embrace the portrait.

She knew that the portrait had unfathomable power sealed in it. It was the power of the Sacred Ancestor, and what had previously unfolded proved that the evil demons of the Door to the 33 Skies were afraid of this power. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

However, Yue Yingsha was deeply aware that she had no way to awaken the power in the scroll. She had attempted numerous times in the past and be it the divine tree or the portrait, she had not received any response from her attempts.

"Sacred Ancestor, please bestow your power on me, even if it's one-billionth of it…"

Yue Yingsha held the portrait as she humbly knelt to the ground. She knew that the portrait was the final hope that could save the three of them!

True Martial World - Chapter 1025: Plains of Despair

The divine tree of the Azure Wood Great World had been planted eons ago, and it had existed for an unknown period of time before the world it resided in was born. It was a tree that held up the fate of the Azure Wood Great World, but such a divine tree was being chopped at by a terrifying giant?

"Hmph! The divine tree has lived for hundreds of millions of years. Although the giant is mighty, it's wishful thinking if it's attempting to chop down the divine tree!" Granny Yin said through gritted teeth. In her mind, the divine tree was a god that was absolutely indestructible.

However, Yi Yun begged to differ. Every cleave the bronze giant produced was earth-shattering so the divine tree was likely to be damaged even if it was not felled.

What sort of existence was the bronze giant? Why was it so terrifying?

"The divine tree is indeed like a god, but even a true god is unlikely to be indestructible. I wonder if the bronze giant's chopping of the divine tree has anything to do with the collapse of the Azure Wood Great World."

Yi Yun's remark left Granny Yin, who was simmering in killing intent, startled.

The collapse of the Azure Wood Great World had something to do with the chopping of the divine tree?

On careful thought, although the Azure Wood Great World had existed for eons, there were many worlds that had survived longer than the Azure Wood Great World. These worlds did not necessarily have a tree that held them up; but now, the Azure Wood Great World which had the divine tree rooted in it was collapsing at a faster rate than those worlds.

After this thought came to Granny Yin's mind, it felt like a specter haunting her. She had spent her entire life in the Azure Wood Manor and she had subconsciously believed that the divine tree was indestructible. This had made her automatically neglect such a possibility.

Could the Azure Wood Great World's collapse be explained by the bronze giant's chopping of the divine tree?

"Granny, what do we do?"

Yue Yingsha had clearly come to the same conclusion as well. She felt a deep sense of helplessness when facing the bronze giant. What could she do in front of such an existence?

Even if the Divine Lord, Yue Ziya, was alive, what he could do was likely limited as well, let alone her.

Yue Yingsha and Granny Yin were astonished the moment Yi Yun said, "I might have…seen this bronze giant before."

"You have seen it before?"

"It shouldn't be the same person, but someone from the same race. I've once seen a phantom image of a bronze giant in a ruin."

Back when Yi Yun entered the Pure Yang Sword Palace, he had witnessed its owner slash out a strike that cleaved off a corner of a world and simultaneously, the head of a bronze giant!

That scene had left an unforgettable impression on Yi Yun. However, a phantom image was nothing more than a phantom image. It was definitely different from seeing a bronze giant standing in front of him.

"What ruin?" Granny Yin asked quickly. By concealing information of the Pure Yang Sword Palace, Yi Yun told them a partial story of entering a dilapidated world and how he had witnessed the scene of a bronze giant being slain.

Granny Yin was somewhat disappointed after hearing his depiction because it was information that could hardly be analyzed to be of any value.

"Oh? That is…"

Yi Yun's heart leaped as he saw the chains wrapped around the bronze giant suddenly tighten!

"Clang!"

The chains blared as they tugged at the bronze giant's flesh. One end of the chains was lodged deep within the bronze giant's body.

The bronze giant revealed a grimacing look as all its veins bulged, as though bronze fluid was being injected into its muscles, swelling them up.

"Puah! Puah! Puah!"

Dozens of black fountains surged to the sky as they converged from every corner of the lands toward the bronze giant that resembled a whale sucking in water. Finally, countless small vortices appeared in the void as they were absorbed by the bronze giant's pores.

After absorbing all of the liquid from the black fountains, the bronze giant seemed to calm down greatly. The dozens of chains that restrained the bronze giant also began to slack.

"It's the water of the River Styx..."

Yi Yun could clearly tell that the black river, called River Styx by Granny Yin, covered the plains. It had previously devoured Marquis Wu Yun and the Immortal Rain Sect separatists. Although Marquis Wu Yun and company were rather powerful, they had been swallowed by the water of the River Styx, reducing their flesh and blood to withered bone.

"It's indeed the River Styx. The rivers are scattered all across the plains and every tributary of the River Styx would form a land that spells certain doom. Now, every trace of it is being absorbed by the bronze giant."

Granny Yin recalled of the countless white bones that bobbed in the black waters of the river and felt a baffling chill. Could those white bones be the remains of living creatures that had their flesh and bone consumed after they drowned in the black river?

"Successor," said Granny Yin with a grave expression. "I have a feeling that the bronze giant is imprisoned here by those chains. In order to escape those chains, it has devoured every living creature that has entered the Door to the 33 Skies through the use of the black river's waters!"

"Oh!?" Yue Yingsha's heart palpitated. After hearing Granny Yin's words, she made the connections with the records in canon and realized that it was not impossible.

Countless people had died in the Door to the 33 Skies, but if one thought about it, the ways they died ranged from having their flesh dissolve or bones melt, through decaying into ash, to having their bodies corrode. The ways they died had a common point. They were left without remains.

If it was conjectured that the final outcome of the flesh and blood of dead warriors in the Door to the 33 Skies was for them to be consumed by the bronze giant, then everything seemed to make complete sense.

This conjecture sounded sensational that even Yi Yun felt a sense of dreaded fear when he heard it.

"Successor, we might be in big trouble. This piece of land that was enveloped by the gray fog yesterday might be the most dangerous area in the Door to the 33 Skies. It might be very difficult to exit the moment we entered. If not, Ancestor Master from hundreds of millions of years ago would not have left his tombstone behind on this piece of land. That's because he knew he faced certain doom…"

A Divine Lord of the Ten Thousand Fey Empyrean Heaven was almighty but had resigned himself to fate by believing that his days were numbered and left behind a tombstone. It was evident how terrifying this piece of land was.

Yi Yun took a deep breath when he heard Granny Yin's words. If they were truly in such a situation, the chances of them leaving this place alive was exceedingly slim.

"Kid, what ideas do you have?" Granny Yin suddenly asked Yi Yun. Previously, Yi Yun had led them out of the Blood Desert, making her think of him in a different light. At that moment, all she could do was resort to desperate attempts to save a hopeless situation.

"I don't know," said Yi Yun with a shake of his head. It would be a lie to not be horrified while facing unknown dangers and certain death. "But regardless, let's make an attempt. There might be a chance of survival…"

"Alright, I'll lead the way."

After Granny Yin said that, she immediately walked in front to lead the way. The person walking in front was naturally taking on the greatest risk. Although Granny Yin's cultivation level was the highest, her bit of strength was unlikely to amount to much in this plains of death.

The sun gradually rose, but the weather seemed to turn gloomier. The bronze giant seemed to fade into the fog as it slowly disappeared.

It was unknown when a drizzle began to fall down from the sky. However, the raindrops were black in color, just like the black river's water. It exuded a faint sanguine air to it that was suffocating.

Amidst the rain, a pair of eyes the size of bowls gradually emerged. It stared quietly at the advancing trio, and like an apparition, it began to slowly approach.

True Martial World - Chapter 1024: Giant

What was written on the stone?

Yi Yun wondered. Every inch of the Door to the 33 Skies exuded an air of strangeness. Despite walking in it for so long, he had yet to encounter hints of human or Fey race activity.

"It's text used by the Ten Thousand Fey Empyrean Heaven."

When Yi Yun cautiously came in front of the black stone, he saw a line of text that was written with bold strokes. Although it had been weathered by the elements for an unknown period of time, with portions of it eroded, it still had Dao charms circulating within that ensured that the line of text was not destroyed.

"I'm acutely aware that my days are numbered and I have established my tomb here. To mistakenly enter the Door to the 33 Skies, there is no regret to dying after seeing the forces of nature and the powers of gods and demons. — Yue Ziya."

The few dozen words left a deep impact on one's soul. Had he established a tomb for himself? Who was Yue Ziya…?

Yi Yun glanced at Granny Yin and noticed her expression looking complicated. The corners of her mouth were twitching as she kowtowed at the tombstone.

"Yue Ziya is the founding ancestor of our Azure Wood Manor. He was also the only Divine Lord that had perished in the Door to the 33 Skies. He entered the Door to the 33 Skies thrice and he failed to exit it on his third. Nothing was heard of him from then on."

When Granny Yin recounted the piece of history, her face was filled with mixed emotions. Hundreds of millions of years had passed, but she had managed to see the tomb and last words of Yue Ziya in the Door to the 33 Skies. How could she not sigh?

"So the Divine Lord died here." Yi Yun had a serious expression. He knew that a Divine Lord had perished in the Door to the 33 Skies, but it was not necessarily a place that was filled with danger. For example, Yi Yun had managed to easily exit the Blood Desert with his energy vision. If a Divine Lord had entered the Blood Desert, his perception of the forces of nature would make it trivial for him to escape the Blood Desert. There might not even be a need for a Divine Lord to fully understand the forces of nature to withstand the laws of the Dao patterns.

But here, Yue Ziya had set up his tomb and said that he knew his days were numbered. He felt no regret for his death after seeing the forces of nature and the powers of gods and demons.

What did Yue Ziya see in his final living moments, and what did he encounter? What made him immediately know that his days were numbered?

Yi Yun suddenly felt a baffling chill.

If a Divine Lord could not survive in here, what about Master?

"Granny, if Ancestor Master perished here, this might actually be a land of great peril…" Yue Yingsha felt a dark cloud veil across her heart. The seemingly lush savanna was actually a hundred times more dangerous than the Blood Desert.

Before Granny Yin could say a word, the sounds of the rubbing metallic chains resounded once again.

The sounds seemed to come from the deepest depths of hell as they assaulted the eardrums. Immediately following the sounds of the chain was a loud boom!

"Boom! Boom!"

The reverberations surged at them and each one of them induced an earthquake!

The world in the Door to the 33 Skies was massive, yet the ground could quake from the sound blasts?

What sort of existence created it?

The reverberations continued blaring, striking straight at the heart. After hearing it a few times, Yi Yun realized that the sounds were resonating with his heart. His heartbeat was influenced by the sound and began to synchronize its beats with the sound. This made Yi Yun's blood and energy turbulent as he felt his chest heavy. It was an extremely unpleasant feeling.

"The sound is terrifying. What is it?" asked Yi Yun while clasping his chest. Granny Yin was fine, but Yue Yingsha was in a worse state than Yi Yun. Her face was pale and blood was seeping out the corners of her mouth. Clearly, the massive sound blasts had injured her when they resonated with her organs.

"Successor, quickly calm down and meditate. I'll be on guard. Let's wait for daybreak!" exhorted Granny Yin. She did not know how long more the sound will continue. She felt that Yue Yingsha was unable to last long against it and she had to be wary of the mysterious eye that was hiding in the fog. She could not be distracted.

Yue Yingsha stopped just as she was about to say something. She knew her bodily condition, so all she could do was close her eyes and meditate. She left everything to Granny Yin.

The night was longer than expected.

The terrifying booms and the rubbing sounds of metallic chains continued on. Occasionally, the fierce roars of ancient beasts were interspersed in it. The roars could instantly reduce a Dao Seed realm warrior to a mist of blood.

All of this gave them the creeps. It was as if there was a terrifying existence chained in the rolling mountains who was trying its best to escape those shackles in this dark and eerie night.

The torturous night depleted Yue Yingsha's Yuan Qi greatly. Even Yi Yun found it extremely unsustainable.

He knew that he had yet to actually encounter danger. It was just sound waves that would have been harmless to figures at the level of Yue Ziya. However, they were sufficient to reduce him to such a sorry state. This made Yi Yun feel a great sense of danger for he was unsure what he would encounter next.

"The fog is dispersing…"

Perhaps it was because daybreak was nearing as the night fog that occluded their vision and prevented their perception from working had mostly vanished. Looking up into the sky, the river of stars were becoming dimmer. In the eastern sky, a blood-red morning sun gradually rose, scattering its luminance that resembled thousands of divine swords.

"Daybreak has finally…finally, come." Yi Yun sighed in relief. Yue Yingsha's expression relaxed in a rare fashion. She had her brows knitted previously with sweat perspiring from her forehead. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

However, before Yi Yun and Yue Yingsha had a chance to say something, they were simultaneously astounded by what they saw into the distance.

Under the blood sun's illumination, Yue Yingsha and Yi Yun saw an alarming scene that they would never forget for life.

They saw in the distant horizon dozens of thick veins as thick as mountains gathered together. Like dragons snatching at a pearl, they twined around and formed a thick divine tree trunk. It stood erect like a heavenly column that reached toward the ends of the Door to the 33 Skies.

And in front of the divine tree stood a bronze giant. The giant seemed to hold up the heavens and his body obstructed the sanguine sun. All the mountains were crushed beneath his feet like sand mounds in a sandpit. The bronze giant held a massive ax in hand while his body was wrapped around by black chains. The end of these chains pierced into the bronze giant's flesh and on the other end, they were buried deep into the ground.

"Boom!"

The bronze giant was brandishing his ax and chopping at the tree root!

Clang!

The chains resonated producing the terrifying sound again. Like the collapsing of mountains and the howling of seas, a massive shockwave ran through the ground as a result of the sound blast with the bronze giant as the epicenter! The blast radiated out for hundreds of kilometers and moments later, a strong squall came rushing at Yi Yun and company.

With a grunt, Yi Yun took several steps back. Even with his Yuan Qi protecting him, he felt as though his eardrums were about to rupture from the sound blast.

Yue Yingsha was in an even worse state. She nearly collapsed after experiencing a night of torment.

What was this?

Yue Yingsha was astounded. There was a giant deep in the Door to the 33 Skies and it was chopping at the Azure Wood Great World's divine tree!

True Martial World - Chapter 1023: River Styx

"Elder Dagu! Master Uncle Mofei! Seize them!" bellowed Seven Plume angrily. He was no longer held back by the possible relationship with the orthodox Azure Wood Manor or the exploration of the Door to the 33 Skies, all he wanted was to vent his anger.

"Seven Plume! I just encountered a land of death which I barely escaped from. Fighting here would be akin to suicide!" Granny Yin guarded Yi Yun and Yue Yingsha with cold daggers shooting from her eyes.

"Hmph, do you think I'll fall for such a feeble excuse?" Seven Plume gave a disdainful scoff. "Granny Yin, I'd have respected you if you had put up a fight, but now, it's only laughable to see your attempts at playing tricks on me. Let's attack them together! Seize them!"

"Haha! My pleasure!" A long howl was heard from behind Seven Plume. It was none other than Marquis Wu Yun. The Immortal Rain Sect disciples from before had been completely wiped out, but Marquis Wu Yun had managed to fortuitously survived.

He hated Yi Yun to the bone and wanted to skin him alive.

"Capture him alive. Don't kill him for I have a use for him!" said Seven Plume again. He was very interested in the array mystic technique that Yi Yun knew. He wanted to know how Yi Yun had managed to walk out of the Blood Desert. If he could grasp such a secret method, it would be a great fortuitous event for him.

"You are courting death!" said an incensed Granny Yin. With the group of people obstructing her path, there was no way to tear through the blockade with the two people she was carrying with her. At that moment, Granny Yin suddenly felt an intense danger behind her.

"Behind! The black river!"

Yi Yun was able to clearly see the scene of the ground splitting apart a thousand feet behind him! The rift valley was encroaching towards them at a terrifying speed like an anaconda. And beneath the valley was a surging black river!

After the river flowed into the Door to the 33 Skies, it was very different from a mouth of a river. It was as if it had a life and a mind of its own while it consumed everything it encountered!

The black river was boiling like black lava. In that split second, Granny Yin bit at her tongue tip without even taking a look. She spewed out a mouthful of blood essence and she did not hesitate to burn it. She ignored the fact that her days were numbered, to begin with.

"Whew!"

Granny Yin transformed into a beam of light and vanished. And at that moment, the members of the Azure Wood Manor were too distracted to stop her. They had also caught sight of the rapidly emanating rift as well as the boiling water of death inside the valley.

"What is that!?"

The sudden turn of events left the Azure Wood Manor separatists in shock. Although they also had an inkling of possible danger, no one was willing to burn their blood essence without determining the actual threat.

But in that moment of hesitation—

"Puah!"

Black water erupted out of the fissure before turning into a mighty black torrent that swept towards the Azure Wood Manor separatists and Marquis Wu Yun!

The black torrent exuded a horrifying force that made even the warriors tremble. They were unable to muster any strength as they were paralyzed with fear.

"Ah!"

Seven Plume was the first person to be hit by the black torrent. He struggled frantically in the black torrent as he issued heart-wrenching screams!

However, everything was meaningless. His flesh and blood were being cleanly corroded by the black torrent and soon, he was reduced to bone.

He had extended his hands that were now only bone, desperately clawing towards the sky to no avail. Eventually, his remains were devoured by the black torrent.

Upon seeing that scene, Marquis Wu Yun was scared out of his wits.

He frantically fled from the path of destruction, but compared to Granny Yin, he had taken that critical step one moment slower. The time of that single step demarcated life and death. The black torrent branched out and wrapped itself around Marquis Wu Yun's feet, dragging him back instantly!

Marquis Wu Yun got mired down by the black torrent. Although he was much stronger than Seven Plume, he was unable to create any miracles in the black torrent. The protective Yuan Qi barrier he conjured was dissolved by the black water before his flesh and blood corroded quickly. In a moment, he had been reduced to bone, sealing his complete death!

Even Marquis Wu Yun had succumbed to such a fate, so it was needless to mention the others. More than ten people from the Azure Wood Manor separatists and the Immortal Rain Sect combined had survived the Blood Desert, but they were nothing in the face of the terrifying black torrent. They failed to put up any form of resistance.

The black torrent seemed to temporarily cease pursuit of Yi Yun and company when it encountered fresh meat. This gave them a chance to finally escape peril.

While Yi Yun was being pulled along by Granny Yin, he had managed to clearly see the situation pan out. Even though he was usually composed, he realized that his back was drenched in sweat.

Granny Yin flew for dozens of kilometers without stopping. The moment she stopped, she was panting and her face was pale. It was demanding on the advanced Granny Yin to burn her blood essence. She looked even older from the intense stress that she was in while fleeing from the dangerous situation.

"Senior, what was that?"

Yi Yun had yet to recover from his fears as well. He was very grateful to Granny Yin. If she had not pulled him along, his low cultivation level might not have been enough for him to escape the onslaught. Furthermore, it was Granny Yin who had warned him of the danger initially.

"In the Azure Wood Manor's canon, there is something called the Styx Whirlpool. It's an unparalleled land of peril. It is situated in many regions of the Door to the 33 Skies, and every encounter with it leads to a tragedy."

Granny Yin managed to catch her breath after consuming eating a pill she took out from a porcelain bottle. An abnormal ruddiness flushed in her old face.

"Styx Whirlpool?" Yi Yun was puzzled. It did not seem like it was an array formation that was formed by the forces of nature. What could it be?

The eye that was hidden in the night fog also gave Yi Yun the shudders.

"We might be in big trouble," said Granny Yin with a worried look. "We flew so far out, yet there is no end to the fog. We might have lost our way."

"Granny, I think it's best we stay put. There are no guarantees on what's lurking in the fog. The chances of us surviving would be slim if we were to encounter the Styx Whirlpool again," said Yue Yingsha. It was equivalent to committing suicide to fumble around blindly without any clear indication of their position. It was best they waited for daybreak.

The night and day within the Door to the 33 Skies was extremely strange. That night was longer than what Yi Yun expected. What was more alarming was the thunderous sound of metal rubbing against metal in the distance within the fog. It sounded like the tightening of massive chains which was accompanied by a low and terrifying roar. The muffled roar did not sound like a beast's but sounded more like a person's if one paid attention.

"Could it be Master and the rest?"

Yi Yun thought to himself. Before the Apocalyptic Fumes stirred, Felicitous Rain Lord and company had headed into the core area of the Azure Wood Great World. Now, they had likely entered the Door to the 33 Skies, but it was unknown what they had encountered.

As for people other than Felicitous Rain Lord and company, they were probably already dead after entering the Door to the 33 Skies.

"Oh? What's that?"

In the darkness, Yue Yingsha's sudden words snapped Yi Yun out of his thoughts. Looking in the direction that Yue Yingsha was pointing in, he saw a black stone.

There were innumerable stones in the Door to the 33 Skies, but that stone was completely different…

Yi Yun could vaguely make out a line of text engraved on the surface of the rock…

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 360: Wall of Pill Formulae

"What's going on?"

Mo Hongyi was on the verge of going insane.

Liu laoshi and Master Teacher Zhang Xuan... Weren't they freaking the same person?

Their students clashed with one another? What was going on?

"You sure are serious in your teaching..."

Sensing the other party's bewilderment, the other teacher immediately filled him in on the details. "A student of Master Teacher Zhang Xuan—if I recall correctly, her name is Zhao Ya—had fought with Liu laoshi's student, Mu Xueqing, because of some unknown reason. It seems that they had clashed once before and today’s fight was the second time they faced one another..."

He quickly recounted the entire matter.

Upon understanding the entire matter, a bizarre expression appeared on Mo Hongyi's face. It seemed as though he was trying his best to hold back his laughter.

For the students under his disguised persona to fight with his original students, not to mention, so vehemently, as though they wouldn't let this matter go unless they do the other party in... Zhang Xuan was probably suffering from a breakdown at this moment.

"What does the principal want from me?"

Mo Hongyi asked.

"The principal wishes to have Zhang shi and Liu laoshi meet one another and settle their grudges. Since you're familiar with Liu laoshi, he hopes that you can persuade him on this matter!" The other teacher said.

"I have to persuade Liu laoshi and Zhang shi... to sit down together and talk it out?" Mo Hongyi's expression became even more bizarre.

You must be joking!

The two of them are the same person! How could Zhang Xuan possibly sit down and talk to himself?

"Alright, I'll look for Liu laoshi and talk to him about this matter. Tell the principal to leave this matter to me..." Suppressing his laughter, Mo Hongyi replied.

Aren't you a genius capable of everything?

Let's see how you'll deal with this...

After conversing for a moment longer, Mo Hongyi started walking towards Zhang Xuan's classroom.

...

"Yuan Tao, where are you going? Why didn't you invite me along?"

As soon as Yuan Tao walked out of his room, a hushed voice sounded. He quickly turned around and saw Zheng Yang grinning a short distance away.

"I..." Yuan Tao hesitated.

"Alright, I know that you're going to cause trouble for that Liu laoshi. Let's go together!"

Zheng Yang rolled his eyes.

"I'm afraid that teacher will blame us after learning about this..." Yuan Tao said.

If Zhang shi were to find out about this, he would probably be in for a beating. Since Yuan Tao was resilient to thrashings, he wasn't afraid of it. However, he was unwilling to pull Zheng Yang down along with him.

"Don't worry, we're brothers after all. How can I allow you to suffer the blame alone?"

Knowing his thoughts, Zheng Yang chuckled. "However, I'm afraid that just the two of us aren't sufficient!"

"What do you mean?"

"Simple. If you wish to poison that Liu laoshi, you will have to sneak into his classroom, right? On top of that, you have to find the container which he stores his water in before you can spike it. You may possess incredible defense, but you're lacking in agility! It's the same for me as well. So, it's impossible for us to do it..."

At which, Zheng Yang smiled, "Unless..."

"Wang Ying?" Yuan Tao immediately understood Zheng Yang's words.

"Indeed. Why don't we invite her along? Given her movement techniques, she'll surely be able to spike Liu laoshi's drink without anyone noticing!" Zheng Yang suggested.

"Alright..."

After giving it some thoughts, Yuan Tao nodded in agreement.

It wasn't too difficult for them to convince Wang Ying. That lady was a weak-willed person so it was normally impossible to convince her to commit such deeds. However, if one was able to grasp her weakness, she was still an easy target.

And this weakness was Zhang laoshi!

In the fight for Zhang laoshi's honor, this Liu laoshi had shamelessly sided with his own student. Even though Wang Ying didn't say anything then, she was actually extremely angry. Upon hearing that they were going to spike his drink, Wang Ying agreed without much hesitation.

After further discussion and refinement of their plan, they trio sneaked out of the residence under the concealment of the night sky and headed towards Tianwu Academy.

Under the veil of the silent night, there weren't too many students walking around the campus and just by asking around for a bit, they were able to find Liu laoshi's classroom easily.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone here!"

Pushing the door open slightly, they realized that there was no one in the classroom and their eyes shone in delight.

They thought that Liu laoshi or his students would be here, but to their relief, it was empty.

Zhang Xuan and Mu Xueqing had headed for the Apothecary Guild whereas the other students had left right after they were done cultivating.

Even Lu Chong, who had been training here for the entire day, had already dragged his wearied body back to his dormitory.

At this moment, the classroom was devoid of people.

Entering the classroom, they quickly searched and found the teapot and teacups reserved for the usage of the teacher.

"This is it! Place the poison inside!"

The trio nodded. Yuan Tao took out the jade bottle and poured the powdery content inside.

Overjoyed by how smooth the operation went, the trio was just about to leave when 'jiya', the door to the classroom opened. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

Even though they were astonished, they knew that it was too late for them to hide. Thus, they turned around and faced the person at the door.

"Is Liu laoshi in?"

A voice sounded.

"Reporting to teacher, Liu laoshi isn't in..." Upon hearing his question, they immediately realized that it wasn't Liu Cheng or his students and they heaved a sigh of relief. Turning around with a lowered head, Zheng Yang replied to the other party's question.

"He isn't in? When he returns, tell him that Sun Cheng laoshi had visited!" The person outside said.

"Yes..."

Zheng Yang hurriedly nodded.

"Un!" After which, the visitor turned around and left. However, a distance away, he suddenly stopped. Why did those youngsters in the room look so familiar, as though he had met them somewhere before?

"Forget it..." Unable to recall anyone who fit those profiles, he didn't think much of it. Thus, he resumed his steps.

"We should leave now!"

Seeing that they had managed to get away unscathed, Zheng Yang and the others immediately took the opportunity to leave the classroom and dashed back to the residence.

...

Hu!

Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan stretched his back.

It took him an entire afternoon before he managed to duplicate all of the books in the Apothecary Guild into his head.

Having expended much of his mental strength, he was exhausted.

"Pure Yin Body!"

With a thought, dozens of books immediately appeared before him.

He casually flipped them open.

Quickly browsing through them, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

Indeed, there were records on the Pure Yin Body in them.

"Grade-4 Frigid Yin Pill is extremely effective in the awakening of Pure Yin Body..."

"Frigid Yin Pill?"

Reading through all of the books on the Pure Yin Body, only two of them contained content regarding the awakening of the constitution. Both of them mentioned the Frigid Yin Pill.

"Frigid Yin Pill, a grade-4 pill, forged with medicinal herbs of extremely cold attribute. It is an extremely valuable pill..."

The content of the book was verified by the Library of Heaven's Path, so Zhang Xuan was certain that the pill was useful for the awakening of the Pure Yin Body. However, it wasn’t long before another dilemma struck him.

There were no 4-star apothecaries in Tianwu Kingdom, and naturally, there were no grade-4 pills either. Thus, the only way to obtain the pill was to purchase it from the headquarter.

Moreover, it was highly probable that it would take several days for the pill to be delivered here, just like when Zhang Xuan ordered the Unravel Yin Pill from Tianxuan Kingdom. However, Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing's duel was in three days' time. It was impossible for the pill to arrive in time.

More importantly... A grade-3 pill was already sufficient to send him into bankruptcy, a grade-4 pill was bound to be worse. It was probably impossible for Zhang Xuan to afford it.

"If I have the pill formula, I may be able to guide someone to forge it..."

A thought appeared in Zhang Xuan's mind.

He might be incapable of forging pills, but he could guide someone to do so. However, the prerequisite for that was that he had to have the pill formula. Otherwise, given the countless medicinal herbs in the world, he would be dead before he could find the formula for it on his own...

"The pill formula for the Frigid Yin Pill!"

With a flick of his mental consciousness, he swiftly looked through the contents in the Library of Heaven's Path, but soon, his face fell.

Despite the innumerable books in the Tianwu Kingdom's Apothecary Guild, there weren't any books that recorded the formula for this pill.

Nonetheless, it wasn’t long before Zhang Xuan came to a realization.

The Frigid Yin Pill was a grade-4 pill while the most capable apothecary in this guild was a 3-star. Thus, how could such an advanced formula be in the library?

"Without the formula, I'll be unable to forget the pill... What should I do?"

Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella.

After all, he couldn't just help Mu Xueqing and neglect Zhao Ya.

In this case, it wouldn't be a duel, but a one-sided battle.

"Forget it, I'll ask about it later!"

By the time Zhang Xuan walked out of the library, the sky had already darkened.

"Liu laoshi!"

Apothecary Mu rushed forward to greet Zhang Xuan.

The other party was working diligently for the sake of his own daughter, skipping his meals and studying for long hours. This had made him extremely grateful to the other party.

"Apothecary Mu, is there anyone in our guild who possess grade-4 pill formulae?"

Zhang Xuan asked.

Even though there was no grade-4 pill formula in the books in the library, some of the apothecaries might have it in their private stash.

"Grade-4 pill formulae?" Apothecary Mu shook his head. "Our guild doesn't have any pill formula of this level. However, if you wish, it's possible to apply for it from the headquarter!"

"Apply from the headquarter?"

Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly. "Then, wouldn't it take at least half a month before the pill formula arrives?"

He knew that the headquarter would surely have the pill formula, but the travel time, to and fro, from the closest Conferred Kingdom, Xuanyuan Kingdom, to Tianwu Kingdom, was at least half a month. Even if he were to apply for it right now, it would be impossible for the pill formula to arrive on time.

"Half a month? There's no need for that! If it's a pill, a tangible object, it'll have to take at least half a month... However, the pill formula will appear on the Wall of Pill Formulae straight!" Apothecary Mu smiled.

"Wall of Pill Formulae?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

"Indeed. Similar to the Wall of Dilemma of the Physician Guild, the Wall of Pill Formulae is connected to the headquarter. Through the Wall of Pill Formulae, apothecaries who have reached a certain rank can pay a price to request for a pill formula which grade isn't too far beyond their rank or knowledge!"

Apothecary Mu explained.

"Oh!"

Upon hearing the name, Zhang Xuan immediately looked up related information among the books in the Library of Heaven's Path.

Just like what the other party said, the Wall of Pill Formulae was similar to the Wall of Dilemma in the Physician Guild. It was connected to the headquarter and as long as one was able to pay the price, one could request for a pill formula or information from the headquarter.

However, to make use of the Wall of Pill Formulae, one must at least reach the level of a 3-star apothecary.

Apothecary Mu was only at 2-star pinnacle, so he didn't have the right to use the Wall of Pill Formulae.

"If that’s the case, do I have to take the 3-star apothecary examination?"

Zhang Xuan hesitated.

He wasn't too worried about taking the apothecary examination, but everyone knew that Zhang shi's pill forging was incredible and he would surely attract the suspicion of others if he were to do so.

"How many 3-star apothecaries are there in the guild?"

Zhang Xuan asked.

"Initially, our guild leader was the only 3-star apothecary. However, some time back, Apothecary Hong Yun managed to achieve a breakthrough and became a 3-star apothecary as well. The others are all 2-star pinnacle just like me, a step away from reaching 3-star. Thus... only the two of them have the qualifications to make a request on the Wall of Pill Formulae."

At this, Apothecary Mu glanced at Zhang Xuan doubtfully. "Does Liu laoshi require a grade-4 pill formula? However... even if we were to obtain the pill formula, it will be for naught if we can't forge it!"

"Apothecary Hong Yun? Where is he? Bring me to him!"

Upon hearing Apothecary Hong Yun's name, Zhang Xuan's eyes immediately lit up.

This fellow was the arrogant fellow who delivered the Unravel Yin Pill to him back in Tianxuan Kingdom. They had also met while he was the taking the master teacher examination.

Upon Apothecary Mu's reminder, he suddenly recalled that the latter had indeed reached the level of a 3-star apothecary.

Since he was able to make a request on the Wall of Pill Formulae, Zhang Xuan could totally engage his help. This way, he could avoid taking the 3-star apothecary examination, as well as attracting unneeded trouble.