Chapter 710

Chapter 710: Heaven and Earth Indifference

After leaving the Hidden Valley, Lolan Hill flew westward, accompanied by two birds, Dai Ju and Blue Raven.

Peaks over three thousand meters high reached the clouds. When Lolan Hill flew westward, she had to bypass the main peak of Yama Mountain and turn to the other side.

From high above, the view below was jagged rocks and dark earth. However, due to the high altitude, a thin layer of clouds obscured the view, making the scenery less harsh and somewhat hazy.

Thus, for most of the day, one person and two birds flew through the sky. By late afternoon, they finally passed through the towering Yama Mountains and arrived at the other side, close to the Mu Shanzhou region.

Lolan Hill’s figure plunged into the cloud layer, with misty water vapor circling her body, slightly dampening her hem. But soon, she emerged again, continuing to descend.

Gusts of wind blew her clothes, causing them to flutter, and the moisture on her body quickly evaporated, bringing a refreshing sensation.

Soon after, Lolan Hill slowly landed in front of a small valley, stepping onto the iron-red gravel ground.

The air here was very dry, devoid of moisture. The ground beneath her feet was also shallow red rock, layered like a tiered cake, presenting varying shades of red.

As Lolan Hill entered the valley, there seemed to be nothing unusual in her field of vision. The surroundings were steep cliffs, but as she turned a few bends, the light gradually dimmed, as if slowly walking into the night. After turning another bend, a different scene appeared in this shadow-covered valley.

Dozens of long ropes hung purple lanterns in the valley, and now these lanterns still burned with unknown flames, emitting the power of the Necromancer Sequence.

Finally, Lolan Hill saw several large words written in violet on the cliff wall.

[Condensed Purple Night Illumination Palace]

Upon seeing these words, she was about to enter the valley when a semi-transparent barrier blocked her path.

This barrier wasn’t thick, but it flowed with the power of the Necromancer Sequence according to some pattern, giving off a cold, cutting sensation. Lolan Hill didn’t rush in directly but carefully perceived it.

This barrier had two layers; the outer layer was resilient, used to isolate interference, while the inner layer surged with bone-chilling cold, having a strong killing effect on souls. If she forcefully broke through, it might harm her soul.

It seemed there was considerable danger here. But since she was seeking help, she couldn’t just break the barrier and rush in.

After a moment of hesitation, Lolan Hill stepped back a few steps, creating some distance between her and the barrier. Soon after, a ghostly blue flame ball formed in her hand.

Air currents gathered from all directions, bringing the Nine Nether Magic of this region. Compared to other sequences, skills of the Necromancer Sequence were enhanced in the Dusk Mountains.

The necromantic magic from the desolate wilderness continuously drifted in with the wind, swirling into the center of the flame ball like a vortex, causing strong winds that scattered stones and made the lanterns sway in the air.

As this flame ball grew increasingly intense, the surrounding space seemed to darken, with only this fire becoming the sole sound and light, at the center of everything.

Lolan Hill’s hood fell, and her silver hair danced in the air. Her porcelain-like face was now faintly bathed in ghostly blue, illuminated by the surging flame ball in her palm.

Her body swayed like a reflection on water, then slowly drifted toward the barrier.

The flame ball gently pressed against the barrier, and the powerful vortex of magic instantly engulfed the barrier, causing ripples on its surface. The magic on the barrier was gradually stirred by the flame ball, sucked in like a whale drinking water.

The hidden patterns on the barrier thus brightened, displaying intricate patterns of bright purple. But soon, these bright purple patterns were torn apart and swept into the flame ball, disappearing completely.

In the end, the entire barrier dissipated abruptly, dissolving in the air. Lolan Hill continued forward, carrying the intense ghostly blue flame ball, to see what was inside.

Originally, her plan was to destabilize the barrier and awaken the people of the Night Illumination Palace, but no one stopped her until the end. This made her suspect something must have happened within the Night Illumination Palace’s base.

Although this place wasn’t the main stronghold or faction of the Night Illumination Palace, it was still a significant point, which shouldn’t be unguarded.

After entering, a beautiful palace filled with delicate pavilions appeared before Lolan Hill, mostly in white and purple tones, quite elegant and beautiful. But there was no one inside.

She paused slightly, hovering in mid-air to carefully perceive and search, with a pale blue ghostly wind sweeping through every corner of the valley.

Finally, the girl with fluttering clothes slowly landed on the ground. The intense flame ball by her side gradually solidified into a crystal-clear lantern, enveloping it and filtering out the overly intense light, making it softer and emitting a gentle purple glow like a lantern.

Holding the lantern, Lolan Hill lightly stepped through the pavilions, heading towards the buildings.

Deep inside they went.

It didn’t seem like they had hastily retreated; the facilities here were well preserved, and there was nothing valuable left behind.

Lolan Hill walked around, taking in her surroundings, and headed towards a concealed corner she sensed.

Through numerous corridors, she entered a remote building, then descended into its underground cellar, finally stopping in a dim and damp underground cavern.

This place was deep underground, with no light penetrating, very dark. The lantern in the young lady’s hand was now the only source of light.

Her pupils glimmered with a faint blue radiance as she turned to one corner, where shadows lingered behind the stalactites.

“You can come out now; I’ve already seen you,” the young lady’s clear voice broke the silence, but the environment remained unchanged.

Still motionless? The young lady looked at the ghostly figure hiding in the shadows, extending her empty left hand. Several blue dots appeared at her fingertips, and as she waved them, they outlined a semi-transparent grid formed by threads.

The blue grid flew forward, suddenly grabbing, and enveloping that ghost before pulling it out.

Seeing itself caught, the ghost struggled violently but couldn’t break free from the young lady’s grid. Exhausted, it curled into a ball, no longer moving, seemingly waiting for death.

“Sigh, actually, I’m not here to kill you. I just want to understand the situation. Where have the Palace of Night Shadow disciples gone?” Lolan Hill looked at this ghost, patiently explaining and conveying her intentions.

After a while, the ghost’s ball gradually loosened, slowly examining this young lady. After a long look, it finally began to respond.

“Y-you are a disciple sent by the main sect?” The emotions within the ghost were unstable, still carrying fear and trembling.

“Main sect? You mean the headquarters of the Palace of Night Shadow? No, I’m not. I come from the Scarlet Feather Sect,” the young lady thought for a moment before taking out a yellowish token from her waist.

Seeing this token, the spirit reacted.

“Unbelievable, to see a disciple from the Scarlet Feather Sect’s headquarters,” his voice was filled with shock and joy.

“Please quickly report to the headquarters of the Palace of Night Shadow. No, go to the Scarlet Feather Sect instead. Uncle Crane Feather has betrayed the Palace of Night Shadow. He plans to break the ancient seal and enter the fragmented Celestial Realm of the Yama Palace, searching for an immortal evil art.”

This spirit seemed very agitated, its spiritual flame suddenly intensifying.

“Speak slowly, don’t rush. What exactly happened here?” Lolan Hill was puzzled.

“There’s no time to explain. Use your Spirit Search Technique to look into my memories,” this ghost transformed into a blurry figure in the air.

“But such a secret technique will cause significant damage to the spirit,” and this damage might be irreversible, the young lady finished in her heart.

Actually, during the Mercury Dynasty era, many necromancers used this method to search for enemy intelligence, but the images were often disjointed and fragmented, requiring much time to piece together and understand, not very efficient. If enemies were cautious, they would even erase their spirits to avoid being desecrated by necromancers.

“I know, but I’ll cooperate with you. This way, the damage will be less severe, and I can also witness key moments,” the ghost swayed in the air.

“Alright.” Lolan Hill wasn’t worried about deceit. Firstly, she was strong enough herself, and secondly, as one of the four primordial beings, she doubted there were any spirits more resilient than hers.

Several blue dots traced trajectories in the air and converged at her fingertips, pressing onto the spirit. Some information and scenes began to transfer over.

Four years ago, at the Palace of Night Shadow’s base.

The Immortal Terrace was not empty; nearly a thousand disciples gathered there. They all wore purple and white robes, carried jade pendants, and held precious swords, standing inside the largest building in the valley. At this moment, these disciples clearly split into two groups.

“Huailing, what brings you here today?” The one leading asked, holding a sword as purple as jade, looking at the person before him.

The person called Huailing held a fan whose feathers were white like jade at the root, black in the middle, and pale purple at the tip, seemingly an extraordinary artifact.

“I just wanted to advise Jade Sword Senior Brother. That’s all,” he smiled warmly.

“Heh, does advising require so many people? Or are you already aligned with Huailing?” This Jade Sword Senior Brother slowly scanned the others present, noticing that Huailing’s side had more disciples than his own.

Looking at this vigilant Jade Sword Senior Brother, True Master Huailing showed a helpless expression and sighed, “Jade Sword Senior Brother surely doesn’t understand.”

True Master Huailing looked up at the lantern-lit roof.

“What it means to be less talented—”

“Since we joined the sect, Jade Sword Senior Brother has always been a shining star, adored by teachers and senior sisters alike. I could only watch from afar, quietly practicing, hoping to catch up with you.”

“But talent is such that, despite putting in the same effort, even a hundredfold more than yours, I still could only watch.

“You gradually rise to higher ranks, while I remain stagnant.”

  ”The pain and despair that you must not have experienced, Senior Brother Jade Sword,” his words grew heavier, and the surroundings slowly fell into silence.

  ”Then do you want me to pity you?” Jade Sword’s expression did not change. He had not gone through such troubles, so he could not empathize.

  ”No, no, there’s no need for Senior Brother to pity me,” Crane Feather shook his head.

  ”If Senior Brother were to pity me because of this, I would feel insulted instead. So, on this point, I don’t hate Senior Brother Jade Sword.”

  ”But, I want you to know that not everyone is as fortunate as you. There are many people who suffer greatly. Take the Chi Clan in the Yama Mountains for example; sometimes, I feel much luckier than them.”

  ”So, you can’t understand the humiliation and suffering of those struggling at the bottom.”

  ”The masters and uncles often praise your intelligence and diligence. For the former, I can’t argue, but for the latter, I disagree.”

  ”Are you really more diligent than the other disciples? Probably not. It’s just that resources are tilted towards you, plus your natural talent is indeed better.”

  ”But is it reasonable for someone with good talent to receive so much resource support? What contributions have you made to the sect?”

  ”I’ve been suppressing this for a long time, and today, I finally have the chance to say it.” The feather fan in Immortal Crane Feather’s hand gradually stopped.

  ”Why should all the good things go to you first? Are ordinary talents not worthy of cultivation or even living?”

  ”Why can you easily negate someone’s future? Must the best talent always win?”

  ”The answer is probably not.”

  ”I admit that talent does matter, but to judge one’s entire life based on it is a great insult.” As he spoke, Crane Feather’s voice seemed to choke up, and his eyes reddened.

  ”Junior Brother Crane Feather,” looking at the current Crane Feather, Jade Sword’s words were filled with complexity and sighs.

  Indeed, the masters often favored himself and a few talented senior brothers, while Crane Feather rarely received guidance from the masters and uncles.

  ”Luckily, after this change in the world, everyone has fallen to the same level.” Crane Feather looked at Jade Sword again.

  ”Do you know how happy I was when I saw you, Master, and uncles fall to my level? Hahaha.”

  ”It’s truly wonderful, indescribably wonderful, hahaha.”

  ”I never thanked the heavens and earth as much as I did that day. This is a golden opportunity for me. If I miss it, I might never forgive myself.”

  ”So, this time, I want to do something different.” His voice softened.

  ”The Chi Kingdom was once a powerful nation that vied with the Dynasty. At its peak, the Yama Palace, the only major sect, had up to nine heavenly ascended immortals visiting at times.”

  ”To strengthen their power, they invented many secret techniques, including a hidden realm that could greatly accelerate cultivation speed, allowing even ordinary people to advance to higher ranks.”

  ”In the great battle back then, this hidden realm shattered, and the overflowing netherworld magic polluted the Sunset Mountains, leading to today’s situation.”

  ”But since demonic energy continues to seep from underground, it means the hidden realm still exists. The demonic beasts in the mountain crevices are born from it.”

  ”Otherwise, it wouldn’t explain their origin or why their strength increases so rapidly.”

  ”So, do you want to break the seal and enter that hidden realm?” Jade Sword looked at Crane Feather, lifting his sword again.

  ”Yes,” Crane Feather nodded, continuing.

  ”I know the sect won’t agree, and you won’t approve either, because there’s significant risk involved. One misstep could invite punishment from the Dynasty.”

  ”But you should also know that our generation of disciples doesn’t have much time left. If we can’t reach high ranks within eight years, we might perish along the way.”

  ”I won’t sit idly by and wait for death. I believe these disciples behind me think the same.” He slowly looked at Jade Sword, a sinister smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

  ”So, will you join us, Senior Brother Jade Sword?”

  ”What a cowardly and selfish act, ha ha.” Jade Sword pressed his finger against the sword, and patterns of light appeared on the blade.

  ”Do you know how many lives will be lost for your personal desires? The white brows raised slightly, showing a stern and questioning look.

  ”Heaven and earth are indifferent, treating all creatures as mere paper animals, thus viewing them equally.”

  ”But I am not heaven and earth; I value my own spirit above all else. To me, external things are no different from chickens and dogs.”

  ”If someone tries to stop me from achieving immortality, then I will have to eliminate them ruthlessly.”

  Crane Feather’s feather fan surged with purple light, and the disciples supporting him drew their swords, aiming them at their fellow sect members.

  How invigorating false doctrines can be =.=

  (End of Chapter)