High Martial Arts Era

Chapter 790 Demon Heart Lake! Billionaire Powerhouse (5K)

Despite the constant disturbances from the outside world, Li Yuan paid little attention to them and continued to travel at high speed with Lord Qing Qi without encountering any further obstacles.

In just over a day, we arrived outside Demon Heart Lake.

With a whoosh, Li Yuan and Qing Qi passed through the waters, and the surrounding water flow disappeared. The two entered a void.

"The water flow of the Ancient Ruins Sea has been cut off?" Li Yuan's gaze swept across the area.

"Heart Source, look, that is the Demon Heart Lake." Sovereign Qingqi slowed down and pointed to the distant void.

"Demon Heart Lake?" Li Yuan stood in the void and looked into the distance.

According to the information Li Yuan had, the Ancient Ruins Sea was originally like an endless ocean with an unmeasurable body of water, and no one could say for sure where the Ancient Ruins Sea ended.

After all, the legendary 'Eternal Road' is located in the deepest part of the Ancient Ruins Sea, a place full of dangers, where countless supreme beings throughout history have ventured deep and never returned.

But at this moment, the endless flow of water in the Ancient Ruins Sea was faintly hindered by an invisible force, forming a huge void here. If observed from a higher dimension, this void is like a huge hollow sphere... and in the center of this void, a huge lake is suspended.

The lake water is black and flows mightily. It is not very vast, and compared with the ancient Ruins Sea, it is like a wave in an endless ocean.

However, the aura it exudes is incredibly vast, and the sense of oppression it brings is extremely strong.

"The call from my soul is deep within this Demon Heart Lake," Li Yuan thought to himself.

Since arriving at the Ancient Ruins of the Long River, he has felt an invisible pressure enveloping his heart, giving him a great sense of danger, a situation that other powerful individuals have never encountered.

In addition, Li Yuan had been sensing that something deep within the ancient ruins of Changhe was calling to him.

The cause of the invisible pressure that brings a sense of danger has yet to be found.

But at least, Li Yuan has arrived at the source of the summoning feeling.

"Islands?" Li Yuan could vaguely see islands emerging in the vast, black lake, appearing and disappearing under the impact of the water.

Moreover, there seem to be quite a few powerful figures on the island.

"Ah."

"To be more precise, it's a reef." Sovereign Qingqi said solemnly, "The waters of Demon Heart Lake are extremely dangerous. They naturally contain the power of the Void Realm, which will continuously generate illusions to confuse cultivators. The longer you stay in the lake, the more terrifying the illusions you will encounter."

"Even a ruler, if he dares to go deep into the lake, will eventually get lost and even perish completely due to the collapse of his consciousness."

"Demon Heart Lake got its name from this."

"On the other hand, in the Demon Heart Lake, there are also many special life forms called 'Demon Spirits.' They are integrated with the lake water, have extremely low intelligence, and basically only have the instinct to kill, but their strength is extremely terrifying..."

“Only the numerous reefs are relatively safe. There is no lake water on the reefs, and the demons will not set foot on the reefs most of the time,” said Sovereign Qingqi.

Li Yuan listened attentively from the side.

He had known about these things before, but there is a difference between intelligence and seeing it with his own eyes.

"To enter the depths of Demon Heart Lake, one must continue along the reefs until reaching Myriad Hearts Island," Lord Qingqi continued. "Beyond Myriad Hearts Island lies the true core of Demon Heart Lake—the Eternal Divine Palace! The legendary holy weapon."

Li Yuan's eyes brightened slightly. He had come to the Ancient Ruins of the Long River for the Eternal Divine Palace.

"Let's go. With our strength, we can ignore most of the dangers of Demon Heart Lake. We can quickly reach Ten Thousand Hearts Island," said Sovereign Qingqi with a smile.

"Okay." Li Yuan nodded.

The two great dangers of Demon Heart Lake, like the 'illusory realm' contained within the lake, actually pose little threat to those who have opened the path of the Heart Artifact.

As for the demon spirits? One of them is a true ruler, and the other has combat power close to that of a ruler. Unless there is an overwhelming gathering of demon spirits, they can be ignored.

This is strength!
So-called dangerous places and predicaments are all like flat ground for those with great strength.

Whoosh! Whoosh! The two transformed into streaks of light, traversing the void, and soon arrived at the edge of Demon Heart Lake.

……

On a huge, dark red reef, the lake water kept crashing against the rocky shore, and dozens of low-level quasi-saints were squatting on the reef.

They all stared at the black lake water.

"Demon Heart Lake is rich in many special treasures. Some can help you comprehend the Dao of Heart Artifacts, some can be forged into Emperor Weapons of the Dao of Heart Artifacts, and some can quickly heal soul injuries... As long as you wait here, the lake water will occasionally wash some rare treasures ashore." These low-level Quasi-Saints all thought this.

They are guarding this place, naturally for the treasure.

For the lower-level Quasi-Saints, their strength was too weak to venture deep into the waters of Demon Heart Lake to search for treasures, so they could only resort to a clumsy method—waiting!

As long as they wait long enough, they will eventually reap some rewards... Moreover, for them, if they can obtain just one item every tens of thousands of years, which amounts to tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of Eternal Crystals, it will be worth it.

suddenly.

"Boom!" "Boom!" Two incredibly terrifying auras descended, then swept across the heavens and earth. The invisible power generated by their astonishing speed stirred up towering waves in the Demon Heart Lake, and the surging water swept towards the many low-level quasi-saints on the reef.

"Rewind."

"Don't get involved." The expressions of many low-level Quasi-Saints changed, and they dared not be careless.

Although they wouldn't perish from touching the lake water, no one could guarantee whether the lake water contained demonic spirits, so they naturally retreated and went to the high places on the reef.

They couldn't help but look up at the sky.

"Who is it? Such a powerful aura."

"They didn't even land on the reefs, but dared to go directly along the reef route."

"The reefs are blocked by an invisible force from the lake water. They are moving through the air... In reality, they are also moving through the Demon Heart Lake, which is very dangerous."

"Truly confident. Even ordinary Emperor Realm cultivators wouldn't dare to do this." The many low-level Quasi-Saints exchanged glances, gazing at the two figures in the distance with eyes full of awe.

complain?
In their view, such a super strong person should act recklessly... In the world of cultivators, strength has the right to speak.

The fact that the other party didn't kill them all or plunder their treasures in one move is a testament to their kindness.

"One of them is an Emperor Realm cultivator! The other is just a low-level Quasi-Saint? Such a powerful aura, yet he's only a low-level Quasi-Saint?"

"How can it be!"

"It seems to be a Quasi-Saint of the Heart Source. Judging by the time... he and Lord Qingqi came from the Three Flames Mountain, so they should have arrived at the Demon Heart Lake by now."

"So they came to Demon Heart Lake."

"He is the Quasi-Saint of the Heart Source? It is said that his combat power is close to that of a Dominator."

"Everyone is saying that he is the first God-King in the history of the universe." Many low-level Quasi-Saints sighed inwardly, their hearts filled with admiration.

That's right!

Most low-level Quasi-Saints admired, and even worshipped, Li Yuan, who was able to rival the Sovereigns despite being a fellow low-level Quasi-Saint.

"Quickly, spread the word!"

"Correct!"

"How important is the whereabouts of the Quasi-Saint of Heart Source?" This group of low-level Quasi-Saints immediately relayed the news of Li Yuan's appearance at Demon Heart Lake to their own major forces.

The battle of Sanyan Mountain had just ended, and Li Yuan was riding high. His whereabouts were indeed of great concern to all the major powers in the universe.

soon.

As Li Yuan and Qing Qi crossed the reefs, it should be noted that there were many powerful figures on each reef, including even Emperor Realm experts... The news of Li Yuan's arrival at Demon Heart Lake spread rapidly and became known to countless powerful figures.

Soon after.

Li Yuan and Qing Qi, the rulers, had already crossed hundreds of reefs and arrived at 'Ten Thousand Hearts Island' deep in the Demon Heart Lake. It was called an island only because its area was extremely large, thousands of times larger than ordinary reefs... and the number of powerful figures gathered here was also the largest.

“So many people.” Li Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly. Looking around, he estimated that there were probably tens of thousands of people scattered across the island.

Most of them are low-level Quasi-Saints.

However, there are also hundreds of Emperor-level experts... It is very rare for so many powerful individuals to gather in one ancient ruin.

"It's the Quasi-Saint of Heart Source. The stunningly beautiful woman beside him should be the Ruler Qingqi."

"dominate?"

"The aura of the Quasi-Saint of the Heart Source is truly extraordinary. Even I, a dignified Emperor Realm cultivator, feel far inferior to him." Many cultivators on the island gazed at him from afar. Although some retreated, no one fled.

After all, these powerful figures had no enmity with Li Yuan or Qing Qi, the ruler.

Among those who venture into the universe and various eternal ruins, conflicts between powerful individuals from different factions are extremely rare unless there are grudges or conflicts of interest.

Those who have cultivated to such a level are now extremely rare, possessing only a thirst for killing.

Most powerful people kill with a purpose; aimless killing will only bring them more trouble.

Whoosh!
A streak of purple light flashed through the void and swiftly arrived before Li Yuan and Sovereign Qing Qi. When the figure solidified, it was a slender figure dressed in purple robes. He smiled and respectfully bowed, saying, "Greetings, Alliance Leader. Greetings, Sovereign Qing Qi."

"Who are you?" A hint of doubt flashed in Qingqi's eyes. Judging from the aura emanating from the other party, was he just an ordinary Emperor Realm cultivator?
"You'an God Emperor?" A smile appeared on Li Yuan's lips.

You'an God Emperor is a god emperor in the Dream Universe.

He did not establish a divine court, but only occupied dozens of star regions in the Heart Dream Universe as his territory. He kept a low profile, so there were few powerful people in the universe who knew about him.

Back in his home universe, the thirteen God Emperors led by the Starry Sky God Emperor were the first to pledge allegiance to him.

There was no You'an God Emperor among them, and Li Yuan thought that You'an God Emperor was unwilling to submit... Later, You'an God Emperor took the initiative to submit, and Li Yuan learned the reason. He and Starry Sky God Emperor had always had a grudge.

Most likely, the Starry Sky God Emperor deliberately didn't invite him.

However, Li Yuan did not consult the Starry Sky God Emperor. Instead, he directly accepted the You'an God Emperor and comforted him, telling him not to worry.

For Li Yuan.

Whether the God Emperors of his hometown, the Universe Alliance, pledge allegiance to him is not that important... But having already established his power, Li Yuan naturally does not want his Emperor Realm subordinates to be a monolithic entity.

In Li Yuan's view, the conflict between the God Emperor You'an and the God Emperor Xingkong was actually a good thing.

“Senior Qingqi, this is the God Emperor You'an.” Li Yuan smiled and said, “He is also one of my Emperor Realm cultivators, who has been roaming around the Demon Heart Lake area for a long time.”

"Oh?" Sovereign Qingqi nodded slightly, not paying much attention.

To her, an ordinary Emperor Realm cultivator? If it were someone from the same Dark Domain, she might pay a little attention... But someone from another Dark Domain? A cultivator she could kill with a single move, why bother caring too much?

"Today, I just learned of the Alliance Leader and Sovereign Qingqi's heroic feat of slaying Sovereign Lianfu, and now I have the honor of meeting you in person." Emperor You'an was quite humble.

It was even somewhat ingratiating.

"You'an, your true form has been here for a long time," Li Yuan said directly. "What's the current situation on Ten Thousand Hearts Island?"

"Allow me to explain to the Alliance Leader," said Lord You'an. "Demonic Heart Lake has been safe for most of the time because of the continuous emergence of various treasures over the long years, and as long as you stay on the reef, you are safe most of the time."

"Therefore, there have always been a great many powerful individuals gathered here."

"Most of the strong individuals who have stayed here for a long time are here to search for treasure."

Li Yuan nodded slightly and flew along the reefs, where he had already seen a large number of low-level Quasi-Saints and many Emperor-level experts.

It is astonishing that so many powerful individuals could gather in one ancient ruin within the Changhe Ancient Ruins.

“Besides the powerful individuals who have been searching for treasures here for a long time, many powerful individuals who arrive at the Ancient Ruins of the Long River for the first time will choose to make a trip to the Demon Heart Lake... The purpose is to leave their mark in the Demon Heart Heavenly River.” Emperor You’an sighed, “If the ranking is high enough, there is hope to receive a gift directly from the Demon Heart Lake.”

"There is even a chance to gain entry into the Eternal Divine Palace."

"Some super-strong individuals, whose strength has undergone a significant transformation compared to the past... often return to the Demon Heart River." Emperor You'an solemnly stated, "They will leave their soul imprints again to see if their ranking in the Demon Heart River improves!"

"It also depends on whether you are qualified to enter the Eternal Divine Palace."

"The Demon Heart Heavenly River?" Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly.

Among the God-Kings of the Dream Universe, there are many legends about the Ancient Ruins of the Long River. One of them is that "those who leave a mark in a mysterious place in the Ancient Ruins of the Long River prove that they have sufficient strength and potential."

Actually.

This so-called mysterious place is the 'Demon Heart River' on Wanxin Island... and the reason why the Demon Heart River is so famous is...

The key lies in the Eternal Divine Palace.

The Eternal Divine Palace, as a recognized powerful holy weapon, is even more famous than the Hundred Divine Wheels, the Immortal Heavenly Pillar, and so on.

Countless powerful individuals know that the Eternal Divine Palace contains great opportunities, and throughout history, many powerful individuals have benefited from it.

Whether one can enter the Eternal Divine Palace is not determined by strength.

It all depends on whether you can leave a powerful enough mark in the 'Demonic Heart River'... Only by leaving a mark strong enough can you qualify.

“You’an, I’ve come to Demon Heart Lake for the Demon Heart Heavenly River.” Li Yuan said with a smile, “Let’s go, take us there.”

"Haha, okay."

Emperor You'an laughed and said, "When the Alliance Leader first entered the Ancient Ruins of the Long River, I also guessed that the Alliance Leader came here for the Demon Heart Heavenly River. Come this way."

"Senior Qingqi, what about you?" Li Yuan looked at Qingqi, the Overlord.

As agreed, once Lord Qingqi safely delivers Li Yuan to Wanxin Island, he can leave.

“I have already obtained the ‘Myriad Hearts Mark’. As for the highest ‘Demonic Heart Mark’, I don’t even dare to hope to obtain it. Most Supreme Beings can’t even get the Demonic Heart Mark.” Sovereign Qingqi shook his head first, then smiled and said, “But I am very curious.”

"When you first left your mark in the Demon Heart River, what kind of mark will the River give you? Will it directly bestow upon you the Myriad Hearts Mark?" Sovereign Qingqi asked with great interest.

Li Yuan couldn't help but smile.

The Demon Heart River is a treasure gift given to any powerful individual who enters for the first time and successfully leaves their mark; the value of these treasures varies.

However, only when the imprint is strong enough can it condense into the Myriad Heart Imprint, thus qualifying one to enter the Eternal Divine Palace.

As for the Demon Heart Mark? That's extremely difficult.

Li Yuan wasn't sure what kind of mark he would receive, after all, he and the Eternal Divine Palace seemed to have formed a very deep bond.

Ten Thousand Hearts? Or directly obtain the highest level of Demon Heart Imprint?

Quickly!

Led by the God Emperor You'an, the three arrived at the center of Wanxin Island, where the most powerful figures gathered. A large number of Emperor-level experts surrounded the center of Wanxin Island, each occupying a region.

"The Quasi-Saint of Heart Source has arrived."

"He came for the Demon Heart Heavenly River?"

“That makes sense. His cultivation period is so short; this must be his first time visiting the Ancient Ruins of the Long River.” Many powerful Emperor-level experts here have already noticed Li Yuan.

However, most of those present were only ordinary Emperor Realm cultivators, with only a dozen or so at the peak of the Emperor Realm... and not a single Sovereign.

Naturally, none of them dared to approach Li Yuan and Qing Qi, the Sovereign... This was the norm, given how few Sovereigns there were. Unless they had gained some enlightenment in their cultivation and wanted to leave their mark on the Demon Heart River again, under normal circumstances, the Sovereigns would not stay in the Demon Heart Lake.

In fact, it wasn't just the hundred or so Emperor Realm experts at the center of Wanxin Island.

At this moment, Li Yuan and Qing Qi, the Overlords, have become the most watched and powerful figures on the entire Wanxin Island, with everyone paying attention to them.

Those burning gazes... even a weaker expert might find them unbearable!
But Li Yuan and Qing Qi, the rulers, didn't care at all.

Even if tens of thousands of cultivators from Wanxin Island joined forces to attack... Li Yuan and Qingqi the Overlord were confident that they could slaughter them all.

"Alliance Leader, look, that is the Demon Heart Heavenly River." Lord You'an pointed to the center of the island, and Li Yuan looked in that direction.

Above the center of the island, there was a distorted spacetime.

Time and space seem to be fractured!
Despite the seemingly vast emptiness, a mighty black river appeared in a deeper dimension of spacetime. The river surged and roared, appearing somewhat illusory yet giving an endless sense of reality... as if it were not on the same level as the material world.

It was as if... it came from the deepest reaches of space and time.

"It seems somewhat similar to the River of Time." Li Yuan frowned slightly. With his current level of cultivation, he could easily sense the River of Time.

The biggest difference between the Demon Heart River and the River of Time is that its coverage area is not as wide.

"Wow~"

Suddenly, the pitch-black Demon Heart River trembled and churned, with a whooshing sound. Faint shadows appeared in the river's waters.

Densely packed, countless afterimages!
These phantoms seemed to come alive, emanating an aura that was so real... and the sizes of the different phantoms were also completely different.

The deeper Li Yuan observed into the Demon Heart Heavenly River, the larger and more majestic those phantoms became... He even saw many phantoms with familiar auras.

"Tianluo Ruler, Qingqi Ruler".

“Cloud Moon God Emperor, Chaos God Emperor, Master Juexing…” Li Yuan glanced at them and could find the corresponding figures among the countless phantoms of almost every powerful figure he knew.

This means that these powerful individuals have all been to the Demon Heart River.

Of course, Li Yuan did not recognize most of the illusory figures that the Demon Heart Heavenly River truly manifested.

"So many!" Li Yuan looked around and saw the Demon Heart Heavenly River stretching endlessly, with countless illusory images, numbering in the hundreds of millions.

"Endless time!"

"The soul imprints of countless powerful beings born throughout the history of the universe are all here." Emperor You'an sighed and said, "Alliance Leader, look at those who are radiating golden light, they are the ones who have obtained the mark of ten thousand hearts... Deep in the Milky Way, those purple figures are the ones who have obtained the mark of the demon heart."

Li Yuan continued to probe deeper into the Demon Heart River. The deeper he went, the more terrifying the aura of the powerful phantoms emerging from the river became.

The vast majority of them were probably at the Supreme level, and most of them radiated golden light, with only a very few emitting purple light.

"Why didn't I see Senior Xinmeng's illusory mark?" Li Yuan wondered to himself.

(End of this chapter)