Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

Three days later, Fu Shaoping changed into an inconspicuous outfit and altered some details of his appearance (relying on the rudimentary disguise and concealment techniques in the "Netherworld Contract"), and quietly left the "pigeon coop" where he had lived for several months.

He first went to the Xuanji Pavilion and used his merit tokens and some spirit stones to exchange for a mid-grade flying magic weapon called "Azure Leaf Boat" (with decent speed and low energy consumption, suitable for long distances), several second-tier "Earth Escape Talismans" and "Breath Concealment Talismans", a detailed jade slip of the Zhao Kingdom and its surrounding areas (containing some information about the outer perimeter of the Black Wind Gobi), and a fragmented jade slip called "Miscellaneous Records of Ancient Relics in the Borderlands" (which mentioned that there might be traces of ancient "Qiwen Clan" activity in the Black Wind Gobi, but the details were vague).

At Xuanji Pavilion, he did not find out any specific information about the stone hall deep in the Black Wind Gobi or the "Blood Fiend Foundation Building Pill". He only heard that recently, disciples of the Crimson Flame Sect and the Azure Wave Pavilion seemed to be secretly collecting items or information related to ancient contracts and curses, and their actions were more frequent than before.

After leaving the Xuanji Pavilion, Fu Shaoping went to Nanfang City (which was much quieter after the conference). He lingered in the places where he had left his "Netherworld Contract Mark," using his "Contract Identification Technique" to capture any remaining information. One of these places belonged to a broker who had traded with the disheveled old man and seemed to know some of the inside story. Fu Shaoping spent some spirit stones and vaguely learned from an old cultivator with a stall nearby that the broker had apparently taken on a job "finding something in the Gobi Desert" a few days ago and hadn't been seen since.

The clues were fragmented, but they all vaguely pointed to the Black Wind Gobi Desert.

Fu Shaoping didn't delay any longer. He left the south gate of Tianque City, summoned the Azure Leaf Boat, which transformed into an inconspicuous streak of azure light, and sped off towards the south, towards the Black Wind Gobi Desert.

The hustle and bustle of Tianque City, along with the glory of the Ascension Assembly and the honor of the minor competition, were all left behind by him. Ahead lay a wider and more dangerous world.

The green-leaf boat glided beneath the clouds, the landscape below gradually becoming desolate. Fu Shaoping sat cross-legged in the boat, his hands caressing the cold, black iron piece. In his sea of ​​consciousness, the golden runes of the "True Explanation of the Mysterious Contract," the dark light of the "Book of the Netherworld Contract," the phantom of the tortoise shell that blotted out the sky, the curse fragments of the gray jade slip, and the ancient, desolate battlefield contract intent within the iron piece seemed to resonate and intertwine in some subtle way.

His path, due to these many opportunities and secrets, has deviated from the trajectory of ordinary rogue cultivators, heading towards a unique path that integrates the ancient covenant and is full of unknowns and challenges.

The Black Wind Gobi Desert will be a new starting point on this road.

The Azure Leaf Boat flew continuously for seven days. The landscape below gradually changed from hills and plains to barren Gobi desert, with sparse vegetation, howling winds whipping up yellow sand, and a hazy yellow hue filling the sky and earth. The air was dry and scorching, and the spiritual energy had become thin and volatile.

Fu Shaoping checked the map and jade slip to confirm that he had entered the outer area of ​​the Black Wind Gobi Desert. He reduced his flight altitude and speed, carefully avoiding several "small gale zones" and "quicksand monster lairs" marked on the map.

The Black Wind Gobi Desert is vast, stretching tens of thousands of miles in depth. The outer hundreds of miles are relatively safe, frequented by low-level cultivators and mortal caravans searching for special Gobi ores, drought-resistant herbs, or hunting low-level sand beasts. But deeper inside, the environment deteriorates drastically, with frequent black sandstorms. These storms are mixed with chaotic spiritual energy currents and fragments of spatial rifts, and are also fraught with ancient, incomplete restrictions, bizarre creatures, and the danger of losing one's way. Legend has it that the core area is even home to terrifying beings comparable to those at the Nascent Soul stage.

Fu Shaoping's goal was not the core of the Gobi Desert, but rather to find clues related to the "Qiwen Clan" or ancient contract relics based on the vague images in the gray jade slip and the fragmentary information in "Miscellaneous Records of Ancient Relics in the Borderlands". These kinds of relics are usually not located in the deepest part, but rather in the boundary area between the outer perimeter and the depths, relying on certain special terrain or residual protective formations.

He put away the Azure Leaf Boat and switched to stealth movement close to the ground, using his Lightness Technique. At the same time, he extended the perception of his "Identification Technique" to its maximum range, remaining vigilant about everything around him. His soul power, tempered by the Netherfire and continuously used during the Ascension Assembly, had become more solid and sensitive, allowing him to detect energy flows, malicious auras, and even faint abnormal fluctuations in the earth's veins.

After traveling for most of the day, apart from a few low-level "sand scorpions" lurking under the gravel and a sudden gust of hot wind, they found nothing else. As darkness fell, the Gobi Desert nights grew bitterly cold and were often haunted by ghostly spirits. Fu Shaoping found a sheltered recess in the rock face, set up a simple warning and concealment array, and prepared to rest.

He took out the black iron piece and continued to nurture and sense it with his soul power. As the contact deepened, the ancient and desolate battlefield contract intent within the iron piece resonated more and more clearly with the inheritance of the "Netherworld Contract Book" in his sea of ​​consciousness. He could even vaguely discern several core runes that appeared repeatedly among the incomplete engravings, representing the meanings of "binding," "oath," "punishment," and "battlefield."

"This seems to be a 'military oath' on some kind of standard equipment?" Fu Shaoping pondered. Could the ancient Xuanqi Sect still have a well-organized "contractual warrior" legion? Did they use the power of contracts to bind their comrades, enhance their combat strength, and punish traitors? This piece of iron might be a fragment of a warrior's armor or weapon, bearing witness to the carnage of the battlefield and the lingering power of the sect's oath.

If one can decipher these "military oaths," one might be able to master a unique method of spiritual deterrence or group discipline.

Just as he was immersed in his contemplation, the warning array emitted an extremely faint fluctuation—not from an approaching creature, but from some kind of special energy disturbance, coming from the northwest, about ten miles away.

Fu Shaoping immediately concealed his aura and cautiously probed with his divine sense. With the blessing of the "Contract Identification Technique", he "saw" that the flow of spiritual energy in the earth veins there was somewhat abnormal, faintly forming a weak vortex. At the center of the vortex, there seemed to be an extremely faint aura of curse contract similar to that in the gray jade slip, but it was quickly covered by the chaotic spiritual energy of the Gobi Desert.

"Something's strange!" Fu Shaoping's spirits lifted. He noted down the directions and decided to investigate after dawn.

The following morning, Fu Shaoping concealed all his presence and approached the location he had sensed the previous night as silently as a sand fox. It was a relatively flat Gobi desert, covered with black gravel, with a few withered poplars standing crookedly, seemingly unremarkable.

But the "Contract Identification Technique" told him that deep below, there were faint remnants of an array, and a trace of a nearly vanished contract mark. He searched carefully and finally found a half-buried stone slab engraved with blurry, distorted runes under an inconspicuous pile of gravel. The style of the runes was five or six parts similar to the contract runes on the gray jade slip and the black iron plate, but it was rougher and more archaic, and full of an unstable, curse-like meaning that seemed ready to explode at any moment.

"Is this... a damaged directional teleportation array? Or the exit marker of a sealing array?" Fu Shaoping carefully examined the sand around the stone slab and found extremely subtle traces of human repair, but most of it had been worn away by the wind and sand.

He attempted to inject a wisp of soul power in the reverse direction of the runes on the stone slab. The stone slab trembled slightly, and an extremely dim halo appeared on its surface, pointing northeast. The halo lasted for several breaths before dissipating.

Northeast? Fu Shaoping looked up and saw an even more desolate and profound Gobi Desert in that direction. On the horizon, faint black pillars of wind connected heaven and earth—a harbinger of a black storm. The clue pointed there. But what lay ahead was clearly more dangerous.

Fu Shaoping pondered for a moment, then took out a second-tier "Diamond Talisman" and slapped it on his body. He then checked the Xuan Turtle Shield (which had been slightly repaired, but its power had been greatly reduced) and the Azure Leaf Boat again. He carefully hid the black iron piece on his body, and placed the gray jade slip in the deepest part of his storage bag.

"Fortune favors the bold. Since I'm here, I should at least take a closer look." He made up his mind and cautiously headed northeast.

The deeper they went, the harsher the environment became. The gale-force winds were almost constant, whipping up sand that crackled against their skin, requiring them to use their inner energy to protect themselves. The spiritual energy grew increasingly thin and volatile, difficult to absorb and replenish. Occasionally, they could see enormous, bottomless cracks in the ground, emanating a chilling aura. Some Gobi Desert beasts adapted to the extreme environment began to appear, mostly at the mid-to-late stages of Qi Refining. Fu Shaoping avoided them whenever possible, and swiftly dealt with those he couldn't avoid, trying to minimize the disturbance.

Three days later, he had ventured nearly a thousand miles into the Gobi Desert. This place was considered a dead end by ordinary people, rarely visited by cultivators. The sky was always overcast, with black sandstorms brewing on the horizon. Relying on his "Identification Technique" to perceive the earth's veins and energy flows, Fu Shaoping barely managed to discern directions, avoiding several deadly areas of spiritual energy turbulence and regions suspected of spatial rifts.

Finally, after passing through a stone forest eroded into bizarre shapes by the wind, he sensed a much clearer contract fluctuation and... a faint smell of blood coming from ahead!

He immediately crouched low, maximizing his concealment technique, and climbed up a tall, wind-eroded rock pillar like a gecko, looking toward the source of the fluctuations.

Several miles away, in a relatively low-lying sand valley, stood several dilapidated building ruins constructed of massive black stones! Most of the ruins were buried under yellow sand, with only fragments of broken walls visible. Their style was rugged and ancient, unlike any architecture Fu Shaoping had ever seen in Tianque City. At the center of the ruins was what appeared to be a partially collapsed altar-like stone platform.

And right at the edge of the ruins, a battle is taking place!

On one side were three cultivators, who, judging from their attire, were clearly disciples of the Crimson Flame Sect! Two of them were at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and one was at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining! They were forming a small battle formation to defend against the attack.

Attacking them were not human cultivators, but a dozen bizarrely shaped creatures! These creatures resembled scorpions magnified several times over, formed from black sand and shadows, their bodies swirling with dark red, cursed contract runes—the very creations of the "cursed contract field" that had flashed in the gray jade slip! Each of these "Sand Shadow Scorpions" possessed energy fluctuations ranging from the late stage of Qi Refining to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. They moved swiftly, their pincer attacks carrying a corrosive cursed power. More troublesome was their apparent ability to teleport instantly using the shadows of the sand, appearing and disappearing without a trace!
The three members of the Crimson Flame Sect were clearly engaged in a fierce battle. Although they had temporarily held their ground thanks to their battle formation and superior magical artifacts, their true energy was being greatly depleted, and they were constantly being eroded by the power of the curse, leaving them all looking quite pale. As they fought, they seemed to be trying to move closer to the altar in the center of the ruins.

"The Crimson Flame Sect has indeed found this place!" Fu Shaoping thought with a chill. It seemed that the Crimson Flame Sect's search efforts for the ancient contract ruins far exceeded his expectations. Their purpose in coming here was probably also to find the fragments of the "Netherworld Contract" or other related treasures.

He carefully sensed the surroundings and discovered that the strongest contract fluctuations emanated from the direction of the central altar of the ruins. These fluctuations were mixed with a dense aura of the underworld and the power of curses, which matched the scene described in the gray jade slip even more closely. That place was very likely the entrance to the stone hall recorded in the gray jade slip, where more black jade slips and earthenware blood soul bowls were stored, or rather, the core of that "cursed contract field"!

But to get there, one must either cross that battlefield or go around it.

Fu Shaoping observed the terrain and the two sides in the battle. The three members of the Crimson Flame Sect were entangled by the Sand Shadow Scorpions and had no time to attend to anything else. The terrain around the ruins was complex, with wind-eroded rock pillars standing tall. Perhaps they could use the shadows and "Shadow Step" to sneak past quietly.

As he was pondering, a sudden change occurred!

The leader of the Crimson Flame Sect's Qi Refining Great Perfection disciples flashed a ruthless glint in his eyes. He suddenly summoned a crimson talisman, which spontaneously combusted in the wind, transforming into a giant firebird several meters in size. With temperatures as high as burning mountains and boiling seas, it swooped down on the densest area of ​​the Sand Shadow Scorpions!
"A second-tier, high-grade 'Flame Sparrow Talisman'!" Fu Shaoping recognized the talisman's astonishing power, comparable to a strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stages.

Boom!

The giant firebird exploded, unleashing a blazing wave of fire that instantly engulfed five or six Sand Shadow Scorpions. These cursed creatures let out shrill screams as their bodies melted and disintegrated in the flames, turning into wisps of black smoke. However, the cursed runes remaining in the black smoke did not completely dissipate; instead, they clung to the three members of the Crimson Flame Sect like maggots clinging to their bones!

The three members of the Crimson Flame Sect were prepared, each activating protective spiritual light or magical artifacts to defend themselves, but they were still corroded by the cursed black smoke, their faces paling even more and their auras becoming even weaker. However, a gap was blasted open in the Sand Shadow Scorpion's encirclement.

"Quick! Charge into the altar area! There are remnants of protective formations there; these ghostly things won't dare approach easily!" roared the Qi Refining Grand Perfection disciple, who took the lead and rushed towards the altar. The other two followed closely behind.

The remaining seven or eight Sand Shadow Scorpions hissed angrily and pursued relentlessly, but they seemed genuinely wary of the altar area. As they approached a circle of broken stone pillars surrounding the altar, their speed noticeably slowed and their attacks became hesitant.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the three members of the Crimson Flame Sect rushed into the circle of stone pillars, leaning against the half-collapsed altar, panting as they swallowed pills. The Sand Shadow Scorpions lingered and roared outside the circle of stone pillars, but dared not cross the line.

opportunity!

Fu Shaoping noticed that the three members of the Crimson Flame Sect were focused on the Sand Shadow Scorpion and his own recovery. However, a blind spot was created by several massive, toppled stone pillars and sand dunes on the side of the altar area. He immediately slid down a pillar, maximizing his Concealment Technique, and used the "Shadow Step" to become a true shadow, skimming the ground and using the cover of the wind-eroded pillars and sand dunes to rapidly approach the side of the altar. (End of Chapter)