Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 82 Returning to the Southern Region

With the five factions wiped out, Li Yao was not worried about causing trouble and attracting the attention of the Ruthless Clan.

Small sects like the Li Huo Sect, Qingxia Sect, and Xuan Yue Cave can be considered the lowest level sects in the Northern Region. Above them are medium-sized sects, large sects, super powers, holy lands, and so on.

Unless it's a small force in a special region like the edge of a forbidden zone or a garden of divine medicine, which a super sect needs to support as an outpost, it's generally difficult for small forces to have any interaction with them.

The Northern Region is so vast that even for cultivators, it would take several months to fly from one end of the Northern Region to the other.

Some sects are often tens of thousands of miles apart, or even more than a million miles apart, making the journey extremely long.

In such a vast region, powerful forces are naturally well-known, but low-level sects like the Li Huo Sect and Xuan Yue Cave are almost unknown, and only small sects of similar size in the region are familiar with them.

It can be said that one is in the sky and the other is on the ground; they seem to exist in two different worlds.

Therefore, Li Yao was not worried that the turmoil here would attract the attention of the Ruthless Clan. The distance was too great, and the Heavenly Palace in the sky would not pay attention to the ant nest on the ground.

They were even unaware that forces like the Li Huo Sect and the Qingxia Sect existed on the boundless northern land.

Even if he is noticed, it doesn't matter. This time, he used the Douzi Secret to deduce other offensive techniques throughout, so even if someone comes, they won't be able to tell anything.

Li Yao was quite confident about this. The Great Sage-level Six Seals of Immortals and the Great Art of Changing Heaven and Earth had completely concealed his true nature, so even a powerful being in front of him would not be able to detect anything unusual.

Furthermore, the Northern Region is vast and teeming with powerful individuals. Conflicts like this occur frequently in the Northern Region, and it's impossible for them to all think of Li Yao whenever a major battle breaks out.

In fact, Li Yao was simply bitten by a snake after being tricked by the group from the Primordial Ancient Mine.

In the Ruthless Clan, he was already a fallen man. Those powerful figures guarded the Primordial Ancient Mine for ten days, but still did not see him leave the mine. They went straight back to the Demon Embryo and stopped searching for him, treating him as a dead man.

……

"Now that we have the Divine Furnace of Blazing Fire, it's time to set off for the Southern Region."

This trip has temporarily completed the journey through the Northern Regions, and due to an unexpected event, I also made an extra trip to the Primordial Ancient Mine.

As for Zishan, which was just a stone's throw away, Li Yao never intended to go there. Although it was not a forbidden zone, its danger was actually not much less than that of a forbidden zone.

Yes, nothing dangerous happened after Ye Fan went there, but does that mean Zishan is not dangerous?

Jiang Taixu, Yaochi Saintess Yang Yi, and the descendant of Yuan Tianshi—weren't they all experts? But what was their ultimate fate? At least Jiang Taixu, a peak King Realm expert, was trapped for four thousand years; Yaochi Saintess of the Sendai Secret Realm was lost within it; and the descendant of Yuan Tianshi, who was very likely a Yuan Dishi expert, simply vanished.

Purple Mountain is an extremely dangerous place, where too many ancient creatures slumber. Whether something happens to you depends entirely on luck.

Ye Fan was lucky; when he entered, all the ancient creatures were asleep, so he escaped unharmed. But Jiang Taixu and others were less fortunate; they encountered the ancient creatures that had already awakened, and their fates were tragic.

Li Yao didn't want to gamble with his luck. With his current cultivation level, if a powerful expert in Purple Mountain happened to wake up, he would definitely perish inside.

At the very least, he would only consider exploring Purple Mountain if he possessed an ultimate imperial weapon.

“The Beginningless Sutra, wait for me.”

After glancing in the direction of Zishan, Li Yao turned and left. He had long coveted Wushi, but it wasn't worth risking his life for.

To reach the Southern Region, he certainly couldn't rely on his own travel time, because even at his current speed, it would take him several years to arrive.

Li Yao had plenty of time, but he didn't want to waste it, so he planned to go to the Southern Region through the domain gate of a major power.

Five hundred thousand miles to the east, there is a powerful force called the Underworld Palace. There is a domain gate there that any cultivator can use, as long as they provide the source.

This is also one of the major powers' revenue streams. The Domain Gate is activated every one or two days. If a cultivator wants to ride the Domain Gate, they need 100 catties of Source, while the Underworld Palace can earn at least 70 catties of Source.

The Domain Gate can send over a hundred people at a time, and each person can earn seventy catties of source. So, for each trip, the Underworld Palace can earn over seven thousand catties of source.

The combined resources of the five major factions, including the Li Huo Sect and the Qingxia Sect, are still less than the daily revenue of a major faction through its domain gates.

Li Yao walked across the red earth, as always, traveling by day and cultivating at night, showing great self-discipline.

The liver is the organ that stores life force. As this organ becomes stronger, the life force contained within the body also becomes more vigorous.

The most obvious improvement for cultivators at this stage is their greatly increased recovery ability. For cultivators who have opened up the Divine Treasury of the Liver, as long as their heads are not blown off, other injuries will not be fatal.

During his journey, he also placed the Divine Mark Purple Gold Furnace in the Fire Divine Furnace to capture the profound meaning of the Hengyu Scripture, obtaining most of the fragments of the Hengyu Scripture, and then recorded them into the Heavenly Book.

From then on, besides the Western Emperor Scripture, he also used another Imperial Scripture. When his cultivation level is higher in the future, he will be able to use the Heavenly Book to deduce and comprehend the mysteries of the two Imperial Scriptures.

Five hundred thousand miles is a long distance. Li Yao is no longer strolling, but riding the Divine Rainbow to fly at low altitude, covering at least tens of thousands of miles a day.

In just over ten days, he traversed multiple oases and arrived at Jade Continent, where the Underworld Palace was located.

As a major power in the Northern Region, the oasis where the Underworld Palace is located is very large, covering an area of ​​30,000 li, and ranks among the top dozens of oases in the Northern Region.

Yuzhou is unlike the landscape of the northern regions. It is lush and green, full of vitality, with towering mountains, endless plains, and vast stretches of ancient trees reaching for the sky.

The terrain here is very suitable for survival, so the population of Yuzhou is very large, including not only cultivators but also many mortals.

The Underworld Palace is one of the most powerful forces in the Northern Region. They also exploit mortals, but their methods are very gentle; they exploit them through food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

For example, the people living in Yuzhou don't have to worry about bandits robbing them or cultivators killing them at will.

In a place like this, who in the Northern Region wouldn't want to live here?

Living in Yuzhou is extremely difficult. This land belongs to the Underworld Palace. If you want to build a house on this land, you must first buy land from the Underworld Palace and obtain permission before you can start building.

The price of land is very expensive, one jin of resources per square meter. Building a house of about 100 square meters would cost over 100 jin of resources.

Of course, you can also choose to rent it, but you need to pay four ounces of resources per month, which is still a huge amount for ordinary people.

Even so, many mortals still flocked to Yuzhou, because here, at least their lives were guaranteed, and they would not die suddenly.

The ordinary people here, compared to those in the small oases, still live a difficult life, but their faces show hope for the future.

Upon entering Yuzhou, Li Yao's first impression was one of vibrant life, not only in its landscape but also in the wonderful atmosphere it exuded.

In some towns, you can still see ordinary people setting up stalls to sell food, small items, and the like.

Two days later, he arrived at the center of Yuzhou, which is where the Underworld Palace is located.

Li Yao immediately located the domain gate, paid 100 jin of source material there, and received a domain ticket for departure at noon.

The golden crow soared through the sky, arriving at the very center of heaven and earth, casting its scorching light.

"Clang!" "Clang!" "Clang!"...

"The domain gate will open at noon. Those who have purchased domain tickets can now enter the domain gate." A disciple of the Underworld Palace struck a gong to remind everyone.

The huge crowd immediately stood up, lined up in an orderly fashion, and handed their tickets to the disciples of the Underworld Palace for inspection. After the disciples of the Underworld Palace had checked and confirmed that there were no errors, they walked onto the Xuanyu Platform.

Within half a quarter of an hour, the domain gate was crowded with more than a hundred people. Li Yao mingled in the crowd, trying to minimize his presence.

An attendant from the Underworld Palace appeared and, seeing everyone standing inside the domain gate, activated the gate by forming hand seals.

"Boom!"

The Dao patterns on the Xuan Yu Platform lit up, and the source stones buried underground surged with rich essence. A beam of light shot into the sky, tearing open a black hole.

The hundred or so people on the Xuanyu Platform immediately disappeared into the void and began to travel.

The void was absolutely still; there was no passage of time, no light or shadow, only extraordinary silence.

More than a hundred people were moving through the void, their bodies enveloped in a thin layer of seven-colored light.

This layer of seven-colored light is to protect them from being crushed by the void. Otherwise, based on their own cultivation levels, at least 99% of the people present would not be able to survive in the void.

Li Yao looked at the power of the void with some shock. When he first crossed the void through the Xuan Yu Platform, he couldn't sense anything because his cultivation level was too low at that time.

This time, however, Li Yao could clearly sense the power of the void, which was boundless, vast, and contained unparalleled power.

At this moment, if someone were to break through the void and cause it to collapse, Li Yao felt that even if he could withstand it, he would probably be severely injured and on the verge of death.

Soon, a crack appeared in the void, and light burst forth, revealing more than a hundred people on a jade platform.

"Southern Region, I'm back again."

After nearly a year, Li Yao returned to the land of the Southern Region.

In this life, from birth until he joined the Yao Guang Holy Land, he lived in the Southern Region, where the landscape was more suitable for living beings than in the Northern Region.

In the Northern Region, the land is covered in red earth with sparse vegetation. An oasis stretching for thousands of miles is extremely rare in the Northern Region.

However, these things are common in the Southern Region, while they are almost non-existent in deserts and other places.

"Alright, we've arrived in the Southern Region. Come down quickly." At this moment, a disciple of the Underworld Palace urged from below the Xuan Yu Platform. Beside him, there were also more than a hundred people, their eyes filled with excitement, as if they were about to step into a world where resources could be found everywhere.

"I've heard that the Northern Region is teeming with gold and jade. If we go there, we can recoup our investment in no time. If we stay for a year, we can probably collect several hundred catties of ore." The group of people who were about to go to the Northern Region were full of anticipation.

In the Southern Region, many people hear that the Northern Region has abundant resources, so they all hope to go there to make their fortune.

Looking at the excited people, Li Yao silently mourned for them. He knew that when these people actually went to the Northern Region and saw the real land of the Northern Region, they would surely feel as if their beautiful dream had been shattered.

The Northern Region does indeed have abundant mineral resources, but those belong to various holy lands. For ordinary cultivators, the Northern Region is absolutely a godforsaken place.

In comparison, although the cultivation resources in the Southern Region are indeed much fewer than those in the Northern Region, at least it is more suitable for cultivation than many places in the Northern Region.

However, it was a personal choice. Li Yao sighed inwardly for a moment, then forgot about it and began to think about his own affairs.

Currently, he is located in the northern part of the Southern Region, close to the Central Region.

His destination, the Fire Domain of Jin, was located in the center of the Southern Region. It was at least 500,000 to 600,000 li from here to the Fire Domain.

"It's time to embark on another journey." Li Yao sighed inwardly and prepared to set off, but just then, a middle-aged man dressed in blue walked over.

"Fellow Daoist, we do not know where we are going. Would you like to travel together?"

Li Yao glanced at the middle-aged man and found that he was just a cultivator at the Other Shore Realm, so he casually said, "No, I'm used to being alone."

Seeing Li Yao's decisive refusal, the middle-aged man quickly spoke up: "Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but cultivators like us who have returned from the Northern Region are often seen as easy prey by many people. Lonely and isolated cultivators often become targets."

Li Yao was slightly taken aback and turned to look at the cultivators coming down from Xuan Yu Platform. Sure enough, almost all of them were traveling in groups of three or five, or seven or eight people. Very few of them were traveling alone.

That's right. Among the lower-level cultivators in the Southern Region, they always thought that the Northern Region was full of resources and treasures, and that cultivators returning from the Northern Region were easy targets.

Li Yao already understood, but he still didn't intend to travel with anyone, and refused again, saying, "Fellow Daoist, please go find someone else. I'm not used to traveling with others."

With his current cultivation level, why would he be afraid of being robbed? And how high would the cultivation level be for someone who dares to rob him?

Seeing Li Yao leave directly, the middle-aged man shook his head helplessly: "You're young and impetuous. Wait until you go out and get slaughtered like a fat sheep. Then you'll see if you regret it."

The middle-aged man turned back and continued to look for other team members, not intending to leave the territory of the Underworld Palace alone.

On a hot summer day, the sun hangs high in the sky, casting golden rays upon the earth.

The biggest change in the Southern Region compared to the Northern Region is probably the temperature. Although it is still sunny, the temperature in the Southern Region is much lower than that in the Northern Region.

After Li Yao left the territory of the Underworld Palace, his powerful divine sense instantly detected that many eyes were on him from the shadows.

However, after sensing the cultivation levels of those people, Li Yao stopped paying attention, because almost all of them were cultivators from the Sea of ​​Wheels Secret Realm, and there were nearly a hundred of them.

Relying on their superior numbers, they could force many cultivators to admit defeat, but to Li Yao, they were utterly insignificant.

He ignored it and continued on his way.

"Going alone, what a reckless young man."

In the shadows, many people were delighted to see Li Yao alone, as it would be much easier to rob someone who was traveling alone.

Many people immediately stood up and began to follow Li Yao as he left.

This is the edge of the Underworld Palace's territory. Even if those people wanted to rob us, they wouldn't do it here. Instead, they would wait until they were some distance away before making their move.

"That young man is finished. He's been targeted. He really doesn't listen to the advice of his elders." On the outskirts of the Underworld Palace's territory, a middle-aged man saw this scene and sighed softly.

On the other side, Li Yao also sensed a group of people following him, numbering around twenty.

"It seems like I'm about to see bloodshed just as I arrive in the Southern Region," he thought to himself.

Originally, Li Yao had no intention of taking action against these people if they hadn't provoked him.

Although these people also plundered, they were different from the bandits in the Northern Region who plundered mortals. In Li Yao's view, the cultivation world was a dog-eat-dog world, and it was perfectly normal for cultivators to fight each other. It all depended on their abilities; the strong lived and the weak died. Therefore, he did not intend to deal with these people.

But now that these people are trying to rob him, then they're the ones who are unlucky.

They walked briskly for a hundred miles before Li Yao stopped and said, "Come out, everyone. We're already a hundred miles away. How long are you going to follow us?"

As soon as he finished speaking, about a mile behind him, more than twenty people rushed out. They were all cultivators from the Sea of ​​Wheels Secret Realm, and the most powerful among them were even at the Other Shore Realm.

"Kid, you know someone's following you, and you're still so calm? You've got some nerve!" A middle-aged man stepped forward and sneered.

“A bunch of rabble. If you hadn’t come up to me, I really wouldn’t have bothered with you. But since you’re so audacious, I’ll send you on your way. It just so happens that there are twenty-odd of you. When you go to the Yellow Springs, you’ll have company.” Li Yao said calmly, looking at the group.

"Haha, did you hear that? This kid actually said he'd give us a ride." A cultivator at the Divine Bridge Realm laughed, pointing at Li Yao.

But the next moment, the laughter stopped abruptly, and he exploded into a cloud of blood mist, leaving no trace of his body.

Li Yao lowered his finger and said coldly, "What are you laughing at? It's awful."

The cultivator at the Other Shore Realm suddenly narrowed his eyes, and cold sweat broke out all over his body. In that instant, he had not seen how Li Yao made his move at all.

If that finger was aimed at him, then his fate now would probably not be much better than that of the Divine Bridge Realm cultivator.

The crowd fell silent instantly; the sound of falling leaves on the ground could be clearly heard.

A cultivator at the Divine Bridge Realm had fallen so easily; the pungent smell of blood assaulted everyone's senses.

"Alright, you're just unlucky. Now that you've run into me, don't even think about leaving alive."

A calm voice rang out, and then Li Yao's figure shifted, charging into the crowd like a wild dragon.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"...

The sound was like the crack of an iron hammer. A pair of fists, as if cast from celestial metal, were powerful and heavy. A graze would cause injury, and a touch would be fatal.

"Quick, quick, attack together! He's all alone, don't be afraid."

"what……"

"Help! Help me..."

"A devil! This is a devil!"

Everyone was screaming in terror, their voices carrying far and wide, filled with immense fear.

Li Yao was like a humanoid monster, with immense strength and unmatched power. His fists could shatter anything they struck.

The cultivators used their weapons to attack, but the sharp weapons that were usually capable of cutting through gold and jade and smashing through mountains were now as fragile as paper, breaking at the slightest touch.

Soon, the screams stopped. All twenty-odd people had perished, their blood staining the earth red. Li Yao, dressed in a blue robe that fluttered in the wind, looked in one direction with eyes as sharp as lightning.

"Holy crap, they're looking over here! That god of death is looking over here!" A dozen cultivators exclaimed in terror from behind a hill in the distance.

They witnessed firsthand how Li Yao swiftly and decisively annihilated the bandits. His combat prowess was unparalleled, like a god of death. A single glance from such a man was enough to terrify them.

Fortunately, the god of death only glanced at them before turning and leaving without attacking them.

After a while, once they were sure Li Yao was far away, the group finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I never expected that this god of death would have been with us for so long."

"Yes, no wonder he dares to go alone. He's fearless and not afraid of others plotting against him."

Among the crowd, a middle-aged cultivator shook his head helplessly. He finally understood why the young man had refused so decisively when he invited him. It turned out that it wasn't because he was young and impetuous, but because he was confident.

As the sun set, darkness fell.

In the middle of a mountain, Li Yao temporarily opened up a cave dwelling and is cultivating the Divine Treasury of the Liver using the Green Leaf Source.

After half a day of travel, he was now tens of thousands of miles away from the influence of the Underworld Palace.

Instead of continuing his journey, he chose to stop and cultivate. Before the Four Extremes Secret Realm, cultivation was a very simple matter. As long as the resources were sufficient, it was a matter of patience and perseverance.

Therefore, since embarking on the path of cultivation, Li Yao has always been unwavering, dedicating at least half a day to cultivation without ever slacking off.

This is a good habit, and it is thanks to this diligence that his cultivation level has increased so dramatically.

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(End of this chapter)