Battle Through the Heavens: Purple Heaven Thunder Emperor

Chapter 548 The Ancient Key

Thousands of miles away from the gathering point, in a magnificent city, atop a towering tower.

A cold-looking man dressed in white sat cross-legged, his Yuan energy surging like the tide.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, drawing upon the vital energy of heaven and earth within a radius of a hundred feet with each breath.

Suddenly, Jin Mu frowned and abruptly opened his eyes.

"My mental imprint has been triggered!"

His gaze suddenly turned in a certain direction, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Just now, an image flashed through his mind—his junior brother, the boy in blue, was being held by the neck by a boy in black robes, his face full of terror.

The moment he sensed the branded image, the black-robed youth seemed to notice something, turning his head towards the direction of the brand, a half-smile playing on his lips.

Immediately afterwards, the screen shattered!

"Dare to touch the people of my Holy Light Dynasty..."

""

Jin Mu slowly rose to his feet, his white robes fluttering even without wind, emanating a chilling killing intent: "No matter who you are, even if you are at the Nirvana Realm, I, Jin Mu, will make you pay the price!"

As he spoke, the killing intent in his eyes almost solidified, and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

The Holy Light Dynasty is a high-level dynasty. Although it is not among the top dynasties in the Eastern Xuan Domain, it is a dominant force in this area that attracts participants from lower-level dynasties.

This was a place specially chosen by their dynasty, and for several consecutive terms, no one had dared to provoke them like this.

After a moment, the killing intent in Jin Mu's eyes gradually subsided, and he returned to indifference.

He walked to the tower, gazing down at the endless brown mountains outside the city, and murmured softly, "It'll be soon. Once I achieve my goal and obtain that thing, your death will be imminent..."

'

Thinking of this, Jin Mu smiled coldly, slowly closed his eyes, and prepared to continue cultivating.

"Um?!"

Just as his eyes were about to close, he suddenly opened them!

Jin Mu stared intently at the space not far in front of him, his eyes creating ripples like a pebble thrown into still water.

The ripples spread outwards, and the space at the center twisted, forming a pitch-black vortex.

"hehe...

'

A soft chuckle came from the vortex: "Whose death were you just talking about?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a figure in black robes strolled out of the vortex as if he were simply passing through an ordinary door.

The person who arrived was Xiao Bai.

In his hand, he was also carrying a figure in blue.

"It's you?!?"

Jin Mu's pupils contracted sharply, and the hairs on his body stood on end!

This black-robed youth was the very person he had just seen in his mind!

And what he was carrying in his hand was none other than his junior brother!

Jin Mu never expected that just a few minutes after sensing the spiritual imprint being touched, that person would appear in front of him!

And the way it appeared...

Spatial teleportation!

Jin Mu knew the location of that gathering point; it was at least several thousand miles away from Yangcheng!

Even if a peak-level expert of the Creation Realm were to fly at full speed, it would still take several days to arrive.

Only legendary spatial teleportation could happen so quickly!

Even the strongest person in their Holy Light Dynasty, the king who reached the Eighth Nirvana Realm, could never do such a thing!

"Who...who are you?!"

Jin Mu's face turned deathly pale, and his voice trembled slightly: "How could a powerhouse like you appear in the Hundred Dynasties War?!"

He could feel an immense pressure descend upon him the moment the black-robed youth appeared.

His entire body felt as if it were being suppressed by an ancient divine mountain, his vital energy was sluggish and he couldn't even move a finger!

This sense of oppression was something that even the king, a powerful figure at the Eighth Nirvana Realm, had never felt before!

Xiao Bai looked down at Jin Mu, a playful smirk on his face: "Who am I? Didn't you just tell me to cherish my time? You even said that once you find me, it will be my death day..."

'

He paused, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes: "I thought that such an arrogant tone meant you were confident. But it seems you have disappointed me."

Xiao Bai's gaze swept over Jin Mu, as if he could see right through him: "Half-step Nirvana Realm, is this the source of your arrogance?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Mu's face turned pale and then red, filled with shock and anger.

What shocked them was the unfathomable strength of their opponent, and what angered them was that they had been so looked down upon!

But he dared not retaliate.

Because what this person said is true—in front of a powerful expert who can perform spatial teleportation, a half-step Nirvana Realm expert is indeed no match!

"I...I..."

Jin Mu stammered and couldn't utter a single word.

Although his Holy Light Dynasty was a high-level dynasty, it did not stand out in the entire Hundred Dynasties War. That's why he chose to set up camp in this remote place in the ancient battlefield, bully some people from middle and low-level dynasties, and accumulate resources.

But who could have imagined that such a powerful figure would arrive in this remote place that was once a gateway to a low- or middle-level dynasty!

I doubt even the leaders of those super dynasties were this terrifying.

"Senior brother, save me!!"

Just then, the young man in blue spoke in a hoarse voice, his eyes blazing with a strong will to survive.

He had been carried by Xiao Bai all the way, and was terrified the whole way. When he saw Jin Mu now, it was as if he had seen a lifeline.

Jin Mu almost fainted from anger when he saw his junior brother still begging him for help.

If he weren't immobilized, he would have slapped him to death—idiot! Can't you see I'm in dire straits myself?!

Xiao Bai chuckled and casually tossed the boy in blue on the ground.

With a "bang," the young man in blue fell and was completely disoriented, but he dared not complain at all. He quickly got up and hid behind Jin Mu.

Although he could tell that his senior brother was not in good condition, he could only place his hopes on Jin Mu at this moment.

Tell me about the ancient key in Yang City.

Xiao Bai clapped his hands, put them behind his back, and spoke in a calm and indifferent tone.

The lives of these two people were of no importance to him.

He originally went to that gathering point to find out the exact location of Yangcheng—because he knew that there was a key there that could unlock the restrictions of the ancient secret treasure, the "Four Symbols Mysterious Sect."

He needs a large number of Nirvana Pills to quickly pass through the Nirvana Realm. Among the information he knows, the only suitable place is the high-quality pill river left by Qingzhi within the Four Symbols Profound Sect.

The sudden event at the gathering point saved him a lot of time—he was able to locate Jin Mu, who was currently in Yangcheng, directly through the mental imprint.

Upon hearing this, Jin Mu's eyes lit up, as if he had seen a glimmer of hope.

He said urgently, "My lord, if you wish to obtain the ancient key, I can guide you!"

He paused, then, noticing the growing hostility in Xiao Bai's eyes, his heart tightened, and he hurriedly added, "My lord, please don't misunderstand! I only wish to live! I beg you to spare my life once you obtain the Ancient Key!"

As he spoke, he looked at Xiao Bai with pleading eyes.

At this moment, all notions of dignity and pride were cast to the winds.

Saving your life is the most important thing!

Xiao Bai looked at Jin Mu and said slowly, "You have no right to negotiate with me."

'

His voice was soft, yet it made Jin Mu's heart sink.

"There are many ways to die in this world, one of which is called 'soul-searching to death.' You've probably heard of it, haven't you?"

Soul search!

Jin Mu's face turned as pale as paper in an instant.

Of course he'd heard of soul searching!

That's a technique used by powerful talisman masters, forcibly invading another's consciousness to read their memories. Those whose souls are searched not only suffer excruciating pain, a fate worse than death, but also suffer severe consequences ranging from death to mental impairment.

In this cruel ancient battlefield, being mentally impaired is worse than being dead!

"I'll talk! I'll talk!"

Jin Mu dared not haggle any longer and quickly said, "The place where the ancient key is hidden is the Leiyan Mountains, not far from Yang City!"

He spoke extremely quickly, as if afraid Xiao Bai would become impatient if he spoke slowly: "Deep within the Thunder Rock Mountains lies Thunder Rock Valley. It is said that this Thunder Rock Valley was the abode of an ancient powerful being, and this powerful being was rumored to have been one of the guardians of an ancient secret treasure!"

"Therefore, the ancient key to unlocking the secret is hidden within this Thunderrock Valley!"

Jin Mu then recounted all the information he knew about the key.

After saying that, he cautiously looked at Xiao Bai, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the other party's expression was calm.

Then, his gaze turned to the young man in blue beside him, and his eyes flashed with intense hatred.

If this fool hadn't provoked such a powerful figure, how could Jin Mu have ended up in this situation?!

At this moment, he wished he could tear the young man in blue to pieces!

Xiao Bai ignored the grudges between the two and closed his eyes to sense the situation.

Although he did not know the name of the mountain range outside the city, his soul power spread deep into the largest mountain range, like mercury spilling onto the ground, penetrating everywhere.

With his current level of spiritual cultivation, exploring a mountain range would be a piece of cake.

Before long, he sensed a special place—the lightning-attribute energy there was unusually rich, and there was a faint aura of an ancient restriction!

"Found it."

Xiao Bai opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his lips.

With a flash, he disappeared from the tower.

Jin Mu was taken aback when he saw this, and then his eyes lit up with joy.

Could it be... that this person isn't going to kill him?

That's it! Now that they've obtained the information they wanted, they might spare his life!

After all, in the other party's eyes, his cultivation level was no different from that of an ant that could be easily swatted away.

Jin Mu felt a surge of relief at surviving the ordeal, but then a hint of gloom flashed in his eyes. Just as he was about to deal with his "good junior brother" behind him...

suddenly-

"Boom!"

A soft rumble of thunder suddenly rang out!

Two golden bolts of lightning, as thin as hair, fell from the void and shot precisely at the brows of Jin Mu and the boy in blue!

"snort!"

"snort!"

Two muffled groans sounded almost simultaneously.

Jin Mu and the young man in blue stiffened, their eyes quickly losing their light.

Each of them had a tiny, charred hole between their eyebrows, deep into their brain, but no blood flowed out; the high temperature of the lightning instantly burned the wound.

"Bang! Bang!"

The two corpses collapsed to the ground with a thud, lifeless.

Even in death, Jin Mu's eyes still held the joy of surviving a calamity, as well as a trace of deeply hidden resentment.

Silence returned to the tower.

Only two corpses remained, silently recounting what had just happened.

Deep in the Leiyan Mountains.

The mountains are interspersed, and the terrain is complex. The mountains here are dark brown, with charred marks on their surfaces, as if they had been scorched by flames.

Legend has it that long ago, a bolt of lightning struck, splitting the continuous mountain range in two, which gradually formed the present-day Leiyan Valley.

Perhaps due to the heavenly lightning, Thunder Rock Valley is filled with rich lightning-attribute elemental energy.

Standing at the mouth of the valley, you can hear a slight "pop" sound, which is the collision of free-floating lightning energy in the air.

The monsters in the valley have also mutated as a result, becoming incredibly fast, and some can even spew lightning, making them much more troublesome than monsters in other places.

However, the valley was not at peace at this time.

The roars of monsters, the shouts of warriors, and the explosions of energy rose and fell, clearly indicating that a fierce battle was taking place inside.

Standing at the valley entrance, Xiao Bai listened to the commotion and chaos inside and couldn't help but chuckle: "It's quite lively."

He looked up at the thick thunderclouds overhead—not naturally formed clouds, but rather condensed from thunder-attribute energy accumulated over many years.

Occasionally, flashes of lightning and low rumbles of thunder could be heard in the clouds.

"A long time ago, there must have been battles fought here by powerful cultivators of the Thunder Dao."

Xiao Bai understood.

Only a clash between powerful lightning cultivators could leave behind such a rich aura of lightning, transforming this valley into a suitable place for lightning-attribute cultivation.

"senior...

'

Just then, Lin Dong, who had been silent all along, gestured to his surroundings with his eyes.

Xiao Bai naturally knew what he was reminding them of—from the moment they entered the Leiyan Mountains, several pairs of eyes had been subtly watching them.

These people are hiding in the shadows, either on mountain peaks or in forests, concealing their presence very well, clearly intending to be the "wildcatchers."

Ignore it.

Xiao Bai waved his hand, his tone indifferent.

As soon as he finished speaking, he rolled up his sleeves, and a spatial force enveloped Lin Dong.

Take a step forward—

"Whoosh!"

The two figures vanished instantly without causing any energy fluctuations, as if they had never existed.

And shortly after Xiao Bai left.

On a distant mountain peak, space slightly distorted, and a graceful figure appeared.

This is a woman dressed in red, about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a beautiful face and a hint of heroism between her brows.

Her eyes were fixed on the direction where Xiao Bai had disappeared, filled with solemnity and astonishment: "That was... spatial teleportation?!"

The woman in red was filled with turmoil.

Spatial teleportation is a technique that only experts at the Life and Death Profound Realm can master!

Those who participate in the Hundred Dynasties War must be no older than twenty-five.

A life-or-death mystery for those under 25?!

How is that possible!

"Is it a secret treasure—or—"

The woman in purple muttered to herself, shaking her head violently, her hair fluttering as she banished the terrifying and absurd thought: "It must be a secret treasure! Otherwise, how could a young man participating in the Hundred Dynasties War possibly use spatial teleportation, a skill reserved for experts at the Life and Death Profound Realm!"

If there really are beings under 25 years old who have reached the Life and Death Realm, then why would they participate in the Hundred Dynasties War?

He was already accepted as a core disciple by a super sect!

"It seems there's been an added variable in this Hundred Dynasties War..."

'

The woman in red's eyes gleamed. The sheer difficulty of dealing with a powerful individual possessing a spatial treasure was terrifying.

Her original plan was to wait here and attract more "cannon fodder" so that she could explore the valley, clear out the monsters, and then become the predator.

But now it seems that the appearance of the black-robed youth has completely disrupted her plans.

"We can't wait any longer."

The woman in red made a decision.

She glanced discreetly at the nearby mountain peaks, where other forces were also hiding.

With a slight smile, the woman in red twisted her waist and transformed into a streak of fiery red light, disappearing from her spot like a ghost and rushing towards the depths of Thunder Rock Valley.

As she took action, some people outside Thunderrock Valley also became restless.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

One after another, figures emerged from their hiding places, transforming into streaks of light as they entered Thunder Rock Valley.

Clearly, everyone realized that if they waited any longer, they wouldn't even get a taste of the spoils, let alone become the predator.