I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

Chapter 322 Return to Yue Kingdom! Bloodstained Forbidden Land! Pagoda!

Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman!

One of the three great inherited talismans of the Tianfu Sect!

This is a top-tier defensive talisman!

Once activated, the six-layered spiritual energy shield can directly mobilize the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to repair the shield itself; the more abundant the spiritual energy, the stronger the defense.

In the original story, Han Li used this talisman to resist spatial turbulence when he was smuggling himself into the Spirit Realm.

If we have this talisman, then we will have another trump card on our journey to the Great Jin!

Back then, Zhou Yuan was not strong enough to ignore the strange restrictions outside that suppressed his cultivation.

Now that his cultivation has reached the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, his strength is unparalleled in the south, and his mastery of formations is also far beyond what it used to be. It's time to take out that "Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman".

"Crimson Forbidden Land — Pagoda — Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman —"

Zhou Yuan murmured these names, his eyes shining even brighter.

This trip will begin with a visit to the Yue Kingdom to retrieve the treasures from the pagoda, before heading to the Great Jin Kingdom!

Before long, Yuan Yao came to her side.

Zhou Yuan handed over the "Golden Guardian" to her.

He then informed them of his upcoming journey to the Great Jin Dynasty.

"My lord, please be careful!"

Yuan Yao said with concern. Although there was reluctance and worry in her beautiful eyes, she also knew that the path to enlightenment was difficult and that her husband's ambition lay in all directions.

It wasn't a time for sentimental love; she simply gently told him to be careful in everything and to return home soon.

Immediately afterwards, Tianhen Old Monster, Nanlong Marquis, and Linghu Old Ancestor also arrived together.

Zhou Yuan informed the three of his plan to travel to the Great Jin Dynasty to find materials for refining weapons, and made detailed arrangements for the various affairs of the sect during his absence, especially emphasizing the importance of stability.

Although the three were surprised, they knew that Zhou Yuan's decision must have a deeper meaning.

They had absolute confidence in his strength and all solemnly accepted the order to safeguard the sect's foundation.

Everything is arranged properly.

Zhou Yuan did not delay any longer.

He bid farewell to Yuan Yao and his three junior brothers, without alerting the other disciples of the sect, and quietly left the Ascension Sect, heading towards the Yue Kingdom.

Yue country.

This land holds special and complex memories for Zhou Yuan.

More than two hundred years ago, this place was jointly controlled by seven major sects: Huangfeng Valley, Yanyue Sect, Lingshou Mountain, Qingxu Sect, Tianque Fortress, Huadaowu, and Jujian Sect, collectively known as the "Seven Sects of Yue Kingdom".

Although the seven factions compete with each other, they also maintain a delicate balance and jointly control the cultivation resources within the Yue Kingdom.

At that time, Zhou Yuan was just an inconspicuous Qi Refining disciple in Huangfeng Valley, struggling at the bottom of the sect. In order to establish his foundation, he had to risk going into the perilous "Bloody Forbidden Land".

It was also on the border of Yue that he experienced the flames of war during the invasion of the six demonic sects, witnessed the fierce battle between Yue and the demonic cultivators, and personally participated in the battle to defend Yue.

As the great battle drew to a close, an unexpected turn of events occurred: it turned out that Spirit Beast Mountain, one of the seven sects, was actually an inside agent planted by the Demonic Spirit Control Sect long ago!

With the help of both inside and outside forces, the defensive barriers of the position were breached, and the Vietnamese defense line quickly collapsed.

The Huangfeng Valley and other sects suffered heavy losses and were forced to abandon their millennia-old sectarian foundations, hastily retreating to other countries to seek a new livelihood.

The once prosperous cultivation world of Yue Kingdom changed hands overnight and fell into the hands of the demonic path.

The six sects of the demonic path divided up the spoils of war. After a period of bargaining and compromise, it was finally decided that the "Ghost Spirit Sect" would abandon its original territory in Tianluo Kingdom and relocate as a whole.

They monopolized the entire Yue Kingdom.

As a result, the Ghost Spirit Sect's power expanded significantly over the following decades.

However, the world of cultivation is ever-changing, and as time went by, the power of the Ghost Spirit Sect weakened.

Seeing an opportunity, the other five sects of the Demonic Path inevitably began to covet the Yue Kingdom once again, leading to constant friction in the shadows.

They only refrained from open conflict due to the overall situation of the Demonic Alliance and the remaining strength of the Ghost Spirit Sect.

These old stories flashed through Zhou Yuan's mind, but they no longer stirred much emotion.

He is no longer the low-level cultivator who had to depend on others and survive in the flames of war.

His status and strength as the number one person in the south allowed him to overlook any conflict in this land.

He did not linger in the Yue Kingdom, nor did he disturb anyone. He transformed into a faint, almost imperceptible stream of light and flew straight toward that specific desolate area from his memory.

Not long after.

In the northern part of the Yue Kingdom, there lies a vast, desolate wilderness, sparsely populated and devoid of spiritual energy, where only howling winds prevail.

Zhou Yuan's figure quietly appeared. A strong wind howled, blowing the hair on his forehead. Below him stretched an endless expanse of brown earth and scattered jagged rocks, a desolate scene.

However, under Zhou Yuan's powerful divine sense, which was comparable to the early stage of the Nascent Soul stage, this seemingly ordinary wasteland was shrouded in an ancient restriction that was invisible and intangible, yet incredibly tough and contained the power of violent wind spirits!

The restriction was like an inverted giant bowl, completely covering the vast area below.

Even if a cultivator flew by this place, it would be extremely difficult to detect them, let alone enter.

This is the entrance to the "Crimson Forbidden Land"!

"An ancient wind-attribute restriction—it's the same as it was back then."

Zhou Yuan gazed calmly at the "empty" sky, and the scene from that year involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

At that time, he was still in the Qi Refining stage and came to this place with the Huangfeng Valley team.

To open the forbidden area, each of the seven sects of Yue Kingdom must send a Core Formation stage elder to jointly cast a spell. They must also wait for a specific time every five years when the power of the restriction weakens periodically, in order to barely open a temporary passage that can only allow one person to pass through, so that Qi Refining disciples from each sect can enter for the trial.

The scene was magnificent and awe-inspiring to him at the time; Core Formation cultivators were already high and mighty beings.

And now—

"Let's test the strength."

Zhou Yuan did not force his way in, but instead raised his hand and flicked his finger at the void shrouded by the restriction in front of him.

"call out--!"

A condensed, almost tangible, pale golden sword light, only a foot long, yet containing pure late-stage Nascent Soul mana, shot through the air like an arrow released from a bow!

The sword light shot into that void, but instead of penetrating as usual, it seemed to have hit an invisible wall!

In an instant, something unexpected happened!

The void touched by the sword light rippled violently, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake!

Vast swathes of azure spiritual light emerged out of nowhere, spreading out like a tide, instantly turning the sky hundreds of feet away into a hazy azure color!

Immediately afterwards, countless cyan wind blades of varying sizes, with sharp edges, swirling and whistling, appeared out of thin air from the cyan light, like an enraged swarm of bees, instantly surrounding, cutting, and strangling the spiritual energy sword light that Zhou Yuan had unleashed!

"Buzz!"

"Hiss hiss hiss—!"

The wind blades and sword light collided and annihilated fiercely, emitting a piercing shriek.

Although the spiritual energy sword light was condensed, it was ultimately just a casual probe. Under the relentless onslaught of countless wind blades, it only lasted for less than a breath before collapsing and annihilating completely with a "poof," turning into specks of spiritual light that vanished.

The cyan wind blades lost their target, hovered and whistled in the air for a moment, and then receded like the tide, disappearing into the void along with the sky full of cyan light, as if they had never existed.

Calmness returned to the skies above the wasteland.

"Its power is decent, but without special methods to break through restrictions or powerful magic treasures, it would be difficult to force your way in. Even a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would need to put in some effort."

Zhou Yuan quickly assessed the situation in his mind.

This ancient restriction has endured for countless millennia and still possesses such power, demonstrating the extraordinary cultivation of the person who set it up back then.

But he is no longer "ordinary".

"Break it!"

Zhou Yuan stopped probing. His eyes narrowed, and with a thought, a dazzling golden sword, crackling with lightning, flew out from his dantian. It instantly grew to a length of about ten feet, its blade humming and radiating the indestructible sharpness of Geng metal and the majestic power of the evil-repelling divine thunder!

The sword tip pointed directly at the central area where the restriction had reacted most strongly.

"go!"

Zhou Yuan let out a low shout, and poured his vast, ocean-like magical power, the power of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, into the flying sword without reservation!

The flying sword flashed with golden light, transforming into a golden lightning bolt that tore through the sky, carrying an indomitable and terrifying power that could cut through everything, and fiercely pierced towards the invisible barrier!

"BOOM—!!!"

This time, it wasn't a silent probe. The golden flying sword collided squarely with the ancient-style elemental restriction.

A deafening roar erupted! The entire wasteland seemed to tremble!

The blinding golden light and the blue light collided and annihilated each other, and the violent spiritual energy surged in all directions like a tsunami, lifting the sand and gravel of the wasteland below dozens of feet high!

The tough ancient barrier of light was violently twisted and deformed under the impact of the terrifying power and sharp sword energy contained in the golden flying sword, and made a "creaking" sound as it could not bear the weight!

"Snap—!"

A clear, crisp sound, like glass shattering, rang out!

At the core where the golden and blue light intertwined, the tough barrier light screen was forcibly torn open, creating a crack about ten feet long and only a few feet wide, with unstable gray light flickering at its edges!

Inside the crack, a scene completely different from the outside world can be vaguely seen—no longer a wasteland, but a place rich in spiritual energy and ancient trees!

The restriction has been forcibly broken!

Without the slightest hesitation, the moment the crack appeared, Zhou Yuan's figure blurred, transforming into a pale golden streak of light. As the crack began to close automatically, he shot into the mysterious space that had been shrouded in restrictions for countless years.

Upon entering the forbidden area, one's feet touch solid ground. A spiritual energy far richer than that of the outside world, yet carrying a faint scent of blood and ancient aura, rushes towards them.

Zhou Yuan looked around.

The scene before him seemed not much different from when he first stepped into it more than two hundred years ago.

It remains that isolated space shrouded in mysterious power, with an eternal hue in the sky; it is always daytime here.

Beneath my feet lay soft, black earth, exuding the scent of humus.

In the distance, dense primeval forests can be seen, and the faint roars of unknown monsters can be heard from within them.

Further away, there are shimmering shallows and secluded valleys with craggy rocks.

This is the outermost area of ​​the Crimson Forbidden Land.

Back then, disciples from various Qi cultivation sects competed and fought in this area.

Zhou Yuan did not linger on the perimeter.

The area that required him to proceed with extreme caution and careful steps to cross back then is now just a matter of moments for him.

His powerful divine sense swept across, and those low-level demonic beasts lurking in the shadows, which were deadly to Qi Refining disciples, did not dare to make a sound. They all curled up and trembled.

His goal was clear—the core of the forbidden area.

With a few flashes, he traversed dozens of miles and arrived before a towering, continuous ring-shaped mountain range shrouded in thick gray fog year-round.

This is the middle level of the Crimson Forbidden Land. Years ago, he ventured deep into this ring-shaped mountain range, navigating its perilous terrain with his fellow disciples...

Fight against demonic beasts and restrictions to search for the main ingredients of the Foundation Establishment Pill: "Jade Marrow Fungus", "Purple Monkey Flower", and "Heavenly Spirit Fruit".

Looking at this ring mountain range now, the natural barriers and spatial rifts that once made him feel dangerous are now clearly visible and extremely fragile.

He strolled leisurely, flying directly over the ring-shaped mountain range. His gaze pierced through layers of gray mist and mountains, looking towards the center of the mountain range, where an area was heavily shrouded by even more powerful restrictions.

There, one can vaguely see the outline of a towering, majestic tower, seemingly built entirely of some kind of black boulder, hundreds of feet high, exuding an ancient, weathered, and mysterious aura!

The tower was hidden behind the protective aura and a faint mist, resembling a sleeping primordial beast.

The Tower of Babel!

The true core of the Crimson Forbidden Land, and the ultimate forbidden land that disciples from all sects dared not approach or even knew of its existence!

Without further hesitation, Zhou Yuan transformed into a streak of light and descended directly towards the center of the ring mountain range, where the giant tower was located.

A moment later, Duan Yuan landed steadily on a white stone plaza in front of the hundred-zhang-tall tower.

Upon closer inspection, the tower appears even more magnificent. Its surface is covered with a thick layer of dust and moss, and is engraved with countless intricate and profound ancient runes that have long since faded.

The entire tower exuded a chilling, heavy pressure, as if suppressing some terrifying existence.

The tower gate was tightly closed, covered with powerful restrictive spiritual light, making it extremely difficult to open using ordinary means.

Duan Yuan could clearly sense the extremely complex and powerful restrictive fluctuations emanating from within the tower, layer upon layer, link by link.

Even with his current cultivation level and mastery of formations, it would probably take a lot of effort to forcefully break through the tower's gate restrictions and enter, and it might even cause unpredictable changes.

But he was prepared.

With a flick of her wrist, the forbidden token—neither gold nor jade, and engraved with strange cloud patterns—that she had obtained from the bronze treasure chest years ago, appeared in Lan's palm.

As soon as the token appeared, it resonated subtly with the restrictions on the giant tower's gate, emitting a faint milky-white glow.

Duan Yuan gently waved the token at the tower gate.

"Buzz—!"

The runes on the tower gate, which had been dim, suddenly lit up with a soft white light, which complemented the brilliance of the token.

Immediately afterwards, the incredibly heavy tower door, creaking and groaning as if sealed for eternity, slowly opened a crack just wide enough for one person to pass through.

A more refined and ancient scent, yet carrying a faint musty smell and the dust of the Buddha and the moon, wafted out from the crack in the door.

Duan Yuan put away the token and stepped inside.

The first floor of the tower was spacious and dimly lit, with only a few luminous pearls embedded in the walls emitting a faint glow.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of dust, and the air was stagnant. In the center, there was a spiral stone staircase leading to a higher level.

Duan Yuan did not linger on any of the steps, but continued upwards along the stone steps, one step at a time.

Each level of the tower is filled with different trials and restrictions, such as illusion arrays, killing arrays, or mechanical puppets, but these are all useless to Duan Yuan now.

Soon, he arrived at the seventh floor.

The space on this floor is slightly smaller than the floors below, and the furnishings are also slightly different.

Zhou Yuan's gaze was fixed on the skeleton of a cultivator named Lan!

The skeleton remained in a seated posture, head bowed, as if still deep in thought or cultivating itself.

"As expected, someone broke in and died here." Duan Yuan realized.

He waited until the light fell on the waist of the skeleton, where a gray storage bag was hanging.

Duan Yuan stepped forward, bowed slightly to the skeleton as a greeting, and then reached out to take the storage bag into his hand.

The divine mark on the storage bag had long since disappeared with its owner's demise, and he easily opened it.

The divine light entered through the rosy clouds.

The storage bag is quite spacious and contains a lot of items.

The first thing that catches the eye is a pile of spirit stones, including many mid-grade spirit stones.

However, for Duan Yuan now, such a quantity of spirit stones wouldn't warrant a second glance.

Secondly, there are seven or eight ancient and simple magical artifacts and treasures.

There were flying swords, small shields, jade rulers, and bronze mirrors.

Next, there were dozens of jade slips of different colors, neatly stacked together.

Duan Yuanshen glanced at several of them and found that they mostly contained profound and mysterious methods for making talismans.

Rune analysis and rune-making tips.

Its systematic content and insightful perspectives far surpass any talismanic tradition that Duan Yuan had ever seen before!

The opening of one of the jade slips even boldly proclaims "The Secret Records of Heavenly Symbols: Fragment"!

"Tianfu Sect?!"

Zhou Yuan's heart stirred.

Tianfu Sect is an ancient sect of the Great Jin Dynasty, which once almost became one of the top ten sects.

It later declined and disappeared.

Its lineage of talismanic arts is hailed as unparalleled in the human world.

It seems that the owner of this skeleton was most likely a cultivator from the Heavenly Talisman Sect.

But what made Duan Yuan's heart race and his eyes light up with ecstasy was not the spirit stones or the precious inheritance, but the talisman placed separately in the deepest part of Lan's storage bag!

This talisman is only the size of a palm, and its entire surface is a pure silver color. The talisman paper is neither silk nor leather, but has a faint metallic luster and strange wood grain.

The surface of the talisman was not painted with ordinary cinnabar runes, but rather naturally formed with six different colored rays of light.

It was precisely the Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman that Duan Yuan was waiting for on this trip!

"Hahaha! Good! Just as expected!" Zhou Yuan was overjoyed and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

This trip is already halfway complete! And the process has gone more smoothly than I imagined.

He carefully took the silver talisman with six twists and turns in his hand and carefully sensed it.

The spiritual power contained within the talisman is vast and stable, clearly indicating that it is a perfectly intact and precious item!

Having this talisman is equivalent to having an extra top-tier defensive ancient treasure, which is very practical.

"This person was probably a master from the Heavenly Talisman Sect back then. He somehow learned the secrets of the Bloodfall Forbidden Pagoda, but didn't obtain the true restriction token. Perhaps he relied on his profound talismanic skills and tried to force his way in to retrieve the treasure—" Duan Yuan speculated, looking at the skeleton on the stone bed. "Unfortunately, the restrictions within this pagoda are formidable, especially the higher you go, the stronger they become. He may have passed the lower levels, but ultimately failed on this seventh level—"

He carefully put the Six Ding Heavenly Mandate back into his storage bag, along with the jade slips that recorded the talismanic tradition of the Heavenly Mandate Sect, and other ancient treasures, and put them all into his storage bag.

As for the skeleton, Duan Yuan thought for a moment, then waved his hand and cast a ground-sinking spell, opening a pit in the Lanta to bury the skeleton and give it a proper rest.

After finishing the seventh floor, Duan Yuan did not stop and continued up the stone steps.

Finally, he reached the ninth floor, which was also the top floor of this hundred-foot-tall tower.

The top floor space resembles a small palace.

The top is not enclosed, but covered with a peculiar transparent crystal. Through the crystal, one can see the gray-red sky of the forbidden area outside, with soft light falling down.

The center of the main hall is not empty.

There stood a large throne, its entire body carved from some kind of warm, white jade.

On the throne sat the remains of a cultivator, clad in a magnificent golden robe, wearing a jade crown, with bones as clear as jade and even faintly shimmering with golden light!