The Prodigies War

Lin Xun was certain that if this sword chopped down, he would have no chance to escape!

“This sword is the embodiment of my entire cultivation, and it will be my gift to you. I hope that we will truly meet one day if you do travel the Ancient Nebula Road.”

The woman’s clear, flute-like voice rang out as she raised her hand, and the copper ring fell into her palm.

Then, she sealed the qi sword into the ring before giving it to Lin Xun.

“Thank you, fellow daoist,” said Lin Xun as he snapped out of his shock and solemnly accepted the ring.

The woman smiled. “Most of the daoist friends who are like you and me have already left to search for the Ancient Nebula Road, wanting to find a way out for the future generations. Now that my heart’s desire has been fulfilled, it’s time for me to go as well.”

Lin Xun instantly understood that the woman had been waiting here just to pass on her sword strike No Escape!

“There’s something you might as well know. Back then, a vicious battle happened in the Supreme Realm. The opponents came from the other eight domains, but in the end, they failed, while we successfully preserved our legacy.” The woman’s voice was low. “This is the opportunity that countless predecessors paid the price of blood for, so that one day, our Ancient Wasteland Domain will rise once again and no longer be suppressed by the other eight. I hope that you, too, can have such wisdom!”

Her figure suddenly became blurry.

“Fellow daoist, why did you show yourself in a headless state before?” Lin Xun asked the question that had always been on his mind.

“It was plucked away when I fought those people from the other eight domains. Such humiliation, I’ll personally settle it in the future.”

Her voice faded away.

“And…don’t forget, my name is Mo Yang.”

The grass hut was still there, and the violet bamboo forest still thundered, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Lin Xun knew that it had been but a wisp of will left behind by Mo Yang that would be gone with the wind once her wish was fulfilled.

Whew~

Only after a long time did Lin Xun heave a long sigh, feeling inexplicably complicated as he recalled what he had just experienced.

Just one brief meeting had led Mo Yang to give him a bronze ring and guide him into the Cave of the Divine Underworld. From there he had to tread through the bizarre trail and the evil forest, cross the blood lake on a ferry, and arrive at this place.

All for the sake of a sword strike called No Escape!

Lin Xun unconsciously caressed the copper ring. Then, he took a deep breath, discarded this matter from his mind, and looked at the violet bamboo forest in the distance.

“Huh? Brother Lin is actually the first to come out?” Mo Tianhe staggered out. Upon seeing Lin Xun, he was a little surprised before asking excitedly, “What kind of fortune did you get, Brother Lin?”

“I defeated some opponents, and my strength increased quite a bit. What about you, Brother Mo?” replied Lin Xun casually. He could tell from the joy on Mo Tianhe’s face that the latter had obtained quite an amazing fortune from the forest.

“Ha, unlike you, I obtained a superb ancient art so powerful that it took my breath away.” Mo Tianhe obviously considered Lin Xun as one of his own, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so loose with his choice of words.

Lin Xun congratulated him with a smile. For an ancient-era genius like Mo Tianhe to be so delighted, the art was definitely extraordinary.

“You guys have already come out?” At this moment, Ji Xingyao also paced out. With her white, snowy clothes and her picturesque beauty, she was like a goddess on earth.

Such a scene caused Mo Tianhe’s mind to tremble.

Lin Xun nodded in response while Mo Tianhe asked, “Junior Sister Ji, what kind of fortune did you obtain?”

Ji Xingyao said, “A cultivation insight left behind by a predecessor. It’s not bad at all and will be very beneficial to my cultivation.”

Although her voice was casual, Lin Xun could still tell that Ji Xingyao was in a very good mood and obviously extremely satisfied with what she had gained.

As the three talked, a furious cursing shout suddenly rang out from the bamboo forest.

The next moment, Toady dashed out like his butt was on fire, looking unusually miserable.

“F*ck! I just wanted to cut one bamboo! Why strike me with lightning?!” Toady was scorched and dusty, causing everyone to laugh.

Apparently, he had tried to collect the Thundering Violet Bamboo, but had gotten hit by lightning instead.

“Can’t this bamboo be collected?” asked Mo Tianhe.

As one of the Four Great Divine Bamboos, the Thundering Violet Bamboo was a top-tier divine material with many wonderful uses.

“As long as you’re not afraid of being struck by lightning, it’s fine.” Toady’s eyes darted around, egging Mo Tianhe on, “Why don’t you give it a try? I think you can do it.”

Despite knowing that Toady had no good intentions, Mo Tianhe still couldn’t help it. He believed that with his ability, he wouldn’t end up like Toady.

Some time later, Mo Tianhe’s tragic howl echoed in the violet bamboo forest. The next thing everyone saw was the man himself sprinting out. His hair was all erected from being struck by lightning, and his limbs occasionally twitched.

Toady burst out laughing, hugging his stomach. Well deserved!

He then turned to Ji Xingyao and said, “Fairy Ji, why don’t you try it too?”

Ji Xingyao refused to fall for his trick. As amazing as fortunes were, she knew that the bamboo wasn’t easy to get, seeing how Toady and Mo Tianhe were reduced to such a state by the lightning.

Meanwhile, Lin Xun was hesitant.

The Thundering Violet Bamboos were extraordinary and more valuable than even King-grade herbs. It would be a pity if they couldn’t be harvested.

“I’ll give it a try.” He walked to the forest.

Toady hurriedly said, “Come back. Once you cut the bamboo, you’ll be attacked by the whole forest. It’s not something that anyone can withstand.”

Mo Tianhe agreed.

But what happened next nearly made their eyes pop out of their sockets.

With just a wave of Lin Xun’s hand, a Thundering Violet Bamboo was smoothly uprooted, startling even Lin Xun himself. He dubiously turned to the others. “It’s just like that.”

“This…”

Toady and Mo Tianhe gawked in shock. They had just been struck half dead, but it was the complete opposite with Lin Xun!

Clatter~

The Thundering Violet Bamboo that was pulled out was a hundred feet long, but when Lin Xun put it away, it instantly shrunk into a foot in length and was as thick as a child’s arm. Shrouded in violet haze, the translucent and shiny bamboo was simply stunning.

Such was a divine material!

Only one foot long, but its value could make even Saints lose their calm!

“I’ll give it another try.”

“Me too.”

Toady and Mo Tianhe couldn’t resist it, they clenched their jaws and decided to try again, refusing to fail just like that.

Even Ji Xingyao was tempted.

But very quickly, the two were struck to the point where they convulsed, and smoke rose from their mouths and noses. They looked like they wanted to cry, but their tears had been struck dry.

What’s with the different treatment?!

Ji Xingyao immediately suppressed her impulse to try and secretly thanked her luck.

Meanwhile, Lin Xun waved his hand and pulled up another Thundering Violet Bamboo. He did it with so much ease that Toady and Mo Tianhe were speechless.

Lin Xun actually understood why this was the case. He had dueled the three thousand figures in the bamboo plants and won, which gave him the qualification to collect the Thundering Violet Bamboos.

Boom!

Lin Xun was about to continue collecting bamboos when the grass hut that had been sealed shut suddenly collapsed.

And then, a vortex appeared in its place.

It was clearly a passage.

Clatter~ clatter~

At the same time, the entire forest trembled violently. Lightning flashed and thunder roared to the sky.

Immediately following, the divine green mountain also began to shake violently, as if everything was about to fall apart and crumble.

Not good!

Everyone had the same thought.

“Go!” Toady realized that this magical secret realm was about to close, and if they didn’t leave, they would most likely be trapped here forever.

Rumble!

As his voice echoed, the entire mountain began to sink!

Lin Xun was speechless. He planned to collect the whole forest of violet bamboo, but obviously, it was no longer feasible.

However, before leaving, he seized the time and still collected more than a hundred Thundering Violet Bamboos in one breath, all of them shrinking into one-foot lengths before being put away by him.

Boom!

The moment the group disappeared into the swirling passage, the green mountain, along with the bamboo forest behind them completely collapsed.

The holy and peaceful secret realm vanished.

……

The space was ink-dark and silent.

This was a wilderness where the grasses and trees on the ground were all as black as ink, glowing with a demonic luster under the night.

“What is this place?”

The four were teleported here and were puzzled by the scene around them.

But one thing for certain was that they were still in the Cave of Divine Underworld.

“Remember that cave with dense, forked paths leading in different directions?” Toady mused, “I suspect that all of those paths will lead to this place.”

“Let’s take a look around first.” Lin Xun made a decision and immediately led the group into the darkness.

The area was like a black world where the rocks, grass, and trees were all black, and the atmosphere was oppressively silent.

It wasn’t long before they saw a group of cultivators, and their spirits were immediately lifted.

Lin Xun stepped forward and asked, “Friends, may I ask where this is?”

The other party were all incredibly wary, but seeing that Lin Xun was just asking for directions, their expressions relaxed quite a bit.

“You guys just got here, right? This is the Underworld. Only those who can exit the forked trail in that cave will be able to reach this place,” a youth replied.

“So, this place has already gathered quite a few people?” Toady couldn’t help but ask.

“Indeed.”

With that, the other party hurriedly left, looking wary.

“The Underworld…” Lin Xun pondered.

He had never expected that the so-called Cave of the Divine Underworld would be so large. This meant that the different areas here were bound to harbor various opportunities and fortunes.

The four continued forward.

From time to time, they would encounter other cultivators, all of whom looked vigilant and in a hurry.

The four could still tell that those cultivators were all rushing in the same direction, so they decided to follow the crowd.

“The Palace of Divine Underworld has appeared! Hurry!”

An excited shout echoed, and instantly, many cultivators were seen zooming through the darkness towards the distance.