Da Xuan Martial Saint - Chapter 763: 423: The Core Forbidden Land

Chapter 763: Chapter 423: The Core Forbidden Land

Xunmu Cave Heaven.

Central region.

A trunk so massive its dimensions remained a mystery soared between heaven and earth, as if it were a bridge holding apart the sky and land, piercing through the realm.

Circling this majestic sky-supporting giant tree were structures of peculiar designs, some of which appeared very ancient, even possessing histories of over a thousand years. The closer to the giant tree these buildings stood, the older and more spectacular they became.

This was the core area of the Xunmu Cave Heaven and the ancestral land of the Spirit People Race.

The ancestral land spanned vast distances, not less than dozens of miles in circumference. Those who resided here were not merely the green-skinned members of the upper echelons of the Spirit People, but also the noble elites among them, including the most exceptionally talented individuals.

At this moment, nearly every household in the entire Spirit People Race’s ancestral land had closed its doors, refusing to venture out. Troops patrolled ceaselessly along the outskirts of the settlement. On the outermost edge of this settlement was an enormous Formation Light Screen, umbrella-like, enveloping the entire place. The might of this formation was much more robust than any other large settlement’s.

“It’s been so long, I wonder how the situation is with the old ancestor.”

The leader of the patrolling group murmured as he gazed distantly in a certain direction.

“With the old ancestor and the new ancestor present, what’s there to worry about? The ones who should be worried are those foreign races from beyond the heavens. It’s uncertain how many of them will be able to return alive after facing our ancestors.”

A person beside him burst into a grin upon hearing these words.

Their differing mindsets had their reasons. He belonged to the Upper Clan that had resided for generations in the core area beneath the Xunmu tree. In the past thousand years of battles, the core area of Xunmu Cave Heaven had never faced any threats. No matter what happened outside, this place remained as stable as Mount Tai. Moreover, with the emergence of a newly ascended Spirit Ancestor, he naturally felt relaxed and at ease.

The one who had spoken first, however, had managed to enter the core area and survive solely on his own merit, and it was only him. His family and clan still lived in settlements outside. In such times of war, he was inevitably more anxious.

The group did not pause their patrol but continued on as they talked.

Suddenly.

A vigilant member of the troop immediately noticed a change in the distance. Figures appeared, hurrying towards them, and as time passed, more and more silhouettes emerged—a vast number of their own kind.

When this large group of kin approached, the one leading them had a pale face and traces of blood at the corner of his mouth, with an unstable aura. It was none other than the new Spirit Ancestor, Ling Ji!

Y𝐨𝗎 Ɐrꬲ r𝓮𝑎𝒹ɪ𝘯g 𝙛r◎ṃ 𝕂𝙞ţ𝘦п𝖔νҽ𝑙⋅𝖼ο𝙢

“Cough… cough…”

Ling Ji coughed twice, with fresh blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he could not afford to care too much at the moment. He forcefully suppressed his condition and then, leading the group behind him, crossed through the Formation Light Screen.

The patrolling troop, upon seeing the state of Ling Ji and the others, were immediately taken aback.

“Spirit Ancestor, what has…”

The leader stepped forward and asked in a low voice, his face looking rather grim.

Ling Ji did not spend time chattering. After entering the inner side of the Formation Light Screen, he quickly headed toward the central Forbidden Land. At the same time, he called out in a deep voice, “Everyone on alert, mobilize all hands, prepare for battle.”

As his words fell, he also vanished into the depths of the Forbidden Land.

Ling Ji was well aware of the Secret Technique employed by Ling Huan, which forcibly drew upon the power of Xunmu and sought to become one with the tree—a process that was irreversible. Moreover, Ling Huan was already of advanced age, nearing the end of his lifespan. By using that technique, there was no surviving for him.

He did not know how long Ling Huan’s use of that forbidden manoeuvre could stall Chen Mu and the others or whether it could defeat Chen Mu, dragging enough of the foreign Grandmasters to their doom with him. However, he knew that as soon as Ling Huan perished, the foreign invaders like Chen Mu would certainly be in good enough shape to strike at the core area and attack their Forbidden Land!

The formation within the Forbidden Land was far more powerful than the outlying ones, but this was also where the problem lay. Had he not been injured, he would have managed to harness and direct it, but now he was gravely wounded, making it extremely difficult to control the Forbidden Land’s formation.

If he was unable to direct the formation, then even though it was much stronger than those set up around the large settlements, its dispersed power would definitely not be enough to fend off Chen Mu. Thus, he needed to heal as quickly as possible and also rally all the manpower and strength of the Spirit People Race to stem the assault and buy time.

“This…”

Seeing Ling Ji disappear into the depths of the Forbidden Land, the patrolling Spirit People were all astounded.

After a brief moment of hesitation, the crowd finally came to their senses. Someone with a troubled expression took out a wooden horn radiating cyan luminescence and sounded a desolate, mournful tone, which resonated throughout the core settlement of the Spirit People Race.

Soon.

A vast number of Spirit People began to gather.

The core settlement was home to many Spirit People of the Five Viscera Realm and even the Six Viscera Realm—numbering close to a thousand. Their assembly formed an impressive procession. However, the majority still displayed shock, clueless about what had transpired.

“What’s going on?”

“What happened?”

As people converged, many began asking others for information.

Before Ling Ji’s orders could be fully communicated, everyone assembled felt their actions come to a sudden halt, suddenly finding the entire world oppressively bearing down upon them—an invisible, mournful atmosphere spreading across the entire sky.

Even though the canopy of the Xunmu giant tree obscured the view of the heavens and made it impossible to see the sky above, looking up, one couldn’t shake the feeling that dark, heavy clouds must be engulfing the firmament, radiating silence and pressure throughout.