“I’ve located Tianyuan! He’s hiding in the Ancient Lost Fierce Land!”
The four other supreme Great Emperors frowned instantly upon hearing this.
The Ancient Lost Fierce Land was once a vast battlefield from the Ancient Era. Over countless years, it had condensed its own terrifying 'Stance' or momentum. Countless Overlord-level Powers bled out here, and even supreme Great Emperors met their end. Though the Emperors died, their 'Persistent Thought' (Willpower) remained, transforming into malevolent Residual Souls or forming aggressive Yin Soldiers, making the place utterly bizarre and dangerous.
Even a magnate as powerful as Duan Hunsheng usually avoided the Ancient Lost Fierce Land. The place was different from the Southern Wilds’ Forbidden Zones; it lacked a single, sitting magnate, but the ancient Residual Souls and lost Yin Soldiers could harness the 'Stance' of the mountains and rivers. These spectral entities didn’t value their lives like living beings; they fought until death, making a confrontation unprofitable.
The other four Great Emperors paled. Fighting mindless spectral beings was pointless when they could simply wait for Tianyuan Old Ancestor to expose himself. They didn't want to sustain injuries.
Duan Hunsheng saw their hesitation and spoke coldly, “Does Tianyuan think that by stepping into the Ancient Lost Fierce Land, we won’t dare follow?”
A Monster Race Magnate gritted his teeth. “Fine! If that old thief Tianyuan dares to enter, why shouldn’t we?”
A Human Great Emperor countered, his voice low. “It’s not the same. Tianyuan holds the Grand Dao Scripture, which can shield his Heavenly Secret, preventing him from alarming the Residual Souls and Yin Soldiers. He has the head start and may have set traps. Rushing in is unwise.”
The Foreign Magnate scoffed, “What are you afraid of? Humans are always so timid! This opportunity won’t come again!”
Duan Hunsheng nodded. “Exactly! If we secure that wisp of the Dao Rhyme of the Bronze Ancient Palace, what does a minor injury matter? The five of us together can sweep aside any place in the Southern Wilds, save for a few Forbidden Zones.”
They reached a consensus: they would enter the Ancient Lost Fierce Land and capture the Tianyuan Old Ancestor!
Duan Hunsheng tore open the void. Mysterious black mist coiled around him like a dark ocean as he Traversed the Void. “Rest assured,” he declared, “I have completely locked onto the Old Ancestor’s location. This time, he won’t escape!”
The others nodded in satisfaction.
***
On the outskirts of the Ancient Lost Fierce Land, Chen Changsheng, hidden from sight, flew without touching the ground. He muttered, “As expected of an Ancient Lost Fierce Land. Danger lurks at every step.”
He had already used the Heavenly Trace Secret Art to find Tianyuan Old Ancestor’s whereabouts. He definitely did not want a direct fight with Duan Hunsheng and the others, especially since he was only a Wooden Puppet Clone.
Chen Changsheng’s plan was simple: secretly rescue the Old Ancestor without engaging the enemy. However, Duan Hunsheng and his allies had been watching too closely these past few days, giving him no opportunity to act. This meant the Tianyuan Old Ancestor had been forced to suffer, dragging his Severely Injured body deeper into the land.
But now, with Tianyuan entering the Ancient Lost Fierce Land, Chen Changsheng saw his chance. He could leverage the Residual Souls and Yin Soldiers to stall Duan Hunsheng, allowing him to escape with the Old Ancestor.
He glanced at Tianyuan, whose gray robes were stained with blood. Tianyuan was desperately channeling the Grand Dao Scripture, brilliant divine light surging from him, struggling against the terrifying 'Silent Destruction' power inflicted by Duan Hunsheng.
Chen Changsheng frowned slightly. “Truly the power of the Silent Destruction Sect. Absolutely terrifying.”
He shook his head and began observing the 'Stance' of the Ancient Lost Fierce Land. Everywhere he looked was ruin. Massive tombs stood like mountain ranges on the horizon. A continuous mountain range had been snapped in half, the fracture point shrouded in mysterious black mist that twisted into grinning, weeping ghost faces.
Chen Changsheng shifted his gaze to the southeast, where a river of blood flowed, appearing and disappearing intermittently, where bleached white bones and fragments of Emperor Weapons drifted, glinting coldly.
To the northeast, a ruined palace stood, pierced through by the phantom image of a colossal hand—a devastating blow from endless ages past. Though countless years had passed, the five finger outlines were still faintly visible, a truly shocking sight.
Across the desolate ground, spectral Yin Soldiers would occasionally materialize, crawling up from the earth, wielding Emperor Weapons, and shouting bloodthirsty war cries. “Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!” They would charge furiously toward a random direction, only to find no enemy there. Moments later, these Emperor-tier Residual Soul soldiers would freeze, utterly bewildered, and return to their starting point.
After a short pause, they would condense again. “Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!” And charge out once more, killing intent soaring...
Chen Changsheng absorbed these bizarre phenomena. This place was truly a fierce land. If not for his Master’s command to save Tianyuan Old Ancestor, he would never set foot in such a strange, dangerous place.
As Chen Changsheng calculated, he felt a chilling wind brush his neck, like an icy hand stroking him, pulling at his ankles. He didn't even turn around. He simply let out a soft hum, and the profound aura of the Scripture of Salvation surged around him. A faint, pure divine light emanated from his white robes, making him look like a transcendent deity. The evil spirits instantly dissolved.
Chen Changsheng observed that the Ancient Lost Fierce Land was segmented by several terrifying auras—the Residual Souls and Persistent Thoughts of the ancient magnates—who were the true masters here. He would use these forces, combined with the natural 'Stance' of the land, as his allies. Tianyuan Old Ancestor had already set up a few simple formations, which Chen Changsheng would utilize to create a complex Nested Array.
He immediately began his work. He pulled several Emperor-tier Array Plates from his Storage Ring and tossed them lightly onto the desolate ground.
One went near the broken mountain range where great terror resided. Another went near the river of blood, home to unknown magnates. A third was thrown beneath the ground where the confused Yin Soldiers wandered. And another was tossed near the ruined ancient palace.
In total, Chen Changsheng tossed over a dozen Array Plates into various key locations.
These plates were artifacts he had meticulously crafted ages ago. Time was running out, and they were about to expire. This was the perfect chance to clear out some inventory.
Chen Changsheng murmured, “I’ll have to Ask Master for reimbursement when I get back.”