Spirit Realm

Outside Armament City.

The glittering light slowly gathered and formed into people with both Qin Lie and Kang Zhi taking shape.

A short while later, Qin Lie, Kang Zhi, Han Qingrui, Han Feng, and Kang Hui appeared outside Armament City.

This was where Qin Lie had disappeared from earlier.

"Qin Lie, where are the people from the sect?" After Han Qingrui appeared, he asked that in a grave tone.

In that secret room made from ice, Qin Lie had already informed them all of the situation outside. He told them that because the evil nether passageway had been opened, the forces had all retreated with the remnants of Armament Sect doing the same.

"I was keeping an eye out. Our people should have retreated towards the back of the mountain," said Qin Lie as he raised his head to look at the plaza in the distance.

The dark black clouds resembled a black curtain that covered the skies above Armament Sect, obstructing the shining light of the sun.

Those thick, demonic clouds shrouded that entire area. As of this moment he was unable to see what was happening over there, but he could feel an overwhelming dark and evil aura flooding out.

He knew that the evil nether passageway had truly opened. The evil races from the Nether Realm have most likely stepped onto this land.

"Where should we go?" Little Fatty Kang Zhi's face was in a frown. "So unfortunate, forced from Icestone City to Armament City, having only just settled in, now look, Armament City has fallen too..."

"Go to the forests at the back of Flame Volcano where Blood Spear’s training grounds are. We will take a detour to avoid the area covered in nether demonic energy," Qin Lie answered.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

At this time, it was an hour since Xie Zhizhang, Song Siyuan and Zhan Tianyi had left. All of Armament Sect was slowly being consumed by the nether demonic energy. The area around Armament City was engulfed in dark, chaotic power.

Only their group remained.

"Let's go, avoid the sect and head behind Flame Volcano," Han Qingrui said.

Two hours later.

At a hill near the edges of Armament City, Qin Lie's eyes flashed as he suddenly looked in a direction.

He was looking Armament Sect’s direction!

At this time, everyone had already left Armament City. Anyone who knew that evil nether passageway had been opened definitely did not dare to stay and wait for death.

Even the three Fulfillment Realm experts did not dare to stay too long. They were in a hurry to return to Profound Heaven Alliance and Eight Extreme Temple to report what had transpired on their mission. Who could possibly be in Armament City now?

But Qin Lie felt an aura that was somewhat familiar inside the city that was being shrouded by nether demonic energy. That presence was very indistinct and small, so he wasn't very sure.

But it seemed to be Gao Yu's presence...

"It isn't very likely. There’s no way Gao Yu would show up here." Shaking his head inwardly, Qin Lie left with Kang Zhi and Han Qingrui.

In the cellar of a destroyed building in Armament City, which had been torn apart by the Silver Armored Giant Alligator, Gao Yu sat there by himself.

While Di Shijiu had been taking care of business at Dark Shadow Tower, he had slipped away. He fled to Armament City, the area that was shrouded by nether demonic energy. The area that would become the territory for the beings of the evil races from the Nether Realm.

He was the only person that stood guard here with the identity of a human martial practitioner.

Breathing in the dark and evil energy and looking at the wisps of black power that permeated his body, Gao Yu felt right at home. A dark and cold glint shone out from his shadowy eyes.

"It seems the cultivation of Nine Hell Wandering Soul Record uses the nether demonic energy as its source of power. This means the Ogre-faced Rings and the Nine Hell Wandering Soul Record are really evil artifacts of the Nether Realm!" Gao Yu finally understood.

What he did not know was that when he was concentrating on his cultivation, Qin Lie was close to him and felt the fluctuations coming from his body.

Gao Yu was in Armament City, an area that might have already be taken over by the evil races. Qin Lie could perceive those fluctuations but felt that it wasn't very plausible. He only thought that the evil aura that was on Gao Yu's body was released from those of the Nether Realm.

Due to this, the two slipped right past each other.

……

Half a day later.

Qin Lie, Han Qingrui, and the rest of the group reached the rear of Flame Volcano where Blood Spear's training grounds were. They found that the blood mist that had previously enshrouded this area had disappeared.

There was no bloodwater left in the blood pools or ponds which exposed the cold stone.

"This is too close to Flame Volcano. The people from the sect definitely did not dare to linger too long, so they should have proceeded to the poisonous bog," said Han Qingrui to Qin Lie as he glanced at the surroundings.

Qin Lie nodded, "That should be right.”

So everyone left behind the forest and travelled to the poisonous bog to meet up with the elders of Armament Sect.

Another day passed.

Multicolored, poisonous miasma spread through the bog as numerous unnamed poisonous insects chirped. Much of the poisonous water in the bog exuded sour and rotten smells. It caused those who happened to inhale them to feel dizzy and drowsy.

Qin Lie's group carefully avoided those places and tried to find dry ground to walk on as they delved deeper into the poisonous bog.

"Sect Master Qin!" Tian Jianhao's voice suddenly came from atop a strange tree.

The leaves of the strange tree retreated back towards the branches. Then, it formed a nest-like space of branches and leaves like that of a person's embrace where Tian Jianhao popped out from.

"Elder Tong had me wait here for you. As expected, you came," Tian Jianhao said.

"The three great reverends and the seven inner sect elders have also retreated into the poisonous bog?" Qin Lie asked in surprise.

Tian Jianhao jumped out from the nest made from tree leaves, saying dejectedly, "We retreated into the poisonous bog, but..."

"What?" Qin Lie's brow creased.

"But the situation is not good. Many people have perished from being poisoned after staying half a day in here," Tian Jianhao sighed. "The poisonous miasma in the poisonous bog, the poisonous water, and some aggressive poisonous insects can be fatal. Even though Elder Mo Hai and Senior Sister Lian Rou led the way and secured the safest path, we still had a great number of fatalities.”

There were three people who were proficient in making antidotes in Armament Sect: Sect Master Ying Xingran, Great Elder Mo Hai, and Lian Rou.

It was because Mo Hai and Lian Rou had been in the group that Armament Sect dared to set foot into the poisonous bog. They planned on temporarily settling down at the poisonous bog.

They did not dare believe Profound Heaven Alliance and Eight Extreme Temple's promises. Rather, they were afraid these people would still attack them, so they didn’t risk moving to an area under the governance of the five forces.

They were also afraid of the evil races from the Nether Realm, so they did not settle down near Flame Volcano. With all that in mind, they could only retreat until they reached the poisonous bog. They retreated to this dangerous place where the five forces and the evil races of Nether Realm were unlikely to enter.

"Have you explored the paths along this road? Will there be problems if we enter with you?" Qin Lie asked.

"We used more than ten lives in order to secure it. There won't be any problems. I can take you to meet up with the elders," Tian Jianhao bitterly answered.

"Then lead the way," Qin Lie nodded. "When we meet the elders, we can try to think of ways to deal with the poisonous bog’s poor environment.”

"Mn, please come with me." Tian Jianhao led the way.

Everyone instantly followed.