Chapter 907
Chapter 907
"Late stage of Golden Core?!" Xing Yanzi was both surprised and delighted upon sensing Fu Shaoping's aura. "Fellow Daoist Lu, your gains on this journey have been so immense!"
Fu Shaoping smiled slightly and briefly recounted his experiences at the Ice Soul Mystic Palace (omitting key details such as the purification of the Heavenly Stele), and shared some of the general theories on purifying evil energy from the "Frost Soul Codex." Xing Yanzi and the others were overjoyed, especially the elders of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion who were responsible for researching the "Coupling" seal, who were extremely excited.
"With these theoretical supports, we are much more confident in maintaining the 'Qi Shu' seal and delaying the erosion of evil energy!" Wen Xin said excitedly.
Fu Shaoping inquired about the current situation in the Northern Territory. Xing Yanzi's expression turned slightly serious: "The Myriad Contracts Alliance is indeed active in secret, seemingly searching for something. Our people have discovered that they have been seen in many ancient ruins in the Northern Territory, especially some places related to contracts. In addition... about half a year ago, there was news that several high-ranking members of the Myriad Contracts Alliance secretly went to the direction of 'Tianyuan Rift Valley'."
“Tianyuan Rift Valley…” Fu Shaoping’s heart stirred. The third secret location marked on his “Frost Soul Contract Token” was the “Contract Source Stone” of Tianyuan Rift Valley.
"Is there any unusual activity over at Tianyuan Rift Valley?"
Xing Yanzi shook his head: "The environment of Tianyuan Rift Valley is harsh and the space is chaotic, making it difficult for our people to go deep. However, the outer area of the rift valley has indeed been quite turbulent recently, with spatial rifts appearing more frequently and several small earthquakes occurring. There are rumors that strange lights are flashing deep within the rift valley, suspected to be the emergence of treasures, attracting many desperate people to go there."
"The Myriad Contracts Alliance's target is very likely the 'Contract Source Stone'," Fu Shaoping mused. Of the three secret treasures left behind by the Frost Soul Venerable, the first two were extremely valuable, and this last one was probably even more extraordinary. The Myriad Contracts Alliance had been searching for ancient artifacts related to contracts, so it wasn't surprising that they were eyeing the "Contract Source Stone."
“I need to go to the Heavenly Abyss Rift.” Fu Shaoping made the decision. Whether it was to stop the Myriad Contracts Alliance or to explore the secret treasures and find something that might help purify the “Contract Pivot,” this trip was imperative.
Xingyanzi and the others knew that Fu Shaoping's strength was now far greater than before, and that the matter was of great importance, so they did not try to dissuade him. They only repeatedly reminded him to be careful and provided all the information and maps about Tianyuan Rift Valley that Tianji Pavilion had collected.
After a three-day rest, Fu Shaoping embarked on his journey once again.
The Heavenly Abyss Rift is located at the border between the Northern Territory and the Central Divine Continent, extremely far from the Star Observatory. Even traveling at full speed, it took Fu Shaoping nearly two months to reach the outer edge of the rift.
The scene before us is truly a wonder of nature.
A colossal rift, hundreds of miles wide and seemingly bottomless, stretched across the vast plains like a scar on the earth. Its edges were jagged, and fierce winds howled upwards from the valley floor, creating thunderous roars. Chaotic spatial fluctuations filled the air, with tiny spatial rifts flashing by and swallowing the surrounding light.
Standing at the edge of the rift and looking down, all one could see was swirling, gray-black mist and the occasional flash of eerie light. Divine senses probing in were like mud sinking into the sea, pulverized by the chaotic spatial forces.
"It is indeed dangerous." Fu Shaoping's expression was solemn. The spatial disorder here far exceeds that of the Burial God Valley. Without special means or clear guidance, blindly venturing in would almost certainly result in certain death.
He took out the "Frost Soul Contract". As soon as the contract appeared, it trembled violently, its surface flashing with an icy blue light, pointing to a certain direction deep in the rift valley.
“The Origin Stone is right below.” Fu Shaoping put away the Origin Stone and began to observe the terrain and spatial fluctuation patterns at the edge of the rift valley.
He discovered that although the overall space was chaotic, brief "stable passages" would appear at certain specific locations and times. These passages were like gaps in a storm, fleeting and requiring extremely keen eyesight and precise timing to pass through.
Fu Shaoping was not in a hurry. He first found a secluded spot on the outskirts of the rift valley, set up an array, and patiently observed for three days, finally figuring out the pattern of a relatively stable passage in the vicinity.
At midnight on the fourth day, when a specific spatial ripple swept by, Fu Shaoping shot into the rift valley like lightning!
During his descent, he felt as if he were passing through countless layers of viscous medium, his body being torn apart by chaotic forces from all directions. His Starry Robe automatically protected him, and with the help of the contract's protective shield, he barely managed to withstand the onslaught. In his ears were the piercing howl of the wind and the cracking sound of space shattering.
After falling for several thousand feet, the surroundings suddenly opened up, and the pressure decreased dramatically.
He landed on a relatively flat "rock platform." This appeared to be a huge, protruding rock platform on the inner wall of the rift valley, about a hundred feet in diameter. On the platform, jagged rocks grew, along with some peculiar ferns that emitted a ghostly glow.
Looking up, there was a hazy "sky" above (actually the mouth of a rift valley), and below, the bottom remained unfathomable. On both sides were steep rock walls, riddled with openings of varying sizes that emitted spatial fluctuations, leading to unknown destinations.
The "Origin Stone" senses coming from a deeper depth below, and its direction is constantly changing subtly, clearly affected by spatial distortion.
Fu Shaoping carefully explored along the edge of the rock platform. At the end of the platform, a narrow, naturally formed stone staircase wound its way down. The staircase was slippery and covered with dark green moss, with bottomless darkness on either side.
He descended the stone steps. The further he went, the dimmer the light became, and the stronger the spatial fluctuations in the air grew. Occasionally, the stone steps ahead would suddenly "break" or "twist," a visual illusion caused by spatial distortion, requiring the "Spiritual Eyes of Breaking the Law" to see through the true path.
After walking for about half an hour, they heard the sound of flowing water ahead.
Rounding a bend, an underground river came into view. The water was dark red, emitting a faint smell of blood and sulfur, flowing silently in the darkness. On the opposite bank, a much wider "underground plain" could be vaguely seen, with what appeared to be the outlines of buildings.
Just as Fu Shaoping was about to cross the river, he suddenly felt a chill and quickly retreated!
"Splash!"
The dark red river water suddenly burst open, and a monster with a jet-black body, covered in bone spurs, resembling a centipede but with the head of a crocodile, leaped out of the water and bit down on the spot where Fu Shaoping had just been standing! Foul-smelling saliva dripped down, corroding the rocks and producing puffs of white smoke.
"A 'Bone-Eating Crocodile Centipede' at the early stage of the Golden Core realm!" Fu Shaoping's eyes turned cold. This beast was a specialty of the Rift Valley, ferocious and bloodthirsty, and skilled in stealth and ambush.
The crocodile centipede missed its first attack, twisted its body, and with dozens of pairs of abdominal legs slithered, it pounced again with a foul stench!
"Contract - Binding!"
Fu Shaoping raised his hand and made a grasping motion, and pale golden contract chains appeared out of thin air, wrapping around the crocodile centipede. However, the moment the chains touched the black aura on the crocodile centipede's body, they hissed and were corroded and dissolved!
"This black energy can erode the power of the contract?" Fu Shaoping was slightly surprised. It seemed that the creatures of the Rift Valley had mutated due to living in chaotic energy for a long time.
He no longer held back, and with a thought, he activated "Frost Soul Pact Slash"!
"Frost Condensation!"
The icy blue sword energy pierced the air, instantly freezing the crocodile centipede and the surrounding river water! The crocodile centipede remained in its attacking posture, sealed within the thick ice.
Just as Fu Shaoping was about to finish him off with a final blow, he suddenly sensed several auras rapidly approaching from afar!
"Someone's coming? Or... other demonic beasts?" He quickly concealed his aura and hid behind a boulder.
Before long, three figures flew in from the upper reaches of the dark river. They were dressed in uniform dark purple outfits and wore masks to conceal their auras, which was the standard attire of the Myriad Contracts Alliance! The leader had a deep aura and was actually in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, while the other two were in the early stage of the Golden Core realm.
"Hmm? There are signs of a battle here!" The mid-stage Golden Core cultivator's eyes narrowed as he spotted the frozen crocodile centipede. "Such powerful icy sword energy; the person who attacked must be quite strong."
“My lord, this freezing technique seems to contain the power of a contract, and... it looks somewhat familiar,” a Golden Core cultivator in the early stage said after careful observation.
"Familiar?" A mid-stage Golden Core cultivator approached the ice sculpture, carefully sensing the remaining aura. After a moment, his expression changed. "It's the aura of that 'Contract Token' carrier from Burial God Valley! He really did come to Heavenly Abyss Rift Valley!"
"That kid actually broke through to the late Golden Core stage?" another early Golden Core cultivator exclaimed in surprise. "It's only been a few years?"
“This person has many secrets. Having obtained the fragment of the ‘Contract Token’ and the Frost Soul Inheritance, it’s no wonder he’s growing so rapidly.” Greed and killing intent flashed in the eyes of the mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. “The Alliance Leader has ordered that if this person can be captured and the ‘Contract Token’ fragment seized, the reward will be comparable to a Nascent Soul opportunity! Now that he’s here, he won’t be leaving!”
"But he's already in the late Golden Core stage, we..."
"Hmph, so what if he's in the late Golden Core stage? The space here is chaotic, and divine sense is restricted, making it the perfect place for an ambush. Besides, we're not here for him, but for the 'Origin Stone.' If he's also after the Origin Stone, he'll definitely run into us. Send a message to Elder Shadow, telling him to speed things up. We'll go ahead and set up the trap!"
"Yes!"
The three quickly cleaned up the scene (smashing the frozen crocodile centipede and sinking it into the river), then flew towards the underground plain on the opposite bank of the river.
Fu Shaoping heard everything clearly in the dark and sneered inwardly: "Trying to ambush me? Perfect, I also want to know how much you know about the 'Origin Stone'."
Once the three had gone some distance, he quietly followed, carefully concealing himself as he went.
Cross the underground river and step onto the underground plain.
The plain was exceptionally vast, stretching as far as the eye could see. The ground was made of hard obsidian, with scattered clusters of crystals emitting a faint glow. In the center of the plain, the outline of a huge ruin could be vaguely seen, like the remains of some ancient building.
Instead of heading to the center of the ruins, the three members of the Wanqi Alliance turned towards an inconspicuous stone forest on the edge of the plain.
Fu Shaoping hung at a distance, simultaneously using his contracted spiritual sense to sense the location of the "Contract Source Stone." The senses indicated that the Contract Source Stone was somewhere on this plain, but its exact location was uncertain, seemingly being interfered with by some force.
"Let's follow them and see." Fu Shaoping decided to first find out the intentions of the Wanqi Alliance.
Within the stone forest, strange rocks stand tall, forming a natural maze. The three members of the Wanqi Alliance were clearly quite familiar with this place, and after many twists and turns, they arrived at a relatively secluded clearing deep within the stone forest.
A makeshift altar had been erected in the open space. The altar was made of black stones, with a spirit banner planted in the center, and various sinister offerings arranged around it: twisted runes, dried-up hearts, skulls filled with dark red liquid…
Three Wanqi Alliance cultivators began to busy themselves around the altar, inscribing more complex evil contract runes.
"Are they setting up a sinister array for summoning or communication?" Fu Shaoping observed from afar, his heart filled with vigilance. He noticed that in the center of the altar, there was a fist-sized, grayish-white stone riddled with holes, which was one of the faint sources of the "Source Stone" he sensed! But it was not a complete Source Stone; it was more like a... "fragment" or "landmark."
"Elder Ying has sent word that he has arrived at the 'Resonance Point' and is preparing for the welcoming ceremony. We must complete the 'Traction Array' within a quarter of an hour, otherwise we will miss the spatial tide and have to wait another three months!" the mid-stage Golden Core cultivator urged.
"understand!"
The three quickened their pace, and the evil runes lit up one by one. The soul banner on the altar moved without wind, emitting a chilling aura of vengeful spirits.
Fu Shaoping's mind raced. It seemed they were using this fragment of the Origin Stone, along with some kind of ritual, to guide or locate the true "Origin Stone"? And that "Shadow Elder" was very likely a high-ranking member of the Myriad Origin Alliance at the Nascent Soul stage!
"We can't let the ceremony go through!" Fu Shaoping made a decisive decision.
Just as the three Wanqi Alliance cultivators were about to complete the last few runes, Fu Shaoping made his move!
Instead of attacking the altar directly (which could trigger an uncontrollable reaction), he targeted the three monks!
"Contract Verdict: Silence!"
"Contract Projection: Soul Binding!"
Two contract techniques were activated simultaneously! The pale golden power of the contract transformed into invisible shackles, instantly imprisoning the three's true essence circulation and soul fluctuations! At the same time, three contract clones pounced out of the shadows, wielding short blades formed from contract power, aiming for the three's vital points!
"Enemy attack!" The mid-stage Golden Core cultivator reacted the fastest. The moment his true essence was imprisoned, a life-saving jade pendant on his body exploded, forcibly breaking through a sliver of restraint and narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. However, his shoulder was still slashed open by the clone's short blade, leaving a deep gash that exposed bone, and blood spurted out!
The other two early-stage Golden Core cultivators weren't so lucky. Being weaker and under Fu Shaoping's special attention, their true essence and divine souls were instantly locked down. Before they could even scream, their dantian and brow were pierced by the clone's short blade, killing them instantly!
"It's you!" The mid-stage Golden Core cultivator was both shocked and furious. He recognized Fu Shaoping, turned around and fled, crushing a communication jade talisman in the process!
"Trying to leave?" Fu Shaoping wouldn't allow him to report this, "Frost Soul Pact - Soul Lock!"
The icy blue sword energy arrived first, transforming into countless tiny chains that coiled around the opponent. Simultaneously, Fu Shaoping used "Shadow Step" to instantly close the distance, striking the opponent's crown with a palm!
"Alliance Leader, save me!" The mid-stage Golden Core cultivator roared in despair, summoning a pitch-black bone shield to block his way.
"Crack!"
The bone shield shattered like paper under Fu Shaoping's palm strike, which contained the power of the contract's judgment! The force of his palm remained undiminished, striking the opponent's forehead!
"Soul search!"
Fu Shaoping showed no mercy, forcefully intruding into the other party's sea of consciousness with his contracted spiritual sense, scavenging fragments of memory. Since this person was in charge of the operation, he must know a great deal of inside information. (End of Chapter)