Chapter 570: Star-Burning Pit
“Speaking of which, should I sneak near the Liangzhu Kingdom army, or into Canglin Immortal City, and secretly et the three generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang, as well as General Mu Lan, to say farewell once?”
Inside the Dragon Head Cabin, Ning Zhuo hesitated for a mont.
Resolving the matter of divorce was out of the question. That required going through official departnts, which would certainly take a long ti and would expose him proactively.
For Ning Zhuo, it brought no benefit—only danger and trouble.
Besides formally saying goodbye, Ning Zhuo mainly wanted to use the Three Generals Camp and the Red Flower Camp to exchange a portion of his military rits, making it convenient to take those rewards with him.
After all, in the second grand decisive battle, he had perford brilliantly and achieved outstanding results. According to the rules, such achievents should earn Ning Zhuo trendous comndations.
“The Three-Constellation Exchange Talisman I obtained with military rit last ti was truly useful.”
“Even if Liangzhu Kingdom is small, it’s still a cultivation nation. To personally—or even to the entire Ning Family—it’s a colossal entity. The resources it controls are like mountains and seas. With military rit, I’ll definitely be able to exchange for treasures suitable for my cultivation.”
“Once I obtain that portion of cultivation resources, setting out afterward will surely benefit my future cultivation greatly.”
Just as Ning Zhuo ford the thought, the chanical Ring on his hand suddenly contracted with considerable force.
One had to know that Ning Zhuo’s physical body was now vastly stronger than before. Yet even so, the sudden tightening of the ring made him grit his teeth in pain.
“If I linger here, would that not be courting death?”
Ning Zhuo’s pupils abruptly shrank.
“Did the Heaven-and-Earth Twin Ghosts track back?”
“Or has Du Tiechuan been lying in wait for this whole ti?”
“Or perhaps when the Dragon Ginseng King captured the fake Stone Dwelling Old Monster, he indirectly uncovered clues and followed them here?”
For a mont, countless speculations circulated in Ning Zhuo’s mind.
If that was the case, what secret eting was there to hold?
Run!
“I’m rely a Foundation Establishnt stage cultivator. With such tiny arms and legs, there’s no need to jump around in front of Soul Formation–level or Nascent Soul–level powerhouses.”
“Even my previous performance on the grand battlefield was only possible because they were fighting each other desperately and had no ti to pay attention.”
In any case, the two captives, Lin You and Wu Hen, had already been handed over to Ning Zhuo directly by Mu Lan.
The most important objective had already been achieved. Ning Zhuo chose to stop while he was ahead.
“As the son-in-law of Grand General Mu, the military rits I established during Liangzhu Kingdom’s punitive campaign should also receive so consideration.”
“First, there is the nation’s system and reputation. Second, the Grand General Mu’s Mansion has close ties with . If they don’t help their own son-in-law, how could they speak of revival?”
Ning Zhuo once again realized the benefits of his marital relationship with Mu Lan.
“When I return to Liangzhu Kingdom in the future, I’ll deal with the results and settle this relationship then.”
Thinking this, Ning Zhuo no longer felt any attachnt. He activated the Puppet Dragon and rushed forward.
The Wanli Dragon could traverse the void, making it an excellent vehicle for long-distance travel.
Three or four days later, ripples appeared in space, and a small chanical dragon suddenly erged.
It was precisely the Wanli Dragon.
The Wanli Dragon deliberately halted here. Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong gathered inside the Dragon Head Cabin, observing the magnificent scene outside.
This was an enormous crater with a diater of eight hundred li.
From high in the sky, the surrounding mountains ford a ring, enclosing a vast abyss at the center.
The walls of the pit had completely vitrified and were covered with spiderweb-like cracks. From ti to ti, blue-silver light seeped out of the cracks, flashing rhythmically like the natural breathing of a giant.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the power of the earth surged, and a massive plu of blue-silver flas burst out from the cracks everywhere. In an instant, blazing fire filled the entire crater.
The flas reached hundreds of ters high, their tongues shooting straight into the clouds. The temperature rose violently, creating deadly heat across the surroundings.
The two of them had already taken precautions and placed the Wanli Dragon far away. Yet when the blue-silver flas shot skyward, they still hastily controlled the Wanli Dragon to retreat.
Signs of lting appeared all over the Wanli Dragon. Fortunately, it withdrew quickly, suffering only minor damage.
Cold sweat appeared on Sun Lingtong’s forehead. “This is the Star-Burning Pit! Even though it was recorded in books, I still underestimated the power of this Purifying World Heavenly Fire.”
Blue flas reflected in Ning Zhuo’s eyes as he remained silent for a long ti.
This place was one of the wonders of the cultivation world.
According to legend, a star had fallen from the heavens, smashing into the depths of this mountain range and creating the enormous crater.
The Purifying World Heavenly Fire that erupted from it penetrated deep into the earth veins and beca entangled with this region, burning continuously from ancient tis until now.
Many legends surrounded this place.
For example, during the Middle Ancient Era, outstanding spiritual roots erged one after another. At that ti, seven super sects jointly explored the Star-Burning Pit, sending in thirty thousand cultivators. In the end, only seven survived.
Those seven benefited greatly during the exploration and were later known as the Seven Sons Who Patrol the Heavens.
Then in the Near Ancient Era, spiritual energy flourished and extraordinary talents erged. The Star-Burning Pit also benefited from this, and after long accumulation of spirituality, a qualitative transformation occurred. A powerful fire spirit was born, capable of cultivating on its own. She called herself the Purifying World Heavenly Maiden.
The Purifying World Heavenly Maiden left the Star-Burning Pit and brought catastrophe to the entire cultivation world, burning countless living beings. Most forces perished because of her.
The blue-silver flas were unimaginably vast, like a gigantic mountain of fire.
Centered on the flas, a mysterious force spread outward. Wherever it reached, it imdiately transford the surroundings, forming a peculiar space of azure cosmos.
The space was completely open, freely accessible. Countless starlights sparkled brilliantly, while lines of starlight drew straight and curved paths crisscrossing throughout the azure cosmos.
Boom boom boom…
The clouds split apart as three teorites descended from the sky, drawn into the azure cosmos.
Then the three teors plunged straight into the Star-Burning Pit, producing three consecutive explosions.
The massive mountain-like fla trembled three tis for the first ti before stabilizing again. It continued burning, occasionally flinging out specks of star ash from within.
“Burning Star Powder!” Sun Lingtong’s eyes lit up. He controlled the Wanli Dragon to move slightly closer and collected so of the star ash impurities.
Burning Star Powder was an excellent combustion catalyst that could drastically lower the lting point of materials.
Sun Lingtong only gathered a small portion and deliberately abandoned the majority.
The reason was simple: harvesting it was extrely dangerous. If the Wanli Dragon truly entered the flas, it would be burned to ashes in a single breath.
A Nascent Soul–level chanical construct was insignificant before a world-level wonder.
When the Fire Mountain burned, the azure cosmos that spread outward ford an ownerless Dao-Field.
Its forr owner was the Purifying World Heavenly Maiden of the Near Ancient Era.
During the Forbidden Dynasty era, the cultivation world once widely believed that controlling this Dao-Field ant controlling the Star-Burning Pit.
This was a world-wonder-level resource node with unimaginable benefits.
With gods and buddhas erging endlessly during that era, many ambitious individuals ventured into the Star-Burning Pit, attempting to seize control of the ownerless Dao-Field.
Driven by profit, countless renowned experts and organizations paid the price with their lives or complete destruction.
The most famous recorded in history was Layman Xingyun.
This Buddhist cultivator was a Mahayana-level existence, yet he still perished during the attempt to control it.
He had prepared many thods to deal with the Purifying World Heavenly Fire, but he never expected the presence of Star-Core Ghost Remains within the pit. It devoured him, turning him into a Starfire Ghost Demon that rampaged within the Star-Burning Pit, slaughtering countless later explorers.
Eventually, the many attempts around the Star-Burning Pit provoked the Forbidden Dynasty into action.
An entire dynasty mobilized its power to subdue the Star-Burning Pit.
Yet they still returned in defeat. The survivors afterward refused to speak of it. Officially, the dynasty only announced one thing:
“Deep within the Star-Burning Pit lies a great terror.”
If even an imperial dynasty failed, no one dared attempt to subdue it again. Thus, the Star-Burning Pit ca to be recognized as one of the wonders of this world.
Although no force could control it, many cultivators still risked their lives living nearby.
Their main purpose was to collect the unique cultivation resources around the Star-Burning Pit.
Burning Star Powder was rely one of them—and could even be considered insignificant.
The larvae of Starlight Worms were as large as elephants and could roam freely around the pit.
Every ti a star was captured by the ownerless Dao-Field and burned away, Star Marrow would form. This rare treasure could counter the Fire Tribulation among the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations and was extrely valuable.
Sotis, the mountain walls of the pit would naturally form Fire Pattern Diagrams, recording the principles of fire. There were also Star Trace Diagrams containing the principles of stars.
Among them, the Fire Seeds of the Purifying World Heavenly Fire were so of the most precious treasures. But seeking those seeds required entering deep into the Star-Burning Pit itself, which was far too dangerous.
Though the pit appeared open and flat at first glance, any cultivator who stepped inside would inevitably beco trapped within the Dao-Field. No matter how far they traveled, the distance covered would not equal even a small step in reality.
Moreover, there existed spatial labyrinths ford by residual star-void gaps. Each ti the flas erupted, their structure would change drastically.
While Sun Lingtong collected Burning Star Powder, he noticed many other cultivators gathering resources as well.
Each displayed different techniques and thods. Their cultivation levels varied, but the lowest were Golden Core cultivators. Sun Lingtong alone observed three Soul Formation–level cultivators.
In so sense, the level of this world wonder far exceeded Liangzhu Kingdom’s punitive campaign against the Thousand Peaks Forest.
“Daoist friend…”
Before Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong had acted for long, a Nascent Soul cultivator flew over to strike up a conversation.
He introduced himself as a subordinate of a Soul Formation–level cultivator and politely invited them to a gathering.
Since the Wanli Dragon was a Nascent Soul–level construct, strangers assud there was at least a Nascent Soul cultivator inside.
Ning Zhuo did not hesitate. He simply said they were passing through and rely sightseeing, and that they would leave shortly.
The Nascent Soul cultivator left behind a token before departing, maintaining a warm attitude throughout.
Sun Lingtong sighed. “Where there are people, there are conflicts. Though the Star-Burning Pit has no owner, its imnse benefits have already ford a fixed structure among the cultivators here. The interests have long been divided.”
“Mhm.” Ning Zhuo nodded. “We’re only passing by. Let’s not get involved in the complicated struggles here. We should leave.”
They had mainly co out of curiosity. After taking a look, they prepared to depart.
“Once we leave here, we’ll be outside Liangzhu Kingdom’s borders,” Sun Lingtong remarked.
Ning Zhuo subconsciously looked back toward the direction of the Thousand Peaks Forest, his expression slightly complicated.
This trip to Liangzhu Kingdom had been extrely dangerous. Several tis his life hung by a thread. But the gains had been trendous.
Not only had he achieved his original goals smoothly, he had beco extrely wealthy. Both his strength and ntality had undergone qualitative transformation.
The Wanli Dragon slipped into the void and vanished.
“So they really left.”
Many gazes withdrew.
The Wanli Dragon was a classic chanical construct. Because it possessed little combat power and served purely for travel and escape, it was not standard equipnt. For most Nascent Soul cultivators, it was a luxury.
A cultivator possessing one was either extrely powerful or extraordinarily wealthy.
Thus Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong were greatly overestimated. From the mont they appeared, they attracted the attention of many cultivators, none suspecting that the two inside were rely Foundation Establishnt cultivators.
The two continued their journey, heading directly toward Flying Cloud Country.
Void traversal was far more convenient than flying.
Flying through the sky risked encountering demon beasts and dangerous weather. Traveling through the void was relatively safer and far more lonely.
Of course, everything had its pros and cons.
Traveling like this consud enormous resources.
Every mont burned money.
“If we could capture a Nascent Soul cultivator, we could save a lot of spirit stones. Unfortunately, during both grand decisive battles and the smaller skirmishes before and after, we never had the chance to capture one alive.”
Ning Zhuo felt regret.
The main reason was insufficient ability.
Nascent Souls could escape through void flight and were extrely adept at survival.
Before and after the Thousand Peaks Forest campaign, many Nascent Soul cultivators died, but most of their Nascent Souls escaped.
For example, Bi Tengyi could continue cultivating after reconstructing her body.
At the Nascent Soul stage, a cultivator’s survival ability underwent a qualitative leap. Even if the physical body was destroyed, the cultivation path was not severed.
Mu Lan’s Divine Ability—Crimson-Heart Swan Arrow—was extrely powerful and capable of annihilating Nascent Souls. Such thods were exceedingly rare; even within Liangzhu Kingdom they could be counted on one hand.
Capturing a Nascent Soul alive, however, was countless tis harder than killing one.
Thus Ning Zhuo’s chances of capturing one alive were extrely slim.
Although he had no Nascent Souls, he had seized many Golden Cores. Earlier, he had exchanged three Golden Cores from Zhao Xi. After the second grand decisive battle, the number in his possession had surged to eight.
Flying Cloud Country was quite far away. While traveling, Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong took turns cultivating.
Ning Zhuo first repaired his chanical constructs.
Heavy Armor Blood Ape, Dasheng and Shadowblade—Night Tiger had both suffered severe damage on the battlefield.
As for the ordinary chanical Puppets, they had been completely wiped out.
Only ten percent of the chanical Golden Swallows remained.
“Now that I’ve left Liangzhu Kingdom, my military rank and military roster slot will most likely be revoked soon. Without a personal military rank and without a military roster slot, I can’t form an army anymore.”
From now on, when Ning Zhuo used those chanical puppets, it would be similar to how the Heaven-and-Earth Twin Ghosts controlled soul ghosts—rely summoned beasts. Military strategist techniques would also beco difficult to use.
Even cultivators of the beast-taming path like Lone Fang and Giant Bing had difficulty utilizing military strategist arts.
Cultivating military strategist techniques individually was not very difficult.
The difficult part was forming an army.
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