54 Chapter 1211: Hall Master Xing’s Leaving Aperture Ordeal (1/2)
The Man-eating Lotus had devoured the energy swiftly, precisely, and accurately. Just like what Ji shi had said, it was indeed unlikely for ordinary Transcendent Mortal cultivators to be able to escape from their clutches.
”Other than the Man-eating Lotuses, there are also some unique poisonous worms that live within the marsh. Once bitten, one's body will immediately be numbed, making it impossible for one to exert any strength. Unable to move, one will only continue to sink deeper and deeper into the marshlands, until one is reduced to white bones. There was even a year where a hundred thousand cultivators and master teachers had died here. As such, this area has been labeled as a forbidden zone for cultivators.” As Ji shi spoke, he took out a slice of cooked meat from his storage ring and tossed it into the marsh.
Initially, the cooked meat floated on top of the marsh. A moment later, a couple of black beetles suddenly dived out of the marsh and bit the meat. In the blink of an eye, the meat was reduced to a puddle of acid, as if it had been corroded by a very potent acid.
Upon seeing this sight, the faces of the group turned extremely awful.
They had heard rumors about how treacherous the marshlands was, but they hadn't thought that it would actually be so fearsome. Even as Primordial Spirit realm cultivators, they still couldn't help but feel their bodies turning cold in apprehension.
”However, there's no need to worry. As treacherous as the marshlands are, there is a way to pass through it safely. There are some plots of land that float above the marsh, and they form something similar to a suspension bridge. As long as we are able to find these plots of land, we will be able to pass through the marshlands without much trouble!” Ji shi said with a smile.
After saying those words, he leaped ten meters forward and stepped on solid ground on the marshlands. ”Everyone, follow me closely. Make sure not to step wrongly or lag behind!”
Following which, he continued to leap forward. In just a dozen steps, he had already covered a distance of several hundred meters.
Zhang Xuan examined the area where Ji shi had landed carefully, and while it was nearly indiscernible, there was indeed a slight difference in the color as compared to the rest of the marsh. It was slightly tinged green, and while there were no plants growing in the area, it gave a feeling of fertility, different from the desolate aura that the rest of the marsh was emanating.
”It doesn't seem likely for these plots of land to have been formed naturally. Most likely, they have been artificially constructed…”
Zhang Xuan had no reason how the marshland came to be, but its formation should have resulted in the ground in the area to sink as a whole. For there plots of land where one could stand on to surface from the marsh, the chances were that they were man-made.
”Let's move on!”
Deciding not to think too deep into the matter, the group had the aerial saint beast to wait for them on the spot while they leaped onto the plots of land as well, following closely behind Ji shi.
As Saint realm experts, their memory far surpassed ordinary humans. Even though they had only briefly seen Ji shi's movements, they were still able to memorize his movements clearly and emulate them without any problem.
”Ji shi, I heard that there are some native saint beasts that live within the marsh. I am curious to know how do they survive in such an environment?”
Considering how poor the environment was, it was truly difficult to comprehend how any saint beasts could possibly grow in the marsh.
”Nearer to the center of the marsh, there will be some 'islands', the largest of them being roughly several kilometers in diameter, which would produce unique saint herbs and ores due to the unique environment of the marsh. As such, there are quite a few saint beasts who would claim those territories for their own in order to dominate those resources. Often, there are some cultivators who unwittingly enter those areas, only to end up killed.”
At which, Ji shi suddenly gestured forward and said, ”Speak of the devil. There's one of those right in front of us!”
The crowd turned over, and as expected, they saw a significantly larger plot of land right in front of them. Lush with greenery, it resembled a remote island in the midst of an ocean. It was filled with all kinds of plants, and from time to time, they would even see some birds flying in the area.
Proceeding forward, they finally arrived on the island after a ten-minute journey.
The island was roughly five hundred meters in radius, and there was a small hill in the middle of it. It floated above the marsh as if an upside-down tortoise shell.
”We should hurry forward. It'll be best if we could reach the center of the marsh before night time. The marsh gets even more frightening at night!” Seeing that the crowd's attention was wandering around the island, Ji shi urged anxiously.
”Un.” Taking a glance at the gradually falling sun, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. ”Let's proceed forward.”
While there was still some time before sunset, the marshlands were simply too huge, and they couldn't fly in the area either. Even if they were to rush at full speed ahead, it would probably take them two to four hours before reaching the middle of the marsh, so they couldn't afford to waste any time.
With Ji shi's deep understanding of the marsh, the group managed to avoid most of the pitfalls along the way. They managed to successfully circumvent the territories of the saint beasts, as well as some of the more treacherous terrain in the marsh, thus saving much time. Four hours later, they were finally nearing the center of the marshlands.
On the way forward, they encountered quite a few cultivators, but the latter chose to take a detour around them.
While the group didn't don on their master teacher robe in order to conceal their identities, the incredible fighting prowess of the group was more than sufficient to strike fear in the hearts of others. Unlike in the city, where the presence of the Master Teacher Pavilion would make others think twice before carrying out any malicious acts, those in the marshlands had no qualms with killing other cultivators to steal their items. In fact, such actions were commonplace here.
Furthermore, if the corpses were to be disposed into the marshlands, it would be difficult for the regional Master Teacher Pavilion to investigate the matter and make an accurate judgement. As such, it was considered as a lawless zone, and in such an area, it went without saying that strength reigned supreme.
After proceeding forward another hour, just when the sun was starting to disappear at the western horizon, Ji shi lifted his finger and pointed, ”The island just ahead of us is the very center of the entire marshlands. Based on most of the rumors, the Ghost Cavern tend to appear there the most often, so it'll be good to start out search there before gradually spreading out. Other than that, I don't really have a better idea in mind.”
Following his finger, the crowd saw a massive island of roughly eight kilometers in diameter. The land was extremely lush, filled with greenery of all sorts, and there was a towering mountain in the middle of the island. Looking at it from afar, it seemed like a small city.
”Let's head over!”
Before long, the crowd stepped onto the island.
The first thing that they noticed about the island was the astonishingly high concentration of spiritual energy in the area. It felt refreshing and energizing to be in an environment so rich in spiritual energy.
”No wonder why saint beasts would want to live here! Indeed, if one were to cultivate here, one could probably achieve twice as much with the same amount of effort!” Zhang Xuan noted.
It seemed like the island was a natural blessed land for cultivation. Those who cultivate for the long-term here would be able to easily surpass those who lived outside.
As the saying goes, opportunities go hand in hand with risk. Despite knowing the dangers lurking within the marsh, the saint beasts still determinedly chose to reside in the area in hopes that they would be able to attain greater strength.
”Alright, we'll be resting here tonight. It'll be best for us to only start our search for the Ghost Cavern tomorrow morning as venomous worms and the sort will emerge from the marsh at night. Being too hasty in the moment will only slow us down!”
As Ji shi spoke, he flicked his wrist and took out a gourd of high-tier saint beast urine before pouring them in the surroundings. This served as a deter venomous worms and the sort from coming around them.
Having seen many things on their journey here, the remaining members of the group had also seen how terrifying the marsh was with their own eyes. Not saying anything much, they took out the rations they had prepared beforehand and began eating.
Fine wine accompanied with roasted meat, it could be said to be a considerably bountiful dinner.
After eating, Zhang Xuan didn't go to rest. Instead, he crossed his legs and continued to cultivate.