Chapter 703: The Power of Soul Essence
The kings and troops of Daluo Territory exchanged puzzled glances, their gazes following Xiao Ze as he accompanied the Domain Lord into the depths of the Fallen Battlefield.
Initially, they had assumed Xiao Ze's proximity to the Domain Lord was due to his prestigious status as an alchemist. However, their assumptions began to unravel.
Given the importance of Spirit God Liquid, a treasure of immense value, Mandala would never risk bringing a liability into the depths. Splitting her focus to protect a weaker ally could mean losing out during critical moments of contention.
This left only one possibility: Xiao Ze was no liability. His strength must rival that of the Three Sovereigns, or perhaps even exceed it.
As this thought dawned, shock rippled through the troops. Xiao Ze was not only an alchemist of extraordinary skill but also a spiritual energy practitioner of immense power. Such dual mastery was enough to inspire both awe and envy.
With these thoughts lingering, the kings led their armies to disperse and begin hunting for Fallen Source Pills.
In the Fallen Battlefield, the relentless spiritual energy storms constantly reshaped the terrain, making past maps unreliable. Even Mandala could only provide vague locations for potential relic sites, most of which were minor and located in the outer regions.
The Hierarchy of Relics
The relics within the Fallen Battlefield were graded into three levels based on size and the number of Fallen Source Pills they contained:
Tier 3 Relics – Hundreds of pills.
Tier 2 Relics – Thousands of pills.
Tier 1 Relics – Tens of thousands of pills.
A Tier 1 relic was a jackpot, its pills enough to unlock the seals of a Sky Sovereign's hidden treasure. However, the sheer scale and danger of such relics made it nearly impossible for a single faction to claim them.
Beyond Tier 1 relics lay the ultimate goal of Xiao Ze and his group: the Sky Sovereign's Hidden Treasure.
Xiao Ze and his four companions advanced swiftly, ignoring the minor relics they encountered. They left behind markers for the Daluo armies to explore later and continued their journey into the battlefield's depths.
Though they moved at lightning speed, the battlefield was vast beyond imagination. Several days passed before they reached the inner regions, where chaos reigned supreme.
The Inner Depths
The sky here was perpetually dark, with violent spiritual energy storms raging ceaselessly.
These storms leveled even the tallest peaks, sparing only a few jagged black mountains made from an iron like substance of unimaginable density.
The landscape was riddled with deep, pitch black chasms, like the scars of an ancient war. The cold winds emerging from these depths carried ghostly wails, and shadowy figures occasionally flitted across the void.
Mandala landed lightly on a mountain ridge, her voice calm as she explained to Xiao Ze:
"These shadowy forms are the remnants of ancient warriors who perished here. Over time, their souls have degenerated into mindless specters."
She pointed to one chasm, her golden eyes narrowing.
"Don't underestimate them. These specters retain much of their strength from when they were alive. A specter that was once a Nine Star Sovereign could easily overwhelm an Eight Star Sovereign now."
Mandala paused, her expression serious.
"And for some reason whether it's due to the battlefield's energy or the nature of their deaths they are unnaturally aggressive. Disturbing them means fighting to the death."
The Three Sovereigns exchanged grim looks. Though they were veterans of previous Great Hunt Wars, even they couldn't afford to be careless here.
A Strategic Advance
"We'll spread out in a fan formation to explore the deeper regions," Mandala instructed.
"Stay close enough to regroup quickly. This is a treacherous place, full of dangers from specters and natural disasters to ambushes by rival factions."
The group nodded solemnly, readying themselves to move.
"Wait a moment, Mandala," Xiao Ze interjected, producing four jade tokens shaped like dragons.
"These are formed from my essence power and will allow us to stay connected. With them, we can relay messages instantly."
Mandala and the others examined the tokens, their faces lighting up with amazement after a brief test.
"This is extraordinary! Such an artifact is invaluable in warfare."
Mandala gave Xiao Ze a meaningful look, clearly impressed.
"With these, communication will be much easier. If this mission succeeds, you can expect a grand reward upon our return."
With that, the group split up to explore. Xiao Ze flew low over the chaotic terrain, careful to avoid the higher altitudes, where spiritual energy storms raged most fiercely.
A Battle in the Depths
A thunderous roar echoed across the battlefield, the sheer force shaking even the surrounding spiritual energy.
Xiao Ze had deliberately provoked an Eight Star Sovereign level specter, his interest piqued by the power emanating from the ghostly figure.
As the chilling presence surged toward him, Xiao Ze's fist glowed with spiritual energy. With a single punch, he shattered the specter, leaving behind another yawning chasm in the battlefield.
Hovering in his hand was a cold, flickering orb of soul essence.
"This... its purity surpasses even the soul essence I've encountered in the Heavenly Tomb," Xiao Ze murmured, a gleam of excitement in his eyes.
This battlefield, treacherous though it was, could be a treasure trove for his soul cultivation.
Summoning the Flame of Origin, Xiao Ze purified the essence, refining it repeatedly before inhaling the resulting energy.
Thanks to his Soul Devourer talent, he absorbed the purified essence with incredible efficiency, his soul strength growing exponentially with every passing moment.
The Fallen Battlefield's perils were clear, but to Xiao Ze, it was also an unparalleled opportunity.
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