In the distant sky, two figures, one large and one small, slowly soared.
"Boss, how long will it take to reach our destination? I'm exhausted!" Zi Yan held a jade bottle in her hand, occasionally pouring a yellow pill from it, popping it into her mouth and chewing it with considerable enjoyment.
Tired of flying? Liu Yu was truly shocked by Zi Yan's shamelessness. After leaving Canaan Academy, he had repeatedly performed space jumps with his burden, depleting most of his fighting spirit. Zi Yan herself had barely moved, so even if she was tired, it was him who was tired!
"Since you're tired, save your energy. Chewing food also consumes energy," Liu Yu replied calmly, snatching the jade bottle from Zi Yan's hand.
After Liu Yu snatched the jade bottle from her hand, Zi Yan didn't get as angry as expected. Instead, she calmly took out a new bottle of pills from her ring and silently distanced herself from Liu Yu. Her cute little face was filled with disdain: "Childish!"
Damn it! Liu Yu's heart suddenly felt like a thousand alpaca horses galloping through his chest. He was being mocked by a little brat?!
After calming down, Liu Yu tossed the jade bottle back to Zi Yan, inwardly spitting, "Little straight girl, no sense of humor at all!" (Zi Yan: ...)
"We're headed to Dongming City, nestled in the Great Thunder Mountains, nearly ten thousand miles from the Black Horn Region. Even a warrior with Dou Qi transformed wings would take nearly ten days to reach Dongming City from the Black Horn Region. But thanks to my presence, we've already shaved off most of the journey. We should be arriving soon."
A deliberately cold voice emanated from Liu Yu's mouth, emphasizing the last few words.
"Well, Boss, you're great!" Zi Yan said casually, savoring the delicious pill.
As if sensing Liu Yu's inner turmoil, Zi Yan quickly changed the subject, hoping to prevent the "petty-minded" boss from giving her trouble when refining pills in the future. "Boss, why are we going to Dongming City?"
"Dongming City is the only city in the Great Thunder Mountains, and even east of the Black Horn Region, with a wormhole," Liu Yu replied, expressionless and cold.
"Space wormhole?" The unfamiliar name startled Zi Yan, and she looked at Liu Yu with curiosity.
Noticing Zi Yan's gaze, Liu Yu made no attempt to explain.
"Boss, tell me about space wormholes! Please!" Zi Yan, who was standing nearby, also flew to Liu Yu's side, holding his hand and coquettishly saying, but inwardly she sighed silently. It was exhausting to have such an "immature" boss! (Liu Yu: ...) Seeing
Zi Yan's "earnest pleading," Liu Yu, who had a lot of respect for her, decided not to dwell on her ignorance. He softly explained, "Space wormholes are connected by Dou Zun power through the spatial force of two points in space. We're headed to the Eastern Continent. An average Dou Zong would take at least seven or eight months to cross on their own, but this space wormhole can significantly shorten that time. We'll reach the Eastern Continent in just over half a month."
Zi Yan chewed the pill and nodded, seeming to understand.
…
As two streaks of light flashed across the sky, a mountain range jutted out from the distant ground.
"Da Lei Mountains, we've arrived."
Liu Yu and Zi Yan crossed the plains and, upon entering the mountain's interior, came upon a wide, interconnected road. Along the road, figures came and went, and the sounds of clamor rose and fell.
Above the mountain's sky, the sound of wind breaking could be heard continuously. Various bizarre flying magical beasts, carrying figures on their wings, flapped their wings and soared into the mountains. Some of them instantly distanced themselves as they passed Liu Yu and Zi Yan. Liu Yu's powerful Dou Huang aura, which kept them at arm's length, instilled fear in the first and second-level flying magical beasts.
"Eastern Continent..." Liu Yu muttered, and, with Zi Yan in tow, they flew deeper into the mountains.
After seven or eight minutes of flight, the outline of a massive city loomed at the junction of the lush peaks.
As they approached, Liu Yu and Zi Yan arrived at the city gate. The flying monsters in the sky also landed in an open area at the gate designated for their accommodation.
Liu Yu and Zi Yan entered Dongming City smoothly. Once
inside, Liu Yu and Zi Yan first found a luxuriously decorated hotel and temporarily checked in. After settling Zi Yan in, Liu Yu concealed his presence and began to wander the city.
He hadn't learned much about the exact ownership of the Dongming City wormhole or how to access it during his time in the Black Horn Region. He only knew that Dongming City was a transit point to the Eastern Continent and that a wormhole existed.
Therefore, Liu Yu headed for the city's bustling areas, where information often flows most easily.
After a thorough walk, he finally obtained the information he needed.
There's only one faction within Dongming City: the Gong family. Not only does the family boast a Dou Zong-level leader, but they also boast several Dou Huang-level masters. They're considered the sole dominant power within a thousand-mile radius, monopolizing the spatial wormhole and surrounding resources.
Numerous rumors abound regarding the Gong family's origins, the most widespread of which claims they migrated from the Eastern Continent. They were once a formidable force there, but somehow managed to leave the continent and settle in the Great Thunder Mountains, establishing Dongming City and the spatial wormhole.
Dongming City itself is rumored to be a thousand years old. If Dongming City was founded by the Gong family, then they must be at least a millennial family!
This is a terrifying prospect. A family that has stood for a thousand years must possess a staggering legacy, demonstrating the depth of the Eastern Continent.
Pondering this, Liu Yu hesitated. Should he go to the Eastern Continent?
In his original understanding, the entire Dou Qi Continent, aside from Zhongzhou, seemed to be a distant second, their strongest being at the Dou Zun level at best.
For example, in the Northwest Continent, Dou Zong masters were already considered kings and overlords, yet there seemed to be no Dou Zun presence. This was evident through the Northwest Continent, and aside from Zhongzhou, the other continents were roughly on par.
Of course, this might be due to his inherent perspective, prioritizing control, which led to a partial understanding of the other continents. The information he had learned from Dongming City alone had already shattered his perception.
This feeling of being out of control made Liu Yu hesitate to continue on to the East Continent. But then he thought, could the East Continent, no matter how deep it was, be as deep as the Zhongzhou? Zhongzhou, on the surface, had Dou Zun and above, and many Semi-Saints, as well as the three great demon beast clans, the Eight Ancient Clans, and even the Soul Heavenly Emperor, secretly eyeing it.
By that calculation, the East Continent's peak performance was just that. The only difference was that he knew Zhongzhou better, while the East Continent was unknown to him.
"Eastern Continent... Let's see if I can get some information about the Eastern Continent here in Dongming City..."
With this thought in mind, Liu Yu once again wandered the streets of Dongming City.
...
Near the city center, Liu Yu quietly appeared at a caravan gathering place.
"Cheng Biao, your Cheng family has another elder leading the team this time. Are we going to the Eastern Continent to treasure hunt again?" A middle-aged man with a somewhat sturdy build asked, looking at the tall, thin young man in front of him.
"Old Chen, do you think it's possible? Three years ago, two Dou Wang elders from our Cheng family led a team to the Eastern Continent, but they disappeared after that. This was a huge loss for our Cheng family! Who would want to go to that damned Eastern Continent?"
Cheng Biao's face was clearly grim as he spoke these words. Their Cheng family only had two Dou Huang powerhouses, the Patriarch and the Ancestor, and four Dou Wang elders. The "disappearance" of those two elders three years ago directly caused the Cheng family to lose two Dou Wang powerhouses for nothing.
The middle-aged man named Lao Chen sighed, hesitated for a moment, and finally asked his question, "Cheng Biao, do you think anyone who went to the East Continent has ever returned?"
"Who knows? Ever since this wormhole opened, rumors have spread of ancient ruins on the East Continent, including cave dwellings left behind by Dou Zong and even Dou Zun masters. So many people went to the East Continent that first time, but only a few returned, and they often disappeared shortly after. Among them..."
Cheng Biao quickly stopped talking mid-sentence. There were so many people gathered here at the caravan, and if he wasn't careful, he could make a mistake. Then, the Cheng family wouldn't be able to protect him.
Seeing Cheng Biao's expression, Lao Chen subconsciously glanced around. Clearly, he also understood the consequences of speaking carelessly in Dongming City.
"Well, if it weren't for the boundless Sea of Death separating Dongming City from the East Continent, we could go treasure hunting there on our own, without having to rely on the Gong family's wormhole." Lao Chen sighed, a flicker of fear crossing his face at the mention of the Sea of Death.
Cheng Biao's expression darkened when he heard about the Sea of Death. While using the Gong family's wormhole to reach the Eastern Continent offered a glimmer of hope, crossing the Sea of Death would guarantee certain death! Forget returning alive, even reaching the Eastern Continent alive was a pipe dream!
Every major city in the Great Thunder Mountain Range had clear records of the Sea of Death.
A thick, gray fog permeated the surface of the Sea of Death year-round. This fog was incredibly toxic. Even a Dou Huang powerhouse who inhaled it, if not promptly cleared, would be corroded by it, losing their sanity and becoming a brutal "water ghost."
These water ghosts, tainted by the fog, lurked on the surface of the Sea of Death. Their eyes were completely gray, their complexions were deep purple, and their bodies resembled those of a rotting corpse, battered and broken. Yet, their physical strength was terrifying. A Dou Huang-level water ghost, relying solely on physical strength, could rival a Dou Huang of the same rank! Furthermore, they couldn't be scratched, or they risked becoming one of their kind.
Furthermore, the Dou Qi released by the Water Ghosts is also gray and highly toxic. In short, encountering a Water Ghost in the Sea of Death means half your life is gone.
Besides the gray fog, the Sea of Death also harbors a terrifying presence—the "Gray Beasts"!
These Gray Beasts collectively designate the aquatic monsters of the Sea of Death, all infected by the gray fog. There are numerous species, but the most famous is the Ghost-Faced Shark!
With a humanoid body and a fishtail tail, they are best known for their demonic death sounds, possessing the powerful power to control and steal the mind. They are the rulers of the Sea of Death. Records indicate that even within the Ghost-Faced Jiao clan are Dou Zun-level monsters.
In the past, many individuals have sought death by crossing the Sea of Death and reaching the Eastern Continent, but unfortunately, they were unable to withstand even the gray fog and became the Water Ghosts of the Sea of Death.
The most sensational incident involved a veteran Dou Zong master from the Great Thunder Mountain Range. With four Dou Huangs and a dozen Dou Wangs, they, after taking detoxifying pills specifically designed to ward off the gray fog, safely made it through the outer reaches of the Sea of Death. They were incredibly lucky, avoiding the fearsome water ghosts.
However, their luck didn't last long. Deeper into the Sea of Death, they encountered two Dou Huang-level Ghost-Faced Sharks!
While these were two Dou Huang-level Ghost-Faced Sharks, the Xie family's one Dou Zong, four Dou Huangs, and numerous Dou Wangs clearly outmatched them. However, shockingly, the death cries of the two Dou Huang Ghost-Faced Sharks instantly controlled the minds of several of the Xie family's Dou Huangs and numerous Dou Wangs, who then brazenly attacked their own ancestor.
Even a Dou Zong master like the Xie family's ancestor, facing the onslaught of six Dou Huangs and over a dozen Dou Wangs, especially the sudden attack from his own Dou Huang, was severely wounded. At the last moment, he leveraged the power of space to escape the Sea of Death and survive.
However, the Xie family's ancestor succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter, and the Xie family fell into decline.
From then on, the Sea of Death became a truly forbidden zone, off-limits to all forces within the Great Thunder Mountains. No force dared to cross the sea again!
Liu Yu, secretly observing Old Chen and Cheng Biao, gleaned some key information from their conversations: ruins, caves of powerful individuals, and the fact that those who had traveled to the Eastern Continent via the space wormhole rarely returned.
He had heard a little about the Sea of Death, suggesting it was a forbidden area within the Great Thunder Mountains.
Meanwhile, Old Chen and Cheng Biao, each preoccupied with their own concerns, separated and returned to their respective hotels.
As Cheng Biao returned to his room to train, his consciousness suddenly plunged into endless darkness.
A tall figure in a purple robe slowly emerged from the void. Liu Yu nodded secretly at Cheng Biao, whose eyes were dull and lifeless. The "soul-bewitching technique" in the "Xuantian Soul Art" was indeed powerful. It cleverly used the power of the soul to control the minds of others without anyone noticing!
Immediately, Liu Yu began to inquire about the detailed information about the space wormhole and the Sea of Death. Cheng Biao, whose mind was controlled, mechanically told him everything about it...
After getting the information he wanted from Cheng Biao, Liu Yu repeated the same method and went to Lao Chen again. After integrating the information from both, Liu Yu discovered a secret that was not really a secret.
Aren't the Gong family of Dongming City "scamming"?! Just like the ignorant boys and girls who were deceived into going to a certain village in his previous life, Liu Yu felt that he roughly knew the Gong family's purpose. It was probably to trick the people of the Dalei Mountain Range to the East Continent to serve as free labor.