Chapter 690 691: Mysterious Place

Only now did Ye Xuan understand that this wasn't the case at all.

Instead, the cultivation of this Nine Transformations Sacred Body had to be undertaken when one's cultivation level was low and their physical body was still in a foundational state. Only then could it be successfully mastered.

The bodily structures of those Nine Heavens Martial Emperors were already set in stone. If they tried to cultivate it, they would naturally face obstacles at every turn.

However, Martial Artists with lower cultivation levels couldn't withstand the agonizing pain and the tearing forces of the cultivation process.

That was why, among all the Martial Artists in the Profound Domain, not a single one had managed to cultivate to the Sixth Transformation.

Ye Xuan could only be described as a special case. If not for his Life Martial Soul, his body would have exploded and he would have died.

And if he had waited until he reached the Tier Eight Martial Emperor Realm to break through to the Sixth Transformation, his body would have already set, making any further progress impossible.

Fortunately, Ye Xuan had stumbled into success, and the rewards he reaped far exceeded his expectations.

'I wonder which great master created this Nine Transformations Sacred Body. It's simply monstrous.'

A technique that could allow the body of a Tier Seven Second Layer Martial King to reach the level of a Nine Heavens Martial Emperor... In all the history of the Celestial Profound Continent, Ye Xuan had never heard of any other Body Refining Technique capable of such a feat.

Not the continent's renowned Nine Transformations of God and Demon, the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, or the Imperishable Jingang Divine Art—none of them could achieve something so monstrous.

After a moment of reflection, Ye Xuan relaxed.

'Now that my Nine Transformations Sacred Body has reached the Sixth Transformation and my cultivation has stepped into the Tier Seven Second Layer, my chances of survival in that mysterious land will be greatly enhanced.'

In truth, Ye Xuan had been somewhat apprehensive about going to that mysterious land.

After all, his strength was too low. Any single Tier Eight Second Layer Martial Emperor could pose a threat, and if several of them teamed up, they could even kill him.

But now, things were different. Ye Xuan was confident he could protect himself even when facing a Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Artist.

Unbeknownst to him, Ye Xuan's cultivation session had lasted for four days.

On the second day, Patriarch Xiao Wuji came to find him as expected.

"Young Master Ye, the situation has changed."

Patriarch Xiao Wuji said gravely as soon as he arrived.

Ye Xuan frowned. "Patriarch Xiao, what happened?"

"It's like this," Xiao Wuji explained grimly. "For some reason, news of the mysterious land has spread. Now, within our Celestial Capital Prefecture, it's not just the Yuchi family and my Xiao family who know; the other three great families are aware of it as well."

"Not only that, many families in Liuxian City have also learned the news and want to explore the mysterious land. This has thrown the area into chaos. After some discussion, it's been decided that in three days, all the factions who know about it will explore the mysterious land together."

"A joint exploration?" Ye Xuan's brow furrowed slightly.

"Yes. Besides the five great families of our Celestial Capital Prefecture, there are also the three major powers of Liuxian City, as well as the Langxie Sect, Lingkong Cave, and other factions..."

The groups Xiao Wuji mentioned were all second-tier powers in this region.

Ye Xuan frowned. "Then what are you trying to say, Patriarch Xiao?"

"I'm just letting you know in advance. Our agreement remains unchanged," Xiao Wuji said seriously.

"Then there's no problem." Ye Xuan had thought Xiao Wuji was about to go back on his word.

Xiao Wuji immediately led the way. "In that case, Young Master Ye, please follow me."

Ye Xuan said nothing more. Having prepared in advance, he went to the Xiao family estate and followed Xiao Wuji into the teleportation array under their control.

Although it was called a joint exploration, the major powers were all traveling to the mysterious land on their own.

The Xiao family dispatched a total of seven Martial Artists for this expedition.

Among them was an old man in gray robes whose aura was as deep as an abyss. He was no weaker than Xiao Wuji—in fact, he seemed even stronger. He was, surprisingly, also a Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Artist.

The other five were all Tier Eight Second Layer Martial Emperors, and from the looks of it, they were at least at the Peak of Tier Eight Second Layer, on par with Qiu Wushuang.

The group of eight, led by Xiao Wuji, passed through a flash of spatial fluctuation and soon landed in a desolate, uninhabited area.

In the distance, a dark wind swept across a landscape dotted with hills. The area was desolate and chillingly cold.

Xiao Wuji took out a Compass and began to take his bearings.

The Celestial Profound Continent was vast and hazy, with some regions being a tangled mess of terrain. It was easy to get lost in the wilderness, making a Compass essential for navigation.

After a moment, Xiao Wuji pointed south. "The mysterious land is over ten thousand li from here. The rendezvous is in three days, so we need to hurry."

As he spoke, Xiao Wuji glanced at Ye Xuan.

For Tier Eight Martial Emperors, over ten thousand li wasn't a particularly long distance. His words were clearly directed at Ye Xuan, taking into account that he was only a Martial King.

"Hmph. I really don't understand why the Patriarch brought along a dead weight this time. And giving him such a huge cut—thirty percent! I guess some people aren't afraid of biting off more than they can chew."

A Xiao family elder muttered with a hint of sarcasm.

His voice may have been low, but with the people present? They could hear ants mating, let alone a person muttering under their breath.

Xiao Wuji's face darkened. "Who's spouting nonsense? One more word out of you and you're going back to the family."

The elder looked embarrassed and fell silent.

Ye Xuan's expression remained calm, and he paid the man's words no mind. "Let's go," he said coolly.

SWOOSH!

Aethertread Wings appeared on his back. Wreathed in arcs of electricity, he instantly transformed into a bolt of lightning and vanished over the horizon.

Xiao Wuji turned and glared at the elder who had just spoken. "All of you, listen up. Master Xuan Ye is my guest. You will all show him respect on the road."

The elder said resentfully, "Patriarch, it's not that we don't respect him, but he's asking for far too much. Thirty percent! Why should we give that to a mere Martial King? Besides, the situation has changed. With all the major powers exploring together, we probably don't even need him anymore, do we?"

"Don't need him?" Xiao Wuji sneered. "Have you forgotten how many people the Yuchi family lost while exploring the mysterious land? If it weren't for the Antitoxic Pills Master Xuan Ye refined, you all would have likely died in the Three Incenses Miasma. I don't care what you think of him. Since we're partners, drop the passive-aggressive act, or don't blame me for being ruthless."

After being rebuked by Xiao Wuji, the elders were too abashed to speak. Although they were still resentful, they didn't dare to show it so openly.

With that, Xiao Wuji transformed into a streak of light and shot off in the direction Ye Xuan had disappeared.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

The elders followed close behind.

As they flew, the gray-robed elder, the only one who could match Xiao Wuji, suddenly sent a telepathic message: "Wuji, is this young man truly as formidable as you claim?"

Xiao Wuji immediately replied via transmission, "Grand Elder, you rarely venture out, so you wouldn't know. Young Master Ye is truly extraordinary. His skills in alchemy are heaven-defying. When Elder Xiao Ming and the others were poisoned by the Three Incenses Miasma, I sought out every Seventh Grade Alchemist in Celestial Capital Prefecture, but none had a solution. Yet Young Master Ye knew what poison I had with just a single glance and refined the Antitoxic Pills in less than an hour. I have never heard of such skill."

"Moreover, he defeated Vice Tower Master Rongyang of the Soul Master Tower in a direct confrontation. His attainments in Soul Refining are also monstrous."

"And at such a young age, he already has the cultivation of a Tier Seven Martial King. His origins are surely extraordinary."

"But what I value most is his knowledge. Grand Elder, you may not know this, but his Profound Light Pavilion has a high-end consultation service that specializes in solving all sorts of difficult problems for powerful cultivators. There are very few problems he cannot solve."

"So, I don't think giving him a thirty percent share is unacceptable. With his knowledge and methods, our Xiao family can certainly avoid many casualties in that mysterious land."

As a Patriarch, Xiao Wuji's foresight was naturally far superior to that of the other elders. He possessed the shrewdness and bearing of a true leader.

"Oh? Is he that incredible?"

The gray-robed man, addressed as the Grand Elder, was slightly surprised, his expression now one of great interest.

Led by Xiao Wuji, the elders assumed they would quickly catch up to Ye Xuan. But after a full incense stick's time had passed, they still hadn't caught sight of him.

"Did the kid get lost? Or was he eaten by a Demon Beast?"

a few of the Xiao family elders wondered aloud.

Though they hadn't been flying at top speed, they were still moving at a Martial Emperor Level pace. It was impossible that they hadn't seen Ye Xuan after so long.

Xiao Wuji, too, was a bit suspicious.

Just then, the Grand Elder chuckled. "The boy is up ahead."

Everyone turned to look and saw a small black dot suspended in the distant sky, waiting for them.

"How can that kid be so fast?"

The elders were aghast.

"Hmph. Now you see what it means to be a frog in a well. Keep up,"

Xiao Wuji snorted. In truth, he was also deeply shocked. Ye Xuan's speed was nearly comparable to that of a Tier Eight Second Layer Martial Emperor. 'A Tier Seven Martial King... is he really this frightening?'

Xiao Wuji knew Ye Xuan's attainments in alchemy and Soul Refining were astonishing, but he didn't know much about his actual combat strength.

For the remainder of the journey, the group traveled day and night without rest.

Along the way, Ye Xuan demonstrated a speed at the Peak of Tier Eight First Layer, approaching that of a Tier Eight Second Layer Martial Emperor, which completely silenced the elders from the Xiao family.

A Tier Seven Martial King possessing the speed of a Tier Eight Martial Emperor could no longer be described as a genius. He was a monster.

One could only imagine their expressions if they knew that Ye Xuan was holding back to hide his true strength and hadn't shown them his full speed.

As a result, it took just over a day for Ye Xuan and his group to arrive at the location of the mysterious land.

Before Ye Xuan lay a mysterious valley surrounded by black mountain ridges, suffused with a strange, eerie atmosphere.

The valley wasn't large. Tucked away at the base of several hills, it was easy to overlook if one wasn't paying attention.

"Young Master Ye, we've arrived. The mysterious land is inside that valley."

Led by Xiao Wuji, Ye Xuan and the others landed before the valley.

"A natural array?"

Ye Xuan blurted out in surprise the moment he saw the valley.

The moment he spoke, a flicker of shock passed through the eyes of Xiao Wuji and the others.

"Young Master Ye, you can tell this is a natural array?"

Xiao Wuji asked, utterly shocked.

"What's there not to see?" Ye Xuan replied matter-of-factly, his gaze calm.