Chapter Eighty-Eight: An Ominous Sign

Eight days later, outside the Valley of Utter Darkness.

“Today, we will not enter the valley for the time being. Everyone should rest well. Tomorrow at dawn, we will set foot in it,” Zhaoqi said as he halted outside the valley, his expression grim and shadowed. “Once we enter, the Nine-Headed Sky Serpent will sense us at once. A battle is inevitable.”

“Mm.”

Chi Xiao took out the treasure map again and waved the others over. “Let’s spend this last night studying it carefully. If possible, we should locate the Gate of Heaven before we go in.”

Zhaoqi and Xia Xinyan gathered around, both frowning as they bent their heads over the map.

As usual, Shi Yan found a quiet spot and sat down. Keeping some distance from Zhaoqi and Chi Xiao, he continued silently cultivating the Dark Yin Art.

Over these eight days, whenever night fell, Chi Xiao would always find some excuse to have everyone stop and rest, all to give Zuo Shi enough time to cultivate the Mystic Tortoise True Qi.

Shi Yan had not been idle either. Each time the group paused, he would sensibly find a place of his own and, under Han Feng and Ku Long’s watch, quietly cultivate the Dark Yin Art.

After eight days of cultivation, he had gathered a fair amount of yin energy in the Tianque, Shenque, and Yindu acupoints in his chest, and with his mind he carefully guided those currents, dividing them into wisps that revolved around the three points.

As the yin energy grew, the swirling motion around the three acupoints quickened bit by bit, approaching the point where true yin vortices would be formed.

He drew a deep breath, held it, and focused all his attention on controlling the yin energy.

Wisp after wisp of yin energy, like slender gray threads, wound slowly around the three acupoints in his chest. With each change of his will, those gray threads whirled faster and faster in circles.

At such moments, Shi Yan could clearly feel the surrounding yin energy of heaven and earth seeming to be drawn by his body, quietly gathering toward him.

After eight days of cultivating the Dark Yin Art, he had gradually come to understand the nature of yin energy. For several days now, the yin energy had revolved about his chest, subtly and continuously changing his body in ways he could barely perceive.

Now that he had come to the valley outside the Valley of Utter Darkness, the yin energy of heaven and earth had grown even denser, yet he, after eight days of cultivation, did not find it hard to adjust at all.

On the contrary, the closer he came to the valley, the more effortless his cultivation of the Dark Yin Art became. Merely breathing in the yin energy made him feel clear-minded and refreshed.

Han Feng and Ku Long did not know what martial art Shi Yan was cultivating. Both dutifully guarded him, not daring to let their vigilance lapse for even a moment.

Time passed quietly.

Suddenly, Zuo Shi, who was being watched over by Wu Yunlian and Chu Ping, sprang up in delight, strange light flickering across her body, and shouted, “Ha, I’ve reached the third level of the Human Realm!”

Chi Xiao, who had been studying the treasure map with his head lowered, was overjoyed. He rushed over at once, took Zuo Shi’s small hand to examine her condition, and with an expression of immense relief on his old face said, “You girl, really…”

From the response of the essential energy in Zuo Shi’s body, Chi Xiao had already confirmed that she had truly entered the third level of the Human Realm, and his heart was filled with both shock and delight.

Zuo Shi had only cultivated the Mystic Tortoise True Qi for eight days, and that true essence had not yet been fully refined, yet she had already stepped into the third level of the Human Realm. Such talent left even Chi Xiao at a loss for words.

He could think of no word other than genius to describe Zuo Shi’s aptitude.

After entering Heavenly Fall City from the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, Zuo Shi had never once truly cultivated seriously. She spent her days wandering about and having fun, yet even so, she had actually broken through to the third level of the Human Realm in such a short time. It far exceeded Chi Xiao’s expectations.

“Mr. Chi Xiao, you have taken in a remarkable disciple,” Xia Xinyan said from nearby, a trace of surprise flashing through her beautiful eyes as she inwardly marveled at Zuo Shi’s astonishing talent.

“Heh heh, this girl does indeed possess shocking aptitude. She is just a little too lazy,” Chi Xiao said in excellent spirits, smiling as he patted Zuo Shi’s shoulder. “Keep working hard for me! Strive to fully comprehend the Mystic Tortoise True Qi as soon as possible. If you girl would put all your effort into advancing in martial cultivation, your realm would already be at least one level higher than it is now!”

After saying that, Chi Xiao walked over to Xia Xinyan and Zhaoqi and smiled as he lowered his head. “Forget that girl. Let’s keep looking at the map.”

...

Another two hours passed.

Shi Yan sat there in silence. His body suddenly trembled, then began to quiver slightly.

Around his chest, the continuously gathering and intertwining yin energy spun faster and faster.

As he looked inward, he saw that in the three acupoints of Tianque, Shenque, and Yindu, strands of gray-thread-like yin energy had begun to lengthen, whirling rapidly around the three points.

The yin energy his body had absorbed suddenly surged madly into those three acupoints. A great amount of yin energy poured in, was immediately refined and divided, and transformed into even more gray threads.

More and more of these gray threads gathered around the tiny vortices within the three acupoints, making them spin faster and faster...

No one knew how long passed before a chilly aura suddenly leaked out from the three vortices, causing Shi Yan to feel cold all over, unable to help shivering.

More yin energy from all directions gathered over, flooding into the pores of his entire body and pouring into the centers of the three vortices, making them spin even faster.

As he looked within, Shi Yan was astonished to see the three vortices whirling so fast that they had become a blur, and within the three acupoints a powerful suction force abruptly burst forth from the vortices.

It was done!

The emergence of such suction meant the yin vortices had officially taken shape.

The vortices’ ability to devour the yin energy of heaven and earth was instantly activated as well.

Suddenly, the yin energy of heaven and earth that shrouded the barren ground of Utter Darkness, as if it had found an outlet for release, madly gathered from every direction and surged toward Shi Yan’s position like a great river breaking its banks.

Above Shi Yan’s head, at a height of about ten meters, three strange vortices gradually took shape, each the size of a human head.

Those vortices were quite similar to the yin vortices within Shi Yan’s body, clearly influenced by the vortices in his chest. As the ones in his chest turned, these turned as well, generating immense suction that drew in even more yin energy from heaven and earth.

The intensely dense yin energy of heaven and earth poured into the three head-sized vortices above Shi Yan, and their volume rapidly expanded.

In just ten minutes or so, the vortices had already grown to the size of washbasins, continuing to devour the yin energy from all directions with unrestrained frenzy.

Chi Xiao, Zhaoqi, and Xia Xinyan had long since stopped discussing the treasure map. All three stood up at once, staring in amazement at the strange sight above Shi Yan’s head.

The three vortices continued to swell!

An hour later, the three vortices above Shi Yan’s head were as huge as tornadoes, rising skyward like three columns of black smoke, a truly shocking spectacle.

The vortices spun madly, as if they meant to swallow all the yin energy in the barren land of Utter Darkness in one gulp!

Shi Yan sat there unmoving, his face dark and solemn, as though he had no idea of the strange phenomenon above him and was still only controlling the three yin vortices within his body.

He could clearly feel that the rotation of the three yin vortices in his chest had accelerated severalfold once more. Even his own thoughts could no longer keep up with their turning.

Han Feng and Ku Long, pale with shock, stood helplessly staring at the spectacle overhead, at a loss for what to do.

The gray yin energy that had blanketed the barren land of Utter Darkness for who knew how many years separated it from the outside world, making it difficult even for the light of sun, moon, and stars to penetrate within.

Yet today, the heavenly yin energy enveloping the entire barren land seemed to have gone utterly mad, pouring heedlessly into the enormous vortices above Shi Yan’s head.

No one knew when it had happened, but the three vortices above Shi Yan had already become mountain-like in size, and within them crackled strands of strange lightning, as though they were three giant mouths that swallowed heaven and earth, ready to devour all the yin energy of the world.

“This, this looks like...” The giant man beside Xia Xinyan suddenly cried out, as if something had just come to mind.

“What is it?” Xia Xinyan’s eyes shone with strange light as she abruptly turned to look at him.

Under Xia Xinyan’s gaze, the towering man hesitated, then quietly moved a little farther away.

Zhaoqi and Chi Xiao also changed countenance drastically, staring in disbelief at the phenomenon above Shi Yan’s head. Hearing that the giant man seemed to have made some discovery, they hurriedly looked over.

Frowning, Xia Xinyan drew away from Zhaoqi and Chi Xiao together with the giant man, listening as he anxiously explained himself.

“You’re certain?” Xia Xinyan’s voice came through faintly.

The giant man nodded repeatedly, seeming somewhat anxious, and looked at Shi Yan with fear. “Absolutely no mistake. It has to be that...”

Xia Xinyan’s expression changed sharply. She slowly nodded, then suddenly said to Chi Xiao and Zhaoqi, “Prepare for battle. The Nine-Headed Sky Serpent should be coming out of the Valley of Utter Darkness very soon. With three of its heads requiring heavenly yin energy for cultivation, it will definitely attack at any cost. We no longer need to go into the valley.”

“Miss Xia, my young master, what exactly... what exactly is wrong with him?” Ku Long stepped forward in a panic.

“When he wakes, ask him yourself,” Xia Xinyan said, her brows tightly knitted, her eyes filled with an uncanny light. “But you need not worry. The abnormality coming from his body will not harm him. On the contrary, it is a tremendous opportunity. If no one disturbs him, he alone could devour all the heavenly yin energy shrouding the entire barren land of Utter Darkness!”

“What!”

Chi Xiao, Zhaoqi, Wu Yunlian, Zuo Shi, and the others all cried out in shock, utterly disbelieving.

“This kind of technique is just that overbearing. I do not know how it ever fell into his hands,” Xia Xinyan said with an exceedingly complex expression. “The Nine-Headed Sky Serpent will be here very soon. It will never allow anyone to devour the heavenly yin energy of this place. We need not wait until tomorrow. Perhaps we must face its fury at once!”

“Howl! Howl! Howl!”

From within the Valley of Utter Darkness came a furious roar, filled with overwhelming rage.

“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!”

The thunderous rumbling of the earth and mountains suddenly rolled over from the direction of the valley.

Everyone’s bodies trembled slightly as they felt through the shaking ground that a gigantic thing was rapidly approaching.

“It’s coming!” Zhaoqi screamed.

...