A Foundation Establishment cultivator's flight was naturally extremely fast. Zhao Chun only felt the fierce wind whistle past on both sides as she rapidly approached the place of the golden light. The two had arrived a bit late.
Many people were already standing nearby, their auras like surging waves, rolling in one after another. Judging by Meng Han's expression, they should all be figures of the mid-to-late Foundation Establishment Stage. The golden light shone out from within the mountain, dyeing half of the verdant mountain into gilded gold.
All the cultivators who gazed upon it felt their hearts surge, secretly wondering what kind of treasure could cause such a phenomenon. There was still some time before the treasure would truly emerge. The number of cultivators gathering around the mountain grew, giving it the feeling of a sea of people.
Zhao Chun sized up the crowd. Besides those at the Foundation Establishment Stage, there were also many people at the late stage of Qi Refining who had come to watch.
As for those like her at the middle stage of Qi Refining, most stood at the periphery of the crowd, craning their necks to observe, not daring to get involved casually. In front of the two of them was a group of young men and women.
Their clothes and headdresses were varied, but each had a yellow jade accessory hanging from their waist. They should be from the same sect, and all of them were full of vigor and had extraordinary bearings. One among them said, "I wonder when this treasure will finally appear.
It's really making us wait!" A woman with shapely eyebrows chided, "Whenever a rare treasure emerges, one must always wait for some time. It could be as short as the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, or as long as over a month, or even several years.
How long have we been waiting now for you to lose your patience? If you miss an opportunity because of this in the future, you'll have plenty to regret!"
"He is young and this is his first time out of the sect, how would he know about these things?" a man with a treasured crown said gently.
He then looked towards the nearby mountain, the joy in his tone growing even stronger, "I, for one, hope we can wait a little longer. The longer the phenomenon lasts, the more precious the treasure. If Senior Sister Qi can bring it back to the sect, we can also bask in her glory and be credited with a great merit."
Hearing this, Zhao Chun's heart stirred. She focused her gaze towards the nearby group. Among the people closest to the mountain, there was indeed a woman with a yellow jade pendant at her waist.
Since she had her back to Zhao Chun, her face couldn't be seen clearly, but her black hair was tied up high, and her posture was heroic and dashing.
"Qi Yunrong."
Meng Han said softly.
"The current Eldest Senior Sister of the Everglow Sect."
Everglow Sect?
Zhao Chun's memories surfaced. Yue Zuan, at whose hands the two of them had nearly lost their lives, had once been a disciple of that Everglow Sect!
"The yellow jade rings at their waists are the symbol of the Everglow Sect, carrying the meaning of a bright moon shining forever."
Meng Han explained, "Qi Yunrong is also considered a famous genius in the Southern Region. People in the Southern Region often compare her with Elder Qiu. As I recall her age, she is only just over twenty.
If she can break through to the Core Formation Stage within the next five years, she will be a notch above." Qiu Jianying advanced to the Core Formation Stage at the age of twenty-five, making a name for herself at the last Hundred Sects Assembly. Her skills stunned everyone present.
Furthermore, because she only had a Three-Element Spirit Root, she shocked the other sects of the Southern Region, all saying that the Heavenly Dao rewards the diligent. Qi Yunrong of the Everglow Sect possessed outstanding talent.
Even if she managed to break through before the age of twenty-five, although she would surpass Qiu Jianying, the shock it would give people would still be hard to compare.
"With several late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators vying for it, it seems this treasure is not fated for us."
Meng Han sighed softly, his tone filled with regret. Zhao Chun also felt regret in her heart, but she was clear-headed. When cultivators contended for treasures, it depended on their personal means.
Even if one was lucky enough to obtain it, they might not be able to protect it. Just like the Four-Way Wanderer of Green Aid, whose strength was insufficient, they ultimately ended up paving the way for others.
"In that case, let's leave after we watch the treasure emerge."
She was, after all, curious and wanted to see just what kind of treasure could trigger such a phenomenon. Meng Han also agreed and nodded. The ruins of the Flaring Wind Sect were trapped underground, so the crowd did not know how the celestial phenomena were changing, and thus were unaware of the alternation of day and night.
Time passed like water. The golden light grew increasingly magnificent, but black mist and clouds began to emanate from within the mountain. Even the Foundation Establishment cultivators felt a little unsettled in their hearts.
Looking at this strange sight, they began to have second thoughts. Someone could be faintly heard conversing, "I've only ever heard of colorful mist and clouds, when has black smoke ever appeared?"
"This strange smoke looks quite sinister. I think it's better to leave this place first, lest we encounter great danger!"
"Leave? But we don't even know if there's a treasure yet. If we leave just like this, what if we regret it later? If you say so, then you go first. I'll wait a bit longer. If there's real danger, it won't be too late to escape then..."
Discussions like this were happening in more than one place. Many cultivators in the crowd were whispering to each other, but few were actually willing to leave. Zhao Chun also sensed that something was wrong and was about to ask Meng Han.
Suddenly, the world changed dramatically. The towering mountain in front of them instantly shattered and collapsed! Dust and smoke billowed, and giant rocks shot out.
Cultivators with lower cultivation bases couldn't dodge in time, and some were even maimed on the spot! Seeing this, everyone was terrified and immediately fled. However, too many had gathered, and they had lost their composure, creating a noisy and chaotic scene.
In the chaos, a large, sharp rock shot towards Zhao Chun and Meng Han. The two of them quickly split up to dodge. When Zhao Chun steadied herself amidst the crowd, she could no longer see Meng Han.
Her expression turned solemn, and she circulated her spiritual qi for defense. The mountain had already crumbled. It was pitch-black inside, and nothing could be seen clearly.
Just as she was concentrating on inspecting it, a powerful suction force emanated from within the pitch-black mountain, pulling Zhao Chun up and drawing her inside! She was still relatively far from the mountain. Being at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, she was unable to resist this suction force.
Closer to the mountain, even Foundation Establishment cultivators found it hard to resist, and were sucked into the blackness in a state of utter terror. Zhao Chun found it difficult to breathe, her chest feeling as if it were being squeezed. Sharp screams came from her side from time to time, but she couldn't let out even the slightest cry.
A stifling feeling was stuck in her throat. Gradually, her mind fell into chaos, and she slowly lost consciousness... A wave of dry heat enveloped her entire body.
She didn't know what was beneath her, but it was exceptionally hard and uncomfortable. Zhao Chun struggled to open her eyes. What met her gaze was a dusky yellow sky.
Brownish-yellow smoke and clouds drifted across the firmament. There was no sun, yet it was as bright as day. Where... where was she?
Although her mind was a little chaotic, she could still remember that she had been in the underground ruins of the Flaring Wind Sect. After being sucked into the mountain, she had arrived here upon regaining consciousness. She staggered to her feet and looked around.
There was not a shred of life force to be seen. Sand and rocks were everywhere, forming high and low hills. After taking two breaths, Zhao Chun gradually focused her mind and noticed the uncomfortable feeling in her body.
Here, there was not a single trace of spiritual qi! In a small world, the spiritual qi could be said to be thin and unsuitable for cultivation. But this place was completely depleted, to the point where she couldn't even sense it!
Going from the Drifting Clouds World to this place was like taking a fish out of water, making it difficult for Zhao Chun to adapt. Being trapped here for a long time was not a solution. She had to find a way out on her own!
Zhao Chun looked at the sky, and then tossed a Smoke Boat Talisman towards the highest hill in front of her. Landing steadily on the top of the hill, she looked further into the distance. An endless expanse of even higher and more distant hills stretched out.
Zhao Chun had no choice but to press forward. Fortunately, she had brought dry rations, so she wouldn't starve to death here. After traveling like this for another four or five days and climbing countless hills, a new scene finally appeared before her.
There were still no green plants to be seen. A continuous chain of dark brown rock mountains formed a large circle, making it difficult to see inside, but she could faintly make out some human figures. Although she didn't know if there would be danger, she had no choice but to go there now.
Zhao Chun gritted her teeth. Spiritual qi could not be replenished here, so every bit she used was a bit gone. It was best to use as little as possible unless it was a critical moment.
The Smoke Boat went straight towards the rock mountains. The steaming hot air made Zhao Chun's wariness grow ever stronger.
(End of this chapter)