Feng Yi, Yu Mi, and the Discipline Hall disciples were all startled by Xue Qing’s urgent words.
What could be in the Archaic Mountains that was so untouchable it made Xue Qing this frantic?
Bao Gu sensed something was wrong and asked, “Master’s wife, what’s in the Sealed Heaven Forbidden Domain?”
Xue Qing snapped, “What’s in there? A Ba! Isn’t Xiao Lian that girl sitting right on top of the Ba’s coffin?”
Bao Gu frowned, confused.
She asked, “Master’s wife, is that Ba really powerful?”
Xue Qing said, “Not that powerful, just that it took the lives of all the Earth Immortals back then, forced the cultivation world to rather have no immortals in this realm, and used the nine-dragon feng shui formation of the Ascension Platform to suppress it.
That battle left the cultivation world in this realm crippled ever since.” With that, she cut off contact with Bao Gu.
Xue Qing’s words left everyone present shaken.
Even the Earth Immortals of that time were wiped out, and now, when even a Tribulation Transcending cultivator is hard to find, if that Ba is released, how could anyone fight it?
Feng Yi said in a deep voice, “Can we stop them?”
Bao Gu asked, “Does Martial Uncle Feng think we can? So many sacred artifacts—who wouldn’t be tempted? Which faction would willingly leave these sacred artifacts here for Xuantian Sect? Even if they dig up something terrible, there’s always the Yue Kingdom to take the brunt, who’s afraid? If we go tell them there’s something in the Archaic Mountains that can’t be dug up, would they believe us? Ruining others and lining their own pockets—unless we have the strength to fight them head-on, how could we stop them? Does Xuantian Sect have that?”
Feng Yi’s forehead veins bulged as he roared, “This is a world-ending disaster! Even if we can’t stop it, we have to try!”
His shout made the nearby rogue cultivators turn their heads.
Some even ran over, politely cupping their hands, “May I ask if you are from Xuantian Sect?” They were driven away by the Discipline Hall disciples.
Bao Gu took out a sound-transmitting jade talisman to contact Si Ruo.
Si Ruo’s voice came from the talisman, “Bao Gu, what’s up?”
Bao Gu asked, “Si Ruo, does the Yue Kingdom care about what’s happening in the Archaic Mountains?”
Si Ruo’s bitter laugh came through, “How could the Yue Kingdom care? All the factions are moving, diving deep into the mountains.
Even if the Yue Kingdom sent a million troops, they couldn’t dig out all the cultivators in the Archaic Mountains.
Bao Gu, you’re skilled in formations—if you can get ahead of them and control the mountain’s formation, maybe there’s a chance.”
Bao Gu closed her eyes, steadied herself, and said, “Fine.
Xuantian Sect will give up the Archaic Mountains and never touch them again.”
Si Ruo cried out in surprise, “What? Why are you being so stubborn about this?”
Bao Gu snorted coldly, “Me, stubborn? Just wait for the Yue Kingdom to be destroyed!” She cut off contact with Si Ruo, but immediately the jade talisman buzzed again.
As soon as she connected, Si Ruo’s patient voice came through.
“Bao Gu, don’t get angry.
Can you tell me why you say the Yue Kingdom will be destroyed?”
Bao Gu said coldly, “Remember that Ba coffin in the Archaic Mountains? The restrictions there are to seal and suppress that Ba.
Back then, all the Earth Immortals died fighting it! My master’s wife said it—my Holy Aunt can’t suppress this Ba!” With that, she cut off contact with Si Ruo again.
Then she felt Wang Ding’s jade talisman stir.
She connected, and Wang Ding’s voice came through, “Order Master, I just got word that some rogue cultivators have spread news of seeing you in the Archaic Mountains.
Many factions are heading your way.
Do you need me to bring troops to support you?”
Bao Gu said, “No need.
Help me contact the major factions of the cultivation world—I want to meet them.”
Wang Ding replied, “Yes! Order Master, forgive me for being blunt, but it’s almost impossible to stop them from touching the Archaic Mountains.
Even if you bring out the Ascension Road map now, it won’t work.
With so many sacred artifacts, they have the capital to fight for the map.
Why not wait until the Ascension Road is built and reap the benefits?”
Bao Gu said heavily, “Arrange for the factions to meet me in Cangdu City.” Her tone softened, “Wang Ding, what do you think of the state of the world back then, the cultivation world’s situation, and people’s hearts?”
Wang Ding sounded stunned, “Order Master, why do you ask?”
Bao Gu said, “It’s nothing.
I can already foresee how the meeting will go and how it’ll end.
I know I can’t stop them, but I can’t just sit by…” She cut off contact with Wang Ding.
She turned to Feng Yi and Yu Mi, “Martial Uncle Feng, Senior Sister, you two should go back to Xuantian Mountains.”
Yu Mi saw Bao Gu’s dim eyes and said, “I’ll stay with you.”
Bao Gu shook her head, “I need to see Little Martial Aunt and Holy Aunt now.
It’s easier to move alone.”
Yu Mi was worried about Bao Gu, but thinking of her own current strength, she could only nod in agreement.
Feng Yi was a bit unwilling, “Bao Gu, with Xuantian Sect’s current strength…”
Bao Gu cut him off, “With Xuantian Sect’s current strength, even if we throw everything we have into the fight, we’ll just end up wiped out.” So what if Xuantian Sect is rich? No amount of wealth can beat a bigger fist!
Feng Yi sighed deeply, “Send us back to Xuantian Mountains.”
Bao Gu sent Feng Yi, Yu Mi, and the Discipline Hall disciples back to Xuantian Mountains.
Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly sensed something off.
Looking up, she saw a Void Tearing mid-stage cultivator appear out of nowhere not far ahead.
Suddenly, a ripple of energy surged behind her, a chill instantly spreading through her body.
She instinctively sidestepped, and as she moved, a figure appeared where she’d just stood, a cold gleam flashing.
A wave of destructive power exploded at her former spot, the shockwave tossing her away.
She spun in midair, used “Void Stealth Technique” to tear through space, and reappeared a dozen yards away.
Looking back, she saw a Void Tearing mid-stage cultivator where she’d just been.
Sensing her, he attacked again.
Bao Gu used Void Stealth Technique again to slip into the void, but as soon as she entered, a powerful force tore open the void, exposing her.
With nowhere to dodge, she sent a wind blade at the attacker, but he blocked it with a flurry of sword shadows.
Bao Gu shouted coldly, “Do you know who I am?”
The man snorted and attacked Bao Gu again.
Suddenly, another Void Tearing expert charged in, striking at Bao Gu’s attacker with a fierce palm.
The move was both domineering and ruthless—if the attacker insisted on killing Bao Gu, he’d be hit fatally.
Valuing his own life, the attacker withdrew.
The newcomer stepped in front of Bao Gu, shielding her.
He laughed, “What? Wangxian Sect still isn’t embarrassed enough?”
The attacker growled, “What, Taidou Sect wants to meddle too?”
The newcomer smiled, “Not really, just want to do the Order Master a favor.
I’m protecting her today.” As he spoke, several more Void Tearing cultivators arrived, standing in front of Bao Gu.
Not far away, rogue cultivators blocked by Shenxing Sect and unable to go deeper into the Archaic Mountains watched the scene in shock as so many Void Tearing cultivators appeared.
Even Shenxing Sect sent people to check it out.
Seeing the numbers against him, the attacker sneered, “You come to Xuantian Sect’s territory to dig up sacred artifacts and still want to do her a favor? Ridiculous!” With a wave of his sleeve, he turned and left.
With so many strong cultivators protecting Bao Gu, and her now on guard, killing her was impossible.
The Wangxian Sect attacker left, and the four Void Tearing cultivators who’d come turned to look at Bao Gu.
A sixty-something man in brocade robes asked kindly, “Young friend, are you alright?”
Bao Gu cupped her fists, “Thank you, seniors, for your help.
Are you here for the sacred artifacts in the Archaic Mountains too?”
The old man said, “Sacred artifacts have appeared, drawing all the world’s strong.
I’m just here to join the fun.
But may I say something?”
Bao Gu replied, “Please, senior, enlighten me.”
The old man said, “Sacred treasures belong to the virtuous.
You’re young and promising, blessed by your ancestors, with deep fortune—your future is limitless.
There’s no need to fight for a moment’s gain.
I hope you take care of yourself.”
Bao Gu understood he was advising her to give up fighting the major factions for the Archaic Mountains, lest she die here.
But the phrase “blessed by your ancestors” struck her as odd.
If anything, it was the Xuantian founder’s blessing.
She asked, “Senior, what do you mean by ‘blessed by your ancestors’?”
The old man chuckled, “May I ask if your ancestors did good for generations, always had only one child per generation, and never had wealth?”
Bao Gu thought for a moment and nodded.
The old man said, “Your ancestors did good for generations, but always had few descendants, no wealth, no long life, no enjoyment of blessings.
Now, all the accumulated fortune has come to you.
You’re a lucky one—danger turns to safety, and you’ll have help from benefactors.
But today I see a shadow and blood in your brow, so I wanted to warn you.”
Bao Gu nodded lightly, “Thank you for the advice, senior.
I have urgent matters, so I’ll take my leave.” With that, she used her shrinking-the-ground technique to dash deeper into the Archaic Mountains.
In a few steps, she reached the area blocked by Shenxing Sect.
The Shenxing Sect people knew who she was and didn’t stop her.
After all, the Archaic Mountains still belonged to Xuantian Sect.
Coming here to dig up sacred artifacts was already offensive enough—blocking Bao Gu would just be asking for trouble.
Bao Gu rushed into the forest sealed off by Shenxing Sect, sensing the presence of formation energy inside, chaotic and unstable—clearly, Shenxing Sect’s formation experts were breaking the array.
In such a situation, life and death could change in an instant, and walking through the formation was extremely dangerous.
She had to be extra careful, not daring to be careless or fly too fast.
She moved lightly, stepping on vegetation or branches, using her light body technique to hurry along.
The deeper she went, the louder the sounds of fighting became.
Soon, she saw Shenxing Sect people in a place like an altar, fighting hundreds of golden-furred giant apes around a sacred artifact floating between the void and the world.
Shenxing Sect had experts, and among the apes… Tsk, Bao Gu saw the leader, a giant ape taller than a two-story building, with three eyes and golden light swirling around it, fighting three Void Tearing cultivators to a standstill.
Within dozens of yards, all vegetation was destroyed, and no cultivator below Void Tearing dared approach.
Outside their battle circle, a group of Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation cultivators were fighting thousands of monkeys, with corpses everywhere.
Bao Gu activated her aura-concealing formation, masking her presence as a mere Golden Core cultivator, so weak that neither side bothered to look at her.
She had no time or interest to get involved in the fight between Shenxing Sect and the golden apes.
Sticking to the edge of the battle, she skirted around the sacred artifact’s formation eye and hurried deeper into the Archaic Mountains.
After traveling about three hundred miles, she saw five Void Tearing cultivators leading over twenty Spirit Transformation cultivators, calculating formation positions.
When she saw them, they saw her too.
Someone exclaimed in surprise, looking her way.
Bao Gu was following the route the Demon Saint had given her.
Knowing the path, and seeing this powerful group notice her, she sped up, stepping on the formation points and rushing into the array.
One of the formation experts saw her steps and shouted, “She knows the formation route—catch her!” As soon as he spoke, the group lunged at Bao Gu.
Startled, Bao Gu released a wisp of Xuantian Sword aura.
The sudden burst of powerful sword intent and the unique aura of the Order Master’s Xuantian Sword made them hesitate.
Someone cried out, “It’s the Order Master…” They hesitated, and Bao Gu slipped into the depths of the forest, vanishing from sight.
The group stopped, looking at each other with ugly expressions.
The Order Master wasn’t much in a fight, but her reputation in formations was terrifying.
She could trigger a killing array with a sacred artifact at any moment—enough to scare anyone.
If she set them up and used the formation to kill them, they’d be doomed.
Should they break the array and take the artifact, or risk going deeper? There were many people in the mountains, and it was rare to get a spot on the edge.
The deeper you went, the more dangerous it got.
Should they move again? Who knew if they’d run into Bao Gu again?
A Void Tearing cultivator hesitated, then gritted his teeth, “Break the array and take the artifact quickly, before things change.
For a sacred artifact, it’s worth the risk.”
Bao Gu’s sword aura had the desired effect, slowing them down and letting her escape.
With the Demon Saint’s formation map, her journey was smooth.
Aside from running into a few groups breaking arrays for artifacts, nothing else happened.
Deeper in, there were no more people.
The monsters in the Archaic Mountains seemed to sense the disturbance outside and grew restless.
Luckily, Bao Gu had aura-concealing treasures and knew where the monster clans lived, so she avoided them and made it through safely.
She hurried on, running until night fell, finally reaching the ruins where she’d met Rong Ruyu before—the mountains now flattened.
She looked around and, seeing nothing unusual, found the spot where she’d entered the Sealed Heaven Forbidden Domain before and stepped in.
As soon as she stepped in, the scene changed.
Instead of sand, her foot landed on nothing and she fell into water.
Bao Gu was startled, quickly flying out of the water, looking around in confusion.
All she saw was a vast, sparkling lake stretching to the horizon!
Wasn’t the Sealed Heaven Forbidden Domain supposed to be a desert? When did such a huge lake appear? If not for the familiar sky above, she’d have thought she’d gone to the wrong place.
Bao Gu looked around in fright and shouted, “Little Martial Aunt—” Her voice trembled with fear, the tone changed.
She was scared! Really scared! The chaos and danger in the Archaic Mountains had already surpassed what she could handle.
If something happened to Little Martial Aunt and Holy Aunt here…
