Chapter 131: The Great Wilderness Swamp of Prison Mountain

The Red Dragon Mountain Range winds like a colossal dragon, its entire surface cloaked in a fiery crimson hue; from afar, it resembles a divine dragon forged of flame. The aura it emanates is profoundly intimidating, even more formidable than the grand formations sustained by the immortals of the Black-White College over countless ages. This place is the Antan branch of the Yinglong Guard.

This single branch possesses strength comparable to the Beishan Clan of Antan. Yet, in the vast lands ruled by the Great Xia Dynasty, every prefecture hosts such a branch. The sheer terror of the Yinglong Guard is enough to make one shudder.

The Red Dragon Mountain Range is shaped like a giant dragon, and the Welcoming Peak occupies the position of the dragon’s head. Behind the Welcoming Peak are clusters of wooden and stone cottages scattered about, housing the cultivators preparing to join the Yinglong Guard. Only when a sufficient number of candidates have gathered are they arranged to embark on their trial journey to qualify for the Guard.

It was a morning, over a month after Yun Tian, Ji Ning, and Mu Zishuo had arrived.

"Everyone!" A resonant voice, like a thunderclap, instantly echoed through every stone and wooden cottage. Even the puppet mansion crafted by Mu Zishuo could not block the sound; it exploded directly in the ears of Yun Tian, Ji Ning, Mu Zishuo, and White Water Snake.

"The time has come to depart for the Yushan Great Wilderness Marsh," the voice rolled on, carrying an inexplicable pressure that caused Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo to feel a tightness in their chests and their expressions to shift. This sense of irresistible, terrifying threat stemmed from a vast disparity in power. Even a Primordial Daoist would not elicit such a feeling; it must be an Immortal.

Yun Tian, however, remained calm and composed. He opened his eyes serenely and walked out of the puppet mansion alongside Ji Ning and the others.

Soon, the cultivators preparing to join the Yinglong Guard gathered, numbering at least a hundred. Before them stood three figures. Leading them was an elderly man with silver hair and black robes, exuding an aura of chilling slaughter. His gaze swept over the crowd, imposing an invisible pressure that made everyone feel like ants being looked down upon by a black dragon.

"An Immortal? Seems quite strong," Yun Tian remarked, his eyes narrowing slightly. He watched the silver-haired elder with interest, a faint, inscrutable smile playing on his lips.

The silver-haired elder did not waste words. After outlining the situation and inspecting everyone’s cultivation level, he gave each person a soul-token and led Yun Tian, Ji Ning, and the others to the grand teleportation formation located in the heart of the Red Dragon Mountain Range, which led to the Yushan Great Wilderness Marsh. Naturally, spirit beasts were not permitted on the trial, so all the cultivators were required to leave their companions behind at the Welcoming Peak.

The complex, tower-shaped formation emitted a hazy grey light. It stood roughly eight hundred feet high, with a base a hundred feet in diameter shaped like a nine-palace grid. Its frame was forged from rare metals and inscribed with dense, intricate runic patterns.

"A teleportation formation? I wonder what its mysteries are," Yun Tian mused, looking at the massive structure with curiosity. He wanted to probe it, but with an Yinglong Guard Immortal present, it was unwise to recklessly unleash his divine sense. He could only sense the spatial fluctuations.

Just as they were about to activate the formation to send Ji Ning and his companions to the Yushan Great Wilderness Marsh, the silver-haired Immortal’s expression shifted slightly. He departed abruptly as if dealing with a last-minute matter, returning only a moment later. After reiterating the requirements for passing the trial, he ordered the activation of the formation, sending Yun Tian, Ji Ning, and the others toward the Yushan Great Wilderness Marsh.

The Yushan Great Wilderness Marsh is the most perilous location in the entire Antan Prefecture. Once the site of a cataclysmic battle between Immortals and Gods and Demons, the land was shattered into fragments. The environment itself is treacherous, occupied by countless Great Demons, and some areas feature fractured space; one misstep could cast a person out of this world entirely. Furthermore, orientation is difficult within the marsh, posing a constant risk of becoming lost; one must rely on the sun, moon, and stars to navigate.

After leaving the Yinglong Guard’s stronghold, Yun Tian and his companions officially began their trial. Choosing a direction dominated by mountains, the three set off aboard a dragon-headed warship, transformed from Mu Zishuo's puppet. The ship soared into the high clouds.

"These high-altitude clouds are relatively the safest place in the entire Yushan Great Wilderness Marsh," Mu Zishuo noted from the bow.

Ji Ning nodded, adding, "Still, we must be careful. If we detect any spatial distortion or fluctuations, we must steer clear."

"I know. The warship is flying slowly enough," Mu Zishuo replied.

Leaning against the railing and sipping wine from a small jade gourd, Yun Tian said casually, "Junior Brother Ji Ning, Junior Brother Zishuo, no need to be so tense. The Yushan Great Wilderness Marsh is vast; what are the odds we’ll just bump into a spatial rift? Relax. The more dangerous the place, the calmer one must be." He looked into the distance and chuckled, "My, there are indeed many demons here. This is quite interesting!" In the mountains, they could vaguely see many demons, some in human form, moving with the precision of an army.

Seeing Yun Tian’s nonchalance, Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo exchanged helpless glances. Through their time together, they had come to understand him; it seemed nothing in this world could perturb his state of mind. While they felt helpless, they also harbored a secret admiration for his Daoist heart.

"Senior Brother Yun, Senior Brother Ji Ning, that mountain must house a Wanxiang Great Demon," Mu Zishuo said.

"As far as I know, Wanxiang Great Demons are common in the Yushan Great Wilderness Marsh, and Purple Mansion demons are everywhere. Primordial Great Demons, however, are extremely rare," Ji Ning added. "Some demons claim mountains as their own, while others are lone wanderers. Those who claim territory are usually quite powerful."

Mu Zishuo nodded, while Ji Ning pondered aloud, "It is hard to encounter a lone Wanxiang Great Demon. Our targets should be the mountain lords. But viewing them from afar, we cannot gauge their true strength. If our luck is poor, we might run into a Primordial Great Demon."

"Then what should we do?" Mu Zishuo frowned, realizing that hunting Wanxiang Great Demons here was no easy task.

"What is so difficult about that? Just find a demon-infested mountain and probe it with your divine sense," Yun Tian said, shrugging.

"Probe it?" Mu Zishuo stared at Yun Tian in shock. "Senior Brother, has your soul reached the level of divine sense?"

"I am a reincarnated Immortal; is it so strange that my soul has attained divine sense?" Yun Tian laughed and looked at Ji Ning. "And if I am not mistaken, Junior Brother Ji Ning has reached that level as well, has he not?"

Ji Ning glanced at Yun Tian and nodded candidly. Mu Zishuo’s eyes lit up. "Senior Brother Ji Ning, are you also a reincarnated Immortal?"

"I don't know. At least, I have not awakened any memories of being an Immortal," Ji Ning shook his head.

"Oh," Mu Zishuo nodded, then said excitedly, "That is even better! This trial is hard for others, but for you two, it is far too simple. We scan from afar, confirm our target, and strike. Even if we have the worst luck and encounter a rare Primordial Great Demon, we can rely on escape techniques to slip away. This is simple and safe!"

Ji Ning smiled. "It would be strange if those with divine sense couldn't pass the Yinglong Guard trial."

"Haha, well said!" Mu Zishuo grinned. "Then I shall take advantage of my two Senior Brothers."

"Why be so formal between brothers?" Ji Ning said, turning his gaze downward to begin hunting for their first target.

Watching the two laugh, Yun Tian continued to sip his wine with a faint, gentle smile.