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Chapter 245 – The Climb
“Wukong, you won’t come with us?” Xuanyuan asked. The shameless pig pretended to be sad, looking at the monkey with big, sorrowful eyes. It’s actions just seemed to encourage Xuanyuan to kick it.
“No. The Mountain of Black Dragon is sacred for us. You are not from the Land of Darkness, so you’re not bound by the rules. Me can’t go in, however. Quick. Go in when the beasts are fending off the humans. Me can’t protect you when they come back,” Wukong said seriously.
“What if we encounter the Great Beast inside?” The pig finally revealed its true worries.
“Won’t happen. We don’t climb the mountain. The Black Dragon was ranked thirty-seven on the List of the Beasts, and it was only one step away from the god realm. We don’t offend its grave. We respect it,” Wukong said. Xuanyuan understood the deep respect they held for the Great Beast.
The Mountain of the Black Dragon was in fact once a real Black Dragon. When it had died, it had curled its torso, and its body had turned into the roads and its scales into the stairs, which would lead them to the top of the mountain.
“The Ancient Black Dragon was as strong as any legendary Emperor,” the pig praised.
“It’s so impressive. I’ve only read about the mountain in books. I’m so glad I get to see it.” Qian Doudou was admiring the view.
Xuanyuan stepped onto the stairs and turned around. “Wukong, we’re going in. Be careful.”
“Be careful, Xuanyuan,” Wukong said. It gazed at their backs until they disappeared into the mountain.
Even though the Black Dragon was held as the Beast of all Beasts, the mountain was not full of dangerous Qi as Xuanyuan had expected. In fact, its aura was relatively tender. After many millenniums, the Black Dragon had melted with the universe and formed a natural disposition—the Dragon’s Vein.
All the power in the Land of Darkness would eventually lead to the mountain. Despite it not being the deepest heartland of the region, it was still the most important part of the Land of Darkness.
The moment he stepped onto the mountain, Xuanyuan found that all his Qi was restrained—he had no power.
“Xuanyuan, it’s so strange. My Qi is suppressed!” Qian Doudou was similarly suffering.
“This is the power of the Dragon’s Vein. If someone builds a city on the Dragon’s Vein, the city would be extremely prosperous,” Xuanyuan answered, remembering the teachings of the Book of Acquisition.
They walked on slowly, completely oblivious to what the pig was plotting. “If I can get the Medicine of the Black Dragon, even if I don’t regain my other bodies, my power will return!”
Xuanyuan completely concentrated on detecting the landscape. After all these years, the mountain had become part of the Land of Darkness, so there was a chance that a cursed disposition may form. If they became stuck inside one, they would never be able to escape. Fortunately, the Flood of Darkness had weakened all dispositions, and hence, climbing the mountain was not as dangerous as other times.
“Who can build cities in the Land of Darkness? It could only be a very mighty person,” Qian Doudou pondered.
“I don’t know. No one has ever had that power. I’ve heard of a legend; there was a man called the Devouring Emperor. He came into the Land of Darkness alone, but in the end, both he and the Land was hurt. If someone like him failed, no one could possibly accomplish it.” Xuanyuan smiled.
“What? Are there existences as powerful as the Devouring Emperor in the Land of Darkness?” Qian Doudou asked.
“Do you know anything about the Devouring Emperor?” Xuanyuan didn’t reply, but instead asked back.
“Of course! How can I not know? He was trapped by many powerful people, at least twenty xian and emperor class fighters from many sects and schools. That’s why he was defeated. I’m full of respect for such a warrior,” Qian Doudou said admiringly.
“Hmm, you’re right, little girl. Very few people can surpass what the Devouring Emperor had achieved,” the pig said. Hearing the Devouring Emperor being praised, the pig swelled with pride. Xuanyuan knew that the Emperor was not a surmountable individual. Despite its unreliability, the pig was incredibly loyal; despite being dead for many years, the pig remained devoted to the Emperor.
“One day I’ll be even stronger than the Devouring Emperor. I’ll become Emperor Xuanyuan.” Xuanyuan continued to tease the pig.
“Whoof! Stop bluffing. You’ll never be able to surpass the Emperor himself. I’ll be quite thankful if you have even one-tenth of his power.” The pig hissed at him.
“I support you, Xuanyuan. Piggy, you shouldn’t say that. Xuanyuan may not be the Body of All Creations, but the Body of Five Elements is still quite impressive. I don’t think the Devouring Emperor was as powerful as Xuanyuan when he reached the grandmaster realm.” In spite of her admiration for the Devouring Emperor, Qian Doudou still gave a fair judgment. Xuanyuan was the most talented person she knew. The pig looked the other way; it didn’t want to argue. Perhaps it agreed with what Qian Doudou had said.
The pig resembled a giant black hole which sucked in all the Qi of the mountain. Xuanyuan took the opportunity as well to cleanse his body and strengthen Greed’s power with the abundance of Qi.
They had no idea how long they had been climbing for. Xuanyuan stood midway on the mountain and looked over at the beautiful scenery. His eyesight was especially keen, and he quickly noticed people approaching the Mountain of the Black Dragon.
In the distance, a few xian class fighters from the Hai Family were being swallowed by a giant toad. The Emperor of the East was covered with blood as he tried to cut the toad open, intending to save the men from Hai Family. But it was too late.
The dark cloud made by the Mo race shrank in size, causing the Mo to not be as cocky as they were before. Many of the great fighters from the Mo and the Yao races had been sacrificed. Now only the Lightning King seemed to maintain his grace.
Along with five of the twelve ladies from the Linglong Sect, over thirty people from the Fighting Dragons Sect had also been killed; all of them highly respected individuals of their respective sects. The Master of the Fighting Dragon soared through the sky, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.
The slaughter continued. Xuanyuan thought that even if he were in their realm, he still wouldn’t be able to escape death. Time was the ultimate killer. These people didn’t want to settle with their fate and had hence come to the Land of Darkness.
“Well, I’m still too weak to enter their world. I should worry about the task at hand and find the Source Energy of a Dragon’s Heart first.” Xuanyuan sighed.