The Endless Fog is immensely large; it encompasses at least ninety-nine percent of the abyss. The deeper one ventures into the Endless Fog, the more terrifying the abyssal dust becomes. Even if a Divine Extinction Realm cultivator were to enter it, their vision and spiritual perception would be stripped away layer by layer.
It is all too easy to lose one's way within, and once trapped, they would never escape until their body collapses and death claims them.
In addition to the threat of the abyssal dust, there are the ferocious Abyssal Beasts and the far deadlier Abyssal Ghosts.
However, despite the danger, many profound practitioners still came to the Endless Fog every day. They came either to temper themselves in search of a breakthrough to the next realm, or more commonly, to gather Abyssal Stones and Abyssal Crystals.
Abyssal Stones and Crystals were the main resources for any profound practitioner, whether for cultivation, powering isolation barriers, or sustaining other formations and vessels.
It was why countless profound practitioners ventured into the Endless Fog to procure abyssal stones and abyssal crystals every year.
Abyssal stones could be easily excavated on the periphery or even the outermost edge of the Endless Fog. However, abyssal crystals were much rarer because they were essentially fully purified abyssal stones. That was why they were rarely found in the periphery, and why they were far more valuable than an abyssal stone. To give a clear distinction, the conversion ratio between an abyssal crystal and an abyssal stone was over ten thousand.
The fastest way to obtain an abyssal crystal wasn't to search around the Endless Fog endlessly, but to kill abyssal beasts.
Abyssal crystals could usually be found inside the bodies of abyssal beasts. The older and stronger the abyssal beast, the greater the chance it might contain an abyssal crystal.
For some extremely powerful abyssal beasts, they might even carry an unusual abyssal crystal, and its value and rarity far exceeded the imagination of a common profound practitioner. It usually only existed in legends and records.
Besides that, the Endless Fog had buried countless ancient gods and devils before the Abyss had taken its current form. Since the Abyss had already undergone a fundamental change at the time, some of their bodies, ancient artifacts, and inheritances were preserved as a result. They could all be found in the Endless Fog.
Therefore, the Endless Fog also hid the Abyss's greatest opportunities. Every once in a while, an ancient artifact would appear in the world and create varying degrees of waves in the Abyss.
Deep in the Endless Fog, the abyssal dust was so dense that even a Demigod could not see their own hands. Yun Wuji sat cross-legged, the abyssal dust curling slowly around him.
At that moment, a pair of large red eyes fixed themselves upon his figure. Those bright crimson eyes were very conspicuous in the silent, dark world, radiating an oppressive and bloodthirsty killing intent. Slowly, a thirty-meter-tall beast that resembled a gray lion advanced step by step, the aura of a 7th level Divine Extinction Realm seeping from its body.
It pressed its claws into the ground, then with a sudden burst of force, it pounced toward Yun Wuji.
However, when it was less than ten meters away, the hostility in its eyes suddenly faded, and it stared blankly at Yun Wuji for a short moment before dropping onto the ground like an obedient dog, its tongue lolling.
Yun Wuji opened his eyes and walked over to the beast. He patted its head, ruffling fur that was as hard as steel. His progress over the past month was going exactly as he had expected.
From only being able to control a small amount of abyssal dust, he could now manipulate the abyssal dust within the beasts' abyssal cores and turn them into obedient pets.
Using the abyssal dust as a guide, he could directly insert his consciousness into their abyssal cores and bind them as loyal slaves. However, such beasts held little real value to him, for their only use was to collect the Abyssal Crystals within their bodies.
All he needed to do was to command all abyssal beasts that carried abyssal crystals in them to his side. Then, he could just rip them right out of their bodies. The abyssal beasts wouldn't resist or perish. Even their breached bodies would heal swiftly thanks to the abyssal dust.
Of course, there was a limit to the level of Abyssal Beasts he could control for now. A few days earlier, he had attempted to subdue a Divine Limit Realm beast, but his efforts ended in failure. After a long fight, he managed to kill it, and the only consolation was discovering a mutant crystal within its corpse.
Abyssal Crystals were valuable and already exceedingly rare, while the mutated form of an Abyssal Crystal was thousands of times rarer still.
...
Screech!
With a sharp and piercing cry, a massive ball of blazing golden flame crashed into the frenzied Abyssal Beast.
The beast ignored the fire searing its body and continued its charge toward the woman with deep and murderous intent. Abyssal Beasts did not feel pain, fear, or exhaustion. They carried nothing but an endless hatred for any life form that existed outside the Endless Fog.
Thud!
After a short charge, the beast's body gave out and crashed to the ground. Its limbs had been charred into black shards, and it could no longer sustain its assault. With a final growl at its target, its head slumped powerlessly to the earth.
Helian Lingzhu walked over and cut open the beast's body. To her disappointment, she found no crystal inside. "This one is empty as well."
"It doesn't matter. I have cultivated the Golden Crow's Record of the Burning World to the Third Stage. Yun Wuji will be very pleased." She kicked the body aside and flew off in another direction, her mood bright. Inadvertently, she licked her lips, thinking of the reward he would give her for performing so well.
A few days after they had left the Qilin Abyss Realm, Yun Wuji had given her two drops of Golden Crow's blood and had also imparted the Golden Crow's Record of the Burning World to her.
Although giving her two drops meant he had permanently lost them, the current him rarely used any of the Divine Arts from the Golden Crow, Phoenix, or even the Ice Phoenix. It mattered little if he gave them to Helian Lingzhu. Earth Law was not strong in attacks, so teaching her a powerful fire Divine Art would more than cover that weakness.
He was also planning to give her a few drops of Dragon God's blood along with the Body Thickening Technique, as well as Qilin God's blood and the Qilin Sacred Palace.
These losses would be insignificant for him, since he possessed the Divine Marrow of both and could easily restore what he gave away.
Helian Lingzhu was not exceptionally talented, but she worked extremely hard. With Yun Wuji's guidance and the myriad techniques he knew, she was able to comprehend the Third Stage of the Golden Crow's Record of the Burning World in just a month, which was faster than even the most gifted disciples in the history of the Golden Crow Sect.
The past month was the most blissful time Helian Lingzhu had felt in her life. Each day was fulfilling, novel, and heart-pounding. The way Yun Wuji treated her, sometimes gentle, sometimes strict, and sometimes romantic, always left her yearning for more, especially when he whispered in her ear that she was a 'good girl'. Many times, she nearly orgasmed on the spot.
"Hmm~! Yun Wuji!" Helian Lingzhu's body swayed as she hugged herself tightly, moaning his name. By now, she was used to calling him by his name freely.
Normally, no one would enter the Endless Fog and move about so carelessly. Most people went in groups or with protectors, and even then many of them ended up dead. She could afford such recklessness because she had many protective artifacts left to her by Yun Wuji.
After flaying for less than half an hour, Helian Lingzhu immediately sensed the aura she knew so intimately. Her speed increased several times over, and when she landed on the ground, she rushed to Yun Wuji and held his hand, exclaiming, "I did it! I mastered the Third Stage and killed a Divine Sovereign Realm beast with it."
Yun Wuji patted her head and leaned close to her ear. He could clearly sense her heavy, excited breathing as he whispered, "Good girl."
"Ngnn~!" Helian Lingzhu shuddered as she moaned softly, her hands moving on their own to clutch his clothes. She opened her eyes and stared at him. "You said you would give me a reward if I succeeded, right?"
"Really? Did I say that? Why can't I remember?" Yun Wuji said, putting on a teasing, pondering look.
"You did say! I even recorded it!" Helian Lingzhu pouted and stomped her feet.
"Alright! I was just joking. So what reward do you want? Immortality? Endless wealth? Or the power to end the Brainrot?" Yun Wuji asked, his expression serious.
"Brainrot? What is that?" Helian Lingzhu tilted her head in confusion, but her mind was occupied with something else. Blushing deeply, she lowered her head and whispered, "I want... I want a K-k..."
"You want what?" Yun Wuji leaned closer.
"A K-kis..." she whispered again, her mouth opening, but the word refused to come out.
"What?" Yun Wuji leaned even closer.
Helian Lingzhu suddenly felt his breath close to her. She knew he understood what she meant, but he was teasing her. Clenching her hands, she took a deep breath and, with a bold surge of courage, grabbed his face and pressed her lips against his!
...
Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God, the Divine Capital.
In a secluded living quarter, a woman floated, sitting cross-legged with a purple sword resting on her lap.
She wore azure robes that flowed all the way to her ankles, her hair cascading like water down to her waist. The only adornment was the azure sash at her waist. Beyond that, there was no extraneous ornamentation, not even makeup. Yet despite the simplicity, she looked as beautiful as a dream.
...
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