The massive tyrannosaurus-like Nether Beast spoke while casually snapping up a squad of giant black-armored insects into its maw, crunching them audibly.
The four cultivators bowed respectfully.
"Senior, apologies for keeping you waiting."
"Your auras are unstable. Rest and recover first. I will explain the general situation afterward."
"Yes."
Each of the four set down a high-grade formation disk beside the giant beast and entered the array, positioning themselves at the four corners. Without wasting time, they began cultivating with full effort.
They all knew that from the moment they stepped into the region guarded by this beast, everything depended solely on their own strength. No one else would be able to help them.
Jian Dan released her restraints and let Mó Yuè Zhǎn emerge from her body. Together, they absorbed the dense demonic energy like bottomless pits. Mó Yuè Zhǎn even gave a satisfied tremble and sent a message into Jian Dan's mind:
"If I could remain in this rich demonic environment for another hundred years, I could return to my peak state. I guarantee that unless you encounter an ancient divine weapon, none in this realm could best you."
Its spirit sounded incredibly smug as it absorbed the energy.
"Cut the boasting, Granny. We're preparing to risk our lives here. Just focus on absorbing. Once we enter the space rift, we might not be able to replenish our energy as easily."
"Relax. I know what matters. I won't slack off."
Jian Dan rolled her eyes mentally, then steadied her heart and focused. The enormous volume of demonic energy flooded through her skin and into her meridians, widening them even further.
The energy flowed through her entire body and eventually gathered in the yin side of the Yin-Yang Taiji Disk within her dantian. Once the yin aspect reached capacity, it transformed into spiritual energy and circulated into the yang side. Over and over, the process continued until her cultivation stabilized at the peak of its current limit. Her dantian trembled as it expanded.
Her cultivation rose to mid-stage Void Refinement.
Under the nourishment of such pure demonic energy, Jian Dan examined her inner self. Her meridians now resembled translucent black crystal rivers, filled with endless demonic energy.
Thanks to the twin tribulations she had endured earlier, her divine sea had formed a purple palace. Though only one violet stele stood within, she now feared no oppressive force, not even the pressure of a Mahayana Zhēnzūn.
As her cultivation rose, the surrounding energy was drained dry, only to be replenished moments later. Jian Dan and Mó Yuè Zhǎn absorbed without restraint until they could no longer take in more. Her Void Refinement cultivation stabilized completely.
When she opened her eyes, she saw the others had already finished. She exited the protective array and collected the formation disk.
"Monstrous," muttered Mo Qi.
Of the four, only Jian Dan had managed to advance. The others had merely reached peak Divine Soul, still one step away from Void Refinement.
"Don't be jealous. I relied on Mó Yuè Zhǎn. Stay steady. Once we exit the Ming Valley, you'll likely pass your Void Refinement tribulation too."
The four walked over to the mountain-sized beast. Jian Dan saluted and spoke.
"Senior, we only saw a glimpse of the situation near the spatial rift."
The beast snorted.
"That little worm was yours?"
Jian Dan twitched but answered respectfully, "Yes, that is my contracted beast."
"Hmm. Brave thing. Risked its life sneaking in. Here, take it."
The beast opened its mouth and spat out a black rope-like figure that shot toward Jian Dan.
She caught it quickly. No wonder Mo Ran hadn't answered her summons earlier.
Mo Ran immediately coiled around her arm, raising its head to complain:
"Master, I tried to come back but got trapped in some pitch-black place by this Ming Beast. I couldn't escape."
Jian Dan patted its head and turned to the beast.
"Many thanks, Senior, for rescuing my beast. Please accept my bow."
"No need."
The massive creature shook its head and addressed the four.
"The Ming Ancestor is currently clashing with that insect outside the spatial rift, preventing it from further damaging this realm. However, that means he can't stop the invading insects. You arrived late. The Nether Ancestor asked me to relay this: You must find a way to sever the leg that pierced the rift. Once it is cut, he will immediately seal the crack. At the same time, the Nether Valley will officially detach from Lingyun Continent."
"What?"
All four were stunned. They had expected to fight insects, not that the entire Ming Valley would be cut off.
Jian Dan quickly understood and transmitted to the others:
"If the Nether Valley remains attached to Lingyun, the insects can keep invading through this space. They're giving everything they've got in this battle. They won't survive a second round."
"Exactly. Haven't you noticed? The number of Ming Beasts is decreasing. No reinforcements."
"True. Otherwise, Shēngsǐ Kuángjūn wouldn't have gone alone to intercept the insect horde."
Their brief exchange confirmed the beast's words.
"Thank you for the explanation, Senior. We will prepare to advance. Is there anything else we should know?"
The beast lowered its body and said solemnly:
"Act quickly. If the Ming Ancestor is too drained to sever the connection, even if you repel the insects this time, they'll return."
"Understood."
The beast shut its eyes and did not interfere with the insects still crawling from the depths.
Jian Dan formed a new flying sword message and sent word that the Ming Valley was preparing to sever its link with Lingyun.
The four nodded and began to advance, cutting down insects like harvesting grain.
This time, they aimed to conserve strength. They used talismans and compact formation disks. Jian Dan even brought out stored thunder orbs.
Their accuracy was flawless. Every talisman was effective. They cleared a path to the boundary point and flashed forward.
Snow fell heavily beyond. Behind them were withered black trees and black crystal stones covering the ground.
A towering blade mantis was just emerging when Mo Qi sent a blade shadow slashing through it, splitting it in two.
Jian Dan reached into her black-gold ring and pulled out a thick black fur robe, which she draped over herself. If the cold here could freeze insects, she wasn't going to take chances.
The others, having received storage rings from Jian Dan, also retrieved their fur robes. Mo Su wore white, Mo Yi navy blue, and Mo Qi donned her usual fiery red.
Prepared, the four once again let Jian Dan take the lead as they stepped into the blizzard.
The Ming Beast cracked one eye open to watch them vanish into the snow, then slowly shut it again.
Inside the snowfield, pressure increased. Their divine sense was halved. The wind and snow seemed to strip warmth from their bodies.
Jian Dan smashed an approaching insect with a punch and sent a message:
"We follow the insects inward. Use physical attacks as much as possible to conserve demonic energy."
===
Hi everyone ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ
Just a small update from me: You might notice that uploads on this series may slow down a little bit in the coming days.
Lately, I've been experiencing a sudden wave of exhaustion and body aches, especially in my lower back, shoulders, and legs. My energy has been drained, and even my mind feels foggy and slower than usual. It's a weird mix of feeling super tired and yet struggling to sleep properly (;￣Д￣)
After reflecting on it, I believe this shift is tied to something more than just fatigue.
Right now, we're in a time called "Sura", the first and most spiritually intense month in the Javanese calendar. Many people here believe that Sura brings deep emotional or energetic changes, and for those who are more sensitive (like me, apparently lol), it can cause fatigue, body aches, restlessness, or emotional heaviness. Some people describe it like the world is "quieter but heavier."
On top of that, there's also an upcoming lunar eclipse in just a few days. Across many cultures, eclipses are believed to stir up natural energy in both the environment and the body, often leading to disrupted sleep, emotional waves, and a sense of heaviness. Whether you believe in the spiritual side or not — Personally, I've been feeling that impact quite strongly, even before the eclipse arrives.
In Chinese metaphysics, the moon is linked to Yin energy—the calm, quiet, emotional, and inward flow. I was born carrying strong Yin essence, described as:
"You carry a strong and quiet Yin energy, but within your heart lies a gentle spark of fire."
But during a lunar eclipse, the moon (and thus, Yin energy) becomes hidden or obstructed. For those with Yin-aligned constitutions like mine, this can feel disorienting. Almost like our inner compass gets jammed. (×_×;）
So yes, I guess I'm being extra affected by this cosmic combo.
Even though I usually work ahead and try to keep a consistent pace (I normally post 5 chapters/day), the drafts for this particular series are still quite "thin"—only about 40 chapters ready—so it's difficult to maintain that upload speed while I'm in this condition.
So, I'm slowing things down just a bit to take care of myself and let my mind and body catch up. I promise I'm not abandoning the novel! I just need to refill my energy bar (๑•́‧̫•̀๑)
Thank you so much for your patience and understanding. I'll still keep updates going as best I can, especially for the series that have more chapters in stock. For those with "thin" drafts, please bear with me for a few days 🙇♀️💕
Sending hugs and moonlight from my corner of the world~
With love and sleepy fox energy,
— Reiya ꒰｡•ᴗ•｡꒱