Maiden Galaxy

On the second day, Wang Sengbian took them to the Black Turtle Holy Grounds.

Chen Mo originally thought that since this was the holy land of the Northern Barbarians, there would definitely be a tall and large palace hall constructed there. Even if it was not magnificent, there would at least be something of the sort. The reality left Chen Mo dumbstruck.

At the center of a valley, Wang Sengbian stood in front of a crevice and explained to them that this was the entrance to the Black Turtle Holy Grounds.

"Huh??"

Even Qin Weiyu was stunned.

"This is the entrance to the holy grounds? Isn't it just a crack in ground?" Chen Luan carefully scrutinized this entrance to the sacred site. No matter how she looked at it, it was like any other ordinary ravine one could see on a mountain.

Chen Mo said, "Though I'm not as learned, don't deceive me. Even if I don't know what a holy site is like, it can't be as plain as this."

Wang Sengbian twitched her mouth, a look of disdain that said that they were too ignorant. "Who said this cannot be the entrance? Legend says that Weightbearer Mountain was formed after the Black Turtle's death. Its true spirit is concealed in a place deep within the leyline. This crack is the very passage to that place."

This expression clearly explained things.

"You can guarantee this?" Qin Weiyu still felt Wang Sengbian's explanation was a bit lacking. This crack appeared to be like an abyss, the bottom nowhere in sight. 

"Try it yourself, and then you will know why I said this." Wang Sengbian teased.

Qin Weiyu's expression shifted. Flying Hawk Departing Thoughts flew out from empty space, and the seven daggers shot into the crack. Before they could enter into the darkness, all of a sudden, the Magpie Bridge Immortal exclaimed in shock, her entire body jolted, and she stumbled backwards, nearly falling to the ground. Fortunately, Chen Mo swiftly caught her.

Whoosh.

The seven Flying Hawk Departing Thoughts were ejected from the crack. Surprisingly, they had suffered damage.

"This is?" Qin Weiyu's pupils contracted.

"Exactly. This fissure appears ordinary, but the interior rejects entry to Star Names. Our Destined Star Weapons will also be affected. This is why I can be certain that this is the entrance to holy land that the Northern Barbarians speak of." Wang Sengbian said.

"Star Generals are unable to enter?" Chen Luan was very surprised there would be such a forbiddance. In her heart, there should be nothing that a Star General was incapable of.

Qin Weiyu and Wang Sengbian were very calm. Truthfully, they knew that because Star Generals were existences that inherited Star Names, their constitutions were not like a normal person's. It was normal for some forbiddances to conflict very harshly with a Star Name. In the Inner Star Fields, these forbiddances actually were not rare. It was one of the methods that many cultivators had that were able to contend against some formidable Star Generals.

Because treasures that allowed cultivators to be completely reborn often existed in this kind of forbiddance, Star Generals had difficulty forcing their way through. This was why Wang Sengbian would entrust her hopes of killing Huan Wen to Chen Mo. If she herself was able to enter, she would have already devised a way to obtain it. 

"Many Northern Barbarian warriors have entered this place, but not a single one was able to come ot alive. You must be careful." Wang Sengbian advised. This Black Turtle Holy Ground once attracted the best of the Northern Barbarian warriors, but no one ever returned alive. Sojourner Of Fangshan had no idea just what dangers lay inside.

Since Star Generals were unable to enter, Chen Mo would have to go try it either way. This perhaps was the only way to contend against Yellow Court Realm.

Everything was prepared, and Chen Mo exchanged a look with his elder sister.

They jumped down into the ravine.

Chen Mo and Chen Luan's figures very quickly vanished into the darkness. Wang Sengbian ordered people to stand guard all around, and she herself sat cross-legged. She took out and examined the Star Mansion Spirit Stone "Emptiness."

Qin Weiyu tended to Nianyou and looked at the Sojourner Of Fangshan: "What are you preparing to do with this Emptiness Star Mansion Spirit Stone?"

"Among the Twenty-Eight Star Mansions, legend says that ‘Emptiness' represents marrow, that it is able to change a warrior's quintessence." Reportedly, having the twenty-eight Star Mansion Stones could allow a warrior to possess a constitution that was like a Star General's.

"It is useless to us Star Generals." Qin Weiyu said. The second Realm of Earthly Fiend Star Generals was "Reborn Nine Movements," and in actuality, their entire bodies would have already turned into Star General constitutions. Those ordinary rejuvenation things of Star World were not too useful. Meanwhile, the Twenty-Eight Star Mansion Spirit Stones had uses, however, a single one by itself was not very useful.

"Are you thinking of having me hand this ‘Emptiness' to your lover?" Wang Sengbian seemingly smiled.

Qin Weiyu gracefully said: "Chen Mo is not my lover. He and I are good friends, but I indeed have this idea. Of the Seven Star Mansion Spirit Stones, Chen Mo obtained one, you have one, and Huan Wen has five. If the Black Turtle Seven Mansions is not complete, they will not be very useful. If you give it to Chen Mo, it would be very helpful to him against Huan Wen.

"The Yellow Court Realm Huan Wen also comprehended a ‘Phoenix Dark Rank.' Honestly speaking, Weiyu does not view favorably that Black Turtle True Spirit you speak of."

"Indeed. If he is able to come out alive, I will give this Emptiness to him, depending on your face, Qin Guan." Wang Sengbian smiled.

"Come to think of it, why did you appear in the Tail Fire Star Field, Magpie Bridge Immortal?" Wang Sengbian's eyes twinkled: "I remember that the Inner Star Field will have a ‘Literature Assembly.'¹ Characters so emotional as yourself ought to participate in this occasion, right, Qin Guan? This is the best opportunity for you to ascend to a Single Character Star Name. Why are you still here in the Outer Star Fields together with a man?"

If Chen Mo was here, he probably would have thought that the ‘Literature Assembly'² that Wang Sengbian referred to was an insult. However, the situation was not like this at all. The "literature" that she mentioned was in reference to a nickname for the "Book of Songs: Lessons from the States"³ and "Songs of Chu: On Encountering Sorrow."⁴ This was the greatest appellation for verse culture.⁵

The so-called "most outstanding"⁶ was none other than this.

In Star World, Spiritual Energy Star Generals, particularly those adept at verses, all viewed the "Literary Assembly" as the greatest activity, such as "Confucius says" and "Wumiao,"⁷ and it was second only to the Star Duels List.

Star Generals with Two Character Star Names all would seize this chance to promote their Star Names to Single Character Star Names.

Qin Guan was considered somewhat famous in Star World, so it was reasonable to say that she should be preparing for the event at all costs. Seeing that she was still in the Outer Star Fields, Wang Sengbian was a bit perplexed.

Qin Weiyu did not want to tell others about her plans at all.

"I naturally will attend the Literary Assembly, but rather than isolate myself, it is better to go out and look around. Du Shaoling said that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand li."

"I truly envy you literati. For a martial general like me, ascending to a Single Character Star Name requires us to have the feats of going through bloody battles. We cannot reach this just by reciting a few verses." Wang Sengbian's tone concealed a bit of contempt for scholar Star Generals.

Qin Weiyu disagreed, but she was already accustomed to such views.

"If Chen Mo kills Huan Wen, what feats do you want to create to promote your Star name? Killing Chen Mo, perhaps?" Qin Weiyu asked.

Wang Sengbian laughed aloud. Killing a cultivator was considered a joke to a Star General; it was completely impossible for that to be an achievement. "If I can help Chen Mo kill Huan Wen, this is still a significant feat."

Qin Weiyu nodded, speaking no further.

"We had better wait here for Chen Mo to leave seclusion. If only he can actually do it." Wang Sengbian's gaze turned once again to the entrance of the holy grounds. Her expression was instantly solemn.

Chen Mo's body was in the middle of a swift descent. The inside of the crevice was uneven, and the extremely heavy scent of sulfur emanated from deeper within. The further they went, the higher the temperatures soared, and the surrounding stone walls also emitted broiling heat.

To the two Great Cultivators, heat like this was still considered bearable.

But the endless descent was honestly too torturous. Chen Mo used the Deva Eyes but was unable to glimpse a thing. The surrounding darkness and sulfur mixed together. Occasionally, a few monster birds flew out from cracks in the rocks, but they were immediately slain by Elder Sister's Flying Swords.

"Fourth Brother!" Chen Luan suddenly let out a cry of alarm. A Flying Sword emitting a rainbow light descended below Chen Mo's legs and propped him up. Soon after, Chen Luan released an illumination talisman.

The dark crevice was suddenly painted as brightly as a portrait.

Chen Mo was astonished.

An awe-inspiring corpse dangled upon a protruding stalagmite. This body wore underpants made from animal hide, like a Northern Barbarian. The robust man currently hung upon the stalagmite like a meat skewer, his manner of death wretched. This should be one of the Northern Barbarian warriors who came in search of the Black Turtle True Spirit that Wang Sengbian mentioned?

"So many."

Looking all around, Chen Mo noticed this was not the only body that was like this.

From top to bottom, the two walls were littered with skeletons. Some were more intact than others, with most of their skeletons preserved. Some bodies were already severely damaged, devoured by Demon Beasts from within the crevice.

At first glance, with a mountain of white bone, it seemed like they were in the middle of hell. Chills ran down Chen Mo's back.

Even Chen Luan was briefly startled by the situation before her eyes.

"Big Sister, be careful. It looks like this place is very dangerous." Chen Mo was very grave.

These warriors should have been among the best of the Northern Barbarians, but they had died before reaching the end. It appeared this so-called holy land was not friendly at all.

"Brother Mo, you be careful, too." Chen Luan used protective abilities, and several dozen Luan Flying Swords revolved around the pair.

They continued downwards.

A while later, all of a sudden, Chen Mo heard a strange kind of noise. This sound seemed to come from inside the mountain, as if it was piercing through.

Bang!!

Sparks came from behind them.

Chen Mo turned his head. Chen Luan's Flying Swords suddenly moved, and a shadow punched through stone and shot towards Chen Luan's body like a spear. If it was not for Chen Luan using a defensive ability, that attack just now would have ran through her body and left her hanging like these corpses. 

"Look out."

Whoosh.

The stone walls boomed, and another lance shot over.

Chen Mo reacted very swiftly. His body evaded, and that shadow immediately drilled into the other wall. Chen Mo sneered and pounded into the mountain with a punch.

His power was overwhelming, surprisingly smashing his entire arm into the mountain cave.

He drew back his arm, and that creature was immediately pulled out.

"What is this Demon Beast?" Chen Mo was taken aback.

The Demon Beast in his hand was like an earthworm and shaped like a lance. It did not have eyes, and its entire body was lined with shaggy barbs. These barbs were sharper than fangs. Chen Mo cultivated the formidable Black Turtle Body, yet these barbs still stabbed into his skin.

Venom.

Chen Mo ripped apart the Demon Beast and used magic energy to expel the venom. Fortunately, it was not very deep. The fluid was green, able to corrode the stone it landed on.

More and more noises came from the holes in the mountain, and they drew closer and closer.

This is bad.

Demon Beasts like these number in the millions at least.

At the same time, the mountain jolted even more intensely. The countless skeletons all rattled, letting out frightening howls.

"This is?"

Chen Luan was stupefied.

A terrible, long shadow burst out from the wall, and it was covered in densely packed warts.

This was no holy land, it was obviously hell.

Chen Mo's expression changed. He hastily grabbed Elder Sister Chen Luan's hand and hugged her body. The Flying Sword under him was too slow. He jumped off of it and focused his weight to the soles of his feet, plunging heavily downwards like a boulder.

1. 風騷大會 ↩
2. 風騷 can be "literary excellence" or it can mean "flirty." ↩
3. 詩經·國風↩
4. 楚辭·離騷↩
5. Combine the last letters to get 風騷. Unfortunately, the nickname doesn't really work out in English. ↩
6. 獨領風騷 ↩
7. 武廟 a temple for Guan Yu ↩

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