Chapter 599: The Fifth Decay

Chapter 599: The Fifth Decay

Somewhere in the True Immortal Realm.

There was a silver palace hovering in mid-air within a certain golden space, and four or five figures were seated on a raised platform in the palace, seemingly discussing something.

All of them were enshrouded in layers of spiritual light in different colors that concealed their facial features.

"Fellow Daoist Xiong, it's already been some time since you came to our Immortal Prison. How are you finding things here?" a figure enshrouded in a layer of white light asked.

The one that the question had been directed at was enshrouded in a layer of golden light, and his features were rather indistinct, but it seemed that he was a young man.

"Everything has been great," the young man replied with a smile.

"Your clan and mine have always been extremely close, and you just made a breakthrough to the late-Golden Immortal Stage, so if you need time to consolidate your cultivation base and wish to be exempt from carrying out any missions during this time, feel free to tell me, and I'll put in a word for you with our higher-ups," the man enshrouded in white light said.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Xuan. My cultivation base has already been consolidated, so no special arrangements need to be made for me," the man enshrouded in golden light replied.

"As expected of a prodigious swordsman like yourself, Fellow Daoist Xiong. Back when you first joined our Immortal Prison, you were able to slay mid-Golden Immortal Stage Reincarnation Palace cultivators on your own, even though you were only at the early-Golden Immortal Stage at the time. With the rapid progress that you've since made in your cultivation base, I'm sure you're destined for great things," another figure that was enshrouded in red light praised.

"You're far too kind, Fellow Daoist Di. I was very fortunate to have succeeded on that occasion. By the way, why isn't Fellow Daoist Gongshu here?"

The figure enshrouded in golden light didn't want the topic of discussion to linger on himself any longer, so he changed the subject.

"One of Gongshu Tian's close clansmen perished in the Northern Glacial Immortal Region some years ago, and he's always wanted to go after the culprit, but our higher-ups have never given him permission to do so.

“Not long ago, our Supervisory Heavenly Mirror detected that someone in the primordial land between the Northern Glacial Immortal Region and the Black Mountain Immortal Region seemed to have mastered the fourth level of the Spirit Refinement Technique, and Gongshu Tian volunteered to go and investigate this matter," the figure enshrouded in red light replied.

"When did this happen? I haven't heard anything about this at all. It's not all that rare to find someone who's cultivated the first three levels of the Spirit Refinement Technique, but someone who's mastered the fourth level has to be a core member of the Reincarnation Palace," the figure enshrouded in white light said in a grim voice.

"It happened not long ago. All of you were out on missions, and I was the only one here at the time," the figure enshrouded in red light explained.

"The primordial land is a very complex and sensitive place. Those primordial races are extremely resentful to us human cultivators, and even more so to cultivators of our Heavenly Court, so it most likely won't be easy to carry out an investigation there," the figure enshrouded in golden light said.

"Indeed. I presume Gongshu Tian will only be returning in futility," the figure enshrouded in red light said in an indifferent manner, while a contemplative look appeared in the eyes of the man enshrouded in golden light.

......

Close to a year flew by in the blink of an eye.

A streak of green light flashed through the sky above a certain barren region of the primordial land, vanishing into the distance in an instant.

The streak of green light contained a green flying carriage, atop which sat Han Li, who was cultivating in silence, while a white cloud was hovering in front of him.

Some time later, the golden light around his body slowly faded, and he opened his eyes.

Following this period of cultivation, all of his injuries had been healed, and his spiritual sense had also made a full recovery.

With that in mind, Han Li summoned his Reincarnation Palace mask, then offered some rewards for those ingredients in the exchange section.

After that, he pulled out a Black Marrow Crystal and began to carefully inspect it.

Inside the crystal were wisps of baleful qi that were pure to the extreme.

These Black Marrow Crystals were of a far superior quality to the ones that Wyrm 3 had given him. When it came to pill refinement, balance was very important, so if he were to use these crystals to refine Origin Void Pills, then he would most likely have to adjust some steps of the process.

Right as these thoughts were running through his mind, the baleful qi in his immortal acupoints suddenly stirred before erupting into a violent frenzy.

Han Li shuddered as bursts of baleful qi that were as viscous as ink shot out of his body, then rapidly expanded outward, instantly filling the entire surrounding area within a radius of several hundred feet.

At the same time, Han Li's eyes began to glow crimson, and it was as if he had transformed into a terrifying baleful deity.

Everyone else on the flying carriage was instantly inundated by the baleful qi that had erupted out of his body, and they were naturally very startled.

The flying carriage instantly drew to a halt, while Han Li abruptly rose to his feet as he warned, "All of you, stay here and don't follow me."

After that, he flew out of the carriage and descended out of the sky.

Down below was an undulating mountain range that was quite abundant with spiritual qi, and there was a massive canyon between two mountains that a river was slowly flowing through.

There were many demon beasts residing in the mountain range, and they immediately fled for their lives upon sensing the terrifying aura that was currently emanating from Han Li's body.

Han Li flew straight into the canyon before throwing an almighty punch, blasting a huge hole into the mountain face up ahead.

He then flew into the makeshift cave that he had just created, then hurriedly set up a layer of restrictions around himself before sitting down with his legs crossed.

A layer of bright golden light emerged to envelop his entire body, but black baleful qi was still surging out incessantly, and it was becoming denser and denser.

"What's happening with Master?" Xiao Bai asked in a stunned manner as it looked down from the flying carriage.

"It looks like Fellow Daoist Han has been befallen by the fifth decay, the baleful decay," Mo Guang said.

Daoist Xie took a glance at Mo Guang, then cast an incantation seal into the flying carriage, upon which it descended into the canyon, but drew to a halt still quite far away from the cave that Han Li was in.

"Master has only just reached the pinnacle of the Golden Immortal Stage, how could the baleful decay have befallen him so quickly?" Xiao Bai asked with a grim expression.

"Fellow Daoist Han was using baleful qi to force his own immortal acupoints open, so an enormous amount of baleful qi has accumulated in his body, thereby leading to the premature onset of baleful decay," Mo Guang explained.

"The baleful decay is the most difficult final hurdle that must be overcome in order to reach the High Zenith Stage. While I was with Gongshu Jiu, I saw countless cultivators fall at this hurdle, ultimately driven insane and killed by baleful qi backlash. Master has only just reached the pinnacle of the Gold Devouring Immortal, and he's completely unprepared..."

Xiao Bai's voice trailed off here, but the implications were very apparent.

Both Mo Guang and Daoist Xie remained silent as they observed the cave from afar.