Chapter 20: The Northern Territory

Two dazzling divine rainbows streaked across the Sunrise Divine Island. Everyone on the island recognized Zhang Chong, but few paid much attention to Li Yao, who was following him.

Since entering the Yaoguang Sacred Land, Li Yao had been cultivating quietly in his quarters. Although some had seen him when he first arrived at Sunrise Divine Island, after four or five months, most had forgotten his face.

“Who is that disciple following Master Zhang?”

On a picturesque hilltop, several figures stood dressed in white robes, each wearing a white jade token at their waist, denoting their status as elite disciples.

The one speaking was a tall, handsome young man. Among the group, his cultivation level was clearly the highest. Upon hearing his question, the others quickly responded, but none seemed to know who Li Yao was.

At that moment, a common disciple with a black jade token at his waist furrowed his brow, hesitating slightly before saying, “Senior Brother Chu, I think I have some impression, though I’m not certain.”

Chu Yunlong tilted his head, intrigued, and raised his hand. “Tell me what you know.”

The disciple hurriedly said, “A few months ago, I saw someone who looked similar—a newly inducted disciple following Master Zhang closely.”

He added uncertainly, “I only caught a distant glimpse back then. The appearance resembled that senior brother, but he has changed a lot over the past months, so I can’t be sure if it’s the same person.”

Chu Yunlong gazed at the figure that had already vanished into the horizon, folding his hands behind his back. “Then it must be that junior brother. Such changes are natural—he looks barely thirteen or fourteen years old; people that age change daily.”

He paused, then continued, “But to reach the Life Spring realm in just a few months after entering the Sacred Land—that junior brother must be exceptionally talented.”

Hearing this, a nearby disciple quickly said, “Senior Brother Chu, didn’t you also break through to the Life Spring realm in just a few months?”

Others nodded in agreement, praising Chu Yunlong warmly.

A faint smile curled on Chu Yunlong’s lips. He clearly enjoyed their compliments.

As for Li Yao, he paid little heed. Achieving the Life Spring realm in a few months was something he had done himself in the past. Now, with his cultivation at the fourth level of the Dao Palace, the gap between them was evident. There was no need to worry about his position being threatened.

What Chu Yunlong never realized was that Li Yao had actually reached the Life Spring realm in just one month.

...

Li Yao followed Zhang Chong to a vast, expansive plaza.

Here stood many enormous altars, each engraved with intricate patterns and ancient characters marking different regions of the Eastern Wasteland.

Domain Gates!

The Eastern Wasteland was immense, spanning countless billions of miles. Even for cultivators who could ride the divine rainbows, travel took an enormous amount of time. Without Domain Gates, the regions could not be interconnected. The territory was far too vast.

The Yaoguang Sacred Land lay in the southern part of the Eastern Wasteland, while their destination—the Sacred City—was at the northern edge. The distance between north and south was staggering. Not only Li Yao but even Zhang Chong would need years to fly there on their own.

The altars were tall and entirely constructed from mysterious jade, with broad surfaces capable of accommodating hundreds of people at once.

As tools for rapid traversal across the Eastern Wasteland, Domain Gates were invaluable. In times of war, they served as vital passages for troops and supplies.

The original records mentioned that aside from the Yaoguang Sacred Land and the Ji family, even forces at the Tai Xuan Sect’s level could not directly cross from the southern region to the northern. At best, they could reach only the central part of the Eastern Wasteland.

“Let’s go,” Zhang Chong said, stepping onto the altar marked for the northern domain.

Li Yao followed swiftly, leaping to the altar’s center to stand beside Zhang Chong.

It was his first time traveling by altar, and the process carried some risk. He dared not stray far from Zhang Chong.

A humming sound rose.

The altar began drawing energy. Buried beneath the ground, the “Source” radiated light, flowing like rippling waves toward the altar.

The translucent jade shimmered continuously; the patterns on the altar seemed alive, trembling and glowing with vibrant energy.

The void distorted and warped, collapsing inward until a dark portal opened—a Domain Gate, its destination unknown.

A suction force emerged. Li Yao felt his body lifted by it, then he found himself in an endless void of silence and darkness.

The Domain Gate slowly closed as the altar continued drawing boundless source energy.

Absolute stillness prevailed—no passage of time, no light or shadow—just the vast black void and infinite silence.

Moments seemed to pass like a fleeting instant, yet also stretched like ten lifetimes. This strange journey finally ended, and with it came the sensation of time’s flow.

The void cracked open and Li Yao stepped out, once again sensing time’s passage.

Was that the power of the void? Or merely the force of the void itself? It was hard to imagine the tremendous might when wielded through the Ji family’s Void Divine Art.

Li Yao pondered deeply, but soon returned his attention to the landscape before him—it was utterly desolate.

No blooming flowers, no bustling crowds, no vibrant greenery.

The land was barren: red soil, reddish-brown rocks, a scene of bleakness and lifelessness.

Endless earth stretched out, vast and empty, devoid of any sign of life. Only a few bare stone peaks sporadically dotted the horizon.

This was a wasteland, utterly devoid of vitality and human presence, permeated by a suffocating stillness.

“How do you find it? Surprised?” Zhang Chong asked Li Yao with a knowing smile.

There were many rumors about the northern domain—gold everywhere, mountains of precious jade. Many mortals and low-level cultivators believed these tales, only to be deceived and sold as mining slaves, condemned to a lifetime of labor in the mines.

Zhang Chong recalled when he first arrived in the north. He had thought the Sacred Land’s Domain Gate was broken—how else could it have sent him to such a godforsaken place?

He expected Li Yao to be shocked too, but Li Yao shook his head and replied, “I’ve read records about the northern domain, so I had some understanding.”

The northern domain was vast and boundless, rich in source minerals and world-renowned.

Yet despite its vastness, it was sparsely populated. One could travel thousands of miles without encountering a single person. Most areas were barren.

The very source of its wealth was also its curse—the mysterious substance that condensed life essence seemed to have drained the entire northern domain of its spiritual energy.