parentshiftbook Chapter 115: The Grim Situation
Chapter 115: The Grim Situation
A myriad of thoughts churned in my mind, yet I could not find their source.
Zhang Ping decided to put these thoughts aside for the time being, raised his foot, and smashed the huge bull horn beneath him.
Amidst the flying pebbles, he reached out and grabbed a piece of yellowish-brown crystal in his palm.
The crystal is about half the size of a fist, with a smooth surface and roughly oval shape.
"Earth Spirit Crystal." Zhang Ping rubbed the crystal with his fingers, feeling its texture, and then put it away.
His gaze swept over the devastated mountainside, and without lingering, he leaped into the air, his figure disappearing into the horizon.
Once you cross the Hengduan Mountains, you enter the southern border region.
Southern Xinjiang's terrain is mainly plains and mountains, with plains making up about half of the land. Unfortunately, rivers are scarce, and the soil in many places is infertile, making it impossible to grow crops.
This has kept the population of southern Xinjiang at a moderate level.
Zhang Ping flew above the clouds, looking down through the gaps. Vast swathes of land appeared scorched black.
Occasionally, one or two little demons could be seen emerging from the ground, peeking out curiously.
As they flew over the ruins of a city that was now just broken walls and crumbling ruins, Zhang Ping had a sudden thought and landed.
He searched through the rubble and found that the scattered bones had long since decayed and were covered with a thick layer of green mold.
"This city has been fallen for at least half a year," Zhang Ping said, frowning.
South of the Hengduan Mountains, after flying for three days, this was the eighth ruined city he had encountered. Although this place wasn't exactly in the heart of the southern frontier, it was deep enough that it had already been breached by demons so early?
"The situation in southern Xinjiang... is worse than expected."
He shook off the moldy ash from his fingertips, stomped the little demon that had just emerged from the ground into a bloody pulp, and without lingering, continued flying towards the royal city.
......
A small bridge, flowing water, and a dilapidated wooden house courtyard by the stream.
A small fish leaped out of the water, its black-rimmed, white-rimmed eyes gazing curiously at the girl in the courtyard, as if drawn by something else.
Weeds grew wildly in the courtyard, and a weathered wooden table was chipped at one corner. Black mealworms peeked out from the cracks in the table.
The girl sat on a large rock next to a wooden table, her petite body taut, her big eyes fixed on a rusty tin can on the table.
After a while, the shaking jar finally calmed down. With a "hiss," a plume of scalding white steam shot out from the jar's opening, and a rich medicinal aroma instantly filled the air.
"It's done!" Ruan Qiuhe's tense body suddenly relaxed, and a smile bloomed on her face. She raised her hand and grabbed at the air, and a round, brownish-red pill flew out of the jar and landed in her palm. The pill emitted an enticing fragrance.
"The Hundred Beast Blood-Strengthening Pill! Master, I've finally succeeded in refining it!" she exclaimed excitedly.
The next moment, a woman's voice rang out around her: "Not bad. To refine a third-grade pill in just half a month—your talent in alchemy is truly rare. The medicinal power is at its peak; take it immediately and use it to break through to the Marrow Marrow Realm!"
Ruan Qiuhe nodded emphatically: "Yes!"
Half a day later, an invisible wave of energy suddenly erupted in the courtyard, pressing down on the surrounding weeds and causing them to lie flat on the ground. The already rotten wooden table groaned under the weight and snapped in two with a crack.
Ruan Qiuhe's blood and qi surged and rose steadily, eventually settling at the level of the early stage of the Marrow Infusion Realm.
At the same time, a golden-red phoenix phantom silently appeared behind her.
The phoenix spread its wings, exuding an invisible majesty. Its golden eyes looked down at the girl, revealing a hint of satisfaction.
"Although resources are scarce in the Sealed Demon Land, the inheritance has been severed, so no one is competing with us for these materials. This allows you to freely conduct trials and accumulate a wealth of experience."
"Master, where are we going next?" Ruan Qiuhe asked, looking up after feeling the powerful energy surging within her body.
The phoenix's phantom hovered gracefully around the girl: "It's time to leave the Southern Frontier. This land cannot withstand the Demon Lord's sharp edge."
......
Three days later, Ruan Qiuhe disguised herself and quietly left the capital.
The next day, a figure pierced through the clouds and descended from the sky; it was Zhang Ping who had rushed over.
He stood on the clouds, looking down.
Below lies a colossal city occupying a vast plain! In the heart of the city, a towering mountain rises abruptly, particularly striking.
My gaze swept over the densely packed buildings below, stretching to the horizon with no end in sight.
The streets were bustling with people dressed in distinctive southern Xinjiang attire. Their vital energy was barely perceptible, yet they all exuded the unique aura of Gu worms. Many wore ornaments made from dried Gu worms.
These auras subtly revealed a special power, different from the blood and qi of humans, and instead closer to that of alien beasts.
Patrolling soldiers could be seen at street corners and alleyways. They shouted loudly and roughly drove away the crowds:
"Get out of my way! All of you, get to the side of the road! Are you looking to die?!"
Behind the soldier, a small squad of golden-armored warriors, covered in blood and exuding a murderous aura, galloped wildly on horseback. The heavy hooves pounded the hardened road with dull thuds.
Zhang Ping retreated to the side of the street with the fleeing civilians, his gaze falling on the golden-armored soldiers rushing past.
In his eyes, there were faint, mysterious patterns flowing.
"From the front lines? Seems like a messenger," Zhang Ping murmured, stroking his chin.
The Southern Frontier Royal City is the place where the bloodline of the Southern Frontier King continues to exist, and it is also the ruling core of the entire Southern Frontier human race, with a status comparable to the capital of the Great Wei.
The sacred mountain that pierces the clouds in the center of the city is the residence of the King of Southern Xinjiang. Legend has it that it houses countless rare and precious Gu worms from Southern Xinjiang, and martial artists who have gained the King's approval can enter the mountain to choose one.
However, this rumor has been circulating for hundreds of years, and no one has ever actually obtained it.
After entering the royal city, Zhang Ping did not head straight for the sacred mountain in the city center, but instead wandered around the city.
He kept observing and inquiring about the situation in the southern border region since the outbreak of the demonic chaos. The results weighed heavily on his mind.
When the demonic chaos first broke out, the first wave of attacks from the demons was indeed aimed at the Great Wei. However, after the Great Wei's Demon Extermination Division held them firmly at half the prefecture, the demons divided their forces and headed south.
The Hengduan Mountains, once considered a natural barrier in southern Xinjiang, proved to be ineffective against demons and were easily breached.
From then on, the Southern Frontier suffered a crushing defeat, retreating step by step, ultimately forcing the King of Southern Frontier to personally take action to confront the invading demon.
The strength of the King of Southern Xinjiang is beyond doubt. He possesses the legitimate bloodline of the royal family, has inherited a powerful Gu worm, and his strength has reached the peak of the Marrow Marrow Realm.
Her intervention did indeed temporarily halt the demons' attack.
Just two months ago, a rebellion suddenly broke out in the eastern border of the southern frontier! The forces entrenched there betrayed their cause, sided with the demons, and turned against the warriors of the royal city.
Besieged on both sides, the allied forces led by the King of Southern Xinjiang retreated again and again, and their defensive line continued to shrink.
Today, the entire southern border is desolate; the north has become a den of demons and monsters; the east has become a breeding ground for traitors and scoundrels; the southern border royal family can only control the central and western regions and the sparsely populated southern areas.
At this moment, these blood-stained messengers rushed into the city, and the news they brought was likely to be ominous.
"It seems that the Southern Frontier won't last much longer... I must have the royal family help me refine the essence gu before it completely collapses." Zhang Ping's thoughts raced, and without further hesitation, he turned and strode towards the Holy Mountain.
......
Crimson lightning tore through the sky, dancing in the thick, gray fog. An eerie atmosphere filled the world.
Dead silence.
There is neither day nor night here. Eternal gray is the only hue. The distant scenery twists and turns, blurred and indistinct, in the chaotic mist.
The earth was parched and cracked, devoid of life.
Boom—!
The crimson lightning flashed again, instantly illuminating a headless giant corpse thousands of feet tall, standing between heaven and earth like an ancient mountain range.
The colossal corpse was clad in tattered ancient armor and wielded a massive, suffocatingly large, blood-red battle axe. A greyish-black mist, carrying with it a chilling, terrifying power, emanated from its enormous body.
In front of the terrifying giant corpse stood an ordinary-looking middle-aged man. His body appeared as small as a speck of dust compared to the giant corpse.