Gazing at the lifeless body of Zuo Ri, Chen Xia couldn't help but feel that people should not try to act too superior. Just a few days ago, Zuo Ri was boasting about restoring the glory of the realm, and now he was dead and gone.
Silence filled the air as the twelve prodigy cultivators stood in silence, their gazes fixed on Zuo Ri's corpse. Perhaps more than the body, they were captivated by the golden divine spear impaled through Zuo Ri.
Ma Xiaohong hid behind the others, her face pale. She remembered that whenever someone died, she had to trade her own life to bring them back.
The elder leading the group had a dark expression on his face. He leaned forward, placing a hand on Zuo Ri's head. After a moment, he let out a sigh.
"His soul has perished, he's beyond saving."
Upon hearing these words, most of the talented cultivators felt a sense of sorrow.
Only Ma Xiaohong burst into uncontrollable laughter, but she quickly realized that something was amiss and her expression turned serious.
Meanwhile, Chen Xia had been fixated on the golden divine spear.
I wonder if anyone wants it?
He pondered.
"Elder, do you know who the owner of this golden divine spear is?" a cultivator suddenly asked.
The leading elder pondered for a moment and replied, "It's hard to say. Judging by the quality of this golden divine spear, it could belong to a divine progeny from the Divine Realm or even a true disciple of the Immortal Realm's Great Emperor."
"Zuo Ri encountered a cultivator from the Immortal Realm or the Divine Realm?!" the inquiring cultivator exclaimed in astonishment.
"It's not just limited to the Immortal or Divine Realms; it could be from other realms as well. In any case, he encountered a formidable opponent," the elder shook his head and sighed again.
"Zuo Ri brought this upon himself. From now on, you all must not act on your own. Follow me. If any problems arise, I can take care of you. Even if you get injured, there will be someone to heal you."
As the elder spoke these words, his gaze fell upon Ma Xiaohong, who was standing at the back, her face pale, and her hand nervously gripping her clothes.
Chen Xia, watching from the side, furrowed his brows.
Suddenly, the golden divine spear moved. It pulled itself out of Zuo Ri's body as if responding to a summons, shooting up towards the high reaches of the Great Death Realm, leaving behind a brilliant trail of divine light before disappearing quickly.
Zuo Ri's body began to disintegrate into dust, dissipating within the Great Death Realm. In this realm, deceased cultivators became lost souls, devoid of consciousness, forever wandering within the Great Death Realm.
However, Zuo Ri did not become a lost soul because his divine soul had long been shattered. Without his divine soul, he could not become one.
The flying golden divine spear traveled across several star rivers and landed in the palm of a large hand covered in scales.
"So, the little fellow from that realm has been completely wiped out?" a teasing voice sounded from the side, belonging to a slender figure with a blurred appearance in the Great Death Realm.
"Yes, he's dead. Since the golden divine spear has returned, it means that even his divine soul has been obliterated," confidently replied the owner of the golden divine spear, casually throwing it away and asking another question.
"Didn't the others catch up with you?"
Shaking his head, the slender figure chuckled, "No, you were too fast. They are still seeking opportunities within the secret realm."
"Hmph, a Quasi-Saint Mansion, I wonder what there is to linger for. Once you've taken what you need, it's about time to leave."
"Not everyone can compare to you. As the Chosen One, it's difficult for others to keep up with your pace," a slender figure shook its head in response.
The Chosen One remained disdainful, gripping the Golden Divine Spear in hand, and replied, "If they can't keep up, that's their problem. I only seek to pursue the path of the Emperor, to achieve greatness. On this path, I have no rivals."
"The True Legacies of the Great Emperors in the Immortal Realm have been stirring lately. Would you like to hear about it?" the slender figure changed the topic, neither confirming nor denying.
"Speak," the Chosen One's words were indifferent.
"The Holy Son of the Seventh Mountain in the Immortal Realm recently emerged from a great saint's relic. Only he returned from the relic among the cultivators who entered, so he must have obtained a great inheritance."
The Chosen One remained apathetic and replied, "Even if those cultivators didn't die in the Great Saint Ruins, they would have been killed by the Holy Son of the Seventh Mountain. The relic is contested, and only the strongest can claim the inheritance."
"That's indeed the case," the slender figure nodded in agreement and continued with a smile, "Apart from the Holy Son of the Seventh Mountain, there is another Great Emperor Legacy that has made a name for itself in the Great Death Realm. It is said to be ranked in the top ten among the various realms."
"And there's another rising star you should know, the recent prodigy from the Fuyao Immortal Sect, Xu Zhen."
"It is rumored that she emerged from the lower realm of the Fuyao Immortal Sect and immediately made a name for herself. She has already become a Great Emperor Legacy. Two thousand years ago, she reached the fifth level of the Heaven Mending Realm, the youngest in the Fuyao Immortal Sect at that time. Now her cultivation has become even more unfathomable."
The Chosen One sneered, "I've heard of her reputation before. The youngest at the fifth level of the Heaven Mending Realm, her name may be well-known, but she's not that formidable. Anyone can reach the fifth level. If she were the youngest quasi-emperor, then perhaps I would look up to her."
The slender figure shook its head. "Although that's what people say, Xu Zhen is different. She is formidable in battles as well. It is said that she has obtained not just one Great Emperor Legacy and is considered a rare genius in the Fuyao Immortal Sect. There are rumors that she may even rival the Fuyao Immortal Emperor."
"Hmph, may rival?" the Chosen One sneered. "The Fuyao Immortal Sect has produced countless Fuyao Immortal Emperors. They talk big, but in a real fight, they're probably just weaklings."
In his view, the Fuyao Immortal Sect loved boasting about unfounded claims. Each claim was more grandiose than the last.
"Anyway, let's not dwell on these idle talks. It's time for you to make a name for yourself as well. The Divine Realm was unhappy with our defeat in the last battle against the Immortal Realm," the slender figure said, as if merging with the Great Death Realm, and continued.
"Realms like the Divine Realm are inconsequential. We have other formidable enemies from the major realms. I've heard that powerful star realms from the Upper Realm have sent representatives."
"Overall, the battles in the Great Death Realm this time are going to be intense. We can't afford to be careless. Moreover, a Great Emperor's ruins will be revealed during this Great Death Realm opening, and many forces are eager to enter."
The expression on the Chosen One's face remained calm. With a resounding clang of the golden spear in his hand, he confidently declared, "I will claim the inheritance of the Great Emperor's ruins, make a name for myself in this Great Death Realm, and ascend as a Quasi-Saint with the most formidable reputation!"
"No one can surpass me, for I am the pinnacle of strength!"
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"Chen Xia, what if we run away?"
Ma Xiaohong and Chen Xia walked at the back, speaking in hushed voices.
Chen Xia glanced at the elder walking at the front and then at Ma Xiaohong, conveying his thoughts telepathically.
"How do you plan to escape?" he asked.
Nervously twisting her clothes, Ma Xiaohong replied in the same telepathic manner, "Let's find a hidden place and stay there quietly, so no one can find us. Then, when it's over, we can go back."
"The problem is, we can't hide," Chen Xia said, looking at the elder leading the way. According to the elder, they were heading to a Quasi-Saint ruins and would have a long journey ahead.
Ma Xiaohong squeezed her clothes, her brows furrowed in worry. She realized that Chen Xia was right, but she didn't know how to argue against it.
It was truly remarkable how in the midst of this great death realm battle, some had lofty aspirations and sought fame, while others were already contemplating escape.
The subsequent journey was relatively smooth. The twelve of them encountered few surprises and occasionally came across other cultivators. Both sides engaged in cautious probing, but no one took the initiative to attack. Fear was the prevailing sentiment.
In the great death realm, there was no concept of martial virtue. If you dared to fight with others, someone would immediately take advantage of the situation.
Unless there was a significant disparity in strength, no one was willing to engage in combat voluntarily.
The death of Zuo Ri could only be attributed to his own search for death. Daring to venture out alone in the great death realm made it difficult to survive.
Everyone had come for group battles, but you insisted on going solo. Even if that were the case, you were still weak. If I didn't kill you, it would be a disgrace.
The remaining twelve individuals were unharmed, with the assurance of the elder who possessed the strength of the twelve realms of the Heaven Mending Realm.
Each of the twelve had their respective roles. Apart from the leading elder, the others would frequently exchange their insights on cultivation and remain vigilant of their surroundings.
Chen Xia and Ma Xiaohong were the types who were prone to giving up. Their conversations always revolved around running away.
Ma Xiaohong liked to talk about it, and Chen Xia often agreed. It was as if feces had encountered a toilet—perfect compatibility.
Among the twelve cultivators, they couldn't be called troublemakers, but they were definitely passive workers.
As a master alchemist, Chen Xia hadn't refined a single pill since arriving in the great death realm. Whenever someone needed a pill, he would simply take it from his storage treasure, of which he had plenty.
Ma Xiaohong's special physique and abilities had never been used. No fights broke out, and no one got injured, so there was no need for her to intervene.
The twelve individuals continued their relentless pace, hastening toward the Quasi-Saint ruins.
Accompanying them were numerous other cultivators, many of them formidable beings who had traversed the stars and arrogantly strode at the forefront.
During this journey, conflicts arose among the group of twelve cultivators.
Some cultivators looked down on Ma Xiaohong, perceiving her as useless. Despite being at the third level of the Sea-Reversing Realm, she displayed no strength of the third level, often evading encounters. This greatly affected morale.
One person voiced their opinion, and others chimed in, believing that Ma Xiaohong was too weak and didn't match the temperament of realm cultivators.
This led to a collective attack.
Ma Xiaohong lowered her head, tightly clutching her clothes, unable to refute. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Chen Xia watched silently beside her, not saying a word and even considering joining in with a few words of agreement.
He never fought against the headwind team.
After this, when Ma Xiaohong was about to reach the Quasi-Saint Ruins, she secretly said something serious to Chen Xia.
"Chen Xia, let's run."
Her weak expression was unusually determined.
"You run. After the Elder catches up with you and kills you, I can still mourn you for a couple of words," Chen Xia replied calmly.
"You're so indifferent," Ma Xiaohong murmured softly, her head lowered, unable to see her expression.
"Thank you for the compliment," Chen Xia replied.
From then on, there were no more words exchanged between them.
The slacker duo also experienced a rift for the first time.