126 Discovery of the Old Continent

The ancient formation array and the Anti-Heaven Palace seemed to originate from the same source; both were merely low-level defensive illusion arrays with limited functionality, allowing the group to pass through them with ease.

Luo Yu felt a flicker of doubt: What was that flying saucer doing here? It seemed to want to enter as well, yet it lacked the freedom of movement that cultivators possessed. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, and the group stepped onto the Kunlun Lan, excitedly venturing into the barrier.

Upon entering, all four were stunned. The air was incredibly fresh, and the spiritual energy rushing toward them was thick to the point of being startling. There were no fish, no water; the ocean behind them was completely blocked by the barrier, forming a boundless blue wall like a tsunami frozen at the peak of its crest. The water wall rippled and shifted with the currents, and through the barrier, one could see vibrant fish and jellyfish, a sight a hundred times more magnificent than any underwater park in Dubai.

This was a vast land. The open grasslands were covered in strange, coral-like shrubs—some pure white, others light blue or deep ink-green, resembling jade carvings. Most of the plants forming the dense grass were rare spiritual flowers and herbs that were nearly impossible to find on the surface. A gentle breeze carried glowing spores that swirled in the air with colorful radiance, making the place feel like a fairy kingdom from a storybook.

Beside the shrubs grew tall, ancient-looking trees that exuded rich spiritual energy. Herds of diverse wildlife roamed the land leisurely, and a monster with massive bat-like wings let out a long cry as it swept across the sky toward a distant forest. At the edge of the horizon, mountain ranges undulated, their colossal peaks hidden within a barrier shimmering with white light.

Straining to look through the white barrier at the mountain peaks, one could faintly discern the blue seawater, its shimmering reflections creating a breathtaking, kaleidoscopic effect. These formed a unique "sky" beneath the water. Though the light was dimmer than on the surface, the brilliance generated by the barrier's operation was enough to illuminate the entire underwater world.

It was so vast and tranquil that it felt as if they had left Earth for another realm.

Luo Yu stood stunned for a long time, completely speechless. Everything before him was disillusioning... with spiritual flowers and trees everywhere, what had all his painstaking efforts to find and carefully cultivate them amounted to?

In that instant, Luo Yu wanted to cry.

Luo Li was the first to speak: "Let's take over this territory!"

Bai Wuhuo sounded as if he were sleepwalking: "Excellent... I can feel it... if we were here, I could break the seal and survive..."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yue immediately snapped back to reality: If what Bai Wuhuo said was true, then this formation likely housed cultivators with strength beyond the Void Refinement stage.

Luo Yu asked the fox anxiously, "In the cultivation world of five thousand years ago, were conditions comparable to this?"

Bai Wuhuo shook his head. "Not even close. I'd bet even a Mahayana cultivator could survive here."

Luo Li was slightly disappointed. "A Mahayana cultivator, huh? Then taking over this place will be quite difficult... Brother, let's see how big this place is first!"

The proposal was constructive, and the four continued their exploration, riding the white clouds toward the east.

The animals they encountered along the way were bizarre—some covered in fur, some in scales, and others with smooth, bioluminescent skin. They did not resemble any species from the surface, and some were very similar to dinosaurs. Most of these monsters possessed a degree of magical power; some could breathe fire during skirmishes. Luo Yu even saw a cat-like creature with rabbit ears controlling spiritual vines to drive away a herd of "unicorns" intruding on its territory.

As they ventured deeper into the grasslands, the massive water wall behind them gradually faded from the horizon, becoming a sky-like blue background, giving them the surreal sensation of being on an "African safari."

Operating at full speed, the Kunlun Lan flew for two full hours before they vaguely saw the edge of the plains. The four were secretly horrified: this distance was enough to fly from China to Japan. What kind of array was this to hide such a massive landmass inside?

Amidst their swirling thoughts, the Kunlun Lan finally cleared the grasslands and soared over a vast, dense forest. The woods below were more ancient and lush than anything they had ever seen, with long, dew-covered moss hanging from the branches. Whenever the breeze blew, the moss danced like shimmering silk ribbons, a breathtaking sight.

These ancient trees were diverse in color and peculiar in shape. Some were so thick it would take dozens of people to encircle them, while others lacked a main trunk, supported by tangled clusters of old vines. Soft vines adorned with glowing orbs hung from the canopies. The flowers in the forest were equally strange; one lily-like plant had blooms as large as a round table. There were also unidentified fungi, standing like colorful umbrellas, emitting a beautiful yet eerie glow in the dim forest.

Luo Yu had become immune to the many spiritual herbs seen along the way, but that did not include—

"A Celestial Herb!" Luo Yu suddenly shouted, pointing in a certain direction.

"It really is a Celestial Herb!" The adventure group immediately erupted with excitement, and the Kunlun Lan swooped into the forest.

Sure enough, on a nearby tree branch, a dark, violet-like plant clung to the wood, radiating a dreamlike glow. Although many ordinary plants in this forest also glowed, the intense fluctuation of spiritual energy betrayed it—this was certainly no ordinary herb.

The four rushed over, and Luo Yu immediately reached out his "devil's claw" to claim it, but hesitated halfway.

"What's wrong?" Luo Li asked.

Luo Yu wrinkled his nose. "Don't you think... it doesn't smell very good?"

Qin Yue carefully sensed the air, then quickly pulled Luo Yu aside and summoned a zombie with a wave of his hand. "Let it pick it."

The zombie wobbled up the branch and obediently plucked the herb. A layer of transparent sap coated the plant, instantly covering the zombie's hand. The zombie remained oblivious, climbed back down, jumped onto the Kunlun Lan, and fawningly offered the herb to Qin Yue.

As it opened its hand, the four saw clearly: the palm, once intact, had been corroded to the bone in these few moments. Dark purple toxins were eating away up its wrist, and the sap was dissolving the bone itself.

This zombie had the cultivation of the Golden Core stage. While it lacked defensive magical energy, its body, meticulously refined by a vampire, was far from fragile. The sight chilled the group. Qin Yue immediately severed the zombie’s left hand and unleashed Anodic True Fire, incinerating both the hand and the herb until nothing remained.

The zombie didn't seem to feel pain from losing its hand. It stared blankly at its severed arm, turning it over repeatedly. Suddenly, it let out a series of urgent "squeaks," as if realizing it had lost something. Its eyes darted around the cloud, finally settling on Qin Yue with a pitiful, whimpering gaze, as if begging him to help find it.

Qin Yue sighed softly and said, "Ask your daddy to sew you a new one when we get back. Just make do for now." With a flick of his sleeve, he recalled the zombie.

Luo Li protested loudly, "Mommy is not their daddy! Mommy's descendants are handsome guys like Daddy!"

Qin Yue replied stoically, "I was complimenting him. Being the 'Father of Zombies' is an honor—it is well-deserved."

The Kunlun Lan continued to drift eastward, descending along the slope of the forest. About an hour later, the "daylight" above grew brighter, becoming indistinguishable from the sun on the surface.

Soon, a vast plain appeared before them: green fields like a sea, crisscrossed by paths; massive, vibrant gardens; and smooth, mirror-like roads leading in all directions. In the center of the plain sat a town.

"This is..." Luo Yu was astonished. The scene before him was unlike any town he had ever seen, lacking any elements of Chinese architecture. It was silver overall, with a hint of pale grey-blue. The layout of the buildings had a touch of Athenian and Roman style—orderly, solemn, and perfectly proportioned. In the center of the town stood an extremely high square tower, its protective barrier expanding into a standard pyramid shape, shrouding the entire plain.

Inside the barrier, people were tending to fields, driving strange "carriages," or walking leisurely. Some were dressed in simple, neat clothes, while others wore floor-length robes like gossamer, adorned with delicate gold chains and gems. Some held scrolls, reciting content to onlookers with swaying heads, as if recreating Raphael's "School of Athens." The place possessed a high level of civilization, yet there was no trace of high-tech products; the flying saucers or cars they had imagined were nowhere to be found.

"What exactly is this place..." Luo Yu couldn't help but sigh.

Luo Li shouted joyfully, "Let's go down and see! They all look like humans—there's a gate over there!"

Luo Yu looked over and saw "city gates" set in the middle of each of the four sides of the barrier. The one closest to them was the west gate.

The four descended to the edge of the forest and walked for a long time, finally reaching the entrance. A wide plaza stood before the gate, with ten tall pillars arranged in a semi-circle around a circular fountain garden. A dozen people in strange attire were peddling goods on the plaza floor.

Luo Yu scanned them from afar and felt his mind reel. What was going on? The guy with long hair over there was definitely a cultivator... but the one next to him, with golden hair and blue eyes, dressed in black robes and holding a staff... wasn't that a mage from Western legends? Wait, no, it was a necromancer, and those guys shrouded in heavy cloaks behind them were definitely skeletons! Were they not afraid of being discovered and beaten up? And that hot girl with pointed ears—she was so beautiful, could she be an elf?

Luo Yu’s head filled with questions: Was this a "World Unity" event? All these legendary creatures had appeared—how did they all find this place?

Of the four, Qin Yue was the most composed. He pulled Luo Yu toward the entrance without looking back, joining the queue to enter the city. Many soldiers in gleaming armor stood guard, holding massive swords and bows, monitoring those in line.

The barrier at the entrance was closed. Luo Yu stretched his neck to look ahead, seeing people ahead receive something before being allowed through. There were few people, and soon it was their turn.

Following the example of those before them, the four stood in the curtain of light between the curved pillars, and immediately felt their spiritual energy stagnate, as if suppressed by some force. Then, an old man in white robes, holding a "crystal ball," rose from his seat and spoke a long string of words through the barrier.

The four were dumbfounded. This was completely unlike any known language on the surface. They had traveled everywhere, never once encountering a language barrier—what were they to do now?

Luo Yu and Luo Li exchanged glances, while Bai Wuhuo looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, remaining silent: he would never let such a shameful display of ignorance be pinned on him!

Qin Yue furrowed his brow, pondered seriously for a long moment, then suddenly pulled out a spirit stone and held it out in his palm, watching the old man expectantly.

The old man paused, then shook his head slightly.

Qin Yue calmly withdrew the spirit stone, flipped his hand, and produced a celestial stone, continuing to observe the old man's reaction.

The old man suddenly smiled and said, "Don... Heavenly Court?"

Luo Yu’s eyes lit up—though he hadn't understood the first word, "Heavenly Court" was perfectly clear. He nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes, Heavenly Court! Have you seen people from the Heavenly Court?"

The old man smiled kindly. "Don Heavenly Court, please, welcome." As he spoke, he stepped down from the platform, took out four exquisite bracelets, handed one to each of them, and gestured for them to wear them.

The four examined the bracelets carefully; they felt no strange fluctuations of power or arrays. Thinking that everyone else who entered had done the same, they assumed it wasn't targeted at them and put them on. The bracelets were clasp-style; as soon as they clicked shut, they automatically adjusted to fit their wrists perfectly.

Luo Yu’s heart sank: *We've been tricked! This thing is strange.* He didn't know what it was made of, but the moment it clicked shut, he felt a fluctuation of power, and more than half of his spiritual energy had been sealed!

Luo Yu tried to take it off, but couldn't. He couldn't help but shout at the old man, "This... how is this happening? It won't come off!"

The old man didn't understand him at all, assuming he was merely amazed by the bracelet's magic. He nodded with a smile, muttered a few modest words, and with a flash from the crystal ball, the barrier into the city opened.

Luo Yu looked at the old man with frustration, likely guessing his intentions. This was probably a security measure for outsiders, which was only logical. Now that the barrier was open, they couldn't block the entrance, so they proceeded with their original plan: enter the city first.

Luo Yu stepped into the barrier with a grudge, vowing that the first thing he would do in the city was learn the local language.

Beyond the barrier lay a wide garden avenue that spanned the entire field, lined with exquisite statues every ten meters, leading straight into the city. Once on the avenue, Luo Yu realized that the humans here were different from those on the surface—they were taller, generally over 1.9 meters, with pale skin and mostly blue or green eyes. Their hair was also light, mostly white, pale gold, or light grey. Qin Yue was considered short among them, let alone Luo Yu and Bai Wuhuo, both of whom felt immense pressure, their male pride severely wounded.