"Now you should understand why I said that killing there requires no reason or excuse. The blood pearls you obtain after a kill are the best excuse and reason of all! In that place, a life is nothing more than a stepping stone to greater strength—especially for someone at Separation-Union Stage Three like you. You'll be an easy target." Ling Taixu spoke in a deep, solemn voice.
Yang Kai's face showed shock, but far more prominent than that was excitement and delight.
Ling Taixu had eyes like a hawk, and he caught every nuance of Yang Kai's expression. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This kid really was going to prove his martial path through slaughter.
Any other martial artist at Separation-Union Stage Three hearing about such a place would probably be terrified and want to flee. Yet here was Yang Kai looking eager, as though he wished he could rush there right now and plunge himself into an endless tide of killing.
At least there was no need to worry about harming innocents. Even if Yang Kai didn't go out of his way to kill, people would come after him. Besides, the place was full of evil martial artists—all of whom deserved to die.
Along the way, Ling Taixu told Yang Kai a great deal about the place. After all, he had trained there years ago and carried firsthand experience. Such knowledge was invaluable.
Yang Kai listened attentively, not daring to miss a single detail.
According to Ling Taixu, the place existed within the Nether Mountain, yet did not truly belong to it. It was a peculiar independent space, and its entrance lay within a lake deep in the Nether Mountain.
No one knew exactly what strange energy or heavenly rules governed that space, but one thing was certain: whenever any living creature died inside, all of its energy and the essence of its flesh would condense into a blood pearl—whether human or demon beast. These blood pearls could be consumed personally or brought out for others to use. They were worth a fortune. Furthermore, the more powerful the person or demon beast that perished, the more valuable the blood pearl became, and the greater the enhancement it could provide.
Additionally, within that place, all offensive and defensive artifacts would be rendered completely useless—sealed away by some invisible energy. Hearing this, Yang Kai's heart sank considerably.
His current strength was merely Separation-Union Stage Three. Who knew how many Zhenyuan Realm experts might venture in there? If he encountered any of those powerhouses without the Asura Sword or the Thousand-Petal Blood Begonia to back him up, he would definitely be at a disadvantage—and might very well be killed.
But then he realized that everyone else faced the same constraints, and his spirits lifted considerably.
That extraterritorial space opened once every ten years. Yang Kai had been fortunate—having just returned to the Lingxiao Pavilion in time. If he had come back a few months later, he would have missed it entirely.
Finally, Ling Taixu solemnly handed Yang Kai a small cloth pouch.
The pouch was roughly the size of a palm, covered with intricate and mysterious patterns. The material was unusual, and it looked remarkably refined.
"What is this?" Yang Kai asked, puzzled.
"I call it a Cosmos Bag. Don't be fooled by how small it looks—inside, it holds a space large enough to contain a full cubic measure of items."
Yang Kai was visibly stunned. He glanced at Ling Taixu with astonishment. He hadn't expected the old man to actually possess a legendary artifact meant solely for storage—something that, to his knowledge, only existed in myths.
"They were all left behind by our founding ancestor. In the entire Han Dynasty, this is probably the only one—even your Eight Great Families of Zhongdu don't have one." Ling Taixu said mildly.
Oh—though wait, Meng Wuya might have one as well. But that old codger hoarded all his treasures and never shared them with anyone but his own disciples. Truly petty-minded.
"I've stocked it with some pills for you. Use them sparingly," Ling Taixu cautioned.
"Mm, thank you, Grandmaster! When I come back, I'll return the bag to you." Yang Kai carefully tucked the small pouch into his chest pocket, keeping it close against his body.
This thing was truly a supreme treasure—an artifact capable of storage. People only spoke of such items in legends; no one had ever actually seen one.
Of course, Yang Kai harbored a wordless Black Book made from soul-suppressing stone within his body, which could also be used to craft storage-type artifacts. And its quality would certainly surpass the Cosmos Bag by a wide margin.
But for now, Yang Kai sat atop a mountain of treasure with no idea how to use it. It was almost tragic.
After flying ahead for roughly a day, a deep and sprawling mountain range appeared before Ling Taixu and Yang Kai—one that radiated an eerie, sinister aura from every peak and crevice.
The Nether Mountain! The Han Dynasty's sole forbidden zone! A desolate, ancient wildness rushed toward them like a gale. The forbidden land lay coiled upon the earth like a primordial dragon that had been crouching there since time immemorial, sending chills down the spine.
As they drew near the mountain, before they had even entered, two separate parties suddenly burst out from the left and right.
The group on the left numbered six, and Yang Kai looked closely to find that they were all women. The party was led by an elderly woman and a beautiful matron, with four young girls trailing behind.
The four girls wore tiny bells on their wrists and ankles. As they ran, the crisp, melodious tinkling drifted through the air—like a mountain spring's clear water, refreshing to the ear.
Moreover, every woman in the group was strikingly beautiful. The matron carried herself with regal elegance, her figure full and graceful. Her jet-black hair was swept up in a bun, revealing a fair and slender neck. Every inch of her radiated a mature, voluptuous allure. Her eyes, in particular, were mesmerizing—liquid pools that shifted with each glance, captivating the soul, as though they could speak on their own. Under their gaze the sky seemed bluer, the flowers sweeter.
The four young girls were equally lovely—youths on the cusp of womanhood, moving with lithe, graceful steps. Their slender, petal-pink arms were partially bared, their skin as white as snow that dared the frost. Their dainty feet and delicately shaped toes lent them a unique beauty of their own. Slender or fuller-figured, each wore a soft smile—some shy, some stunningly gorgeous, some cool as ice, some warm as flame. Together they were enough to drive any man to madness. Though their charm lacked the mature allure of the matron, they possessed their own fresh, youthful appeal.
As for the old woman, though she appeared quite advanced in years, one could still glimpse traces of extraordinary beauty in her youth. Time, however, had carved countless indelible marks upon her face.
The group halted roughly thirty yards from Yang Kai and Ling Taixu. The old woman cast a brief, indifferent glance at the two of them and gave a soft snort.