When Yang Kai activated the Mountain and River Bell, the power of primordial chaos had swept forth to suppress heaven and earth. It was strikingly similar to the force contained within this Primitive Wildness Wine, only the latter was countless times more diluted.
Once he had figured out the secret hidden in the Primitive Wildness Wine, Yang Kai circulated his Emperor Yuan to dissolve the residual Primitive Wildness force still lingering inside his body.
Over at the table, Pi San had already begun gorging himself with abandon, looking every bit like a starved ghost reborn into the world. He seemed to realize that Yang Kai and Zhang Ruoxi had little interest in the spread before them, so he didn't bother inviting them to join in. He simply kept stuffing delicious morsels into his mouth, chewing noisily with smacking lips.
He didn't normally have enough Source Crystals to eat at a place like this. Since Yang Kai had declared that this entire table of food and wine was his payment for answering questions, Pi San saw no reason to hold back.
After a bout of shameless stuffing, Pi San finally leaned back, rubbing his round belly with a satisfied groan.
Throughout the entire meal, Yang Kai and Zhang Ruoxi had split only half a jar of Primitive Wildness Wine between them. Of that, Yang Kai had drunk only a single cup — the rest had all gone to Zhang Ruoxi. By now, her cheeks were flushed rosy red and her gaze had grown slightly hazy.
She was at the third level of the Dao Origin Realm, yet even half a jar of Primitive Wildness Wine had given her a slight buzz. That spoke volumes about just how potent this brew was.
Then again, it probably had something to do with the fact that Zhang Ruoxi had never touched alcohol before.
"You've eaten your fill and had your drinks. Now I have questions for you," Yang Kai said coolly, looking at Pi San, who was sprawled across his chair with an expression that said he could die without regrets.
Pi San jolted upright, springing from his chair to attention. His face took on an earnest look as he declared, "Please ask away, my lord! I will hold nothing back — every last detail, as plainly as I know it!"
"Mm." Yang Kai was reasonably satisfied with his attitude. After a moment's thought, he began, "This is my first time here. I know nothing about the Ancient Lands. Tell me everything you know."
Pi San went silent for a moment, apparently organizing his thoughts. After a short pause, he started, "Since my lord came here by reputation, I imagine you're not entirely ignorant of the Ancient Lands. The Ancient Lands are a primordial wilderness — territory that humanity has never conquered. Countless powerful demon beasts dwell within. The dangers are innate and ever-present; even an Emperor Realm expert who ventures inside cannot guarantee a safe return. In short, warriors who enter the Ancient Lands are tucking their heads into their belts — death could claim them at any moment."
"Of course, the greater the danger, the greater the reward. The Ancient Lands are filled beyond counting with rare spirit herbs and miraculous medicines, and legendary treasures are no less abundant. So despite the peril, strong cultivators from across the entire Star Realm are drawn here. Many who have ventured inside have found fortuitous opportunities, causing their strength to skyrocket. It's said that the legendary Emperor Yuan Ding, once famous throughout the Star Realm, discovered the Mountain and River Cauldron within the Ancient Lands — and that was how he earned his imperial legacy!"
Pi San rattled on without pause. Although what he was saying held little actual value — Yang Kai had already learned most of it — he made no move to interrupt, simply listening with focused attention.
"Not just anyone can enter the Ancient Lands. The minimum standard is the Dao Origin Realm. Below the Dao Origin Realm, you don't even have the right to set foot inside."
"The only path leading into the Ancient Lands is a colossal canyon, perpetually shrouded in a strange, exceedingly dense fog. Once you step into it, you can't see your hand in front of your face, and it interferes with spiritual sense as well. If it were merely fog, that would be one thing. But inside that canyon, lethal gusts of killing wind without physical form blow through at random intervals. If a Dao Origin Realm cultivator encounters those winds — heh heh — it's nine parts death, one part survival. The killing winds are extremely dangerous, but even more perilous than the winds is the falling lightning. The power of that lightning is something even Emperor Realm cultivators cannot easily withstand. A few years ago, an Emperor Realm expert — newly arrived, confident in his own strength, and having done no prior research — forced his way into the Ancient Lands. He was never seen again. Three years later, his corpse was discovered fifty li from the entrance."
"The top experts of the great Sects from the Eastern Domain have all investigated the situation inside the Ancient Lands. According to them, the entrance is a natural prohibition formation. The strange fog, the killing wind, and the falling lightning are all manifestations of that prohibition's power, erupting without any discernible pattern. Entering the Ancient Lands is thirty percent skill and seventy percent luck. With good luck, passing through safely is well within reach. With bad luck, entering means a one-way trip to death."
"Of course, my lord, if you intend to enter, you must also be wary of another kind of danger — one even more lethal than the fog, the wind, or the lightning. What danger? People, naturally. There are those who lurk inside the canyon, ambushing lone warriors to kill and rob. Because these people live within the canyon permanently, they know every inch of the surrounding environment. If you happen to run into them, it's more troublesome than encountering the killing wind or the falling lightning. My lord, if you go in, you must be extremely careful."
"Just the passage into the Ancient Lands is this dangerous, and inside it's ten times worse. I won't lie to my lord — because the Ancient Lands are so extraordinary, that place is saturated with Primitive Wildness Force everywhere. What exactly this force is, no one can explain clearly. But according to those who've been inside, when you're enveloped by the Primitive Wildness Force, your strength drops to varying degrees. A slight drop of ten to twenty percent, or as much as half your power in severe cases. Many strong cultivators have fallen inside simply because the Primitive Wildness Force suppressed their abilities, preventing them from fighting at full strength."
"That's precisely why I insisted that my lord and this young lady try the Primitive Wildness Wine. The Primitive Wildness Force within this wine isn't powerful, but it is authentic in nature. Having tasted it, you'll at least have some understanding of this strange power, so you won't be caught entirely off guard when you go in."
"The most critical dangers in the Ancient Lands are the canyon and the Primitive Wildness Aura. As for what else you might encounter once you're actually inside... I imagine my lord doesn't need me to elaborate? Demon beasts roam everywhere, natural prohibition formations and arrays are innumerable, and some even say that Sacred Spirits exist within. Of all the places in the entire Star Realm, none is more dangerous than the Ancient Lands."
After hearing Pi San's account, Yang Kai's expression grew solemn.
If the passage into the Ancient Lands was already this perilous, the interior had to be ten times more so.
He wasn't particularly worried about his own safety upon entering. The concern gnawing at him was that Little Xiao had entered this place back when its strength was equivalent to only the Void King Realm. Could it have survived safely inside the Ancient Lands?
As for the Primitive Wildness Aura itself, that was something he was not overly concerned about. The power of primordial chaos on the Mountain and River Bell was countless times more concentrated than this so-called Primitive Wildness Aura. He didn't need to drink any Primitive Wildness Wine to be familiar with this kind of force. Moreover, as the current master of the Mountain and River Cauldron, Yang Kai was confident that the Primitive Wildness Aura within the Ancient Lands would have very little effect on him.
Noticing Yang Kai's grave expression, Pi San assumed he had grown fearful.