After a long time, the mist layer gradually calmed down, and almost all the surviving cultivators fled far away, fearing that one slow step would be the death of them at the hands of the bewitching skeleton.
Hidden within the formation, Ding Yan merged with the mist and went unnoticed by anyone. After about two hours, when Ding Yan was sure that there was no one around, he retracted the runes around him. His originally concealed figure became tangible and gradually emerged from the mist. The Level 2 runes were collected from the spatial formation, and the information contained within them was something he couldn't comprehend at his current level. Thus, unless necessary, Ding Yan would not casually discard these runes.
"Have they all left...?" Ding Yan's eyes revealed a mix of emotions as he looked towards the mist ahead.
In his right hand, a damaged ancient map reappeared once again.
"Spirit Communication Demon Wood... the ancestor of the Mo family was really careful," On the damaged map, the clear route had changed when Ding Yan emerged from the layer of mist a while ago. Ding Yan had only recently discovered these changes. At the bottom of the damaged map, appeared a row of blood-red small characters, clearly stating that in order to enter the inner city, one must obtain the Spirit Communication Demon Wood from beneath a black stone in the southeast direction of the city wall.
This method of hiding characters was not particularly profound, it was just a type of magical technique. Generally, those who used this kind of technique were the ones who made treasure maps.
"But no matter what, as long as I can enter the inner city, I can eliminate a demon." Unlike many other cultivators, Ding Yan did not seek after the cultivation method of the Yellow Spring Old Immortal, he only entered the city of Wasteland Death to eliminate potential inner demons, and pave the way for the future Supreme Dao.
The path of cultivation is by no means simply about improving one's cultivation base.
In his previous life, Ding Yan had neglected this point and that's why, after reaching the crossing of Tribulation period, he sensed the existence of countless inner demons, to the extent that he didn't dare to face the heavenly tribulation. Now that he's starting over, Ding Yan naturally wouldn't make the same mistakes again.
As long as he eliminates the inner demons, Ding Yan can quietly cultivate and refine the lotus leaf and panacea, and solve the issue of the cultivation method. Then he can use elixirs to improve his cultivation base.
After all, in his previous life, Ding Yan had reached the height of the crossing of Tribulation period. Absorbing the natural energy of heaven and earth bit by bit to cultivate is a waste of time for him. Because while cultivators improve their cultivation base by absorbing the natural energy of heaven and earth, the main focus is on refining their mental state. And Ding Yan's mental state had long reached the level of a Seven-Tribulation Loose Immortal, so he didn't need to waste time on cultivation bit by bit.
It can be said that the current Ding Yan, if he had enough elixirs, could improve his cultivation base to the level of a Six-Tribulation Loose Immortal within ten years. Of course, the premise is that he has so many elixirs to squander and that his physical body can withstand the endless tribulations of a Loose Immortal.
The tribulation of a Loose Immortal was completely different from the tribulation of shedding mortal life.
The tribulation of shedding mortal life was just to temper the cultivator's physical body, allowing the cultivator to successfully transform into a Loose Immortal.
The tribulation of a Loose Immortal, on the other hand, originated from the heaven and earth and was a type of pure and powerful celestial thunder. Its power was immense, and any slight carelessness would lead to death.
When he returned under the city wall, the Ghost Gate had already disappeared, and the enchanting skeleton was nowhere to be seen.
It took Ding Yan an hour to find the Spirit Communication Demon Wood under a huge black stone to the southeast as recorded in the damaged map.
"Someone else has obtained the real map." Picking up the demon wood, Ding Yan's divine awareness involuntarily spread out.
After a while, he withdrew his divine awareness and fell into silent contemplation.
According to the records on the damaged map, there were three Spirit Communication Demon Woods under the giant stone, and only those who obtained the real map could find them. Now, only one Spirit Communication Demon Wood was left beneath the stone, indicating that before Ding Yan, two groups of people had already taken the Demon Woods and entered the inner city.
As for the possibility of one person taking two Spirit Communication Demon Woods, Ding Yan thought it was simply impossible. Because these Spirit Communication Demon Woods had clearly been enchanted, and the prerequisite for obtaining them was to use the formation map in their hands to wrap them. Even if others discovered the presence of the Spirit Communication Demon Woods, they wouldn't be able to remove them.
After wrapping the last Spirit Communication Demon Wood inside the damaged map, a dim light circled around and merged into the map, and the Spirit Communication Demon Wood hidden under the giant stone was easily retrieved by Ding Yan.
After that, Ding Yan followed the map and went west along the city wall. After about the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, Ding Yan stopped at a depression and, after observing for a moment and confirming the location, took out the demon wood and pressed it against the middle black stone.
As soon as the Spirit Communication Demon Wood touched the black stone, it seemed to liquefy and merge into it. The runes on the pitch-black wall gradually receded, and an invisible force centered around the demon wood transformed into ripples, dispersing in all directions. After a while, a dark archway appeared in front of Ding Yan...
Narrowing his eyes, Ding Yan glanced at the demon wood that had already risen above the archway, then flicked his sleeve and walked in.
As Ding Yan walked in, the demon wood that stood at the top of the archway quickly melted, the dark archway began to fade, and eventually returned to nothingness, leaving only shimmering talismans, as if there had been no passageway here from the beginning to the end.
Passing through the city wall, he saw a desolate street. When he looked back, the archway had long disappeared.
The inner city was deathly still.
The bluestone floor was worn and dilapidated due to the erosion of time. On both sides of the street were rows of low houses, with a few fluttering wooden plaques making eerie creaking sounds in the cold wind.
"I wonder where that skeleton went." Surveying his surroundings, Ding Yan expanded his divine awareness.
When the Ghost Gate opened, Ding Yan clearly remembered that the enchanting skeleton walked out from the inner city. Now that the Ghost Gate had disappeared, it was very likely that the enchanting skeleton had also returned to the inner city. Unexpectedly, after his divine awareness left his body, it automatically dispersed within a range of about five hundred meters. Clearly, there was also a force suppressing divine awareness in the inner city of Wasteland Death.
...
Xiaojuezi carefully pushed open the almost decaying wooden door.
Creak...
The wooden door opened.
Xiaojuezi swallowed, glanced at Feng Linglaodao behind him, and cautiously entered the room.
It was an ordinary house, there were countless such houses in the inner city of Wasteland Death. However, for Xiaojuezi, who held the real map, this place was a forbidden land and a treasure trove, because this house was the place where the Yellow Spring Old Immortal passed away.
"Xiaojue friend, are you sure that the creature you mentioned is not inside this house?" Feng Linglaodao suddenly grabbed Xiaojuezi and asked in a low voice.
When Xiaojuezi invited him initially, he clearly mentioned that the place where the Yellow Spring Old Immortal passed away was guarded by a monster. It was precisely to deal with that monster that Xiaojuezi invited him to enter this place.
"It should be." Xiaojuezi was also uncertain.
Although he knew a little about this place, this knowledge was mostly based on the records of his predecessors. This was his first time entering the actual inner city of Wasteland Death.
"Are you sure your method can stop that monster?" Feng Linglaodao was still somewhat worried.
"The methods passed down by our ancestors are definitely reliable." Xiaojuezi affirmed.
Seeing Feng Linglaodao hesitate, he couldn't help but speak, "With the opportunity to cultivate to the level of an Eight-Tribulation Loose Immortal right in front of us, Brother Feng Ling wouldn't think of giving up, would he?"