Chapter 171: Death Wasteland

Yun Che found an inn and settled in. However, instead of sleeping, he sat cross-legged on the bed and placed the last Dragon Blood Pill into his mouth.

He had already consumed two Dragon Blood Pills on his journey from Azure Wind Imperial City. Each pill took one or two days to refine and absorb, but with the little fairy secretly protecting him, he had no need to worry.

The moment the Dragon Blood Pill entered his body, it felt like a ball of flame suddenly exploded within him. Yun Che's face flushed crimson, and his body trembled. However, with the Great Way of the Buddha circulating, his discomfort lasted only a short while. His complexion quickly returned to normal, and his breathing became stable.

While four drops of a Royal Profound Blazing Dragon's blood could not compare to the blood of a Phoenix divine beast, ingesting the Blazing Dragon's blood was far more dangerous than Phoenix blood. Phoenix blood simply integrated into the human bloodstream, becoming a part of it, and could not be destroyed by Yun Che's abilities. Blazing Dragon blood, however, needed to be refined, its power converted into Yun Che's own strength, and then it would disappear forever. This process was considerably more difficult and perilous than integrating Phoenix blood. Hence, Yun Che first had to infuse it into a medicinal pill to make it gentle enough before daring to refine it.

A shimmer of ice floated, and the little fairy silently appeared before Yun Che. She observed his calm expression, her gaze reflecting a subtle complexity. She had personally examined the Dragon Blood Pill, which contained four drops of pure Royal Dragon blood. Although the dragon blood's power had been significantly gentled by infusing it into the pill, refining it still ideally required Profound strength of the Spirit Profound Realm. Forcibly consuming it at the True Profound Realm carried significant risks.

Yet Yun Che had consumed three Dragon Blood Pills consecutively, and each refining process was incredibly smooth, without much pain or struggle. The entire process was calm and effortless, reaching a natural conclusion, which filled her with astonishment.

Yun Che completed his meditation on the morning of the third day. Upon opening his eyes, he felt no hunger, only a profound sense of refreshment and vigor. As the three Dragon Blood Pills were refined, his profound strength had advanced to the peak of True Profound Realm Level Four, just half a step away from breaking through to True Profound Realm Level Five. Moreover, the benefits of the three Dragon Blood Pills extended beyond mere profound strength enhancement; they also significantly strengthened his body and meridians.

Thanks to a Golden Scaled Dragon Transformation Pill and three Dragon Blood Pills, Yun Che's profound strength had increased by two levels within half a month. While pills offered the quickest path to advancement, they came with a significant drawback: unstable profound strength. These two sudden levels were not achieved through normal cultivation. To stabilize them, extensive combat would be necessary.

Yun Che left his room and purchased enough dry rations. When the innkeeper noticed the purple spatial ring on his hand, he hesitated for a moment before leaning in and quietly asking, "Young man, are you also a Profound practitioner heading to the Death Soul Wasteland for training?"

"Yes," Yun Che replied, sensing the innkeeper's goodwill. "Do you have any advice for me?"

"Heh heh," the innkeeper chuckled, sizing him up with admiration. "At such a young age, to possess Profound strength of the True Profound Realm is truly remarkable. I presume you're a genius disciple from some influential clan or major sect? And judging by your attire and that purple ring on your hand, you're clearly not lacking money, so you're certainly not here to hunt for treasure to sell."

Yun Che glanced at the purple ring on his hand but said nothing. He already possessed the Sky Poison Pearl, so he had no need for a spatial ring. This particular purple spatial ring was one he had taken from Feng Baiyi and wore it simply to mislead others.

"However..." The innkeeper glanced around and lowered his voice. "The people who come to the Death Soul Wasteland are a mixed bag. Some are here for training, others for wealth. For profit, they not only hunt profound beasts but also target other profound practitioners entering the wasteland. That purple ring on your hand is far too conspicuous and makes you an easy target. Combined with your youth and the fact you're alone, it's truly dangerous. I suggest you remove the ring, carry a worn-out satchel, and dress more ordinarily. That way, at least you won't be targeted by greedy individuals."

Yun Che nodded at the innkeeper's words, expressing slight gratitude. "I understand. Thank you for the warning."

"Also, while your profound strength isn't weak, the profound beasts in the Death Soul Wasteland, both in strength and number, will far exceed your imagination. Within the outer hundred li, you'll find primarily Elementary Profound Beasts and True Profound Beasts. Beyond that are Spirit Profound Beasts, and the deeper you go, the higher the grade of profound beasts. While the distribution of these profound beasts is generally distinct, it's not absolute; Spirit Profound Beasts often appear within the hundred li range as well. Therefore, I strongly advise you not to venture beyond fifty li. Training is for self-improvement, but never risk your life foolishly. Alas, how many profound practitioners have overestimated their abilities and never returned from the Death Soul Wasteland."

"Don't worry," Yun Che assured him, "I'll act within my capabilities."

Yun Che thanked the innkeeper and left the inn, heading towards the Death Soul Wasteland. Along the way, he was observed by many—because of the massive sword on his back. The sword, as the king of all weapons, was the most common choice among profound practitioners, and many carried them. However, carrying such an enormous sword was truly a rare sight.

Half an hour later, Yun Che officially stepped into the domain of the Death Soul Wasteland.

A wasteland, a desolate plain. The wind here rustled eerily, and the constant roars of profound beasts from afar made one's heart pound. From a distance, the entire wasteland was covered in withered grass and jagged rocks, stretching endlessly. One could vaguely see groups of profound practitioners, but very few came alone like Yun Che; at least within his line of sight, he was the only one.

A shimmer of ice floated before him, and the little fairy's ethereal form floated down from above, landing in front of Yun Che. "Are you going to be here for the next six months?" she asked coldly.

"Yes!" Yun Che nodded. "There's no better place for training. I also want to find out how deep I can go into this place of death that everyone speaks of with such dread."

He looked at the little fairy and suddenly asked, "Little fairy, do you not wish to accompany me inside?"

"I truly do not wish to set foot in such a place," she replied. "But since I promised to protect you for three months, I will certainly do so. I wouldn't break my word to a junior like you."

Her cool, gentle voice fell, and the little fairy floated up, vanishing from Yun Che's sight in a blink.

"Junior..." Yun Che's mouth twitched. He was quite speechless.

"Young brother, are you alone?"

Behind Yun Che, a somewhat hesitant voice spoke. Yun Che turned and saw a team of over ten people looking at him. Their leader was the one who had spoken. All of them were young, the oldest being around twenty-four or twenty-five. Their profound strength was mostly in the late stages of the Elementary Profound Realm and early stages of the True Profound Realm. Most of them simultaneously showed signs of nervousness and excitement, clearly on their first venture into the Death Soul Wasteland.

Seeing Yun Che turn, the leader quickly said, "If you're alone, how about joining us? With more people, we can look out for each other, whether facing profound beasts or malicious individuals, making it much safer. Any hunted prey or treasures found will be distributed equally, with no favoritism."

Their eager invitation was clearly due to Yun Che's True Profound Realm Level Four profound strength. Yun Che turned back and said indifferently, "No need."

Having said that, he proceeded alone, stepping deeper into the wasteland.

"Hmph, daring to enter the Death Soul Wasteland alone," a young man carrying a long sword in the team muttered. "No wonder so many people die here every year."

"He looks at most seventeen or eighteen," another said. "Yet he's already True Profound Realm Level Four. He must be from some major sect, right?"

"So what if he's from a major sect!" scoffed another. "In this Death Soul Wasteland, will profound beasts or wicked individuals care about his origins when they kill him? And the more prestigious his background, the more likely he is to carry a large amount of Profound currency, pills, and treasures, making him an even bigger target for those villains. I bet he won't live to see the sunset today."

"Alright," their leader interrupted. "We don't need to concern ourselves with outsiders. Everyone get ready; once we gather twenty people, we'll depart."

Yun Che continued forward, encountering three groups of adventurers who tried to invite him to join, including a small mercenary group. He rejected them all.

After traveling three li, the path was calm and uneventful. Then, Yun Che, who was walking, suddenly paused and glanced to his right. Just then, from behind a black rock two men tall to his right, a grey shadow, accompanied by a ferocious roar, burst out. It leaped towards him, its sharp claws gleaming with cold menace. It was an Elementary Profound Beast—a fierce wolf.

"Seeking death!"

Yun Che stood still. As the fierce wolf pounced, his right arm suddenly swung out, his palm striking the wolf's head. With a loud "crunch," the wolf's neck bone instantly snapped. It was sent flying far away with a yelp of agony and, after a violent full-body convulsion, lay motionless.

From behind the black rock, another fierce wolf that was about to pounce seemed intimidated by the scene. It recoiled a step in fear, its fur standing up like steel needles. Immediately, it raised its head, stretching its neck, and let out an incredibly long howl. Instantly, howls erupted all around. Soon, over a dozen fierce wolves rushed from all directions, charging directly at Yun Che.

Yun Che's expression remained unchanged. He allowed the fierce wolves to pounce, then moved his hands and feet, with Phoenix flames dancing around him. Any wolf that came into contact with his fists, feet, or the Phoenix flames instantly perished. For a moment, wolf corpses flew and pained howls echoed. In less than a few breaths, over a dozen fierce wolves lay scattered around Yun Che, transformed into various twisted and mutilated corpses.

"Too weak," Yun Che muttered. "There's no training to be gained in a place like this; it's just a waste of time."

Yun Che patted the back of his hand, glanced at the grim, foreboding path ahead, then quickened his pace, rushing deeper into the Death Soul Wasteland.