Chapter 188: Endless Plains

With a rumble, as the Rock Dragon Warrior fell, the massive stone gate it had emerged from slowly opened. Then, the joyful voice of the Primordial Azure Dragon resounded from above:

“Excellent. Young human, you have shown me an astonishing result. I have resided on this continent for ten thousand years, and you are the first to pass this trial. This ten-thousand-year wait had made me regret several times leaving a trace of my soul and power on this land, as the power level of this continent is simply too low. I gradually realized that the trial I left behind was impossible for the humans of this continent to complete... Fortunately, I found you.”

“You have passed the first trial, and what’s more, you completed it under double difficulty and with a burden. You have given me immense hope. The door to the second trial has opened. After you are sufficiently prepared, walk through that open stone gate, and you will enter the second trial grounds. Good luck.”

That open stone gate was the door to the second trial.

If the first trial was so terrifying, the second and third trials are bound to be even more difficult... I wonder what level of cruelty awaits.

The Ice Soul Barrier was still active, as Yun Che had taken less than a quarter of an hour to defeat the Rock Dragon Warrior.

“Finally, it’s over.” Yun Che returned to Chu Yuechan’s side, adjusted her into a more comfortable reclining position, then extended his hand and slowly channeled profound energy into her body to soothe her qi and blood.

Chu Yuechan’s beautiful eyes were half-open, staring at him blankly. After a long moment, she softly asked, “Why do your injuries and strength recover so quickly?”

Yun Che did not want to deceive her and answered directly, “The profound art I cultivate has the function of accelerating injury and strength recovery.”

“Can you tell me what profound art it is?” Chu Yuechan asked softly. At her level, very few profound arts could pique her curiosity. She knew many profound arts that accelerated injury and strength recovery, such as the Heaven Reversal Art, Nine Revolutions Reincarnation Art, and Wind-Flower-Snow-Moon Divine Art. However, she had clearly seen how severe Yun Che’s injuries were, and how greatly his energy had been depleted, even to the point of severely overdrawing his life force… yet he had fully recovered in just three hours. The powerful recovery profound arts she knew, even combined, could not possibly achieve such astonishing effects.

Yun Che hesitated slightly, then spoke, “You probably haven’t heard of this profound art. It’s called the Great Way of the Buddha.”

“Great Way of the Buddha…” Chu Yuechan murmured, her eyes clouded with confusion. It was indeed a name she had never heard.

“Profound energy at the True Profound Realm mid-stage… yet in a short time… you killed thousands of opponents at the same level… and effortlessly destroyed an enemy a full major realm above yourself… Although, at your age, your profound energy level might only be considered that of an ordinary genius, your talent in profound energy application… perhaps even Xia Qingyue… might be inferior… Your master must be… a truly remarkable person.”

Having spoken so many words at once, Chu Yuechan was lightly panting. For someone who treasured words like gold, speaking so much at once clearly revealed her inner shock regarding Yun Che.

“Yes, I have two masters, and they are indeed both remarkable,” Yun Che nodded with a smile. “One master taught me medical arts and how to be a person, and the other taught me various profound arts. They both gave me new life; without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”

Chu Yuechan closed her eyes and said nothing more. With her mind relaxed, weakness and fatigue assailed her simultaneously, and before long, she fell into a deep sleep.

Her profound veins were completely crippled, and her meridians were almost entirely severed. To remain conscious for so long in such a weakened state, she had undoubtedly been relying on immense willpower. What filled Yun Che with immense joy was that he could no longer sense any trace of suicidal intent from her.

Yun Che did not immediately step into the door of the second trial, but instead remained quietly by Chu Yuechan's side. In his hand, the Dragon Fault sword was still present; it had not disappeared with the death of the Rock Dragon Warrior.

When Chu Yuechan awoke, it was already the next morning. After a night of Yun Che's profound energy circulation and gentle warmth, her body was still weak, but her complexion had significantly improved.

“Here, drink some water first.” Yun Che helped Chu Yuechan sit up, letting her lean against his chest. He brought the water to her lips, watching her drink it sip by sip. Perhaps he had never imagined that one day he would hold this petite fairy, who stood at the pinnacle of the Azure Cloud, and carefully, gently feed her water as if she were an infant. Chu Yuechan could have never imagined it either… And at that moment, Chu Yuechan herself didn't realize that despite such intimate contact with Yun Che, there wasn't much rejection in her heart. Instead, she felt a strange sense of security. However, she attributed all of this to her body being completely debilitated, with no self-care or resistance capabilities.

In her current state, Chu Yuechan could only consume liquid food. Fortunately, before entering the Death’s Wilderness, Yun Che had bought some grains at an inn. He used the Phoenix Flame to cook a small pot of porridge for Chu Yuechan, then fed it to her. After everything was prepared, he carried Chu Yuechan and walked towards the door of the second trial.

Walking slowly into the stone gate, the surroundings immediately turned pitch black. After taking two more steps forward, it suddenly opened up again, as if in just two steps, he had completely crossed from one world into another.

Spread out before him was a vast, boundless plain. Green grass covered the ground, and lush trees provided shade. The faint sound of flowing water could be heard. In the distance, low hills undulated, and the calls of various birds and beasts echoed intermittently.

The air here also smelled completely different from the previous location, fresh and pleasant. Yun Che turned around and still saw the endless plain; there were no mountain walls or stone gates to be seen. He instantly realized that he hadn't walked through a stone gate, but rather a teleportation array.

“Is this… the next trial ground? It seems… there’s no sense of danger.” Chu Yuechan said softly.

It was then that the voice of the Primordial Azure Dragon rang out.

“Young human, welcome. This is the second trial ground of the Dragon God’s Trial. This trial ground has no boundaries and no exit. You will only be teleported away from here once you complete the trial, or if you perish in this place before achieving the trial’s objective.”

“Within this endless plain, countless profound beasts exist. The levels of these profound beasts have been adjusted based on your strength. And because you are undergoing a trial of double difficulty, all profound beasts here are of a rank no lower than the Spirit Profound Realm. Some powerful profound beasts will even exceed the strength of the Rock Dragon Warrior you previously killed.”

“For these profound beasts, this is an endless paradise. But for you, it is an abyss fraught with danger, filled with countless shadows of death. Because all profound beasts here, upon sensing your aura, will launch relentless attacks against you. Simultaneously, under the guidance of my soul power, profound beasts near you will be guided towards your location. You will be constantly pursued by profound beasts, unable to sleep at night or eat in peace.”

Yun Che: “…”

None of this had elicited any significant reaction from Yun Che, but the Primordial Azure Dragon’s next words made Yun Che almost spit out blood.

“And your objective to pass this second trial is very simple: within one year, kill ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine profound beasts here!”