Chapter 318: Boundary

The Lian Tian Sect forces, who had been lying in ambush near the exit, quickly withdrew. Some individuals with foresight had arrived early to stake out the exit, hoping to seize an opportunity. However, lacking proper intelligence channels, they were unable to make the correct judgment and remained in position, likely only to realize their mistake when their target failed to appear after a long wait.

As Shi Chun and his group flew rapidly, they witnessed an exceptionally magnificent sight. They were flying very high, yet the sun remained low on the horizon behind them, a setting sun. Far ahead of them stretched a vast, starry sky. At the boundary between the twilight glow and the vast starry sky, a magnificent spectacle of merging blue, yellow, and black hues unfolded directly above their flight path.

The ground beneath them was a strange and mottled sight, and they could vaguely discern figures below, seemingly flying alongside them in the darkness. As the sunlight behind them gradually dipped below the horizon, the brilliant starry sky seemed to envelop everyone's world.

The starry sky of the Divine Fire Domain was colorful and immensely magnificent. The grandeur of this region seemed eternal and unfading, known as the 'Land of No Light' or the 'Forbidden Land of No Light,' a place whose dangers kept people away. 'No Light' did not imply a complete absence of illumination; stars twinkled in the sky, and fires burned on the ground. It simply meant that sunlight was never seen there. Within the Divine Fire Domain, this sunless "blind spot" encompassed a vast area.

The accepted definition of the Land of No Light's boundary within the cultivation world was simply any place sunlight couldn't reach. However, after Shi Chun and his group interacted with the Summer Dao Mountain sect, they learned a more practical explanation. Gu Lianni and her companions explained that the ancestors of Summer Dao Mountain had discovered another definable boundary. Living creatures within the forbidden land typically avoided crossing it, but if they did, a strange phenomenon would occur: an inexplicable force would kill them by causing them to spontaneously disintegrate. Any living creature from the forbidden land that crossed a specific point would die. The ancestors of Summer Dao Mountain designated this point as the boundary of the Forbidden Land of No Light.

The Summer Dao Mountain ancestors later suspected that an ancient formation was responsible for this invisible boundary. They wondered who could have possibly set up such a massive formation in such a place. The Summer Dao Mountain ancestors suspected it was connected to the Fire God of ancient times, even speculating that the Forbidden Land of No Light might be the Fire God's final resting place.

After suffering a setback in the Divine Fire Domain, the Fire God of old had sought assistance from a group of cultivation world elites to combat monsters. Considering these were creatures even the Fire God couldn't handle alone, and these elites were powerful enough to be called upon by him, their strength was clearly extraordinary; none of them were simple individuals. Many of those elites later perished there, and even the Fire God never made it out. Those who entered afterward were unaware if anyone had found the elites' relics; perhaps someone did and kept silent, as no such discovery was ever reported.

It is said that before his demise, the Fire God desperately opened a passage to the outside world, allowing some to escape. This implies that those who got out did not witness the Fire God's final moments. Would the Fire God have allowed himself to die without a burial place? Could the formation that possibly exists here be related to him?

It wasn't only the Summer Dao Mountain ancestors who harbored this suspicion. Ancestors from numerous other sects had also come to investigate and confirm, but they never discovered anything conclusive, only terrifying entities that caused death and injury. Subsequent disciples of Summer Dao Mountain who entered the area also repeatedly verified their ancestors' insights, confirming that the information provided was indeed valid and that an invisible boundary truly existed. In other words, as long as one did not cross that invisible boundary, it was safe.

Gu Lianni and her group, armed with their ancestors' knowledge, knew how to locate this invisible boundary and which areas of the Forbidden Land of No Light were safe. This was precisely why they dared to lead Shi Chun and his companions here to shake off their pursuers. Once these circumstances were clear, Shi Chun and his anxious companions felt reassured enough to follow.

However, as the various sect forces who had been relentlessly pursuing them plunged into the shadows of this land of eternal night, each of them began to feel a growing unease. They constantly looked around, for the formidable reputation of the Forbidden Land of No Light was undeniable; to claim they felt no fear would have been a lie. They still dared to continue, driven solely by their intense desire for the Divine Fire.

Those flying close to the ground below also began to ascend, only daring to stay to the sides, behind, or higher above Shi Chun and his group. No one dared to fly ahead of them. Even those who had stubbornly clung to them gradually increased their distance from Shi Chun and his group. This was precisely what Gu Lianni and her group had intended.

However, the women from Wangqing Valley maintained a tight distance, refusing to fall back. They possessed intelligence channels similar to Gong Shixi's; while Gong Shixi used her network for mischief, they utilized theirs for tracking, which enabled them to swiftly catch up to Shi Chun and his group. With too many eyes on them, Wu Shanshan refrained from directly approaching Shi Chun and his group to greet them.

After flying in the darkness for some time, Jin Hao, whose face bore a scar, nervously spoke up, seeing that those ahead still weren't stopping. "They're still going, flying deeper in. Are they crazy?" Lin Yuefang, whose nose was gone and replaced by a hole, was also extremely worried. While scanning her surroundings, she anxiously asked, "Sister Wu, the dangers of the Forbidden Land of No Light are real. Do we truly have to keep following them like this?"

Wu Shanshan was also very uneasy, but she replied thoughtfully, "These major sects have entered this place many times and have accumulated experience. There must be a reason they dare to come in. As long as we follow them closely and imitate their actions, we should be fine." Jin Hao felt compelled to remind her, "Sister Wu, there's another obvious reason they might be pushing through: perhaps they're taking a desperate risk simply to shake off their pursuers." Wu Shanshan paused, then counter-asked, "Are you suggesting we give up just like that?" At her words, the two women fell silent, unsure of how to decide.

The other sect members who stubbornly persisted shared the exact same thoughts and concerns: they were fearful, yet unwilling to give up until they truly faced danger. Xu Anchun and the others following behind were also caught in a painful dilemma, their state of mind excruciating. The critical point was that they now had no choice but to push themselves. Everyone knew that the Ming Mountain Sect members had absorbed a significant amount of Divine Fire, giving them a strong chance at winning. If Xu Anchun dared to let the Ming Mountain Sect group face danger without intervening, someone would surely ensure he met a miserable end once they exited.

After flying for a long time and still pushing deeper, Shi Chun gradually grew worried. He reminded Gu Lianni beside him, "We've been flying for so long; don't let us crash headfirst into a dangerous zone." To facilitate commanding both groups, Shi Chun, Wu Jinliang, Gu Lianni, Yuan Yao, and Pang Hou were all inside a single Wind Scale. Due to their respective cultivation levels, Yuan Yao and Pang Hou took turns piloting it.

"We're keeping track of the time; it'll be a while longer," Gu Lianni replied, tilting her head. Reassured that she had a plan, Shi Chun felt a sense of relief but still maintained his vigilance of their surroundings. True to her word, it wasn't long before Gu Lianni spoke again: "It should be about time."

At that, Yuan Yao shouted, "Follow me!" He was the first to lower his Wind Scale's altitude, diving toward the ground, and the others naturally followed suit. The stubbornly trailing forces exchanged glances, unsure of the meaning behind this maneuver, but they could only follow suit and lower their flight altitude as well. Only when close to the ground did Yuan Yao level out his Wind Scale, maintaining a low-altitude flight close to the surface.

Pang Hou then shouted, "Spread out!" The Summer Dao Mountain disciples immediately dispersed from their clustered formations of three to five, each taking individual control of a Wind Scale. The entire group fanned out like unfurling wings, forming a single line centered around Yuan Yao, who piloted his Wind Scale. They spread out quite widely, with each Wind Scale separated by about twenty to thirty zhang. The distance covered by fifty or so individuals fanned out like this was considerable as they scoured the ground in a continuous line.

It was clear at a glance that this arrangement had been planned before their departure; otherwise, the Summer Dao Mountain forces would not have been able to execute such a precisely coordinated maneuver. Due to the vast spread, the sect forces who had been stubbornly clinging to their sides were either forced to scatter, retreat, or ascend. The Ming Mountain Sect group didn't understand what Summer Dao Mountain was doing, but they remained clustered together, following closely behind Shi Chun and his companions.

"What are they looking for?" asked Wu Jinliang, glancing from side to side. Pang Hou replied, "What else could they be looking for? They're obviously searching for that boundary." Wu Jinliang asked curiously, "Can that boundary actually be seen?" Pang Hou replied, "Those who understand can see it; those who don't, cannot."

Noticing their reserved answers about the boundary's details, Shi Chun, who was listening in, refrained from asking further questions. Instead, he activated his right eye's special ability to observe, wanting to see if he could perceive it himself.

After flying for a while longer over the complex terrain, successive voices suddenly came from their right: "Over here." Yuan Yao, looking back, immediately piloted his Wind Scale to change direction and head right. Pang Hou also relayed the message to the left side, shouting, "Over here." Those flying on the left passed the word down the line, then turned around one after another, following Yuan Yao's direction.

The person who had initially shouted from the right had already retracted their Wind Scale and stopped. Yuan Yao, arriving with the group, then led them to land. Shi Chun, landing with the group, looked around. His right eye's special ability didn't reveal anything unusual on the rugged ground. However, he noticed that all the Summer Dao Mountain members were looking down at the feet of the person who had first called out.

Using the faint starlight to examine the ground closely with his magic eye, it just appeared normal. He couldn't help but ask Gu Lianni, "What does this mean? Did you find it?" Gu Lianni thought for a moment, then pointed to some bumps on the ground and said, "Do you see? These stone bumps have a spray-like formation. This is just one type; there are also lumpy forms, pitted forms, and various other shapes."

At this explanation, Shi Chun looked closely again. After his initial general observation, he synthesized his vision and indeed noticed some clues: the large and small stone bumps on the ground were indeed spray-like, and he could even identify central impact points. He then realized, "Could this be what's left after living creatures disintegrate upon crossing the boundary?" Gu Lianni nodded slightly.

Shi Chun and his group now understood. Observing the sky and the ground around them, they realized this was indeed the supposed boundary zone. This, however, was not the most crucial realization. As everyone looked around, they noticed that the persistent forces from various sects were still trailing them like shadows, having followed them all the way to this point.