Chapter 175: Bloodied Chaos

Absolute stillness reigned, without the passage of time or the emergence of light. In the pitch-black void, an exceptional silence prevailed.

Like a fleeting instant, yet also like ten lifetimes, this strange journey finally ended, allowing everyone to feel the flow of time once more.

The void cracked open, and the Grand Elder of Yaoguang Holy Land stepped out, followed by several young disciples who stood respectfully by his side.

With a wave of his broad sleeve, a gray mist permeated the air, and through a secret art, thousands of people emerged from his sleeve, landing on the ground. "Have we arrived in the Northern Lands?" everyone wondered, their hearts filled with both nervousness and anticipation.

Ye Fan felt a thrill. He had finally reached the other side of the Eastern Barrens, where a completely new life was about to begin. What kind of region would this be?

As far as the eye could see, it was completely different from what they had imagined. There were no luxuriant flowers, no bustling crowds, and no vibrant vegetation. The land was desolate, with red soil and reddish-brown rocks, a scene of utter bleakness and barrenness.

The boundless land was incredibly vast and empty, without a single sign of life, only a few bare stone mountains sparsely dotting the horizon. This was a barren land, devoid of vitality, with no trace of human habitation—utterly lifeless. "Is this the Northern Lands? Didn't they say this place was covered in gold and gems?" "Forget people, you can't even see a blade of grass! What kind of hellish place is this?" "We have to mine for ten years in a place like this before we can return to the Southern Lands... My god!"

At this moment, thousands of people were stunned. This desolate and harsh land, resembling a Gobi desert, made everyone's heart sink with dread.

The Grand Elder of Yaoguang Holy Land frowned and asked, "Did the sects that sent you here not tell you what kind of place this is?" "It's completely different from what they told us!" someone replied. "We never imagined it would be like this; it's a place where even a wild bird wouldn't land." "The Northern Lands have always been like this..." the Grand Elder of Yaoguang Holy Land said, his expression as calm as an ancient well.

The Northern Lands are boundless, famous throughout the world for their abundant source mines.

Compared to its vast expanse, the region is sparsely populated, with human habitation rarely seen for thousands of miles. Most areas are desolate.

What brings prosperity also brings hardship. This mysterious substance, which condenses the essence of life, seems to have drained all the spiritual energy from the entire Northern Lands.

The phrase "outstanding people and a land of spiritual significance" has little relevance to the Northern Lands. Although there are oases in the North, they appear truly insignificant compared to the region's boundless territory.

This place is rich in sources, so people don't worry about food and clothing. However, it is also precisely because of these sources that deadly conflicts frequently occur. The local customs are fierce, and people often fight fiercely over source mines. Therefore, the major Holy Lands, when excavating source mines in the Northern Lands, mostly bring their own people from their respective regions.

The preciousness of sources to cultivators is akin to gold coins to mortals, leading to widespread bandits and marauders here, not just locals but also forces from across the Eastern Barrens. Fierce fights over source mines, with rivers of blood, are common occurrences. In short, the Northern Lands are a chaotic region. This barren land, renowned for its sources, is thus destined for chaos and bloodshed.

The Grand Elder of Yaoguang Holy Land walked forward on foot, leaving a trail of footprints on the red earth. The sound of wind and thunder echoed, and suddenly, his figure vanished ahead.

The ground shook violently, and the mountains and land seemed to shift. Thousands of people lost their balance, many falling to the ground, all showing signs of panic.

Ahead, the scenery dramatically changed. Many stone houses built from mountain rocks appeared on the vast, empty land, along with some human figures and numerous source mines.

This region was imbued with profound Dao patterns, concentrating the power of the mountains and land to protect Yaoguang Holy Land's source region, enveloping everything within its bounds.

Whether willing or not, thousands of mortals had no choice after arriving in the Northern Lands. They could only hope the ten years would pass quickly, so they could earn enough gold coins and return to the Southern Lands to enjoy the wealth they had gained at the cost of ten years of their youth.

With so many people arriving, accommodation, food, and other necessities were immediate concerns. However, these matters were all handled by designated personnel, as the Grand Elder of Yaoguang Holy Land disappeared immediately upon arrival.

The Northern Lands boast countless mining areas, but the most productive are found around the Primordial Mine. Centered around this mine, an area with a 100,000-li radius is equally divided among the major Holy Lands.

The Primordial Mine is one of the seven great forbidden zones of life in the Eastern Barrens. Located in the deepest part of this region, it is surrounded by the source regions of the major Holy Lands, yet no major power dares to explore it.

Eons ago, too many ominous events occurred in that ancient mine. One Holy Lord after another went in and never returned. After that, no one dared to covet it again. It became a legendary nightmare land. In the Northern Lands, though the Primordial Mine is the most mysterious and terrifying, if one does not provoke it, there will be no misfortune. For the Holy Lands, the greatest danger comes from the bandits and marauders.

In the Northern Lands, local customs are fierce, marauders are everywhere, and blood is shed daily, making it a truly chaotic land.

Powerful marauders come from all over the Eastern Barrens, and even wanderers from the Central Plains and the Northern Desert come here for the sources, forming formidable forces. Even the Holy Lands cannot rest easy, as their source regions are also at risk of being plundered.

This is not an exaggeration; some great marauders are extremely terrifying. Their strength rivals that of a Holy Land's Grand Elder, and they appear and disappear without a trace, making them very difficult to apprehend.

In the Northern Lands, thirteen great marauders are the most famous. Each leads a group of powerful cultivators, seriously threatening the safety of the Holy Land source regions.

The major Holy Lands have launched multiple encirclement campaigns, but all ended in failure. The thirteen great marauders would strike and then flee far away, making their traces hard to find. "Kill!" Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted, shaking the sky, as if to prove that the Northern Lands are full of bloodshed and war.

Thousands of mortals had just entered Yaoguang Holy Land's source region. The heaven-and-earth power condensed by Dao patterns had not yet fully re-converged when a squad of elite riders already arrived, killing their way in.

The attackers numbered only seventy to eighty people, each riding a savage beast. Their imposing armor gleamed, and the beasts' roars echoed for dozens of miles, their murderous aura surging to the heavens.

This was a band of powerful riders, their bodies exuding a dense aura of bloodshed. It was obvious they had killed countless people, accumulating unimaginable murderous intent, with a bloody glow swirling around them.

Thousands of mortals instantly collapsed to the ground, completely overcome by the bone-chilling murderous intent that made them tremble, unable to stand upright.

Seventy to eighty savage beasts roared, their iron hooves seeming to shatter the sky as they all charged in. In the center, a middle-aged man who didn't appear to be over thirty sat atop a Suan Ni beast, his iron armor gleaming brightly, appearing exceptionally mighty.

In his hands were eighteen great banners, fluttering and rustling, seemingly capable of shattering heaven and earth. Each was crimson like blood, exuding a sky-high murderous aura, as if they had drunk the blood of countless beings. "Clang! Clang! Clang!"

He consecutively hurled three blood-red banners onto the ground. Their poles pierced the earth like pillars supporting the sky, their momentum immense and unfathomable as mountains. The flags fluttered, clanging loudly, as bloody light shot up into the sky.

The Dao patterns on the ground instantly became ineffective, and the grand formation of heaven and earth ceased to operate, being forcibly interrupted and unable to envelop the area, all simply because those three blood-red banners had pierced the ground. "Prepare!"

Each of these riders was immensely powerful, like heavenly generals descending to the world, possessing unparalleled combat strength. Riding their beasts through, they were like a steel torrent, causing the sky to rumble. "Who dares to trespass on Yaoguang's forbidden grounds?"

Cultivators from Yaoguang Holy Land soared into the sky, blocking their path. Leading them were three old men, their hair entirely white, their eyes shining like lightning.

"I, Jiang Yi, am here. Who dares to stop me?!" declared the middle-aged man in the center, riding the Suan Ni beast. His iron armor gleamed with a cold light, and fifteen blood-red banners were stuck into his back, emitting terrifying fluctuations like an ocean.

Alone, he drew one of the great banners and charged forward with extreme speed. Even sunlight couldn't keep up with him; only a blur could be seen. "The Ninth Great Marauder, Jiang Yi?!" The cultivators of Yaoguang Holy Land were greatly surprised, and the three old men were even more aghast. This legendary great marauder was utterly courageous and unstoppable.

That blood-red banner shook violently. Over a dozen cultivators standing behind the three old men of Yaoguang Holy Land screamed and instantly disintegrated. Streaks of bloody light converged towards the banner, and over a dozen corpses fell from the sky. "Jiang Yi, you are from an Archaic Family, why are you so cruel?!" the three old men demanded.

"You have no right to ask!" Jiang Yi declared, riding his beast forward. The Suan Ni beast beneath him roared, shaking mountains and rivers, as the blood-red banner in his hand, like a spear, pierced forward.

The three old men joined forces to resist. One of them summoned a precious pestle, as large as a mountain, emitting divine light as it pressed down. "Crack!"

That blood-red banner was indestructible. Its pole, like the sharpest spearhead, struck the mountain-sized precious pestle, instantly shattering it. "This..." The old man left a blur as he rapidly retreated.

Unfortunately, he simply couldn't compare to Jiang Yi's speed. The blood-red banner thrust forward, instantly piercing through the void and directly impaling that venerable elder. With a shake from Jiang Yi, the elder impaled on the banner was torn into pieces, and several streaks of bloody light merged into the flag surface. "You..." Everything happened too fast; the two old men beside him had no time to stop it. "You two can go join him!" Jiang Yi declared, shaking the banner, its blood-red surface fluttering loudly. "Bang! Bang!" The two venerable elders instantly disintegrated, completely unable to resist! This was a shocking sight. Jiang Yi was unstoppable, a single banner dominating the heavens. The Suan Ni beast beneath him raised its head and let out a long neigh, the sky trembled, and murderous aura permeated all directions.

"The Ninth Great Marauder—Jiang Yi!" Two Grand Elders rushed from the distant sky; one of them was precisely the old man who had traversed the void to bring Ye Fan and the others here. "You, a direct descendant of an Archaic Family, yet you willingly fell and became a great marauder, why is this?!" a Grand Elder of Yaoguang Holy Land demanded. "After my elder brother Jiang Zhe left the Jiang family, I completely severed ties with this family. Don't mention that identity to me again!" Jiang Yi's tiger-like eyes flashed with cold light. "What you do with the Shan family is none of our concern. Why are you plundering Yaoguang Holy Land's source region?" "Joke!" Jiang Yi sneered, "The source regions outside the Primordial Mine rightfully belong to the people of the Northern Lands. By what right do you stake claims and enclose land?!"

Ye Fan's heart trembled. The name Jiang Zhe was not unfamiliar to him; he was a genius of the Jiang family in his generation. For unknown reasons, he had left the Jiang family and died as a stranger in a foreign land. Little Tingting was his descendant. "Bang!"

A blood-red banner descended and plunged into the ground. It rapidly grew, like an ancient sky-piercing tree hundreds of zhang tall, enveloping everyone in bloody light.

"I don't want to harm the innocent. You two old geezers can come at me!" The Ninth Great Marauder, Jiang Yi, waved his hand to the riders behind him and said, "You go get the sources. I'll hold back these two old geezers."

All fourteen blood-red banners behind him shot up into the sky, standing under the firmament like sky-supporting pillars, enveloping the two Grand Elders of Yaoguang Holy Land. Behind them, dozens of iron-clad riders swept past like a raging flood, shaking the high sky. Ye Fan's heart found it hard to calm down. The Primordial Mine, the Thirteen Great Marauders, the Shan family, and the Jade Lake Holy Land all seemed closely connected.