Chapter 12: First Entry

Ji Ning felt a ripple in the surrounding space, very similar to the sensation when the Water Mansion had teleported him from Serpent Snake Lake.

“Huh?” The scene before him became clear. Beside him stood his junior apprentice-brother Mu Zishuo, and there were other cultivators around as well.

“We’re here?” Mu Zishuo stared wide-eyed at the surroundings. “That was fast.”

Ji Ning looked around carefully. They were now inside a teleportation array that was about a hundred zhang tall, noticeably smaller than the one at the Crimson Dragon Mountains. Further away… there was nothing but a vast expanse of wilderness and marshes. Mountains, marshes, and wilderness stretched everywhere, with no end in sight.

“Two million miles in an instant.” Ji Ning knew this, but experiencing it firsthand still made him marvel. “I’ve heard that some immortals have the ability to teleport a million miles in an instant. I wonder when I’ll have such power.”

“All of you, come out.”

“Hurry up.”

An old voice sounded. Two old men in plain clothes were urging them from outside the teleportation array.

Only then did the group of cultivators step out of the platform one by one.

“Listen up, all of you.” A slightly plump old man with graying hair shouted, “This is the Prisonfall Great Swamp. The only safe place for you in the entire Prisonfall Great Swamp is right here! This place is permanently garrisoned by Yinglong Guards, and a great formation is set up around it. No one dares to violate this place.”

Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo looked carefully. They noticed that the teleportation array was built on a mountain peak, which also had a series of immortal caves connected together, probably housing quite a few people.

“There are a few more things I need to tell you.” The plump old man continued, “First, within three months, you cannot return here. If you come back to take refuge, you will be considered to have failed.”

“Second, when you venture into the Prisonfall Great Swamp, you must be extremely careful. Never stay in one place for too long. For example, staying for a month or so—you must know that the monsters in the Prisonfall Great Swamp far outnumber humans. They are also much more familiar with the swamp than you are. If you stay in one place for a long time… it will be easy for these great monsters to join forces and surround and kill you. However, resting for half a day or a day occasionally is fine.”

Ji Ning and the others listened attentively.

These were life-saving tips.

“Third, although the great monsters in the Prisonfall Great Swamp are dangerous, the environment itself is even more dangerous. Some places may have shattered space… if you’re not careful, you might leave this great world. With your level of strength, you would surely die.”

“Fourth, because of the environment in the Prisonfall Great Swamp, it’s hard to determine direction. Don’t rely on your sense of direction to judge east, west, north, or south! You must determine direction based on the sun, moon, and stars in the sky. Otherwise, relying solely on your sense of direction, you will never find your way back and will wander in the Prisonfall Great Swamp forever.”

“Alright, I’ve told you the four key points. Go now. I hope to see you again in three months.” The plump old man said.

The thin old man finally spoke: “If you find it too dangerous and feel you can’t handle it, it’s better to come back quickly. Even though it counts as a failure, at least you’ll save your life.”

“Go on, go on.” The plump old man waved his hand.

“Go on.” The thin old man also said.

Ji Ning and the other hundred or so cultivators glanced at the faintly visible immortal caves on the mountain peak and also felt a powerful force permeating the surroundings of the peak—the power of a formation.

Swish! Swish!

Streams of light began to fly rapidly out of the mountain peak, heading far away. Some traveled alone, while others went in pairs or groups.

“Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, which direction should we go?” Mu Zishuo asked.

“Any direction is the same.” Ji Ning swept his gaze and pointed north. “There are many mountains over there. Let’s go that way.”

“Alright.” Mu Zishuo nodded.

Whoosh.

Soon, a dragon-headed warship appeared in midair. The two apprentice-brothers, Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo, boarded the warship. The dragon-headed warship was only ten zhang long at the moment, obviously because they were venturing into the Prisonfall Great Swamp. If they showed off by making the warship too large… it would only make it easier for the great monsters to spot them earlier.

Soon, the hundred cultivators scattered in all directions.

The two old men responsible for maintaining the great formation had complex expressions. The thin old man sighed, “I really envy them. I can feel a vigorous, thriving vitality from them. They are all still young. Youth is capital. They have plenty of time to keep striving and go further on the path of cultivation. But we no longer have such opportunities.”

“At least we’ve lived for several hundred years.” The plump old man laughed.

“I wonder how many of this batch will survive.” The thin old man gazed into the distance.

“Half would be good.” The plump old man said, “But these people, knowing the danger, still come to take the risk. Once they become Yinglong Guards… with the vast collection of scriptures and treasures available to Yinglong Guards, they can walk the path of cultivation faster and more steadily. Even the truly outstanding ones might go to the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty, to the headquarters of our Yinglong Guards, to receive training!”

…

The dragon-headed warship flew through the clouds and mist high in the sky.

“High in the clouds and mist is actually the safest place in the entire Prisonfall Great Swamp, relatively speaking.” Mu Zishuo stood at the bow.

Ji Ning nodded: “But we still have to be careful. Once we notice any spatial distortion or fluctuation, we must avoid it.”

“I know. The warship is flying quite slowly.” Mu Zishuo said.

"Mm."

Ji Ning nodded.

"Look." Mu Zishuo pointed through the thin clouds below, where a massive mountain stood. The mountain was towering and grotesque, rising straight into the clouds. With the naked eye, they could see many monsters on the mountain, some in human form moving like an army.

"Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, there must be a Wanxiang-level monster on that mountain," Mu Zishuo said.

"From what I know... in Yushan Great Wasteland, Wanxiang monsters are common, Zifu monsters are everywhere, and Yuan Shen monsters are very rare," Ji Ning said. "Some monsters occupy mountains as kings, while others roam alone. Those who occupy mountains are usually stronger."

Mu Zishuo nodded.

"Now it's hard to even encounter a lone Wanxiang monster," Ji Ning mused. "So our target should be the monsters that occupy mountains. But from afar, we can't judge the strength of the monster king. If we're unlucky, we might run into a Yuan Shen monster."

"Then what do we do?" Mu Zishuo asked.

Ji Ning had already thought of a plan, but he looked at Mu Zishuo: "Junior apprentice-brother Shuo, what ideas do you have?"

"I've thought of a few," Mu Zishuo frowned. "First, follow other cultivators and let them scout ahead. When they start fighting... if we confirm the target is a Wanxiang monster, we strike."

"Mm, not bad," Ji Ning nodded approvingly.

Mu Zishuo continued: "Second, find a mountain with a seemingly weak monster force; it's likely ruled by a Wanxiang monster."

"And the third?" Ji Ning pressed.

"Master said people's hearts are hard to fathom," Mu Zishuo's eyes lit up. "So there might be cultivators who ambush others. Those who dare to ambush usually work in groups. Since they're in a group, I doubt they don't have a single Wanxiang monster corpse or head. We set a trap... whoever tries to ambush us, we ambush them instead."

"But each of these three plans has its flaws; none are certain," Mu Zishuo fretted. "Still, we have three months, that should be enough."

Ji Ning smiled: "Your ideas are good, but I have a simpler one."

"What is it?" Mu Zishuo looked at him expectantly.

"Find a mountain with a seemingly weak monster force," Ji Ning said with a smile.

"Isn't that my idea?" Mu Zishuo stared.

"After finding it... I sweep it with my divine sense!" Ji Ning grinned. "If the other party detects it, it's probably a Yuan Shen monster. If not, it's a Wanxiang monster. Even if we're unlucky enough to encounter an extremely rare Yuan Shen monster, we can immediately use an escape technique and flee."

Mu Zishuo exclaimed in surprise: "Divine sense? Senior apprentice-brother, your soul is really at the divine sense level?"

Ji Ning nodded.

"You really are..." Mu Zishuo was stunned. "When you first joined the sect, you defeated Senior Bloodshadow and others, using multiple sword techniques simultaneously. Many senior brothers and sisters suspected your soul was very strong, possibly at the divine sense level. Some even suspected you were a 'reincarnated immortal.' And you really have reached the divine sense level! For over three years, you never said a word."

"You never asked," Ji Ning said with a smile.

"Then are you a reincarnated immortal?" Mu Zishuo's eyes lit up. "I heard that reincarnated immortals gradually awaken past-life memories as they grow stronger."

Ji Ning shook his head: "I don't know. At least I haven't awakened any immortal memories."

Nonsense.

He knew his past life clearly; he was no immortal.

"Oh," Mu Zishuo nodded, then said excitedly, "That's great! The test to enter the Yinglong Guard is hard for others, but for you, senior apprentice-brother, it's too easy. We probe from afar with divine sense... confirm the target and strike immediately. If we're extremely unlucky and encounter a rare Yuan Shen monster, we can escape with an escape technique. It's really simple."

Ji Ning smiled: "If someone with a divine sense soul can't enter the Yinglong Guard, that would be strange."

"Bold," Mu Zishuo grinned. "Then I'll take advantage of you, senior apprentice-brother."

"We're fellow disciples, no need for formalities." Ji Ning looked down, beginning to search for a monster mountain to attack.

...

Only half an hour later.

Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo stood on a wilderness, looking at a steep mountain ahead. With Ji Ning's eyesight, he could see some monster figures.

"This one. I'll probe it," Ji Ning said.

"Mm." Mu Zishuo already held a talisman in his hand.

Although both could perform simple earth escape techniques, they could only travel a few li in an instant. With a talisman, they could escape a thousand li away. Ji Ning knew that even a Yuan Shen monster's divine sense couldn't probe a thousand li.

"Whoosh!" Ji Ning willed it, and a vast, powerful divine sense swept out, enveloping that mountain.

...