Chapter 22: The Natural Moat

According to Ji Ning and the others' plan, the four of them would try first, followed by Tianhuo Mangya, and finally the three followers—Su Youji, the Skywolf World God, and the Yanhe Immortal.

"Let me go first. I have some confidence in myself," Huo Jin said with a smile. Because he was naturally cold and exuded a murderous aura, his smile seemed somewhat sinister.

"Mm." Ji Ning and Qing Heng both nodded, watching Huo Jin walk toward the chain.

Huo Jin stepped onto the chain.

At this moment, Ji Ning and the others, Su Youji and the other two followers, the Daoist Yuxiao, and the other twelve World-level cultivators all fixed their gazes on the deep-blue-robed youth walking on the primal chaos chain.

"The Inner Domain."

"I must enter," Huo Jin's eyes blazed with a terrifying ferocity. "No one can stop me."

Huo Jin's path of cultivation had been fraught with hardship. When he was still a weak mortal, the world he lived in was ruled by ten great demonic sects. Within these sects, there was endless scheming and slaughter; every powerhouse rose by standing on a mountain of bones. Huo Jin rose from a mortal to become the most powerful cultivator in that world.

He continued forward, entering the boundless Chaos, and eventually joined the Shanshui Palace of the twelve palaces of the Mangya Kingdom.

Now, together with Ji Ning and the others, he had the opportunity to come to the Origin Land of the ancient domain of this alternate universe.

"I exhausted all my means just to barely rank fourth and gain entry," Huo Jin strode forward, surging waves of water around him. "Feng Yi, Qing Heng, and Beiming are all slightly stronger than me. Not to mention Betaerai and Dong Xiu, who are even more astonishing in the Mangya Kingdom!"

"I must surpass them."

"Surpass all cultivators."

Huo Jin felt an urgent desire. Qing Heng was the strongest among the four of them, Feng Yi's strength was unfathomably strange, and Beiming's sword-intent domain was extremely troublesome, and now Beiming's offensive sword techniques also made his heart tremble.

Was the gap between him and his companions actually widening?

"Kill."

"Break through."

...

On the thousand-mile-long primal chaos chain, Huo Jin advanced, crushing the specters in his path.

"What domineering spirit."

"Impressive."

"This aura is even stronger than Feng Yi's earlier."

Ji Ning and Qing Heng praised with smiles, while the distant Daoist Yuxiao and the twelve World-level cultivators watched intently.

Four hundred li, five hundred li, six hundred li...

Having endured countless hardships to reach this point, Huo Jin's heart was extraordinary. His close-combat strength was also close to Ji Ning's, and he forcibly crushed the specters.

"Hm?"

At over seven hundred li, Huo Jin's speed suddenly slowed, causing Ji Ning and Qing Heng, who had been smiling, to change expression.

"Not good," Ji Ning felt worried.

They saw Huo Jin's speed growing slower and slower as he fought continuously. But Ji Ning and the others could clearly see that his battle was affected, as if he couldn't concentrate.

"Ah!!!" Huo Jin roared.

He turned around decisively and retreated very quickly. In just a moment, he was off the chain.

His face was grim and twisted, his eyes filled with anger and unwillingness.

"Brother Huo Jin," Ji Ning called out.

"Huo Jin, one failure can be followed by a second and third," Qing Heng comforted him.

Huo Jin took a deep breath, calmed down, and nodded to Ji Ning and the others.

Ji Ning and Qing Heng understood his feelings. If one failed once, without a significant improvement in heart or strength, a hundred attempts would end the same. Huo Jin hadn't even reached eight hundred li on the chain; there were still over two hundred li ahead. Reaching the Inner Domain was too difficult.

"You two be careful too. This primal chaos chain is extremely difficult," Huo Jin said.

"It's this hard?"

"Mm."

Ji Ning and Qing Heng now felt the pressure. Huo Jin had ranked fourth in the selection of the twelve palaces of the Mangya Kingdom, truly monstrous. Yet he still failed. The difficulty of the primal chaos chain was beyond imagination.

"Young friend Huo Jin, you're very skilled," the Daoist Yuxiao, who was leisurely eating and drinking nearby, called out with a smile. "Advancing nearly eight hundred li on the primal chaos chain is remarkable. Although the World-level cultivators who come to the Origin Land are all extraordinary, most stop at around five hundred li."

...

Huo Jin's failure worried not only Ji Ning and Qing Heng but also the Mangya Kingdom prince Tianhuo Mangya. His strength was on par with Huo Jin's, and in terms of heart, even the three followers might be stronger. He had already struggled greatly with the invisible will test just to enter the Origin Land.

"Beiming, I'll try first," Qing Heng said, his eyes blazing with battle intent, and he stepped onto the primal chaos chain, advancing forward.

Ji Ning and the others watched silently.

Feng Yi had passed through with an air of calm detachment.

Huo Jin had charged through with overwhelming killing intent.

Qing Heng, on the other hand, truly crushed everything, advancing with overwhelming force.

"These little fellows are all very impressive," the Daoist Yuxiao blinked. "This one called Qing Heng has already reached eight hundred li. Oh, nine hundred li."

Prince Qing Heng was clearly stronger than Huo Jin, advancing all the way to nine hundred li. But his speed gradually slowed, his expression became serious, and his body emitted a hazy golden light as he steadily pressed forward.

Ji Ning grew worried as he watched.

"Master," the ever-icy Skywolf World God, clad in armor with a stunning face, now showed concern.

Although the specters were powerful, Qing Heng dealt with them quite easily. Yet he still moved slower and slower.

Finally, he stopped at nine hundred and twenty li.

He stood there, fending off the specters, but did not advance further.

"Alas."

A sigh.

Prince Qing Heng also turned and left without hesitation.

Such monstrous talents knew exactly when to push and when to give up. Knowing they had reached their limit, if they forced forward, they would be sucked into the abyss and their truesoul would be extinguished.

Prince Qing Heng walked back, frowning slightly, as if still pondering.

"Heh heh," Qing Heng looked at the cultivators watching him and laughed. "Feng Yi passed through, so I thought this primal chaos chain wasn't too hard. Who would have thought we'd both fail?"

"Brother Qing Heng, you advanced much farther than I did," Huo Jin said.

"Failure is failure," Prince Qing Heng shook his head and looked at Ji Ning. "Beiming, this primal chaos chain is very strange. Be careful not to be affected and fall into an illusion. I dared not advance further because I knew that was my limit. If I went further, I would surely fall into an illusion and be unable to deal with external threats."

Ji Ning nodded.

Feng Yi, being a heartforce cultivator, was best at dealing with such things, so he passed directly.

But Huo Jin and Qing Heng, though monstrous, still failed.

...

The nearby Daoist Yuxiao and the twelve World-level cultivators were amazed. Although Qing Heng and Huo Jin failed, they had advanced very far.

"Without significant improvement, Huo Jin and I will probably have to explore the Outer Domain," Qing Heng looked at Ji Ning. "Beiming, I wouldn't mind if you joined us in exploring the Outer Domain."

"You wouldn't mind, but I would," Ji Ning laughed. "I still want to go to the Inner Domain with Feng Yi. It would be lonely for him to go alone."

Ji Ning laughed and strode toward the primal chaos chain.

"Master, be careful," the Fire Fairy Su Youji was very worried. She knew her own limits and understood she had little hope of reaching the Inner Domain, but she still hoped Ji Ning could enter.

After all, this was a place where Eternal Emperors of alternate universes would enter. The Lord of the Demon-Destruction Court had undergone a fundamental transformation in the Inner Domain.

"Rumble..."

Ji Ning walked on the primal chaos chain, his body emitting lightning and water light. The Seven Divine Thunders and Seven Divine Waters formed a vast yin-yang sword-intent domain, madly shredding all enemies.

The specters that pounced were shattered before they could get close.

In terms of momentum, Ji Ning surpassed even Feng Yi and the others. This yin-yang sword-intent domain was indeed suitable for dealing with sieges!

"The Inner Domain..." Ji Ning gazed ahead. The end of this primal chaos chain was the Inner Domain.

He had worked hard to get this opportunity, traveled all the way to this Origin Land of the ancient domain of an alternate universe. How could he fail at the last moment?

The Outer Domain and the Inner Domain had vastly different opportunities.

"Brother Feng Yi, wait for me," Ji Ning called out loudly, his eyes blazing with battle intent. Surrounded by the yin-yang sword-intent domain, he advanced steadily along the long primal chaos chain.