Chapter 2091: Entering the Fallen Sky City Again

New pseudo-god realm experts had emerged in all four major sects, and across the continent, more and more people had reached this level. It was thought that cultivation would flourish and reach a new peak, but if they could not withstand that Hall Master Kong... everything would become history.

"There really isn't any, unless..." Du Qingyuan paused.

"Unless what?"

"We can find the source of the decaying aura in the Fallen Sky City!"

After a moment of thought, Du Qingyuan said.

"The source of the decaying aura? What use is finding that?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had been to the Fallen Sky City once. The decaying aura inside was terrifying; even his Heavenly Dao aura could not withstand it, and he could only defend against it with the bathwater of the little yellow chick.

Even pseudo-god realm experts could not expel this stuff once tainted. If not for him, Jiang Yao would surely have turned to dust by now...

What use was finding this?

"Legend has it that the Fallen Sky City... is not a city of the Abandoned Continent, but a city that fell from the divine realm! It contains the corpses of gods!" Du Qingyuan said.

"Fell from the divine realm?"

Zhang Xuan was startled.

Han Jianqiu and the others exchanged glances, each finding it hard to believe.

The Fallen Sky City had always been a forbidden land for all cultivators, almost no one set foot there. This was the first time they had heard such a claim.

"Yes, this city fell abruptly from the sky thousands of years ago! At that time, it attracted countless people to explore, but... you should know, they all died!"

Du Qingyuan said: "This matter is almost unknown. I only heard it from the Spirit God, who mentioned it inadvertently..."

"The Spirit God?"

Zhang Xuan's body tensed.

"Yes. When she heard about the Fallen Sky City, she was silent for a while and then inadvertently said that this was a city that fell from a battle in the divine realm... There are many corpses of gods inside. As for that decaying aura, it is the divine aura emitted by the decaying corpses of gods, polluted by the unique power of the Abandoned Continent! If we can find the source, perhaps... we can find unpolluted divine aura, allowing one to break through!"

Du Qingyuan said.

"This... is divine aura?"

Zhang Xuan was stunned. He flicked his finger, and a strand of decaying aura appeared at his fingertip.

He had collected quite a bit of this stuff when he went to the Fallen Sky City before, and used it to kill a pseudo-god realm elder of the Divine Communication Hall.

Although he had always found it strange, he never thought it was special. Now, listening to Du Qingyuan's explanation, he looked closely and indeed noticed a difference.

This stuff, even his pseudo-god realm Heavenly Dao true qi, could not completely dissolve. Once it entered a wound, it caused rapid decay, beyond the reach of medicine.

Its level was clearly far above that of the life of the Upper Firmament.

Could this... be the effect of divine aura?

Thinking carefully, it was indeed possible.

Only gods would have such power, making even pseudo-god peak experts unable to resist.

"This was just something the Spirit God said casually. Whether it's true or not cannot be confirmed. Even if it is, it's hard to say whether the source has unpolluted aura. Moreover, this stuff is too terrifying; once tainted, death is certain... So, even though I knew this information, I never verified it!"

Du Qingyuan continued.

"No need to verify. If she said it, it's most likely true..." Zhang Xuan nodded.

The decaying aura was indeed special and hard to understand, but just relying on this to confirm it was certainly wrong. Yet he... trusted Luo Ruoxi!

"Since this is a path, Palace Master Du and I will go to the Fallen Sky City now... You stay here and make all preparations!"

After a moment of thought, Zhang Xuan instructed.

If this was a way to break through to godhood, he had to try.

Even without the pressure from Master Kong, just for the sake of breaking through, he would take the risk.

Only by breaking through to godhood could he escape the shackles of the Upper Firmament and enter the divine realm! Only then could he find Luo Ruoxi, who had left...

"Rest assured, Teacher, we will make ample preparations..."

Han Jianqiu's gaze was firm.

"Teacher?"

Palace Master Du was stunned: "Han Jianqiu, what did you just call him? You... have taken Zhang Xuan as your teacher?"

Since her arrival, everyone had been asking about breaking through to godhood. Zhang Xuan was low-key and unwilling to say much, so she was still unaware.

"Yes, I, Kui Xiao, and Qin Yuan have all taken the Sect Leader as our teacher and become fellow disciples..."

Han Jianqiu laughed.

If they hadn't taken him as teacher, they would never have achieved their current strength and broken through to the peak of the pseudo-god realm.

"All of you have taken him as teacher?"

Palace Master Du was stunned.

The former sect masters of the three major sects, the most prominent figures on the continent, had all taken this young man of only twenty-something as their teacher...

How could this be believable?

"Actually, if you are willing, you can also take me as teacher. I don't mind!"

Seeing her shock, Zhang Xuan smiled.

His purpose was only the Heavenly Dao Registry. Besides, they were just teaching disciples, not personal disciples. No matter how many came, it didn't matter.

"No need..."

Shaking her head, Palace Master Du politely declined.

It wasn't that she didn't want to, but she found it hard to accept.

"Let's go!"

Knowing that if she wasn't willing, the Heavenly Dao Registry wouldn't form, Zhang Xuan said no more and flew off toward the Fallen Sky City, with Palace Master Du following closely.

Having comprehended 'Heaven Has Compassion', not only had his strength increased, but his speed was also faster. What used to take half a day now took only two hours to reach.

They entered smoothly.

Familiar with the way, they soon arrived at the place where they had rescued Jiang Yao before.

"We need to find the center of the Fallen Sky City... This isn't it yet!"

Looking around, Du Qingyuan said.

Although she hadn't entered since learning the news, the successive ancestors of the Star Chasing Palace knew a great deal about this place. That was precisely why Jiang Yao had been able to lure Fushengzi and the others into a trap, nearly killing them.

They continued forward.

With the Eye of Clarity and overwhelming strength, the decay beasts formed by decay aura were no match for them, easily shattered with a casual strike. Thus, they encountered no danger along the way.

Following behind the young man, Du Qingyuan watched as the strange things that had made her afraid to approach were effortlessly slain, and she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The strength of the man before her was truly too formidable; she couldn't imagine how he had cultivated!

In just over a month, from the Fourth Layer of Ancient Sage to such a realm...

She wouldn't even dare to dream of it.

"Searching like this, we'll never find the source!"

After flying for another half hour without finding anything, Zhang Xuan stopped.

"Then what do we do?"

Du Qingyuan frowned.

Although she knew a fair amount about this place, she hadn't delved deeply into it, and as for how to find the source, she was completely at a loss.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been leading the man around in circles, unsure of what to do.

"Like this..."

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan's spirit stirred.

Whoosh!

A clone appeared before him.

With his current strength, there were few in the Upper Firmament who could harm him, so even if the clone was exposed, it didn't matter.

"A clone?"

Du Qingyuan was startled, somewhat puzzled.

If even she couldn't find it, could this clone possibly have a better method?

"Stand still!"

Ignoring the bewildered Palace Master Du, Zhang Xuan took out the Tongshang Sword and thrust it straight at her.

Zzzz!

Once injured, the decay aura from all around converged toward her.

The previously imperceptible decay aura immediately revealed its form.

"If this is the source, the decay aura converging here will be greater; otherwise, it will be less!" Zhang Xuan explained his purpose.

"Right!"

Palace Master Du's eyes lit up.

It was like water flow: facing the current, the pressure is greater; going against it, the pressure is less. This way, the source could be determined.

Of course, such a subtle difference would be imperceptible to ordinary people, but to the two pseudo-gods, it was quite obvious.

"Over there!"

Quickly discerning the direction from which the decaying aura originated, Du Qingyuan pointed.

Zhang Xuan nodded and, along with his clone, hurriedly flew in that direction.

Not far into the flight, whenever they found it difficult to pinpoint the location, he would stab his clone with a sword. After seven or eight such stabbings, the clone nearly went berserk, and a decaying hall came into view.

Before its collapse, this hall must have been immeasurably tall and vast. Even now, reduced to ruins, it still stretched over ten li, its broken tiles and bricks showing a gray-black color.

There was no vegetation here, nothing but barrenness, and from time to time, gusts of eerie wind blew, sending chills down one's spine.

"Is this the place?"

Frowning, Du Qingyuan found it hard to believe.

Though the decaying aura was strange, it could still give rise to some formidable vegetation. This place had nothing at all—it didn't seem right.

"It should be..."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

The clone's wound was still oozing blood. Judging by the converging decaying aura, the so-called source should be here, and nowhere else.

"Then let's search quickly!"

Without further ado, Du Qingyuan flickered and flew along the ruins, observing carefully, afraid to miss any detail.

Zhang Xuan was not in a hurry. Instead, he exchanged a glance with his clone and sensed again.

After a moment, he stopped at a patch of broken tiles and rubble.

Spreading his five fingers, he suddenly lifted upward.

A mass of debris rolled up, revealing the already broken, pitted ground.

The ground was covered with pitch-black lines, as if dyed that color by something.

Landing, Zhang Xuan wielded his Tongshang Sword, digging a stone from the ground. Its interior seemed permeated by blackness, entirely dark, shining with a strange light, as if trying to seize one's soul, giving a sense of eerie ferocity.

He lightly touched it with his finger.

Hum!

A book appeared.

"Divine Blood Stone, formed by the soaking of divine blood..."

It contained a detailed record.

"So it really is this stuff..."

Nodding, Zhang Xuan then frowned.

When he first saw it, he felt these lines looked familiar, but the color was off, so he dug out a piece to study. Through the library, he confirmed it.

If this was Divine Blood Stone, then... these pitch-black lines were drawn by the flow of divine blood!

But... why did this Divine Blood Stone feel so rough, completely different from the one formed from Luo Ruoxin's blood?

Could it be... that even divine blood has grades?