CHAPTER 228: A WARM WELCOME

Chapter 228: A Warm Welcome

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"Heavens, just, what happened here?" murmured Zhao Tianlei.

Simple words, yet they carried a level of confusion and astonishment that no one could miss, perfectly reflecting what everyone else was feeling.

And how could they not, given the catastrophic sight in front of them?

Countless bodies of unknown beasts were scattered everywhere, some mutilated, others so badly damaged they were completely unrecognizable, lying lifeless across the ground, covered in thick layers of snow that still couldn’t fully hide the horror beneath.

From the tracks, it was clear that whatever had happened here had occurred some time ago, perhaps months, maybe even a year, given the state of the remains and the traces of spiritual energy still lingering here and there.

But that wasn’t what stunned everyone the most.

What struck them deeply was that every single piece of these dead creatures emanated a strong aura.

Pieces of dead beasts, yet it was obvious that whatever these creatures had been in life, they had been undeniably strong.

At a first glance, many of these remains seemed to belong to beasts at the fifth stage of the Mortal Realm, but what was astonishing was that this was just the lowest level.

There were countless traces of much stronger spiritual energy, energy that cultivators at Zhao Tianlei’s level could tell at a glance.

They were Spirit Realm beasts, and not just one, but many.

They had just entered the frozen lands, and thanks to the fact that a small portion of the territory near the mountain range had already been explored, the initial journey had been quick, allowing them to traverse all that area in half a day.

But just as they were approaching the less explored borders, the point where the real arduous journey would begin, they were met with this scene.

And the question arose naturally: if this was what they encountered at the very start of their expedition, what on earth awaited them further in?

The mere fact that there had been a whole group of beasts of this level spoke volumes about the true scale of the creatures present in this region.

The dragon Zhao Tianlei had encountered on his last journey in this part of the frozen lands had been a mid stage Spirit Realm being, filled with a corruptive aura so powerful that it had nearly wiped out the entire expedition back then, costing everyone dearly to defeat.

Did that mean there were many more beasts of the same kind further ahead? Groups of various species, strong to varying degrees, some even powerful enough to eliminate them all?

This thought was far from casual, it was carefully considered, especially after seeing that all these beast remains, though in part mutilated or nibbled by others which were clearly beasts themselves, had mostly perished at the hands of a single individual.

Human? Unlikely.

But certainly powerful enough to eliminate an entire group alone.

Who that creature was, they did not know, but the fact that it had passed through here meant there was a high possibility of encountering it further on.

The sight was a harsh warning for all, yet another reminder of the dangers roaming this part of the continent.

All the cultivators, human and otherwise, were on high alert, more serious than before, while the three emperors, though still expressionless, revealed a glow in their eyes that was now sharper, more intense.

It was clear that although they were the most powerful present, with strength approaching the final stages of the Spirit Realm, all three understood that this journey would not be without mortal danger, a fact already known, but now confirmed even more, deeply imprinted in everyone’s mind.

And so the grand expedition of the three empires began, an unexpected and terrifying start.

Many still wondered what kind of creature could have accomplished something like this all alone, yet fate would have it that the creature was far from a simple monster.

It was neither beast nor elf, but a woman of otherworldly beauty, enjoying her stay in the secret realm while observing with absolute devotion the rapid progress of her master.

She was, of course, none other than Yuan Lan, who at that moment was comfortably resting on what appeared to be a polished wooden sunbed.

Her eyes were closed, enjoying the serene time in Zhu Rong’s little world.

She was in the small garden behind the mountain residence, but although she appeared to be asleep, all her focus was directed downward, deep into the core of the world.

Since her last visit, it had grown larger and more dazzling, the heat and pressure it emanated countless times greater than before.

This could even be seen from changes on the surface of the world.

The overall dimensions of the world had increased several times; old plants had changed or grown larger, new ones had formed, and the density of spiritual energy in the air was so high that even ordinary humans, unable to cultivate, could perceive it.

Simply breathing it would inevitably enhance a Mortal Realm cultivator’s growth, to varying degrees depending on their level.

And for those who could not cultivate, it would still indirectly strengthen their bodies, providing invisible but significant benefits.

But that was not all.

Thanks to the increased energy within the world, even life forms flourished like never before. Vegetation and flowers grew excessively, new species formed alongside older ones that became stronger after surviving a second round of natural selection.

Qi flowers, in particular, thrived in this environment, making the forests fresher and more vibrant.

Not to mention other life forms, marine and terrestrial creatures appeared, along with various flying species. Some were common even outside the secret realm, others had never been seen before.

All of this made the realm even more interesting to explore for the 3 girls.

That said, Yuan Lan was not admiring the enhanced core of the world itself, but rather focusing even deeper, or rather, toward a certain figure immersed at the very center of the core.

He sat cross legged in meditation, eyes closed, cultivating.

He was the man who gave her life, the one she admired and for whom she had waited entire epochs for his return.

He was, of course, none other than Zhu Rong.