CHAPTER 643: CHAPTER 100: YUE JINGHUA’S MOUNT

"The realms above the Dan Realm are known only to Dark Practitioners who have advanced to the Heavenly Dark Realm. It’s not surprising that you are unaware," Yue Jinghua concealed her cultivation well. Little Jinuo did not know that she had already reached the Heavenly Dark Realm.

Due to personal talent limitations and the scarcity of nature’s spiritual energy, for most Dark Practitioners on the Canglong Continent, reaching the Heavenly Dark Realm would already be considered quite an achievement in their lifetime. Some, however, remain stagnant in the Dark Earth Realm, never able to further their advancement.

A Heavenly Dark Realm powerhouse in a small country like Shang Kingdom could reign supreme and be awarded noble titles. In the Dragon War Empire, they would also be considered as second-tier high-level experts. If one were to advance further, reaching the Dan Realm, that would be an extraordinary feat.

Long Ao from the National Guardian General Residence was such an exceptionally unique being. He advanced to the Dan Realm in his seventies or eighties, becoming one of the top ten powerhouses on the continent.

Unlike the millennia-spanning lifespan of Dark Beasts, the natural lifespan of Dark Practitioners is limited. Even someone like Long Ao, a Dan Realm Expert, must ultimately succumb to the natural cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Over the years, Long Ao has been pursuing advancement to higher realms of the Dark Realm, not just to enhance his power, but more so in pursuit of a longer natural lifespan and possibly ascension beyond the mystic plane into divinity.

The average natural lifespan for ordinary people on the Canglong Continent is seventy to eighty years. Dark Practitioners can extend their lifespan by ten years for every advancement in realm, while also slowing down aging and becoming resistant to diseases. After reaching the Dan Realm, a person’s natural lifespan is about one hundred and fifty years.

Long Ao appears young, but in fact, he is already over one hundred and twenty years old. After advancing to the Dan Realm, he has been stagnant and has not progressed for more than fifty years. He is also the oldest among the Ten Saints.

"Four Symbols Chess Middle Heaven is a legendary place, said to help one break through the Dan Realm and reach the Immortal Realm. It is located in the most mysterious Thousand Illusion Cloud Sea of the continent, rumored to be a miraculous city suspended in midair. Only true powerhouses who have broken through the Heavenly Dark Realm can enter Four Symbols Chess Middle Heaven. It opens once every five years, and those wishing to enter must present a Divine Artifact or a treasure of equivalent value. Once inside, no one is permitted to leave Four Symbols Chess Middle Heaven on their own for a duration of five years. Long Ao has long desired to visit there, but has never gone before. Unexpectedly, he has finally decided to go," said Little Jinuo, with a face full of emotion.

If Geyue Town is considered a holy land in the hearts of mercenaries, then Four Symbols Chess Middle Heaven is the paradise in the hearts of Dark Practitioners across the continent.

On the continent, very few have truly been to Chess Middle Heaven, and even fewer who return are willing to discuss what happens inside.

Over time, various legends about the insides of Chess Middle Heaven City have emerged.

Some say it’s like a miniature kingdom, with countless precious treasures and beauties. The small Chess Middle Heaven City alone possesses military power that could easily conquer either the Dragon War Empire or the Ruison Federation.

But the most mysterious rumor involves the city lord of Chess Middle Heaven.

Legend has it that the city lord of Chess Middle Heaven is an expert in the Body Seizing Realm, surpassing the Dan Realm.

"Is there really such a miraculous place on the continent?" Yue Jinghua was amazed and couldn’t help but aspire to reach Four Symbols Chess Middle Heaven.

But upon further thought, with her current cultivation level, if not for the assistance of Dark Beasts, she would likely not even compare to the likes of Long Jiuzun, let alone a being like Long Ao, one of the top ten Dan Realm Experts.

Better to remain grounded, focus on increasing strength, and seek to break through the Heavenly Dark Realm and advance to the Dan Realm as soon as possible.

Yue Jinghua believed that, with the dual assistance of the Green Liquid and Mo Xi Treasure Book, she would definitely reach the Dan Realm within a few years. By then, she could indeed venture into the Four Symbols Chess Middle Heaven for a challenge.

As the two of them chatted, they had already traveled far from the inner palace buildings, including the Jiuhua Hall.

The palace with its carved beams and painted rafters disappeared, replaced by a garden of red flowers and verdant willows, pavilions and turrets, where the sound of trickling springs and rustling leaves could be heard everywhere.

Amidst a chorus of chirping birds, Yue Jinghua and Little Jinuo arrived at the Linglong Stables within the Imperial City of Wohua, dedicated to breeding various rare birds and mystical beasts.

"The Linglong Stables house a variety of Dark Beasts with impressive grades. It could be said that aside from the Sub-Asian Dragon, almost every kind of Dark Beast is present here," said the breeder from the stables, who joined them following the decree from the Emperor and Princess. Although Yue Jinghua was allowed to choose any Dark Beast she wanted, any top-tier Dark Beast of Eighth Rank and above was off-limits.

"I think you should choose a Lion-faced Vulture. The Lion-faced Vulture is a Seventh Rank Fire Attribute Dark Beast. You are leaving with Long Jiuzun for Fandi Port today, and the journey is long. Aside from a few areas equipped with Transmission Arrays, the rest of the tens of thousands of miles will depend on Dark Beasts for travel. Since you and Long Jiuzun have some unresolved issues, it’s inevitable that there will be more clashes. To avoid being at a disadvantage in changing terrains, it would be most appropriate to use a flying beast like the Lion-faced Vulture," Little Jinuo, as a young general from an old military family of the Empire, had traveled around the entire Empire with Old Jinuo after turning eighteen years old.

Therefore, Little Jinuo was very familiar with every part of the Empire.

He was being dispatched with Zhan BeiAo to quell the rebellion in Shang Kingdom and could not spare the time to look after Yue Jinghua, so he repeatedly cautioned her to be careful in all things.

In Little Jinuo’s memory, Fandi Port and its surroundings were mostly plains, including some of the rare primitive forests on the Eastern Continent, so having a Flying Profound Beast was indeed necessary in such terrain.

Yue Jinghua had also considered this; most of her Dark Beasts had the ability to fly, though she had now broken through to the Heavenly Dark Realm and was already capable of learning the Sky Ascending Technique and other Dark Skills.

However, using the Sky Ascending Technique was not only a waste of Dark Power, but also slow in flight speed, indeed not as convenient as flying with a Dark Beast.

"If Young Master Yue wishes for a flying Dark Beast, please come this way. High-grade avians like the Lion-faced Vulture are mostly bred over here," said the breeder, who was very attentive to Yue Jinghua due to the additional care from Princess Long Xue and the company of Little Jinuo.

The Linglong Stables lived up to its reputation as the largest Dark Beast breeding center in the Empire. As Yue Jinghua walked along, she felt dazzled by the variety; had Shalman seen so many Dark Beasts, she would probably have gone mad with joy.

"These are the newly introduced Lion-faced Vultures from the vicinity of Langya Mountain. They have strong bodies and can fly hundreds of miles in a day," Yue Jinghua soon saw a group of medium-sized Dark Beasts with a ring of fiery red lion manes, the body of a Lion-faced Vulture.

Just as the breeder said, each one was exceptionally fierce. As soon as they saw strangers approaching, they spewed flames from their mouths.

To others, these valuable Lion-faced Vultures were missing something in Yue Jinghua’s eyes.

She continued to walk around Linglong Stables, and just when the breeder was getting impatient, Yue Jinghua finally stopped.

However, the spot where she had stopped was the most inconspicuous corner of the entire Linglong Stables.