CHAPTER 204: CHAPTER 204: HERMIT IMMORTAL PALACE

Along the way, countless cultivators were in action.

Their direction of travel was identical to that of Ji Chen and his companion, all heading towards Purple Jing Mountain.

Before long, an endless mountain range appeared before Ji Chen.

Looking over, he saw ancient trees towering everywhere, with flowers and grass covering the ground, and the branches and leaves were all a strange purple color, which inevitably felt somewhat eerie.

This was Purple Jing Mountain.

At this moment, the outskirts of the mountain were already crowded with many cultivators from all over the world coming here.

Not only from the local forces of Celestial Swift Star, but also many strong figures from Sacred Lands and noble families from various realms of Daoxuan had arrived, converging like clouds.

Clearly, they seemed to know some secrets related to Purple Jing Mountain and did not want to miss this trip.

"This mountain is dangerous, once inside, Brother Ji, you must not be careless," Yu Yuanshan spoke as a reminder.

Along the way, he had been explaining to Ji Chen various things about Purple Jing Mountain.

Thus, Ji Chen also learned that the interior of this mountain is endless, and it’s said to have no end. Over thousands of years, many forces have explored it, but none have reached the deepest parts.

This is because besides ancient beasts hidden all over the mountain, there are also many ancient residual arrays. If accidentally triggered, there is a high risk of falling.

Moreover, the mountain is also known as Saints and Sages Mountain, where countless ancient powers are buried, making it both a Holy Tomb and an Emperor’s Tomb, surely filled with corpse puppets, indicating extraordinary danger.

"Swish!"

Suddenly, there was a fluctuation in the distant void.

In the next moment, numerous figures sped across.

These people were of remarkable background, all top figures from Sacred Lands and the Di Race, now gathering together, numbering over a hundred. They seemed poised to fly directly into the mountains, unwilling to waste too much time.

Among the crowd, Ji Chen saw several familiar faces, like Hidden Dragon Saint Heir, Saintess Qing Ling, and other young kings among them.

These elite figures did not pause, flying straight into the mountain and disappearing swiftly into the distant sky.

"Let’s go!"

"Following these major forces should help avoid a lot of trouble!"

At the outskirts of Purple Jing Mountain, those waiting could no longer contain themselves. Seeing the strong figures from major forces entering the mountain, they too quickly began to move into the mountain.

Ji Chen and Yu Yuanshan naturally followed suit.

However, they did not choose to fly, instead quickly traversing through the forest, as long as they could keep pace with those ahead, there was no need to draw too much attention.

There were so many people entering the mountain this time; nearly half of the realms of Daoxuan were here, with powerful figures from Sacred Lands and the Di Race everywhere, all seeking secrets within the mountain, to find the legendary ’immortal’ treasure.

As a result, the directions people took inside the mountain varied, as everyone had their own thoughts about where the immortal treasure might be located.

Ji Chen and Yu Yuanshan flowed with the crowd, moving swiftly into the mountain.

They maneuvered through the forest, advancing several miles within just a short quarter of an hour.

During this time, they occasionally heard roars of demon beasts echoing in their ears, clearly disturbances in various places awakening the beasts and resulting in confrontations.

Yet overall, most people chose to maneuver around, unwilling to waste time dealing with demon beasts when their main goal was to explore the depths of Purple Jing Mountain.

After traveling approximately a hundred miles, Ji Chen and Yu Yuanshan slowed their pace as the frequent appearance of demon beasts increased significantly, not just for them, but other cultivators entering the mountain also dared not rush forward too hastily.

"Purple Jing Mountain is too vast and boundless. According to current records, the deepest anyone has reached was two thousand years ago by the Hermit Immortal Palace," Yu Yuanshan spoke.

"Is that the super Sacred Land you mentioned to me before?" Ji Chen asked.

Yu Yuanshan nodded, "Two thousand years ago, Hermit Immortal Palace was extremely prosperous, the strongest on Celestial Swift Star at the time, with ten Saints coexisting. Such a lineup could almost sweep through all of Daoxuan back then."

"Unfortunately, this Sacred Land was too arrogant. Even with ten Saints coexisting, they were dissatisfied and attempted to penetrate deeper into Purple Jing Mountain, seeking the so-called Immortal Road, intending to collectively ascend to the Immortal Domain."

"Later, due to their arrogance, the entire Hermit Immortal Palace met its end in Purple Jing Mountain; reportedly, over ten thousand disciples died tragically, eight of the ten Saints fell, and although two ultimately escaped, one soon passed away, and the other lived crazily for a thousand years before finally dissipating into eternity."

"Thus, Hermit Immortal Palace was completely annihilated, its legacy fully extinguished."

Ji Chen felt his heart difficult to calm down upon hearing this. Such a strong Sacred Land, with ten Saints, could not reach the deepest part of Purple Jing Mountain to find the legendary Immortal Ascension Road, with over ten thousand dying in the mountain, the price unbelievably tragic.

Simultaneously, this also proved Purple Jing Mountain’s terror, its internal dangers far exceeding the world’s understanding.

"How far did they go?" Ji Chen curiously asked.

Yu Yuanshan shook his head, "It’s hard to say specifically. Some say they penetrated tens of thousands of miles, others say a hundred thousand miles, but regardless of where they reached, it’s certain that it no longer matters."

"Chirp!"

Continuing forward, Yu Yuanshan shared all the ancient secrets he knew with Ji Chen.

And as they progressed for about half an hour more, suddenly, a piercing cry sounded ahead, painfully striking the eardrums.

"What’s happening?"

This unexpected disturbance not only startled Ji Chen and Yu Yuanshan, but also other cultivators advancing in the nearby mountains and forests, drawing everyone’s gaze.

"Immortal Ancient Demon Phoenix!"

Someone exclaimed, seeing a massive figure flying out from a large mountain ahead.

Upon closer inspection, it was evident that the creature resembled a phoenix from legends, but it was entirely purple, its eyes emitting a sinister crimson light.

"It’s the legendary Immortal Ancient Demon Phoenix?!"

Yu Yuanshan was shocked, feeling chills on his scalp, "Such a creature I’ve only seen mentioned in ancient texts, never expecting it to truly exist in the world. It’s said to be raised by immortals, with an adult Immortal Ancient Demon Phoenix possessing the power to destroy an Ancient Realm!"

"So terrifying?" Upon hearing this, Ji Chen couldn’t help but be astonished.