Chapter 157: The Gathering of Devils

Amidst the rubble in the ring-shaped zone, pulled by a strange force, this hundred-mile-wide belt of rubble is the origin of the name, the Shattered Star Ruins.

It is also known as the Death Zone. If one were to compare the red mist between the inner and outer sea to the Nascent Soul Stage, then even if the mist had not yet turned into a sea, out of ten people who tried to force their way through, a few might succeed.

But if one were to force their way through the Shattered Star Ruins, it is likely that out of ten, all would perish without a single survivor. For a long time, the Shattered Star Ruins in the inner Cultivation Devil Sea has been renowned as one of the most dangerous places in existence.

Legend has it that this place existed even before the Cultivation Devil Sea turned into mist. Countless Cultivators over countless years have attempted to enter and explore it, but all returned in defeat. Even those who managed to traverse the rubble zone never returned.

Even the Level Six cultivation Countries, hindered by the chaotic forces here, could not dispatch a large number of experts. Furthermore, no one knew what lay inside; if they were to expend great effort only to find nothing, it would simply not be worth it.

As time passed, the number of Cultivators who dared to enter this place dwindled.

This situation changed ten thousand years ago. A great expert of immense Divine Ability from the Vermilion Bird Star's only Level Six Cultivation Country, the Vermilion Bird Country, entered the Cultivation Devil Sea alone. He challenged countless experts, and none were his match. Finally, this person entered the Shattered Star Ruins, but from that moment on, there was no news of him.

Ten years later, the Vermilion Bird Star dispatched a large number of experts to set up a massive Formation outside the Shattered Star Ruins, completely sealing the area, and declared that any trespassers would be executed without mercy.

Consequently, this place became a forbidden zone that struck fear into the hearts of all. To this day, although the terror has somewhat subsided, there are no Cultivators within a ten-thousand-mile radius.

On this day, outside the Shattered Star Ruins, within a deep valley shrouded in black mist, a Vortex suddenly surged within the fog. The Vortex grew larger and larger until a clearing appeared. On the ground lay an ancient Teleportation Formation, which shone with a blinding light. As the light grew brighter, three figures slowly emerged from within.

The moment Wang Lin appeared on the Teleportation Formation, his first sight was the distant, ring-shaped belt of rubble. Pieces of rock of varying sizes and strange shapes were connected by faint, flickering purple electric arcs, densely packed together, slowly moving in a ring.

Looking from afar, the rubble belt was about a hundred miles wide, stretching endlessly as far as the eye could see.

"So this is the Shattered Star Ruins?" Wang Qingyue was clearly here for the first time. He gazed at the ring-shaped rubble, his eyes flickering as he asked.

Duanmu Ji gazed over with deep emotion. After a long while, he slowly said, "That is correct. It is here. One thousand years have passed, and this place has not changed in the slightest."

Wang Qingyue's eyes gleamed with intensity. He licked his lips and said, "Legend has it that the number one expert of the Vermilion Bird Country disappeared in the Shattered Star Ruins ten thousand years ago. Heh, today, I, Wang, shall see what mysteries lie within this place."

Wang Lin remained silent for a moment before saying to Duanmu Ji, "Is the place you mentioned, Senior, inside this Shattered Star Ruins?"

Duanmu Ji nodded. He gazed into the depths of the Shattered Star Ruins, his face revealing a lingering fear as he said, "This rubble belt is filled with a mysterious power. Once you enter, that mysterious power enters your body. The rubble pieces within will form a Clone of yourself in an inconceivable way, and its cultivation will be one Realm higher than your own, regardless of how you try to suppress your cultivation before entering. Once the Clone appears, you must defeat it to advance fifty miles. Beyond fifty miles, the Clone will appear again, and this time, there will be two of them. Only by winning again can you pass through this rubble belt!"

Wang Lin looked up. Duanmu Ji seemed to have anticipated his thoughts and continued, "If one enters from above or below, although there is no rubble, the Clones will still appear—and ten of them will appear at once!"

Wang Lin stared at the rubble belt, remaining silent.

Wang Qingyue stared for a while, his eyes flashing with intensity. The corners of his mouth twitched, revealing a cruel smile as he said, "Such an interesting place, I, Wang, must go and take a look!" As he spoke, his body vanished instantly, and when he reappeared, he was already outside the ring of the Shattered Star Ruins. Without any hesitation, he stepped inside.

Wang Lin steadied his breath and focused his gaze, not blinking as he watched intently. The moment Wang Qingyue entered, several pieces of rubble in front of him were immediately drawn together by purple lightning. Amidst the bursts of purple electric light, a Clone identical to Wang Qingyue appeared before him.

It even wore the same smile at the corner of its mouth. Without a word, it charged forward. Bursts of deafening booms erupted from where the two were fighting.

Duanmu Ji gave a soft snort and said, "It won't be long before he returns. How can one defeat a Clone that is one Realm higher?"

Wang Lin was silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "How did you enter last time?"

Duanmu Ji pointed to the Teleportation Formation and said, "Through this! Last time, there was a Formation master among us. Combined with some Legacy items we obtained regarding the Shattered Star Ruins—which recorded the method to create the Teleportation Formation—and ten Top-Grade Spirit Stones, we succeeded in entering."

"What exactly is inside the Shattered Star Ruins?" Wang Lin frowned slightly and asked in a deep voice.

Duanmu Ji glanced at Wang Lin, waved his hand, and withdrew the strand of Divine Sense he had left in Wang Lin's body. He slowly said, "Fine, since we have arrived, there is no harm in telling you. According to the records in the Legacy items we obtained, there is the corpse of an ancient god inside the Shattered Star Ruins!"

"An ancient god?" Wang Lin was taken aback.

"Ancient gods were beings from the ancient era, similar to ancient Immortals. In some aspects, they were even more powerful than ancient Immortals!" This was not said by Duanmu Ji, but by an old man in black who had suddenly appeared at Duanmu Ji's side with lightning speed.

The old man was tall and thin, with three strands of white hair on his chin swaying in the wind. His expression was full of the air of an Immortal, and he held a whisk in his hand. He looked like an Immortal of the Dao. His brows carried a hint of kindness, and he smiled and nodded at Wang Lin, saying, "Little friend, the power of this ancient god transcends certain Realms, reaching an inconceivable level. You must know that the era in which the ancient gods lived was even more ancient than the Primordial era."

Wang Lin's expression remained unchanged, but he was secretly vigilant. Although the other party appeared righteous, Wang Lin had a vague feeling that this person's cultivation seemed to be a notch higher than Duanmu Ji's.

After the old man finished speaking, he casually swept his whisk and smiled as he looked over, though this smile carried a hint of cruelty.

Wang Lin had remained vigilant. The moment the old man's whisk swept, a strong sense of crisis suddenly arose. He did not hesitate to retreat rapidly. At the same time, he slapped his Storage Pouch, and a large handful of jade talismans appeared in his hand. These jade talismans were all for defense.

A crackling sound was heard, and those jade talismans shattered instantly.

At the same time, Duanmu Ji casually took a step with his right foot, standing between Wang Lin and the old man. A black semi-circular light screen immediately appeared in front of him, neutralizing the attack brought by the sweeping whisk. The light screen rippled, and Duanmu Ji narrowed his eyes, staring at the other party. His expression was more serious than ever as he said, word by word, "Ancient Emperor, this child is a crucial person for passing the third pass. Do not mess around!"

Upon hearing this, the Ancient Emperor's expression showed no abnormality, but his smile slowly faded. At this moment, he no longer looked like an Immortal, but rather somewhat fierce. He said in a flat tone, "Are you sure?"

Duanmu Ji nodded and said, "He knows the Death Curse!"

The Ancient Emperor glanced at Wang Lin, turned, and walked to the side. He stopped three yards away from the two, looking at the rubble belt without saying a word.

Wang Lin's face was grim. In his view, this Gu Lan was simply a madman. He had tried to kill him without any reason the moment they met. A moment ago, he was smiling, but the next moment, he became ferocious.

"His name is Gu Lan, but we all call him the Ancient Emperor. This person's cultivation is extremely strong; even I am not sure I could defeat him. You see him looking like a righteous figure, but in reality, he is ruthless and has slaughtered countless people. He is purely a madman and a famous great Devil Head in the inner Cultivation Devil Sea." Duanmu Ji stood beside Wang Lin and transmitted his voice.

Wang Lin's face darkened. He glanced at the Ancient Emperor, then at Wang Qingyue, who was fighting his Clone in the rubble belt, occasionally emitting bloodthirsty roars. His heart felt even heavier.

The Ancient Emperor was a madman, Wang Qingyue was a maniac, and only this Duanmu Ji could be considered normal.

"Someone else is coming!" Duanmu Ji's expression shifted slightly, and he said in a low voice.

From the distant horizon, a dragon boat flew over. Standing on the dragon's head was a person. This person had a handsome face, but his lips were thin, revealing a sense of ruthlessness. He stood with his hands behind his back, his head held high. He was wearing a brocade red robe with broken patterns, embroidered with circles of golden thread. His long black hair was disheveled and draped over his shoulders, moving with the wind along with the corners of his robe.

Behind him stood a person. This person was not old, about twenty years of age, with an average appearance, but his eyes occasionally revealed a strange red glow. After the dragon boat drew near, the man in red leaped down, and the young man behind him quickly followed.

Wang Lin sized up the man in red. This person exuded a cold aura from his entire body—a coldness that seeped from his bones, as if he were a piece of Profound Ice that would never melt.

After landing, the man in red's gaze was cold. He scanned his surroundings, paused briefly on Wang Qingyue, who was in the rubble belt, then looked at Wang Lin, and finally fixed his gaze on Duanmu Ji. His tone was like frost in the dead of winter as he coldly said, "How lively!"

Duanmu Ji laughed and said, "Six Desires Demonic Lord, we haven't met in a thousand years. Your cultivation has improved!" After speaking, he moved his lips and transmitted his voice to him. As the man in red, the Six Desires Demonic Lord, listened, his expression suddenly froze. His gaze immediately shifted to Wang Lin. After looking for a while, he nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Little brother, if you can break through the third pass, I, Xu Liqing, will ensure your safety!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the young man behind him immediately changed his expression, and the gaze he fixed on Wang Lin was somewhat unfriendly.

Wang Lin cupped his fists and said, "Many thanks!"

The man in red nodded again, withdrew his gaze, and said slowly to Duanmu Ji, "Only Meng Tuozi is missing. Three hundred years ago, I heard he offended the Giant Demon Race of a fourth-rank Cultivation Country and was hunted down by the ten great War Demons of their tribe. I don't know if he is dead or alive."