Chapter 4699 — Leave the Toll If You Want to Pass
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"This oasis is the chokepoint of the Ten-Thousand-Year Grand Canyon. All the spiritual energy flowing in and out of the canyon gathers here, which is why it is so thick, and also why this oasis exists at all; otherwise there would be nothing but barren desert," Huo Yudie explained from behind him.
It was clear that the girl had done a good deal of research on this place beforehand in order to obtain the Lightning Mystic Vine. After all, unlike Wei Zhao, the ancient battlefield was actually quite dangerous for a Nascent Soul peak expert like her.
The oasis was not especially large, only a little over a hundred zhang across, yet even in so small a space, dozens of high-level cultivators were gathered at this moment. Apart from a handful of Golden Core peak experts, most of them were Nascent Soul experts—the mainstream strength of this trial.
These people were clustered together as though facing some common threat, every face grave and tense. Could there be some terrifying spirit beast blocking the way ahead?
Wei Zhao and Huo Yudie's arrival caused no commotion and drew no attention. Everyone present had their eyes fixed on the open ground dead ahead in the center. It was not some fearsome spirit beast that occupied it, but another group of cultivators—except this group radiated a savage, menacing aura, by no means the sort who wished others well.
Following the crowd's gaze, Wei Zhao looked ahead, and his eyelid gave an involuntary twitch as shock flooded his heart. The leader of that group ahead, a ferocious man with a scarred face, was actually a Mystic Ascension expert!
Wei Zhao could not help rubbing his eyes. Surely he had not seen wrong?
Was this place not said to admit only Nascent Soul experts and below, since no one else could pass through the teleportation formation? Then what was this Mystic Ascension expert doing here? That savage aura, towering far above any Nascent Soul expert—that could not possibly be faked, could it?
Even if someone truly could fake such an aura to intimidate others, it would never escape Wei Zhao's eyes; every detail from head to toe gave it away. This scarred man was a genuine Mystic Ascension expert, albeit only at the peak of the early Mystic Ascension stage. But for such a being to appear in a place like this was in itself a piece of astonishing news!
"Well then? Anyone else want to pass? If you want through, hand over the toll quickly. As long as the precious treasures you offer are worth the weight, this old man will let you through! Rest easy—the Ten-Thousand-Year Grand Canyon behind me is a pristine land where scarce a soul has ever set foot, with countless rare treasures inside. It's easy to make back your losses, hahahaha!" The scarred man threw back his head and laughed wildly.
Hearing these words, Wei Zhao and Huo Yudie understood at once. So these people had not gathered here to fight over some treasure—they had simply run into a bandit chief who had set himself up as lord of the mountain pass!
According to Huo Yudie, the Ten-Thousand-Year Grand Canyon was a rare treasure ground within this ancient battlefield. Thanks to its extraordinary environment, there were far more rare treasures here than elsewhere. Try one's luck out in the desert, and one might search ten days or half a month without finding a single treasure; but in the Ten-Thousand-Year Grand Canyon, legend had it that a single day of patient walking would surely yield something.
Moreover, since the judging standard for this West Island trial was precisely rare treasures, naturally any trial participant with a bit of information and connections would find a way to come here for a visit. Only those with other intentions, like Ren Zhongyuan and his kind, would pass up this legendary treasure ground.
Now this bandit chief had seized the only entrance to the place, which was as good as gripping the soft spot of everyone present. They had no choice but to let him butcher them as he pleased.