Chapter 366: Chapter 264: A Missile Grew Eyes and Exploded into Fireworks

Nine Phoenix Ridge was quite famous throughout the entire Four Buddha States.

It was located within the territory of Changshi City in the eastern part of the Four Buddha States, but it was also on the border, with a small portion falling under the jurisdiction of another city.

A legend was once told about Nine Phoenix Ridge:

It was said that long ago, a commoner entered this place and ventured deep into the mountains. Unable to find his way out, he became lost and had no choice but to camp for the night.

In the dead of night, he dreamt that a strange bird with nine heads wanted to eat him. He jolted awake from the nightmare and, in his panic, stumbled upon a path leading down the mountain.

But when he returned to his village, he found the nine-headed bird from his dream before him. It devoured everyone in the village, then flew away with a swagger, heading back toward the deep mountains—the very place he had just escaped.

And so, the place was named Nine Phoenix Ridge.

Of course, a legend was just a legend. Hearing the name of this place, Yang An felt something was off.

’This is clearly a case of a Demon Fiend bringing disaster to mortals, yet the place gets an elegant name like Nine Phoenix Ridge.’

’Apparently, this so-called legend comes from the memory of a Demon Fiend, filtered through its own subjective perspective.’

Just as humans wouldn’t call themselves beasts—except for those who truly are.

However, Yang An discovered he had indeed come to the right place. The Immortal Origin Land must be here.

From a hundred li outside Nine Phoenix Ridge, he could already sense the aura of Demon Fiends. The familiar stench wafted on the breeze.

Besides that, he also sensed the auras of other Cultivators. A considerable number of them were also approaching Nine Phoenix Ridge.

Those who could find this place were no ordinary people. Although Great Virtue Temple governed the Sixty-four States, these State Territories were also home to many other cultivation powers besides the temple.

Yang An hid on a mountain peak, waiting for the right moment to act. Just as he was wondering why he hadn’t sensed anyone from Great Virtue Temple, he suddenly felt a jolt.

’They’re here!’

If the Cultivators from all these Sects could find this place, Great Virtue Temple wouldn’t be worthy of its name if it couldn’t.

Yang An used a Technique to conceal his aura as much as possible. He had no intention of revealing himself yet; otherwise, just as he could sense others, others could naturally sense him too.

The party from Great Virtue Temple was also quite large. Their leader was Qing Xin—after all, he was carrying out a decree from Hai Shu Bodhisattva.

And besides Qing Xin, there were several other Zen Masters with the Cultivation Level of a Zombie God, likely transferred from other State Territories as reinforcements.

The group, all with their reflective, shaved heads, chanted scriptures as they marched openly and powerfully into Nine Phoenix Ridge, completely disregarding the other Cultivators and Demon Fiends.

The aura of the Zombie God Great Demon Fiend could no longer be detected within Nine Phoenix Ridge. Its whereabouts were unknown.

The Demon Fiends still inside Nine Phoenix Ridge seemed to have been deliberately stationed there to guard the area.

In an instant, chaotic auras erupted within Nine Phoenix Ridge, kicking up a monstrous commotion. Bursts of Sanskrit chanting rang out from time to time, and a large number of Demon Fiends were killed on the spot. The rest fled for their lives, unable to stop the people from Great Virtue Temple.

Lying in wait, Yang An personally sensed the auras of the Great Virtue Temple’s Zen Masters vanishing one by one, just like the Zombie God Great Demon Fiend that had disappeared.

’It’s obvious the gateway to this so-called Immortal Origin Land has been wide open for some time.’

Before long, everyone from Great Virtue Temple had vanished without a trace.

Only after they had all disappeared did the many other Cultivators who had gathered dare to approach Nine Phoenix Ridge, drawn by the news.

Yang An also emerged from the shadows and followed the auras of these Cultivators.

Entering Nine Phoenix Ridge, one was immediately struck by a gloomy feeling.

The trees here were so tall they seemed to touch the sky, blotting out the sun. As a result, the light that filtered down was not bright, and the forest was exceedingly dim and damp.

A thick fog also gathered among the trees, making it impossible to tell direction with the naked eye. Visibility was very low.

But for Cultivators, none of this was an obstacle. Using their senses, it was as easy as walking on flat ground.

Yang An quietly trailed behind these Cultivators, eavesdropping on their conversations.

"The Demon Fiends went in, Great Virtue Temple went in... what are we even going in for?"

Someone was complaining, clearly not too keen on entering the Immortal Origin Land.

"Fool! This is the Immortal Origin Land! Rumor has it that this is where Forbidden Artifacts are born. Of course, we can’t compete with those old monsters for a Forbidden Artifact, but if we can get a sip of the soup and grab a few things, they’d still be rare treasures on the outside. And if we get lucky enough to find a Forbidden Artifact Fragment, our good days will have arrived."

These Cultivators were not all from the same Sect; many didn’t even know each other and were mutually wary. However, they weren’t bothering to hide these words.

Everyone who made it here knew about the Immortal Origin Land. There was no need to be secretive about it.

"All of you, stick close to me later. If you trigger the Power of Rules in the Immortal Origin Land, none of us will make it out alive," someone warned.

It was true that a place hiding treasures was a good place, but such places were also fraught with danger. A moment of carelessness could lead to one’s death and the dissipation of one’s soul.

As figures zipped rapidly through the forest, Yang An followed close behind. Soon, he arrived deep within Nine Phoenix Ridge, at the base of a steep cliff.

Looking up, the cliff face seemed to be covered in a massive spiderweb, filled with countless cracks of all sizes. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

From within those cracks, vines extended, hanging down the cliff. They were constantly writhing—they were living things.

As the Cultivators approached the cliff, the vines began to weave themselves together, quickly forming a huge, squirming cave entrance.