"This Holy Land, entering it is indeed fraught with peril; less than thirty percent who enter make it out alive. You must think it over carefully," the Sage of Xuanbei said to Chu Fengmian, speaking indifferently.
"However, as your mentor, I still hope that you will venture inside, for the myriad mysteries of this Holy Land are beyond even my comprehension."
Chu Fengmian was somewhat surprised to hear this from the Sage of Xuanbei.
He had thought that this Holy Land was probably an ancient ruin of some kind, and that its mysteries should have already been unraveled by the Martial Victory School and the four major forces.
But now, to hear the Sage of Xuanbei speak, it seemed that even he could not fathom the wonders of this Holy Land.
The Sage of Xuanbei was, after all, a saint; many of the Nine Domains’ secrets were trifles to such a being.
But now, with the Sage of Xuanbei speaking in such a manner, it seemed as though the Holy Land hid even more within.
Seeing the doubt in Chu Fengmian’s eyes, the Sage of Xuanbei did not conceal the truth, and proceeded to explain,
"Indeed, around the borders of this Holy Land there exists a prohibitive spell—an enchantment that bars all martial artists with Divine Power or greater from entry. Therefore, we old folk simply cannot enter and uncover its secrets."
Hearing the words of the Sage of Xuanbei, Chu Fengmian felt no surprise.
Indeed, if these saints could enter the Holy Land, the countless treasures within would have been plundered by them long ago.
And it was precisely because of this constraint that the Holy Land had endured for so long.
After all, allowing a group of martial artists at the level of the Divine Sea or the Commanding Wind realm to enter and explore thoroughly was no easy task; to investigate even a part of it was already difficult.
"Another point, Zhi Lingtian once entered the Holy Land and found a top-grade earthly pill—the Holy Buddha Golden Pill. Because of this, his strength advanced by leaps and bounds, and the treasures hidden within the Holy Land are absolutely immense."
With that statement, the words of the Sage of Xuanbei struck Chu Fengmian’s heart like a bolt of thunder.
A top-grade earthly pill! The Holy Buddha Golden Pill!
No wonder Zhi Lingtian’s talent and strength surpassed many disciples; in just fifteen years, he had already reached the peak of the Martial Victory School.
This Holy Buddha Golden Pill was the essence of some powerful ancient Buddhist cultivators, representing a lifetime of Spiritual Power and cultivation for a great Buddhist master.
To obtain a single Holy Buddha Golden Pill implied gaining the lifetime’s Spiritual Power of a great Buddhist cultivator, naturally resulting in an astounding increase in strength.
"If it weren’t for obtaining one of these Holy Buddha Golden Pills, I fear I could instantly condense five drops of ancient War Dragon’s essence blood and reach the Divine Sea realm!" thought Chu Fengmian to himself.
The Spiritual Power contained within the Holy Buddha Golden Pill was far beyond what a Qi Gathering Pill and its like could offer; the medicinal power of millions of Qi Gathering Pills wasn’t worth one Holy Buddha Golden Pill.
If Chu Fengmian obtained one, he genuinely might be able to step into the Divine Sea realm.
As such, combined with the power of ten drops of ancient War Dragon’s essence blood and Chu Fengmian’s swordsmanship, he would have the strength to fight a martial artist at the Commanding Wind realm.
Even against Crown Prince Zhi Lingtian, he might well possess the power to resist.
Regardless, the Holy Land was a place Chu Fengmian had to visit without fail.
"I have told you all that I know. Whether you wish to go to the Holy Land is entirely up to you," said the Sage of Xuanbei, waiting for Chu Fengmian’s response.
Entering the Holy Land indeed held the possibility of reaping many benefits, even obtaining vast ancient treasures, but the dangers were also manifold.
Martial artists selected to enter the Holy Land were already the cream of the crop among the major forces, but even so, less than thirty percent managed to walk out alive.
This fact alone made clear the multitude of dangers within the Holy Land.
"Disciple is willing to go,"
Chu Fengmian said with determination, without any hesitation.
Opportunity is inextricably linked with danger. If he chose not to go simply because of the danger, then what was the point of Chu Fengmian cultivating Martial Arts? How would he become a formidable practitioner?
"Good, by tomorrow noon, you will go to the upper docks. There, an Ark will be waiting for you to take you into the Holy Land,"
the Venerated Xuan Bei laughed loudly, extremely satisfied with Chu Fengmian’s decisive answer.
"Here, this is something I crafted especially for you. I am reluctant to offer you too much help, as on the road of Martial Arts, the only person you can rely on is yourself."
"This trinket can also be considered the only assistance I am willing to give you—it might save your life at a critical moment."
With a wave of his hand, the Venerated Xuan Bei transferred a Jade Talisman into Chu Fengmian’s hands.
On this Jade Talisman, there was a single, extremely simple pattern, but this pattern was etched with great meticulousness, clearly carved with the utmost care.
"If you encounter danger, crush this Jade Talisman. It will transport you to a random location within about ten miles. It could save your life in times of peril, but where exactly it will take you is something even I am not clear on. You must understand this,"
the Venerated Xuan Bei instructed.
"Many thanks, Master,"
Chu Fengmian hastily expressed his gratitude.
This Jade Talisman was no trifling object; in the Nine Domains, it was known as a Space Jade Talisman.
Only a saint proficient with the power of space could craft it, and during the crafting process, the blood of the saint must be added to successfully forge it.
The blood of a saint was not like the blood of ordinary martial artists; it contained the Space Law and immense Spiritual Power. Consuming just a drop would affect one’s own strength.
To craft this Space Jade Talisman, Venerated Xuan Bei had to use several droplets of his essence blood, and he would only do so for his most cherished disciples.
"Hahaha, having taken you as my disciple, crafting such an object for you is nothing,"
the Venerated Xuan Bei laughed heartily.
"However, if I had three or five disciples and had to craft for each, that would be a cost I couldn’t afford. But with just one disciple like you, one more doesn’t matter."
"Leave now. I still hope that you will have no need to use this Jade Talisman."
Chu Fengmian respectfully bowed and then turned to leave the courtyard.
Chen Zou whispered from the side,
"Master hadn’t planned to take on disciples, so why did you accept the young master as your disciple?"
"Although I had no plans to take on disciples, I am now about to leave; my life and death uncertain. My teachings must be left behind,"
the Venerated Xuan Bei’s eyes displayed a trace of determination.
"Leave? Has Master already sensed the impending disaster?"
Surprise flashed across Chen Zou’s eyes.
"Indeed, so before I depart, I shall try to aid this young fellow to grow. That way, I can leave with peace of mind. By the time he emerges from the Holy Land, he will probably be ready,"
muttered the Venerated Xuan Bei, as his figure too vanished from the spot.