The journey to the Thousand-Pillars Wasteland was challenging even with the enhanced mobility provided by Ling Tian's cultivation. The land became increasingly treacherous, marked by towering, monolithic rock formations that gave the region its name.
The spiritual Qi here was raw and chaotic, contaminated by ancient battles and powerful spirit beasts.
Ling Tian and Lin Yue, their auras masked by the Void Step Pills, moved like shadows.
The Primordial Beast Threat
The first major defense of the Wasteland wasn't the Celestial Sword Syndicate, but the environment itself.
As they navigated a narrow, canyon passage, a massive creature lunged from the shadows—a Stone Scale Serpent, its body the size of a small fortress and its cultivation base resting solidly in the Mid-Nascent Soul Realm.
The Serpent's attack was purely physical, aimed at crushing them instantly.
Lin Yue was prepared to unleash a defensive spell, but Ling Tian raised a hand.
"Hold your Qi," Ling Tian commanded. "I need to analyze the local ecosystem."
He let the Serpent's massive head approach until it was mere inches from them. Then, with inhuman speed, he channeled a tiny, focused thread of Primordial Chaos energy through his palm, striking the Serpent's main sensory point.
The Serpent instantly convulsed, its attack dissipating. Its enormous body thrashed violently against the canyon walls, causing rockfalls, before it collapsed—not dead, but completely paralyzed.
"The spiritual creatures here are simpler than the cultivators," Ling Tian explained to a wide-eyed Lin Yue. "They rely purely on instinct and physical force. A direct, targeted assault on their spiritual nodes is enough."
They quickly moved on, leaving the massive beast writhing in silent paralysis.
Syndicate Defenses and Traps
As they ventured deeper, the presence of the Celestial Sword Syndicate became evident. They encountered expertly placed spiritual traps: tripwires that released corrosive acid, and subtle illusions designed to disorient intruders.
"The Syndicate uses complex, layered traps, Master," Lin Yue warned, pointing to a nearly invisible thread of light. "If we trigger this, a battalion of the Crimson Blade Legion will be here in minutes."
Ling Tian didn't rely on Lin Yue's memory alone. He activated his Perfect Golden Chaos Core and scanned the environment with his supreme spiritual sense. The Primordial Chaos energy allowed him to see the flow of the formation energy—the very foundation of the traps—in clear detail.
"The thread is a decoy," Ling Tian corrected, stepping effortlessly over the invisible trap. "The true trigger is the small, embedded Qi-crystal five paces to the left. Their focus is on high-volume detection."
He then channeled his energy to precisely disrupt the Qi-crystal. The surrounding traps instantly fizzled out, becoming inert.
"Their defense prioritizes detection over lethality," Ling Tian mused. "They rely on the Crimson Blade Legion to finish the job."
Closing In
After hours of silent infiltration, they finally reached the deep central basin of the Wasteland. The air here was strangely still, yet thick with ancient, vital essence.
In the center of the basin, on a rocky altar guarded by a permanent, highly complex protective formation, lay their prize:
The Ghost Dragon Heartbloom.
It was a beautiful, terrifying herb—its petals pulsed with a faint, violet light, and its core resembled a perfectly formed, miniaturized dragon's heart. It radiated power that Ling Tian knew was absolutely essential for forging a flawless Nascent Soul.
And guarding the formation perimeter were three patrols of the Crimson Blade Legion—elite sword cultivators, each at the Peak Nascent Soul Realm, moving in coordinated attack patterns.
"Master, the herb is heavily guarded and protected by the Myriad-Sword Sealing Array," Lin Yue whispered, fear gripping her throat. "We cannot approach the altar without engaging the Peak Nascent Soul experts."
Ling Tian observed the three patrols. Three Peak Nascent Soul experts, moving in formation. If I take the Ghost Dragon Heartbloom, the entire Syndicate will know instantly.
"We have no choice but to engage," Ling Tian stated, his voice cold and steady. "But we won't fight them. We will delete them."