Chapter 139: Gaining the Yellow Crystal and Martial Insight; Encounter at the Lake of Heart’s Trial

Drip… drip…

Blood trickled continuously from Yu Xian’s fist, forming a small pit on the ground.

Taking a deep breath, Yu Xian picked up some torn cloth from the ground and wrapped it around his bleeding hand. Only then did he look toward the place where the Yellow Armored General had vanished.

There, on the ground, lay a crystal the size of a peanut, yellow in color like a stone. It was inconspicuous—easy to miss if one wasn’t paying attention.

This crystal was what remained of the Yellow Armored General.

Ordinary people wouldn’t even notice it, but Yu Xian had sharp eyes from a young age and spotted it clearly.

He stepped forward, brows furrowing slightly as he examined the yellow crystal on the ground.

He didn’t recognize what it was. Clearly, he had limited knowledge.

But since it came from the death of the Yellow Armored General, it was definitely no common item.

Yet because the general had been formed purely of resentment, this crystal might well be the concentrated essence of that resentment. Touching it carelessly could allow the resentment to invade his body—a deadly poison with no cure.

After some thought, Yu Xian tugged at his sleeve and carefully used the cloth of his fourth-tier low-grade magical robe, the Cloud Veil Garment, to pick up the yellow crystal.

The crystal emitted a faint glow. Even through the fabric, Yu Xian could feel a slight warmth.

It resembled amber and didn’t seem particularly dangerous.

He placed the crystal inside his sleeve pocket and returned to the wall’s edge, moving swiftly along it.

Having killed one of the Five Generals, it was unlikely that another would appear soon.

Yu Xian now had to find a way into the city. He wouldn’t just wait outside for the time to run out and be safely teleported away.

The city wall was massive, and Yu Xian walked nonstop for an entire day—sometimes running.

With his stamina and speed, he covered nearly 600 miles in a single day.

Still, the spiritual energy around him remained sealed. The land was barren and lifeless.

The sky remained the same, unchanged—as if time didn’t exist here.

Yu Xian kept calm. A day wasn’t much, considering the scale of the city.

But then—his eyes flashed, and he halted.

When had it happened?

Just now? Or long ago without his noticing?

His spiritual energy… had returned!

He could now feel spiritual energy from all directions!

The energy that had been suppressed within him was now flowing freely. He could form seals and cast spells!

He had left the suppression zone.

Without hesitation, he retrieved his Bi Ling Sword and attached it to his waist. He also stored the yellow crystal in his storage pouch.

Though he had regained his spiritual power, he didn’t dare fly, lest he attract the attention of other powerful beings—like the remaining Five Generals.

The terrain began to change.

Massive craters, scorched earth, terrifying rifts—evidence of titanic battles—lay ahead.

As far as he could see, everything was devastated.

In the distance, enormous chasms and battle scars marked the land—remnants of unimaginable wars.

What kind of battle could tear the earth open like this?

What kind of strength could leave hundred-foot-deep craters?

Even now, faint echoes of killing and shouting seemed to hang in the air, timeless and ever-present.

The bloodlust and violent aura were so overwhelming that they made Yu Xian feel like an ant on the battlefield.

His expression changed slightly, but he quickly composed himself.

It was illusion—pressure crafted to intimidate. Startling at first, but once he got used to it, it lost its bite.

Regaining his calm, Yu Xian moved forward.

Far ahead, a large section of the city wall had collapsed. Rubble and ruins lay scattered.

This grand city had clearly been breached long ago.

Yu Xian, like an ant, climbed over the debris and entered the vast, ruined city.

Yellow, lifeless, devoid of greenery.

Ruined and cracked everywhere.

Yu Xian cautiously surveyed his surroundings. What fortune could lie in such a ruined place?

“You dare resist divine weaponry, mere mortals!? Die!”

As he was observing the ruins, a furious shout suddenly rang out.

Startled, Yu Xian reacted instantly, forming a hand seal and sprinting forward!

“Nonsense! So what if we’re mortal!? With our king leading us, we shall destroy the heavens! Kill!”

Another shout came from ahead!

Yu Xian looked up to see a silver-armored general wielding a spear, his battle spirit soaring. His physical strength alone had reached an unimaginable level!

With a roar, he charged like a dragon toward Yu Xian!

“Another trap!?”

Yu Xian cursed. With enemies before and behind, he had no escape!

He rapidly formed seals, summoning the Divine Spirit Shield. A layer of wooden spirit armor coated his body.

No escape.

Both threats were too powerful—beyond reason.

But Yu Xian refused to surrender!

With a roar, he brandished his sword in one hand and formed a seal with the other.

Boom!

The Bi Ling Sword howled through the air, striking at the silver-armored general.

Simultaneously, the Tong Ling Finger struck behind him.

Two mid-grade Golden Core talisman treasures were also thrown out.

It was all or nothing. Live or die!

Yu Xian’s gaze was firm.

He was not afraid to die. Exploring secret realms always meant risking one’s life.

If he failed, so be it. He had long accepted death.

If only… I’d found my master…

Father… Mother… Yu Xian is coming to you…

Boom!

The Bi Ling Sword struck air. So did the Tong Ling Finger.

The two figures continued charging forward!

The immense pressure crashed down on Yu Xian—only to pass straight through him.

Startled, he instinctively rolled sideways, leaping several meters away.

Looking back in shock, he saw the silver-armored general and a black-armored divine general locked in fierce combat. Their terrifying power passed through him without harm.

Only then did Yu Xian begin to sweat. He exhaled deeply.

“Damn…”

Even he couldn’t help but curse.

“Illusions… They were illusions…”

He wiped the cold sweat from his brow and looked again at the two fighting generals.

He couldn’t tell their cultivation level—it could be Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, or higher.

No spells—just martial skills.

Their hand-to-hand combat alone created devastating shockwaves.

Yu Xian squinted at the fight. Then he began to back away.

The illusion hadn’t harmed him yet, but who knew if it might become real?

Just as he was retreating, something clicked.

Watching the duel, he felt a resonance.

He could learn from their martial forms—the strikes, parries, counters. This was martial technique at its peak.

In the mortal world, it was simply called martial arts.

But in the cultivation world, it was known as martial path.

A skilled body cultivator, with mastery of martial techniques, could battle spellcasters with pure technique.

Not by brute force, but by martial skill.

“Is this… my martial path?”

Yu Xian’s eyes lit up. He drew his sword, mimicking the movements in the air.

It was his first attempt—awkward, like a toddler learning to walk—but full of promise.

“Mortal ants dare defy gods!? Kneel!”

The battle raged for half a day.

Eventually, the black-armored divine general, covered in wounds but still strong, decapitated the silver-armored general.

“Your Majesty… I have done my best…”

A sorrowful voice echoed in the sky. Then everything vanished.

Yu Xian blinked, drenched in sweat. He sheathed his sword.

He had learned many things from observing the battle.

But more remained elusive. His heart couldn’t yet fully align with his intent, his intent with his energy, and his energy with his body.

Hard. Martial path is hard. Truly difficult.

Still, he had gained much.

Now if he needed to fight hand-to-hand, he wouldn’t just swing wildly.

He would need to practice diligently, or it would all fade away.

Straightening his robes, he dried his sweat instantly. With a graceful flick of his robe, now spotless, he walked forward like a jade-clad immortal.

The city deepened.

More buildings appeared—ruined and intact alike.

Yu Xian ignored the destroyed ones and only occasionally entered the intact ones to take a glance.

But most were ordinary homes, with nothing of interest.

He pressed on.

The killing aura grew denser. Battle cries seemed to take form.

He saw thousands—tens of thousands—fighting illusions.

He saw human cultivators casting spells at divine enemies.

He saw human generals fighting dozens of divine generals alone, only to die exhausted.

He saw divine troops descending from the heavens, slaughtering humans like weeds…

Eight days passed.

In that time, Yu Xian learned much martial technique from these battles.

But the grand spells used by other cultivators—he could not learn.

It seemed the whole point of coming here was to witness that ancient war between humans and so-called gods.

Yet those “gods” looked human to him.

Why call themselves gods?

Yu Xian pondered this briefly, then dismissed it.

Maybe it was just a shift in dynasties. One army calling itself divine meant little.

Humans have always had different factions—Chu vs. Zhao, kings vs. emperors. Why not gods?

He continued.

After two thousand miles, he approached the inner city.

Ahead was a vast, shimmering lake—ten miles wide.

It wasn’t a real lake. From afar, he saw it was a moat—the inner city’s defense.

“Is this the Lake of Heart’s Trial?”

Yu Xian gazed at the moat.

From a distance, the other side was visible.

But standing at its edge, he could see nothing. Only the surface of the water stretched before him—boundless like an ocean.

“Do I really have to swim?”

He frowned. Clearly, he had entered a formation.

Going back now would only mean running in circles.

Wang Teng had once said—the Heart’s Trial tested one’s heart.

Fail, and you’d be trapped here until time ran out.

Only those who passed could cross to the inner city.

“Sigh… guess I’m swimming.”

Yu Xian rolled up his sleeves, prepared to swim.

Why not fly?

Guess.

Because everyone who made it out swam—no one flew.

Why?

Because those who flew… never came out.

Sometimes, following others may not help much, but it’s still safer.

But not always—some crowds are idiotic.

Just as he was about to enter the lake, a voice came from behind.

Yu Xian had grown used to illusions and turned calmly.

What he saw, however, surprised him.

In the distance—

Wang Teng, Li Yuan, Zhu Lin, Jiang Shanyu, Zhou Zong, and two other unfamiliar Foundation Establishment cultivators—seven in total—were walking toward him.