Chapter 1147, Dangerous Territory

Translator: Silavin

  

The Silent Forest was extraordinarily vast, stretching across hundreds of thousands of kilometres without end.

 

Above the Silent Forest, sinister space rifts appeared from time to time, like enormous mouths poised to devour all things.

 

It was said that if one were caught by such a space rift, not even a Saint could escape.

 

And so, within the Silent Forest, almost no one dared to fly through the air.

 

This was a domain in which flight was forbidden.

 

Viewed from above, the Silent Forest was composed not only of vast tracts of dense woodland, but, more than anything, of swampland.

 

Within those countless swamps, a terrifying pressure lurked faintly, a remnant of the great battle fought countless years ago, its power yet to dissipate.

 

The Silent Forest had always been a dangerous place to begin with, and the threat posed by those remnant divine techniques only elevated the dangers of the Silent Forest by yet another level.

 

Even a Saint, without a safe route to follow, risked being caught in the aftershocks of those remnant divine techniques if they were not careful, and would be buried there for eternity.

 

This stretch of space was rich in World Energy, yet it lacked any semblance of vitality. Heaven and Earth were still and silent, without the faintest trace of Human presence.

 

Yet this silence was destined to be broken today.

 

For the first trial to be that Supreme Expert’s Disciple was set here.

 

Figures swarmed in from all directions like locusts, pouring without end into the Silent Forest, stirring long-absent roars from the Demonic Beasts within.

 

*Whoosh!*

 

In one corner of the Silent Forest, a figure streaked through the low air like a meteor, moving at tremendous speed.

 

“Reckless fool.”

 

Those nearby who witnessed this figure could not help but scoff inwardly.

 

After all, the sky above the Silent Forest was universally acknowledged by all Races to be the most perilous place of all. Flying here was nothing short of seeking death.

 

*Swish! Swish!*

 

And behind that figure, above the dense canopy, more figures could be seen sweeping past rapidly, as though in pursuit of the one ahead.

 

“These people truly have no regard for their lives.”

 

“Could it be that the first trial is related to how quickly one passes through?”

 

Seeing those figures, many of those within the Silent Forest felt a flicker of bewildered suspicion pass through their hearts.

 

That figure, streaking through the air as though fleeing for its life, was none other than Qin Yichen. Behind him, nearly a hundred Martial Ancestors in relentless pursuit.

 

The manner of it suggested they intended to pursue him to the death.

 

This opportunity was not one that came often. If Qin Yichen escaped now and had time to grow wary, catching him in such a vulnerable position again would likely become impossible.

 

Moreover, as time went on, those intent on targeting Qin Yichen would only grow in number, and there would be no share left for any of them.

 

Yet even as they refused to give up, Qin Yichen showed no sign of tiring whatsoever. His speed did not slow by a single fraction, and he continued to sweep through the Silent Forest at a blistering pace.

 

Faced with this, the hearts of those in pursuit burned with frustration and helpless rage.

 

The Silent Forest, as everyone knew it, was not to be flown through casually. One moment’s carelessness, and being swallowed by a space rift, meant there would be no chance of escape.

 

Yet Qin Yichen seemed entirely oblivious to all of this. The manner of his flight and escape showed not the slightest trace of apprehension.

 

In the end, after nearly a full day of pursuit, when they sensed Qin Yichen’s presence sweep away in a particular direction, the expressions of those chasing him shifted sharply, and one by one, as if by unspoken agreement, they all came to a halt.

 

“Has he truly lost his mind?”

 

“*Hmph!* To fly so recklessly through the Silent Forest like that, he clearly has no idea of the dangers here.”

 

“Anyone who has entered that place has never come out alive. He is walking straight into his own death.”

 

“Enough. A few of you, stay behind nearby and keep watch.”

 

Over a hundred Martial Ancestors stood upon the branches of trees. Their gazes followed the direction in which Qin Yichen had disappeared into the distance, and their eyes were filled with a deep and unmistakable wariness.

 

“Hmm? Why have they stopped pursuing me?”

 

In the midst of his rapid flight, Qin Yichen had already noticed that the figures in relentless pursuit behind him no longer seemed to be following him.

 

At this, there was no relief in Qin Yichen’s heart, no joy at having escaped. On the contrary, his expression grew somewhat grave. He had sensed that they seemed to be wary of something, and that was precisely why they had ceased their pursuit.

 

“Hm?” Suddenly, as he flew onward, Qin Yichen’s pupils contracted sharply, and an acutely dangerous feeling surged within him.

 

*Whoosh!*

 

The instant that feeling arose, Qin Yichen acted without a moment’s thought. Gritting his teeth, he activated the Myriad Dao Divine Armour’s knee guards, and his figure flashed in an uncanny movement, reappearing upon a great tree below.

 

*Hum…*

 

In the very next moment, Qin Yichen saw that where he had been standing a mere heartbeat before, a space rift over ten metres in size had materialised. Had it not been for the Myriad Dao Divine Armour’s knee guards, that space rift, which had appeared from nowhere without any warning, would have been more than enough to swallow him whole.

 

Staring at that space rift, Qin Yichen could not help but quietly wipe a cold sweat from his brow.

 

Then he looked around and discovered with a start that in the space surrounding him, hideous space rifts were appearing intermittently across the sky, only to dissipate again in an instant.

 

Confronted with so many space rifts, and recalling that he had been carelessly flying through the open air just moments ago, Qin Yichen’s heart was seized by a sudden wave of lingering dread.

 

“What kind of accursed place is this, to have so many space rifts!?” After a moment, Qin Yichen finally suppressed the trembling in his chest and murmured quietly to himself.

 

He then retrieved the scroll that Qing Luan had entrusted to him and found within it a rather intricate route map.

 

The directional markings on that scroll were extraordinarily detailed. After studying it briefly, Qin Yichen was able to determine his current location.

 

However, the position he occupied had been marked on the scroll in a vivid blood-red colour. Beside that region, two scarlet words had been written: ‘Dangerous Territory’. Furthermore, they gleamed with a radiance that sent a chill straight through the heart.

 

Seeing those two scarlet words, Qin Yichen’s expression became faintly solemn.

 

This scroll had been given to him by Qing Luan. In other words, this area was considered a place of extreme danger, even by experts of the Heaven Devouring Green Marten Race, and he had stepped into it carelessly, driven here by his flight.

 

When even a Top Tier Race had designated this a Dangerous Territory, the perils within would be something no ordinary person could withstand.

 

And now, Qin Yichen found himself in a rather precarious position.

 

To retreat meant that those intent on surrounding and destroying him would certainly be waiting, unwilling to let him walk back into their grasp.

 

To press forward, one need only cross through this stretch of Dangerous Territory, and after some distance further, the safe passage marked on the scroll would be within reach. But ahead of him lay far too many unknown dangers.