Eternal Heavenly Emperor

Chu Hao nodded and thrust his long sword.

Although Qin Yulian's Ice Frost Power couldn't deal a fatal blow to the zombies, it could temporarily freeze them. Coupled with Chu Hao's attacks, it became an incredible combination.

—Chu Hao only needed to strike casually; the zombies were completely like living targets, not dodging, not resisting, truly making it effortlessly enjoyable.

However, freezing so many zombies at once was clearly a great burden for Qin Yulian. Previously, she had done so for self-preservation, regardless of the cost. But now, with Chu Hao's help, she naturally conserved her Star Force and stamina.

For both Chu Hao's Power of Flame and Qin Yulian's Ice Frost Power, their origin was not Star Force but their bodies, supplied by their cells.

This couldn't be quickly restored by absorbing Star Stones.

However, reaching their level, how could they lack great patience? Although two waves of zombies had converged, totaling nearly a thousand, no new zombies joined.

Killing one meant one less.

900, 800, 700, the number of zombies kept decreasing. When the number dropped to 100, they actually didn't need to keep fighting. They could have withdrawn. But having fought to this point, they had already expended a lot of Star Force and stamina. If they left now, they would encounter new zombies ahead, and that would be truly difficult to handle.

They kept pushing forward, killing all the zombies before stopping to recover.

Here, there was no sun or moon, and they couldn't tell the passage of time, but after an unknown period, they both stopped absorbing Star Stones.

Their Star Force had been restored to its peak state, but without a good meal and a sound sleep, there was no way their stamina could return to perfect condition.

"Brother Chu, thank you for your assistance!" Qin Yulian thanked again.

Chu Hao nodded and said, "Miss Qin, do you know the situation here?"

"Brother Chu, didn't you understand it beforehand?" Qin Yulian countered.

"Really, I don't!" Chu Hao shook his head.

"Actually, I'm not very clear either. I only know some of the situation," Qin Yulian said. "After entering the Void Gate, we would be randomly teleported to various corners of this plain."

"As long as you head in one direction, you will eventually see a high tower ahead. It is said that there are four such towers in total."

"Reaching the high tower is the first trial, also known as the entry-level test."

"After entering the high tower, there are other trials, but I am not very clear about the specifics. Generally, they test either strength, wisdom, or courage. It is said that passing these tests will earn you rewards."

"The more tests you pass, the more rewards you get."

"Moreover, to leave here, we must first reach the high tower, where there is a portal out. We have one month in total. After the time limit, the portal in the high tower will close, and we will be trapped here for three years, waiting for the Ancient Trial Arena to reopen."

Chu Hao nodded and said, "Miss Qin, how about we join forces to reach the high tower?"

"Alright, two people can look out for each other!" Qin Yulian nodded with a smile.

"Then let's go!"

The two set off, heading towards the high tower.

"Miss Qin, is this really the Ancient Trial Arena? Why does it feel so eerie here! These zombies look extremely evil!" Chu Hao said.

Qin Yulian shook her head and said, "It is said that this place was discovered thousands of years ago because passing through layers of trials would earn rewards, hence the name Ancient Trial Arena. However, which power this mysterious space once belonged to has long been buried in history."

As they talked and walked, zombies naturally crawled out from the ground. But encountering the combined ice and fire of these two, they were instantly defeated and turned into nothing more than food.

The saying "seeing a mountain and running a horse to death," really came true. Despite the high tower always being in sight, they walked for an entire day and only got slightly closer, still far away.

There was no distinction between day and night here. When tired, they stopped to rest. Fortunately, after clearing the surrounding zombies, it was not dangerous as zombies did not wander around.

Both had plenty of food stored in their Mustard Seed Rings. After eating, they laid out a blanket to sleep. There were no formalities when traveling.

The next day, they continued on their journey.

Gradually, the number of zombies diminished. Finally, they stopped appearing, not because they were drawn away or killed by others, but because there were none left.

Ahead appeared a valley, overgrown with gray-black plants, very humid.

"It seems we must pass through this valley," Chu Hao said.

Qin Yulian nodded. To go around would take an unknown amount of time, and they were not here for a leisurely trip. "Be careful!" she said.

The two entered the valley.

The plants here grew tall but were all vine-like, with no trees in sight.

"Eh?"

They suddenly stopped. Ahead lay a skeleton.

Unlike the previous zombies, this was a pile of white bones, with tattered clothing that had long been disheveled.

Chu Hao had seen bones rise in the Lower World and dared not be careless, thinking these might turn into "skeleton soldiers."

"This is a disciple of Silver Frost Valley!" Qin Yulian said.

"Silver Frost Valley?" Chu Hao was taken aback. Judging by the state of the corpse, it had been dead for many years, perhaps decades or even centuries ago, a disciple of Silver Frost Valley.

The Ancient Training Ground was indeed dangerous!

Chu Hao nodded. If he weren't of the Fire Attribute, it wouldn't have been so easy passing through Zombie Land. However, this Silver Frost Valley disciple clearly passed Zombie Land, so why did they die here?

Was it due to an incurable injury?

Or—

Both of them heightened their alert, realizing there might be another crisis here.

"Be careful!" Chu Hao suddenly shouted, swinging his sword.

Swish, several vines, like spirit snakes, silently crept towards their feet, suddenly wrapping around their calves.

Boom!

Chu Hao channeled his Power of Flame. After swinging his sword, he felt a shock in his right hand. The vines were incredibly tough, and his strike did not succeed. Even the Power of Flame had no effect on these vines, only producing a foul burnt odor.

The environment was too damp, making the vines unburnable, releasing only noxious fumes.

And these fumes were evidently poisonous. Just a whiff made Chu Hao and Qin Yulian feel dizzy and uncomfortable.

Chu Hao quickly retracted his Power of Flame, realizing it was doing more harm than good.

Qin Yulian flicked her delicate hand, a layer of frost covered the vines, and when Chu Hao struck again, he heard a crisp sound, and the vines were severed.

—The low temperature greatly reduced the vines' toughness. Though still hard, they became brittle, like glass, which is hard but shatters when dropped.

"What kind of vine is this, man-eating grass?" Chu Hao asked.

"Probably Gloomy Wind Vine, highly aggressive, draining blood and flesh from any creature it entangles!" Qin Yulian said, her eyes sparkling. "However, the Mother Root of Gloomy Wind Vine is a great supplement, beneficial for expanding meridians, and highly effective for both martial masters and the Martial Sect."

Chu Hao's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't yet reached Nine Meridians Peak, and he could still aim for Ten Meridians! Even if he ascended to the Martial Sect, it would still be useful, wouldn't it?

But looking at the mountain full of vines, he couldn't help but shake his head. With Gloomy Wind Vine growing so rampant, how could they find the Mother Root?

"Let's get out first!"

Their cooperation grew more seamless—one freezing, the other cutting through—as they sprinted forward.

Chu Hao couldn't help but feel grateful. He had no ulterior motives when saving her, but now it seemed incredibly worthwhile. If he were alone, passing through the valley would be extremely difficult.

Qin Yulian's Ice Frost Power, although not very effective against zombies, was invaluable here.

Cooperation was crucial.

After half an hour, they finally emerged from the valley.

They suddenly halted, finding seven people standing at the valley's exit.

Here, fellow humans were not necessarily friends, so they instantly grew wary.

"Hey! Hey! No need to be nervous!" One of the seven, a round man with a smiling face, stepped forward. His body was so round that the fat on his limbs made them appear short. With a friendly face, anyone who saw him outside this place would consider him harmless.

"We don't know each other, but are you not tempted by the Mother Root of the Gloomy Wind Vine?" the round man continued.

Mother Root!

Chu Hao and Qin Yulian hesitated. For young people like them, rapid improvement in cultivation was paramount. The Mother Root of Gloomy Wind Vine could greatly accelerate this process. Naturally, they were tempted.

An individual or duo would struggle against the widespread Gloomy Wind Vine. But with a team of over ten people, the odds increased.

"If we find the Mother Root, how do we divide it?" Chu Hao got straight to the point.

"When the time comes, everyone will rely on their abilities!" the round man answered.

Chu Hao and Qin Yulian glanced at each other, nodding slowly. They were confident they wouldn't lose to others.

They joined the group, sitting down. Nine people were still few; at least fifteen, or better twenty, would make the effort overwhelming.

After a few more hours, their team reached nineteen, enough to act.

"Strange, why are there only martial masters here?" Chu Hao wondered. If a Martial Sect were here, they could sweep through alone.