Chapter 126: Where's Zhan Huito and Gao Zhenlei?

Inside the Obsidian Waterfall Realm, Jiang Feng and Ji Moran had traversed countless grounds and conquered numerous trial chambers, each one meticulously crafted by the enigmatic Sun and Moon Flames. Along their journey, they had encountered many individuals—some left lifeless in their wake, others battered and broken but clinging to life. The spoils of their victories were vast; their spatial rings brimmed with an assortment of spiritual fruits, herbs, and treasures, each one a boon to cultivation, enlightenment, or body forging. These were rewards earned at the end of each trial, as well as plunder Jiang Feng had claimed from the fallen, whether they were dead or merely defeated.

Ji Moran often stood to the side, her expression unreadable, as she watched Jiang Feng with his characteristic, almost predatory grin. He moved with a calculated precision, stripping the losers—or the dead—of their possessions. Despite the abundance of resources they had gathered, Ji Moran's cultivation progress had stagnated. Her golden core remained stubbornly fixed at the late first stage, refusing to advance no matter how many spiritual fruits, heart essences, or pills she consumed.

Jiang Feng, on the other hand, was a bottomless pit. He devoured resources at an alarming rate, his body a furnace that burned through spiritual energy with terrifying efficiency. At one point, he had even resorted to using Infernal Breathing to purge the accumulated impurities from his meridians and body, a necessary step to keep his cultivation from stagnating.

The sheer volume of resources required for his progression was staggering. Jiang Feng couldn't help but shudder at the thought of what it would take to achieve the Aetherion Dragon Physique and the Titan Body. The demands would be astronomical, and the thought alone sent a ripple of unease through him.

Yet, they pressed on, Ji Moran doing her best to lift their spirits. Jiang Feng, however, had noticed something peculiar—his cultivation speed had somehow doubled. For someone whose progress was already considered extraordinary, this newfound acceleration was nothing short of miraculous. The spiritual energy within the battleground was dense and potent, allowing them to cultivate even as they moved from trial to trial.

Alongside the spiritual resources, they had also amassed a collection of cultivation techniques and manuals. These covered a wide range of disciplines—body cultivation, movement arts, and breathing techniques—but neither Jiang Feng nor Ji Moran had any immediate use for them. Jiang Feng planned to gift his share to Lin Moyi, as his own cultivation path was already heavily laden with techniques and responsibilities.

Ji Moran, ever the dutiful daughter, intended to send her spoils to her father, the current head of the Ji Clan. She knew he would either integrate them into the clan's arsenal or auction them off in Northern Moon City, where such treasures would fetch a hefty price.

"We've cleared over a dozen chambers," Jiang Feng remarked, his voice cutting through the silence as they plucked a handful of glowing green fruits. His gaze was fixed on a massive, luminous gate that loomed ahead, its presence imposing and foreboding. "By my estimate, we have about two months left in the Obsidian Waterfall Realm. The final chambers will likely be the most brutal, pitting us against the strongest survivors."

Ji Moran nodded, her eyes scanning the gate. It was the largest they had encountered so far, its sheer size a testament to the challenges that lay beyond. Though they had already secured the two legacies, they had chosen to continue pushing forward. Each trial had honed their coordination, their synergy with the Sun and Moon Flames growing stronger with every battle. The flames, once separate entities, now seemed to resonate within them, their power amplifying with each step they took.

"This should be the final stretch," Ji Moran said, her tone thoughtful as she plucked another fruit. "We've gathered enough resources to significantly bolster our factions. But I think we should keep going. The resources you need for your next breakthrough are on a completely different scale, and opportunities like this don't come often."

Jiang Feng agreed with her assessment. Despite the vast quantities of spiritual fruits and resources he had consumed, his essence lake remained unchanged. The one-thousand-meter threshold required to break through to the eighth stage of Essence Condensation seemed as distant as ever. The sheer volume of energy needed was daunting, but Jiang Feng didn't dwell on it. His focus was on the present, on the challenges ahead. He had already proven capable of holding his own against first-stage Golden Core cultivators, and with each trial, he felt himself inching closer to rivaling those at the second stage.

"The resources I need are indeed frightening," Jiang Feng admitted, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Northern Moon City can't provide what I require as it is now, at least not in the long term. But that's a problem for another day. For now, I'm more than capable of standing my ground."

Ji Moran chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I still don't fully understand how you can fight so far above your level. And the amount of resources you need... it's almost incomprehensible."

"Only time will tell where this path leads," Jiang Feng replied, his gaze drifting back to the glowing gate. "But for now, let's see what the next challenge has in store for us."

With that, he stored the last of the green fruits in his spatial ring and turned toward the gate. Ji Moran followed suit, her expression hardening as the Moon Flame's influence took hold. Her demeanor grew colder, more detached, a stark contrast to the warmth that emerged when the Sun Flame was near. She reached out, her hand finding Jiang Feng's, and together they soared toward the massive gate.

As they crossed the threshold, a blinding light engulfed them, forcing their eyes shut. An instant later, their bodies locked in place, their senses thrown into disarray. It felt as though they were being spun through an endless void, their positions shifting uncontrollably. Just as suddenly as it began, the sensation ceased. Their bodies were free once more, but their vision took a moment to adjust.

When their surroundings finally came into focus, they found themselves standing in a vast, open space. Above them, gray clouds drifted lazily across the sky, framed by a massive sun and moon that hung in perfect harmony. The landscape was dotted with mountains—some lush and verdant, others barren and desolate. There were no walls, no chambers, no flaming barriers or mechanical puppets. No swamps, no falling boulders, no obvious traps. Just the mountains, the sun and moon, and an atmosphere so thick with spiritual energy it was almost tangible.

The air was still, the silence profound. Jiang Feng and Ji Moran exchanged a glance, their expressions a mix of curiosity and caution. This was no ordinary trial. Whatever lay ahead, it would be unlike anything they had faced before and that definitely held true.

Atop each distant mountain, glowing gates materialized, their luminescent arches cutting through the sky like portals to another realm. From within, several young individuals emerged, their auras radiating with such intensity that it would leave the outside world in awe, especially given their ages. Jiang Feng's eyes scanned the scene, and his gaze settled on a nearby mountain where two familiar figures stood. His brows lifted in surprise—it was Fang Lili and Bia Zhan, the two who had once been locked in a relentless rivalry. Yet now, they stood side by side, their presence commanding and their strength undeniable.

Fang Lili exuded a firm, mature aura, her cultivation having reached the late stages of the Essence Condensation Realm. She was on the cusp of forming her Golden Core, a feat that would solidify her place among the elite. Her sharp eyes and poised demeanor spoke of the trials she had endured and the opportunities she had seized. Beside her, Bia Zhan's cultivation base pulsed at the fifth level of the Essence Condensation Realm, a testament to his rapid progress. Breaking through four levels in such a short time was nothing short of extraordinary. Their survival and growth were a testament to their resilience and the incredible opportunities they had encountered.

"It seems those two have put their differences aside and grown stronger together. Interesting," Jiang Feng remarked, a faint smile tugging at his lips. His tone carried a hint of admiration, though his eyes remained analytical, as if weighing their newfound strength against the others and his own before shaking his head with a smile.

Ji Moran, standing beside him, followed his gaze. Her eyes flickered with a brief flash of surprise before cooling into their usual icy detachment. Without a word, she tilted her head slightly, her eyes directing Jiang Feng's attention to another mountain in the distance. There, three figures stood with their backs straight, their postures radiating confidence and authority. At the forefront was Ji Kan, the current number one genius of the Ji Clan, his presence as sharp as a blade. Flanking him were Ji Wuheng and Ji Yingling, the latter being the sole woman in their group. Ji Yingling's calm yet piercing gaze swept the area, her demeanor both elegant and formidable.

Not far from them, the survivors from Silver Sword City emerged, led by Cheng Yutian. The air around him vibrated with towering sword Qi, as though he had just stepped out of a fierce battle. His eyes, sharp and calculating, scanned the surroundings with the precision of a seasoned warrior. The title of "Little Sword Emperor" was not bestowed lightly, and his every movement seemed to echo the weight of that reputation.

From the other mountains, more survivors began to appear, each group bearing the marks of their respective cities. The Zhen Clan's representatives, Zhen Ming, Zhen Jinhai, and Zhen Ru, stepped forward, their auras steady and unyielding. Zhen Jinhai, ranked first among them, carried an air of quiet dominance, while Zhen Ru's sharp eyes betrayed a fierce determination. The survivors from the six cities were a mixed lot—some groups were smaller, their numbers diminished by the trials they had faced, but their resolve remained unshaken.

On one particular mountain, the two members of the Celestial Shadow Church emerged, their presence unsettling. Dark, malevolent energy coiled around their bodies like living shadows, giving them an eerie, almost otherworldly temperament. Their very existence seemed to defy the natural order, and the air around them grew heavy, as if the world itself recoiled from their presence.

Jiang Feng's eyes narrowed as he took in the scene, a dark light shimmering in his eyes as his aura became colder, darker and more evil. "Calm down, they'll get what's coming shortly" Ji Moran's voice echoed beside Jiang Feng's ears, listening to her, his raising aura quickly calmed down and the cold nature of his eyes faded. "Thank you" he calmly replied as his lips couldn't help but form into a small smile.

The gathering of so many powerful individuals in one place was both awe-inspiring and foreboding. Each person carried their own story, their own struggles, and their own ambitions in coming here. The tension in the air was palpable, a silent acknowledgment of the battles that had been fought and the battles yet to come. The mountains, once silent and still, now thrummed with the energy of these young prodigies, each one a force to be reckoned with.

"Where's Zhan Huito and Gao Zhenlei?"