Refining the Mountains and Rivers

The silver sea shattered as the giant leapt out from it. Its three heads roared loudly and it stretched its arms out fully. Gathered before the altar, elder apprentice brother, Ye Xing and the Prince of Heavenly Palace frowned.

"Damn it, where did the other giant go?" Ye Xing cursed under his breath. He wore a dark expression. The sudden appearance of the giant had disrupted his plans.

Not to mention the treasure within the altar, he would be very lucky to leave with his life if he had to face the giant's strength.

As everyone trembled in fright, the three-headed giant suddenly cried painfully. Its flesh was slowly wearing down and blood flowed like a river. It was like a giant snowman melting under the burning sun.

Everyone was shocked as they witnessed this scene. They wondered if the giant was constrained to be within the silver sea. However, they soon realized this was not the case. The giant looked at the black altar with fear and struggled.

It…it was the power of the altar!

Although they did not know why this was happening, they could not miss out on this chance. Taking advantage of the giant's struggle, the three cultivators made a decision to kill it.

Ye Xing's eyes sparkled and he prompted, "What are you guys waiting for? Regardless of whose hands the treasure ends up in, we ought to combine forces and kill this giant."

Elder apprentice brother was expressionless as he threw a punch out. The Prince of Heavenly Palace followed his movements. They both knew that Ye Xing was right. They had to take this opportunity to crush the giant while it was suppressed by the altar.

The top cultivators unleashed unimaginable strength and the giant cried in pain. Its body fell into a tragic state under the constant onslaught of attacks.

Lei Xiaoyu flew to a corner. Her eyes scanned the silver roots that held up the giant and she blocked the other cultivators that were rushing over. Their eyes fell on the altar and the battle, and dark looks crossed their faces. No one interfered but they quietly retreated and changed direction.

She scoffed and shook her head. Although they had good plans, they needed strength and qualifications to see it through. The three top cultivators did not fall into plots easily and it was suicide to try scamming them.

Cang Zhu looked up and saw the battle between the giant and the top cultivators. Terrifying shockwaves rolled out in all directions as blows were thrown repeatedly at the giant's head. Under normal circumstances, this would be considered nothing. However, her powers were sealed by the Old Ancestor when she was in the East Sea.

If she could even use just ten percent of her strength, the onslaught of attacks would be nothing. She was just a little girl trying to move forward against strong winds. This had happened many times before. Every time she hugged Qin Yu close she had to stabilize herself and continue moving forward.

Qin Yu was in a terrible situation as he slipped in and out of consciousness. With him in her arms, Cang Zhu could hear every crack of his bones and the disintegration of his flesh. He was getting closer and closer to death.

Her hands were warmed by Qin Yu's blood and every whiff she took was filled with the stench of it. Cang Zhu's face turned cold and she was pale. Qin Yu could not die, he definitely must not die. I can save you, I can.

Another round of attacks fell on the giant's head and Cang Zhu was forced back by the shockwaves. She hugged Qin Yu as they sunk deeper. She did her best to stand her ground and she frowned deeply. As the silver roots carried the giant away, the surviving cultivators took this chance to break through. However, a cultivator stood before the two of them. A calm look was in the cultivator's eyes and he was being careful.

Cang Zhu asked, "What are you doing?"

The other cultivator made a gesture with his hand and asked, "Young miss, if you hand him over to me, I promise not to hurt you."

Cang Zhu lowered her head and asked, "Why?" After a moment of hesitation, the cultivator answered, "After the giant suddenly disappeared, this person appeared. I stayed here and observed everything. I am sure that the both of you are very weak…"

Before he could finish, Cang Zhu cut him off, "Why didn't you just take action directly?"

The person shook his head and said, "I am not sure but I feel like you are hiding something deep."

Cang Zhu lifted her head slightly and confirmed, "You are right…but he is my man and I cannot hand him over to you."

Click! A sound came from within Cang Zhu's body and a chain shadow emerged. Explosive sounds shook the air.

Actually, Cang Zhu had lied to Qin Yu. The pearl in a shell woman's body did not only have that one use. She could also use it herself, but the outcome was not good…a shell woman who destroyed her own pearl could dispel all negative statuses on herself and gain overpowering strength. However, once the powers from the pearl were used up, the backlash could consume the user.

"You…" Anger filled the cultivator's face. Not waiting for the cultivator to speak further, Cang Zhu raised her hands and clapped them together. A loud 'clap' sounded and blood suddenly spurted out of the cultivator's nose and ears. He turned into dust before he fell to the ground.

She frowned slightly but remained calm. Cang Zhu looked at Qin Yu and admitted, "Actually I am very strong, but I never had the chance to show you. Don't worry, since I promised you, I will do it."

She continued forward. The powerful force around her oscillated like waves and shattered everything around her. At the same time, she whispered to Qin Yu, "I did not want to do this unless I was at my wit's end. This might cause terrible things to happen to me. So, if you live, remember to go to the East Sea to save me. Otherwise, I will really die a terrible death."

"Mm…he is here…" As she said this, a fierce voice raged angrily in her mind like thunder. Cang Zhu spat out blood but her expression was calm, "Old Ancestor, if you don't want to kill me, can you please hold back your powers?"

After a brief pause, a deep voice sounded in her head, "Cang Zhu, Cang Zhu…I underestimated you. I can't believe you did this! You destroyed your own pearl…return to the East Sea immediately. Otherwise, I will use the most cruel method to kill everyone around you."

Cang Zhu lightly answered, "I had no choice but to destroy the pearl. I will definitely return to the East Sea because I want to continue to live. Old Ancestor, you are the only one who can save me. But before that, I have to do a few things and I might need to borrow some of your strength. Otherwise, I may die halfway."

"Unbelievable! Cang Zhu, this is my last warning to you. Return to the East Sea immediately. Otherwise…" Cang Zhu interrupted, "Old Ancestor, you should know very well where I am right now. There is no way you can come here and that is why the only thing you can do now is scream and shout at me. Agree to my conditions and I promise I will return to the East Sea. Otherwise, I would rather die here."

After a few moments of silence, the voice in her head calmed down considerably. "Alright, I will agree to your conditions, but you must remember that this is the last time. If not, I will make sure you personally hear me screaming so loudly that glass would break."

Cang Zhu unconsciously hugged Qin Yu tighter. Gritting her teeth, her speed increased exponentially. A few moments later she was out of the silver sea and she finally saw the black altar.

Ignoring the ongoing battle, Cang Zhu walked towards the altar. Her sudden appearance attracted the attention of many. After initial shock, everyone sneered at her.

The top three cultivators were engaged in battle with the giant and everyone was standing aside spectating it. They did not dare to take their chances if there wasn't a perfect opportunity. Did they really think that the three top cultivators would let them take the treasure? What dreams!

As such, everyone thought that Cang Zhu was seeking her own death as she walked towards the altar. Furthermore, she carried someone who looked to be on the brink of death. Could she have lost her mind after losing her boyfriend? Nonetheless, the other cultivators could use her to see how the three top cultivators would react.

Lei Xiaoyu frowned. While she did not recognize Cang Zhu, she could sense that something was amiss with the girl. Cang Zhu felt like a burning fireball that glowed so brightly, she was about to burn herself to death. The person in Cang Zhu's arms felt very familiar to her too.

It was the same sense she got from that giant!

Lei Xiaoyu's eyes widened suddenly. This feeling of hers did not seem wrong. After all, the giant had suddenly disappeared. If this was really the case, what happened exactly? The powerful giant had felt like an almighty protector. However, it had now become someone so vulnerable in a lady's arms.

At this point, elder apprentice brother's voice appeared in her head. "Help them." She did not need further explanation to know that elder apprentice brother had sensed that person's aura too.

It was so strange. If there was a chance, she wanted to find out the truth of the matter.

Lei Xiaoyu wore a sharp look as she walked towards the altar. Many cultivators who were initially focused on Cang Zhu turned to Lei Xiaoyu instead and their expressions darkened.

The disciple of the Peach Garden's actions were more nerve-wracking than the strange lady's. What was Lei Xiaoyu planning to do? Was the disciple from the Peach Garden trying to take the opportunity to enter the altar? Did she take everyone for fools?

Hehe, everyone knew about elder apprentice brother's strength and no one dared to provoke him. However, no one cared about Lei Xiaoyu. Besides, someone else would be more enraged by her actions.

"What is the Peach Garden trying to do? Are you preparing to break the alliance?" Ye Xing roared angrily.

The Prince of Heavenly Palace retreated backward as he dodged a punch from the giant. He turned to elder apprentice brother and frowned, confusion and suspicion in his eyes.

As he met the two people's gazes, elder apprentice brother lightly rebutted, "Do you think the altar will open just because my junior sister walked close to it?"

This was a fact that Nether Ye Xing and the Prince of Heavenly Palace both knew. Although the altar appeared ordinary, it carried a terrifying energy. If it didn't, the first person who broke through the silver sea, Nether Ye Xing, would have immediately dashed forward.

Despite his words, Lei Xiaoyu was still a disciple of the Peach Garden. The Spring Master was selfish and short-sighted and he always did extreme things. Who knew if he had made preparations for the trip to the Lost Garden.

Ye Xing yelled, "Before the giant is killed, no one is allowed to get close to the altar. Otherwise, don't blame me for being merciless!" Threatening to kill was an effective method to scare and deter other cultivators. Since Lei Xiaoyu was not first, there was only Cang Zhu and Qin Yu left.

Lei Xiaoyu had a bad feeling from the moment she heard Ye Xing's words. She originally intended to take attention away from the pair, but she did not expect that the other cultivators would make things worse. She ended up placing the pair in a worse spot.

As she observed Ye Xing prepare his blow, Lei Xiaoyu chided herself. She had been lying low for so long. Her actions were wasted and her act was gone.

Right before Lei Xiaoyu was about to reveal herself, Cang Zhu suddenly turned around sharply and threw a punch out. No one had imagined that a girl who carried a half dead man in her arms would attack Nether Ye Xing voluntarily. Anyone who saw this scene would think that she was mad.

However, what happened next completely shattered these thoughts. A deafening sound followed Ye Xing's cries as he was hit continuously. He brought his arms up to block the onslaught of hammer-like blows and he was forced backward.

Bam bam bam! His long robe was unable to withstand the forces and it tore apart constantly. With bulging wide eyes, Ye Xing stared intently at Cang Zhu. Anger and shock filled his heart. He had never imagined that the lady contained such phenomenal strength.

Each blow threatened to break apart his defenses.

Ignoring the many eyes on her, Cang Zhu retracted her arm and continued on forward. A peaceful voice spread out, "I will enter the altar. Anyone who stops me will die a tragic death."

This was probably the most appropriate explanation.

Her voice was calm but insidious and those who heard it felt a bone-chilling fear. Her words seemed resolute and no one dared to stop her. This woman was insane!

No one wanted to provoke a mad woman, much less one who was incredibly powerful.

Enter the altar…if she really could take a few steps closer to the altar… As the disciple from the Peach Garden had said, the altar could not be easily opened. Besides, the other cultivators had plenty of chances to stop her.

Even if the lady was incredibly strong, it would be hard to escape if the entire crowd cornered her. Death would be her outcome! At that point, a few cultivators were secretly praying that Cang Zhu could do what she said. Although they may not be able to take advantage of the situation, they could get rid of a strong enemy early on.

There was only one altar and everyone wanted it. As such, the other cultivators appeared calm but they were secretly eyeing their opponents. If there was a chance, they would not hold back.

Surprise filled Lei Xiaoyu. She had never imagined that Cang Zhu could give such a cold answer. Was she really blind?

The Lost Garden was truly a wondrous place. It was always full of surprises.

As long as this lady was not seeking out death, she would not act rashly with the altar. Then why was she trying to get close to it with a dying man in her arms?

Lei Xiaoyu knew that Cang Zhu was strong. The crowd did not dare to provoke her and this was the key for Cang Zhu to get close to the altar.

At the same time, many were looking forward to Cang Zhu's quest to ascertain the threat of the altar for themselves. She was the first test subject.

The lady and the man in her arms were the first experiment!