1413 Red Garden of Death

Upon arriving at the Mocking Mountain Range, Yuan approached the area the unknown entity roamed to see if it had left any clues about its identity behind. Even though he wasn't particularly interested in the entity itself, he had a weird feeling when he saw it, almost as if he was connected to it in some ways.

However, he found no clues left behind—not even a footstep, which was weird, considering its large size.

Suddenly, a voice resounded inside his head, "My liege, I, your loyal servant, Dong Ye, have arrived at the Fourth Heaven."

"Can you hear me from your place?" Yuan spoke out loud.

"Yes, I can hear you loud and clear."

"Do you know my location as well?"

"Yes, I can sense your presence within the Vanishing Journey. However, I am unable to pinpoint your precise location."

"While I am away, I'd like you to watch over my friends at the Cultivators' Haven."

"Naturally."

"Also, I have a question. There is this large entity within the Vanishing Valley that is covered in black fog—the same black fog that permeates the place. Do you know anything about it?" Yuan asked.

"Black fog… do you mean the Black Death? That is the second most dangerous entity within the Vanishing Valley, right behind the spirit. Although it doesn't appear to be aggressive, it wanders around the Vanishing Valley, killing everything it touches. Rumors say the Black Death is currently searching for something."

"Do you know what this 'something' is?"

"Those who have encountered the Black Death have said to heard its voice, and it would always utter the same words, being 'fragment' and 'outer god'."

"Fragment? Outer god?" Yuan repeated these twos in a low voice to see if it would trigger any memories, but alas, nothing came up.

"Why do you ask, my liege? Do you recognize the Black Death?" Dong Ye suddenly asked.

"No, but I sensed a subtle connection with it," he admitted.

"A connection, huh? Even if it's vague, you shouldn't ignore it, my liege, as it could have something to do with your previous incarnations."

Yuan nodded, "I am aware, but there are no clues, and I do not want to risk my life finding out. I'll see what happens after I visit the Shadow Realm."

Their conversation ended there and Yuan continued his journey within the Vanishing Valley.

"Xiao Hua, do the words 'fragment' and 'outer god' mean anything to you?" Yuan asked her as they made their way to the Red Garden of Death.

Xiao Hua closed her eyes to ponder seriously.

"Outer god… I think I have heard my father uttering such words before, but these memories are vague." Xiao Hua said a moment later.

"I see… I guess we have another reason to visit the Primordial Realm now," Yuan smiled.

Several days later, they arrived at the Red Garden of Death, and as its name suggests, it was a field of red flowers—more specifically, spider lilies. Additionally, there were countless skeletons scattered around and within the field, giving it a chilling atmosphere.

"Red Garden of Death… It is said that magical beasts dwelling within the Vanishing Valley, sensing the approach of their demise, are drawn instinctively to this place to breathe their final breath. Nobody knows the reason for this phenomenon, either."

Upon closer examination, one would discern human skeletons interspersed amidst the sea of bones within the garden.

Yuan and Xiao Hua lingered for a few minutes to admire the beautiful yet eerie scenery.

Just as they prepared to leave, they noticed a presence slowly approaching them from a distance.

Yuan immediately retrieved his weapon to confront the incoming presence. However, he lowered his weapon when he saw the entity.

It was a magical beast, its form marred by grievous wounds, its internal organs exposed, hanging from its body amidst the numerous injuries it endured.

The magical beast walked into the Red Garden of Death with rigid movement until it could no longer lift a leg, collapsing in the middle of the garden.

Once it took its last breath, the magical beast closed its eyes.

Then, the spider lilies within the Red Garden of Death abruptly began exuding a crimson-hued gas that enshrouded the field.

Seeing this, Yuan and Xiao Hua quickly ascended higher into the air, not daring to touch this unknown gas.

Their actions were promptly validated as the corpse of the magical beast began to dissolve, gradually diminishing until only its bones remained.

After the Red Garden of Death absorbed the magical beast's corpse, a single spider lily sprouted at the edge of the field.

There were tens of millions of spider lilies in the Red Garden of Death. If each of them represented a corpse the garden absorbed, that meant tens of millions of entities took their last breath in this place.

"Let's head to our next destination—the Vanishing Pond," Yuan said a moment later.

"Un." Xiao Hua nodded.

"Fragment… of… outer god…"

A hoarse and chilling voice suddenly resounded, causing Yuan and Xiao Hua to turn around.

To their surprise, the Black Death had appeared behind them like a ghost without any warning.

It was still several miles behind them, but it was close enough to send shivers down their spines.

Seeing this, Yuan wrapped his arm around Xiao Hua's small waist and ran with Vermillion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens, escaping towards the direction of the Vanishing Pond as though their lives depended on it.

'That was dangerous! I couldn't sense its presence even though it was so close to us!' Yuan cried inwardly.

If the Black Death hadn't spoken, it could've sneaked up on them with ease.

The realization of potentially perishing without even discerning it brought home the gravity of his predicament within the Vanishing Valley. He had underestimated the dangers of this place due to the relatively smooth progress thus far. However, his close encounter with the Black Death had opened his eyes to the true perils lurking within.

In the blink of an eye, Yuan traveled hundreds of miles, not daring to stop until they were tens of thousands of miles away from the Red Garden of Death.