Chapter 50: Are you trying to die faster ?
Unlike the other continents, the Eastern Continent offered mortals unique opportunities to increase their power, beyond mere family lineage. Although, just like the gods of other continents, the immortal families here were not only more powerful but also possessed artifacts and elixirs accumulated over centuries. This is why humans had gathered into a vast coalition: the Immortal Clan. This organization brought together sects, families, the merchant guild, the alchemist brotherhood, and hundreds of other groups, united to face the overwhelming forces of the ancestral families. They were represented by the Council, which ensured the balance was maintained.
Thus, destroying an insignificant sect was akin to incurring the wrath of the alchemists, the merchant guild, and many others. Problems that even the most arrogant families preferred to avoid.
In this ruthless world where the strong prey on the weak, humans had learned to evolve through cultivation, creating breathing methods and, above all, techniques. There were techniques of Earthly, Celestial, Divine, and Primordial ranks. They seized every opportunity to survive and enhance their abilities.
And it was in the Eternal Ruins, one of these opportunities, that Yaochuan stood, his gaze determined. He was in the heart of a dense forest, where the gigantic trees seemed to whisper ancient secrets. The shadows moved on their own, as if animated by a will of their own. He was in the Whispering Forest, an area infested with spectral monsters that attacked the mind more than the body.
But nothing could hold him back. From a declining family, his only chance of survival was to join the Immortal Clan. Unfortunately, they did not accept outcasts. Yaochuan had therefore entered the Eternal Ruins, determined to make a name for himself. It was crucial. But...
"My little sister paid the price..." he muttered, his teeth clenched. He looked at her, his heart heavy. Meili lay beside him, struck full force in the chest. Her face was pale, and sweat beaded on her forehead. Her breathing was weak, almost imperceptible.
"Damn! Don’t worry, Meili, I’ll protect you."
Yaochuan scanned the surroundings, his erratic eyes desperately searching for where the next attack might come from. The darkness seemed to thicken around them, and his sweaty hands gripped his weapon tightly. Every breath, every rustle of leaves made him flinch. He knew danger lurked in the shadows, ready to strike.
The whispers, those incessant murmurs, had transformed into a dull, almost suffocating hum.