Chapter 201: 5,000 Years
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Su Zimo turned back to look at the pitch black cave behind him with a rattled expression.
After freezing momentarily, he turned to look at the spirit monkey subconsciously.
After all, he had not been back for two years – the spirit monkey should know best as to what was inside the cave.
Unexpectedly, the spirit monkey shook its head in confusion upon meeting with Su Zimo’s eyes.
“Under… cold lake, enter… cave.”
Suddenly, Su Zimo heard an unfamiliar voice. It was extremely weak and intermittent.
The voice appeared abruptly, as if it echoed out in Su Zimo’s mind!
Was there someone within the cave?
Was he under the cold lake?
Was this some sort of trick?
Su Zimo composed himself and looked at the spirit monkey.
It did not realize anything was amiss.
This meant that… Su Zimo was the only one who heard that voice!
Su Zimo had no idea what the other party’s ident.i.ty and motives were. He could not help but feel a little uneasy.
However, on second thought, he would have died in the hands of the alpha if not for this person.
The worst case scenario would be to just die once more.
Su Zimo pondered for a moment and did not tell the spirit monkey about this.
If the spirit monkey did not hear the voice of the mystery man, there was only a single possibility – the latter did not want the spirit monkey to know about it.
Furthermore, Su Zimo did not know what dangers lurked beneath the cold lake and he did not want the spirit monkey to take the risk.
“Monkey, wait for me here. I’ll go take a look inside,” Su Zimo endured the immense pain and struggled to stand up.
“Ow, ow!”
The spirit monkey shouted a few times, supporting Su Zimo with one hand and gesturing with the other, implying that it wanted to go in together.
“Wait for me outside. I’ll be right back, don’t worry.”
Su Zimo said again and slowly walked towards the cave.
Once inside, Su Zimo frowned as a pungent and familiar aura lunged at him.
It was that d.a.m.n monkey’s s.h.i.+t.
There were not many changes within the cave. Su Zimo looked around and walked straight to the cold lake.
A white fog covered the surface of the water with a cold and chilling intent.
Without hesitation, Su Zimo took a deep breath and jumped in.
Because he was wearing the Mystic Gold Silk Armor, Su Zimo sank extremely quickly.
Two years ago, he had just cultivated the Tendons Transformation section. By the time he was halfway through, his blood was already showing signs of freezing up.
Now, as he sank down, Su Zimo’s blood churned furiously like a tsunami filled with life – it was endlessly fighting against the cold.
In the blink of an eye, Su Zimo’s feet touched ground and he arrived at the bottom of the cold lake.
In front of him, there was a huge rock and he could clearly see the four words on it.
Extreme Fire Dao Residence!
Su Zimo’s heart skipped a beat and he choked on a mouthful of cold water.
His abdomen moved and in an instant, a chill exploded, causing his body to shudder slightly.
The words ‘Dao Residence’ were not something just anybody could use.
Golden Cores were Perfected Beings, Nascent Souls were Perfected Lords. Void Reversion came above Nascent Soul and only those cultivators could be referred to as Dao Beings!
There was a high chance the owner of this Dao Residence was a Void Reversion Dao Being!
Void Reversion Dao Being… Su Zimo was too far away from that.
It was said that even Ethereal Peak’s sect master was merely at Nascent Soul realm and had not reached Void Reversion.
Su Zimo calmed himself and took a few steps forward to get closer.
Beneath the huge rock was a stone door.
Hesitating for a moment, Su Zimo pushed the stone door with both hands.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Two doors opened from the middle and an ancient rotting aura surged in.
Gritting his teeth, Su Zimo entered the Dao Residence.
The water of the cold lake seemed to be blocked outside by an invisible as the doors slowly closed.
Upon entering the Dao Residence, Su Zimo’s mouth opened agape as he stood rooted to the ground.
Unexpectedly, the Dao Residence was surprisingly cramped and could be seen in its entirety with a single glance – it was even smaller than Su Zimo’s cave abode back in Ethereal Peak.
The Dao Residence did not have much decorations. Opposite Su Zimo, there was a stone bed and a man in scarlet robes with a large tripod emblem on its sleeves laid there.
Su Zimo had never seen that emblem before.
The man revealed a side profile and looked no older than a middle-aged man. However, his face was black with a sinister tinge of green.
Laying flat on the stone bed along with that greenish black complexion, the man looked horrifying, like a corpse that had been placed there for many years!
“You… don’t have to be afraid. I don’t have much life left, I won’t hurt you.”
Even though the scarlet robed man’s lips did not move, the voice from earlier rang in Su Zimo’s mind.
“I’m using my spirit consciousness… to communicate with you. The death of the alpha earlier on was also through my spirit consciousness.”
Spirit consciousness!
It was said that once a Golden Core entered the Nascent Soul realm, they would be able to unlock a sea of wisdom and possess spirit consciousness.
Spirit consciousness was another form of energy that was far more terrifying than one’s vision. It could probe everywhere, detecting the most secluded corners.
In the face of spirit consciousness, the Golden Core alpha was akin to a small ant and was destroyed in an instant!
Su Zimo asked, “Senior, how may I address you?”
“Extreme Fire… Dao Lord!”
Even though the voice of the spirit consciousness was extremely weak, it boomed in Su Zimo’s mind like a thunderbolt!
Dao Lord!
In the cultivation world, there were corresponding t.i.tles for every cultivation realm. It was a symbol of one’s ident.i.ty, status and strength and must not be used without reason.
Su Zimo merely knew that Dao Beings were at the Void Reversion realm.
However, he had never heard of what realms Dao Lords were at.
Logically speaking, the realm of a Dao Lord should be even above Void Reversion!
“Thank you for saving me, Senior Extreme Fire. May I know how I can help you?”
Su Zimo asked after a long silence.
At that moment, he was uncertain as well.
If it was as Dao Lord Extreme Fire had mentioned that he did not have much life left, what help could a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Su Zimo provide?
“5,000 years ago, I… broke into a ruin. In a moment of carelessness, I was… injured by the beings within and poisoned deeply. I then shattered… a Major Transference Talisman to escape death and was teleported here.”
The Dao Lord Extreme Fire’s voice was intermittent, but Su Zimo was completely dumbfounded.
5,000 years ago!
The life span of the Golden Core was at most 500 years.
However, the middle-aged man in front of him was from 5,000 years ago and he was still alive!
What was even more frightening was that there were beings in that unknown ruin that could injure Dao Lord Extreme Fire!
What sort of a poison was it such that even a Dao Lord could not withstand it?
As for the Major Transference Talisman, Su Zimo had never even heard of it before.
“I opened up… this place, but the poison has already infiltrated my entire body and I’m unable to leave. If my essence spirit is sent forth, it will be tainted with the poison as well and will not last more than an hour.”
“I had no choice but to use my spirit consciousness to resist the poison’s corrosion. 5,000 years… I can’t hold on for much longer.”
Dao Lord Extreme Fire’s voice was filled with some regret, indignance and even a hint of relief.
Su Zimo looked at Dao Lord Extreme Fire with shock in his eyes as a storm brewed in his heart!
In this cramped Dao Residence without daylight and almost devoid of freedom, Dao Lord Extreme Fire had resisted the poison in his body for an entire 5,000 years all alone!
How powerful was his determination to be able to do that?