The Portal of Wonderland

“If that’s the case, it’s best that you leave Cerulean Sea Star immediately. Although you possess Earth-ranked strength, your body is somewhat similar to us demons. Even I can smell the stench from you. In any case, you should be able to bear the burden of the Star Field Transmission Array,” The Azure Ape King said.

“Star Field Transmission Array?” Shi Mu was puzzled.

“It is a very large array that connects different planets. The distance between the planets is way too far and full of unexpected crises. Therefore, the transmission array is necessary to travel between stars. However, the power of the transmission space is very strong. Without special protection, only the Heaven-ranked and Spirit-Garden Magicians with a strong physical body would not be torn apart during the transmission. Furthermore, every transfer would require the consumption of a rare space ore called astrology.”

Shi Mu’s expression didn’t show much change, but he was still shocked speechless.

“These things are not a secret. Some of the older sects have passed the knowledge down. Sect Fellow Shi, do you know where they came from? With your level of strength, no one ever told you about this?” the Azure Ape King asked curiously.

“It’s not important if I’ve heard it before or not. After all, on this planet, for one to achieve Heaven rank is very rare. Spirit-Garden Magicians are unheard of.”

Shi Mu had left the Black Demon Sect not long ago and had not joined any other force since. Back then if he had not faced any difficulties, he would have joined the Heavenly Demon Sect by now.

But obviously, he would not talk about it.

“Hehe… The Heaven rank does exist in the Cerulean Sea Star. Once in a while, there are periods when they’re more common. The ancestors said that there are stronger people in the Cerulean Sea, and a Heaven-ranked individual is actually nothing special.” the Azure Ape King said as he shook his head.

Shi Mu heard the words and suddenly thought of the day he was at the Transcending Heaven Immortal Cult. He had witnessed the existence of strength beyond the heavenly position. They are known as Immortals.

“Since the predecessors are willing to share these things, then it would no longer be concealed. It’s fortunate that I’ve been given the chance to inherit the knowledge of the Azure Ape’s predecessors. With such knowledge, it would be easier to cultivate the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art,” Shi Mu said as he thought about it.

Upon hearing Shi Mu’s words, the Azure Ape King’s eyes opened wide and his bluish-green pupils lit up. His wide lips involuntarily opened backward, cracking into a smile as his joy was too overwhelming to hide.

“However, you’ve come to me regarding these things… Was it to unintentionally remind me that I’m in danger and I need to escape immediately? Tell me, what is your real intention? Let’s talk openly and honestly,” Shi Mu insisted.

When the Azure Ape King heard Shi Mu’s offer, the look he initially had on his face suddenly disappeared and his white brows, which already appeared old, looked even more exhausted.

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t think I have much time,” he looked up and sighed.

Shi Mu’s eyebrows arched a little and in surprise but he could see the distrust.

Seeing the look on Shi Mu’s face, the Azure Ape King gave in and explained.

“You saw it that day. That thief Huang Long stole the treasures of the Azure Ape’s ancestors that had been hidden for nearly three hundred years. Not only did he use the devil to restrain my soul but also the Dragon-subduing Pillars to trap me. He used many methods to torture me. He even used techniques to produce poisons and feed them to me.”

As he said that, the color on the Azure Ape King’s face faded and turned pale as if he was recalling a painful past that he’d rather forget. After a long while, he continued his explanation.

“A hundred years ago, that thief Huang Long created a strange kind of poison known as the Peeling Bones. It has the slow effect of peeling off one’s spirit and bones. Every ten years, he would feed it to me to experience the pain, and then gave me an antidote. It was like a never-ending process of death.”

“In the past three hundred years, my body has gradually passed away. In order to get rid of the difficulties, I burst into bloody flesh. Now there are not many Yuan Yang left, I’m afraid it will be difficult to support it for a long time.”

Speaking of this, the old ape suddenly showed a fierce demeanor and said, “If this wretched thief could regain vitality, I would’ve ripped his skin off, crossed his bones and leave it to rot. He would never be reborn!”

“I have no knowledge or interest in the grudge between predecessor and Huang Long. I just want to know what it has to do with me,” Shi Mu said as he looked unflinchingly at the Azure Ape King.

“The reason why I’ve told you all this is because only you can save my life,” The Azure Ape King said angrily.

“Save you? How?” Shi Mu asked, slightly surprised.

“As long as you are willing to pass on the excess of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art to me, I can be saved!” the Azure Ape King said eagerly as his eyes widened.

“What?” Shi Mu was shocked.

“You must be surprised, but listen to my explanation,” The Azure Ape King spoke slowly.

“I learned from the ancestors of the Azure Ape about the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art. It possesses the supreme magic of the great creation of the heavens and earth. After successfully mastering it, with the heavens and earth, the sun and moon, and the power of the world itself, it can potentially destroy the earth. This is something I can imagine myself accomplishing,” the Azure Ape King said.

“It is not under the cold water of the predecessors but based on what I know, if one is to cultivate this technique, they must have the blood essence of a beast. If you don’t have it and still try to cultivate the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art, you’d be seeking your own death,” Shi Mu responded.

“When the ancestors were ravaging in the Cerulean Sea Star, I was one of the sacred ancestors. As the most trusted among them, I served and contributed in the best way I could. And for that, I was given a drop of the blood essence of my ancestors. With the blood essence, I the Azure Ape King now rank among the top three demons!”

When Shi Mu wanted to cut in and speak, the Azure Ape King quickly added, “I am still here without a problem. I only hope that with the first phase of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art, I would be able to extend my lifeline. I don’t expect anything else.”

Shi Mu heard the words and secretly sighed. He knew that he wanted to cultivate the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art with the thin blood veins passed down from generation to generation. The possibility of success might be minimal. It was definitely not easy to obtain.

“The Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art may be able to save your life but how would it benefit me? Why should I help you?” Shi Mu asked.

“As long as you are willing to pass the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art to me, I will take you and leave the Cerulean Sea Star to another planet to avoid being hunted down by the ancestors of the Azure Ape.”

Seeing Shi Mu hesitate, the Azure Ape King continued.

“The arrangement of the Star Field Transmission Array has long been lost. Today, there are only three Star Field Transmission Arrays on the entire Cerulean Sea Star. Two of them are located in the Western He and Dongzhou continents. They are owned by the demon tribes, but both have been taken by the Transcending Heaven Immortal Cult now.”

“What about the third one?” Shi Mu asked.

“This third one is naturally owned by the Sea Race. This king has some origins with the high-level Sea Race but they can take you to the transmission array. You don’t have to worry about it.”

After listening to the Azure Ape King, Shi Mu believed him but still had doubts he had to consider.

The Azure Ape King did not speak. He watched over Shi Mu quietly, waiting for him to make a decision.

“This matter is different so can you let me think about it? I’ll get back to you as soon as I can,” Shi Mu finally said after a long while of silence.

“This is not a trivial matter. It is normal for Sect Fellow Shi to think about it. I am more than willing to cooperate with the right person. Oh, I almost forgot! Based on the situation we just talked about, it seems that your first phrase of cultivating the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art isn’t going so well,” the Azure Ape King said while nodding his head.

“Yes,” Shi Mu admitted without a single thought of hiding it.

“Excuse me for saying this so bluntly. Although the Nine Resolution Mysterious Art is difficult to cultivate, every turn of it would require strong heaven and earth connection for support. If it is always as poor as the Cerulean Sea Star, then you’re in a tough spot.”

Before Shi Mu even had the time to be surprised, the Azure Ape King did not wait and said, “On the other hand, the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art requires a huge amount of resources to cultivate. It’s not even about spending money anymore because, in the later stage, it is often difficult to support the completion of the art.”

What the Azure Ape King said was more than obvious.

Although Shi Mu only believed half of the things that the Azure Ape King was telling him, he could not help but wonder…

“I have written down what you’ve said. I must say that it’s not a trivial matter to leave the Cerulean Sea Star at the moment. I’ll need some time to think about it,” Shi Mu finally said after a long time.

“No problem at all. You still have a year to consider it. According to the legacy that had been passed down by the ancestors, after you open the raft, it would take about a year for the enemy to arrive on Cerulean Sea Star. There would be enough time for us to leave by then,” the Azure Ape King said.

“Only one year…” Shi Mu silently muttered.

“This year would have been the safest period to escape. But in a thousand years, who knows what could happen…” The Azure Ape King said.