The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 647 - 368 Hidden Stream
Immortal Bandits had come not for the first time. They moved forward on their well-trodden path. Along the way, she felt an untold number of scrutinizing gazes; these gazes harbored no hostility, nor any kindness, they did not even hold curiosity, only profound indifference.
The deeper they went into the mountain range, the taller and more entangled the trees became, their branches and leaves woven into an impenetrable canopy above. The light deteriorated accordingly, and although it was supposed to be the brightest at noon, the dense forest was as dim as dusk, making it difficult for ordinary people to even see the grass roots tripping them on the ground. Mists curled between the trees accompanied by the chirping of insects and the singing of birds, truly a typical tropical forest scene.
Fu Yunzhang seemed to have his own way of recognizing direction. After half a ’shi chen’ more, he finally came upon a giant oak tree. The girth of this tree required at least eight or nine people to encircle it, its crown was enormously vast, and a little bit of moss covered the trunk, signifying its venerable and aged appearance. The leaves had turned a dark red in the fall.
Fu Yunzhang took out a palm-sized leaf from his bosom, seemingly clear in its vein lines but metallic in material, shimmering with a dark luster. Without saying much, he stepped forward and pressed the metallic leaf onto the oak tree’s trunk.
A strange occurrence unfolded. That small part of the trunk began to wriggle, and the hard bark became soft, allowing the metallic leaf to sink into the trunk as if submerging into a swamp. After a few breaths, the trunk of the oak tree returned to smoothness, as if nothing had ever happened.
Was this a passage verification? Ning Xiaoxian frowned in thought. Indeed, she soon heard He Lao’s voice transmission in her ear. The old man had followed Fu Yunzhang back and forth to the Bashen Mountain Range multiple times and knew the workings here. "This Ironwood Token distributed by Hidden Stream is our only pass in the Bashen Mountain Range. Without such an item, you wouldn’t even find a way in. To my knowledge, no more than five Ironwood Tokens have been released to the outside world, all distributed to Hidden Stream’s authorized trading partners." His speech carried a hint of hidden pride, as if being recognized by the Demon Sect here as a trading partner was a matter of great acclaim.
"Hidden Stream" refers to the reclusive Demon Sect hiding within the Bashen Mountain Range. This Demon Sect is rather unique, using the vast Stone Forest Gobi in the east as a natural moat, remaining isolated from the world for long periods. By this time, demons and humans had coexisted for tens of thousands of years, and they had learned to maintain a facade of peaceful cohabitation on the surface. Even the weakest Demon Sects possessed at least a county or town-level human settlement in the Southern Continent to enjoy the tributes of Immortal Silver from their territories.
However, demons of Hidden Stream only occupy this deep mountain, not engaging in the worldly pleasures outside. Even for significant matters, they never leave the Bashen Mountain Range for more than a month. Miluo once encountered a Returning to Void Stage demon from Hidden Stream who, after staying in the outside world for more than twenty days, had red-rimmed eyes and adopted the stance of slaughtering gods and Buddhas in its hurried rush back to its stronghold.
If a Human Clan Immortal Sect were so reclusive, it would be understandable since Cultivators of the Dao stress the importance of purity and minimal desire. Yet, it is peculiar for demons to practice such asceticism since demon cultivation merely requires following one’s true nature without restraint in indulgence. That’s why many cities under demon rule are even more prosperous than those under humans — whatever the upper echelons fancy, the lower orders will follow suit, and a strong consumer focus drives production.
Furthermore, Hidden Stream has been in existence for thirty thousand years and, like Fengtian Prefecture, is one of the few oldest demon organizations on this continent.
While she was pondering, movement in front interrupted her thoughts. The old oak tree seemed to have completed its inspection, confirming the token was genuine — this method of verification left no room for fraud. As a result, it twisted hundreds of massive branches, uniformly pointing towards the west.
Was this guidance on which direction to take? Before she could gather her thoughts, a strange wind suddenly blew through the branches of the old oak tree, making a sound like a trombone; deep and rugged. Ning Xiaoxian noticed that as soon as this trombone sound erupted, all other sounds in the vicinity ceased, and the forest was eerily silent.
Changtian grunted discontentedly, "Just a bit of time has passed and they’ve come up with all these mystical nonsense."
Just a "bit" of time? Are you referring to thirty thousand years? She sarcastically thought to herself. Then she heard the creaking noise in the forest, like the sound of breaking branches, spreading from near to far, deep into the woods.
