In the Fengjian Gorge, besides the incessant strong winds that blew without stopping at every moment, there was also a giant cyan stone tablet erected outside the gorge, adding a touch of mystery.
The vast Fengjian Gorge was, in itself, a natural wind tunnel.
Because it was surrounded by giant mountains on both sides and situated at the convergence of mountain ranges, strong winds constantly blew through it, and not just ordinary strong winds.
According to the depiction on the map, Wu Tao was almost certain that the secrets of the Heavenly Cloud Continent were hidden within this Fengjian Gorge.
...
Its unique terrain made it a massive wind tunnel.
...
Furthermore, this Fengjian Gorge itself had a large spiritual脉 running beneath it.
It was precisely because of this that the fierce winds blowing out from this wind tunnel contained dense spiritual energy.
This also made the Fengjian Gorge a dangerous place for cultivators!
The ferocious winds, laden with abundant spiritual power, made it impossible for ordinary cultivators to get close.
Cultivators at the Qi Refining stage, even if they used several talismans to construct spiritual energy shields for protection, would find themselves breathless against the wind pressure.
The wind force alone, gushing from the entrance of Fengjian Gorge, was enough to make cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage retreat.
When mortals describe strong winds, they often use the phrase "the strong wind is like swords against the body."
However, the raging winds of Fengjian Gorge were nothing compared to mortal swords.
Outside the entrance of Fengjian Gorge, there was once a kind, powerful cultivator who erected a stone tablet.
"Those below the Core Formation stage are not permitted to enter."
It wasn't that there were any restrictions within Fengjian Gorge, but rather that cultivators below the Core Formation stage, even with wind-resistant treasures, could not travel in the gorge for an extended period.
Many cultivators ignored the warning and ultimately died under the raging winds, leaving no trace behind.
The two giant mountain ranges pierced the sky, like two rows of giant teeth, with the mountain pass in between being the gap where the colossal teeth parted.
Standing at the mouth of the wind tunnel, the oncoming gale induced fear because it was simply too vast and too strong.
Wu Tao could clearly sense the pure spiritual energy contained within the oncoming gale.
These fierce winds could easily tear ordinary cultivators to shreds in an instant.
"Tear... tear... tear..."
In the fiercely windy environment, Wu Tao walked step by step towards the depths of Fengjian Gorge.
The deep cyan winds howled, and the further he went, the greater the wind pressure became.
The spiritual energy shield protecting Wu Tao's body began to creak, clearly on the verge of shattering.
Hundreds and thousands, an endless stream of wind blades flashing with cold light, swept towards Wu Tao from the wind tunnel.
Once the spiritual energy within Wu Tao's body was depleted, he would instantly experience what it meant to be cut into a thousand pieces.
After walking for about two to three hours, Wu Tao had reached the deepest part of the wind's eye.
With his late Nascent Soul stage cultivation and a physical body comparable to those who practiced both martial and spiritual arts, he still felt a dizzying, flesh-tearing pain.
What terrifying winds these were, truly destructive in nature.
He was now almost certain that without specialized top-tier treasures for wind manipulation, any cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage who came here would surely die, without exception.
Soon, three to four days passed.
The vastness of Fengjian Gorge and the length of the gorge far exceeded Wu Tao's expectations.
This made Wu Tao somewhat regret not preparing some wind-resistant treasures in advance.
Half a month later, after enduring countless hardships, Wu Tao finally reached the core of Fengjian Gorge.
There stood a colossal palace constructed entirely from Wind-Resistant Stone.
Wind-Resistant Stone was a rare mineral in the cultivation world. It could resist the erosion of wind and sand and was an excellent material for refining wind-resistant treasures.
However, the owner of this palace was truly extravagant, willing to use so much Wind-Resistant Stone to build it.
Yet, Wind-Resistant Stone was exceptionally sturdy, and the main gate, fashioned entirely from it, was impervious to magical artifacts!
Moreover, Wu Tao did not have the key.
Wu Tao furrowed his brows slightly, and brilliant golden sword qi erupted, bringing light to the dim palace.
Instantly, Wu Tao's spirit, energy, and essence reached their peak, and a powerful aura exploded forth.
The Chuxi Sword suddenly appeared, its hum resonating inside and outside the palace, as if it would shake the ancient structure to its foundations.
It was evident that Wu Tao had raised his cultivation and aura to their zenith, poised to unleash a world-shattering, unparalleled attack!
And Wu Tao was indeed preparing to unleash a full-force strike at that moment.
Upon seeing the gate constructed entirely of Wind-Resistant Stone, he knew that breaking it would be a considerable challenge.
There were essentially two methods:
One was to shatter it instantly with absolute power.
The second was to slowly erode it piece by piece through painstaking effort.
Wu Tao, of course, chose the former; the latter would take too long, and he didn't have much time to waste on this infernal gate.
Then, Wu Tao took a deep breath, gathered his energy, and the Chuxi Sword in his hand flashed with a sword light potent enough to pierce through eternity!
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!!"
In an instant, drawing upon all his spiritual energy, the Chuxi Sword unleashed its ultimate power.
Endless golden-yellow sword qi poured from the tip of the Chuxi Sword, accompanied by rolling sword light, as it lunged forward.
Wind-Resistant Stone was indeed incredibly sturdy, but its primary characteristic was its resistance to wind attributes, not physical attacks.
Wu Tao's sword speed was astonishingly fast. The sky-splitting sword qi flashed and reappeared, striking the gate.
At this moment, the gate, forged entirely from Wind-Resistant Stone, was surrounded by sword qi and sword light.
Dense, infinite sword light and qi circulated and layered upon each other.
However, even with such a terrifying attack, it only left dozens of shallow cracks, each about a foot long, on the gate.
The expression on his face became considerably more serious.
If anyone else were present, they would have noticed Wu Tao's brows knitting into a "川" shape.
"This damned gate is truly hard!"
He had initially believed his full-force attack would shatter the gate, but to his surprise, it still wasn't enough.
He summoned the power of time within his body, combined it with his Buddha's blood and his own spiritual energy, and the three forces together unleashed a more rapid, stronger, and fiercer destructive sword qi!
"Boom!"
The unparalleled sword qi, mixed with the power of time and Buddha's energy, moved instantly.
This time, the earth-shattering sword qi seemed to possess life and soul, manifesting an illusion of splitting the heavens and cleaving the earth.
To sever the heavens, to separate the mortal and immortal realms, to leave nothingness with a single strike – this was precisely it.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"
After a series of vibrating sounds, the vast sword qi suddenly exploded, presenting a spectacular scene of world-ending destruction.
About the time it took for an incense stick to burn, this astounding strike, like a shooting star, flashed with a moment of brilliance before immediately fading into silence.
From the beginning of this sword strike, which could rival the fundamental essence of the Great Dao of the Sword, to its end, only a few breaths of time had passed.
After those few breaths, the previously dazzlingly bright palace returned to darkness.
"It's done!"
Looking at the now empty space where the gate had vanished, Wu Tao couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and sheathe the Chuxi Sword.
Having broken through the gate, Wu Tao continued onward.
As a result, Wu Tao didn't know what mechanism he had triggered during this process...
With a "bang," a dozen emerald-green gemstones along the palace corridor shattered.
Then, clumps of dark green mist spread out, hazy and ethereal, like a spectral illusion.
Five-colored poisonous gas was not necessarily the most terrifying; dark green mist might be even more insurmountable.
At least, Wu Tao felt a chill run down his spine at this moment.
A sense of extreme unease surged within him, and his instincts screamed a frantic warning.
All these abnormalities attested to the terrifying nature of this dark green mist.
"What is this?"
As this question flashed through Wu Tao's mind, a voice echoed in his sea of consciousness: "Heh heh, it's fortunate you brought me along this time, otherwise you would have definitely suffered a great loss, and if you were unlucky, you might have even lost your life."
Upon hearing this, Wu Tao frowned and asked impatiently, "Do you know what this damned poisonous gas is? Hurry up and tell me..."
...
Hearing Wu Tao's words, You Meng, who was hidden in his sea of consciousness, immediately bristled.
With You Meng's small, fiery temper, how could she tolerate Wu Tao's words?
With a "whoosh," You Meng burrowed out of his sea of consciousness.
As soon as she emerged, You Meng formed a hand seal and let out a sharp cry.
A soft yet dense light-purple mist flickered into existence out of thin air, rapidly condensing into a unique shape in the void.
With a dreamlike vortex, it circled Wu Tao three times, directly binding him.
Afterward, You Meng brandished her small fists and landed several solid blows on Wu Tao's face.
Bound, Wu Tao looked at You Meng with a throbbing head.
Frankly speaking, his companion, regardless of her figure, her face, or her knowledge, was impeccable. It was just her temperament that was a complete disaster...
Although You Meng had thrown her punches with all her might, her fists carried no spiritual energy...
Given Wu Tao's physical strength, it was akin to a tickle.
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