Chapter 866: Chapter 457: The Desolate Northern Territory Yao Qing, sensing the position of the giant serpent, immediately rushed forward. "Swish!" The longsword traced dazzling trails in the air. The giant serpent seemed to feel Yao Qing’s divine power, its massive body twisting nimbly in the water, avoiding Yao Qing’s attack. Both sides engaged in an intense battle in the river valley... However, being in the river valley, Yao Qing could not exert her power fully. But the serpent was different; this place was like paradise for it. So, even though Yao Qing’s swordsmanship was extremely sharp, and with the help of other Shaking Light practitioners, they couldn’t defeat the serpent in a short time. Thus, the battle reached a stalemate. Dozens of rounds later, it ended in a draw. The serpent seemed to realize how tough Yao Qing and her group were, and it suddenly turned around, its gigantic body disappearing into the dark river, vanishing without a trace. Yao Qing stood by the riverbank, knowing the serpent hadn’t left. It was merely waiting for another chance to attack. Yao Qing looked around, only to see overturned hide rafts floating on the river, and the mountain folk were nowhere to be seen. She was helpless; if this dragged on, everyone might be worn out to death. Even she and the other Shaking Light practitioners might never see daylight again. Thus, they had to find a way to draw out the serpent. Gu Sheng approached Yao Qing and whispered, "Yao Qing, we can’t just passively wait like this. I have an idea, maybe we can draw out the serpent." Yao Qing turned to Gu Sheng, eyes filled with hope, and asked, "What is your plan?" Gu Sheng continued, "Set up a barrier and let someone quickly lead the mountain folk away. If the serpent appears, we immediately defend, and after everyone leaves, the ones left behind will retreat." "This..." Yao Qing knew that those who stayed behind had to be practitioners from the Shaking Light Sacred Land. In that case, there was a significant chance they might perish here. "Splash!" The sound of water came, as several mountain folk were dragged into the dark river, silenced. Yao Qing was helpless; if a decision wasn’t made soon, the consequences would be unimaginable. "All right, Gu Sheng, Xiao Long, Gu Sheng, you two lead the group. The dark river’s exit is just twenty miles ahead, the other Shaking Light disciples stay with me!" Yao Qing commanded. "Me?" Suddenly, a young practitioner stepped out. Gu Sheng observed he was about the same age as himself but still in the early stage of the Divine Bridge Realm. If he stayed, he could only become a burden. "Yes, that’s an order!" Yao Qing nodded. "Okay." Xiao Long responded and, along with Gu Sheng, prepared to lead hundreds of mountain folk into action. Meanwhile, Yao Qing and the other Shaking Light Sacred Land practitioners mustered their divine power, setting up a barrier in the dark river. "Hurry and go!" Yao Qing ordered. Immediately, Xiao Long and Gu Sheng, leading the remaining hundreds of mountain folk, headed forward. "Boom boom boom!" "Splash splash splash!" Suddenly, the newly set-up barrier was violently hit. The dark river’s waters, stirred by the powerful turbulence, crashed against the riverbank. "Everyone, put in your utmost effort!" Yao Qing shouted. Thus, the remaining dozen Shaking Light Sacred Land practitioners exerted all their strength, enduring the pressure of the barrier, allowing Gu Sheng and Xiao Long to lead the remaining mountain folk forward. After an unknown period, Gu Sheng suddenly saw a glimmer ahead. "Look! The exit is ahead!" Gu Sheng shouted. Simultaneously, the other mountain folk cheered along with him. Thus, Gu Sheng and Xiao Long led the group out of the dark river, successfully reaching the Northern Territory. Once here, Gu Sheng felt the situation was starkly different from the Southern Domain. Gu Sheng stood on the plains of the Northern Territory, looking around. All he saw was desolation, lifelessness. The sight sharply contrasted with the blooming prosperity of the Southern Domain. There were no vibrant flowers, grasses, or trees, only cold, lifeless stones. They seemed like abandoned pieces on a chessboard, scattered across this vast land. "This... It’s too desolate here, isn’t it?" Gu Sheng couldn’t help but exclaim. At that moment, Yao Qing and the other Shaking Light practitioners also emerged from the dark river. Their clothes still bore the dampness of the dark river, their expressions somewhat grim. "Sister Yao Qing, you made it?" Seeing them, Xiao Long hastened forward to greet. Yao Qing nodded slightly, "How are you guys?" "We’re fine; everything went smoothly." Xiao Long replied. At this moment, Gu Sheng noticed Yao Qing’s face looked a bit off, so he stepped forward to ask, "Did something happen?" "Ah..." Yao Qing sighed, "Several fellow disciples will forever remain in the dark river." Hearing this, Gu Sheng nodded slightly, "If only we could use the domain gate to enter the Northern Territory. That dark river was too dangerous." "No choice; there are too many people, we had to do it this way." Yao Qing shrugged helplessly. Seeing Yao Qing’s mood slightly calm down, Gu Sheng pointed ahead and asked, "Yao Qing, why is the Northern Territory like this? It feels completely different from the Southern Domain, like we’ve arrived on Mars." "Hmm? Mars? What’s Mars?" Yao Qing looked utterly bewildered. Gu Sheng realized he had slipped and mentioned something from his previous world knowledge. "No... nothing, just feels too desolate here." Yao Qing nodded, "The Northern Territory is a barren land, also a place of mineral resources. It’s not as prosperous as the Southern Domain but contains rich resources. It’s for this reason that the Northern Territory is a place many powerful figures vie for." After hearing this, Gu Sheng couldn’t help but feel a bit disheartened. He originally thought the Northern Territory would be an untamed fertile ground, only to find it such a desolate place.