Chapter 169 (2)
Chapter 169 (2)
Plop.
A stone splashed into the abyss pool, creating small waves. Upon hearing the sound of the water, a pair of fiery eyes nearby suddenly opened.
As the spirit liquid continued to refine, Dongfang Minghui's fear subsided. When she poured the three bottles of spirit liquid onto the dead tree, a hint of green appeared at the root of the tree. However, the green flash quickly vanished, not permeating the barren land.
The dead tree shook twice, seemingly expressing its happiness.
"It seems to be responding to you," said Mo Ce. Despite his lack of insight, he could still observe her interaction with the dead tree.
"No way, Mo Ce, you're mistaken," Dongfang Minghui replied, feeling much better and lying with ease.
As darkness fell and the sky transformed into a bright, starry expanse, Qian Wanyu awoke from her practice. She stared at Dongfang Minghui with intense eyes. Mo Ce clenched his sword, his expression serious. Everyone seemed extremely nervous.
The three of them appeared to be facing an enemy, their spirits more focused than during the day.
Her black and white eyes moved rapidly, glancing here and there. She didn't feel sleepy at all, but after staring for an extended period, she grew tired. She leaned against the dead tree and murmured, "Seventh sister, I think I'm going to sleep."
"Sleeping?!"
Little Color was furious in the sea of souls.
Dongfang Minghui's final thought was, "Mom, I don't want to sleep either, but I'm so sleepy ( o )~zZ."
Seeing that the Ninth Sister slowly closed her eyes and began to breathe steadily, Qian Wanyu and Mo Ce stood up in silent agreement. They glanced at one another, gripping their weapons tightly.
After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, Dongfang Minghui suddenly opened her eyes. Her black and white eyes had transformed into jet-black pupils, darker than the abyss, causing onlookers to shudder.
"Don't look into her eyes," Qian Wanyu kindly warned. The last time she had met Dongfang Minghui's gaze, she felt a disturbance in her sea of souls. If it hadn't been for Qingmo awakening her, the consequences could have been dire.
Dongfang Minghui rose and paced around, seemingly searching for something. Qian Wanyu and Mo Ce stood in a corner, observing her as she circled. A seemingly empty and transparent staircase appeared before their eyes once more.
"This is it," Mo Ce recalled the events of the previous night.
Qian Wanyu used the moonstone and noticed that the stairs disappeared about ten meters into the abyss. It was likely that the light could only illuminate a limited area. She watched as Dongfang Minghui approached the empty stairs with a blank expression, as though it were a path.
As Qian Wanyu observed her stepping towards the void, she readied the lightning whip in her hand, prepared to rescue someone if necessary.
Fortunately, when Dongfang Minghui stepped forward lightly, a force supported her. Relieved, Qian Wanyu let out a deep breath and said, "Go quickly."
"It's definitely Sleepy Dragon Valley."
Qian Wanyu and Mo Ce followed quickly, and the steps displayed a rotating pattern, spiraling downwards. As they moved along, they saw ferocious monsters attempting to attack them from the cliffs of the abyss. The creatures climbed on the cliffs with their hind limbs, skillfully supporting themselves and attacking with their forelimbs.
Dongfang Minghui, who led the way, strolled casually, seemingly ignoring the menacing creatures. Oddly enough, the monsters didn't dare to attack her directly; instead, they snarled at Qian Wanyu and Mo Ce, who trailed behind her.
As the saying goes, persimmons are soft, and in the eyes of these monsters, Qian Wanyu and Mo Ce seemed to be the most vulnerable targets.
Mo Ce brandished his sword, remaining vigilant against any potential swarm attacks.
"Wait, it seems they can't actually attack us."
Simultaneously, the steps above them crumbled like powder, disappearing gradually. The steps below continued to extend, seemingly without end.
"Wanyu, I must remind you of something important," Qing Mo said with a hint of regret. "There are just over six hours until the next dawn. When the first rays of morning light appear, your Ninth Sister may awaken, and the steps will vanish."
The implication was that if they failed to reach the abyss's bottom within six hours, they could face the danger of falling at any moment.
Qing Mo's reminder was timely, but Qian Wanyu had already considered this issue when she first descended the steps. However, it could not deter her determination to help Ninth Sister. "I will find a solution within six hours."
As Dongfang Minghui hurried down, Little Color in her sea of souls likely also contemplated this possibility. Based on its understanding of the Sleepy Dragon Seal, it would surely give up when dawn arrived.
What a predicament!
"The path behind us is gone," Mo Ce noted, looking back to see a vast, black void that seemed ready to swallow everything.
The way forward was precarious, and the way back was severed.
Even more terrifying, when the steps behind them disappeared, the four-legged monsters on the cliff abruptly lunged from the left. Mo Ce, who brought up the rear, was attacked by a powerful darkness. With a swish, he unsheathed his long sword.
"They can touch us now."
"Be careful."
Qian Wanyu quickly pulled out her mine whip as the cliff-dwelling monsters crowded around them. These creatures, measuring about 1.5 meters in length, could leap from one side to the other. They seized the opportunity to attack Mo Ce and Qian Wanyu.
As a result, their progress was hindered by this group of monsters.
Qian Wanyu regretted giving the only sword in her possession to Wei Junlan. Desperate, she charged her lightning whip with purple lightning. The monsters appeared to be intelligent, and after suffering a loss at Qian Wanyu's hands, they immediately shifted their focus to Mo Ce.
The distance between the three of them steadily grew.
Qian Wanyu realized that the steps' disappearance was related to the distance traveled by the Ninth Sister, not their own stopping points.
Now, she stood in the middle while Dongfang Minghui was a meter away. It took about three meters for them to switch places. Seeing this, the steps beneath Mo Ce's feet began to lose their substance, and the monsters on the cliffs to the left and right continued to approach as if deliberately stalling for time.
"Mo Ce, don't stop! Keep moving!"
Mo Ce was caught off guard, and as his feet found no support, he plummeted. Qian Wanyu quickly threw her lightning whip, the tip securing his wrist tightly. "Hold on."
Mo Ce grabbed the whip with his other hand. Free from the rock-climbing beasts' interference, he discovered that it was quiet below him. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he noticed a pair of green eyes on the cliff. The strange light within them made his entire body tense.
"Below"
"Remember, no matter what, we must keep moving forward, step by step. Otherwise, we won't have to wait until dawn; we'll all die here," Qian Wanyu warned Mo Ce with a fearful glance. The two quickly pursued the figure ahead of them.
After the steps vanished, the grotesque monsters on the cliff seemed to halt their advance. Mo Ce looked up to see them drooling. "It looks like they can't reach us."
Oddly enough, the creatures inhabiting the cliffs of the abyss appeared to follow a rule. Every boundary was home to different species, which never ventured beyond their limits.
This realization sent a chill down Mo Ce's spine.
Upon reaching the second boundary, Mo Ce discovered that the green lights originated from skulls embedded in the cliff, arranged like exhibits.
"What are these?" Mo Ce asked, gripping his sword tightly.
"If I'm not mistaken, they're undead creatures controlled by a Death Spiritual Master," Qian Wanyu replied. She had once encountered one in Death Valley, but their appearance was unique. Controlled by a Death Spiritual Master, these undead had strong combat abilities and were well-preserved. In a cave, she had found a letter about controlling the Dead. The letter's owner, a Death Spiritual Master, had to master the skill of controlling the undead while preparing for the possibility of being backlashed by the powerful undead creatures. The skulls in the abyss were likely incomplete undead. One could only imagine the countless skulls embedded in the uneven cliff, each with flickering green lights in their eye sockets.
"This level gives me a bad feeling. It's more dangerous than the previous one," Qian Wanyu said.
"I agree," Mo Ce replied, feeling uneasy. "How do you know these are members of the Undead? Have you seen them before?"
It's said that talking and chatting in tense environments can help relax the mind.
Qian Wanyu and Mo Ce maintained a swift pace, almost catching up to Dongfang Minghui ahead. Even so, the steps behind them disappeared, and the skulls on the cliff appeared to grin at them menacingly.
As they caught a clear glimpse of the skulls on the cliff, clusters of green light emerged and floated in mid-air like will-o'-the-wisps. Several light clusters merged, quickly forming a giant over two meters tall.
This only occurred on one side of the cliff; will-o'-the-wisps on the other side followed suit, forming another giant with two particularly large clusters of light in its hollow eyes.
"Be careful."
Qian Wanyu's lightning whip was seized by the giant, the crackling lightning tip unable to break free. Despite this, the two giants did not release their grip, even as the whip's lightning temporarily extinguished their flames. The will-o'-the-wisps on the cliff merged back in, swiftly repairing the damage.
Qian Wanyu was yanked by the giant, nearly falling off the steps, but Mo Ce caught her with one hand. "Be careful, these two undead are very difficult to deal with."
Not just difficult they seemed unkillable.
Qian Wanyu glanced back at where Ninth Sister had vanished, "We must destroy these two undead within half a stick of incense at most."
Mo Ce's sword was agile, weaving around before returning to his side. "It seems they can't be killed."
"No, that's an illusion," Qian Wanyu disagreed. While the recent events had shaken her, she knew that everything in this world had its balance. There were no unsolvable mysteries, only deceptions designed to confuse.
"I have a plan, but I need your cooperation."
"How can I help?"
Mo Ce found it challenging to handle one undead giant, let alone draw the attention of both. A cloud of black mist rose from his hand, and his swordplay darted between the two giants. With each sword turn, a few will-o'-the-wisps vanished from the giant's body.
The vines of Little Color were tied around Qian Wanyu's waist, and they tried to match Dongfang Minghui's pace. The faster the other party walked, the faster the steps on their side disappeared.
It was a tug of war.
Qian Wanyu flicked out the lightning whip in her hand and swung the whip towards the skulls on the cliff. The five spiritual energies of wind, thunder, gold, darkness, and earth elements burst out in unison, creating bright colors. Not to mention the gloomy light on the cliff, even Mo Ce was stunned by the multicolored light and closed his eyes briefly, almost torn apart by two giant undead.
Even so, he couldn't resist his shock; the other party was actually a Dark Spiritual Master!
Not only that, but also a five-element Spiritual Master!
His arm was burned by the will-o'-the-wisp of the undead, and the pain instantly brought back the unrestrained thoughts in his mind. The sword in Mo Ze's hand left an indelible mark on the giant undead's body in a variety of patterns, and the will-o'-the-wisp on the other side of the cliff flew away, wanting to merge with the giant undead.
However, it was blocked by Qian Wanyu's lightning whip.
At this critical moment, Mo Ce saw a kind of undead spirits, and they didn't seem to be considered undead spirits anymore. The speed in his hands increased, and Qian Wanyu struck them hard.
Mo Ce only heard the continuous sound of clicking, and it took him a while to realize what it was. He saw that the extremely tough skulls on both sides of the cliff were shattered one after another, and all the snowflake-like debris fell out.
Qian Wanyu didn't have time to care about the two huge undead when she felt her waist tighten, and her whole body was pulled back by the vines. "Mo Ce, let's go."
Before Mo Ce could react, the sword in his hand was dragged down by a huge undead.
The steps behind them dissipated completely. If they were a little slower, they might already be under the abyss at this moment.
Puff puff
A ray of light brighter than the colorful spiritual power suddenly shone over.
"Ah"
Mo Ce yelled, his eyes were stabbed so hard that he couldn't open them at all.
Qian Wanyu instinctively sensed the danger, the vines around her waist responded to her senses, and the next second quickly snapped apart, inch by inch. She fell backward, flung the lightning whip in her hand all the way, but couldn't find any reference.
"Damn, what the hell did you mess with?" Little Color also suffered an innocent disaster, and it felt that it was all caused by its own meddling.
"It's the rule." Qing Mo felt a huge spiritual power hovering above their heads, as if thunder would roll down at any time. "It's the rule of this abyss; throw the undead back quickly, it doesn't belong to the next level."
Qian Wanyu rolled up the steps one by one, and after three more steps, she might fall into the abyss before Ninth Sister.
"Mo Ce."
Mo Ce was being held by the huge undead. Even so, the undead felt that it had accidentally stepped onto another layer, that is, it was being affected by the rules of the entire abyss. It shivered, and the will-o'-the-wisp on its body flickered.
Mo Ce's long sword shuttled back and forth in the dazzling light, and he turned a deaf ear to Qian Wanyu's call. He only had one thought in front of him: to kill it!
Either you die, or I die.
"Throw that undead back quickly!!!" Qing Mo roared in the sea of souls.
Qian Wanyu was groggy all over. She quickly got up from the steps, and before she could take care of her injuries, she released her spiritual power to resist this huge coercion. The spiritual power circulated into her eyes, and she saw Mo Ce's situation clearly under the dazzling light.
"Go!"
The lightning whip pierced through the forehead of the giant undead with a swish and returned to Qian Wanyu's hand after turning a corner.
Mo Ce felt the hand that was holding his neck loosen gradually, and he took a few steps back, almost like Qian Wanyu, rolling down the steps.
Qian Wanyu watched the huge undead floating in the air, and after a few breaths, banglike a firework, it exploded in an instant. Green will-o'-the-wisps scattered everywhere, and one flew towards Qian Wanyu.
Qian Wanyu twitched the lightning whip, quickly wiped it out, and turned around, only to find that the coercion above her head was stronger than before. Her heart thumped; it was over, the undead had been scattered by her but nothing changed?!
"It's over!" Qing Mo sighed heavily in her soul sea.
"Qing Mo, is there any other way?" Qian Wanyu grabbed Mo Ce and ran down quickly, trying to find the Ninth Sister who was walking in front.
Qing Mo was so angry that he lost his temper, and simply kept silent like a background picture.
The glaring light directly covered everyone, and the green will-o'-the-wisps scattered everywhere dissipated in this space without even making a scream after touching this layer of light. Dongfang Minghui, who was walking at the forefront, paused in her steps, staring motionlessly at the trembling steps ahead.
"I'm going to die, I'm going to die." Little Color cried in its heart while looking for the whereabouts of Qian Wanyu and Mo Ce.
Boom
The whole step was like a mirror breaking, turning into pieces. Dongfang Minghui froze for a moment, and then fell down, her dark pupils not showing any reaction. At the same time, Qian Wanyu and Mo Ce also encountered the same situation.
"Ninth Sister!"
"Wake up, wake up." The vines of Little Color swayed in the wind, looking for landing spots everywhere, but the landing speed was too fast.
The three of them were like three fallen leaves falling in a strong wind, miserable and distressed.
Wooo new chapter sorry for the wait~~