6kv Chapter 183 Taking on a Critical Mission
Chapter 183 Taking on a Critical Mission
As soon as Su Muyue finished speaking, a muffled explosion echoed from the depths of the valley. The ground trembled for a moment, and rubble tumbled down the slopes on both sides, snapping against the bare branches with a cracking sound. The group quickly climbed up the slope. After crossing the ridge, their view suddenly opened up.
In the center of the valley, a massive stone gate clung to a steep cliff face. The gate was dark gray, its surface covered with densely packed star-like patterns. These patterns shimmered with a faint silvery-white sheen under the light, like metal vessels covered in a thin layer of frost, with some areas slowly fading. Dozens of demonic cultivators surrounded the gate, each standing in a pre-arranged position. Evil energy surged from their palms, converging into several black beams of light that continuously bombarded the star-like patterns on the gate's surface. The leader stood directly in front of the gate, extremely tall with large joints, surrounded by a layer of dark red, bloodthirsty aura. This was the Bloodbone Demon, commander of the demonic vanguard. His body was covered in armor pieced together from bones, layers upon layers of bone fitting together, dark red fascia coiled in the gaps at the joints, his aura overwhelming.
The star patterns on the stone gate dimmed slightly after each bombardment. Cracks appeared on the stone surface, initially just a few fine lines extending along the edges of the patterns, then gradually deepening and widening, with fragments of stone peeling off from the cracks. The Blood Bone Demon raised his hand to gather the next attack, and as his bone palm pressed down on the stone gate, the entire valley floor trembled in unison.
Lin Chen concealed himself behind the rocks, his gaze rapidly shifting between the stone gate and the Blood Bone Demon. He observed the positions of each evil cultivator in the arena and the distance between them, assessed their distance from the stone gate and the rhythm of the Blood Bone Demon's attacks, and then mentally rehearsed the entire attack path.
"Chu Fan, how long can the trapping formation hold?"
"At most ten breaths. His cultivation is too high; the array's patterns can't withstand the continuous impact of a Void Breaking Realm expert. After ten breaths, the array patterns will begin to break." Chu Fan spoke faster than usual, but his gaze never left the Blood Bone Demon. "But within ten breaths, his body will be restricted in its movement by the array patterns, unable to turn freely."
Lin Chen turned his gaze back: "The moment the stone gate breaks open, Mu Yue activates the purification array to disrupt the evil energy output of the evil cultivators. Leng Feng leads his men to launch a surprise attack from both sides, killing the outer evil soldiers. Chu Fan sets up a trapping array to entangle the Blood Bone Demon. Ling'er throws out all the Blazing Flame Pills and Evil-Breaking Pills at once, prioritizing the area in front of the stone gate. I rush into the ruins and get the Star Martial Origin first."
Su Muyue grabbed his wrist, squeezing it tightly, the skin on the back of his hand taut with her knuckles. "You're going in alone. The situation inside is unknown. The Blood Bone Demon is outside and could break free of the trap at any moment to chase after us." Her voice didn't suppress the slight lilt that usually accompanied her speech.
"The Star Martial Core is within me; only I can activate what's within the ruins. If the Blood Bone Demon obtains the origin, the entire human race is doomed." Lin Chen didn't pull his arm away from her grasp. "Trust me."
Su Muyue looked at him for a moment, then released her grip. "I'll wait for you to come out. If you don't, I'll go inside to find you."
The cracks on the stone door had merged, spreading from top to bottom, and at the bottom, the entire surface of the stone door was constantly leaking out residual spiritual energy. The Blood Bone Demon took half a step back, clasped his hands together, and dark red evil power condensed into an even thicker and more powerful black beam of light between his palms. He suddenly pushed forward, and the beam of light pierced into the cracks.
The stone gate shattered. Stone chips and fragments flew throughout the valley, bouncing and tumbling against the rock walls. A dense spiritual energy surged from within the gate, mingling with the scent of aged dust and rusted iron, spreading through the air. Deep within this spiritual energy lay an extremely faint yet pure wisp of stellar energy, almost merging into the mountain itself, yet it was still detected by the Blood Bone Demon.
"It's done!" Blood Bone Demon took a step forward, about to enter the gate.
"Let's do it!"
The purification array rose from the ground the instant Su Muyue finished speaking, covering the area guarded by the evil cultivators. Golden array patterns spread rapidly along the low-lying areas, like ripples spreading across water after a pebble is thrown in. The evil cultivators' output of evil power was disrupted within the array's coverage; some were instinctively forced back half a step by the array's light. Leng Feng's team simultaneously attacked from both sides, first breaking through the outer defenses of the evil cultivators' formation, then tearing a gap within their ranks. Su Ling'er simultaneously threw all her Explosive Flame Pills and Evil-Breaking Pills directly in front of the stone gate. Flames and purification power erupted simultaneously in the narrow space, the resulting ash and heat waves covering most of the valley floor.
The Bloodbone Demon turned around, his dark red aura of bloodlust surging outwards, forming a wall in front of him. At that moment, Chu Fan pressed his hands to the ground, and trapping array patterns simultaneously emerged from both sides of the stone gate, binding the Bloodbone Demon's ankles and knees. These patterns then formed interlocking arrays at the joints of his limbs, compressing his movement and turning space. Under the impact of the bloodlust aura, cracks rapidly appeared on the surface of the array patterns. Veins bulged on Chu Fan's forehead, and the muscles in his arms tensed to their limit.
"Ten...nine..." He gritted his teeth and read out the numbers one by one, his breathing becoming short and rapid due to the consumption of the array patterns.
Seeing the entrance to the passage inside the stone gate fully open under the illumination of the purification array and the alchemical fire, Su Muyue shouted, "Lin Chen, go in!"
Lin Chen didn't linger. He unleashed his full power on the rubble-strewn ground, cutting in during the gaps when the evil cultivators hadn't yet recovered from the impact of the purification array. He passed through the gaps in the smoke and rubble, disappearing directly into the darkness behind the stone door.
The Blood Bone Demon broke free of the binding array. Fragments of the array patterns scattered into golden particles in the air, which were then swept away by the bloodthirsty aura. He strode across the threshold, and the pebbles on the ground shattered and sank into fine dust under his footsteps.
The passageway beyond the stone gate was longer than he had imagined, its walls covered in murals. The figures in the murals were bold and powerful, warriors wielding swords treading across scorched earth, the lights behind the city walls flickering out one by one in the shadows, and a figure in one corner of the mural not looking back. One mural after another stretched deeper into the passageway, the sound of the surface peeling away faintly audible at the bends. The pull he felt grew stronger, emanating from a fixed point deeper ahead. He didn't slow his pace, nor did he bother to examine the murals on either side; he simply let the pull carry him forward.
The Blood Bone Demon's footsteps approached from behind, growing ever closer. The speed of a Void Breaker far surpassed that of a Earth Fusion Realm cultivator, and the distance between them continued to shrink. Their footsteps overlapped, separated, and then overlapped again in the passageway.