Chapter 262 A Series of Obstacles (Part Sixteen)
Underground.
In the dim light, a piece of soil was exposed on the stone slab. This irregularly shaped piece of soil was about ten feet high, cone-shaped with a larger top and a smaller bottom. Hundreds of thick tentacles extended from the top of the soil, like vines clinging to the top of the stone slab, piercing through the stone and letting the soil from the ground seep out from the cracks. And countless tiny tentacles were also wrapped around those tentacles, swaying gently in the air like living things.
The surface of this mud block was uneven, with the raised parts being oval-shaped. Inside, white threads were wrapped in concentric circles, resembling countless white eyes at first glance. Around this mud block, there were nails about twenty feet long, driven firmly into the soil. The exposed nails were covered with black tentacles, which corroded the nails into a dark green color. The ends of these nails penetrated deep into the ground, arching to support the mud block. Below the mud block, only one tentacle was embedded in the stone slab, and the ground was full of cracked patterns.
Although Wei Feng couldn't see what the underground looked like, he could sense how this tiny tentacle spread out, firmly attaching itself to the rich spiritual veins beneath the earth, and then continuously expanding and growing until it occupied all the spiritual veins beneath the Chenyao Continent...
The hand covering the mud transformed into ghostly patterns, almost merging with the chaotic core. In an instant, Wei Feng sensed the spiritual veins of the entire Chenyao Continent and even the entire cultivation world. The vibrations inside the chaotic core gradually merged with the heartbeat in his chest, finally emitting a muffled thumping sound.
The movements of all living and dead creatures around him seemed to be infinitely prolonged. With his eyes closed, Wei Feng saw the panic in Xiao Dan's eyes, the tens of thousands of cultivators underground who were constantly supplying the Chaos Core, Wen Hanjiu and Chang Ping'an hidden in the vines on the ground, Feng Wuyou forming hand seals in front of the wall, Jiang Xiangyun about to look up, and Jiang Gu holding his sword and looking at the vines...
He even felt that with a single thought, he could instantly grind them all to dust. The murderous intent rising from the bottom of his heart made him frown and instinctively want to pull his hand back.
But that terrifying will was like a high mountain and a deep sea, unshakable, and he couldn't muster any resolute resistance.
It seems like things can't continue like this...
"Snap out of it!" At the critical moment, Xiao Dan shouted angrily, mobilized all his divine power, and sent Wei Feng flying with a palm strike.
In an instant, all the paused movements resumed as normal.
Wei Feng slammed heavily against the stone wall beside him, gasping for breath before his consciousness returned.
Xiao Dan's face paled, but his eyes gleamed with excitement: "So you really are... related to the Chaos Core. If I had known this, I should have brought you to Chenyao from the very beginning..."
A sharp pain shot through his chest, as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest. Wei Feng clutched his chest, leaned against the wall, and struggled to his feet, gritting his teeth as he said, "This thing will corrupt my mind."
Xiao Dan smiled and said, "It's alright, I have a divine artifact that can help you stay sober."
Chanlin hurriedly sent a message to Wei Feng: "Something doesn't seem right to me. Is this person trying to trick you?"
"Of course he's lying to me. I have a blood feud with him. No one would believe he would help me ascend to immortality." Wei Feng grinned.
Although Xiao Dan's offer was very tempting, Wei Feng had been taught by Jiang Gu for decades, and the first thing he learned was not to trust anyone except himself—except, of course, Jiang Gu, who was willing to be deceived by Jiang Gu despite his persistent nagging.
Once you've deceived Jiang Gu enough to warm up his cold and indifferent heart, he'll be yours.
But what is Xiao Dan anyway?
Wei Feng chuckled in a deep voice: "Alright."
Xiao Dan stood at the entrance and said, "Then please leave half of your primordial spirit here to absorb the spiritual and turbid energies to nourish the Chaos Core."
“But I suddenly remembered something—” Wei Feng straightened up and met Xiao Dan’s determined gaze, “You said that the remnant souls in the Mirror Flower Scroll were all originally there, either Jade Rank or powerful beings who failed to transcend tribulation, so why is Qing Changxi’s remnant soul in there?”
“As far as I know, Qing Changxi did not cultivate to the Great Perfection of the Dao Ancestor Realm and undergo tribulation. He was killed by me in Mermaid Bay back then.” Wei Feng’s smile slowly widened. “And after I was born using the body of Qu Qingfu’s fetus and the Divine Kite Mermaid, I never went to Wangyue until I was kidnapped by Lu Liyu. Lord Xiao, can you explain this?”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Dan's smile faded slightly.
“So this Mirror Flower Scroll should originally be a part of my body, and it is connected to this Chaos Core Energy. In other words, I can create this road to heaven on my own without you—” Wei Feng flipped his wrist, summoned the Mo Dao, and slashed at Xiao Dan with the force of a thousand jun.
Xiao Dan was surprised that he dared to make a move here. He hastily raised his sword to block, but was forced back several feet. He stepped on the stone wall and saw the ghost patterns that were spreading out around Wei Feng's body amidst the flying stones. The ghost patterns gradually became murky and turbid from being transparent.
"Aren't you afraid of triggering anomalies in the Chaos Core by making a move here?" Xiao Dan said in a deep voice. "At that time, not only will the Path to Heaven be in trouble, but the entire cultivation world will also be doomed!"
"Of course I'm not afraid." Wei Feng's aura was soaring, and he said with a sinister smile, "Unlike Xiao Cheng, who mainly cultivates the Path of the Common People, I can't ascend. At worst, I'll drag everyone down with me to die, and nobody will live!"
Xiao Dan had calculated everything, but he hadn't anticipated that Wei Feng was such a reckless and insolent person who would even give up ascension. However, he had a slight hesitation, guessing that Wei Feng was putting on an act to force him to negotiate. "What exactly do you want?"
Unfortunately, Wei Feng was sincere.
From the moment Xiao Dan said that the path to heaven would require removing Jiang Gu's immortal bones, that path to ascension was already blocked for him. He would rather never be able to ascend than use Jiang Gu's life to build the jade steps.
At worst, we'll all just die!
While Wei Feng and Xiao Dan were evenly matched, Chan Lin seized the opportunity to dart out. Just as Feng Wuyou was about to open the entrance in the mountain wall, Chan Lin transformed into his original form and crashed out.
From Wen Hanjiu's perspective, a giant toad with its gaping maw lunged at him. He immediately forgot to hide and grabbed Chang Ping'an to dodge to the side, where they were tightly bound by the Fire Rope that had been waiting for the right moment.
Feng Wuyou and Jiang Xiangyun dodged with lightning speed. Chanlin exerted its strength on its three legs and bit down on the half-person-high Hongjing Tower, attempting to uproot it. However, the moment it bit down, countless black tentacles were pulled up from the bottom of the tower. The chaotic core that was nailed to the ground shook violently. Centered on Anliu City, the entire Chenyao Continent trembled violently. The spiritual energy between heaven and earth suddenly became chaotic, and turbid air soared into the sky.
In an instant, the elders guarding both the Changning Temple and the Chenyao Temple were all alarmed, while cultivators on the Pingze Continent and the Wangyue Islands in the distance were also stunned. Many cultivators who were on the verge of breaking through their cultivation went into a state of demonic possession, and for a time, the entire cultivation world fell into chaos.
"No way—I can't pull it out!" Chanlin strained with all three legs, straightened his body, and pulled backward with all his might. Seeing this, Feng Wuyou simply transformed into his original form, bit Chanlin's hind leg, and pulled together with him.
While fighting Wei Feng, Xiao Dan also expended his divine power to stabilize the Chaos Core. He finally managed to lure Wei Feng to the entrance of the mountain wall, only to find a giant toad and a fat horse gnawing on his red crystal tower, even uprooting it. He was so angry that he almost fainted. He shouted, "Stop!"
The roots of the Red Crystal Tower are buried deep underground. Where do these two things get such great strength?!
Stabilizing the Chaos Core consumed most of his divine power, and Wei Feng was relentlessly pursuing him. As soon as Jiang Xiangyun saw him, he immediately attacked with his Xuan Yang Halberd, slashing fiercely at him.
"You old bastard, prepare to die!" Young Master Jiang rarely swore.
Xiao Dan was outmaneuvered by two opponents. The moment he saw Jiang Gu, he immediately realized that he had been tricked by the master and disciple. He laughed angrily, "As expected of your disciple Jiang Gu, your acting is simply superb!"
Jiang Gu glanced at Wei Feng, who understood and instantly withdrew the protection of the vine umbrella. The lightning tribulation surged down, and just as it was about to strike him, the vine umbrella opened again. The Shadow Array and the Displacement Array were activated simultaneously, and Jiang Gu's Crimson Snow Sword guided the lightning tribulation straight to the bottom of the Crimson Crystal Tower.
"Jiang Gu—" Xiao Dan shouted sharply, and in his haste, he shook off Wei Feng and Jiang Xiangyun, and flew forward to stop him.
However, he was too late. The Crimson Snow Sword, carrying lightning and divine power, slashed down heavily, severing the ghostly runes connecting the Crimson Crystal Tower to the Chaos Core. In the midst of the earth-shattering lightning, Chan Lin and Feng Wuyou were sent flying by the immense force, and the Crimson Crystal Tower fell directly into Chan Lin's round belly.
The entire courtyard fell silent for a moment.
"Burp!" Chanlin let out a short burp and spat out a pile of glittering spirit stones.
Jiang Gu's body was half charred black by the lightning, and dark red blood seeped from under his skin. Wei Feng stepped forward and helped him up, asking anxiously, "Master, are you alright?"
Jiang Gu was in excruciating pain and couldn't speak at all; he could only shake his head.
"Let's go!" Jiang Xiangyun shouted.
Feng Wuyou was the first to react. He bent down, picked up the dizzy and full Chanlin, and threw it on his back. He then flew into the sky with all four hooves. Wei Feng and Jiang Gu followed closely behind. Jiang Xiangyun swung his Xuan Yang Halberd to block Xiao Dan's attack and then turned to chase after him.
Xiao Dan stared at their fleeing figures with a gloomy expression. The chaotic core underground was writhing restlessly, restraining most of his divine power. The cultivators who had been supplying spiritual energy and turbid energy to the chaotic core were scattered and seriously injured, their fates unknown.
His eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he activated the city's protective formation by forming hand seals. Layer upon layer of formations rose from the ground, carrying countless black tentacles, determined to keep Jiang Gu and the others inside Anliu City.
However, before the great formation was fully formed, Xiao Dan saw Jiang Gu and Wei Feng return. The fat horse and the toad darted around very fast, and Jiang Xiangyun was still looking back warily.
Xiao Dan slowly narrowed his eyes, about to utter some harsh words, when he saw a dark mass of cultivators behind them, their black robes and fine garments arranged in an orderly fashion, countless divine artifacts and magical treasures suspended in the air, and enormous and varied dharma forms following behind, almost obscuring the night sky. Feng Wuyou, who was running the fastest, actually stopped not far from Xiao Dan.
Xiao Dan suddenly had a bad feeling. He slowly turned his head and saw hundreds of cultivators behind him, all dressed in golden robes and holding long swords. Spirit beasts, divine artifacts, and dharma forms were the most basic configurations.
The sheer number of people isn't scary; what's scary is that the vast majority of these cultivators are half-immortals who failed to ascend, and any one of them could be a Dao Ancestor.
Jiang Gu, Wei Feng, and the others were forced to stand with Xiao Dan, and their expressions varied.
“I really underestimated you,” Xiao Dan said in a deep voice. “You actually attracted the half-immortals from the Yaoyan Temple and the Changning Temple.”
"I dare not accept such praise," Jiang Gu said expressionlessly.
Feng Wuyou and Chanlin transformed into human form. Chanlin exclaimed in shock, "This is... hiccup! What... hiccup! What's going on? Hiccup!"
Feng Wuyou swallowed hard, sweating profusely: "It seems like we're doomed."
"This is the first time I've seen so many Dao Ancestor Realm Dharma Images," Jiang Xiangyun said calmly. "It's just a bit disgusting that they died together with Xiao Dan."
Xiao Dan's face darkened.
"Lord Xiao, how about we make a deal?" Jiang Gu asked.
Wei Feng turned his head, staring at Xiao Dan with a forced smile, and naturally replied, "Give me the Chaos Core, and I'll reluctantly save your life."
The master and apprentice exchanged a glance, and Wei Feng proudly raised his chin at Jiang Gu.
Xiao Dan slowly clenched his teeth.
Before the words were finished, countless enormous Dharma images suddenly approached, and the pressure of the Dao Ancestor realm mixed with surging divine power crushed over the city's protective array, causing the wind and clouds to change and the earth to shake in an instant.
Wen Xiuji's figure slowly appeared before them.
"Xiao Dan, hand over the Chaos Core and Wei Feng, and we might let you die a quicker death." His gaze then fell on Jiang Gu, and he smiled slightly, cupping his hands in a salute. "Fellow Daoist Jiang, we are late. Are you alright?"
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