Chapter 81: Objective accomplished.
Chapter 81
Inside the eerie and quiet stone hall, the atmosphere was as heavy as a materialized leaden cloud, weighing heavily on people's hearts.
Qing Yan's brows knitted together, his gaze as deep as the sea. He stared at the stone statue that exuded an ancient and heavy aura, and said in a deep voice, "It seems we can't leave here easily."
The voice carried a hint of resignation and solemnity. He now understood why the statue's power felt strangely familiar. It turned out the hilt of the sword was hidden within the statue, like a heart within a human body, the core hub controlling the statue's entire power.
Bu Xingjin nodded slightly in response, and subconsciously tightened his grip on the Blood River Knife in his right hand. In the dimly lit stone hall, the blade of the Blood River Knife gleamed with a chilling light, as if threatening the unknown danger.
As if suddenly awakened from a eons of chaotic slumber, the stone statue unleashed another earth-shattering roar. The sound was like materialized thunder, crashing straight into the eardrums and shaking the entire stone hall violently.
Then, its towering body like a mountain began to move slowly. Every step it took emitted a dull roar that seemed to crush the soul, raising clouds of dust.
Bu Xingjin and Qing Yan exchanged a glance, then retreated swiftly, their steps light and effortless, as if in sync. They both knew that the statue's attack, once ready to strike, would be devastating.
"Be careful!" Qing Yan's pupils suddenly constricted as he roared, a sound that seemed to be able to break through the shackles of the stone hall. At the same time, his figure instantly transformed into a stream of light, shooting towards Bu Xingjin at a speed so fast that it left a trail of illusory afterimages behind him.
The moment he lunged at Bu Xingjin, the statue's massive, fan-like palm slammed down with immense force. Qing Yan, wielding the withered branch, channeled the surging spiritual energy within him, fiercely thrust it at the statue's massive hand. While he couldn't completely block the statue's devastating blow, it served as a dam before a surging tide, buying Bu Xingjin a moment.
Bu Xingjin's reaction was also incredibly swift. Seizing this fleeting opportunity, the Blood River Knife in his hand instantly blazed with a dazzling, blood-red light. With unwavering momentum, he furiously slashed at the statue's giant hand. "Dang—" A deafening roar, threatening to rip the eardrums apart, echoed wildly throughout the sealed stone hall.
Bu Xingjin only felt a powerful force rushing along the blade like a raging tide. His body was shaken uncontrollably and he took several steps back, raising a large cloud of dust with every step.
This stone statue was incredibly heavy yet possessed incredible strength, capable of moving mountains and overturning seas with a single movement. Though its movements were slow and inflexible, it seemed as if clad in an impenetrable divine armor, possessing immense defense. Only by repeatedly striking the same spot could one leave even the slightest mark on it, a feat as difficult as an ant trying to shake a tree.
Bu Xingjin gritted his teeth, and the Blood River Knife in his hand vibrated and trembled, as if venting his unwillingness and anger together with his master; Qing Yan's expression was grim, and the seemingly fragile dry branch in his hand, after colliding with the stone statue, the residual force was shaking, like a small storm suddenly set off in the stone hall, and the strong wind whistled past, making the two men's clothes rustle.
Bu Xingjin's eyes grew increasingly resolute, as if ignited by two eternal flames. Seeing that Qing Yan's sharp sword strike had been ineffective against the statue, he suddenly raised his head and let out a loud cry. In an instant, the Blood River Blade, engulfed in his powerful spiritual energy, shot out like a streak of blood piercing the night sky, slashing fiercely at the statue's leg joints with a deadly determination.
However, the stone statue was like an eternal, impenetrable wall of steel. The Blood River Knife struck it, sending out only a few faint sparks, like fleeting fireflies on a summer night. A massive recoil surged up the hilt, numbing Bu Xingjin's palms. His fingers barely grasped the hilt, and a sour feeling shot through his palms, sending it hurtling down his spine.
"The power of this stone statue is too strong!" Bu Xingjin squeezed out these words from between his teeth, his face slightly distorted due to the force, his arms felt as if they were pierced by thousands of steel needles, slightly numb, but his eyes were burning with a raging fighting spirit, and he had no intention of retreating.
Qing Yan's figure flashed, his eyes like cold stars, with a hint of cold light flashing in them: "We can't fight it head-on, we must find its weakness."
At this moment, the dark blue runes in the stone hall were like a group of frightened spirit fish, with flickering light. They seemed to be disturbed by the fierce battle and became restless, foreshadowing a greater crisis to come.
Bu Xingjin attacked like a cheetah, leaping to Qing Yan's side in one leap. The two of them were like comrades-in-arms who had been through many battles, and they stood back to back in an instant, vigilantly watching the stone statue's every move.
The statue, thoroughly enraged, roared once more, its sound waves ringing in their ears and nearly deafening them. It moved its mountain-like form, pressing closer and closer. Each step it took caused the ground to tremble slightly, shaking slightly.
At this critical moment, Qing Yan's gaze suddenly focused, as if he could see through all illusions. On the stone statue's chest, he caught sight of a rune that glowed slightly dimmer than the rest, like a tiny glimmer among the stars in the night sky, easily overlooked.
"There!" He whispered, and he and Bu Xingjin exchanged glances, and they both instantly understood each other's intentions. Without needing words, a single glance told them both what they were planning.
Bu Xingjin was like a black lightning, his figure flashed, and he rushed towards the stone statue first. He swung the Blood River Knife in his hand in the air, creating a dazzling sword light, like a bloody fireworks feast, trying to attract the attention of the stone statue with this dazzling attack.
The stone statue's blood-red eyes were like two burning balls of hellfire, staring at Bu Xingjin, waving its strong arms and smashing towards him with the force of a mountain.
Bu Xingjin dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow by a hair's breadth. Meanwhile, Qing Yan, seizing this fleeting opportunity, channeled all his surging spiritual energy into the tip of the withered branch. In an instant, the branch, as if inspired by a stroke of genius, transformed into a piercing bolt of light, capable of piercing the heavens. With unwavering determination, it shot directly at the rune on the statue's chest.
"Crack--" A loud bang that shook the earth and the sky exploded in the stone hall. The runes on the stone statue's chest were like colored glass hit by a heavy hammer. They instantly shattered and turned into countless tiny spots of light, like a dreamy rain of light.
Then, the stone statue lost its supporting frame and collapsed with a loud bang, sending debris flying like a meteor shower. Amidst the flying dust, a faint light, like the light before dawn, quietly emerged. Qing Yan looked closely and saw the hilt of the sword he had been searching for for so long.
The hilt of the sword looks like an ancient artifact that has traveled through time and space. It has a simple and elegant shape, and is engraved with lines as fine as hair. It has a faint golden luster, like an old man who has experienced many vicissitudes of life, quietly telling the glory of the past and the vicissitudes of time.
Qing Yan stepped forward quickly, his steps eager yet cautious. He slowly reached out, his fingertips lightly touching the hilt. At that moment, a powerful and familiar aura washed over him, as if cleansing his soul.
Qing Yan's excitement was unbearable. He couldn't wait to slowly join the hilt with the fragments of the blade he had obtained earlier. In an instant, the divine sword, like a deity awakening from its slumber, shone brightly, filling the entire stone hall as if with a newborn sun. The dazzling light was like materialized ripples, centered around Qing Yan, driving spiritual energy to spread out in layers.
This strange scene not only shocked Bu Xingjin who was in the stone hall, but also like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, it caused huge waves in the entire secret realm.
Within the Shangli Secret Realm, no matter where one looked, as long as one could see the vast expanse of sky, everyone witnessed a radiance that seemed to descend from the heavens, piercing through heaven and earth. The radiance was like a divine oracle, sacred and majestic, leaving everyone stunned as if under a spell, unable to recover for a long time.
"What's going on?" Gu Jiuge looked up at the light as if struck by lightning. The copper bell magic weapon in his hand seemed to feel the call of this mysterious power, buzzing, as if responding to this mysterious power in a unique way.
Jia Feng's face showed panic, and he stammered, "Could it be... could it be that a fragment of the Heavenly Dao has appeared?" His voice was like a fallen leaf in the cold wind, trembling continuously.
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a blockbuster bomb exploding in the crowd. Everyone's heart was shocked, as if their heart was grasped by an invisible force, and their breathing was stagnant.
In other corners of the secret realm, powerful figures were like dormant dragons, and independent cultivators were like hidden cheetahs. Regardless of whether they were concentrating on searching for treasures or fighting fiercely with ferocious monsters, they were all drawn by a mysterious force at this moment. They stopped what they were doing, their eyes as hot as burning charcoal, looking towards the source of the light, as if they were hungry wolves that had seen a fat lamb, and they rushed towards the stone hall regardless of everything.
For a moment, the secret realm was in turmoil, as if the calm before the storm was completely broken. The auras of various forces were like colorful silk threads intertwined together, tangled into an invisible but extremely tight net, covering this mysterious place and posing a danger on all sides.
Qing Yan and Bu Xingjin noticed the sudden change in the external atmosphere, and their hearts sank, as if they were being crushed by a huge rock.
"Not good, this strange phenomenon has attracted too many people. I'm afraid a bloody storm is inevitable." Bu Xingjin tightly gripped the Blood River Knife, and the blade hummed, as if venting his inner tension and anxiety with him.
Qing Yan was as calm as an ancient well, his expression serene. The radiance of the intact sword in his hand gradually faded, yet it still emanated a terrifying aura of pressure. He said in a deep voice, "Don't worry." That voice had a soothing power that could dispel the pervasive gloom.
With that, the two, knowing time was running out, lost no time and hurried forward along the path they had come from, racing against time. As they walked, they suddenly heard the sound of gurgling water, like an ethereal melody. Only then did they realize that, despite having clearly walked the path out, they seemed to be controlled by an invisible hand, and had unknowingly walked deeper into the stone hall.
Following the sound, the two of them beheld a vast circular pool before them. Within, the water, a brilliant blue like a mirror, seemed to reflect the entire vast, boundless starry sky, a mysterious and profound experience. In the center of the pool stood a small, exquisite stone platform, resembling a fairy pavilion. Atop this platform hovered a bead emitting a soft blue light, like the core light source of the entire stone hall. Its light, as if possessed by a spirit, seeped into the surrounding space in strands.
"What is this? How did we get here?" Bu Xingjin's voice was filled with a hint of doubt, but his eyes seemed to be attracted by a magnet, staring at the bead, as if he was trapped in a dream from which he could not escape.
Qing Yan's sword suddenly froze, and the sword body was like a clear lake, reflecting the mysterious patterns slowly rising from the bottom of the pool, like a mysterious scroll slowly unfolding.
His voice deepened slightly as he spoke, "It's a very clever spatial folding. The sword's spiritual pressure must have triggered something, causing the stone hall to change, dragging the intruder into its deepest level."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
