HSSB181: Since you’re courting death, I’ll grant your wish
Hovering Island was composed of radiance formed from the power of Turbid Wave’s formation here in combination with the dense sea of clouds above Clear Concealed Lake.
Currently, as the sky was filled with dark clouds, and enveloped by a terrifying aura, Hovering Island was also tainted with a layer of black.
In the middle of the now black island, there vaguely seemed to be strange, mournful streams of red light flickering unceasingly.
As the red streams of light pulsed, Hovering Island shook intensely, those numerous streams of red light transforming into numerous cracks, resembling mournful wounds.
Hovering Island instantly began to disintegrate and collapse.
As Hovering Island began collapsing in mid-air, Clear Concealed Island beneath also began shaking intensely.
The enormous island actually sunk down gradually into the waters of the lake, till it was completely submerged within.
Accompanied by the submersion of Clear Concealed Island, in the central region of Clear Concealed Lake, the lake waters formed a massive vortex whose centre was pitch black, resembling a black hole.
The black hole emanated a fearsome suction force, wanting to pull in everything in the surrounding area.
Hovering Island was located just above that black hole. Affected by that massive suction force, the collapsing fragments of Hovering Island, as well as the Heavenly Connection Meet participants there, all began plummeting towards it!
“Change in the plan!” Exchanging glances, Yan Zhaoge and the others could all read the same thought in one another’s eyes.
Luckily, from when the black clouds had enveloped the sky once more, they had all had some predictions regarding this.
Although that the Clear Concealed Island beneath them had already sunk and a black hole was formed was virtually out of all their predictions, it was still not to the extent that they were caught off guard and rendered completely helpless.
Yan Zhaoge gently tapped his feet on a fragment of Hovering Island, his entire person leaping in the air, landing on Pan-Pan’s back. Ah Hu followed closely beside him.
Turning to look, Yan Zhaoge could relax as he saw that Sikong Qing had already been caught by Xu Fei’s outstretched hand, a fragment of Hovering Island beneath his feet as he hurriedly fled far away.
Of the other Sacred Ground descendants, Infinite Boundless Mountain had Ji Hanru at their head, Turbid Wave Pavilion had Xie Youchan and Ruan Ping while Jade Sea City had Song Chao and Ye Zhongzhou.
The various Xiantian Martial Scholars who possessed a higher cultivation base all took care of their fellow junior apprentice-brothers and sisters whose cultivation levels were slightly inferior.
Making use of the fragments of Hovering Island, they all fled, trying their best to get out of the central region with its black hole beneath them.
Hovering Island shattered, thus leading to their descent, their speed of descent was much more rapid due to the influence of the black hole.
Inner aura and outer aura Martial Scholars lacked the strength to timely evade and break free from the attraction of the black hole, requiring Xiantian Martial Scholars to assist them.
Of the disciples of the six great Sacred Grounds, only the Heavenly Thunder Hall was doing rather poorly, because Xie Ziyi, originally already carrying injuries, was currently unstable in the mind.
At this moment, he seemed a little unable to save even himself, let alone Chen Lin and the others.
Luckily for them, on the Sacred Sun Clan’s side, Tang Yonghao noticed this problem in time. With his supreme cultivation, he managed to gather Xie Ziyi, Chen Lin and the others before breaking out of the area together.
All rushing outwards, having reacted promptly in a proper manner, they managed to avoid the fate of being sucked in by the black hole.
However, at the boundaries of the region containing the black hole, an immense suction force could still be felt. The surroundings resembled a pit of quicksand, wanting to drag all the present cultivators within.
Under the effects of the massive formation of shining black light, Clear Concealed Lake which had earlier possessed beautiful scenery and contained deep profundities had changed completely.
In the distance, the black waters of the lake roiled unceasingly, as though it was boiling.
And close to the region with the black hole at the lake’s centre, the lake water vanished, leaving behind only pitch darkness as Clear Concealed Lake seemed to have become nothing but silt and sludge.
Treading on the sludge, Yan Zhaoge, Ah Hu and Pan-Pan instantly felt as though the black sludge beneath them had a life of its own as it swirled towards their feet.
That terrifying aura which shook people’s hearts was currently growing stronger and stronger.
Externalising their aura-qi to keep the sludge away, they continued towards the outskirts of Clear Concealed Lake.
The further away they got from the centre of the formation, the weaker its negative influence.
One step heavy and one step light, following closely behind Yan Zhaoge, Ah Hu said vexedly, “Didn’t they say that everything was within their control? Why are they playing with your lives now?”
Yan Zhaoge first gazed back towards the black hole that had appeared where Clear Concealed Island had been, “While the Heavenly Thunder Hall provided us with some information that allowed us to suss out some spies of the Decimating Abyss Organisation within our midst, this does not mean that we had a clear grasp of all their spies.”
“It is not that the Heavenly Thunder Hall withheld the information, but that what they knew was also limited.”
“Before this, all of our preparations were based upon the information at hand, and it was precisely because this information was limited that the plan was made as conservatively as possible, in preparation for unforeseen circumstances like this that might occur.”
Yan Zhaoge had a seldom seen grave expression on his face, “But something still went wrong in the end. This goes to show that the extent of the encroachment of the Decimating Abyss Organisation, or should I say the Nine Underworlds, into the Eight Extremities World, into even the inner echelons of the six great Sacred Grounds, our Broad Creed Mountain included, far surpasses all our predictions.”
“The Martial Grandmasters in charge of ambushing and surrounding the enemy here consist of the most trustworthy people who are least suspect as chosen by the various Sacred Grounds.”
At this point, Yan Zhaoge sighed, “But looking at it now, amongst these people, there were also enemies. I only hope now that there are not too many of those; otherwise, this time would really be like a lamb entering the mouth of a tiger.”
Ah Hu’s face was bitter, “Who could it be ah? Those able to make it to such high positions amongst the six great Sacred Grounds-why would they get together with Decimating Abyss ah?”
Yan Zhaoge did not speak, his gaze deep as he pondered, “It all falls to the backup plan now, but if the backup plan has too been exposed, and is specifically targeted against by the enemy, today’s matter is destined to be hard to resolve.”
Intense ripples of energy emanated from the distance in all directions. Obviously, numerous experts, scattered all over the place, were currently locked in battle.
Meanwhile, the terrifying aura enveloping Clear Concealed Lake grew denser and denser.
The formation of black light seemed to be opening a great door leading from this world to the hell of the Nine Underworlds.
Accompanied by the continuous use of the formation, the black sludge beneath their feet also began getting stranger and more violent.
The martial practitioners on the lake were like flickering candles within the wind, extinguished one after another as they were suddenly enveloped and swallowed by the black sludge.
“Young Master!” Ah Hu’s expression was stern, but Yan Zhaoge told him, “Don’t worry about me; just pay attention to your own safety, be especially carefully guarding your mind from the devilish qi.”
“Currently, the Great Nine Underworlds Door is actually still far from truly opening, with only a tiny wisp of aura being emanated from a slit in the door. If we guard our essence at its core, we can keep our minds stable.”
Having said that, they were both individually swallowed up by the sludge.
The world before Yan Zhaoge’s eyes grew dark, but he didn’t feel himself being suffocated as truly being within that devilish qi that seemed like sludge, it instead felt as though he was within some dense mist.
Pan-Pan followed closely by Yan Zhaoge’s side, surveying their surroundings curiously.
Leading it along, Yan Zhaoge progressed forward slowly. Now, the scene before his eyes suddenly changed as a purple light of thunder flickered.
Within the light of thunder, a figure appeared. That person was precisely Xie Ziyi!
It was only that the current Xie Ziyi had completely recovered from his injuries, his strength and aura seemingly even stronger than before, just that his entire person appeared strange while also distorted.
Looking at Yan Zhaoge, his eyes lit up, a strange smile appearing on his face.
The next instant, Xie Ziyi’s figure suddenly vanished without a trace. When he next appeared, a terrifying, evil purple sword-light was already right before Yan Zhaoge!
“Consumed by the darkness and fallen to the dark side?” Yan Zhaoge knit his brows slightly, “Since you’re courting death, I’ll grant your wish.”