Chapter 2347: Black Sandstorm
The black fog back in the hive ancestral world was made up of tiny black sand grains, which were crystallized forms of primeval source. Tianming grabbed a handful and gave them a squeeze, causing them to turn into dense primeval source that flooded into his body. The astral discs within his albi began revolving as they charged up with energy; his body was like a universe, and the influx of energy was like a universal storm.
"There's far too much." Within the black fog, it actually looked more like a black sandstorm. The crystallized primeval source slammed against his body, causing him quite a lot of pain. Some parts even bled as the sand smashed into them.
"Even one speck of sand would be enough for everyone on the Flameyellow Continent to cultivate for a few years." Such was the sheer difference between the different tiers of lifeforms. To the mortals of the mundane world, astral gods were nigh omnipotent.
"Gravity’s increasing...." He felt a strong pull coming from the star. Even without him accelerating toward it, he was being pulled down faster and faster. He could only slow down by expending his astralforce.
"Aaaaah!" One of the metal cockroaches fell off Tianming's body and into oblivion.
"Pitiful creatures." He tried his best to take any Yin Chens around him into his lifebound space. Yin Chen couldn't control its bodies, which were being pulled toward the black star's surface much faster than he was.
From up close, the surface didn't seem as smooth. The terrain was quite uneven, with many mountain ranges intersecting with each other, as well as deep canyons. They were all subsumed within the black sandstorm, making them rather hard to see. Together with Lin Hongchen, he landed on the star's surface. The moment he did, he furrowed his brows.
"The gravity here is a few times stronger than Ebonia's!" That was why Yin Chen's bodies had been pulled off him. Tianming was surrounded by many crushed silver eggs; they were completely unable to move in this gravity.
"Can you not move at all? Try harder," Tianming said.
"I can't... I'm crippled!" Yin Chen said.
"Then we're done for. Not only can you not fight, I can't even use you to scout around." Tianming held his head, troubled.
A bundle of Yin Chens formed into large metallic centipedes, which could still move somewhat. It was trying to signal that it could still fight, even if its invisible cockroach form was sealed.
"Alright, come back first." He picked up the Yin Chens around him and put them in his lifebound space. "Even though this black star's only about a tenth the size of the moon, it looks more like a flat plane from the surface. I wonder how many people are here now...." He would have easily been able to find out had he been able to use Yin Chen. It was entirely up to him now. Lin Hongchen inspected the surroundings before he decided to leave. Tianming went to him and said, "Hey, don't go."
"Why’re you following me?" Lin Hongchen shot him a cold look.
"Hey, I just got myself a minion after so much trouble. Of course I can't let a chance to use you go!"
"Are you trying to get the four skeletons?" Lin Hongchen asked.
"You're right. I'm worried that you're so weak you'll be exploited by others," Tianming said.
"Haha... I didn't use my swordbeasts in our last fight. Don't think you're that much stronger than I am. Who knows if that was the best you could do?" Lin Hongchen ignored Tianming and kept on going.
.
Tianming didn't think the skeletons would be that important anyway. He just wanted to stick with Lin Hongchen because he felt that this place would be fraught with dangers. Lin Hongchen was Ku's grandson, and he didn't wish for him to die here.
"What’re you planning to do?" Lin Hongchen asked, eyes fixed on the black fog ahead.
"I lost one of my tricks here, so the playing field has been evened. But it's fine. There should be quite a few hexagonal holes on this star, so we’d better start looking for them," Tianming said.
"Sure." Lin Hongchen basically had the same idea.
They made their way through the storm and found a nearby hexagonal hole, then sped up toward it. Tianming found that this place was a little similar to the Astralium Seeking's star, but back then it had been a simulation within the wondersky realm, while they were in the flesh on the black star. He also found that the gravity was far more intense than the Astralium Seeking's arena.
"Did you notice that our bodies get heavier the closer we are to the hole?" Lin Hongchen asked.
"Yeah. I bet there's an even more powerful storm over there. Be prepared, weakling," Tianming said, looking ahead with an intense gaze.
Lin Hongchen ignored him and drew his Frostshower Crimson Sun. Then he talked a little with his lifebound beasts before catching up to Tianming, forging ahead shoulder-to-shoulder. The two of them represented the first and second branches of the clan, and they happened to be the clan's two strongest representatives as well. That they were able to put aside their differences and focus on the current event even after they had clashed made a good example for the clan. All billion members of the clan closely watched them, hoping that they would bring the clan even more glory.
"We're almost there." Tianming felt like the gravity near the holes reached ridiculous levels; even moving was a huge ordeal. His organs, blood flow, and energy circulation were all affected by it.
"Will you be able to weather this without a heptastar cosmic physique?" Lin Hongchen asked when he gave him a glance.
"Watch and learn." Tianming rolled his eyes and forged ahead even faster. There was a sky-reaching pillar of air ahead of them, stemming from the hexagonal hole. He mustered himself and jumped straight into the hole. The storm within blew against him and caused countless specks of black sand to smash into his body. It was incredibly painful. He used his left arm to shield himself as he circulated his astralforce, grunting as he charged down, forcing his way through the pillar of air.
I wonder if Lin Hongchen will make it in.?He looked up and saw the white-robed youth following behind him, appearing incredibly relaxed. He had used his order field to freeze space around him, causing the speed of the sand within to slow down until it was barely able to harm him. His entry was incredibly elegant, unlike Tianming's brutish entrance.
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