Chapter 559: Leaping Between Heaven and Hell (I)
Within the dark void filled with the violent power of rules, Zhu Tong'en, who had just passed through the node's rift into the demon realm, staggered back out in a sorry state. His body lurched, nearly losing control as he almost plunged toward the energy lake below. His face turned pale, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead. The energy lake beneath him was no trivial matter. Though Zhu Tong'en was strong, rashly entering it would still be extremely dangerous. He did not possess a physique like Lin Zheyu's.
After steadying himself, Zhu Tong'en let out a long breath, his expression easing considerably.
Zhu Tong'en's already gloomy face darkened further. "Which bastard stirred up trouble in the demon realm to attract so many yaos? Judging by the situation, they won't be leaving anytime soon."
It was no wonder Fan Hongwei had given him so many spirit stones. The demon realm beyond this space-time node was actually this dangerous. That unlucky martial artist must have fallen into serious danger, forcing Fan Hongwei to pay such a high price to hire him.
Zhu Tong'en gripped the compass, thinking to himself, The demon realm is off-limits for now. I'll head back first.
Just as he was about to put the compass away, his movement paused slightly. A faint vibration came from the tracking compass. This kind of reaction only occurred when the target was very close.
"???"
A trace of confusion flashed through Zhu Tong'en's mind. He did not immediately consider that the target might be hiding in this chaotic void. What kind of lunatic would hide in such a violent, chaotic, and dangerous place? The power of rules here was turbulent and disordered. Even cultivators at the Nascent Soul realm or Deity Transformation realm would find it difficult to comprehend any useful Dao resonance from it.
With the strength of Nascent Soul realm and Deity Transformation realm experts, there were far better and more suitable places than this. There was no reason for them to come here. Yet the world was vast, and there would always be strange people and cultivators who did things beyond comprehension. Having lived for so many years, Zhu Tong'en understood this well. Once all impossibilities were eliminated, the only remaining answer, no matter how unbelievable, had to be the truth!
Realizing this possibility, Zhu Tong'en felt utterly unsettled. "That guy is hiding in this chaotic void? This... What for?"
Since he isn't trapped in the demon realm, why not just leave directly? Unless... Could it be that he has some special secret treasure on him, and he's staying in this void to absorb the chaotic power of the rules generated here?
Thoughts immediately surfaced in Zhu Tong'en's mind.
A flicker of suspicion passed across his gloomy face, mixed with a trace of excitement and anticipation. Only such a reason could explain why the other party had remained here for so long.
A secret treasure! My opportunity has arrived! A treasure involving the power of rules might even allow me to reach the Golden Core realm! Zhu Tong'en thought excitedly.
He had thought this was just an ordinary mission to the demon realm, never expecting such fortune to fall into his lap. In his mind, the potential secret treasure already belonged to him. This was a chaotic void within an unstable space-time node. Cultivators above the Golden Core realm could not enter. Here, Zhu Tong'en had complete confidence in his strength. Even among Foundation Establishment realm cultivators, few could surpass him, let alone a mere crude martial artist.
"That senior from Soaring Cloud Pavilion only asked me to enter the demon realm and bring that martial artist out. Clearly, he doesn't know the man is hiding in this chaotic void, which means he doesn't know the man has this secret treasure. Or even if he does, he doesn't know its function or form. So... This treasure is mine!"
An unsightly smile appeared on Zhu Tong'en's face. He glanced discreetly at the compass, memorized Lin Zheyu's position, then casually put it away. Although confident in his strength, he remained cautious and did not underestimate his opponent in the slightest. Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit. This principle was the dharma treasure that had allowed Zhu Tong'en to survive so long and complete so many dangerous missions in the cultivation world.
The black winds howled, seeming to grow even more violent. Zhu Tong'en put away the compass, his face returning to its gloomy and troubled expression as he continued toward the exit as if nothing had happened. At the same time, his right hand quietly moved toward his storage pouch...
***
Lin Zheyu looked at Zhu Tong'en, who was putting on an act, with evident interest. "Is this guy coming for me?"
The moment Zhu Tong'en's expression shifted, he noticed something was off. The violent and chaotic energy and power of rules here heavily suppressed spiritual sense and perception. But that was only relative.
After cultivating two divine repository techniques, Lin Zheyu's perception had been further enhanced. Zhu Tong'en's subtle shifts in expression, the compass's tracking signals, and his many small movements had all been clearly seen by Lin Zheyu. He watched as if enjoying a performance, observing Zhu Tong'en act it out.
Hm, quite interesting.
Having stayed in this pitch-black, lifeless world without light for so long, Lin Zheyu had long grown bored. Now that such an interesting fellow had appeared, he could not help but feel like watching the show unfold.
"Interesting," Lin Zheyu remarked.
His expression was calm and composed, with a trace of amusement. Although he had not yet advanced to the Divine Repository realm, Lin Zheyu could clearly feel that his strength had already surpassed the Foundation Establishment realm. He was confident enough to face an early Golden Core realm cultivator. As for the one before him, who was merely a peak Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, Lin Zheyu could crush him with ease.
The black winds raged, howling through the dark void. Zhu Tong'en quietly retrieved a dharma treasure from his storage pouch. Then, without drawing attention, he continued dodging the violent rule energy ahead while subtly shifting toward Lin Zheyu. The distance between them grew smaller. Closer and closer.
Zhu Tong'en's spirit was taut with tension. His heart pounded, his eyes filled with excitement and anticipation. Closer now. The spirit power within him stirred, the dharma artifact in his hand poised to strike, his spiritual sense pushed to its limit as he silently locked onto Lin Zheyu's position. Then he saw it. A face wearing a mocking smile and a massive palm carrying terrifying force came crashing toward him at astonishing speed.
Danger!
Zhu Tong'en's heart thundered wildly as a sense of impending doom struck him. The spirit power he had been gathering burst forth in an instant, and he transformed into a streak of green light, shooting toward the exit.
Fuck, and you're telling me this is a Divine Repository realm martial artist?
Zhu Tong'en cursed inwardly.
This Divine Repository realm martial artist was completely beyond reason. Damn it. The sense of threat he gave off was even more terrifying than that of a newly advanced Golden Core realm cultivator Zhu Tong'en had once encountered. How could such a powerhouse appear within this space-time node? This made no sense!
Years spent skirting the edge of danger had honed Zhu Tong'en's reaction speed to an astonishing level. The instant he sensed something was wrong, he fled. Yet while he was fast, Lin Zheyu's attack was faster. The massive palm swept through the raging storm of rule energy, carrying overwhelming force as it crashed down with thunderous roars.
Just as Zhu Tong'en took flight, he felt the terrifying force closing in behind him. A flicker of despair flashed through his eyes before the massive palm struck him.
With a sharp crack, the defensive dharma artifacts surrounding him shattered instantly, and Zhu Tong'en's body was crushed into a pool of flesh. The massive palm seized the intact storage pouch and vanished in an instant.
Even as he struck, Lin Zheyu had spare capacity and deliberately set aside a portion of his strength to protect the storage pouch. The raging black winds swept past, scattering the gore and the thick scent of blood into the void. Before long, the place was once again swallowed by violent energy and the power of rules, as though nothing had ever happened.
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