Chapter 480: Who Is Truly Trapped? |
This gate was about five meters high and three meters wide. Its entire body presented a dull, dark-golden color. The surface of the main gate was carved with overlapping runes and cloud patterns, while the pillars of the gate were coiled with great dragons that seemed both still and moving.
This should be the so-called "Sovereign Relics". Su Chen merely gave it a brief glance.
The duration of "Venerable Manifestation" was limited, and now was not the time for careful observation.
Azure Flame surged and rolled around, but when it was half a meter away from the gate, it was vaguely blocked by an invisible force. It twisted wildly, collapsed, and exploded into fine specks of light, unable to advance even a single step.
"This thing even resists external force..." Su Chen frowned. With a flash of his figure, he barged into the pillar of light, deciding to just grab it directly.
Upon personal experience, he indeed felt an extremely intense resistance. The Dark Gold Gate trembled, and an overwhelming, irresistible power surged out from it, resisting Su Chen's grasp.
"Tsk..." Su Chen exerted force with his hand, mobilizing the profound and unfathomable power within his body.
Immediately after, golden patterns, thin as hair and flowing endlessly, unexpectedly emerged on the edges of the gate, fiercely clashing with Su Chen's palm and stirring up silent, explosive roars.
The more force he exerted, the more blazing the resistance felt.
"This thing..." Su Chen's eyelids twitched. His palm was less than ten centimeters away from the gate, but for these ten centimeters, he could not advance any further.
"Worthy of being the so-called Sovereign Relics..." Su Chen took a deep breath. In just this short amount of time, one-third of Venerable Manifestation's duration had been depleted.
He had a plan in mind all along: kill Zhou Lin, deal with his corpse, enter this place, suppress the Four-Armed Golden Ape, and collect the Profound Limit Celestial Light. Altogether, it took no more than ten-odd seconds.
The vast majority of the time was spent on this Sovereign Relic.
"No, the intensity of this thing is too high. I reckon an ordinary Radiant Moon would find it impossible to obtain. Even if I used my remaining chance for Venerable Manifestation, I'm afraid I still wouldn't be able to get it."
Su Chen furrowed his brows slightly. Although he didn't know its function, this thing was definitely a good item.
"Now is not the time to worry about this item; we'll talk about it later. I can't continue wasting time on this."
Su Chen withdrew his gaze, looking around this patch of Void Light that was already on the verge of shattering. "This is a good stage... just right..."
Boom!
His heterochromatic pupils emitted dazzling radiance, and Golden Flame surged out from his body like a tidal wave, roaring as it swept across the entire space. Wherever it passed, the void was scorched, emitting a subtle humming sound.
The flame turned into flowing streaks of red-gold patterns, wandering in the void. Those void fissures, which had been continuously tearing and expanding under the energy impact,
Actually began to slowly close under the washing of the flame. The surface layer of the Void Light space even rippled with layers of flowing halos, seemingly becoming increasingly sturdy.
Su Chen's movements did not stop. Roars of thunder occasionally exploded in his hands. Thick Azure Lightning rolled in his hands and condensed into streaks of Azure Lightning Arcs the size of an arm.
Every time he condensed one, he would casually throw it out, following the Golden Flame to merge into this Void Light. His movements were extremely fast, continuously squeezing out the almost inexhaustible power within his body.
In the end, he even walked out of the Void Light, scattering extremely solid Azure Lightning Arcs in all directions. Some sank deep into the earth, while others hid within the hazy firmament.
The Golden Flame dissipating from his body turned into imperceptibly thin threads the size of a hair, gradually merging into the void and disappearing.
"Why aren't they here yet?" Su Chen's movements didn't stop, feeling quite surprised. The commotion just now wasn't small, and the current commotion was even bigger, yet those Radiant Moons still seemed to not have noticed.
"Is the Guixu Abyss's suppression of perception and Psionic Power really this deep?"
"Then let's make an even bigger commotion!" Su Chen could already feel the time for Venerable Manifestation nearing its end. His movements paused slightly, and crackling sounds exploded around him as streaks of dissipating light boiled around his body.
Finally, they condensed above his head, brazenly soaring into the sky. Outside the thick lightning pillar, it was wrapped in a wave of Golden Flame. Wherever it passed, the void twisted and piled up, layer upon layer like waves.
Finally, it submerged into the hazy firmament above, without erupting with any astonishing might.
"Why isn't Taixuan Hong hiding properly? What is he doing coming to this Great Void Realm?"
The Immeasurable Buddha's expression was gloomy. At this moment, he sat cross-legged atop the firmament. Waves of Buddha-light lingered around him, and a thousand hands spread open behind his back, each palm possessing an open vertical pupil.
A lotus bloomed beneath his seat, carrying him across the horizon. His thousand eyes scanned every inch of the earth below.
"I hope it's not that Taixuan Hong, otherwise..." The Immeasurable Buddha thought of the contract he established with Elder Gou, as well as the fury he might face upon the World-Honored One's return.
Even he felt a slight chill at this moment.
Boom!
Suddenly, he faintly seemed to hear some sound. The thousand eyes in his hands simultaneously looked in a certain direction. In an instant, spanning an extremely vast distance, he vaguely saw a blazing golden pillar of light.
"A scorching intent..." The Immeasurable Buddha's heart sank slightly. "Could it be..."
The thousand eyes behind him vanished. The Lotus Throne beneath him vibrated slightly, and instantly tore open a Rift behind him.
"That is..." Tang Huai also turned to look at the horizon. His eyes flickered, and he vanished from his spot.
The remaining Zhuang Yi, Yuan Luofan, Luo Cheng, and others had the same reaction, simultaneously rushing in the direction the commotion came from.
"Radiant Moon, huh..." Su Chen looked down at his hands. At this moment, the duration of Venerable Manifestation had ended. That seemingly omnipotent power vanished cleanly from his body, leaving him somewhat unaccustomed.
"And this is just purely elevating to Radiant Moon, without the accumulation of the Morning Star level, yet it's this powerful. Who knows how formidable those guys are..."
Su Chen glanced at the wisp of Golden Spark beside him. Thinking for a moment, he smoothed out his thoughts and plans again, inevitably frowning: "There might still be accidents. If there really is no chance to hide these things with the Main Body, then I won't send them. It's not like there are no other ways to get the missing Faith Essence."
"The key is Taixuan Hong's death. That is the primary goal. Such an opportunity is not easy to come by."
"As for this thing." He raised his head and glanced at the Boundless Light above him, no longer conflicted: "Forget it. If I get it, it's my fortune; if I lose it, it's my fate. The Status Panel is my greatest treasure."
And now... Su Chen opened the Status Panel and extracted a wisp of the Saint Lord's Essence that the Heavenly Sovereign had previously stolen for him.
A wisp of pale purple light gradually appeared before his eyes. This was just a wisp of aura, possessing no power at all. But even so, the surrounding void twisted slightly, as if bearing some colossal object.
This Void Light space had already been reinforced by him and wasn't as fragile as before.
Su Chen also felt a palpitation in his heart, like a mayfly seeing an Azure Dragon. His body instinctively feared it.
"A Radiant Sun..." Su Chen couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Just as he was preparing to merge it into his body, he suddenly heard a whistling sound from above.
Hmm?
He couldn't help but look up, his expression becoming one of astonishment. He saw a streak of dark golden light crash straight down in front of him, kicking up a large cloud of dust.
"This... thing came down on its own?"
Su Chen was somewhat stunned. Looking at the Dark Gold Gate in the crater on the ground, it was impressively the Sovereign Relic that even the might of Venerable Manifestation could do absolutely nothing against just a moment ago.
Yet right now, it lay there quietly. Its light gradually retracted, and its volume was even shrinking. In the end, it was only the size of a palm, like a model.
If it were placed at a stall for sale, Su Chen reckoned he wouldn't even give it a second glance.
Su Chen hesitated briefly, then cautiously stepped forward. He had been quite cautious initially, but who knew that just by trying to use a little Psionic Power, he directly pulled up the palm-sized Dark Gold Gate.
"It really did retract all its might..."
The gate fell into his hand. Its touch was cold and thick, but it wasn't considered heavy.
【Abyssal Gate (Damaged): One of the Relics of the Sovereign of the Abyss. Using the Power of the Blazing Sun, it can open a portal to the Abyss.】
Power of the Blazing Sun? Portal to the Abyss?
And this thing was still in a damaged state. Who would have thought?
Looking at the description, Su Chen couldn't help but feel doubtful: "Hasn't the Abyss already perished? Or does this Abyss have another meaning?"
Su Chen took out one of the three Compressed Spaces he had previously purchased from his storage space and easily stuffed it inside without any obstruction.
"How exactly did it fall down?" Su Chen tried going back and forth several times, but no accidents occurred. His gaze couldn't help but fall upon the Saint Lord's Essence over there.
The only thing possible to cause such a change was this wisp of aura.
"This gate bullies the weak and fears the strong..." Su Chen muttered. He first grabbed this wisp of aura and merged it into his body, turned the gate over and over a few times, and even tried to input energy into it.
Although the other party didn't refuse anyone, there was no reaction whatsoever.
"Forget it, let's put it away first."
Right now was not the time for investigation. If he could send it to his Main Body, he could naturally study it slowly.
"But this way, the thought of sending these things to the Main Body has also strengthened."
Su Chen's eyes flickered. Originally, if it was just the Profound Limit Celestial Light and various materials, he could grit his teeth and part with them.
But adding this thing into the mix, it wasn't just a matter of gritting his teeth; he would have to crush them.
"They're here..." As he was pondering, Su Chen suddenly looked up, his heart tightening slightly. Through the properties of the Void Light, he had already seen the figures arriving outside one after another.
Su Chen reached out and grabbed the Golden Spark beside him. The next part was the main event.
"Buddha..."
Outside, Tang Huai looked at the descending Immeasurable Buddha. Zhuang Yi, Yuan Luofan, and the other Radiant Moons had arrived in succession, their gazes fixed straight on the two twisted, intertwining streams of Void Light in the distance.
"What just happened?" The Immeasurable Buddha furrowed his brows. The Lotus Throne dissipated, and he asked as soon as he landed.
"There was a burst of powerful force, likely at the Radiant Moon level," Yuan Luofan said. Being closest to this place, his perception was also the deepest.
"If my expectations are not wrong, that Taixuan Hong should be inside." Tang Huai's gaze was profound. He had already seen a blurry figure through the Void Light. "However, this Void Light is a bit different. Its intensity is extremely high, and it can block some probing."
"He came here just for this place?" The Immeasurable Buddha frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly. Due to the influence of the Guixu Abyss's properties, plus the fact that this Void Light was indeed different.
At this moment, it was also difficult to peer behind the Void Light.
"I'd like to see if it's really him." The Immeasurable Buddha snorted coldly, wanting to figure it out.
Buddha-light lingered behind his back. Slender and graceful arms stretched out, palms opening, all aimed at that patch of Void Light.
Following that, vertical pupils suddenly blossomed in the centers of the palms.
The originally blurry figure gradually became clear, and the barrier in between was pierced through. The Immeasurable Buddha focused his gaze. It was a figure pacing back and forth, frowning deeply, seemingly very anxious.
There was nothing unusual about his outward appearance.
"This is Taixuan Hong?" The Immeasurable Buddha's eyes flickered, his fingers and palms glowing. The vertical pupils trembled as he continued to look into this person's body.
But suddenly, his expression became one of shock.
In a trance, he seemed to see a magnificent figure enveloped in Purple Flame filling his vision.
"Buddha! Buddha!"
Faint shouts could be heard by his ear. The Immeasurable Buddha's heart jolted, and he quickly woke up. Only then did he realize that the thousand hands behind his back had collapsed without a trace, and he had even taken a few steps back.
Everyone around looked at him with inquiring gazes.
"What's wrong? What did you discover?" Zhuang Yi asked repeatedly.
The Immeasurable Buddha's throat was dry. The corners of his mouth twitched, and he finally said, "I saw it. The Sovereign of the Purple Zenith."
The thing he wanted to see the least had still happened. The bitterness in his heart gradually turned into anger. If this guy had been discovered earlier, he wouldn't have gone looking for Elder Gou.
If this guy had been discovered later by Elder Gou, he could have gone to catch him himself. But now the timing was neither biased nor impartial, stuck right in the middle.
He had already paid an enormous price, yet this brat jumped out on his own.
"Then there are no problems." Tang Huai nodded, looking at Zhuang Yi, and said with a chuckle, "Brother Zhuang's information channels are truly well-informed."
Zhuang Yi was somewhat surprised at this moment as well. This news came from a friend of one of his students from their youth. He had only brought the mindset of giving it a try when he notified the Pillars to go to the Tower of Storms to inquire.
"Since that's the case, after this, the Pillars should take out some appropriate rewards," Zhuang Yi said.
"As it should be." Tang Huai nodded, in a good mood. "I just wonder what he's doing coming to this Great Void Realm. It can't possibly be for exploration."
"How should we handle it?" A muffled voice sounded. It was the Radiant Moon from the Machine Domain arriving. A pair of pupils scanned the surroundings. "He seems to still have some methods."
"No matter. It's just some parlor tricks." Tang Huai shook his head, naturally noticing some of the methods lingering around the Void Light, but they were not worth mentioning, at least they couldn't cause them any harm.
"He's already trapped here. His life or death is just a thought away. But I'm somewhat curious, what is he doing here? And what was up with that pillar of light just now..."
Tang Huai was unhurried, his voice carrying over, "Taixuan Hong, you should recognize me, right?"
The Void Light fell silent. After a long time, a cold and eerie voice finally came out, "Naturally, I recognize you, Heaven Lord Tang!"
"It's good that you recognize me." Tang Huai nodded, his voice plain. "Since that's the case, we shouldn't need to personally go in and catch you, right? After all, you were once a Pillar of the Abyss."
"The Abyssal Pillar?" The voice in the Void Light carried a bit of desolation, mockery, and unwillingness: "How did you all come so fast? Is that Tower of Storms actually so selfless as to directly notify you all?"
Beside them, Yuan Luofan was somewhat embarrassed, but at the same time realized that the reason this Taixuan Hong was still staying here seemed not to be because of Zhou Lin's constraints, but because his business was actually unfinished.