Chapter 118: Braving the Danger Alone
Chapter 118: Braving the Danger Alone
“Apologies for the wait.”
After dressing, Cheng Lingyu grasped Lan Xiaozhu’s hand and approached Yu Feilong and Hua Yuehong.
Yu Feilong’s displeasure showed plainly, sensing Cheng Lingyu’s deliberate provocation—an unforgivable act.
A Middle-Aged Cultivator behind Yu Feilong barked, “How dare you challenge the Heavenly Palace’s authority?”
Cheng Lingyu sneered. “Do you speak for the Heavenly Palace?”
Yu Feilong’s voice chilled. “Overconfidence will be your downfall. Provoking me is folly.”
Cheng Lingyu shot back, “I disagree. Provoking me lets you chat with the King of Hell more often.”
Hua Yuehong demanded coldly, “State your purpose.”
“Those who bark orders in my presence annoy me,” Cheng Lingyu retorted. “If strength matters here, I’ll gladly send you to hell for that chat.”
“Insolent! How dare you address our holy son this way?”
Killing intent radiated from Cheng Lingyu as he released Lan Xiaozhu’s hand. Sword shadows flickered in his eyes while he advanced toward the Heavenly Palace experts.
Yu Feilong’s face hardened. “Do you seek war with the Heavenly Palace, Cheng Lingyu?”
“I told you—I dislike being ordered around.”
Even Yu Feilong felt unease under Cheng Lingyu’s piercing stare, the danger palpable.
“Your feeble power isn’t worth my attention. Others would accuse me of bullying the weak. Once your cultivation level improves, I’ll personally teach you why certain people shouldn’t be crossed.”
With a cold turn, Yu Feilong led his followers toward the Spirit Hall. His restraint stemmed from two reasons:
First, Cheng Lingyu’s capabilities puzzled him—dozens of peak Soul Martial cultivators had fallen to this youth.
Second, the Spirit Hall remained his true objective, leaving no desire for petty conflicts.
Cheng Lingyu chuckled mockingly, though wariness lingered beneath. He’d never truly fight the Heavenly Palace, having inherited Senior Sister Caiyun’s defiant spirit against showing weakness.
Rejoining Lan Xiaozhu, he clasped her hand as they neared the canyon-bottomed Spirit Hall. Ancient and weathered, its entrance pulsed with hazy light waves.
Yu Feilong and Hua Yuehong stood vigil outside before entering with their experts.
Hanging back, Cheng Lingyu observed through the Mist. His Magic Eyes pierced through to reveal a stone coffin in the grand hall—its lid ajar, divine light spilling from within.
Approaching the entrance, Cheng Lingyu spotted a familiar banner beside the coffin.
“That flag… it resembles the Soul Guide Banner.”
The multicolored banner stirred windlessly before the coffin, mirroring the one in his grasp.
The flagpole was covered in intricate patterns, shimmering with Spiritual Light.
Yu Feilong and Hua Yuehong stepped into the grand hall only to be trapped immediately. Strange restrictions within made it nearly impossible to approach the stone coffin in the central area.
Cheng Lingyu frowned slightly. After observing for a moment, he suddenly retrieved The Source Pearl. The artifact trembled fiercely, pinpointing the stone coffin as the source of hidden treasures.
“Let’s go in too.”
Cheng Lingyu gripped Lan Xiaozhu’s hand and dashed through the Entrance of the Hall. Mountain-like pressure slammed into them the instant they entered, leaving them gasping for air.
Lan Xiaozhu strained against the force, noticing the flag at the hall’s center quivering faintly. A mysterious aura emanated from it, agitating the Cold Crystal Illusion Flower inside her while suppressing its power completely.
“This place is horrifying. Even my Immortal Soul refuses to go near it.”
Cheng Lingyu’s brows knitted tighter as he sensed the abnormality.
“This Spirit Hall isn’t like the previous two. It must lie at the heart of Guishun Valley, acting as a seal over the entire valley.”
The supergravity field inside crushed them mercilessly, compounded by cryptic formations blocking their path.
Yu Feilong, Hua Yuehong, and their five companions had paused to study the formations, seeking a way to dismantle the array.
“Wait here. I’ll investigate.”
After brief consideration, Cheng Lingyu resolved to venture ahead alone.
Lan Xiaozhu shook her head. “I’m coming with you.”
Cheng Lingyu grimaced. “I can’t guarantee safety here. If you insist, I’ll have to keep you in the storage ring.”
After hesitating, Lan Xiaozhu reluctantly agreed rather than be separated from him.
Cheng Lingyu stored her in the storage ring before tucking it inside his Spirit Cloak Ring. He rarely revealed this treasure gifted by Chi Mei’er—not only did the ring conceal a mysterious castle, but he also preferred keeping its secrets from Lan Xiaozhu.
Surveying the hall’s formations, Cheng Lingyu combined the technique of origins with the Heavenly Spirit Diagram to devise a solution swiftly.
Taking a step forward, the supergravity field’s brutality struck him like a physical blow, nearly buckling his knees.
Terror flashed across Cheng Lingyu’s face. His Physical Body had once carried Lan Xiaozhu single-handedly to the central area of the first Spirit Hall. Yet here, in this third hall, merely lifting his foot felt like enduring the Mount Tai descending force.
The disparity was staggering.
Channeling his true essence, Cheng Lingyu abandoned forward momentum. Instead, he etched a gathering formation onto his skin. Previously, a five-fold gathering formation outside the hall had proven effective.
This time, he started with a three-fold version. The effort took little time, yet the supergravity field’s grip weakened noticeably.
Encouraged, he upgraded it to a four-fold gathering formation. The pressure lessened further, as if the formation neutralized part of the hall’s immense pressure.
To test his theory, he painstakingly crafted a six-fold gathering formation and activated Di Xuan Yin. The supergravity field beneath him intensified dozens of times beyond normal levels.
“Remarkable.”
Limited by his cultivation level, six layers were his maximum. With most of the supergravity field negated, Cheng Lingyu moved freely toward the central stone coffin using his formation-breaking methods.
The flag’s influence barely touched him—having not yet merged with a martial soul, its intimidation passed unnoticed.
The stone coffin emitted an invisible aura; the closer one approached, the more intense the supergravity field became.
Despite the six-fold gathering formation etched onto his body, Cheng Lingyu couldn’t withstand the immense pressure.
Gritting his teeth, he managed only two steps before his legs began shaking under the crushing weight. Thunderous roars echoed through his five lakes and four seas as the ten pyramids within him blazed with divine light, straining against the overwhelming force.
Behind Cheng Lingyu, Hua Yuehong summoned her beautiful jade coffin while Yu Feilong activated a spirit artifact, both struggling against the grand hall’s pressure. The remaining five Heavenly Palace experts retreated helplessly.
Cheng Lingyu monitored their progress through peripheral vision, debating whether to unleash his Ghostly Magic Blade or Fang Tian Bao Yin to push forward.
He now stood three steps from the stone coffin, each step multiplying the pressure. Reaching it seemed impossible.
Activating Di Xuan Yin, Cheng Lingyu redirected some pressure to his feet. The partial relief allowed a third shaky step.
Sweat cascaded down his rigid frame as the torment tested his resolve. Only iron willpower kept him standing.
“What hellish thing lies in that coffin?” he mentally cursed, noting Hua Yuehong and Yu Feilong gaining ground behind him.
Hua Yuehong’s beautiful jade coffin enveloped her in holy golden light, while Yu Feilong’s floating scroll absorbed portions of the supergravity field.
Palms upturned, Cheng Lingyu activated both magic knife and Fang Tian Bao Yin. The blade lay subdued by unknown forces, while the treasure seal remained inert.
“Even the magic knife fears this place?” he seethed, two agonizing steps from his goal.
Frantically, he opened his Spirit Cloak Ring. His gaze fixed on a faintly glowing mud bowl from Lanling Holy Palace – purchased long ago at a ghost market, its purpose unknown until now.
The bowl vibrated faintly in his palm, emitting invisible runes detectable only through his Magic Eyes cultivation. These symbols flowed into his sea of consciousness, settling on two grass leaves where they transformed into comprehensible information.