Chapter 1158: Passing the Hurdle
Swoosh swoosh swoosh!
Xuan Kong Zi on the tall stage nodded as he watched the human figures entering the Fantasy Realm like locusts in transit. Both of his hands were inserted into his sleeves as he faintly said, “The Pill Gathering this time around has become a little interesting. It is unexpected that even some famous old fellows have also come…”
“The Three Thousand Burning Flame is far from what an ordinary Heavenly Flame can compare with. It is quite tempting to these people. Naturally, they would want to come and join in the fun.” That dark-skinned, old man beside Xuan Kong Zi raised his eyebrows. His stern lightningbolt-like eyes swept over the human figures rushing into the Fantasy Realm hurdle as he commented.
“The waves behind push away those at the front. Some of the members from the younger generation are not weaker than them. Even if they participate, it is likely that they will only end up with ashen faces…” The cheongsam-clad, pretty woman by the side smiled as she added her thoughts.
Xuan Kong Zi grinned and nodded. He fondled his beard and said, “The younger generation this time has a number of outstanding people. However, the thing I am most curious about is just what extent will Xiao Yan reach…”
“Xiao Yan? Yao Chen’s disciple?” The dark-skinned, old man was startled. His eyes immediately glanced at the pretty woman by his side.
“Yao Chen…”
The pretty woman was a little startled. She had been in a retreat during these years. Other than important matters like sealing the Three Thousand Burning Flames, she would usually not show herself. One could say that she was the one who kept the lowest profile among the three giant heads of the Pill Tower. Even some people who had just entered the Pill Tower for a short while might not even be aware of her existence. Many people thought that there had not been any woman giant heads in the history of the Pill Tower. However, only those with experience were aware that the first woman giant head of the Pill Tower had already appeared before Cao Ying. However, she was much older than Cao Ying…
This mysterious, pretty woman was once considered a truly renowned person across the Dou Qi continent. Her name was not the least bit weaker than the other two giant heads.
Although she had been in a retreat during these years and had not been involved in any matters, her eyes revealed an unknown glint within them when she heard of this distant name that she had difficulty forgetting…
“Based on what Xiao Yan said, Yao Chen has currently landed in the hands of the Hall of Souls. Once the Pill Gathering is over, we might perhaps help this old fellow if it is possible. After all, no matter what, he did our Pill Tower a great favor back then…” Xuan Kong Zi slowly informed them.
The face of the pretty woman slightly changed upon hearing what had happened. Her rippleless old-well-like mentality had begun to fluctuate. Her face sank as she said, “Who asked that old fellow to act great back then. He knew that the Hall of Souls had targeted him, yet he still dared to roam around. He deserves this kind of fate…”
“You may speak in such an easy matter, but who don’t know that you are the one who is most worried about that old fellow. You have quietly dispatched quite a number of people to inquire about Yao Chen during these years. The two of us know…” Xuan Kong Zi sighed.
“Who cares if he has died!”
The pretty woman’s eyebrows became vertical, causing her to appear mighty even without being angry. However, these words appeared to lack any backing when they landed in the ears of Xuan Kong Zi and the other person. However, the two of them clearly understood her stubborn character. They could only helplessly shake their heads.
The many Elders from the Pill Tower looked at each other after the argument of these three. All of them wisely chose to act like they heard nothing.
“Let me meet this little fellow once the Pill Gathering is over. I have heard that the members of the Hall of Souls are also planning on capturing him. No matter what… he is also his disciple…”
The pretty woman calmed down after the silence of Xuan Kong Zi and their companion. Her eyes dimmed as she spoke with a complicated expression in her eyes.
Xuan Kong Zi and the dark-skinned man faced each other upon hearing her words. They nodded, but did not add anything else.
Xiao Yan clearly sensed the tier badge on his chest emit a strange ripple while his body was charging into the deep-gray distorted space. Under this spreading ripple, a suction force erupted from the distorted space when his body touched it, sucking Xiao Yan into it.
This sudden suction force caused Xiao Yan’s eyes to be dazzled. The next time he regained his sight, he discovered that he was already standing in the deep-gray mysterious space.
This space was permeated by a thick, deep-gray vapor. One could not see even half a meter in any direction with one’s eyes. Moreover, a slight distortion would appear when one’s sight slid by some areas. Clearly, this place should be the so-called Fantasy Realm hurdle.
Xiao Yan’s feet remained planted on the deep-gray vapor. He did not charge around randomly. Instead, he continued to quietly stand there. His eyes were slightly shut as his majestic Spiritual Strength slowly spread out like waves of water…
The deep-gray vapor clearly suppressed one’s soul. This was something Xiao Yan had heard Ye Zhong mention before. Hence, he did not feel too surprised. This kind of suppression also had a limit. With the current power of his soul, he was easily able to take note of the situation around despite the hindrance of the vapor. However, the distance his Spiritual Strength could reach had been greatly reduced.
The spreading of Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength allowed him to sense the ripples formed by the surrounding deep-gray vapor. There should be new competitors continuously entering.
“This is a little similar to the energy tide in the Heavenly Eye Mountain Range… however, that formed naturally while this place is a maze created from using human strength to distort space. This method to trap a person is even more troublesome to deal with…” Xiao Yan revealed an expression contemplation. This place should have been formed by the experts from the Pill Tower. They probably used a great amount of strength to distort space. The distorted space was massive. If one were to randomly barge in, one would definitely lose one’s sense of direction or even end up being trapped here.
No matter how complicated this Fantasy Realm hurdle was, it was after all something that was man-made. If one wished to successfully charge out of this area, one would have to clearly identify the traces of spatial distortion within it. As long as one followed the bending pathway formed by the distorted space, one would be able to successfully walk out of this Fantasy Realm.
Of course, this might be easy to explain, but it was quite hard to do. Under this strange permeating vapor, one’s sight and Spiritual Strength were all firmly suppressed. It would be difficult if one wished to clearly identify the complicated spatial traces in this situation, where one was essentially blind, for an ordinary alchemist. Fortunately, Xiao Yan was not in this ordinary category. With the strength of his current soul, even some tier 7 high grade alchemists were unable to compare with him. Although the soul was being suppressed due to the gray-colored vapor, it wasn’t enough to stop one from dealing with this so-called Fantasy Realm hurdle…
Swoosh swoosh.
Xiao Yan faintly smiled upon hearing waves of wind being split apart a short distance away. By relying on his Spiritual Perception, he watched quite a number of alchemists randomly barge around and finally end up trapping themselves in some distorted space, unable to free themselves…
Xiao Yan quietly spread his Spiritual Strength. He placed both of his hands behind him as his feet gently stepped through empty space. He leisurely followed the route that his Spiritual Strength had probed and slowly walked forward.
This distorted space was unexpectedly vast. Adding the size of it to the many spatial folds within it, caused this place to appear like a maze. If one were absent-minded, one would end up barging into the distorted spatial folds and end up losing the qualification to continue the test.
The space was vast and endless. However, Xiao Yan did not feel any anxiety because of this. His footsteps continued at a steady pace. He had witnessed many competitors charge into spatial folds because of their momentarily recklessness. Hence, he naturally understood that if he were reckless in this kind of place, the fate that would await him would definitely be the miserable one of being knocked out of the competition.
Xiao Yan had also met quite a number of genuine experts along the way. The thing that caused his heart to be shocked was that most of these people had detected his Spiritual Perception. However, they did not come to chat with him. Instead, they all cautiously withdrew far away…
Xiao Yan was not surprised that these people withdrew. However, he felt quite speechless in his heart. Most of those alchemist who participated in the Pill Gathering really did possess great strength, By looking at the situation, he could at the very least tell that quite a number of people were not stopped by this so-called Fantasy Realm hurdle.
Xiao Yan feet slowly advanced forward in the space which permeated by a deep-gray vapor. If he counted the time, he should have already been in this space for an hour or so. Moreover, he could sense the spatial distortion with his Spiritual Perception become more complicated. At times, he would head in circles in order to avoid the spatial fold that was blocking his path…
“Tud!”
Xiao Yan’s footsteps gently stepped across some deep-gray fog. A thought suddenly flashed in his heart. He raised his heart and looked into the fog a short distance away. He could see waves of ripples suddenly appear at that spot. Immediately, an elderly figure slowly walked closer. Xiao Yan’s heart suddenly quivered when he saw the face of that elderly figure.
“Teacher?”
Xiao Yan’s eyes were startled as he looked at the smiling old man in front of him. That familiar face was Yao Lao, who had been captured by the Hall of Souls!
Yao Lao stood a short distance from Xiao Yan and smiled. After which, he beckoned Xiao Yan with his hand.
Xiao Yan’s foot almost uncontrollably took a step forward as he looked at the friendly and familiar face.
A sense of danger suddenly appeared in Xiao Yan’s heart as he lifted his foot forward. His foot was also stilled by him. After which, he inhaled a deep breath of air, and his heart recovered its clarity…
“It’s an illusionary figure… the deep regions of this Fantasy Realm hurdle are able to form illusions based on what one was thinking in one’s heart!”
Xiao Yan frowned. He looked at that elderly figure. It was a long while later before he softly sighed. With a wave of his sleeve, a wind surged out, and scattered the elderly figure. The hidden spatial fold behind the figure was revealed. A strange, black vapor faintly permeated these spatial folds.
“This Fantasy Realm hurdle is indeed risky…”
Xiao Yan’s eyes focused on the strange, black vapor. He understood that the appearance of the illusionary figure should be related to this thing.
The caution in Xiao Yan’s heart was once again raised as he shook his head. He could sense that this place was not far from the exit of the Fantasy Realm…
His Spiritual Strength spread and once again figured found the spatial trace in front of him. He moved his feet and slowly walked into the distance.
Xiao Yan saw quite a number of illusions of people he had thought of during his journey: Xun Er, Cai Lin, Xiao Zhan, Yun Yun, etc. They were all people he had deep memories of. However, with the lesson he had learned from the last time, Xiao Yan no longer felt the least bit absent-minded because of the appearance of these illusory figures this time around. No matter how vivid those illusory figures were, he only felt a little nostalgic as he looked at them before waving his sleeves, turning around, and continuing on…
Numerous illusions appeared along the way. However, they did not cause Xiao Yan to slow. Following his firm footsteps, the permeating deep-gray, dense fog in front of him suddenly became fainter around half an hour later. Immediately, a ten-foot-large distorted black hole appeared a short distance in front of him…
This was the spatial tunnel that led to the Pill Realm!