Chapter 466: A Crisis Appearing Out of the Blue
Dong Li grabbed Nie Tian and stepped into the spatial tunnel first.
In the next moment, she and Nie Tian appeared in the Bonebrutes’ former headquarters, which was hundreds of kilometers from where they had been a moment before. Looking back, they saw the spatial tunnel floating in the air, three meters from the ground.
Having just witnessed and traveled through this shocking creation of Zhen Huilan’s, Nie Tian was still in a state of bewilderment.
However, Dong Li hastily summoned her black phoenix and took the two of them right up into the sky. Anxious, she said, “Hurry, before they arrive, tell me which crater it is.”
Nie Tian realized what she was thinking. Rapidly glancing around, he determined the crater relying on his memories from not long ago and said, “That’s the one!”
“Good!” Dong Li instantly felt relieved and confident again.
Then, she commanded the black phoenix to come lower. When they reached a safe height, she dropped Nie Tian from the air.
She continued to hover in the air with the help of the black phoenix, pretending she was still trying to determine the location of the crater.
After assuming a firm foothold on the ground, Nie Tian gazed at the spatial tunnel which was floating not far from him, absorbed in thought. “Master Zhen...”
He pondered whether Zhen Huilan had recognized him or not.
Years ago, when Hua Mu had taken him to her residence in Shatter City, she had been there as well.
Even though he had never met her in person during the time he had been there, considering Zhen Huilan’s profound cultivation base and attainments, she must have been able to observe him without actually appearing.
However, at that time, he hadn’t yet acquired the mask he was wearing now.
By the time he had received it from Dong Baijie, Zhen Huilan had long since left Shatter City.
Zhen Huilan probably knew his actual appearance, but not the face he was wearing now. As for whether she was able to recognize him through his life aura or not, Nie Tian couldn’t be sure.
On the other side of the spatial tunnel, Zhen Huilan and Qin Yi didn’t rush into it.
“That girl from the Dong Clan has done quite a few crooked things in the Realm of Split Void under the name ‘Song Li’,” Zhen Huilan said with furrowed eyebrows.
Smiling, Qin Yi said, “That was nothing but child’s play.”
He had also heard about the things Dong Li had done in the Realm of Split Void. Not very long ago, Dong Li had returned to the Dong Clan from the Realm of Split Void and complained to Qin Yan about being humiliated by a young man named Hua Tian.
Since Hua Tian had lived in Zhen Huilan’s residence in Shatter City, he clearly had some sort of connection with her.
However, Qin Yi wasn’t aware that Hua Tian and Wu Tian were both Nie Tian’s assumed names.
He only knew that Zhen Huilan’s poor opinion of Dong Li had a great deal to do with the fact that she had pursued Hua Tian across the Realm of Split Void and sworn to kill him.
“Never mind. Hua Tian didn’t suffer any losses from her anyways.” Zhen Huilan wanted to end the topic.
“Who’s Hua Tian anyway?” Qin Yi asked, curious.
“That’s not important.” Apparently, Zhen Huilan didn’t want to answer that. “If this girl misleads me again and wastes more of my time, I’ll have to teach her a lesson.”
Qin Yi had sensed from her previous conversation with Dong Li that Dong Li had misled her once before.
Considering she wasn’t fond of her in the first place, if she continued to feed her false information about Zhao Shanling, she probably would actually get angry at her.
“I hope the kid is right this time,” Qin Yi thought to himself, starting to worry for Dong Li.
“Let’s go.” Zhen Huilan decided not to waste any more of her precious time. In the blink of an eye, she and Qin Yi traveled through the spatial tunnel and appeared in the Bonebrutes’ former headquarters.
She looked up and saw Dong Li hovering about in the air with the help of her black phoenix, as if she were trying very hard to locate where Zhao Shanling was hiding.
Without paying any attention to Nie Tian, they shot up into the sky and came to a stop by Dong Li’s side.
“Found it yet, kid?” Qin Yi asked.
Zhen Huilan looked at her, expressionless.
After a while of pretended searching, Dong Li had already calmed herself. With a serious face, she pointed down at one of the craters and said, “That’s the one!”
As Zhen Huilan and Qin Yi’s gazes followed her hand to an enormous crater, they started examining it with their soul awareness and exquisite incantations.
However, even though they were both at the late Profound realm, they failed to spot any anomalies in the crater.
“Under the bottom of the crater!” Dong Li grew very nervous as she lowered her voice and added, “It’s said that Zhao Shanling is currently at the early Soul realm. If it’s really him down there, we...”
Qin Yi’s eyebrows also furrowed.
After a moment of pondering, he asked with a straight face, “How certain are you, Dong Li?”
“About eighty percent,” With these words, Dong Li snuck a glance at Nie Tian.
Nie Tian nodded in a very subtle way.
Reassured, Dong Li started moving towards Nie Tian as she said, “S-senior Zhen, if you no longer need my service, I think it’s time for me leave.”
Her intense nervousness and caution made Zhen Huilan and Qin Yan start to believe her speculation.
After arriving by Nie Tian’s side, Dong Li grabbed him and urged, “It’s not safe here. We need to leave now. Zhao Shanling is very deadly. If he somehow emerges, our lives will be in serious danger!”
Nie Tian came to realize that she was right.
Both Zhen Huilan and Qin Yi were at the late Profound realm, while Zhao Shanling was at the early Soul realm.
Before the arrival of another Soul realm expert, Zhao Shanling’s battle prowess would be unmatched.
Once battle broke out, he and Dong Li, who were only at the early Greater Heaven stage, would most likely be dragged into it. Meanwhile, Dong Li, who had just pointed out Zhao Shanling’s location, would most likely become his target.
After coming to such realization, he cooperated fully.
Dong Li grabbed him and carried him towards the spatial tunnel that hadn’t vanished yet, hoping to travel back to their original location, which was hundreds of kilometers away.
At that very moment, unstable fluctuations appeared at the entrance of the spatial tunnel created by Zhen Huilan. Immediately afterwards, multiple glowing blades of spatial energy emerged from within it.
Stopping before the entrance of the spatial tunnel, an angry look appeared in Dong Li’s eyes as she questioned Zhen Huilan, “What’s this supposed to mean, Senior Zhen? You don’t want us to leave?”
Nie Tian also gazed up at Zhen Huilan, who was floating high and afar.
However, before he could get a clear view of Zhen Huilan’s expression, Dong Li let out a sharp cry and instantly took him up into the sky with the help of the black phoenix.
FIZZ! FIZZ!
One after another, the glowing blades of spatial energy shot out of the spatial tunnel towards them.
Fortunately, Dong Li swiftly rose into the sky with Nie Tian, and avoided being cut up by the light blades. Even so, they broke out in a cold sweat.
Just as he was confused and also wanted to question Zhen Huilan about her intentions, he caught sight of Dong Li’s ghastly and frightened face.
He jerked his head around to look at Zhen Huilan.
He discovered that her face had also turned very grave, and that she was already holding a paper folding fan, as if she were facing formidable foes.
Waves of spatial energy that were visible to the naked eye suddenly burst forth from within the blank fan, making the space where Zhen Huilan was blurry, as if she was being protected by multiple spatial energy wards.
Qin Yin’s expression also flickered as he emanated dazzling golden light. Immediately afterwards, a suit of golden armor appeared on him.
“It wasn’t her! Let’s get out of here!” Dong Li screamed, panicked.
BANG!
At that moment, the spatial tunnel created by Zhen Huilan exploded, sending countless glowing blades of spatial energy towards Zhen Huilan and Qin Yi.
Nie Tian instantly understood what was happening.
The spatial light blades shooting out of the spatial tunnel weren’t the doing of Zhen Huilan, but rather the other spatial energy master who was also in this location!
“Zhao Shanling! It’s him indeed!" Qin Yi shouted as he hastily took out his Sound Stone and informed the powerful experts from the Tool Sect of what was happening here.
Wild laughter suddenly echoed out from the bottom of the crater Dong Li had just pointed out for Zhen Huilan and Qin Yi. “Hahaha! Long time no see, junior martial sister!”
The rocks at the bottom of the crater exploded, unveiling multiple invisible spatial energy wards.
Behind the wards sat a skinny old man that looked like a bag of bones. Dressed in gray robes, he looked up with a sinister smile.
“You’re no senior martial brother of mine!” Face especially grim, Zhen Huilan fluttered the folding fan in her hand, and waves of torrential spatial energy rushed out and engulfed the spatial light blades. Then, with a low voice, she asked Qin Yi, “When will Wu Langxie get here?”
“Soon!” Qin Yi answered in a low but determined voice.
Zhen Huilan nodded as she turned to look at Dong Li and Nie Tian, who were floating in the distance, shouting, “What are you waiting for? Leave!”
Upon hearing her words, Dong Li instantly activated all of her reserve power. Like a streak of black light, they shot into the distant sky.