Chapter 724: Success And Failure (II)
Within the pitch-black depths, where one could not even see a hand held before one's face, the fierce battle had never ceased. Hordes of cannon-fodder yao poured endlessly from the space-time node. The thick stench of blood and the energy shockwaves from the intense fighting spread outward, attracting more and more deep-sea exotic beasts. This place had already become a brutal meat grinder. Several yao died every second, while many deep-sea exotic beasts also perished in their battles against them.
Amid the fierce fighting, a figure mingled among the horde of yao and drifted out of the space-time node. Lin Zheyu held his hands behind his back, his expression calm and leisurely. Even though he was in human form and had not used demonic qi to conceal his aura, none of the yao could detect his presence. His Heaven-Deceiving Art was now worlds apart from what it had once been.
While in the demon cave, Lin Zheyu had gained numerous profound insights into the Formation Dao from the great sealing formation outside the space-time node. He had integrated these insights into the Heaven-Deceiving Art, greatly enhancing the technique's ability to suppress his aura and conceal his presence.
"It's only been a little over half a year, yet the fighting here has already grown this intense. The demon realm is throwing away these cannon-fodder yao as if they cost nothing..."
Lin Zheyu hovered above the battlefield where the yao and deep-sea exotic beasts were slaughtering one another, observing the carnage below with the indifference of a god. Neither the yao nor the deep-sea exotic beasts detected his presence.
An additional formation has appeared outside the space-time node. It's somewhat similar to the great sealing formation at the demon cave, so a sea clan expert must have visited. However, they merely sealed the surrounding void and brought the space-time node's expansion under control. No expert has remained behind to guard it. There probably won't be any Sea Clan experts coming here in the near future, so I can use this node as one of my sources of energy for increasing my strength, Lin Zheyu thought after examining the area around the space-time node.
As his strength increased, his demand for energy grew ever greater. Without the support of the vast demonic lake of energy within the node's void, Lin Zheyu would have been completely unable to sustain such tremendous consumption. The rate at which his strength improved would have been at least ten times slower. After confirming that the situation here was unlikely to spiral out of control in the near future unless something unexpected occurred, Lin Zheyu's figure flickered as he sped toward the edge of Honggedis Trench.
He was astonishingly fast. With the Ten-Thousand-Miles Divine Travel Art pushed to its limit, his entire figure vanished in an instant and reappeared several kilometers away moments later. His speed was almost inconceivable. However, no matter how fast he was, it still could not compare to teleportation. Even so, Lin Zheyu was quite satisfied with this cultivation trip.
His only regret was that he had failed to break free of the third Life Shackle. However, Lin Zheyu could already create tiny fractures in it, which was a promising start. He believed it would not be long before he successfully broke free of the third shackle.
***
The seawater surged and churned within Honggedis Trench. This was a forbidden region of the deep sea, filled with terrifying dangers. Even Nascent Soul realm experts had to proceed with extreme caution here.
Suddenly, a gray figure shot out from the depths of Honggedis Trench at an inconceivable speed.
Just after Lin Zheyu's figure vanished, a terrifying beam of dark light abruptly shot forth and struck the afterimage he had left behind, hitting nothing.
Lin Zheyu was deeply astonished. "Eh? What kind of creature is this? It actually managed to detect me!"
He had pushed the Heaven-Deceiving Art to its limit, preventing even the slightest trace of his aura from escaping. As long as they were not too close and were not constantly monitoring their surroundings, even Deity Transformation realm experts might fail to sense his presence.
Lin Zheyu's figure flickered, and he instantly appeared beside the deep-sea exotic beast that had attacked him. The creature possessed a formidable ability to conceal its aura. By taking advantage of Honggedis Trench's unique environment, it had even managed to escape Lin Zheyu's notice. However, its attack had exposed its location. No matter how powerful its concealment ability was, it could no longer hide from Lin Zheyu's Heavenly Eye.
Lin Zheyu reached out, his hand instantly expanding before plunging into the mud below and seizing the deep-sea exotic beast concealed within. The beast released a shrill, bizarre screech as intense dark light erupted from its body.
Lin Zheyu's hand was covered in magnificent golden scales. With a slight exertion of force, he crushed the dark light protecting the deep-sea exotic beast. A strange creature appeared before him. Its limp body resembled gelatin, and its enormous nose made its face look perpetually mournful. It was so ugly. That was Lin Zheyu's first impression of the deep-sea exotic beast.
After briefly examining it, he tossed it into the void within the Primordial Chaos Pool for future research. Having conveniently collected a deep-sea exotic beast with a unique ability, Lin Zheyu resumed his journey. His speed slowed as he passed through the outermost forbidden zone of life. Although his strength had improved considerably, he still had to proceed with extreme caution and remain alert for sudden dangers. He was particularly wary of the bizarre creatures lurking behind spatial rifts.
A long while later, Lin Zheyu leaped out of Honggedis Trench and breathed a soft sigh of relief. He looked back at the trench below, sensing the dense and chaotic power of spatial laws within it, and a peculiar gleam flashed through his eyes. If one disregarded the dangers here, this was an excellent place to comprehend spatial laws. The opportunity presented by the rule fragments that appeared when the two realms collided and merged during the space-time node's initial stabilization was no longer useful to him. Without something as miraculous as rule fragments, he could only rely on himself to comprehend spatial laws.
"If I can't find a better option, coming here for a period of seclusion when I have the time would be a good choice," Lin Zheyu said with a soft laugh.
An unguarded space-time node here could provide the energy required for cultivation with Origin Force. There was also a forbidden zone of life, filled with the chaotic power of spatial laws, that could help him comprehend that power. It was an ideal place for seclusion. However, that was a matter for the future. For now, breaking free of the Heavenly Dao shackles remained Lin Zheyu's primary cultivation goal.
His figure flickered, and he instantly vanished from where he stood.
***
In the Eastern Sea, on a lush island somewhere in the Chaotic Star Sea, stood the headquarters of the Evilheart Sect. Since all the cultivators in the Evilheart Sect were demonic cultivators who practiced the Yao Dao, the island had another name. Other cultivators of the Eastern Sea called it Yao Island.
Following the location Cao Hongchang had given him, Lin Zheyu arrived outside Yao Island. His figure slowly emerged from the void. He narrowed his eyes as the Heavenly Eye within his sea of consciousness opened, revealing all the formations and restrictions across the island.
"This formation is quite sophisticated. They must have paid a considerable price to hire an expert to set it up. This will be my territory in the future, so I can't damage the formation. I'd better notify Little Jing," Lin Zheyu murmured.
He had briefly considered barging straight in, but quickly dismissed the idea. After all, this would become his own sect in the future. With a thought, he sent a message to Kong Yujing, instead of contacting Cao Hongchang directly.
Lin Zheyu had learned about Cao Hongchang's condition through Kong Yujing and found it quite intriguing. He wanted to make a surprise visit without Cao Hongchang's knowledge to see whether he might witness something interesting. Unfortunately, his plan failed. Less than ten breaths after Lin Zheyu sent the message, two streaks of dark light flew out from Yao Island.
Kong Yujing respectfully bowed to Lin Zheyu. "Greetings, Master!"
Beside Kong Yujing stood a young man who closely resembled Cao Hongchang, though something about his appearance was peculiar.
"Fellow friend, you've finally arrived. This old man has been waiting for you for a long time," Cao Hongchang said calmly, cupping his hands.
𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"I was delayed by a few matters. Fellow friend, is this body of yours a puppet?" Lin Zheyu asked with a smile, curiously examining Cao Hongchang.
Cao Hongchang nodded. "That's right. This is a puppet I refined to move about outside while I'm in seclusion."
He made an inviting gesture. "Please come inside, fellow friend."
"Please wait a moment. My true body will arrive shortly," Cao Hongchang said.
"Haha, no need for such courtesy." Lin Zheyu smiled and followed Cao Hongchang into the Evilheart Sect.