Chapter 746: Hall Of The Gods (II)
Back when Lin Zheyu had only recently joined the Martial Alliance and had yet to advance to the Shackles realm, the Han Family genius, Han Ge, had invited him to join a small team intending to pursue an opportunity involving rule fragments in the demon cave. However, something had come up afterward, and Lin Zheyu had failed to show up.
The two cultivators before him were precisely the talented disciples of the Extreme Cold Palace whom Lin Zheyu had once briefly met, Pan Xinyu and Pan Xinwen. They were twin sisters with exceptional talent in Formation Dao.
Seeing the trace of recollection in Lin Zheyu's eyes as he looked at Pan Xinyu and Pan Xinwen, Ji Haozhong could not resist leaning closer and whispering to him. "You know those two? How close are you? Could you introduce me to them? Name whatever price you want."
Lin Zheyu rolled his eyes at the man speechlessly.
"I've met them once, but we aren't close. Those two should rank among the top geniuses of the younger generation, right? I didn't expect them to enter the Black Tortoise Realm from here either," Lin Zheyu said in mild surprise.
He remembered that Han Ge had spoken very highly of the sisters' attainments in Formation Dao. Although Lin Zheyu had never witnessed their abilities firsthand, he still trusted Han Ge's judgment.
"Aren't you, a great genius yourself, standing here too? Most of the cultivators using this teleportation formation come from mid- and lower-tier factions. The Pan sisters may be quite talented, but neither the Pan Family nor the Extreme Cold Palace holds particularly high status. The Extreme Cold Palace is only somewhat better off than the Martial Alliance. After all, it descended from the Extreme Cold Heavenly Palace, which was once tremendously powerful, so its foundations are still quite deep. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to nurture cultivators as outstanding as the Pan sisters," Ji Haozhong said, curling his lips.
His cultivation had hit a bottleneck, and his progress had begun to slow decades ago. As a result, Ji Haozhong spent less time cultivating in seclusion, made many friends, and developed a fondness for gossip. He knew all sorts of rumors and unofficial news.
As the two chatted, the Pan sisters also noticed Lin Zheyu. They looked his way and greeted him with faint smiles, and Lin Zheyu returned the gesture with a slight smile of his own.
"Looks like you really aren't very close," Ji Haozhong remarked after seeing their exchange, finally accepting what Lin Zheyu had said earlier. Lin Zheyu was left rather speechless.
The cultivators entered the teleportation formations in groups of ten. Three teleportation formations were operating simultaneously, so the line moved quickly. Before long, it was Lin Zheyu's group's turn.
Behind Lin Zheyu, the handsome young man from earlier looked toward the area outside the teleportation formation with an unpleasant expression. "Look, people from the three ancient martial esteemed families have arrived too."
It was a group of ten burly men. Lin Zheyu recognized one of them: Ning Ji'an, who he had crossed paths with before. Standing beside Ning Ji'an was a tall, powerfully built man with an imposing bearing and extraordinary presence. His aura was extremely powerful, no weaker than Woo Yiyan's had been. He was a genius on par with Woo Yiyan.
"Ning Yuanjie! I didn't expect that guy to come too," Ji Haozhong transmitted.
Ning Yuanjie was the Ning Family's true genius, a figure as renowned as Woo Yiyan and Kong Tiange. All three possessed extraordinary natural talent and were regarded as the future hopes of the three ancient martial esteemed families.
A cold voice transmission suddenly sounded in Lin Zheyu's ears. "I've been waiting for you for a long time. Do you have the guts to face me in the arena?"
Lin Zheyu raised his head and gave Ning Ji'an an indifferent glance. The voice had indeed come from him. Ning Ji'an radiated a sinister, vicious, and eerie aura, while a deep, ghostly light flickered in his eyes. His presence gave off an extremely dangerous feeling.
Ever since his defeat at Lin Zheyu's hands, and the mysterious deaths of the people secretly sent after Lin Zheyu, the Ning Family had stopped making any covert moves. Even Ning Ji'an himself had completely disappeared from public view, with news of him only resurfacing recently. He must have gained tremendously from his latest period of seclusion to dare openly provoke Lin Zheyu now.
"Heh..." Lin Zheyu glanced at him, gave a faint scoff, and ignored him.
At that moment, light burst from the teleportation formation, and everyone within it vanished at once.
An astonishing savagery and killing intent flashed through Ning Ji'an's eyes as he roared madly in his heart. Fuck! I'll kill him! I'll kill him!
Lin Zheyu had already been teleported away, yet that mocking smile before his departure remained deeply branded in Ning Ji'an's mind, stirring up unpleasant memories from the past.
Sensing the fluctuations in Ning Ji'an's spirit, Ning Yuanjie said calmly, "Ji'an..."
A faint smile appeared on his face as he looked at the teleportation formation where Lin Zheyu and the others had disappeared. He continued, "The Martial Alliance's genius. I've long wanted to see just how capable this so-called genius really is. Don't worry, there will be an opportunity. Once we're inside the Black Tortoise Realm, it won't be up to him anymore. He won't have a chance to leave this place..."
The smile on Ning Yuanjie's face vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and his expression returned to its usual calm, giving him an air of effortless composure.
Seeing the expression on Ning Yuanjie's face, Ning Ji'an felt a wave of disgust and snorted coldly. "Hmph, there's no need for you to interfere. I'll handle my own affairs. His life belongs to me. No one is allowed to take it from me!"
He stepped forward with his right foot, moving past Ning Yuanjie to stand at the front of the Ning Family group.
***
In the Black Tortoise Realm, Ji Haozhong stepped out of the teleportation formation and grumbled in annoyance. "What rotten luck."
The other younger martial artists from the Martial Alliance also wore unpleasant expressions. Relations between the three ancient martial esteemed families and the Martial Alliance had become extremely strained recently. The two sides had all but openly fallen out.
"Let's go. We'll take a look around Black Tortoise City. There's no need to pay those people any mind," Lin Zheyu said, beckoning everyone onward.
The teleportation formation was located on a plaza outside the western gate of Black Tortoise City. The plaza alone was an impressive sight. Lin Zheyu spread out his powerful senses, and they extended a full ten kilometers before finally reaching the edge of the plaza. He raised his head and looked at the enormous city wall looming nearby, nearly ten stories tall.
As he sensed the unfathomable, terrifying aura emanating from the city, an aura that seemed both divine and demonic, Lin Zheyu was deeply shaken. In his perception, the entire Black Tortoise City was not some lifeless, inanimate structure at all. It was like a divine beast lying dormant, a living creature! Lin Zheyu could even sense the city slowly breathing in and out. The sensation was unmistakably clear.
Many cultivators like Lin Zheyu were scattered throughout the plaza. After emerging from the teleportation formations and seeing such an enormous city, they all looked like country bumpkins entering a great city for the first time. They could not help stopping in place and staring in fascination. Their heads tilted back as they gazed at the massive city gate and walls, swallowing involuntarily with faces full of shock.
"No matter how many times I come here, seeing a city this powerful is still an overwhelming experience."
After a long while, Ji Haozhong finally spoke with emotion. His voice pulled the young martial artists accompanying them out of their stunned daze. Ji Haozhong turned toward Lin Zheyu beside him.
"Hm?" Ji Haozhong exclaimed softly in surprise when he noticed that Lin Zheyu had his head raised and was staring at the clear blue sky.
What is Fellow Xiao looking at?
He couldn't help imitating Lin Zheyu, tilting his head back to look at the blue sky. He even adjusted his angle several times, yet he could not see anything at all.
"Fellow Xiao, is there something up there?" Ji Haozhong asked. He believed Xiao Yu must have a reason for staring into the sky. It was simply that Ji Haozhong's own strength was insufficient to perceive whatever he had discovered.
Lin Zheyu lowered his voice and said solemnly, "The Hall of the Gods!"
His eyes narrowed slightly as the Heavenly Eye within his sea of consciousness radiated brilliant golden light. He pushed his spiritual Heavenly Eye to its absolute limit.