Chapter 696 - 633: Stepping onto the Peak 42 (4,000 Words)
A massive vortex water column arose from the swirling vortex, and within the column, there was a dazzling pillar of light. That pillar of light was the entrance to the Secret Realm.
As soon as the entrance to the Secret Realm appeared, everyone who had been prepared swiftly entered the light column. To prevent getting lost, Tan Shuangshuang directly hugged Fei Hu and jumped into the column together.
Once inside the light column, there was an overwhelming sensation of spinning and pressure. Gold and red lights flashed around for an unknown duration before Tan Shuangshuang felt a powerful force hurling her and Fei Hu outward.
The moment she was thrown out, Tan Shuangshuang adjusted her breathing and posture, gently landing on the ground. However, she sensed that the ground was somewhat different from usual, so she promptly adjusted, avoiding a solid footing on the ground.
After stabilizing herself, Tan Shuangshuang didn’t have time to appreciate the surroundings because the first thing she sensed was the overwhelmingly dense Spiritual Energy.
Previously, when Tan Shuangshuang was in the hall of the Wuji Sect attending lectures, she heard the Sect Leader, Wei Tianxiao, mention that there is a particularly excellent Spirit Vein within this Secret Realm, which allows the Spiritual Energy to cycle and grow autonomously.
Nurtured by the Spirit Vein, even if the Spiritual Energy decreases, it won’t diminish too much. This is the reason why the Secret Realm can allow people to enter for three years at a time without worrying about too much loss of Spiritual Energy.
After stabilizing her footing, Tan Shuangshuang finally took in her surroundings and felt incredibly relieved. Fortunately, she responded promptly and didn’t step firmly on the ground when she stabilized, for beneath her feet lay a swamp.
Moreover, this swamp was incredibly bizarre, as if something below was churning, with the surface mud roiling endlessly. Amidst the mire were creatures whose torsos were two-thirds mouth, filled with sharp teeth, floating and sinking in the mud.
These creatures, which looked like big mouths attached to tails, were extremely aggressive, biting anything they encountered. Those sharp teeth were incredibly sharp, pulverizing any stone, twig, or leaf caught in their jaws.
At a glance, this swamp clearly was a perilous place, the type one would avoid from a distance. Ordinarily, no one would foolishly tread here, but now, having been thrown directly into this spot, there was no choice but to make contact with the ground.
Tan Shuangshuang was directly standing above the mud because she reacted promptly, discovering the dangerous swamp beneath her feet upon landing and immediately utilizing Spiritual Energy to make her and Fei Hu’s bodies as light as feathers, just barely applying pressure, preventing them from sinking into the muck.
While Tan Shuangshuang was rejoicing, she saw two unfortunate souls falling from the sky, screaming and flailing before landing with a loud splat into the swamp, splashing mud three feet high. Watching this, Tan Shuangshuang couldn’t help but close one eye.
As soon as they landed, the mud began to drag them down. Immediately, miserable cries erupted, simply because creatures with mouths surrounded them, with all the big mouths attacking the two individuals.
The creatures’ biting force was formidable, capable of crushing stones, let alone the skin of a Martial Artist. If Tan Shuangshuang, who had cultivated the Third Cycle of Body Sculpting Art, with a body as robust as Magic Beast’s, had fallen, these mouth-covered creatures might not have been able to bite her.
However, the two individuals who fell clearly hadn’t cultivated any bodily techniques, and were bitten mercilessly by the creatures, blood quickly appearing on their bodies. Based on their attire when they fell, Tan Shuangshuang saw that they were likely from the Wuji Sect. Since they were her future fellow sect members, she naturally couldn’t turn a blind eye.
Tan Shuangshuang didn’t act directly but flung out a long rope that bound the arms of the two individuals. Then, Tan Shuangshuang dragged them furiously across the swamp, stepping on numerous open mouths along the way.
Fortunately, although the swamp was perilous, it wasn’t extensive. Soon, Tan Shuangshuang dragged the two people to safe ground. The two people rescued by her still seemed befuddled.
Their heads spun as soon as they entered the light column, and they were barely aware of the situation before falling into the swamp and being bitten by a group of creatures. Before they could utter more than a few cries, Tan Shuangshuang dragged them for a stretch, leaving them covered in mud, seated on solid ground. The two were dazed for quite some time before collecting themselves.
The swamp mud, filled with who-knows-what, emitted a stench that made one nauseous. Tan Shuangshuang could hardly bear to look at the filthy duo. Spotting a small pool nearby, she used Spiritual Energy to gather water balls and splashed them onto the two, washing away the mud covering them.