Chapter 65: The Lurewoven Grove
The black sea formed by heavy black mist churn like boiling water. Roaring sea waves crashing against the chasm cliff walls and then recoil back, colliding heavily with new mist waves furiously, emitting high mist tides like giant black sword stabbing ascend, throwing high sprays into the high sky, gradually but quickly covered the sunlight with thicker and thicker mist sprays rising high in the sky like numerous giant, towering black swords.
The mist seemed to be formed by unknown but extremely heavy fine dusts. A few moment later, the towering swords of black mist formed by the black mist shuddered faintly, then began collapsing inch by inch toward the abyss's depths. One by one, the collapsing pieces of giant sword slammed the below mist sea surface, send the mist sea roiling and spitting in a frenzied dance. From far beneath, low, guttural roars echoed—distant, primal, thrashing in desperate fury, as if some unknown fierce beasts were struggling hysterically.
Lordi Payne barely had time to tilt his ear before Oen Shinae's cold grip clamped his arm like a vice. "Move!" she commanded, yanking him into the abyss. Fang Jit and Sharky Ink leaped after, four shadows plunging into the dark. Like tiny pebbles tossed into a stormy sea, their fall carved a fleeting whirlpool in the surging black mist. Shredded Dao Fulu papers spiraled briefly within, their dim glow snuffed out as the mist sea devoured them whole, leaving no trace.
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Meanwhile. Within the inner sect, at the heart of the Wraithbone Bloodline's domain, Miu Tyanh opened his eyes. A ripple of intuition tugged at him mid-cultivation. He rose from his meditative stance in the sealed chamber, waving the chamber door open.
Outside, on a malachite and gilt bronze table, a piece of blank Dao Fulu floated in the mid air, smoldering. As errie green flames licked its edges, tiny words bled onto the surface in stark red on its previously blank surface. "Kinson Wexford aims to seize the Ice Pith Fire for Lordi Payne. Oen Shinae leads. Just entered Gworm Abyss."
"Ice Pith Fire?" Miu Tyanh's brow creased, voice a murmur. "That Dao Flame the Middle Five Bloodline Lords claimed as theirs prize?"
The Ice Pith Fire was well-known within the inner sect. It was a spiritual flame born of the earth's cold energy condensing to a certain degree, a rare gift of heaven and earth. To most, its value lay more in function of marrow-purify than in Elixir Alchemy.
After all, the alchemy skill required talent, but who among cultivators would refuse the chance to refine and purify their marrow basement and forge a stronger fundamental?
When this bosom of Ice Pith Fire birthed, the inner sect had been ignited fierce competition spark, both overt and covert. Ultimately, a Bloodline Lord from the Middle Five Bloodlines emerged victorious, reserving it for a close kin relative.
Kinson Wexford had bowed out the Dao Flame competition from the start. After all, there's no alchemist in Deathveil Bloodline, and Kinson Wexford himself had no kin who's talent in alchemy to favor.