Chapter 295 215: Dragon Gate
The tenth level of the Divine Palace.
After the successful reunion of Fellow Daoist San Sha and Zhang Yao, the situation took a dramatic turn, and the balance of power was reversed.
At this moment, within the vast white mist, Wanchuan Ancestor, Fairy Dawn Light, and Fairy Feiyin were gathered together, discussing the next strategic moves.
"We really didn't expect to be played by that Three Evils Daoist..."
"If we had known earlier, we should have acted sooner to kill him, and we wouldn't be in such a passive situation now."
Wanchuan Ancestor's expression was extremely unpleasant, and he said in a low tone:
"The area of the tenth level will close as time passes, until only a small space remains."
"Based on the current situation, if we estimate..."
He pondered for a moment, and his expression became much more grave:
"We must kill Man Tian Sheng within half an hour, then face off against Qingxu and San Sha."
"Otherwise, if we drag it out too long and the three of them manage to regroup, we will completely lose any chance of turning the tables!"
"Wanchuan, I understand what you mean."
Fairy Dawn Light hesitated, saying:
"But the problem is... Man Tian Sheng is a Body Refiner, with tough skin and thick flesh. It's very difficult to kill him within half an hour."
"Moreover, I am not underestimating myself, but Elder Qingxu's Divine Techniques are astonishing, and the Three Evils Daoist wields a Spiritual Treasure that can disperse the fog. If these two join forces, I am afraid our odds of winning are not high!"
"I know that."
Wanchuan Ancestor nodded slightly before speaking:
"Therefore, we need to prepare on two fronts."
"Firstly, we must try our best to fracture the relationship between those two, at least to prevent Qingxu and San Sha from coordinating smoothly when they join forces."
"Secondly, we must be mentally prepared for failure, ready to decisively retreat to save our lives at the crucial moment."
Fairy Dawn Light and Fairy Feiyin listened quietly and nodded in agreement.
......
Within the white mist.
Man Tian Sheng, wielding a golden metal staff, was filled with vigilance as he cautiously explored his surroundings.
"Several Golden Core cultivators have already died, and they will probably come for me soon..."
His expression was cold, and his Magical Power fluctuated with his breath, the muscles throughout his body as tense as a drawn bowstring, like a lurking tiger ready to pounce at any moment.
He had been wandering in this mist for a long time without encountering anyone, which only heightened his sense of alertness.
Without a sound:
A blue light, a red light, and a faint golden light suddenly shot out from the white mist.
"What?"
Man Tian Sheng's face changed dramatically, but it was too late to react!
The dense mist obscured all his senses, and by the time he sensed the traces of the Divine Techniques, the three beams of light were less than three feet from his head!
"Buzz!"
At the last moment, Man Tian Sheng only had time to instinctively operate his Profound Skill, protecting his vital points before being struck head-on by the three beams of light.
For a moment, his head buzzed, his body swayed, almost falling to the ground.
The Divine Communication Skills aimed at his Divine Soul, he resisted with his indestructible body, but the negative effects still left him dizzy.
In the end, his Divine Soul was too weak; without the protection of his physique, he might already have perished.
"Boom!" "Boom!"...
Hidden in the mist, Wanchuan Ancestor and others seized the opportunity, frantically activating Magical Treasures and Divine Techniques to attack.
In just a breath:
Man Tian Sheng suffered a dozen fierce blows, and despite his body capable of withstanding Magical Treasures, small wounds began to appear.
Wanchuan Ancestor and the others continuously launched attacks with their Divine Techniques and Magical Treasures, aiming for Man Tian Sheng's vital points, nearly blinding one of his eyes.
"Damn!!"
Man Tian Sheng violently shook his head, finally shaking off the dizziness, and immediately roared in fury, backhanding a punch that sent Fairy Feiyin's Magical Treasure flying.
"Swoosh!"
The alert Wanchuan Ancestor and others quickly withdrew, once again concealing themselves in the vast white mist, giving Man Tian Sheng no chance to counterattack.
"Come out and fight me!!"
Man Tian Sheng, seething with rage, cursed loudly while scanning the surrounding mist rapidly with his eyes.
He did not expect his opponents to number three; however, he believed that even in a direct confrontation, he had no fear of one against three, the confidence of a High-Level Body Refining Cultivator.
But in this mist:
He became both deaf and blind, able only to be passively beaten, and even the strongest body would eventually reach its limit of endurance, which made him uneasy.
Such as that previous ambush, if his senses were not clouded, he would have ways to counter, not ending up so embarrassed.
"These damn Demon Cultivators... they've exploited a loophole in the Divine Palace Array, gaining too much of an advantage!"
"I can't just sit here and wait for death!"
Man Tian Sheng gritted his teeth, wielding his golden staff, rushing forward fiercely.
"Boom..."
He swung the metal staff like a windmill, creating phantom figures, churning the surrounding mist, but still could not disperse it.
Man Tian Sheng moved with the staff, integrating offense and defense, protecting himself thoroughly, his mind extremely calm:
"Elder Qingxu's strength far surpasses mine, he must still be alive; Three Evils Daoist holds a Spiritual Treasure, and I didn't hear his dying scream earlier, so he's likely still alive too."
"I must merge with one of these two to have a chance of survival..."
His plan was sound, but unfortunately, Wanchuan Ancestor and others evidently would not give him this opportunity.
The chase and escape ensued, a brutal hunt against time, unfolding within the vast mist.
......
Deep within the thick mist.
A stretch of ten feet of pure land shifted with the movement of the light and flame, causing the surrounding mist to constantly change.
The Three Evils Daoist held the Lamp of Truth, walking shoulder to shoulder with Zhang Yao, staying vigilant while exploring the space of the tenth checkpoint.
"It's already been more than half an hour..."
Zhang Yao frowned slightly and said:
"Fellow Daoist San Sha, Man Tian Sheng's situation might be dire, and he could follow in the footsteps of the other Daoist friends at any moment."
"Yes, we've been delayed for too long."
The Three Evils Daoist sighed and said:
"Unfortunately, he doesn't know that I have the Lamp of Truth. He must have been wandering around before, trying to find us and regroup."
"If he had stayed in place, we should have met by now; but he is also moving, which works against us regrouping..."
Zhang Yao nodded slightly, his eyes scanning the surroundings as he said:
"The area of the tenth checkpoint is shrinking and becoming more apparent."
"From our exploration along the way, the repeated areas are increasing, and the entire activity area of the tenth checkpoint is probably less than a thousand feet."
A thousand-foot area, in the normal external world, is but a blink of an eye for a Golden Core Cultivator.
But in the special environment of this tenth checkpoint, if Wanchuan Ancestor and others are intent on avoiding them, catching the others is very difficult.
"No!!"
Suddenly, a roar filled with anger and unwillingness came from not far away.
"Not good!"
Zhang Yao and the Three Evils Daoist's faces changed simultaneously.
They recognized it as Man Tian Sheng's voice, indicating he had already fallen prey to Wanchuan Ancestor and others!
"Go!"
The two exchanged a look and rushed quickly in the direction of the voice without further ado.
The white mist would distort the origin of sounds at close range, but this scream was obviously deliberately released by Wanchuan Ancestor and others, serving as a signal for battle!
A few breaths later:
"Boom!" "Boom!"
Zhang Yao and the Three Evils Daoist's Escape Light descended to reveal a scene of carnage on the battlefield.
The ground was pitted and uneven, seemingly having undergone a fierce battle, and was slowly healing.
Man Tian Sheng's body lay in a corner of the battlefield, his head severed, his eyes wide open in defiance, body already in pieces, with little blood.
"Really ruthless..."
Zhang Yao's gaze swept over, his expression somewhat grim.
Man Tian Sheng's body was covered in countless wounds, clearly worn down bit by bit by endless attacks.
The body of a High level Body Refining Cultivator long differs from ordinary cultivators, lacking much flesh and blood, making his death easier to understand.
"His weapon and storage bag must have been picked up here."
The Three Evils Daoist assessed the battlefield and made some judgments:
"They must not have gone far, or might even... be hiding nearby."
As he spoke, he edged closer to Zhang Yao, holding the Lamp of Truth subtly.
"Come out."
Zhang Yao stood with hands behind, cold gaze sweeping the pervasive mist as he said flatly:
"The area of the tenth checkpoint will continually shrink, making this battle inevitable."
"If you come out now, it might save you some suffering."
As soon as his words fell:
"Hahaha..."
Wanchuan Ancestor's laughter echoed from all directions:
"This tenth checkpoint of Beifu, named 'Dragon Gate', is like countless golden scales competing to cross; ultimately only one can become the True Dragon."
"There are still fully five cultivators remaining, yet only one can survive to the end, becoming the final winner and obtaining the Supreme Treasure of this Beifu."
Fairy Xia Guang's voice emerged, with a hint of gentleness:
"Fellow Daoist San Sha, do you truly wish to conspire with a tiger?"
"Once we're dealt with, you're next. You definitely can't match this Elder Qingxu..."
"No need for sowing discord."
The Three Evils Daoist didn't even raise an eyebrow, speaking calmly:
"I don't believe that if only one can survive this tenth checkpoint, you could have cooperated sincerely up to now; surely you would have turned on each other long ago!"
"If I turned on my ally based on your one-sided words, I'd have lived five hundred years for nothing."
"Heh heh..."
Wanchuan Ancestor's chuckle was heard:
"We can't break the rules, but can leave through a back door."
"It doesn't matter if you don't believe it; you'll soon find out whether my words are true or not..."
Just as the words ended:
"Buzz!"
An unusual wave swept through the entire tenth checkpoint in an instant, causing the white mist to churn incessantly.
The Divine Palace's Inspection Array seemed reactivated, with a profound message timely surging into Zhang Yao and the Three Evils Daoist's minds:
At the Dragon Gate pass, fight to the last one standing to receive the Supreme Treasure reward.
Current number of survivors: two
"..."
Zhang Yao and the Three Evils Daoist couldn't help but exchange a glance.
The scene became especially quiet.