: A Narrow Escape from Death

2025-02-02 Author: Gu Zhenren

: A Narrow Escape from Death

Thousand Peaks Forest.

A team of cultivators had just reached a mountain peak.

The leading Golden Core cultivator, Gao Cuo, couldn't help but glance back once more toward Bikong Mountain.

His deputy said admiringly, "Lord Gao, this is the ninth time you've looked back at Bikong Mountain since we withdrew."

"It shows how deep your attachment to it is!"

"You've only been stationed here for half a year, yet you're so reluctant to leave. When the enemy forces were reported to be pressing in, you were the first to advocate holding our ground."

"Your bravery and sense of responsibility are truly evident. Ah, we were blind to have underestimated you. Since you took over, we've often paid lip service to your orders—we truly shouldn't have!"

Gao Cuo glanced at his deputy and sighed, "Abandoning Bikong Mountain is a huge mistake made by our superiors!"

"It's a pity that, although I'm at the Golden Core level, I'm not high-ranking enough in Thousand Peaks Forest to change anything. It's utterly frustrating."

The deputy hesitated before speaking up, "Lord Gao, according to the superiors' orders, we were supposed to destroy all the lakebed crystals before leaving."

"But the fact is, you didn't do that."

"If those crystals fall into enemy hands, it would be a serious crime."

Gao Cuo shook his head, "Don't worry about that."

"Before I took office, the previous mountain master had already taken all the harvestable void crystals with him."

"What's left now are all unformed. If we dig them up directly, these immature void crystals will dissipate instantly."

"Didn't you all witness that before we left?"

Convinced by his words, the deputy and the others nodded in agreement.

Gao Cuo stared at the peak of Bikong Mountain, asking inwardly, "Sword Elder, our disguise won't be discovered, will it?"

The next moment, a sharp, aged voice echoed in his mind, "Rest assured, the spell I taught you is widely applicable."

"Unless we encounter a rare few with exceptional talent or supernatural abilities, detection spells alone have almost no chance of seeing through it."

The old voice paused before continuing, "Even if someone does see through it, few can penetrate the barriers of the void. The difficulty of mining here is too high!"

Gao Cuo nodded, "That's good."

"After all, that particular void crystal isn't ordinary—it conceals a Bone of the Evil God. It's hidden so deeply that even the previous master didn't notice it."

"If not for your reminder, Sword Elder, I would have missed it too."

"Once this battle calms down, we'll retrieve it."

Sword Elder agreed, "Exactly. This Bone of the Evil God is at the Nascent Soul level itself, a rare treasure. The Evil God Marrow within is even at the Deity Transformation level, containing principles of the void."

"In the future, when you forge your life-bound flying sword, refining this marrow into the blade will allow you, even at the Golden Core level, to briefly traverse the void through the unity of man and sword."

"This is something most Nascent Soul cultivators can't achieve!"

Gao Cuo sighed inwardly again, "Ah! It's all Du Tiechuan's fault. Why did he have to attack here of all places, sending troops right to my doorstep?"

"And it's also the alliance of Thousand Peaks Forest's fault for ordering the withdrawal."

Shaking his head helplessly, Gao Cuo turned and continued forward.

Boom!

The next moment, a brilliant, translucent starlight, like a thin thread, descended from the sky and struck the peak of Bikong Mountain with precision.

Gao Cuo was horrified, "That's the Bikong Pond area!"

"An attack of this level... it's reached the Deity Transformation level."

"What exactly is happening?"

"What's going on at Bikong Pond?!"

In that instant, Gao Cuo felt an ominous emptiness in his heart, as if he had lost something crucial to his entire life.

One incense stick's time earlier.

Sun Ning and his companion unexpectedly arrived at Bikong Pond.

Ning Zhuo only saw fragments of void crystals at the lake bottom, but Sun Lingtong discovered a rare, fully-formed cluster.

Even with guidance, Ning Zhuo couldn't see it.

After trying various detection methods without success, he marveled, "How strange. It's right in front of me, yet I can't perceive it at all." He added, "Boss, it seems this treasure is fated for you."

"Is that so?" Sun Lingtong chuckled, resting her head on one hand.

"My Spirit Eyes are especially good at spotting treasures."

"Since you can't see it, I'll dig it up myself."

However, no matter what methods Sun Lingtong employed—spells, magical tools, and more—they all passed through the surface of the formed void crystal as if through air or as if it were merely an illusion.

"How bizarre!" Sun Lingtong was deeply puzzled. "Even my theft arts are ineffective. This formed void crystal is extraordinary, full of mysteries. My Spirit Eyes can't discern any clues either."

"How annoying!"

She tugged at her hair in frustration.

This feeling was truly unbearable for her!

The treasure was right before her eyes, but her means were limited, and she simply couldn't obtain it.

Ning Zhuo, equally blind to it, tried as well but achieved nothing.

"Let's just leave then. Staying here too long isn't beneficial; after all, this is enemy territory." Ning Zhuo remained quite calm.

He persuaded Sun Lingtong, "Boss, since we already know about this place, we can come back to mine it once we've grown stronger."

"All the other formed void crystals have been harvested. Only you discovered the secret here; I still can't detect any anomaly."

"Most likely, others are in the dark too."

"When we return in the future, these void crystals will probably still be here."

Sun Lingtong sighed helplessly, "You're not wrong."

Ning Zhuo shrugged, "Even if it weren't logical, we can't just wait around here. Let's go, let's go."

Dejectedly, Sun Lingtong followed Ning Zhuo.

But the next moment, stars appeared in the daytime!

A cluster of starlight suddenly glowed from the Wanli Youlong (Ten-Thousand-League Roaming Dragon) at Ning Zhuo's waist.

Though not dazzling, the starlight immediately resonated with the starlight in the bright sky.

At the same time, far away in Mulun Town.

Shuang Ling stood on a ritual platform, her eyes widening suddenly, her face contorted with ferocity and excitement: "Finally, finally I've found you!"

"Stone-Crypt Monster!!!"

"Dare to take what's mine, you will die!"

Divine Ability Activation—Stellar Descent, Heavenly Punishment.

The next moment, starlight gathered like droplets high in the sky, then shot down directly at Ning Zhuo, who wore the Wanli Youlong.

The star trail drew a straight line across the sky.

Ning Zhuo felt a premonition of great disaster!

"Hurry, get into the Wanli Youlong; we'll traverse the void," Sun Lingtong urgently shouted.

Ning Zhuo intended to do just that, but as he moved, his mechanism ring suddenly tightened.

A warning!

Ning Zhuo instantly grew wary: "Could it be that even if I hide in the Wanli Youlong and take shelter in the void, I'll still be struck by this starlight?"

In that moment, he had no confidence at all.

Seeing Ning Zhuo hesitate, Sun Lingtong panicked, rushed to his side, grabbed his arm, and tried to pull him into the Wanli Youlong.

But then, Ning Zhuo communicated via divine sense, informing Sun Lingtong about the ring's warning and his speculation.

Sun Lingtong froze in place.

On a distant mountain peak.

The cultivator team originally stationed at Bikong Mountain looked on in shock as the starlight descended, drawing a straight, thin line.

"What kind of spell is this?"

"Who exactly is making a move?!"

"Thank goodness we left that place early. Otherwise, we'd be the ones under attack."

While startled, the cultivators felt immensely relieved.

Gao Cuo felt an uneasy emptiness and immediately shared this feeling with Sword Elder: "I want to go back and check!"

Sword Elder immediately vetoed the idea: "You can't go!"

"The starlight's aura is condensed to the extreme; you've greatly underestimated its power."

"Even a hundred of you couldn't withstand its might."

Gao Cuo's heart raced: "What?"

Sword Elder snorted coldly: "Young Gao, you're still too inexperienced to see it."

"This attack carries the aura of principles but is still a spell, likely a divine ability in action."

"That alone is one thing, but the key is it contains an immense amount of Liang Zhu Kingdom's national power!"

Hearing this, Gao Cuo's expression changed drastically: "What?"

Military power operates within proximity to the troops.

But national power can exert influence across the entire territory.

Thousand Peaks Forest, by legal right, is part of Liang Zhu Kingdom's territory, thus susceptible to the full force of its national power!

At this moment, the threat of death loomed over Ning Zhuo.

Sun Lingtong suddenly let go, ignoring Ning Zhuo. She directly activated the Wanli Youlong and fled into the void.

"Boss!" Ning Zhuo's face paled.

He knew Sun Lingtong intended to pilot the Wanli Youlong herself, drawing the attack away to let Ning Zhuo escape.

However, although the Wanli Youlong had left his body, the starlight had already coated Ning Zhuo entirely, causing him to emit scattered starlight.

"It's no use." In an instant, Sun Lingtong piloted the Wanli Youlong back to the original spot.

Her control skills were far superior to Ning Zhuo's.

Sun Lingtong's face was ashen as she communicated via divine sense: "Even when I rushed into the void, starlight still leaked from the Wanli Youlong. It's still locked on!"

"I have a strong premonition that this starlight can also traverse the void!!"

The void was no safe haven either.

Ning Zhuo almost forgot to breathe. Under immense pressure, his mind remained sharp and calm as ice.

A spark of inspiration suddenly flashed in his divine sea.

He abruptly turned to look at the bottom of Bikong Pond—more precisely, at the spot where only Sun Lingtong could see the formed void crystal.

"The only chance for survival!" A powerful intuition surged within him.

When he tried moving toward the lake bottom, the mechanism ring on his finger suddenly stopped contracting and grew still.

This tangible change served as strong proof, instantly boosting Ning Zhuo's spirits!

"Boss, let's hide in that spot!" Ning Zhuo immediately acted, diving into the Wanli Youlong.

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