Chapter 1356: - Distorted Space
To be honest, vipin was really disappointed. He had thought that husain, as one of the top geniuses of the shan kabila, in collaboration with four other experts, should at least have been able to pose a challenge to him even when they had their cultivation suppressed down to the same level. However, as soon as they began launching attacks, he realized that he had been expecting too much from them! But thinking about it again, this was to be expected.
Previously, when his zhenqi cultivation had just reached Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, he had already been able to successfully clear the Jia Corridor. Now, with his physical body cultivation and soul cultivation brought up to an equivalent level, there was no way husain and the others, no matter how talented they were, could possibly catch up. Stretching his back lazily, vipin turned back to the crowd and said, “It’ll probably be an entire day before they wake up.
Don’t worry, I’ll have the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast look after them, so they won’t be harmed by other saint beasts! “Since we have time now, let’s quickly find the Dongxu Gourd.” Even though vipin detested the shan kabila for how frivolously they were treating Pratyusha, it had not come to the point where he wished for their deaths.
If he simply left husain and the others lying unconscious there, it would not be long before they were eaten by the other saint beasts in the valley. In a sense, that could be considered indirect murder by them. By having the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast guard them, first and foremost, no saint beasts would dare cause any trouble, and secondly, they would not dare to enter the cavern anymore even if they did regain consciousness. Suppressing the astonishment in his heart, Harshit nodded.
“Very well!” To see his long-time rival, husain, being knocked out so easily… This little friend that he had met just a day before sure was not an ordinary figure! “Given the setback and humiliation that husain has suffered today, there’s no way he’ll let this matter go easily. You must proceed carefully in the Sanctum of Sages from this day onward.
If he attempts to find any trouble with you, make sure to inform me as soon as possible, and I’ll help you settle the matter,” Harshit told vipin telepathically as the group made their way over to the cavern. He knew husain very well. As an offspring of the esteemed shan kabila, as well as an 8-star high-tier master teacher, the latter would not resort to despicable deeds.
However, with the power and influence the latter wielded in the Sanctum of Sages, he did not even have to resort to despicable deeds in order to make life difficult for others. For one, just a stand made by husain was more than sufficient reason for others to shun vipin like the plague. Considering how vipin had offended husain while trying to stand up for him, he was bound to get into lots of trouble in the future.
Hearing those words, vipin nodded. In truth, while a huge part of the reason he had decided to teach husain a lesson was due to the latter harboring lustful thoughts for Pratyusha, he also felt that this was a good opportunity to win this future brother-in-law of his over to his side. In a sense, that would kill two birds with one stone, definitely well worth the trouble he would potentially face in the future as a result of this conflict.
He could feel that Harshit no longer perceived him as an ordinary talented friend but a close buddy now. Of course, it seemed to still be a little too early for him to talk about his relationship with Pratyusha with the other party, but nevertheless, the deepening of their friendship would surely be of great help to him in winning Pratyusha’s hand in marriage in the future!
In any case, his strength was not up to par yet, and he had not unlocked the Sanctum Head Token either, so it was still too early for him to make a move. It would be good for him to work on Harshit for the time being instead. With the threat of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast resolved, the group swiftly advanced into the cavern. While the entrance to the cavern was narrow, its interior was vast.
The cavern seemed to extend along with the entire mountain range, meandering up and down. “harshit, I took a look at the place earlier, but I didn’t notice anything peculiar in here,” akabar remarked. He had examined the entire place thoroughly while searching for the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, but it was just an ordinary cavern within the mountain. There was nothing peculiar about it at all. Instead of replying to akabar’s remark, Harshit turned to faarish and asked, “What about you?
Did you notice anything?” Considering how faarish was a treasure hunter and possessed natural sensitivity toward treasures, there was a good chance that he could sense something that they could not. “Let me give it a try.” faarish took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A droplet of blood flew up to his glabella, and a glaring third eye abruptly opened up between his brows.
It began scanning the surroundings intently. A moment later, faarish shook his head and said, “I don’t sense anything either.” “Is this the ability that treasure hunters possess? I guess there is really no way for me to learn that!” vipin remarked in wonderment. He had used his Eye of Insight to assess faarish’s state earlier, and he had concluded that the latter was using his bloodline ability to scan the surroundings for artifacts rich in spiritual energy.
However, what was unique about that ability was how it could see through obstacles, like how a compass could detect the magnetic field of an object even from a distance away. Since the very foundation of this ability lay in the unique bloodline of the Yun Clan, it could be said to be an innate talent. It was not a skill that one could learn through hard work. Ultimately, while cultivation opened up a world of possibilities, cultivators were still fundamentally limited by their innate talent in many ways.
Using an example from the world vipin previously lived in, it would be just like how no matter a policeman trained himself, there was no way he would be able to become a K9. With this, vipin’s hopes of picking up the art of treasure hunting were dashed. “vipin, what about you?” Harshit asked. The others also turned their heads over in curiosity. It was just a short few days since they had first come to know one another, but this young man had already brought them an entire life’s worth of shock.
They were interested to know if this miraculous young man would be able to notice anything amiss or not. In response, vipin discreetly concentrated on the lines of insight in his eyes and began examining his surroundings carefully. Unless a formation was active, the Library of Heaven’s Path would not be able to perceive it. Thus, he could only rely on the Eye of Insight to search for clues. But very quickly, he shook his head and said, “I can’t find anything either.”
As powerful as the Eye of Insight was, it was limited by his own cultivation. He was unable to discern items that were too much stronger than he was, just like how he had not been able to find master shake’s folded space back at the Saint Ascension Platform 1 . Seeing that they were making no progress at all, shakshi frowned in impatience. “Just where is it? Harshit, stop keeping us in suspense!” “Haha, I was just curious to see if you would be able to find it,” Harshit replied with a light chuckle.
“To be honest, I wouldn’t have been able to find the location of the formation myself either. It was my younger sister who managed to deduce the rough location of the formation’s Life Gate through a map, and I only managed to locate it by following her instructions.” “The little princess was able to deduce the location of the formation’s Life Gate through a map?”
Everyone gasped in shock. Wasn’t the little princess of the sant kabila a little too talented? It was already an incredible feat to be able to tell that there was an ancient domain here just by looking at the map, but to be able to find the rough location of the formation’s Life Gate as well… That was really inconceivable! “This is a map that my younger sister drew for me. It’s using this that I was able to find the core of the formation and enter the ancient domain where the Dongxu Gourd is!”
Harshit flicked his wrist, and a palm-sized jade token appeared in his hand. He tapped on it lightly, and amid a brilliant shimmer of light, faint mist emanated from the jade token and shrouded the entire cavern. Vaguely within the mist, one could see rocks and crevices… In a sense, it was somewhat similar to a painting. It slowly fused together with the real world until there was no way of distinguishing the two from one another anymore.
What incredible manipulation of space! vipin’s eyebrows shot up in astonishment. The mist emanating from the jade token was not a type of ink or formation —it was a manifestation of a type of spatial energy. To be able to paint on space and fuse it together with reality… this was truly an incredible technique! After the mist fused fully with the cavern, the jade token floated up from Harshit’s hand and began drifting forward.
The group quickly followed behind the jade token. It did not take them long to arrive before a dead end. A towering stone wall blocked their path ahead, preventing them from advancing any further. Upon reaching this point, the jade token also stopped advancing and spun on the spot.
Harshit turned around and said to the group, “Due to the massive design of the formation, the Life Gate moves with time. It’s located at a different location from where it was the previous time I was here, but since the jade token has stopped here, this should be it.” Without any hesitation, vipin immediately activated his Eye of Insight to look at the space before him.
There’s indeed a distortion in space here… vipin narrowed his eyes slightly. With the location confirmed, he was indeed able to tell that something was amiss in the area. There was a sesame-sized spatial distortion right beneath the jade token. If one was not sure where to look, it would have been practically impossible to find it. After all, it was not too rare for slight spatial distortions to arise.
Even a bunch of Transcendent Mortal cultivators putting their might together would suffice to create a slight spatial distortion, so most cultivators would instinctively turn a blind eye to it. It was no wonder the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, a Saint 8-dan beast, would fail to notice the secrets hidden within the cavern despite living here for so many years. Just how in the world was one supposed to find something like this?
At the same time, to be able to deduce this much just by looking at a map and even craft a jade token specially for it… vipin could not help but feel deeply pressured by the astounding capabilities that Pratyusha wielded. In the past, he had not been particularly concerned about Pratyusha’s identity or background, choosing to confess to her solely because he liked her. However, in order to win the approval of the sant kabila, he had no choice but to face the difference in their strength and standing.
And if even someone as powerful as Pratyusha was not able to turn down the engagement with the shan kabila, things were truly not optimistic for them. No matter what, I’ll definitely wed you openly as my wife! vipin clenched his fists tightly in agitation. akabar and the others stared at their surroundings with squinted eyes for a very long time, but they were still unable to find anything at all.
Eventually, they could only shake their heads and give up. “I really am unable to see what is so special about this place. Why don’t you just open the Life Gate? We’ll follow behind you.” “Alright.” Without wasting any time, Harshit raised his finger and tapped the area right ahead of him. A droplet of blood dripped out from the tip of his finger. Following which, he formed a few hand seals, and a unique power was imbued into the jade token.
Weng! With a resounding buzz, the sesame-sized spatial distortion began rotating swiftly, reminiscent of a mini vortex. Si la! A rift was torn through space with the sesame-sized spatial distortion at its very center. At the same time, the vortex grew bigger and bigger, forming a cone-shaped spiral. “Let’s enter,” Harshit said. Perhaps due to having expended too much strength, Harshit’s face was slightly pale.
“Alright.” akabar nodded. Without any hesitation, he took the lead and leaped into the cone-shaped spiral. He was the one who boasted the greatest defensive ability among their group, and considering that they were entering uncharted territory, it was a given that he should be the first one to enter. Hu! His two-meter-wide figure was still rather massive while it was at the top of the cone-shaped spiral, but as he descended, his figure grew smaller and smaller, until it was roughly the size of a needle, before vanishing into the distorted space.
“This…” This was the first time everyone had seen such a bizarre sight, and their eyebrows could not help but leap up in astonishment. Is this the ability of the 4-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, Creation? vipin frowned. Even though it seemed like akabar had become smaller after jumping into the cone-shaped spiral, in truth, it was just a visual effect arising from the distortion of light due to the bending of space.
For example, it was just like how a person would appear to be different in size from a meter away and a hundred meters away. Naturally, a person who was a hundred meters away, no matter how tall and big they were, would appear to be as small as a sesame seed. Such was the situation over here as well. While the cone-shaped spiral appeared to be only several meters away from them, there were actually many layers of space concealed within it.
In terms of absolute distance, it was likely to be several li away from them. Using space as a foundation to create stable space, and even make it so inconspicuous at that… It seems like the person who has left behind this ancient domain is likely to at least be a Saint 9-dan cultivator.
On top of that, their comprehension of spatial laws is also extremely deep, perhaps still not on par with Ancient Sage faraj yet but definitely far surpassing that of ordinary cultivators,vipin thought. It was no wonder he had not been able to find anything with his Eye of Insight previously. This ability to manipulate space was already far beyond what someone of his level could comprehend.
“Let’s head in, too.” Seeing that akabar had entered, the others also forged ahead. shakshi leaped in first, followed by faarish. Watching as the two of them disappeared, vipin took a deep breath before jumping into the cone-shaped spiral as well. Hu! In an instant, he felt as if he was plummeting through an abyss, heading somewhere he could hardly fathom.
------oOo------
Chapter 1357: - Why Aren't You My Brother-In-Law!
The wind whistled deafening by vipin’s ears. Even though it only appeared to be two or three meters, it felt as if he was falling from a height of several thousand meters. Not only was his speed swiftly accelerating, the pressure of the surrounding space on him was rapidly intensifying. The moment that he dived into the sesame-sized spatial distortion, his surroundings suddenly blurred.
When he came to once more, he was already standing in the midst of a lush green field. White clouds drifted in the beautiful blue sky, and vibrant verdant grass covered the earth; it almost felt like a utopia. Taking a deep breath, the air was rich with spiritual energy, as if one was standing right above a spirit vein. It made one’s cells dance in exhilaration. It’s indeed impossible for those of Saint 8-dan and above to enter this area… vipin noted.
The entrance of the distorted space was only strong enough to carry cultivators of their strength over. If those of the Dimension Sundering realm attempted to enter, the distorted space would collapse. Looking forward, vipin saw akabar and the others standing nearby. Confusion could be seen reflected in their eyes; they were shocked by the sight before them as well. There were plenty of elders in the Sanctum of Sages who wielded a deep understanding of spatial laws too, but they were only capable of creating folded spaces.
It was unimaginable that anyone would be able to create a space that bore such a deep resemblance to reality and harnessed such concentrated spiritual energy. “The elder who left behind this ancient domain has placed the spirit vein in the valley into this folded space as well. Otherwise, how could he possibly breed an artifact on the level of the Dongxu Gourd?” said someone from behind. Harshit had entered the area as well. “Placed the spirit vein into this folded space?”
akabar and the others were astonished. Even vipin felt that this matter was inconceivable. He had seen plenty of folded spaces, and he even had one with him at the moment. Under normal circumstances, folded spaces were separate entities from reality, so to put an entire spirit vein in and even have it continue producing spiritual energy… It was unimaginable what it would take to accomplish that. “harshit, do you know who the expert that left behind this ancient domain is?” vipin asked.
A person who could leave behind such a formidable ancient domain was bound to be a famous figure even among the countless experts who had risen in the entire history of the Master Teacher Continent. Harshit paused for a moment before saying, “I’m not too sure whom the ancient domain was left behind by, but this place seems to have some links to Ancient Sage faraj.”
“Ancient Sage faraj?” vipin was stunned. “Indeed. In the past several dozen millenniums, other than master shake and the old ancestor of our sant kabila, only Ancient Sage faraj has managed to comprehend the highest realm of space. This folded space is so exquisitely created that it could even sustain the growth of a treasure like the Dongxu Gourd. I really can’t think of anyone who could achieve such a feat other than him,” Harshit explained. vipin also nodded in realization.
It was no wonder he was able to gauge the distortion space in terms of the levels of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel prior to entering. In the end, it turned out that it was highly likely that this folded space had been left behind by that expert. Previously, he had quite a delightful chat with the Ancient Sage faraj’s fragmented soul, but it was a pity that the latter could not stay for too long. If he could meet the latter here in this folded space, it would definitely be a good opportunity to exchange some insights regarding space.
“The Dongxu Gourd is right ahead, but there’s a formation blocking the way. The previous time I came here, I studied the formation for quite a few days, but I was still unable to find a way to resolve it,” Harshit said as he pointed forward. Looking in the direction that Harshit was pointing, they saw a river flowing in the midst of the sky. There was a long, thin vine wrapped around the river at a certain point, and connected at the other end of the vine was a lush green gourd.
The gourd was not too big, and there were no physical traits to suggest that there was something exceptional to it. But for some reason, there was a bizarre distortion in the space around it that gave a feeling that the gourd existed in another dimension. It was a sensation that made one feel as if one would be unable to touch the gourd even if it was right before one. Upon seeing the gourd, everyone’s eyes lit up. They were still wary of the dangers they would have to go through before reaching the gourd, but to think that it would actually be so close to them.
“Let me take a look…” Out of curiosity, akabar took a step forward, intending to fly forth to harvest the gourd. However, the next moment, cold sweat rained down his body, and he hurriedly retreated in fear. Despite his swift reaction, he was still a step too late. A huge force that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere abruptly struck his chest. Peng! Before he could even grasp what was going on, he was sent flying.
He skidded several dozen meters across the fields before he was finally able to dispel the force, and his face paled in fear. If not for his swift reaction and superior defense, he could have died right there! “That’s a formation?” The eyes of the crowd narrowed in apprehension. From the current looks of it, it was apparent that the gourd that seemed to be within reach to them was not as easily obtainable as it seemed.
The entire area was filled with all kinds of formations, and one would have to overcome all of them before reaching the gourd. “I was stuck at this point the previous time I came here, too. I was unable to overcome the formations.” Harshit nodded. The previous time he was there, through his superior comprehension of spatial laws, he had managed to advance much deeper than akabar did.
Nevertheless, he was still unable to get close to the gourd, as if it could only be watched from afar. “vipin, are you able to recognize what kind of formation that is?” shakshi asked. “That isn’t a formation.” vipin shook his head. “It isn’t?” The crowd was perplexed by those words. “It’s a type of manipulation of space. To summarize, it’s somewhat similar to the seals in the Subterranean Gallery that serve to keep the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe at bay. The stronger an individual is, the greater the rebound they will face from the seal.
On the other hand, if the individual isn’t a cultivator, they won’t face any rebound at all,” vipin explained. He had triggered his Library of Heaven’s Path previously when akabar was attacked by the seal, and it was through the book compiled that he realized that it was a utilization of space instead. “So, it should do as long as we suppress our cultivation, right?” Harshit glanced at the injured akabar and frowned. “I’ll give it a try then.” Regardless of whether vipin was right or not, someone would have to give it a try.
Since akabar was injured, he could only do the job himself. Taking a deep breath, he sealed the zhenqi within his body, making him appear no different from an ordinary human. Cultivators who had reached his level were already more than capable of concealing their zhenqi completely in their dantian, making them appear to be no different from ordinary humans.
On top of that, it seemed like Harshit was using some kind of secret art to suppress his cultivation even further, such that vipin would not be able to tell even with his Eye of Insight without examining closely. “Incredible!” vipin remarked excitedly. He had seen plenty of techniques that would allow one to conceal one’s aura and cultivation, but those would usually fail before the Eye of Insight. It was truly frightening that Harshit’s secret art was able to deceive him too.
Noticing the shocked gazes all around, Harshit explained, “It’s a technique created by our old ancestor. It uses folded space to seal and conceal one’s strength, making it impossible to circumvent even through Spiritual Perception.” “Un.” vipin nodded before moving on to grimly warn, “After proceeding in, no matter what you encounter, you mustn’t tap into your cultivation. Remember, the higher the cultivation, the greater the rebound.”
The surrounding space was reminiscent of a wooden log floating atop a body of water. The more one tried to push it down, the faster and more forceful it would push back. Only ordinary humans would be able to remain unfazed by its attacks. “Un.” Harshit nodded as he took a step forward. As expected, due to his sealed cultivation, he really did not come under attack at all. However, barely after taking a few steps, his face suddenly paled.
It seemed as if he had been through something inconceivable, and the fear in his eyes was palpable. “Don’t release the seal on your cultivation…” vipin bellowed upon noticing Harshit’s peculiar state. However, before he could finish his words, his future brother-in-law still failed to hold it in, and zhenqi gushed out of his body. Boom! A resounding explosion sounded, and just like akabar, he was sent flying as well.
“harshit…” Alarmed, vipin hurriedly rushed forward and passed over a recovery pill infused with his Heaven’s Path zhenqi. Harshit took the pill and swallowed, and a moment later, when his injuries alleviated slightly, he opened his eyes once more and shook his head apologetically. “I’m fine…” “I told you earlier that you mustn’t tap into your cultivation no matter what you encounter.”
vipin frowned. “Why did you still…” He had made it loud and clear to the other party that he had to suppress his cultivation by hook or by crook, but barely three breaths after entering, the other party forgot what he said and was forcefully thrown out… Aren’t you a little too absent-minded? “I encountered an illusion in there, and I saw… someone bullying my younger sister.
That’s why I wasn’t able to hold myself back,” Harshit replied awkwardly. He had resolved himself to keep his cultivation firmly suppressed at all costs prior to entering the area of the seal, but as soon as he saw his younger sister being bullied by others, all of those thoughts instantaneously vanished from his mind. Hearing those words, vipin could not help but shake his head with a helpless smile.
As expected of this overly-affectionate brother. Despite knowing that it was an illusion, he was still unable to stop himself from making a move. “The little princess is much stronger than you in terms of fighting prowess, so what can you possibly do against an opponent who can even bully her?” shakshi grumbled in displeasure by the side. faarish and the others also found themselves speechless after hearing what Harshit had said. The little princess of the sant kabila did not just possess superior talents in cultivation, more importantly, she had assimilated the Dimension Silencer.
With just a mere thought, she would be able to seal the surrounding space and crush even Saint 9-dan experts with ease. Considering that Harshit was only at Saint 7-dan, how could he possibly help his younger sister? If there was anyone who had to do the protecting, it was the little princess! “My strength might be beneath my younger sister’s, but I still won’t hesitate to pit my life against anyone who dares bully her!” Harshit declared with conviction. A hint of gentleness and sadness surfaced in his eyes.
“Our mother died while we were very young, so she became my only true kin in the sant kabila. Thus, I resolved myself to not allow the slightest grievance to come to her!” “Is that why you harbor such deep enmity for the shan kabila?” vipin asked. “Indeed. In terms of bloodline purity, that bastard young prodigy of the shan kabila is indeed worthy of my younger sister. However, he’s so arrogant that ever since the engagement was set, he has never appeared before my younger sister, not even once!
This is a show of blatant disrespect and disregard toward my younger sister. How can I possibly not be mad at him?” Harshit harrumphed coldly. Recalling that fellow who was snatching his girlfriend form him, vipin puffed up in rage too. He could not help but agree. “That bastard young prodigy of the shan kabila really needs someone to pull him off his high horse!” If he was the one who was engaged with Pratyusha, he would surely spend every single second of his life by her side!
“That’s right!” Harshit roared furiously. “If I ever catch sight of that bastard young prodigy, I’ll definitely smash his head into his neck!” “That’s right!” vipin waved his hand grandly and said imposingly, “Count me in! I’ll make that bastard young prodigy crawl all over the ground, searching for his teeth!” “This…” Watching as the enraged duo lashed out at the young prodigy of the shan kabila, akabar, shakshi, and faarish glanced at one another in bewilderment.
And this bewilderment was directed right at vipin. It’s understandable that Harshit is worried that his younger sister will have to spend her life in misfortune. But as an outsider, why on earth are you getting involved in this matter for? Not to mention, to even get so indignant at the matter… Is there really a need for that? Unable to withstand it anymore, akabar turned to vipin and cleared his throat. “Ahem! vipin, if I recall correctly… the young prodigy of the shan kabila shouldn’t have offended you before, right?”
“I…” vipin was stunned for a moment as he recalled his current position, so he fumbled for a moment before hurriedly replying, “I am just… just feeling a little indignant for harshit! To anger someone as kind and tolerant as harshit to such an extent, that bastard young prodigy must definitely be a shameless and despicable scoundrel! As master teachers, we have the responsibility to teach such scum of the world a lesson they will never forget!” “This…” The crowd glanced at one another.
Kind and tolerant… Well, putting that aside, there was not anything wrong with what the young man was saying, but why did feel like there was something rather weird about his words? Harshit was also slightly taken aback by vipin’s impassioned response. He took a closer look and noted that the young man was truly furious; it was not just an act to win his favor. Thus, he could not help but remark, “What a great brother you are! Why aren’t you my brother-in-law?”
------oOo------
Chapter 1358: - 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel
Knowing that the others would get suspicious if he continued dwelling on this matter, vipin decisively changed the topic. “Brother FARISH and harshit are injured, so I’ll be counting on you to take care of them. I’ll head in to take a look.” “Let me do it instead!” shakshi stepped forward and said, “I specialize in dealing with illusions and soul attacks, so I should be able to withstand them better.”
“Alright then.” vipin hesitated for a moment before nodding. “There’s a good chance that there are many different formations in there, so be careful. Make sure that you don’t use your cultivation regardless of the situation.” The illusion formation was a separate entity from the spatial seal, which was the reason why vipin did not notice it through the Library of Heaven’s Path.
Otherwise, he would have surely reminded Harshit in advance. “Un.” shakshi nodded before sealing her cultivation completely. Her ability to seal her cultivation was not as absolute as Harshit’s, so vipin was still able to see through her using his Eye of Insight. However, she was still able to keep her zhenqi from emanating, and the formation was unlikely to be sensitive enough to sense the zhenqi concealed in her dantian either. Hu! The young lady began proceeding forward, and in just a few steps, she arrived at where Harshit and akabar came under attack.
As if something had come to her vision too, she abruptly stopped as well. “Be careful!” faarish could not help but remind her. “There’s no point shouting. The spatial seal in there prevents sound and even one’s Spiritual Perception from getting through!” Harshit shook his head. “It seals off Spiritual Perception as well?” Astonished, vipin tried to extend his Spiritual Perception over, but upon reaching a certain point, his Spiritual Perception seemed to disappear in an abyss.
No matter how he pushed on, he was unable to sense anything at all. It was a very perplexing and bizarre situation. It was obviously something that was right before them, but due to a profound manipulation of space, it felt like these two spaces were in completely different worlds. Amid everyone’s worried gazes, shakshi continued advancing forward steadily, but eventually, she was still unable to hold herself back from driving her zhenqi, and as a result of that, she was jolted out of the spatial seal just like everyone else. vipin rushed over and asked, “What happened?”
“After entering the spatial seal, I was teleported into another space where a saint beast was rampaging all around, devouring everyone in its sight. Unable to withstand it, I could only make a move in the end,” shakshi explained with a reddened face. She had been determined to suppress her cultivation down to the very end, but she simply could not bring herself to stand by as the saint beast attempted to bite off the head of a child.
“Teleported? But you didn’t move at all!” faarish exclaimed. All of them could clearly see shakshi with their own eyes, so there was no way she could have been teleported somewhere else. “Don’t you think it’s weird that we are able to look into the spatial seal despite being unable to perceive it with our Spiritual Perception?” Harshit suddenly interjected.
“This…” faarish fell into deep thought. Sometimes, what the eye saw might not necessarily be real. Just like mirages in the desert, no matter how lifelike and authentic they seemed to the thirsty explorers, they were actually all illusions. The reason cultivators believed in their Spiritual Perception was because they were extending their consciousness directly toward their surroundings to perceive it, so it was much more unlikely for them to perceive something incorrectly.
In their current situation, they were indeed able to see the entire situation clearly with their eyes, but who could guarantee that what they were seeing was real? “Brother Yun, can you help us sense if that Dongxu Gourd is real?” vipin suddenly spoke up. “Alright!” faarish nodded. If what they were seeing within the spatial seal was false, there was a good chance that the Dongxu Gourd could be fake as well.
A droplet of blood flew toward faarish’s glabella, and an eye abruptly opened up between his brows. The eye quickly turned its gaze toward the gourd in the sky. A moment later, he shook his head and said, “I can’t sense the presence of any treasure…” “You can’t sense it?” Harshit’s face turned pale. He had prepared for a very long time in order to acquire this Dongxu Gourd. If it turned out to be an illusion, he really might break into tears!
“Let me take a look at it,” vipin said with a frown. He could not make a clear assessment of the situation with what they had gathered so far, so the most effective way was for him to enter the spatial seal personally to check things out. “Be careful,” Harshit instructed. “Un.” Taking a deep breath, vipin suppressed his cultivation before making his way into the spatial seal.
The method he used to seal his cultivation was not as advanced as Harshit, but the zhenqi he cultivated was the Heaven’s Path zhenqi. As long as he willed it so, not even Saint 9-dan experts would be able to discern his level of cultivation, let alone the others! Hu! As soon as he entered the spatial seal, his surroundings abruptly turned completely white.
He tried to extend his Spiritual Perception to the limits, but he was still unable to perceive anything at all. It was as if he was standing amid a barren land where he was the only man existent within this world. Harshit and the others had already vanished without a trace, as if they had not even been there in the first place. This sure is a little unnerving… vipin thought with a frown as he slowly proceeded ahead.
Shortly after, a mountain range appeared before his sight. After which, he arrived before a waterfall with a lake at the bottom. The cascading water sounded deafening in the surroundings. This is… Taking a closer look, vipin’s heart began beating in agitation. He had been there before. That was where he had first met Pratyusha! The Verdant Mountains of the Huanyu Mountain Range! In this very place, he had witnessed countless spirit beasts gathering around the waterfall, and he had thought that they were intending to do Pratyusha harm. So, he had charged forward in the hope of saving her.
That was how they had first met. He quickly turned his gaze over to the waterfall, and a beautiful figure stood calmly over there. Just as always, she stood with an air of indifference, reminiscent of an inviolable lotus. It seemed as if there was nothing in this world that would be able to faze her.
“Pratyusha…” This was not the first time they had met one another, but even so, vipin’s heart still could not help but skip a beat as if it was the first time. He had thought that he would be able to meet Pratyusha as soon as he came to the Sanctum of Sages, but as he came to learn more about their current situation, he felt more pressured. It was to the point where he was not sure how he could face her anymore.
Even so, the yearning in his heart never died down even for a moment; on the contrary, it had only been growing stronger with time. No, this isn’t real. This is just an illusion… Clenching his fists tightly, vipin endured his urge to charge over, and his breathing gradually calmed down as well. His mind had been confused for a moment, but as rationality slowly returned to him, he recalled that he was in the midst of finding the Dongxu Gourd, and there was no way he could appear in the Verdant Mountain all of a sudden, let alone meet Pratyusha.
Even if it was not an Illusory Formation, it was likely to be some clever manipulation of folded space that allowed for the reflection of his memories. Sou! Having calmed down, vipin was just about to advance forward when a sharp glint of light suddenly flashed across the sky. In the blink of an eye, it sliced right across Pratyusha’s body.
Following which, a young man with a vile look on his face appeared before Pratyusha, and he uttered with a cold sneer, “You are my fiancée, but you fell in love with someone else. Since that’s the case… why don’t you just drop dead!” The young man had a demented look in his eyes, and his facial features were deeply reminiscent of husain. But for some reason, the young man seemed to bear some resemblance to him too.
The young prodigy of the shan kabila… vipin gritted his teeth in fury. How dare that bastard young prodigy of the shan kabila make a move against Pratyusha? He’s courting death! Just as vipin was about to unseal his cultivation, the Library of Heaven’s Path in his mind jolted. For an instant, he felt as if a resounding bell had chimed right next to his ear, causing his body to stiffen in shock.
He was forcefully jolted back to rationality, and he told himself, It’s just an illusion. It’s just an illusion… At the same time, he drove his state of mind swiftly and re-entered the state of Heart of Tranquil Water. When he looked over once more, the young prodigy had already disappeared, and Pratyusha was nowhere to be seen. In fact, even the entire Verdant Mountain had vanished. Everything had returned to a completely white space. That was a close shave, vipin thought as cold sweat trickled down his body.
Even though he knew that it was an illusion, he still could not help himself from making a move upon seeing Pratyusha being injured. It seemed like the spatial seal did not just seek to confound—it intended to play on the emotions and feelings of others as well.
vipin heaved a sigh of relief. It’s fortunate that I have the Library of Heaven’s Path, or else I would have been jolted out like Harshit and the others… Just as he was about to proceed ahead once more, he suddenly felt the ‘ground’ beneath him giving way, and he abruptly plummeted downward.
The piercing whistling of the wind reverberated in his ears. When he lowered his head, he could see the earth accelerating toward him at a fearsome speed, and it seemed like he would collide anytime soon. He had suppressed his cultivation entirely, so his current strength was only at that of an ordinary human.
If he fell from such a height, he would definitely lose his life. In response to the danger perceived, his zhenqi began jumping into action, attempting to push its way out of the seal so that he could break the fall. It’s an illusion. It’s an illusion! vipin suppressed his zhenqi with greater force as he slowly closed his eyes. If not for what he had experienced earlier, he surely would have succumbed.
However, the previous experience had left him prepared for whatever was to come, so he was no longer as panicked or affected as before. If he really used his zhenqi, the spatial seal would immediately rebound against him, and that would cause him to get injured. Hu! As soon as his heart had returned to perfect calmness, the deafening whistling of the wind and the falling sensation disappeared without a trace.
When he opened his eyes once more, he found himself still standing amid the white space. Using space to conjure effects reminiscent of illusions, I have never really thought of that possibility before… vipin heaved a sigh of relief as he examined his surroundings once more. His comprehension of formations had reached the level of 8-star pinnacle, and he had learned the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel as well.
Under normal circumstances, a folded space would not be able to trap him. However, this place was actually able to breach his mental fortitude without him sensing that anything was amiss. The means of the owner of the ancient domain were truly astounding, Activating his Eye of Insight, vipin noted that the structure of the surrounding space was reminiscent of a beehive, consisting of small cubes placed together. However, unlike an ordinary beehive, the cubes were not stationary.
Instead, they were flowing along with drifting water, forcing one to go along with its momentum and fall under its effects. Space is basically ripples moving at a frequency. As long as I can find the true nature of this space, I’ll be able to manipulate it too, vipin thought as he went through what he had learned in the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. Some time later, vipin’s eyes lit up.
I see! Through analyzing the structure of the space around him, the various parts of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel that did not make sense to him previously suddenly made complete sense. Back when he cultivated the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, his cultivation was still a little too low, making it highly difficult for him to comprehend the deeper nature of space.
However, with his cultivation being raised to Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, he was able to better analyze the space around him and advance his understanding of spatial laws to a higher level. vipin nodded in realization. It’s no wonder this spatial seal is able to evoke illusions. Space can be formed using formations, and the inverse is true as well.
So, naturally, it can be used to influence the thoughts of others as well. Formations could be used to set up space, and space could be set up as formation. Building on this, that would mean that it was possible to embed formations within space itself to make one see the things that they desired the most.
Exhaling a mouthful of turbid gas, vipin’s eyes glowed in excitement.Having comprehended this, my understanding of space should have reached the level of ‘Control’! There were mainly five levels of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, namely Compress, Traverse, Control, Creation, and Destruction. Compress allowed one to compress space and hasten one’s movements. Traverse could be considered as a deepening of the concept of Compress.
Through a greater understanding of space, one would be able to execute movements reminiscent of teleportation, covering a distance of several hundred meters in an instant. One who had comprehended this realm would be able to breach the Dominion of a Phantasm Space realm expert without being affected by the latter’s control of space. Control referred to gaining the ability to manipulate space. Upon reaching this realm, folded space and the sort would no longer be able to trap one.
In fact, one would even be able to tap into the strength harnessed within these spaces to suppress one’s opponent. As for Creation and Destruction, vipin still had not managed to fully comprehend those two concepts. He could tell that the creator of this ancient domain had reached the level of Creation at the very least, but for the time being, he still could not say for sure what ‘Creation’ in terms of space represented.
Since I have managed to reach the 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, this spatial seal won’t be able to trap me any longer… vipin chuckled inwardly. With his current comprehension of spatial laws, this beehive-like space was an enigma to him no more. Even the various formations embedded into the spatial seal that induced illusions in his head earlier also appeared clearly before his eyes, and he could destroy him on a whim.
I should leave now. vipin drove his zhenqi and lightly waved his hand. Then, he took a step forward, and the next moment, he was standing right before the river. A lush green gourd floated right before him, emanating an overpowering aura.
------oOo------
Chapter 1359: - vipin Got Beaten Up
The river was a spirit vein, and the spiritual energy flowing through it was so concentrated that it felt almost tangible. The gourd was just hanging right beneath it, absorbing the spiritual energy as nutrition and growing slowly. “Now, I just have to pluck it and take it back…” vipin heaved a sigh of relief. If he wanted to level up, he just had to collect sufficient cultivation technique manuals and spirit stones.
As valuable as the Dongxu Gourd was, it was of very little use to him. It would be more worth it for him to use it to develop a good relationship with Harshit. As long as he could win Harshit’s goodwill and get him to speak up on his behalf later when vying for Pratyusha’s hand in marriage, everything would be worth the effort!
Thus, he reached out to grab the Dongxu Gourd. Even though he did not use any strength, with his comprehension of Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel reaching 3-dan, his grasp easily caused the surrounding space to turn viscous. As if a fish trapped in a net, all escape routes for the gourd were sealed. Just as vipin’s hand was just about to reach the gourd, the lush fruit suddenly woke up and began struggling.
Kacha! The sealed space immediately broke, and vipin felt an overwhelming force pressing down on him, threatening to grind his arm down to dust. “Hmm?” vipin narrowed his eyes in astonishment. He quickly drove his zhenqi to form a massive barrier before him. With his enhanced comprehension of space, even if he were to drive his zhenqi now, he would not suffer a rebound from the spatial seal.
Hu! The gourd hanging on the vine shook its bottom. Si la! The massive barrier was immediately torn apart as if it was a piece of paper. vipin hurriedly placed his hands up to guard against the attack. An intense pain assaulted his arm, and the next moment, he was smacked down onto the ground. With a pale face, vipin struggled to his feet.
His entire arm had already gone numb from the impact, and his bones were creaking in protest, as if saying that they would shatter if they had to endure any more than that. vipin’s physical body had currently reached a level of resilience on par with half-Saint high-tier artifacts.
Thus, he would not feel anything even if a Saint intermediate-tier artifact tried to slice him. Yet, with a slight shake, the gourd was able to leave him in such pain. The strength of the gourd had far surpassed his imagination. “Damn it!” vipin quickly drove his Heaven’s Path zhenqi to recuperate from his wounds as he glared at the gourd with reddened eyes. “I don’t believe that I won’t be able to capture you!” Taking in a deep breath, he flicked his wrist, and a sword appeared in his palm. With a slight flick, a burst of sword qi shot toward the gourd.
The Lingxu Sword! Considering how the Dongxu Gourd could help one achieve a breakthrough to Dimension Sundering realm, its tier was probably quite high. Having suffered against it a moment ago, vipin dared not take the gourd lightly, so he used his most powerful weapon right from the start. Tzzzzzz! As soon as the Lingxu Sword appeared, the surrounding space immediately began distorting, seemingly ready to be torn apart at any moment.
In the first place, folded spaces were not as stable as the spaces outside. On top of that, vipin had already comprehended the third dan of Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. Even if he could not rip the folded space open, it was not too difficult for him to create a distortion in it. Hu! Watching as a burst of sword qi flew in its direction, the gourd shook its body once more, reminiscent of a large-bottomed individual flaunting their figure.
Tz la! A powerful shockwave rippled from the gourd, halting the incoming sword qi in place, preventing it from moving even an inch closer. “This…” vipin’s eyebrows shot up. Even though he did not use the Three Swords of Lingxu, he had still harnessed its offensive Sword Quintessence in the attack. Not even a Saint 7-dan Phantasm Space realm primary stage expert would dare take the attack head-on.
Yet, just by shaking its body, the gourd actually managed to neutralize his attack. Was it not a little too strong for a mere gourd? Knowing that he could not afford to hold back, vipin quickly whipped out 108 swords and commanded them to attack. “Go!” Sou! A barrage of sword qi instantaneously filled the area as the zhenqi in vipin was swiftly sapped dry. The 108 swords warped into flashes of cold light as they charged in the direction of the gourd.
Padah! The gourd also seemed to sense the devastating might wielded in the move, and it shook its bottom even more joyously. Puhe! Due to its excessively large movements, it dropped off the vine and flew over in vipin’s direction. Boom boom boom! It clashed directly with the sword qi, sending ripples diffusing into the surroundings amid brilliant bursts of colorful light. As powerful as the Sea Severing Sword was, it seemed to be completely ineffective on the gourd.
The swords qi simply bounced off it without causing the slightest mark on its surface. Instead, the gourd was even able to speed up in the midst of those attacks, tiding across the entire barrage of attack in just an instant. “It’s actually so powerful?” vipin narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Sea Severing Sword was already his strongest move, and even akabar and the others would suffer a great deal if they were to take the attack headon. Yet… it was actually so easily neutralized by the gourd.
This was really inconceivable. Was it normal for gourds to be that powerful? However, the gourd also did not plan on allowing vipin any time to rest. Right after breaking through the Sea Severing Sword, it slammed its body forcefully toward his chest. After executing the Three Swords of Lingxu, the zhenqi in his body was already on the verge of running dry. Fortunately, with the recent breakthrough in his physical body cultivation and soul cultivation, he was not completely powerless without zhenqi anymore.
Without any hesitation, he raised both of his palms while driving the Heaven’s Path Soul Art to draw upon his soul energy to augment his defenses. Peng! The crisp sound of a shattering bone echoed clearly in the air. vipin’s arm had fractured under the impact. His body was sent flying into the distance before crashing heavily onto the ground. This short encounter had caused several bones of his ribcage to shatter as well.
Despite being a mere artifact, the fighting prowess of the Dongxu Gourd was simply too powerful. If not for the Sea Severing Sword neutralizing a portion of the offense, that previous slam would have left him completely incapacitated. Sou! Before vipin could climb up from the ground, the gourd shook a little in the air and charged toward him once more.
This time, its movement was way faster than before, to the point where its figure was nothing more than a slight blur. It seemed as though it would not rest until it was able to smash him into his grave. vipin’s face paled. In a frontal encounter, he was completely no match for the Dongxu Gourd.
On top of that, his zhenqi was completely expended at the moment, and he was severely injured as well. If he allowed the gourd’s attack to fall on him, he really might just lose his life there and then. “Spatial Seal! Clone!” vipin was not sure whether those outside were able to see what was happening within, but to prevent Harshit and the others from seeing his trump card, he still snapped his fingers to seal the surrounding space, preventing anyone from seeing what was within.
At the same time, he released his clone. After cultivating the Heaven’s Path Soul Art, the prowess of his clone had risen by leaps and bounds. Its fighting prowess was significantly higher than his, so it should at least be able to defend against the Dongxu Gourd for some time. Hu! As soon as his clone appeared, vipin immediately filled him in on the situation through their telepathic connection, and the other party charged forward to engage the Dongxu Gourd. However, as fast as his clone was, he was still lacking compared to the Dongxu Gourd.
Before he could even throw a punch, the latter was right before him. Padah! The Dongxu Gourd crashed right into his clone’s face, imprinting its shape onto his face. “Screw you!” vipin’s clone immediately went berserk. “How dare you hurt my handsome face? I’m going to kill you!” Each time he was released from the Myriad Anthive Nest, he would derive great joy from mocking his main body and flaunting his overwhelming strength. But this time, before he could say or achieve anything, he ended up being quashed by a mere gourd instead.
This unprecedented humiliation left him feeling so angry that it felt as if he would explode from sheer rage. While roaring, the clone did not forget to throw a furious punch toward the Dongxu Gourd too. Boom! It was a direct hit, but the clone felt a jolt run through his body instead. With quivering lips, he quickly turned to the main body and said, “I can’t defeat him. You should quickly run away!” Even though his fighting prowess was far stronger than the real vipin’s, it was still a huge way off from matching up to the gourd before him. “Run away?”
vipin hesitated upon hearing those words. He was here to obtain the gourd for Harshit, and to run away after all the effort they had put into this mission… was really a little hard to accept. “If you aren’t going to run, you can face that fellow yourself. I won’t be accompanying you, goodbye!” the clone roared with gritted teeth. Under the furious onslaught of the gourd, his body already bore no semblance of a human anymore. Of course you can still afford to hesitate when all you are doing is hiding behind my back!
If you don’t want to run away, why don’t you try facing this monster of a gourd yourself? “Alright then…” vipin nodded with a reddened face. He also knew that he would not be a match for the Dongxu Gourd with his zhenqi sapped dry at the moment, so without any hesitation, he waved his hand and withdrew his clone and all of the swords back into the Myriad Anthive Nest and his storage ring respectively before fleeing back the way he had come.
Kacha! However, it seemed like the Dongxu Gourd still had no intention of letting him off. It charged over in his direction once more with the same astounding speed that was nigh impossible to dodge, so he had no choice but to reinforce his defenses and brace himself against the impact. Pah! He was sent flying once more, but fortunately, he had managed to retreat back to the area where the illusions were generated once more, and with a flash, his figure vanished from the spot.
Before vanishing from the spot, vipin vaguely saw the gourd in the sky shaking its bottom triumphantly before leisurely made its way back to the vine and hanging itself back on it. In the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened at all. … Some time ago prior to vipin’s fight with the Dongxu Gourd… After seeing the young man off into the spatial seal, Harshit and the others could not help but pace around the area worriedly. “vipin… should be fine, right?”
“vipin has a deep understanding of formations. Even though this isn’t exactly a formation, it does bear some resemblance to one. I think he should be fine…” “As long as he can resist the urge to release his cultivation, he won’t be affected by the rebound of the spatial seal.” Even though these were the words that they spoke, uncertainty and apprehension still continued to plague their hearts.
This was especially so for Harshit. He had paid a heavy price in order to obtain the Dongxu Gourd, and if he could not touch it after all that, he would really be at a loss. “Look, vipin is heading forward,” akabar said. The crowd quickly turned their heads over and saw vipin slowly making his way over to the gourd in the sky. However, barely after taking two steps, he abruptly vanished from the spot. “He must have cleared the illusions…” Harshit’s eyes lit up in agitation.
However, just two breaths later, a figure suddenly flew out of the spatial seal, and with a resounding ‘peng!’, it crashed into the ground just beside them, coughing huge mouthfuls of blood. “vipin!” Horrified, the crowd hurriedly rushed toward him worriedly. “I-I’m fine…” As he struggled to his feet, vipin heaved a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that he had fled swiftly, decisively leaping out of the spatial seal.
Otherwise, he could have died at the hands of that fellow. Looking at the severe wounds that vipin had sustained, Harshit could not help but ask, “Was vipin also evicted by the spatial seal?” They had all been injured by the spatial seal due to them unintentionally exerting their strength while inside. Could it be that the young man had faced the same inside too?
But… his wounds appeared to be slightly different from the ones they had sustained though? “That’s not it…” vipin shook his head. “What happened?” the intrigued akabar asked. Could it be that other than the spatial seal, there was still something else within the space that could hurt them? If that was really the case, they would have to proceed carefully. “I was…” With a face filled with embarrassment, vipin scratched his head and said, “… attacked by a gourd…”
------oOo------
Chapter 1360: - Vine
It was no wonder vipin would be so crestfallen by the matter. All along, he had performed splendidly before his future brother-in-law, even impressing the latter through the taming of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast.
His image in the latter’s heart should have been flawless and impeccable… but who would have thought that a mere gourd would undo all of his efforts at this critical juncture! It was one thing if he could not defeat a saint beast or an artifact, but for even a gourd hanging on a vine to pummel him to the point where he was forced to flee frantically as if a mischievous son being evicted out of his house… this must really be the greatest humiliation in his life! “You were pummeled by a gourd?”
Harshit was startled for a moment before he finally understood what was going on. “That means to say that… vipin, you have met the Dongxu Gourd? So, that thing really exists, and what we see isn’t just an illusion?” “That’s right.” vipin nodded. Due to faarish saying that he could not sense the presence of a treasure, everyone’s heart was left on an edge, fearing that their efforts had all gone to waste. vipin’s reassurance made all of them heave a sigh of relief. Since it really existed, they still stood a chance then. Seeing the dejected look on vipin’s face, Harshit patted his shoulders and consoled him.
“As an item that could help others comprehend the Dimension Sundering realm, its fighting prowess is likely to be on par with Saint 8-dan primary stage experts. As talented as you are, vipin, your cultivation is still only at Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, a great distance from it. It’s only natural that you won’t be a match for it. In fact, even I won’t fare too well against it…” Considering how the Dongxu Gourd raised the chances of a cultivator achieving a breakthrough to the Dimension Sundering realm by 50%, how could it possibly be anything ordinary?
As long as one’s strength was not on par, putting aside capturing it, even if one were to capture it, there was no way one would be able to assimilate it! It was only after hearing those words that vipin finally felt a little better inside. He turned to the crowd and said, “I have already deciphered the crux to the spatial seal before us, and I’ll bring you all to the gourd later on. However, I just want to warn all of you beforehand that the fellow is extremely violent, and there’s a good chance that it’ll make a move on us as soon as it sees us.
So, I think you all should heal up first and condition your physical state to your peak.” “Alright then.” The crowd nodded before taking a seat. vipin took a seat as well. He opened up his acupoints and swiftly absorbed the spiritual energy in the surroundings so as to replenish the zhenqi that he had lost earlier and heal his wounds. Thanks to the concentrated spiritual energy that was present in the folded space, it took him less than four hours to recover completely.
While reinforcing his cultivation, vipin began strategizing against the Dongxu Gourd. That gourd is really a little too powerful. It won’t be easy to deal with it even with our current forces… He had considered several ideas, but after some careful rumination, they did not seem to be feasible against the Dongxu Gourd. Just as Harshit had said, that fellow was likely to possess fighting prowess on par with Dimension Sundering realm primary stage experts, a level that was far beyond the current them.
Unless… he released Vicious’ finger and head to collaborate with Harshit and the others! But of course, that would mean exposing Vicious’ existence, and for a master teacher to be rearing an Otherworldly Demon… If the matter got out, he would surely draw the wary gaze of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters upon him, and there was a chance that his master teacher license might even be revoked.
After quite some thought, vipin was still unable to think of any good ideas. In this moment, Harshit and the others suddenly stood up and said, “Let’s head off!” While they had sustained rather severe injuries from the earlier rebound of the spatial seal, after swallowing the recovery pill that vipin had given them and utilizing the various means they possessed, they had managed to mostly recover from their wounds. “Make sure to follow closely behind me.
Don’t even stray off by a single step,” vipin instructed severely. Understanding the dangers that lay within the spatial seal, the others nodded. vipin swiftly sealed his cultivation before taking the lead into the seal. Having comprehended the 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, his grasp over space was stronger than ever. On top of that, he had already comprehended the secret of the spatial seal, so in truth, there was no longer any danger in here for him.
In terms of absolute ability to manipulate space, Harshit was likely a little stronger than him, but within the spatial seal, Harshit would not even be able to come close to matching to him. With the prior experience of traveling through the spatial seal, the second attempt proceeded much smoother. It did not take too long for them to arrive in the vicinity of the river of spiritual energy, and they could clearly see the gourd hanging just beneath it. “It’s the Dongxu Gourd…” Harshit’s body trembled in agitation.
He could not see it clearly from afar, but now that he was already in its vicinity, he could see that it was the Dongxu Gourd. If he could assimilate it into his body, his chances of achieving a breakthrough to Dimension Sundering realm would be increased by 50%. “I don’t think that I’ll be of much help to you from this point onward, so I’ll just wait for you here,” vipin said.
Unless he were utilized all of his trump cards, his actions would not mean much in comparison to the fighting prowess of the crowd. So, it did not matter whether he involved himself in the fight or not. “It’s fine—you have already done enough.” Harshit and the others were pumped up. “With our strength, we should be able to subdue it easily!” vipin raised his clenched fist and gave a cheer of encouragement. “Good luck!”
Three minutes later… The group was back outside the spatial seal, and Harshit and the others were lying on the ground with bruised, miserable faces. Their collaboration was superb, and every single move they utilized was well-calculated to corner their opponent. Nevertheless, they were still no match for the gourd, and they ended up being viciously pummeled instead.
This was especially so for akabar—his entire body was covered with round imprints of the Dongxu Gourd. faarish hesitated for a moment before saying, “vipin, why don’t you bring the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast in? With it making a move, we should be able to destroy the Dongxu Gourd easily!”
The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast possessed strength comparable to a Saint 8-dan pinnacle expert, and even if the four of them collaborated with one another, they still would not be a match for it. With its help, they should be able to subdue the Dongxu Gourd with ease. “This…” vipin was slightly troubled by that request.
It was not that he did not want to do that… but it had not been long since he had constructed an awe-inspiring image before the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, and if he had to engage its help just to deal with a mere gourd now… His pride could not take it! Besides, the folded space seemed to be constructed in a manner that did not allow Saint 8-dan experts to enter.
Well, it might still be possible for him to bring the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast in if he were to first store the latter in his Myriad Anthive Nest before letting it out, but such a course of action could possibly result in the folded space becoming unstable as well. If so, that would cause much more trouble than it was worth. While the crowd was still conflicted as to what they should do, Harshit suddenly gritted his teeth and resolutely declared, “Forget it, I’ll use my bloodline ability then! I’ll need you all to assist me later on.” “You are going to use your bloodline ability?”
shakshi frowned. “Are you certain? You’ll have to rest for at least a month if you use it, and that might cause you to lag behind husain…” While activating the bloodline ability would briefly grant an offspring of a Sage Clan overwhelming fighting prowess, it would also put a great strain on their body. For this reason, they would only choose to resort to it in desperate situations.
“I know, but as long as I can capture it, I should be able to push for a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan as soon as I recover after the month. This price is something that I can accept!” Harshit replied. Given his current rate of cultivation, he would at least require a few more years or even a decade or two of effort before he would be ready to push for a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan.
However, with the Dongxu Gourd, he should be able to succeed within just three months! So, resting for just a month was just a small price to pay. “I see.” shakshi nodded. “Since you have made up your mind, let’s do it.” There was no such thing as a free lunch in the world. It would be blind optimism if a person expected to lay his hands on a treasure without giving something in return. Prior to making the journey here, Harshit had already resolved himself to make sacrifices for this aim.
Having come to a decision, they quickly scattered to recuperate from their injuries and condition themselves back to their peak state. Six hours later, they stood before the Dongxu Gourd once more. “Hongyin, use your demonic tunes to interfere with its attacks. akabar, try to draw the gourd’s aggression upon you.
faarish, you will be going on the offensive alongside me. We only have one chance, so we have to succeed this time around!” Harshit said solemnly. “Alright!” the crowd replied resoundingly. “Let’s begin then!” Harshit bellowed. The next moment, overwhelming energy began billowing intensely within Harshit’s body, and it felt like his aura had been lit on fire. Following which, the space around him began to distort randomly.
He took a step forward and raised his palm, and the space around the gourd seemed to instantaneously freeze in place. Hu! Sensing hostility directed toward it, the gourd immediately charged out indignantly, wanting to strike down its enemy. However, the strength that Harshit wielded from activating his bloodline was simply too strong. Despite multiple attempts to dash out, the gourd was actually unable to break out of the confined space. Triiing ting! Trriiiiiiinnng ting!
The melody of a zither began playing—shakshi had started her performance. akabar and faarish also charged forward to make their moves. Watching the happenings, vipin heaved a sigh of relief. They should be able to succeed this time around… After activating his bloodline ability, Harshit’s prowess had more than doubled, and his current strength was not any beneath that of a Dimension Sundering realm expert.
As expected one of the top geniuses of the sant kabila, the rise in his fighting prowess from activating his bloodline ability was frightening. He had fought with jeet in the past, and he had seen the latter activating his shan kabila bloodline ability as well. Even though jeet’s strength did grow significantly upon the activation, it came nowhere close to comparing to this. It seemed the purer one’s bloodline was, the more formidable the effects when one’s bloodline ability was activated. While vipin was still deep in thought, the four experts had managed to suppress the Dongxu Gourd to the ground, and they were kicking it furiously. shakshi even raised her zither and smashed it down on the gourd furiously. Under the crazed onslaught of the crowd, the gourd could only tremble fearfully on the ground, forming a miserable sight in contrast to the arrogance it had shown before. Recalling how badly he was pummeled previously, vipin nodded in satisfaction at that sight. You sure acted smug just now, didn’t you? Take this to your heart, revenge is a dish best served cold! This is the price you have to pay for acting arrogantly before me! Let’s see if you dare do something like that in the future! Knowing that the battle was as good as concluded, vipin turned his head over to the flowing river of spiritual energy in the sky. This proved that there was indeed a spirit vein within the valley at one point in time, but someone had dug it out from the ground to nourish the Dongxu Gourd. On top of that, it had been used to sustain the folded space as well, so at this point in time, it was already on the verge of drying up. What a pity… vipin sighed deeply. If this spirit vein had only been extracted from the ground not too long ago, the concentration of spiritual energy flowing within it would have been on par with pinnacle spirit stones. While there was still plenty of spiritual energy flowing within the river, the concentration had already dipped considerably. At this moment, its concentration was only equivalent to high-tier spirit stones, so it was not of much use to him anymore. Just as vipin was about to retract his gaze from the river, he suddenly caught sight of the vine hanging over it in his peripheral vision. This vine seems to be good stuff… It was roughly around the thickness of a finger, but its gleaming, jade-like exterior seemed to suggest that it was rich in spiritual energy. Previously, he had been paying so much attention to the Dongxu Gourd that he had neglected it, but examining it intently with his Eye of Insight, he realized that the vine was actually incredibly resilient, and the concentration of spiritual energy within it was far purer than that of a concentrated high-tier spirit stone. “Let me take a closer look!” Unable to hold back his curiosity, he flew over with eyes gleaming in excitement. It did not take long before he was standing in front of the vine. The vine had a brilliant green color that was reminiscent of emerald, and it felt cold to the touch. It was hard to put a finger on the feeling that the vine gave him, but it felt like there were countless folded spaces packed densely within it, similar to a beehive. This… vipin blinked in surprise. He had felt such a sensation from the gourd as well. This should be what others called the power of Dimension Sundering, which was also what one had to comprehend in order to achieve a breakthrough to Saint 8-dan. He had thought that such a power should only be existent in the gourd, but to think that the vine would carry traces of such power as well. Will I be able to assimilate it? vipin wondered as he touched it once more, and amid a cooling feeling that rippled through his body from his finger, a book materialized in the Library of Heaven’s Path.
vipin retracted his finger and took a few steps back away from the vine before immersing his consciousness into the Library of Heaven’s Path to read the book. Kacha! Kacha! However, at this moment, a series of crisp echoes reminiscent of squeals of delight sounded from the vine, and it dashed straight for vipin. Alarmed, vipin raised his hand and grasped forward. “Store!” Hu! In the blink of an eye, the vine was deposited into his storage ring.
------oOo------