Chapter 2605: Stone Cup, Blood Wine, Severed Fingers (2)
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“It was just an encounter. We didn’t even get a proper glimpse of the person’s face. Was it even a human…”
“In the spatial fragment, we were plunged into absolute darkness.”
Absolute?
Dao Qiongcang mused.
Spatial fragments were inherently dark, but spiritual senses allowed for telepathic communication.
Through these senses, one could still perceive spatial storms, and spatial blades, thereby avoiding danger.
Absolute darkness meant nothing could be done at all…
Huang Zhao nodded in agreement and added, “I felt the same as Old Jin. We couldn’t see anything, and lost track of our comrades’ positions completely.”
“Yes!” Jin Feng, clearly hot-tempered, flared up again, ready to kick Zhu Yike a couple more times, but was restrained just in time.
Gritting his teeth, Jin Feng said with hatred, “In just that instant of absolute darkness, when I woke up, more than half of my brothers who fought alongside me were missing.”
“I broke through the darkness the fastest and immediately found Brother Huang, luckily not far away, within my spiritual senses’ range.”
“He was still curled up, and I helped him break free from the darkness.”
Curled up, meaning in a defensive position waiting for aid… Dao Qiongcang nodded, understanding their professional terminology. “Then?”
Jin Feng hesitated, then awkwardly said, “Couldn’t see anything. Maybe he was scared by our combat prowess and disappeared.”
“And the others?” Dao Qiongcang asked.
Jin Feng shook his head, his gaze heavy with sorrow. “When I woke up, there were few uninjured people around. After saving Brother Huang, the rest…”
Dao Qiongcang waited silently.
“Died.”
Jin Feng struggled to utter the final word.
He suddenly erupted, brandis.h.i.+ng a golden spear and aiming it at Zhu Yike’s head, “I’ll kill you, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d…”
Huang Zhao held him back, turning him around to calm him down.
“You speak,” Dao Qiongcang turned to the more composed Huang Zhao.
“I was in a defensive stance waiting for help, so the darkness couldn’t invade me. I think if Old Jin hadn’t broken through the darkness, none of our team would have survived.”
Huang Zhao paused, then added, “Yes, we were the team attacking the Chief of the Path Division, but actually targeting the Red Flower Bandit, mostly composed of Higher Void-level fighters.”
Pointing to Du Liang, he continued, “They were in charge of defense, protecting Yu Zhiwen, but ended up guarding the team attacking Red Flower Bandit, mostly Cutting Path Stage fighters.”
“We were sealed into different enclosed s.p.a.ces.”
Dao Qiongcang recognized that Huang Zhao’s ability to provide an explanation, despite its complexity, was commendable considering the circ.u.mstances of Sky Stealing.
He urged him to continue with his eyes.
Huang Zhao, aware of what Hallmaster Dao wanted to hear, thought for a moment and said, “In the defensive position, I sensed something sinister and evil…”
“Specifically, as Old Jin described, in ‘absolute darkness,’ there were forces of corruption targeting the physical body, spiritual source, and even lifespan.”
“Also, my soul was attacked. Unable to breach my defenses, he s.h.i.+fted his focus to others.”
“The intensity of the attacks was immense! Overwhelmingly so! I could withstand it, but others might not.”
“The result…”
Huang Zhao wanted to say it was as Old Jin described, that upon escaping the absolute darkness, they saw their fallen comrades.
His gaze happened to fall on Du Liang.
Du Liang’s face seemed itchy. He scratched it, peeling off a piece of skin, and blood flowed profusely.
Dao Qiongcang could basically reconstruct the battle within the spatial fragment.
A group of white-clothed people, without even seeing the enemy, were severely injured or killed, making their description of the battle seem vague and elusive.
“Du Liang?” He approached the Cutting Path Stage cultivator, who was scratching his skull after peeling back his scalp.
“Heh heh…”
Du Liang, still laughing mirthlessly, raised his head at the sound, his lone remaining eye unfocused. He then quickly clutched his head.
“Ahhh!”
He let out a miserable scream.
Dao Qiongcang moved his Divine Sinan and a starlight swept across.
The Great Purification Technique!
Caught by the spell, rationality returned to Du Liang’s chaotic eyes. He stared blankly for a moment. “Hallmaster Dao?”
“What did you experience?”
“I…” Du Liang began to speak but then scanned his condition through spiritual senses, finding his foundational roots were collapsing, and his spiritual source was dissipating.
Realizing his end was near, he collapsed to the ground, “I…”
“You saw him. He let you come back to tell me something?” Dao Qiongcang finished for him.
Jin Feng and Huang Zhao were stunned.
Saw him?
How was that possible?
Du Liang was only at the Cutting Path Stage…
But on second thought, if it wasn’t deliberate, how could Du Liang, a Cutting Path cultivator, have survived such a deathtrap?
Jin Feng felt a chill.
He wondered if his survival was not due to his combat strength or the speed with which he broke through the darkness.
At least he was alive…
He patted his head, trying to forget the fear, glaring fiercely at Zhu Yike once more.
It was all this b.a.s.t.a.r.d’s fault!
He must have colluded with the enemy!
Beside him, Du Liang seemed to be reminded of dreadful memories by Hallmaster Dao’s words, his eyes filled with fear. “He, he…”
He stammered for a long time but couldn’t speak, as if resisting himself.
“Can’t say or don’t dare to say?” Dao Qiongcang’s eyes gleamed.
Du Liang glanced at his ruined body, feeling he had only a few words left.