At the end of the bridge was a lake.
The lake was vast, and it covered an enormous area. When looked at from afar, it was practically no different from facing an ocean.
However, unlike the outside world, this lake didn’t contain water but s.p.a.ce-time energy!
This energy transformed into waves, ripples, and tides that surged within the lake. It was completely hazy and seemed calm, yet it emanated a terrifying aura that caused one’s heart to palpitate.
As it implied, s.p.a.ce-time was how s.p.a.ce and time were referred to in general. Time was exalted and s.p.a.ce was king. There was no difference in superiority amongst them, and the two of them could even fuse perfectly together.
The rotation of everything in the world, the pa.s.sage of time, and the place where all living beings resided contained the supreme profundities of time and s.p.a.ce.
If there was no time, then the pa.s.sage of history, age, and life naturally didn’t exist.
If there was no s.p.a.ce, then the mountains, rivers, stars, sun, moon, and everything else were naturally unable to continue existing, and the world would cease to exist as well.
In short, there were two supreme Laws, the supreme order that the Heaven Dao used the maintain the three dimensions, and it was a supreme force that only existences at the Immortal King Realm could comprehend and grasp.
Swoos.h.!.+ Swoos.h.!.+
A wave of spatial fluctuation appeared as numerous figures teleported over, and all of them stopped successively before the s.p.a.ce-time lake.
These figures were naturally the students from Dao Emperor Academy, Bitter Silence Academy, Grand Desolation Academy, and Dao Secret Academy. They’d pursued Chen Xi all along the way on the Bridge to the Deep, yet they were a step too slow in the end, and they could only watch as Chen Xi charged into the depths of the lake.
“That fellow is simply crazy. He’s actually traversing this s.p.a.ce-time lake!” Someone saw Chen Xi’s figure flash above the lake from afar, and he couldn’t help but curse in a low voice.
The others were slightly surprised and bewildered as well.
They’d seen this place earlier, and they were clearly aware that this lake was too terrifying. Not to mention traversing it from above, even approaching it slightly would cause them to suffer the a.s.sault of the lake.
The consequences of that would cause them to either instantly lose their lifespan and transform into a pile of bones or fall into overlapped pockets of s.p.a.ce and become lost within it, unable to find their way out for eternity.
Even if they had ancient immortal treasures in their possession, unless they had no other choice, they wouldn’t dare take a step near it.
Yet now, Chen Xi had actually disregarded everything and traversed it before vanis.h.i.+ng instantly!
Could it be that he’s unafraid of death?
All of them were unable to wrap their heads around it, but when they thought about how they had to watch as Chen Xi left, there was nowhere to vent the resentment in their hearts.
The hearts of Ao Zhanbei, Zuoqiu Jun, and the others ached because the Chaotic Yin Yang Diagram had been seized, and they were utterly unconcerned about Chen Xi’s fate. They were just worried about how they would reclaim the Chaotic Yin Yang Diagram if Chen Xi perished within the s.p.a.ce-time lake.
On the other hand, the students of the other academies were resentful because their companions had been killed, and most importantly, they were unable to feel at ease until they saw Chen Xi perish before their eyes.
“What’re all of you thinking of doing?” Suddenly, Zuoqiu Jun frowned as he spoke, and he swept the students of the other academies with his gaze. He was able to clearly sense that the gazes these fellows shot at him and the other students from Dao Emperor Academy carried a faint trace of killing intent.
As soon as these words were spoken, it instantly drew the attention of Ao Zhanbei and the others, and all their expressions turned gloomy while they looked over.
“What we intend to do? A student of your Dao Emperor Academy killed our companions. This enmity naturally has to be avenged!” Xue Lianqiong from Bitter Silence Academy gritted his teeth as he spoke.
“With just the few of you?” Zuoqiu Jun spoke with a ghastly tone, and he was extremely furious in his heart. He’d never expected that these fellows would actually set their sights on them at this moment.
“If it was before, we would really not dare rashly make a move against all of you. Unfortunately, all of you’ve lost the Chaotic Yin Yang Diagram, so how can all of you be a match for us?” Xue Lianqiong laughed coldly and didn’t take Zuoqiu Jun seriously at all.
The students of Grand Desolation Academy and Dao Secret Academy laughed coldly as well. Obviously, they’d formed an agreement in secret, and they intended to deal with Zuoqiu Jun and the others.
“Have all of you thought about the fact that if we joined forces with Junior Brother Chen Xi against all of you earlier, then would all of you even be able to survive until now?” Ao Zhanbei spoke with a low voice, and his expression was gloomy and indifferent.
It was fine when he didn’t mention this, but as soon as he did, it instantly caused all of them to laugh with ridicule.
“Haha! Are you not ashamed? You clearly intended to use us to kill one of your own, yet you still speak so righteously? If this matter were to be spread to Dao Emperor Academy, would all of you still have the face to walk in public?”
“Are you not ashamed? All of you’ve completely destroyed the reputation of Dao Emperor Academy!”
When they heard these words, the expressions of Ao Zhanbei and the others sank. Moreover, many of them glanced with a blaming gaze at Zuoqiu Jun, and they seemed to be blaming him for being too merciless earlier, causing them to be ridiculed because of this.
Zuoqiu Jun was extremely infuriated in his heart as well. How could he have imagined that Chen Xi would actually be able to survive? And he’d never expected that the situation would develop to such an extent.
“Haha! Do all of you really think you’re able to kill us so easily?” Zuoqiu Jun suddenly laughed coldly and said with disdain, “Amongst all of you, Chen Xi heavily injured everyone from Bitter Silence Academy, and only the students from Dao Secret Academy and Grand Desolation Academy have the strength to fight. Chen Xi can crush all of you without relying on an ancient immortal treasure, could it be that all of you think we can’t accomplish this without the Chaotic Yin Yang Diagram?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the students from the other academies turned grim and slightly heavy.
Even if Zuoqiu Jun was exaggerating, they had no choice but to treat his words with caution. The reason was none other than because Dao Emperor Academy was able to exist until now and constantly occupy the position of number one academy in the Immortal Dimension, so it was definitely worthy of its reputation.
Not to mention that they didn’t dare guarantee that there wasn’t an existence even more abnormal than Chen Xi amongst Zuoqiu Jun’s group.
For a time, the atmosphere became heavy and silent.
Both sides wished for nothing more than to kill the other so as to avoid leaving behind evidence of what happened today, but both sides were afraid of the other as well, causing both sides to not dare make a move rashly.
Om!
Right at this moment, a wave of ancient and grand ringing of a bell resounded, and it spread through the heavens and the earth. The sound carried an indescribable desolate aura, that caused everyone to feel that they’d returned to the primeval times in their daze.
At this moment, the hearts of everyone present here shook lightly and was affected by the grand ringing. Moreover, they couldn’t help but arouse a feeling of reverence and inferiority.
Om! Om! Om!
The sound resounded successively for nine times. Every single ring seemed as if it resounded in the depths of their souls, causing a desolate feeling to arise in their hearts and become dazed.
After an unknown period of time, when Zuoqiu Jun and the others recovered from their daze, they noticed to their shock that nine grand and ancient palaces were suddenly standing towering on the distant s.p.a.ce-time lake!
The palaces were ancient and completely built from mottled rocks. It seemed as if it had experienced the pa.s.sage of countless years, and it was solemn and dignified!
All of them gasped while their attention was instantly drawn by the unexpected event before them. They didn’t know exactly when this had occurred, and as for the confrontational atmosphere from before, it was completely forgotten by them since a long time ago.
This was the tomb of an Immortal King, and nine ancient palaces had appeared out of thin air now. So perhaps there were numerous great fortunes within it. Thus, they were naturally not stupid to the point of fighting each other now.
“Do all of you remember that legend that has been spread in Nightmare Battlefield for countless years?” Someone spoke with a trembling voice, and he seemed to have thought of something, causing him to reveal an excited expression.
With this reminder, everyone else was slightly stunned before they revealed shocked expressions, and a wisp of burning desire couldn’t help but appear within their eyes.
When nine palaces appear, the inheritance appears!
These few words were like a bolt of lightning that surged in their hearts. Originally, all of them thought it was an ancient legend that was impossible to find, yet never had they imagined that it would actually appear right before their eyes.
“My G.o.d! It really is Emperor Yu’s Nine Cauldron Palaces!”
“So the true inheritance has always been hidden beneath this s.p.a.ce-time lake. No wonder no one was able to find it in the countless years of the past…”
“But why have they appeared at this moment?”
“It’s already at a time like this, why care so much about that? Quickly, let’s go in quickly!”
Suddenly, a wave of exclaims and the sound of the air being split apart resounded. After that, numerous figures rushed over from all around the s.p.a.ce-time lake. Shockingly, Ji Xuanbing, Zhao Mengli, Zhen Lu, and various others were amongst them.
Of course, the students of Vastsky Academy and Cloudmist Academy were amongst them.
If Zuoqiu Jun and all the others present here were included, then it could be said that all the students that had entered the tomb this time had converged here. Of course, the dead weren’t included.
“Let’s go!”
“Quickly! Let’s go! Let’s go before anything unexpected happens!”
When they saw more people had rushed over after noticing what had occurred here, no matter if it was Zuoqiu Jun’s group or the students from Bitter Silence, Grand Desolation, and Dao Secret Academy, all their faces sank, and they practically didn’t think at all before setting out successively and flas.h.i.+ng explosively towards the nine palaces at the center of the lake.
Meanwhile, the terrifying aura that suffused the lake had vanished along with the appearance of the nine palaces, so they naturally wouldn’t feel afraid.
For a time, figures moved about in the sky above the lake, and they charged respectively towards different palaces. This was extremely normal because there were an entire nine palaces, so why would any of them work together?
However, one could roughly discern that the students of the seven great academies had split up into seven groups, and they entered into different palaces.
Of course, there were two palaces where no one entered, and some students that felt they possessed formidable combat strengths acted alone and entered these palaces.
Unfortunately, all of them didn’t know that they were actually a step too late.
…
In a large hall that was extremely silent, only Chen Xi’s footsteps could be heard. It had been countless years since anyone had entered this place, so as he stood within it, it was like standing alone in a deserted world.
The tiny cauldron had vanished after bringing Chen Xi in, and Chen Xi was unable to find it, so he could only look around by himself.
He walked forward and looked carefully all along the way. No matter if it was the walls, pillars, or floor, everything he saw was filled with the mottled aura of time, and it caused him to arouse a feeling of loneliness.
It wasn’t long before a tiny lantern appeared ahead, and it flickered with a dim glow.
“What’s this?” Chen Xi was surprised. Countless years had pa.s.sed, yet this lantern was still burning, and this was extraordinary.
He walked forward and noticed it was an ancient round Dao Platform. Atop the platform was a meditation cus.h.i.+on and lantern. Everything else was covered in dust, and it was obvious that it hadn’t been utilized in a very long time.
“Could this be that expert’s place of cultivation?” Chen Xi was surprised, and he executed the Eye of Divine Truth and focused his gaze onto the lantern before him.