Chapter 371

The next morning, when Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong opened their eyes, their expressions both changed.

At some point, a dense fog had already enveloped them, and when Huo Yutong initiated a spiritual probe, she was shocked to find that it could only extend thirty meters before being blocked by a mysterious force, preventing any further advance.

Her ever‑reliable spiritual probe had failed, something that had never happened to her before.

Xuanzi noticed her change of expression and said in a deep voice:

"You noticed it too, right? Indeed, within this fog our perception abilities are severely weakened; it seems this is the Ri Yue Di Guo's method of dealing with us."

He just tried to scan the surroundings with his spiritual power, only to find that even five meters were difficult to cover.

Clearly, they had fallen into a trap.

Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong's faces also turned serious; the unknown is what is frightening, and no one knows what underhanded tactics the Ri Yue Di Guo might employ against them.

At that moment, a hoarse old voice suddenly rang in their minds.

"Wulin, Yutong, pay attention: this opponent may very well possess the power of a deity."

no.

Both of them widened their eyes simultaneously, exclaiming in disbelief in their hearts.

The one who spoke those words was Ilex, whose voice also sounded heavy.

"I also find it hard to believe, but it's true. Do you know why your spiritual power and Xuan Lao's cannot spread in this valley? It's because these mists contain traces of divine consciousness and divine power, and also because your spiritual power, Yutong, has already partially ascended into divine consciousness, allowing such a wide detection range; otherwise, with your current strength, ten meters would be your limit."

no.

Tang Wulin repeated Ilex's words in his mind, and his heart grew increasingly bitter.

First they had the Holy Spirit Sect, which possessed the two ultimate Douluo limits, and now the power of a deity—how many tactics does the Ri Yue Di Guo still have up its sleeve?

Huo Yutong asked, "Ilex, do you have a way to break the deadlock?"

Ilex fell silent for a moment and said:

"I do. Although the valley is now suffused with the aura of deities, the feeling is not very strong. If I borrow your strength and employ the ultra divine artifact I have, there is a chance to directly destroy this great formation, but in that case I would have to fall into a deep slumber for a period—no less than a week, possibly up to a year. I do not wish to use it unless absolutely necessary."

"Understood, then we won't use it for now."

no.

"Let's first find a way to investigate the current specifics; it's not too late to act after we have a clear picture."

Ilex is currently their greatest trump card, and they cannot afford to lose his assistance lightly.

Without Ilex's warning, the Shilake Academy members naturally could not grasp the current situation; after their discussion yielded nothing, they could only choose to press on.

As they walked, Huo Yutong suddenly said:

"Xuan Lao, unlike yesterday, today we aren't going around in circles any more," Xuanzi nodded.

"Hmm, I understand; I have the same feeling. As long as we don't backtrack, at our current pace we should be able to exit the Western Mountains in about another day."

Hearing him say that, the Shilake Academy members all showed delighted expressions.

Tang Wulin's solemnity did not ease; he scanned the surroundings and met Bei Bei's gaze, both seeing the worry in each other's eyes: since the Ri Yue Di Guo has gone to such lengths to trouble them, it certainly won't end here; they will surely devise ways to inflict massive damage.

And what form that damage might take, they had no clue at all.

While they were speaking, a sudden warning sign erupted.

Instinctively, everyone looked toward one direction, and immediately a golden‑silver halo surged from the distant shadows like a tide, instantly enveloping them all.

Everyone simultaneously employed their most proficient defensive abilities, yet the all‑covering golden‑silver light had no impact on them; however, each person felt an odd sensation spreading in their hearts.

What is this? Seeing a faint golden‑silver hue coating each other, the young Shilake Academy trainees' faces began to change color.

The unknown is the most terrifying; no one knows what has happened, so they cannot fight it.

But the feeling soon turned wrong: a strong pulling force emanated from the golden‑silver light, and the weaker cultivators were instantly yanked aside, flying and falling away.

Led by Xuanzi, several Senior Elders of the Sea God Pavilion rushed to lend aid, but to their astonishment, their abilities in the face of this light actually...

no.

"Golden‑silver, pulling—this phenomenon seems familiar from somewhere..."

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him, and he shouted, "I remember! This is the Qian Kun Wen Qing Valley! Whatever you encounter later, if a voice asks you a question, you must answer truthfully; a lie will endanger your life, especially regarding matters of love—never lie!"

He had previously read about this place in the Poison Scripture found within the Ice‑Fire Dual Apparatus.

The Poison Scripture is now kept in Youyou's hand; when burying a dragon in Dragon Valley, he would often take it out to peruse. Having become deeply familiar with it, the sight of the golden‑silver light instantly reminded him of the scripture's description.

Legend says this place was formed when the god of love was betrayed by his beloved, fell into utter grief, descended to the mortal world, causing the cosmos to invert and the sun and moon to become a lake.

Because of that betrayal, the love deity harbors intense hatred toward those who betray love; if such a person falls into the Sun‑Moon Lake of the Qian Kun Wen Qing Valley, her wrath is provoked, initiating the Qian Kun Wen Qing.

Only truly sincere lovers can leave this place alive, perhaps even gain a benefit, while all liars and deceivers will receive severe punishment.

As his words faded, the group was drawn by the strong attraction into the mist, arriving above a strange lake of golden‑silver water.

Their bodies paused in mid‑air for a moment, then were violently pulled into the lake.

In the next instant, each of them was enveloped by a layer of golden‑silver light; they could once again see behind their companions, but were surprised to find a bubble‑like golden‑silver shield hovering around each person in mid‑air.

Before they could observe further, the golden‑silver bubbles each drifted toward the lake's center, falling toward the golden sun.

(End of chapter)