Chapter 683

Chapter 683: Crossing Tribulations

Tap tap tap!

The rhythmic knocking persisted in response to Wang Chen.

One knock followed another in a steady, unyielding pattern.

An unknown presence outside was communicating its message to Wang Chen through this method.

"Please open the door!"

Wang Chen remained silent.

Due to the unique environment of the Evil Eye area, no monitoring devices like the Dual Mirrors had been installed outside the Safe House, leaving him blind to the happenings beyond the walls.

Thus, he had no way of discerning what—or who—was knocking.

In truth, there was a way to unravel this mystery: Wang Chen could open the door while keeping the defensive formations active, allowing him to see clearly.

However, doing so would introduce a vulnerability in the Safe House’s overall defenses.

Under normal circumstances, this might not be a significant issue, but his instincts screamed that such an action now would be nothing short of sheer folly—akin to having his head kicked by a donkey!

It was worth noting that during the rise of the malicious tide, even the magical spirits and evil spirits born of negative energy would retreat deep into the caverns for safety.

Any entity wandering about at such a time was undoubtedly something fearsome!

As for the possibility of other cultivators, it was out of the question.

The only individuals who would come here were affiliated with the Forbidden Prison Office, and the Safe House was not Wang Chen’s private property. Any cultivator possessing the appropriate talisman could enter freely.

For instance, Sima Changming and Master Ye had previously entered uninvited, and Wang Chen had no authority to deny them entry.

Whatever stood at the door had to be something otherworldly!

Tap tap tap tap!

The unknown presence had initially displayed patience, knocking persistently.

But as time dragged on and Wang Chen remained unresponsive, "it" clearly grew impatient.

The knocking escalated into violent banging.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Each strike grew more forceful than the last, shaking the entire Safe House to its foundations.

Every impact reverberated through Wang Chen’s chest, as though the blows were landing directly on his heart, intensifying the pressure he felt.

Wang Chen closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them.

His once-dark eyes now flickered with a faint purple light.

In the next moment, he summoned his identity token.

With a swift hand gesture, Wang Chen activated the token to manipulate the Safe House’s defensive formations, pushing them into an "over-limit" state.

The Safe House’s defenses were formidable, capable of withstanding attacks from entities below the Yuan Ying level and even holding off a Yuan Ying’s direct assault for a time, granting the stationed cultivators a window to call for reinforcements.

Wang Chen assumed that an "Eli"-level evil spirit stood outside, prompting him to employ this drastic measure.

A soft glow emanated from the floor of the room, and countless true seal characters materialized silently, accompanied by a low, resonant hum. The magical barrier surrounding him thickened, nearly solidifying into a tangible shield.

In this "over-limit" state, the defensive formations were pushed to their utmost potential, forcibly elevated to the highest level.

The cost was the spirit stones placed at the formation’s core, which were being consumed at an exponentially faster rate.

Moreover, the state was not very stable.

But Wang Chen had prepared for this. He promptly replaced the nearly depleted Intermediate Spirits with thirty-six Upper Spirits.

With the Upper Spirits’ support, the defensive formations instantly became as solid as a rock!

At this moment, the pounding from outside ceased.

It seemed to have given up.

Yet, Wang Chen remained vigilant, keeping the defensive formations at their peak strength.

Compared to his own life, the loss of a few dozen Upper Spirits was insignificant.

Moreover, he was ready to call for help.

After waiting quietly for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, there was still no movement from outside.

Just when Wang Chen thought the crisis had passed, he suddenly heard strange murmurs.

It was as if someone was whispering in his ear, uttering incomprehensible words, sometimes near, sometimes far, sometimes clear, sometimes indistinct.

Wang Chen found it impossible to block his ears; his Spirit and Will were uncontrollably drawn into the whispers.

He wanted to stand up and open the door to salvation!

Though a voice deep within Wang Chen’s heart issued strong warnings, no matter how hard he tried, it felt like a drowning man flailing desperately, sinking deeper.

Something below seemed to be pulling at his ankles!

The sensation was truly dreadful.

Wang Chen’s hands trembled slightly, and he was on the verge of losing control of the defensive formations.

If it had been someone with a weaker will, they would have completely succumbed at this moment.

The terrifying presence outside possessed powers far beyond imagination; even the formidable defensive formations could not block the infiltration of its dark forces!

Wang Chen could hold on until now because his soul attributes far surpassed those of other cultivators of the same level, and his will had been tempered through numerous life-and-death trials.

He would never be easily subdued!

As time passed, beads of sweat formed on Wang Chen’s forehead, and his face turned deathly pale.

His consciousness nearly shattered several times, but he stubbornly held on.

He still clutched his identity token tightly!

Wang Chen knew that if he lost this invisible struggle, the outcome would be the scattering of his soul!

Therefore, no matter how difficult or painful it was, he absolutely would not give up.

At that moment, the mental attacks from outside suddenly intensified; the murmurs turned into high-pitched shrieks, as if burning steel needles were piercing Wang Chen’s brain.

This pain was indescribable!

Wang Chen involuntarily clutched his head, his face contorted, blood seeping from his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.

He looked like a vengeful spirit!

Threads of black energy appeared around Wang Chen, silently infiltrating his meridians.

A shadow emerged in his Sea of Consciousness and rapidly expanded like a plague, faintly taking on a tangible form.

Wang Chen’s mental pressure surged dramatically!

Just as his limit was about to be breached, the Ancient Stone Tablet residing in his Sea of Consciousness suddenly emitted countless golden rays of light.

The shadow that had just formed was instantly melted away like snow under the blazing sun when touched by the golden light of the stone tablet.

A piercing shriek filled the air, laden with endless resentment and pain!

[Virtue -100000]

Wang Chen suddenly opened his eyes, fully awake.

He gasped for breath, drenched in sweat, as if he had just endured a brutal battle, feeling utterly exhausted both mentally and physically.

Yet Wang Chen felt an unprecedented sense of relief and liberation.

His intuition told him that he had survived this tribulation.

[Soul Points +1]

The notification message that reappeared in his vision left Wang Chen momentarily stunned; his Soul Points had unexpectedly increased from 25 to 26.

Although he had lost a hundred thousand Virtue earlier, the gain of 1 Soul Point was sufficient compensation.

Most importantly, Wang Chen sensed that the terrifying presence outside had vanished.

This time it was truly gone.

The opponent had not left willingly but had suffered significant injuries.

The one who inflicted the severe damage was the Ancient Stone Tablet!

This treasure, which had long resided in Wang Chen’s Sea of Consciousness, though not under his control, had helped him overcome calamities several times in life-and-death situations.

Wang Chen let out a long sigh and sank to his knees on the ground.