Chapter 616

Chapter 616: The Three Leaders

"Here it comes, seeking to seize my Time Claws." Li Hui took a deep breath, ready to face the challenge.

The pursuit from the Time line arrived swiftly, but this time it was different. After a year had passed, the terrifying presence sealed within Wan Nest Island was evidently impatient, unleashing an indescribable force.

The issue was that this place was not the Nine-Mystic Continent, but the Heavenly Realm, and it lay on the edge of a time-stopping region, like a dried-up lake revealing its bottom, now only a pool of mud, where no fish could swim freely.

Of course, the Time Claws were not the fish; Li Hui was the fish. The Time Claws were the terrifying beast, stirring violently upon entry.

“Boom!” Hundreds of spatial cracks appeared, breaking the stagnation of the area, and all the long-silent figures awakened, as if seeing time through countless mirrors.

“Hurry up!” Li Hui shouted, urging the carriage, as the Time Claws forced time to flow forward, like a torrent pouring into a dried lake, occasionally allowing fish to struggle before being swept away.

The team moved crazily, lining up their practitioners, but unexpectedly, three figures landed on the carriage. The leader, a man in black robes, said awkwardly, "Little brother, did you draw the Time Claws? I don’t know which departed immortal they came from, but such ferocity must rank among the celestial beings."

"Who are you three?" Li Hui was genuinely shocked, not expecting three high-level beings to be sealed in this area.

"I am Xu Ri Shangren!" The man in black robes exclaimed, only to collapse "thud" and faint.

The other two, a man and a woman, the woman coughed heavily and said, "Cough… Xu Ri Shangren held on for a thousand years without succumbing to the Dark Energy; today, having escaped disaster, he has relaxed and gone to mend his soul! Little brother, thank you. You not only saved yourself but also saved the three of us."

"We are Xuan Cheng Shangren and Xuan Ye Shangren," said the middle-aged man in black beside the woman.

Before Li Hui could respond, a rumbling sound erupted from behind. To their astonishment, the formerly formless and intangible Time Claws revealed their outline, rapidly dissipating under the vast suppressive energy surrounding them.

Xuan Cheng Shangren praised, "Excellent! The fierce claws have restrained the deadlock, giving us a ray of hope. Without such immense power breaking through, we wouldn’t be alive."

As Li Hui regained his composure, Xuan Cheng Shangren and Xuan Ye Shangren also collapsed on the carriage, these two being only a notch above Xu Ri Shangren. Their Traveling Realm cultivation was undeniable, but enduring a thousand years in the darkness had drained them tremendously; it was hard to imagine how they had survived.

“Boom!” The Time Claws suddenly split apart, losing seventy percent of their power and creating ripples that surged toward them.

“Attention! Form a line and prepare to resist!” Li Hui knew that the claws aimed not just to capture the manifestation of the Law but to lock onto the true self he left at Wan Nest Island.

“Boom, boom, boom!” The bodies of his practitioners shook violently, claw marks appearing on their armor. Tie Yixin, having selected those who would follow his lead, was not among ordinary practitioners; he immediately struck his chest to remove his armor. Golden light suddenly surged forth, revealing that beneath the outer armor was spirit treasure armor. Everyone crazily channeled true energy and called forth the Jade Symbols to resist the impending calamity.

“Bang, bang, bang!” In a brief moment, dozens of Jade Symbols turned into dust.

These Jade Symbols came from the Hidden Talisman Sect, the premier talisman-making sect of the Nine-Mystic Continent. The expensive replacement talismans they had purchased played a crucial role at this moment.

After getting these Jade Symbols, Li Hui nurtured them for six months, sealing vast amounts of talisman power within them. Therefore, each broken Jade Symbol represented the downfall of a Profound Law Stage practitioner.

It was only after sacrificing fifty-five Jade Symbols that the Time Claws finally "cracked" and fell apart. This was still under extremely unfavorable circumstances; it was unthinkable to imagine what costs would be required elsewhere to stop the terrifying grasp.

The team rode the almost tangible waves forward, finally passing through the time-suspending ground and continuing to create Dark Energy Tornados as they pressed on.

Xuan Cheng Shangren surveyed the team and nodded, "Not bad, the cooperation is smooth, the training is solid. Though your cultivation is slightly lacking, you can compensate with treasures and talismans."

Xuan Ye Shangren sat cross-legged, recovering, eyes shut as she said, "Looking at your setup, little brother, your status must be remarkable. The three of us teamed up to explore the Heavenly Realm and seek out the opportunities hidden within. Who would have thought we’d be trapped for a thousand years? We owe you our lives; here’s a map of the Heavenly Realm we drew to help you avoid unforeseen hazards."

"Thank you, revered ones." A scroll flew out from Xuan Ye Shangren’s sleeve, which Li Hui received and slowly unfolded, saying, "I am heading to the East Sea to seek treasure. May I ask what are your plans, revered ones?"

“The East Sea?” Xuan Cheng Shangren forced a smile, “What East Sea remains? The waters have long flowed away. We three had come along the East Sea coast, hoping for luck at the Eastern Kunlun, but we unexpectedly encountered danger and ended up at Western Kunlun.”

At this point, Li Hui had memorized the geographical positions marked on the scroll. He closed his eyes to ponder for a moment, his face turning ashen.

These three were late-stage Traveling Realm cultivators, true great powers whose bodies had transitioned into Pure Yang Bodies. Ordinary Traveling Realm practitioners were nothing compared to them. However, the dangers they had marked on the scroll were endless.

Let alone going to the East Sea, even stepping out of the Western Kunlun would be a challenge.

"What do you call these shadows, the Dark Energy? What exactly are they?" Li Hui inquired of the three leaders. At this moment, Xu Ri Shangren had already awakened and was meditating, exhibiting a strong Pure Yang aura.

"The Dark Energy is the dreamlike remnants left by practitioners who fell in the Heavenly Realm, brought forth by the shadow energy to exert influence on those in this world. Those contaminated by the Dark Energy grow gloomy and silent, with the worst ending in self-destruction. Pure Yang Bodies can resist it, but for those below the late stage of the Traveling Realm, survival is very difficult."

"Is it that dangerous?" Li Hui realized he had underestimated the Dark Energy. It was likely beyond the protection of the Dust Cleansing Heart Calming Talisman and the Nine Sealing Ice Heart Talisman; he would need to prepare more.

Xuan Cheng Shangren laughed as he glanced at the nearby Dark Energy Tornado, saying, "Your method is quite clever, misdirecting your aura, causing the Dark Energy to distinguish neither dark nor light. A very intricate talisman method; you even managed to extract dark energy from the Chaotic Mirage, which has been tainted by the Dark Energy for many years, unlike that in the lower realms."

"Chaotic Mirage?" Li Hui seized the opportunity to inquire, "Where does this Chaotic Mirage come from? What sort of disaster has the Heavenly Realm encountered to end up in such a state?"

"Alas!" Xuan Cheng sighed, "To be honest, we do not know the specifics. It’s said that the formerly calm Heavenly Realm suddenly suffered a catastrophe. When we explored the little North Pole, we saw from afar the fortifications built by the demon clan. However, that fortress had evidently been abandoned for many years, without any sign of demonic creatures. The Chaotic Mirage has been blowing for years, bringing forth many bizarre shapes."

Xu Ri Shangren suddenly spoke, "With the Heavenly Realm in this condition, I have a vague guess."