245: Chapter 244 The Eternal Landscape Map

Su Hongling's hand carrying the great sword sank slightly, her pupils widened into circles, and her mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time.

Not just her, but the several people behind her, including those who had just entered, were all stunned in place.

What appeared before them was a shattered world.

There was no sky overhead, only a Void Realm that looked as if a palette of paint had been overturned.

Space cracks were everywhere, like hideous scars, as if the pause button on time had been pressed here.

The earth beneath their feet was broken.

Countless massive floating islands hovered over an endless abyss; some islands still bore the remains of broken walls, while others were nothing but desolate, scorched earth.

These islands were connected by chains of dark-gold talismanic runes, drifting slowly through the Void Realm.

The light source here came from the countless motes of dust floating in the air.

Every single grain of dust was glowing, emitting a chill of deathly silence.

"This place... is dead."

Chu Weiwei reached out her hand and caught a falling grain of dust.

The moment the dust touched her fingertip, it transformed into a wisp of blue smoke and dissipated.

"There is no vitality, no cycle, even the wind is dead."

She frowned; as a Medicine Immortal, her perception of life force was the most acute.

"Every inch of space here reeks of the end."

"It's not just the end."

Luo Ximei's platinum-colored heterochromatic eye spun wildly, seemingly analyzing the rules of this world.

"The Laws here are in Chaos."

She pointed to a distant, inverted mountain peak.

The peak of that mountain pointed downward while the base pointed upward, and the waterfall upon it was actually flowing toward the sky.

"Gravity, the Five Elements, even Karma... they have all lost their effect here."

"This is a... forsaken time and space."

Su Lin stood with his hands behind his back at the edge of a massive floating rock, his gaze deep as he looked upon this shattered world.

The Myriad Heavens Star Chart inside his body was trembling slightly, as if resonating with this world in a sort of mourning cry.

"This is a fragment of the Upper Realm after it collapsed."

"The so-called Ethereal Immortal Mansion is nothing more than a piece of wreckage that fell from the Immortal Realm, carrying both past glory and despair."

"Look there."

Su Lin raised his hand and pointed.

Everyone's gaze followed his finger.

At the far end of their vision, in the center of that chaotic Void Realm, the outline of a magnificent palace was faintly visible.

It was so large that even from many miles away, one could still feel that terrifying Aura that suppressed the heavens.

Su Hongling jerked the great sword on her shoulder, flames reigniting in her eyes.

"I don't care if it's dead or alive, as long as there are treasures, this old lady will dig them out!"

"Let's go!"

With a shift of her body, she was about to take flight into the air.

Bang!

However, just as she had jumped less than thirty feet, she was slapped down hard by an invisible giant hand, crashing back to the ground in a pathetic heap.

"Ouch!"

Su Hongling rubbed her buttocks, her face full of confusion.

"What's going on? I can't fly?!"

"Airborne prohibition."

Mu Qingxue said coldly; the Ice Lotus beneath her feet shattered instantly as soon as it formed.

"The Space Law here does not allow flight.

Aside from those floating inanimate objects, any living thing that tries to leave the ground will be rejected by the entire world."

"You mean... we can only walk over?"

Luo Ximei glanced at the chains swaying in the Void Realm that connected the floating islands, and the corner of her mouth twitched.

"That's just too inelegant."

"If you don't want to walk, you can crawl."

Cold Moon straightened her skirt, her tone indifferent. "Or, you can beg Revered Master to carry you."

"Good idea!" Luo Ximei's eyes lit up, and she was about to turn and pounce on Su Lin.

"Who dares let Revered Master carry them! I'll break their legs!" Su Hongling brandished her fist fiercely.

"Enough."

Su Lin interrupted his disciples' daily bickering.

"It's not just as simple as an airborne prohibition here."

He stepped forward, setting foot on the first chain connecting two floating islands.

This chain was as thick as a water bucket and covered in rust, etched with the marks left by time.

"This chain is called the Crossing Tribulation Lock."

Su Lin's voice came steadily.

"It is the Meridians that connect this shattered world.

Walking on it requires not only resisting the pull of the Void Realm storms but also enduring the resentment of this space."

"Resentment?"

Chu Weiwei leaned in curiously and reached out to touch the chain.

Buzz!

Chu Weiwei's expression changed drastically.

She felt an extremely violent suction force coming from her fingertips, a terrifying pull that seemed ready to tear her Divine Soul apart, crush it, and then reassemble it!

That was the chaotic Space Law!

"Ah!"

Chu Weiwei cried out in alarm, instinctively wanting to pull her hand away, only to find that her palm seemed glued to the chain. The Qi in her body was frantically pouring out through her arm, forcibly drained by the chain to maintain the balance of this shattered Void Realm.

"Let go!"

Su Lin was quick to react; he pressed two fingers together like a sword and struck Chu Weiwei's wrist sharply.

A spiritual light containing the Profound Truth of space cut in, forcibly severing the connection between that suction force and Chu Weiwei.

Chu Weiwei stumbled back and fell onto her buttocks, her small face pale as she gasped for breath.

She raised her hand to see that the finger that had just touched the chain had turned a bizarre semi-transparent color, as if it might dissipate into the air at any moment.

"This... what is this?" she asked with a sob in her voice.

"It is Void Assimilation."

Su Lin's expression was grave as his gaze swept over the thick chain spanning the abyss.

"These Crossing Tribulation Locks connect the floating islands, acting like the Meridians of this shattered world."

"But this world is dead; what flows through the Meridians is no longer Immortal Qi, but violent Void Realm turbulence and chaotic fragments of Laws."

Su Lin pointed to the gray space around them.

"There are Law fissures everywhere here. This chain is forcibly pulling these islands together to keep them from falling into the Void Realm abyss; the pressure it bears is beyond our imagination."

"So..."

Su Lin looked at everyone, his tone serious.

"Put away your curiosity."

"This chain can be walked upon, but you must never touch it directly with your Physical Body, let alone try to sense the power within it."

"You must wrap your entire body in Qi to isolate yourself from the environment and treat it like an ordinary single-plank bridge."

"If anyone accidentally falls..."

Su Lin pointed to the abyss below, which was churning with colorful, bizarre lights.

"Then you really will have fallen into a Law meat grinder; even an immortal would be hard-pressed to save you."

The disciples all felt a chill in their hearts upon hearing this.

Even the most reckless Su Hongling silently tightened her grip on her great sword, not daring to act up again.

"Let's go."

Su Lin was the first to step onto the chain.

A faint layer of starlight appeared beneath his feet, isolating him from the chain.

He walked very steadily on it, but if one observed closely, they would find that every step he took followed a strange rhythm, as if he were avoiding some invisible sharp edge.

"Follow Revered Master's footsteps."

Cold Moon gave a low shout, her Imperial Dao Dragon Qi transforming into golden light to protect her body as she followed closely behind.

Next were Mu Qingxue, Luo Ximei, Chu Weiwei, and Ye You.

As for the Cultivators following behind, seeing Chu Weiwei's miserable state just now, they were all scared witless. One by one, they summoned their strongest defensive Magic Treasures and tremblingly stepped onto this perilous path... The group traveled on the chain for about half an hour.

Finally, they reached the end of the chain.

A very flat, square floating island appeared ahead. There were no buildings on this island, only an incredibly massive piece of paper that seemed to connect heaven and earth.

Or rather, a scroll.

This scroll spanned across the Void Realm, blocking all paths forward.

The scroll depicted a landscape of ink wash painting; black and white colors formed steep mountain peaks and rushing rivers. Although it was just ink and water, it emitted an overwhelming Aura that rushed toward them.

"What is this? Are we going to hit a wall?"

Su Hongling looked at the massive scroll blocking the way and instinctively wanted to draw her sword to slash it.

"Don't move!"

Su Lin stopped at the end of the chain, not stepping onto that island.

He stared at the scroll with a grave expression.

"This is a fragment of the Ancient Landscape Painting... no, it has already evolved into an independent world Law."

"A Law?" Luo Ximei's heterochromatic eye narrowed slightly.

"Yes, a Dimensional Reduction Law."

Su Lin said in a deep voice, "That island ahead is actually the blank space in the painting. Once we step on it, we will no longer be people, but people in a painting."

"People in a painting?" Chu Weiwei blinked. "That sounds very romantic. Are they going to paint Weiwei beautifully?"

"Romantic?" Su Lin sneered. "You think it's romantic to be turned into a piece of paper?"

Before everyone could react to what Su Lin meant by those words.

Several impatient Body Integration Stage Cultivators from behind had already arrived.

"Why did you stop in front? Don't block the way!"

A burly man in golden armor did not want to offend Su Lin, so he bypassed them and leaped directly from the side toward the platform.

"That is this Old Man's Opportunity!!"

However, the moment his feet touched the white jade ground.

A bizarre scene occurred.

The burly man's body was instantly squeezed as if by two invisible, massive iron plates.

Snap.

A soft sound.

On the ground, there appeared a lifelike ink wash figure wearing golden armor.

That paper person on the ground opened his mouth wide in terror, seemingly shouting, but no sound came out.

A breeze blew past, and the paper person, like a fallen leaf, drifted toward the massive landscape scroll ahead, sticking to the foot of a mountain in the painting, becoming a piece of scenery within it.

Hiss!!!

The crowd following behind braked instantly, each one terrified out of their wits.

"Turned... turned into a painting?!"

"What kind of sorcery is this?!"

Su Lin sighed as he watched this scene.

"This is the rule.

A three-dimensional Physical Body is forcibly compressed into two-dimensional ink marks.

In this Domain, thickness does not exist; power, Qi, and even Magic Treasures will be 'flattened'."

"Then how do we get across?" Cold Moon frowned. "If we turn into paper, won't we be at the mercy of others?"

"This is the only path."

Su Lin turned around and looked at his disciples.

"Moreover, this is not just a test, but also an Opportunity.

In this scroll world, the Divine Soul will exist in an unprecedented form, which is of great benefit for comprehending the Dao of Void and Reality."

A three-dimensional Physical Body is forcibly compressed into two-dimensional ink marks.

In this Domain, thickness does not exist; power, Qi, and even Magic Treasures will be flattened."

"Then how do we get across?"

Cold Moon frowned. "If we turn into paper, won't we be at the mercy of others?"

"This is the only path."

Su Lin turned around and looked at his disciples.

"Moreover, this is not just a test, but also an Opportunity.

In this scroll world, the Divine Soul will exist in an unprecedented form, which is of great benefit for comprehending the Dao of Void and Reality."

"However..."

Su Lin changed the subject, and several ink-jade Talismanic Incantations emitting a strange luster appeared in his hand.

"Since I, your Revered Master, brought you here, I naturally won't let you really become those defenseless paper pieces."

"This is the Boundary Stabilizing Talisman, which I refined by combining the Space Law with my own insights."

Su Lin distributed the talismans to everyone.

"Attach it to your forehead; it can temporarily stabilize you and resist the erosion of the scroll's Law."

"But remember, the power of this talisman is limited; it can only maintain our human form. In this world, our power will still be greatly suppressed."

"Once the talisman shatters or the Qi is exhausted, you will still be assimilated into ink marks."

"Therefore, we must cross this painting as quickly as possible."

Su Hongling took the talisman and slapped it onto her forehead without hesitation.

"That's enough for me, Old Man! It's just a painting, right? Watch me poke a hole in it!"

The others followed suit.

As the talismans entered their bodies, a faint ink-colored halo enveloped everyone, isolating them from the rule's power that was trying to flatten them.

"Let's go!"

Su Lin took the lead and stepped onto the floating island.

Buzz!

That strange squeezing sensation struck again, but this time, with the protection of the Boundary Stabilizing Talisman, the feeling became much lighter, like passing through a layer of viscous water film.

After their vision blurred for a moment, the group found themselves in a world of distinct black and white.

This was the interior of the Ancient Landscape Painting.

Beneath their feet was a flowing ink-colored river, and in the distance were towering ink-wash mountain peaks.

Everything here was composed of ink marks, yet it weirdly maintained a three-dimensional form.

"It's... so oppressive here."

Luo Ximei frowned; her black-gold flowing cloud dress looked exceptionally conspicuous in this world of only black and white.

She tried to mobilize her Devilish Qi, only to find that the circulation of Qi in her body had become extremely sluggish, like swimming in a quagmire.

"My power... has been suppressed by at least thirty percent."

"Me too." Mu Qingxue condensed an ice sword in her hand, but the cold air from the ice sword was noticeably weaker, even somewhat illusory.

"This Law is too overbearing; it is rejecting all external colors and powers."

Just then, a roar came from the ink-colored forest ahead.

A massive tiger, composed entirely of thick ink, pounced out from the forest.

Although the tiger was made of ink, it possessed the texture of real flesh and blood, emitting a fierce and malevolent Aura.

"Is this a Painting Spirit?"

Su Hongling licked her lips excitedly, holding her great sword horizontally.

"It looks like it can take a beating! This old lady will try it out first!"

She kicked off with both legs, her whole person charging out like a cannonball.

Clang!

The great sword smashed heavily onto the ink tiger's head.

The no edge, which weighed ten thousand pounds, actually felt as if it had smashed into a mass of viscous glue, sinking directly into the ink tiger's head!