53: Shocking changes at Huangquan Gate

Three days passed in a flash.

Lin Chen hid behind a massive beast bone, like the most patient hunter, perfectly blending his aura with the deathly silence of the environment, observing the movements of the Hall of Souls members without moving.

These past three days, he had not attempted to approach, but instead fully operated the Dark Shadow Soul Binding Art, constantly familiarizing himself with his surging power and perfecting the Shadow Erosion · Body Fusion technique, refining it until it became even more proficient, almost an instinct.

He witnessed how the Hall of Souls members drove more stone pillars, carved with bizarre runes, into specific positions, and how they threw large numbers of captured, specially refined vengeful spirits, and even the living Souls of some Demonic Beasts, as sacrifices into the gradually forming giant Formation.

The spatial fluctuations emanating from the Formation grew increasingly intense, and the icy Death Qi became clearer, causing discomfort to one’s Soul.

The purple-robed Elder Zun mostly sat cross-legged at the core of the Formation, personally stabilizing the spatial coordinates, and the vast aura he emitted made Lin Chen dare not make any rash moves.

Forcing his way in would be courting death.

The only chance lay in destruction!

At the critical moment when the other party was fully activating the so-called “Yellow Springs Gate,” he needed to create chaos, interfere with, or even destroy the Formation nodes!

He observed carefully, and with his enhanced Soul perception, he barely managed to identify several critical energy flow nodes within the complex Formation, as well as the runic stone pillars supporting them.

One of these nodes was located at the edge of the Formation, relatively hidden, and guarded by a one-star Dou Huang and two Dou Kings—it was the weakest link!

His target was set there!

Time passed bit by bit, and the crescent moon in the sky was gradually devoured by an invisible shadow.

The light between heaven and earth dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and finally, the entire ancient battlefield was plunged into a state of almost absolute darkness.

Only the increasingly bright, gloomy light from the center of the Hall of Souls’s Formation, and the faint glow of flashing runes, provided some illumination.

The lunar eclipse had begun!

The chilling Death Qi between heaven and earth at this moment became extremely dense, converging towards the center of the Formation like a tide!

“The time has come! Activate the Formation!” The purple-robed Elder Zun suddenly opened his eyes, a ghostly light bursting forth, and his withered palm pressed heavily onto a black crystal at the core of the Formation!

“Buzz—!!!”

The entire giant Formation suddenly shook, all the runes instantly lit up, emitting a heart-palpitating ghostly light!

Vast energy, like a waking giant python, frantically circulated along the complex patterns!

The space at the center of the Formation began to violently twist, emitting an unbearable “crackling” sound, and a long, dark crack, as if connecting to another world, was forcibly torn open!

From within the crack, an indescribable cold, deathly, ancient aura surged out like a tangible substance, instantly enveloping the entire basin!

That aura was even purer, vaster, and more despair-inducing than the one in the Demon Flame Valley black hole!

“Hold steady! Inject Soul energy!” The Elder Zun shouted sharply.

All Hall of Souls members immediately injected their Dou Qi and prepared Soul energy frantically into the runes beneath them, maintaining the opening of the crack.

The crack slowly expanded, from an initial thin line, gradually becoming a dark gap several zhang long!

Inside the gap was absolute darkness; nothing could be seen, yet it felt as if countless eyes were indifferently watching the outside world, and a fear originating from the instinct of life gripped everyone’s hearts!

Now was the time!

Lin Chen, who had been dormant, moved!

“Shadow Erosion · Body Fusion!”

He seemed to completely evaporate, his aura instantly vanishing, and the next moment, he had already appeared a hundred meters away, heading straight for the chosen edge node!

His speed was extreme, and under the cover of absolute darkness and dense Death Qi, he was like a true ghost!

“Shadow Grasp! Shadow Spin: Vortex!”

The instant he approached, he struck with both hands; his left hand made a grasping motion, and a strange suction subtly pulled a probing energy attack from the Dou Huang guard, causing it to go astray and hit another stone pillar nearby, causing a slight ripple!

At the same time, his right hand pressed down fiercely, and a small dark vortex formed beneath his feet, frantically stirring the underground Death Qi and the Formation’s energy flow!

“Enemy attack!” The Dou Huang guard reacted extremely quickly, immediately letting out a sharp warning, and slammed his palm towards the abnormal energy spot!

But Lin Chen’s goal had already been achieved!

The energy diverted by “Shadow Grasp” and the localized chaos created by “Shadow Spin: Vortex” had precisely interfered with the stable transmission of the node’s energy!

Although it was only for an extremely brief moment, for the massive Formation that was fully maintaining the spatial crack, this tiny fluctuation was like a grain of sand getting into a precision instrument!

“Pfft!”

At the core of the Formation, the purple-robed Elder Zun’s body suddenly shook, his hand pressed on the crystal trembled slightly, and a trace of black blood even overflowed from the corner of his mouth!

The expansion of the crack abruptly paused, and even twisted and fluctuated slightly!

“Bastard!” The Elder Zun was filled with shock and anger, and icy killing intent instantly locked onto the edge node area!

But at this moment, most of his mind and power were used to maintain the crack, making it impossible for him to personally act!

“Catch him! Tear him to shreds!” he roared.

The one-star Dou Huang and the two Dou Kings were both shocked and furious, frantically pouncing on Lin Chen, who had revealed himself!

All sorts of ruthless Dou Skills came crashing down like an overwhelming tide!

Lin Chen did not confront them head-on; having succeeded in one strike, he immediately fled!

“Limitless Steps · Shadow Escape!”

His body transformed into a twisted shadow, fleeing desperately along the pre-planned route towards the outer perimeter of the basin!

He pushed his speed to the extreme, even burning part of his vital blood!

“Where do you think you’re going!” The Dou Huang roared, chasing relentlessly, while the other two Dou Kings also desperately kept up.

A breathtaking chase unfolded on the dark edge of the basin!

Lin Chen utilized his movement technique to the extreme, sometimes merging into shadows, sometimes using the terrain to evade, facing constant dangers!

Several times he was struck by the aftershocks of Dou Qi, his Qi and blood churning, but he dared not stop!

Just as the intense chase was underway—

A sudden change occurred at the interfered Formation crack!

Perhaps it was due to Lin Chen’s interference causing energy instability, or perhaps the entity on the “other side” of the “Gate” was enraged, or perhaps the influence of the lunar eclipse exceeded estimations—

The dark crack suddenly twisted and expanded violently!

A terrifying suction, far exceeding anything before, erupted, no longer targeting Souls and energy, but all matter!

“Oh no! Quickly stabilize it!” The purple-robed Elder Zun’s face changed drastically, and he frantically urged his power, trying to regain control of the crack.

But it was already too late!

Crack!

Several runic stone pillars near the crack were the first to be unable to withstand the suction and chaotic energy impact, and they exploded with a bang!

A chain reaction instantly occurred!

Large areas of the Formation’s patterns dimmed and shattered!

Without the Formation’s restraint, the crack, like a wild horse, frantically expanded, instantly turning into a giant black hole with a diameter of over ten zhang!

Within the black hole, it was no longer pure darkness; faintly visible was a desolate, deathly, shattered illusion of land, with countless twisted, indescribable shadows writhing within it!

And at the center of that shattered land, a colossal, bizarre flower illusion, seemingly composed of countless wailing Souls intertwined, slowly swayed!

The entire flower was dark, its petals like twisted human hands, and at its pistil was a constantly pulsating, heart-like giant dark red gem, emitting an alluring yet extremely repulsive aura!

The Other Shore Flower! A projection of the Yellow Springs Other Shore!

Although it was just a fleeting illusion, the aura it emitted caused all the lingering Souls and vengeful spirits in the entire ancient battlefield to let out fearful wails, falling to their knees and trembling!

Even the Dou Huang and Dou Kings chasing Lin Chen suddenly froze, their minds shaken by the terrifying sight and aura!

“Now!” Lin Chen seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, his speed soaring again, and he shot out of the basin like lightning, plunging into the denser gray mist and complex terrain of the outer perimeter without looking back!

“Roar!!!”

From within the black hole, an angry roar, as if from primordial times, erupted, seemingly enraged by the instability of the passage and its forced manifestation!

An even more terrifying suction, powerful enough to devour a Dou Zong, suddenly erupted!

“No—!” Several Hall of Souls members who were slightly closer screamed as they were pulled towards the black hole, instantly disappearing!

The purple-robed Elder Zun’s eyes were bloodshot, and he roared, conjuring a small, black, bell-shaped artifact covered in cracks.

The bell rang urgently, barely resisting the suction and protecting the few people in the core area, but the entire Formation had already completely collapsed!

“Close it! Forcibly close it now!” he commanded hoarsely.

The remaining Hall of Souls members desperately manipulated the surviving Formation components, attempting to forcibly seal the out-of-control black hole.

At the edge of the basin, it was a scene of apocalyptic chaos.

Meanwhile, Lin Chen had already fled dozens of miles away, hiding in a large underground crack, his heart pounding, replaying the thrilling scene he had just witnessed and the fleeting illusion of the “Other Shore Flower.”

He succeeded!

Although he couldn’t completely destroy it, he definitely severely interfered with the Hall of Souls’s “transference” plan!

Moreover, he saw that flower!

What exactly was that thing?

Just as his mind was in turmoil, the green Jade Slip in his embrace, given to him by Xiao Yan, suddenly, without warning, began to vibrate violently and continuously!

It was no longer the slight sensation from before, but a rapid, almost alarm-like vibration!

Lin Chen’s expression suddenly changed!

Xiao Yan? Or Yao Lao? Why would they be contacting him so urgently at this time?

Could it be… something major happened at Jia Nan Academy, or to Xiao Yan?!