188: Chapter 187 Azure Valley
"So this is Qingyou Valley? The environment is actually quite nice."
Ye Qing stretched, took a deep breath of the mountain air, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.
The group had already settled into the scenic area and was currently sitting on a flat patch of grass deep within Qingyou Valley.
Lush green mountains surrounded them, shrouded in mist, while a clear stream meandered past the grass. The gurgling of the water, harmonized with the chirping of birds in the woods, sounded like a piece of sheetless light music.
Xu Ziyan spread out a picnic mat, plopped down on it, and pulled a mountain of food from his backpack—braised dishes, fruit, drinks, and snacks—laying them all out on the ground.
"Come, come, don't be shy. I brought enough to last three days."
Ye Qing glanced at the pile of food, her lips twitching.
"We're here for a picnic, not to open a supermarket."
"Better safe than sorry."
Xu Ziyan tore open a pack of braised chicken wings, took a bite, and looked blissfully happy.
"You have no idea, I spent all of last night braising these at home. I almost woke my dad up with the smell."
Lin Fan sat down beside him and reached for a bottle of water. "You know how to braise things?"
"Of course," Xu Ziyan puffed out his chest. "I'm a man who's going to become an all-around man."
Ye Wushuang sat on the other side of the picnic mat, a box of sliced fruit placed in front of him.
He picked up a piece of watermelon and ate it slowly, staring at the distant black peak without saying a word.
Ye Qing sat in the center of the mat with her legs crossed, holding a can of drink. She took a sip and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Now this is what a vacation should be like. At school, it's classes, Cultivating, and exams every day. I'm exhausted."
Lin Fan leaned against his backpack, hands behind his head, looking at the sky fragmented by bamboo leaves above.
The clouds moved slowly, the wind was light, and time seemed to stretch, each second feeling twice as long as usual.
That's how days go; they just pass as you live them.
Ye Wushuang suddenly spoke up. "That peak, what's its name?"
The others followed his gaze.
Deep within Qingyou Valley, a black peak rose abruptly from the ground.
Unlike the other tree-covered peaks, this mountain was almost bare. There was hardly any vegetation on its dark gray rocky walls, only several black cracks extending from the summit to the base, looking as if they had been clawed by something.
"That's Qingyou Peak."
Ye Qing said, "The scenic area's information board says it's 2,300 meters above sea level, the highest peak in this area. But tourists aren't allowed up there; it hasn't been developed, and there are no paths."
"Why aren't they allowed?" Xu Ziyan asked.
"Apparently, the geology there is unstable, and there are frequent rockfalls."
Ye Qing thought for a moment. "Or maybe it's for some other reason, I can't quite remember."
Lin Fan stared at the black peak, and his left eye felt a slight heat.
But the feeling was very faint—so faint that he thought it was just his imagination, so he didn't give it much thought.
"Come on, eat, eat."
Xu Ziyan pushed a box of braised dried tofu to the center. "Lin Fan, try this. I added star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves to this dried tofu. The flavor is incredible."
Lin Fan snapped back to reality and took a bite of the dried tofu.
The taste was indeed good—savory and well-seasoned, with a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste.
"Xu Ziyan, if you don't end up being a Beast Armor Master, you could definitely make a living opening a braised food shop."
Xu Ziyan looked proud. "Of course. This is a family recipe; my dad's braised dishes are way better than mine."
Ye Qing ate another piece and nodded. "It's alright."
Just as they were enjoying their leisure time, the weather suddenly changed.
The light above them vanished abruptly, as if something had blocked the sun.
Lin Fan looked up and saw the "dark cloud."
It wasn't a cloud.
It was a vortex.
A massive, dark purple vortex was slowly rotating high above them. The center of the vortex was a bottomless darkness, with silvery-white lightning snaking around the edges like glowing serpents writhing in the sky.
The vortex was staggeringly large, covering almost the entire sky over Qingyou Valley, stretching from the eastern peaks to the western ridges.
"Wh... what is this?"
Xu Ziyan's voice had changed.
Ye Qing's face turned pale instantly.
Ye Wushuang's eyes lit up. Bright Mist Phantom Pupil, Truth-Seeing Vision.
He took just one look, and his pupils constricted sharply. "A Spatial Rift."
As soon as he spoke, the darkness at the center of the vortex suddenly expanded, like a giant eye opening.
Countless bolts of silvery-white lightning shot out from the edges of the vortex, striking the surrounding peaks. Rocks splintered and flew, and the thunder was so loud it made their eardrums throb.
Then, the suction came.
Lin Fan felt as if the ground beneath his feet was no longer level but had become a slope, and he began sliding uncontrollably toward the center of the vortex.
"Grab onto something!" Lin Fan shouted.
Xu Ziyan grabbed a nearby tree, its trunk bending into an arc under the suction, letting out a strained creak.
Ye Qing grabbed the picnic mat, but it was torn away by the suction, pulling her up into the air with it.
Ye Wushuang grabbed her wrist and used his other hand to catch Lin Fan's backpack strap. The three of them were linked together like a string of kites caught in the wind.
But the suction grew stronger and stronger.
The tree Xu Ziyan was clinging to was uprooted. He let out a scream as he was sucked toward the sky.
Lin Fan reacted quickly. Xiao Zhuang instantly Armorized, and silver-black Flood Dragon Scales covered his left hand as he grabbed Xu Ziyan's ankle.
"Xiao Kun—Kun Shadow Leap!"
Spatial Wings unfurled from his back as Lin Fan tried to open a spatial gate to take everyone away.
But as soon as Kun Shadow Leap opened a crack, it was crushed by an even more powerful spatial force.
Lin Fan's heart sank to the bottom.
Xiao Kun's spatial abilities were completely suppressed by the Spatial Rift, like a small boat trying to row against a tidal wave; he couldn't exert any force at all.
Ye Qing suddenly shouted, "Lin Fan! Let go!"
"What?"
"Let go! You can escape on your own! If you carry us, you'll be sucked in too!"
Ye Qing's face was distorted by the rushing air.
However, just as she finished speaking, the darkness at the center of the vortex expanded again, like the throat of an abyssal maw opening wide.
The suction multiplied instantly.
The four of them were pulled into a straight line, stretched taut by the suction as they flew toward the massive dark purple vortex in the sky.
Then, amidst a chorus of cries, they were completely submerged into the vortex.
In the next second, Lin Fan felt the world spinning around him, and then he completely lost consciousness.
Not long after the four of them vanished, the originally violent vortex slowly stabilized, eventually forming a passage shimmering with spatial ripples.
A figure in a military uniform flickered into existence. He frowned at the various items scattered by Lin Fan and the others nearby, then pressed the earpiece in his ear.
"Report. This is Qingyou Valley. A new Secret Realm has been discovered above Qingyou Peak. It has just descended, and its scale is unknown. It is suspected that people have accidentally entered. Requesting backup."