1096: Chapter 1095 Siblings Meet, Danger Lurks Within

The astral winds here were already violent enough to easily tear through the protective spiritual light of an ordinary Rank Four Cultivator, and the pressure even slightly distorted the space.

Those who could reach this place were at least the best among Rank Four, or those with special means or a high degree of refinement in their Divine Ability prototypes.

He looked up, but the Heaven Rank still seemed endless, disappearing above the gray clouds.

The higher one went, the sparser the figures became, but every figure standing there radiated a heart-palpitatingly powerful aura.

At the same time, he also felt that in the extremely high places, there seemed to be a purer, more primordial wind power flowing and calling, which might be the "Canglan Wind Source" mentioned by the Spirit of the Legacy.

Above the Heaven Rank, the astral winds howled like the wailing of tens of thousands of vengeful ghosts.

Black Dream was enveloped in a soft white halo as she climbed upward at a steady pace.

Bai Luo followed closely on her left, while Black Forest was three steps behind on her right. The three of them formed a triangular formation, vigilantly guarding their surroundings.

The higher they went, the greater the pressure became.

By the time they reached the three-hundredth step, the astral winds were violent enough to tear through the protective spiritual light of an ordinary Rank Four Cultivator.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on Black Dream's forehead, and her breathing became slightly hurried.

She had only been comprehending the "Firefly Wind Light" for a short time; although she had condensed the prototype, maintaining it under such high-intensity astral wind pressure was extremely taxing.

"Your Highness, there's a situation ahead," Bai Luo suddenly transmitted, his voice grave.

Black Dream looked up and saw a group of five people climbing unhurriedly about twenty steps ahead.

The leader was dressed in a mysterious black brocade robe with dark golden cloud patterns embroidered on the hem; it was none other than her second brother—Prince Hei Hun.

Prince Hei Hun also seemed to have noticed the movement behind him and slowly turned around.

His face was pale and handsome, with a feminine quality between his brows and eyes, and a faint, half-smiling curve at the corners of his mouth.

"Dream Sister, what a coincidence."

Prince Hei Hun's voice was not loud, yet it pierced through the howling astral winds and reached them clearly. "To meet on the Heaven Rank, it seems Dream Sister also has quite the Opportunity."

Black Dream stopped in her tracks, the halo around her body shifting slightly as she resisted the erosion of the astral winds.

Her expression was calm as she said indifferently, "Is Second Brother not also climbing here? It seems the 'Abyssal Erosion' Divine Ability truly suits Second Brother's temperament."

Their gazes met in the air; beneath the seemingly calm conversation, undercurrents were surging.

Prince Hei Hun gave a light chuckle, his gaze sweeping over Bai Luo and Black Forest behind Black Dream. "Dream Sister truly has many talented people by her side.

However, the astral winds on this Heaven Rank are treacherous and the climb is difficult. Dream Sister must be extra careful."

"Thank you for the reminder, Second Brother."

Black Dream's voice remained flat. "Second Brother should also be careful. I heard that you lost many men in the Secret Realm; it would be best to actually gain something."

The two spoke with such affability that an outsider might have thought they were a model of sibling affection, but who could have known that Prince Hei Hun had previously sent people to kill Black Dream?

Prince Hei Hun's eyes turned slightly cold, but the smile on his face did not fade. "There is no need for Dream Sister to worry; I know what I am doing."

After a brief silence, Prince Hei Hun nodded slightly. "In that case, I shall take my leave first. Take care, Dream Sister."

With that, he turned and continued his climb, followed closely by his four guards, quickly disappearing into the increasingly thick astral winds.

Black Dream stood in place, watching Prince Hei Hun depart, a flash of coldness in her eyes.

"Your Highness, he will definitely not let this go," Bai Luo said in a deep voice. "Prince Hei Hun is gentle on the surface but ruthless in reality. Those words just now were already laced with hidden killing intent."

Black Forest gripped the long halberd in his hand and whispered, "I am prepared to fight at any time."

Black Dream took a deep breath, suppressing the unease in her heart. "Continue the climb!"

"Rest assured, Princess. I have already contacted the experts of the Hundred Flowers Star Domain for support; we only need to hold on until we meet up."

Bai Luo transmitted words of comfort. Although the Hundred Flowers Star Domain was participating in this competition openly, they were secretly prioritizing Black Dream.

The trade-offs of interests involved were naturally not for outsiders to know!

The three moved upward again, their steps even more cautious than before.

About five hundred steps above, Prince Hei Hun stopped and looked back down.

The astral winds howled, and Black Dream's group was no longer visible, but he could feel that familiar aura still steadily ascending.

"Your Highness, should we strike now?" a guard asked in a low voice, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in his eyes.

Prince Hei Hun shook his head, a cold smile appearing on his pale face. "No rush. The astral winds here are fierce, but not enough.

Once we reach above the eight-hundredth step, the astral winds will be enough to suppress most communication and escape techniques. That will be the best time."

He turned to look higher up, where the Heaven Rank disappeared into the gray mist, with no end in sight.

"Have someone monitor their speed and calculate the timing."

Prince Hei Hun's voice was as cold as iron. "Set an ambush between the eight-hundredth and nine-hundredth steps. I want her to not even have a chance to call for help.

However, we can make some appropriate moves before then to make them lower their guard!"

"Yes!" The guard took the order and secretly transmitted messages to arrange the setup.

A flash of complex emotion crossed Prince Hei Hun's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

The struggle for the throne had always been a life-and-death matter.

If Black Dream did not die, she would surely become a major threat in the future.

He no longer lingered and quickened his pace upward.

The darkness enveloping him grew denser, writhing like a living thing, silently swallowing and dissolving the incoming astral winds.

Black Dream's trio stopped and started along the way, encountering several assassination attempts, and finally climbed several hundred more steps.

By the time they reached the eight-hundredth step, the power of the astral winds had increased to another level.

Black Dream felt the circulation of spiritual power in her body begin to stagnate, and the expressions of Bai Luo and Black Forest also turned grave.

"Your Highness, watch out!"

Bai Luo suddenly gave a low shout, a white flower blooming in his hand, forming a light screen to block in front of the three of them.

Almost simultaneously, three pitch-black arrows pierced through the astral winds, shooting from a bizarre angle and hitting the light screen with a piercing corrosive sound.

Black Dream's eyes turned cold, the milky-white Jade Slip in her hand flowing with light as the radiance around her body surged.

"Protect Her Highness!"

Black Forest held his long halberd horizontally in front of him, his domineering aura sweeping out as he knocked away another round of incoming hidden weapons.

Within the astral winds, three black figures emerged like ghosts, surrounding the three of them.

These people were dressed in inconspicuous gray robes with blurred faces, clearly using sophisticated concealment and disguise methods.

"Kill!" the leading black figure barked, and the three of them struck simultaneously.

The attack was not aimed directly at Black Dream but was concentrated on Bai Luo and Black Forest.

Clearly, the opponent wanted to eliminate the guards first before dealing with Black Dream herself.

Bai Luo snorted coldly, the white flower in his hand spinning as the petals turned into countless streams of light to meet two of the enemies.

Though he was fighting two against one, he was not at a disadvantage at all; the secret techniques of the Hundred Flowers Star Domain actually showed a unique resilience in the astral wind environment.

Black Forest, on the other hand, remained undaunted in the face of danger. Facing the strongest gray-robed man, although his halberd techniques were sharp, they were difficult to fully execute under the suppression of the astral winds, and he soon found himself struggling and in a perilous situation.