305: Shadow of the Wasteland

As soon as the words fell, the red light deep within the Rift Valley suddenly surged, blinding people.

Dense black shadows rushed out from the bottom of the valley, lunging in clusters toward the Yin Soldiers at the edge of the rift.

"Yin Soldiers, form the array!" You Yu commanded in a deep voice, the sound wave bouncing back off the rock walls.

The Yin Soldiers reacted extremely fast; the chains in their hands glowed dimly, weaving into a dense barrier that covered the black shadows completely.

"Puchi—Puchi—"

The sound of chains crushing the black shadows was incessant, and black mud mixed with a sweet, fishy smell splattered everywhere.

The black shadows torn apart by the golden chains fell to the ground as mud, yet they continued to squirm, and countless tiny individuals crawled out, heading toward the Yin Soldiers' ankles.

"Everyone step back, don't let it touch you."

You Yu swung his sword, splitting the nearby black shadow. The sword wind swept past, causing the mud to splatter before immediately reforming nearby.

He frowned deeply: "Physical attacks are useless. Switch to Purification Talismans."

The Yin Soldier Captain of a Hundred next to him gritted his teeth, pulled out a stack of yellow talismans, and threw them all out using spiritual power.

The talismans burst into dazzling white light. The black shadows they touched made a "sizzling" sound, emitted black smoke, and dispersed.

This method was effective, but the number of talismans was limited, and black shadows were still pouring out continuously.

"Minister, there's too much of this filth."

The black shadow beneath the Captain of a Hundred's feet suddenly condensed into a sharp spike, stabbing directly at his calf.

You Yu's pupils contracted; there was no time to rescue him.

In the nick of time, a bolt of Purple-Gold Lightning tore through the dim sky and struck the tail end of the spike.

The lightning burst open, the intense light blinding the Yin Soldiers. The violent air current vaporized the surrounding black shadows, and the ground was scorched black.

You Yu and the Yin Soldiers were knocked back a few steps. The Captain of a Hundred was still shaken, cold sweat soaking his armor.

Mid-air, Shang Wan Ning held the son of heaven sword, hovering above the Rift Valley, the golden light in her eyes as cold as ice.

"Your Majesty." You Yu was both surprised and delighted, his voice carrying a sense of relief.

Shang Wan Ning did not respond, her Divine Sense locked onto the deep valley.

The red light at the bottom of the valley pulsed like a living thing, and black shadows continued to pour out. She Formed a Hand Seal with her left hand, gathering a speck of golden light at her fingertip.

She flicked her finger, and the golden light shot straight into the depths of the Rift Valley, piercing the brightest cluster of red light.

"Buzz~"

A muffled sound rolled up from underground. The entire Wasteland was shaking, and rocks along the edge of the Rift Valley crumbled and fell.

The red light at the bottom of the valley flickered wildly, shifting between bright and dim, and the speed at which the black shadows emerged visibly slowed down.

"Clear the area." Shang Wan Ning said coldly.

Hearing this, You Yu immediately ordered: "Quick, use all the remaining Purification Talismans."

The remaining talismans were all activated, and sheets of white light descended. Combined with the lingering power of the previous lightning strike, the black shadows at the mouth of the valley were quickly cleared away.

Shang Wan Ning landed on the scorched ground, stuck the son of heaven sword into the dirt beside her foot, and asked, "You Yu, what happened?"

You Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, Subordinate was ordered to pursue the remnants of evil and discovered abnormal energy fluctuations upon reaching this Rift Valley."

"There are unknown creatures at the bottom of the valley; they are highly aggressive. Physical attacks are completely ineffective. Purification Talismans can restrain them, but we don't have enough. Lady Meng just sent a message saying she is rushing over."

Shang Wan Ning's Divine Sense probed into the Rift Valley.

Deep at the bottom of the valley, space was twisted into a knot. An unstable Energy Node was violently exhaling chaotic aura—the source of the red light.

At the edge of the node, the Spatial Membrane had tiny cracks gnawed into it, and wisps of gray-dark energy seeped out, nourishing the black shadows at the bottom of the valley.

"Spatial Node... Source of Pollution..."

The Empress frowned deeply.

This aura was chaotic and tyrannical, not Zhu Yan's corruption, but more like the filth of some kind of flesh and blood.

She called out, "Xiao Si, help me analyze the energy characteristics."

"Understood, great host."

"Matching... 70%... 85%... Match complete. Energy characteristics similarity to the core Source of Pollution in the F Nation's Ancient Ruins: 99.8%."

"Warning: The node is extremely unstable and at risk of collapse. Please pay attention..."

[Sabrina Child?]

Shang Wan Ning's heart tightened.

[How did the Demon Wasteland connect to the Outer God's Plane?]

Suddenly, the Spatial Node deep inside the Rift Valley expanded with a "poof."

A gray-white pillar of light broke through the rock layers, piercing the sky and tearing several fissures in the surrounding void.

At the top of the light pillar, space twisted into a pitch-black Vortex that was slowly forming, its center emitting a terrifying suction force.

"A Spatial Passage?!" You Yu cried out in shock.

Shang Wan Ning gripped the son of heaven sword, staring intently at the Vortex.

On the other side of the passage, the low murmurs of Outer Gods could faintly be heard, mixed with the roars of flesh-and-blood monsters.

The Vortex spun faster and faster, and the suction force suddenly intensified. Gravel and scorched earth on the ground were sucked skyward and pulled into the Vortex.

"Retreat."

Shang Wan Ning shouted sternly.

Divine Power suddenly erupted around her, quickly gathering into a barrier that tightly shielded You Yu and the Yin Soldiers.

Several Tentacles reached out from the center of the Vortex.

The Tentacles were exceptionally large, covered in dark cyan scales. Their tips gleamed coldly as they fiercely clawed at the Spatial Membrane, as if trying to force the passage open.

"ROAR!!!"

An inhuman roar came from the other side of the passage, shaking the entire Wasteland until sand and stones flew everywhere, as if the apocalypse had arrived.

Seeing this, Shang Wan Ning's eyes darkened.

The son of heaven sword in her hand seemed to sense its owner's wrath, letting out a humming cry.

With a flick of her wrist, the sword tip pointed directly at the Tentacles, clearly preparing to strike—

"Evil Beast, retreat."

A clear, cold female voice arrived, stepping through the void. An indigo figure instantly appeared next to the Vortex—it was Sister Meng.

She formed Hand Seals with both hands. Samsara Divine Power flowed from her fingertips, condensing into a chain burning with Karma Fire, which wrapped around the Tentacle forcing the passage open.

Sizzle~ Sizzle~

The Karma Fire chain wrapped around the scales; like a branding iron searing flesh, the dark cyan scales instantly turned scorched black.

"Awo!!!"

Meng Jiang didn't stop. As her Hand Seals changed, purple Divine Power rapidly injected into the Spatial Node, forcefully stabilizing the twisted Spatial Membrane and suppressing the turbulent gray-white pillar of light.

"A Ning, the node is about to collapse. It must be sealed or destroyed immediately."

Sweat beaded on her forehead. "This node is connected to an unknown Plane, and the energy is far more violent than estimated."

Shang Wan Ning made a prompt decision, transmitting her Voice Transmission: "Destroy it."

"You Yu, take your men back another five kilometers." She said this as she soared into the air, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with Sister Meng.

The son of heaven sword was raised high, and the Peak Eighth Rank Divine Power was poured into the hilt without reservation.

The sword body burst forth with a heaven-rending golden light amidst its humming.

Meng Jiang exerted her power simultaneously. The purple Samsara Divine Power materialized into a gigantic form, firmly pressing down on the Spatial Node, slowing its rate of collapse.

"Slash!"

Shang Wan Ning gave a clear shout. The son of heaven sword, carrying immense momentum, struck toward the core of the Spatial Node.

Boom—!!!

The golden light and purple Divine Power slammed into the node, and a terrifying energy storm swept out.

The entire Wasteland was shaking as if struck by a meteorite. The Rift Valley collapsed in the explosion, and shattered rocks shot skyward.

The intense light covered everything. After a long while, the smoke and dust slowly settled.