Book 8 Chapter 15

B8C15: Life-or-death passages

Each of these falling huge rocks is 100 m long and 6 to 7 m wide, but nobody knows how thick they are. Qin Yu estimates that they weight only several million jin, but the ordinary Xiuzhenists at the rear cannot put up any resistance even when several tens of them join forces.

Qin Yu slightly bends his legs and tries to prop the 100 m long huge rock above him up with his hands. An extremely large pressure immediately comes down through his arms from the rock. Qin Yu cannot help bending his legs somewhat more again.

Zi ~~

A deep noise rises at his feet as they sink into the flagstone under him on the ground.

Because the huge rocks forming the ceiling of this section of the stone passage fell down simultaneously, the weight of each of them threatens a different number of individuals under it. Qin Yu, Hou Fei, Hei Yu, Azure Dragon and Teng Shan are the 5 in the front so naturally they have to support a huge rock together.

The flagstones under them quickly give off sounds of their inability to withstand the rock’s weight. Their feet either shatter or sink into these flagstones.

“So heavy.” Hou Fei shouts in a strange voice. At the moment he is also trying to support the weight with his hands. Not saying a word, Xiao Hei tries to prop the huge rock up directly with his large wings. After joining forces, the 3 brothers eventually manage to support the weight of that huge rock.

Qin Yu cannot help feeling astonished. In the past, when he was still practicing external techniques and had not reached the Xiantian level yet, he already had more than 1000 jin of strength in one arm. At the peak of the Xiantian level, he could even lift a 10,000 jin huge rock. As for during the Nebula stage and the Meteor stage, not only did his physical power improve so much, the stellar energy inside his body was also extremely formidable.

Now Qin Yu alone can already lift several million jin. And Hou Fei’s strong point is strength. In terms of strength, he is even superior to Qin Yu. Xiao Hei’s strength is about the same as Qin Yu’s too. Even so, they have to join forces to support this huge rock. This just goes to show how heavy the rock is.

“Azure Dragon, why are you doing nothing?” Qin Yu rebukes angrily.

Now he and his 2 brothers have got into action but Azure Dragon is still doing nothing on one side other than staring attentively at the seals on the huge rock.

“There’s something odd about these seals!”

Azure Dragon talks to himself. Afterwards, he tells Qin Yu smilingly: “Not bad. All right, the 3 of you can take a rest.”

He then utters a cold shout. In an instant, his hands unexpectedly transform into 2 huge dragon claws while his arms thicken and dragon scales emerge from them. An extremely powerful force bursts forth from inside Azure Dragon’s body. It is so strong that it even causes the air to vibrate for a while.

As soon as Azure Dragon supports the rock with his arms, Qin Yu, Hou Fei and Hei Yu do not feel any pressure at all.

Surprisingly, he has single-handedly outdone the combined force of Qin Yu and the others 2.

Hou Fei’s eyes flash with a red light. He looks at Azure Dragon for a long time then says to Qin Yu via holy sense communication: “Big brother, just now, when the rock was falling down, Azure Dragon didn’t do anything in the beginning, could it be he wanted to let the rock smash us to death or injure us?”

Qin Yu falls silent for a while then says via his holy sense: “Don’t think too much.” He also takes a look at Azure Dragon.

However, blood has already formed a small stream on the flagged ground of this stone passage. It is the blood of various Xiuzhenists. When even Qin Yu and his 2 brothers had difficulty withstanding the huge pressure of a rock, how can several tens ordinary Jindan stage Xiuzhenists possibly take it?

By now, the anguished cries have already started to gradually stop.

Because every huge rock is 100 m long, the individuals under a rock naturally form a group.

Qin Yu and the 4 near him are a group. Behind them, Di Long, Di Jian, Di Xu, Old Freak Three-Eyed and Lou Ke happen to be under the same rock. Yi Da, Situ Xue and Jiao Jiu are being pressed on by another huge rock. Reverend Yan Xu, Reverend Huo Tian, Reverend Di Feng and the 10-odd Xiuzhenists closely behind them are supporting another huge rock together.

Except for these individuals, everyone has already died.

“Damn it, until when do we have to keep holding this rock up? Break for me!” The black stick in Hou Fei’s hand is suddenly swung at the huge rock. Of course, the stick is unquestionably powerful. How can normal huge rocks possibly withstand its might? In theory, it should shatter this huge rock where it hits.

However, when Hou Fei’s black stick smashes into the rock, those seals and markings flash again with a black light, which seems to be moving on the entire surface of the rock and withstands Hou Fei’s black stick attack easily, leaving the huge rock intact.

“Oh.” Hou Fei is astonished.

“Break!”

A shout is heard as Azure Dragon’s claws begin to shine dazzlingly. The claws then tear the black light of the seals apart. Afterwards, the huge rock is naturally smashed to countless chunks. Immediately, there is no longer a rock above the heads of Qin Yu and his group.

Qin Yu, Hou Fei and Hei Yu all look at Azure Dragon.

The attack of Hou Fei’s black stick failed to damage those black seals but Azure Dragon was able to mangle them. It is easy to see the gap between them. However … Hou Fei has not transformed yet so his real power has not been used to the full.

Whizz!

The area right between Old Freak Three-Eyed’s eyebrows splits. His 3rd eye shoots out a green shaft of light, which hits some of those black seals squarely. Following this, everybody in his group easily shatters the huge rock above them.

A frightening energy sword suddenly rises from the surface of Reverend Yan Xu’s body. At the moment, it looks like he is enfolded in a huge sword. After a shout, the energy sword shoots straight at some black seals, which are shattered similarly.

Yi Da’s waist-length purple hair suddenly shoots straight up like needles.

Pouf!

The black light of the seals is pierced through by the long purple hair like a sheet of paper just like that.

After those huge blocks of rock have been destroyed, the whole passage brightens. The original pitch-black space unexpectedly disappears.

“The pitch-black just now should have been caused by those mysterious seals.” Azure Dragon says firmly. Now there are a great number of broken rocks on the ground of the passage, but this does not affect anybody in the slightest.

Qin Yu casts a look at 4 experts -- Early Kongming stage divine beast Azure Dragon, late Dongxu stage divine beast Old Freak Three-Eyed, who has a third eye, late Kongming stage Xiumoist Yi Da and late Kongming stage Xiuxianist Reverend Yan Xu.

Although Azure Dragon is the most powerful among them, the gaps between him and the other 3 are very small.

“So strong!”

Qin Yu says in his mind.

He knows very well that among the 6 major powers, the Stellar Tower is only a little bit superior to the Nine Demons Hall, because the other 4 powers are under the command of those 4 super experts. However … if Uncle Lan is regarded as a member of the Stellar Tower, then it will become the supreme power.

……

The Stellar Tower has Qin Yu, Hou Fei and Hei Yu. The Azure Dragon Palace has Azure Dragon and Teng Shan. The Blue Water Mansion has Old Freak Three-Eyed and Lou Ke. The Nine Demons Hall has Di Long, Di Jian and Di Xu. The Purple Flame Devilish Dungeon has Yi Da, Situ Xue and Jiao Jiu. The Penglai Immortal Region has Reverend Yan Xu, Reverend Huo Tian and Reverend Di Feng.

There are also the 10-odd Xiuzhenists who were lucky to survive behind the 3 reverends.

“I think we should cooperate. If we keep acting individually like this, who knows how many of us will die before seeing the 9th jade sword?” Reverend Yan Xu says smilingly.

Yi Da fiddles with his long hair and says with an evil smile: “Cooperate? Not bad if you’re sincere, but if you’re just pretending and going to use a sneak attack at a crucial moment … ha-ha.” After several cold laughs, he says positively: “I’m used to protecting myself and not in the habit of putting my life in the hands of someone else.”

“I’m the same.” Old Freak Three-Eyed gives Reverend Yan Xu a disdainful look.

By contrast, Di Long says: “I don’t agree or disagree. If everybody agrees then I’ll also agree.” He is just beating around the bush. 2 experts have already voiced their objections so his words imply that he will not agree to cooperate.

Qin Yu says nothing about Reverend Yan Xu’s suggestion.

“Azure Dragon, let’s keep going forwards.” He tells Azure Dragon.

Taking a look at everyone behind, Azure Dragon says indifferently: “Be careful, everybody. I won’t care if any of you die. Just go back if you fear for your life.” After saying so, he keeps going forwards with Teng Shan.

Nobody retreats, not even those 10-odd ordinary Xiuzhenists.

It is not that they do not want to retreat, but that they do not dare to. The leaders of the 6 superpowers can retreat, but they cannot, because they are subordinates. If they retreated, it would be no different from abandoning their leaders in the face of danger and they would be given severe punishments.

This time, everybody is obviously very careful.

They keep going forwards while observing their surroundings attentively.

After going about several hundred li along this passage, everybody enters a special place -- a cave that can accommodate tens of thousands of people. In addition to the entrance, the cave has 9 exits, each of which is connected to a quiet, long passage whose the other end is nowhere in sight.

“9 passages, one is life, the others are death. You must choose, ha-ha … if you want to obtain my treasures, you must have enough luck!”

There are words of the Qian Long continent on a wall of the cave. Each of them is giving off a terrifying aura. Those auras are so strong that they are far superior to the auras of divine beasts like Azure Dragon and Old Freak Three-Eyed. It can be said that … they belong to a whole different level.

Everybody looks at that wall.

Pu!

Azure Dragon, Old Freak Three-Eyed, Yi Da and Reverend Yan Xu all go miserably pale in their faces and spit out a mouthful of blood.

However, Qin Yu and the other experts of his caliber only feel oppressed mentally. And the 10-odd common Xiuzhenists do not even feel anything. Azure Dragon and the other 3 immediately sit down with legs crossed to quietly get their breaths back. They no longer dare to look at that wall.

“Only one of the 9 passages is the way out.” Qin Yu frowns deeply.

In just a while, Azure Dragon and the other 3 stand up. Only they do not look at that wall again.

There is unexpectedly a hint of excitement in Yi Da’s eyes. Drops of blood are even oozing out from his lips. He says: “Ha-ha, I believe nobody doubts that the words on that wall were left behind by that immortal.”

“There’s certainly no doubt. The auras of those words alone can injure us. Judging from this, we can only say that these words were written by an immortal. However, if you look at those Jindan stage Xiuzhenists …” Azure Dragon points at those Jindan stage Xiuzhenists.

Everybody looks at them and sees that they are not affected by looking at the words on the wall in the least.

If the words simply contained oppressive auras, those who are weak would naturally not be able to endure them.

“These words’ pressure injures those who are powerful. The weaker you are, the less you’re affected. Even I have never heard of this kind of wondrous technique. This immortal is at least a golden immortal. He can even be a legendary …” Azure Dragon, however, does not finish his last sentence.

Obviously, that is a secret.

“What’s the point of talking so much nonsense, Azure Dragon? Now there are 9 passages, which one must we go into? The immortal already said that the other ways are death. Given our power, we’ll definitely die if we choose wrong.” Old Freak Three-Eyed says with an ice-cold expression.

Everybody’s heart sinks a little.

When someone who is at least a golden immortal said so, with their power, they certainly cannot miraculously defy him.

Therefore … they must choose the passage of life to come out.

“There’s only 1 passage of life among the 9 passages. It’s too difficult to pick the right one. Compared to the 9th jade sword, life is even more important. I don’t want to waste my time here. 6th brother, don’t forget to follow us.” After saying so, Di Long and Di Xu turn around. Di Jian also follows Di Long, wanting to go back through the incoming passage.

“Coward.” Yi Da says with a cold laugh.

“Ah!”

Di Long suddenly cries in fear. His face changes color greatly. Di Jian and Di Xu also cry in fear.

The others immediately look at them. At the moment, the 3 Di brothers are looking at the incoming passage. Following the looks in their eyes, everybody looks at that passage. If they did not look, they would not become nervous. But as soon as they take a look, their faces change color greatly too.

At the moment, that passage’s opening is rotating nonstop like a black hole. A black light keeps spreading out from it and moving along that wall of the huge cave in all directions.

“No good.”

The experts like Azure Dragon, Reverend Yan Xu and Qin Yu all realize that the situation is bad. In just a moment, the black light unexpectedly spreads all over every wall of the cave, turning the entire cave into a black cave. The only things completely unaffected are those 9 passages.

When they look up, they see a line of words floating high up in the air -- “Either live or die!”

“Ha-ha …” Yi Da suddenly turns his face upwards and bursts out laughing. “This immortal is really formidable. The words he left behind say we got to choose the only passage of life from 9 passages. Now we really got to choose. The incoming passage is already gone. There are only those 9 passages to choose from.”

“Weirdo.” Di Long gives Yi Da a cold look.

Most people will not react like Yi Da in this situation because they do not want to die. However, now the remaining Xiuzhenists must choose a passage because even the stone walls of the cave have been covered in that black light, a terrifying type of energy which frightens them.

They must choose!

Either live or die!

“You choose, big brother. I’ll go with you no matter which way it is. Kaka, I’m very confident of your luck.” Hou Fei says laughingly to Qin Yu. Hei Yu also looks at him. Qin Yu understands the meaning of that sharp look.

Both of his sworn brothers agree that he chooses!

Of the 9 passages, only one is the passage of life. The probability of picking it is too low.

But he must choose, because there is already no way to go back.

Qin Yu clenches his teeth and looks at those 9 passages.

End of b8c15.