Chapter 1028: Landing on the Holy Secret Void Island

On the vast, boundless square known as Sheng Xing Guang Chang.

Yu Ling Di and Gu Qing Yi had long given up struggling.

After exchanging names, both realized each other's identities.

As the peak figures among the younger generation in the five domains of Sheng Shen Dalu, the two felt a mutual respect.

In the end, Gu Qing Yi decided to lend a hand and try to free Yu Ling Di from the massive Tu Teng Zhu.

"The situation on Xu Kong Dao is unclear right now, and we still don't know how to get out.

"Clearly, as the Ling Bu Shou Zuo, this guy should have more intelligence on Xu Kong Dao than I do.

"If I can get him down, and since he'd owe me a favor, maybe I can find a way back to Sheng Shen Dalu..."

Gu Qing Yi thought to himself.

Of course, even if his plan didn't work out and he couldn't return in the end, having the two top young talents together would still be better for handling the unknown dangers of Xu Kong Dao than going it alone.

However, human strength has its limits.

He had the idea, but no matter how hard Gu Qing Yi tried, with his abilities, he couldn't pull Yu Ling Di free from the restraints on the enormous Tu Teng Zhu.

It wouldn't budge when pulled, and it wouldn't break when cut.

The Tu Teng Zhu was enveloped in Sheng Ji power. Anyone below the Sheng Ji level, whether an ancient sword cultivator or a Lian Ling Shi, would exhaust all their efforts in vain.

"Don't bother trying."

At one point, Yu Ling Di looked down at Gu Qing Yi, who stood below holding his sword in deep thought, and sighed helplessly, "If you want to get back to the five domains, go check the surrounding edges for a city gate. If you find it, you might even take some intelligence from here with you. Remember, if you make it out, tell Rao Yao Yao that without reaching Sheng Ji, she must never come to this island!"

Yu Ling Di had held onto hope before, but now he was completely desperate.

After saying that, a streak of light flew from his body.

Gu Qing Yi caught it—it was a token.

"Xu Kong Ling."

Yu Ling Di glanced at him and said, "Find the city gate, and with this Xu Kong Ling, you can return to Sheng Shen Dalu."

Gu Qing Yi took the Xu Kong Ling but fell silent.

His plan was to explore the legendary Sky City more effectively, assuming there was a way home, rather than heading straight back.

After all, there were many opportunities here. If possible, Gu Qing Yi didn't want to just wander around and leave empty-handed. That would be absurd!

The "Feng Sheng Dao Ji," which so many sought after, was right here since he had arrived early—how could he not search for it before going back?

But looking at the Xu Kong Ling in his hand, and then glancing up at the young man above...

"Why did you end up up there?" Gu Qing Yi asked.

Now that he had the Xu Kong Ling, which was the key to going home, he wasn't in a rush anymore. What he was curious about now was that, without a third party involved, Yu Ling Di probably hadn't put himself on the Tu Teng Zhu.

"I ran into someone," Yu Ling Di replied vaguely.

"Who?"

Clearly, Yu Ling Di didn't want to answer that question.

Gu Qing Yi held the Xu Kong Ling and suddenly smiled: "I can help you get your intelligence out, but personally, I'm more interested in this place... If you don't tell me, I might choose to explore here first."

Yu Ling Di fell silent. He had already anticipated this outcome.

By the time Gu Qing Yi finished exploring, the intelligence would likely be outdated.

But he still gave him the Xu Kong Ling... He had no choice! It was the only way to solve the problem!

Yu Ling Di now regretted that the first person to arrive and see him wasn't someone from Sheng Shen Dian Tang, or at least someone close to it who wanted to get near.

Gu Qing Yi...

An ancient sword cultivator from Zang Jian Zong, with power, wealth, and influence—none of it could really satisfy or pressure him.

"Curiosity" and "personal gain" were probably the only things that could influence Gu Qing Yi's actions right now.

"Ba Zun An."

Yu Ling Di finally said the name: "I encountered Ba Zun An, got beaten to this Sheng Xing Guang Chang, and then tied to this Sheng Xing Zhu."

Sheng Xing Guang Chang... Sheng Xing Zhu...

Gu Qing Yi pondered, thinking that as the Ling Bu Shou Zuo, Yu Ling Di clearly knew more about this place than he did.

"Sheng Xing..."

From the shared prefix, it wasn't hard to figure out the true meaning behind this square and the Tu Teng Zhu.

But...

"Why did Ba Zun An tie you to the Sheng Xing Zhu?" Gu Qing Yi asked curiously.

He was curious not just about that, but also why Ba Zun An was here, what kind of battle had happened between them, and what Ba Zun An's current strength was... and so on.

But he figured that Yu Ling Di, who had been defeated and bound like this, probably wouldn't want to go into detail about his humiliating ordeal, so Gu Qing Yi just asked about the outcome.

"I wish I knew..."

Upon hearing this, a look of confusion flashed in Yu Ling Di's eyes.

He had been tied to the Sheng Xing Zhu but hadn't faced the so-called Sheng Li execution; instead, he felt it constantly draining his Ling Yuan.

But the rate of Ling Yuan drainage was too slow for a Lian Ling Shi who had reached Dao Jing perfection and undergone Dao Severing! Yu Ling Di could withstand it just with his basic Qi Hai recovery speed.

He felt like he'd be hanging here for a long time, until... whatever Ba Zun An truly wanted was accomplished!

"You don't know either?"

Gu Qing Yi frowned and asked again, "What has happened to you while you've been hanging there?"

No sooner had he spoken than Yu Ling Di's body suddenly convulsed violently.

At the same time, the ground of Sheng Xing Guang Chang lit up, and the Dao Wen formed by Shui Xi Ou Yi burst into bright light in an instant.

"Urgh... urgh..."

Yu Ling Di trembled in pain, sweat beads mixing with the drizzling rain and streaming down.

"Again?"

Gu Qing Yi was startled.

He had seen this state many times before.

During his attempts to save Yu Ling Di, the latter had convulsed like this several times for no apparent reason, then his aura would weaken, as if... his essence, energy, and spirit had been suddenly drained by some unseen force.

Based on previous incidents, Yu Ling Di's convulsions usually didn't last long—just a few breaths—and then, with his foundation as a Lian Ling Shi, he could quickly recover some energy and continue talking.

But this time, things seemed different.

"Urgh... urgh... urgh..."

After more than ten breaths, Yu Ling Di's convulsions on the Sheng Xing Zhu still hadn't stopped. His energy flowed nonstop into the Sheng Xing Zhu.

Soon, his Qi Hai was depleted, and it began drawing on his life energy!

"What the...?"

Gu Qing Yi's pupils contracted. What was going on? Ba Zun An must have tied Yu Ling Di here for a reason—what could it be?

Ten breaths...

Thirty breaths...

Sixty breaths...

The energy drainage showed no sign of stopping!

The Dao Wen on the Sheng Xing Guang Chang ground glowed blindingly bright from the massive energy infusion.

Gu Qing Yi couldn't sense any power that threatened him, meaning the disturbances on Sheng Xing Guang Chang were only targeting Yu Ling Di and had nothing to do with an outsider like him.

"Urgh... urgh... urgh!!!"

Yu Ling Di was being drained so severely that blood even seeped from his body into the Sheng Xing Zhu.

"How brutal."

Gu Qing Yi watched, powerless to help.

After observing for so long, he finally felt a sense of déjà vu.

The way the Sheng Xing Zhu drained energy was eerily similar to how the water spheres in the deep sea world drained a Lian Ling Shi's Ling Yuan.

Gu Qing Yi had been to the deep sea and experienced that draining himself. As a pure ancient sword cultivator, his Qi Hai had little Ling Yuan to drain, so it quickly started on his life energy instead.

But by mastering Wu Jian Shu, he had quickly overcome the challenges in the deep sea and found the ancient gate leading to Xu Kong Dao...

"Xu Kong Men?"

Thinking of that ancient gate, Gu Qing Yi felt like he had grasped the key.

By now, he knew that the deep sea ancient gate connected to Xu Kong Dao, so it must be the "Xu Kong Men."

And opening the Xu Kong Men required sacrifices and a huge amount of energy.

So, was the Ling Yuan drained by the water spheres in the deep sea meant to prepare for opening the Xu Kong Men?

"I get it!"

Gu Qing Yi suddenly realized.

The Xu Kong Men on the outside needed energy to open and transport people into Xu Kong Dao.

Then, inside Xu Kong Dao, there had to be an energy reception point connected to the Xu Kong Men at the deep sea bottom, forming a two-way spatial channel.

"In other words, Yu Ling Di is the... sacrifice on this side of the spatial channel?"

Gu Qing Yi's thoughts reached this point, and his pupils dilated, his expression twisting in shock.

Had Ba Zun An found Yu Ling Di here, beaten him to Sheng Xing Guang Chang, tied him to the Sheng Xing Zhu, and then used his vast Ling Yuan foundation as a Dao Jing perfected expert to bolster the Xu Kong Men in the deep sea, making it easier to receive visitors to Xu Kong Dao?

—This was too cruel!

Gu Qing Yi could hardly believe his own reasoning. Now, instead of resolving his doubts, he had even more questions.

Why had Yu Ling Di entered Xu Kong Dao early?

How did Ba Zun An know Yu Ling Di was here?

With his Dao Jing perfection, Shui Xi Ou Yi mastery, and massive Ling Yuan... Was Yu Ling Di, as someone below Sheng Ji who was easy to capture and highly suitable as a sacrifice on this side of the channel, just a coincidence or by design?

"Entrapment?

"No! Impossible!

"This has to be a coincidence!"

While Gu Qing Yi was pondering how unbelievably coincidental this all was, on the Sheng Xing Zhu, Yu Ling Di was on the verge of collapsing.

"Urgh... urgh...

"Get... out...

"Find... Rao Yao Yao...

"Send... the intelligence... thank you..."

He was still struggling!

Gu Qing Yi: "..."

What resilience.

After a moment of admiration, Gu Qing Yi didn't dare stay any longer. He feared that once the Sheng Xing Zhu finished draining Yu Ling Di, it might unleash Sheng Li and target him next, then start draining him too.

That would spiral completely out of control!

Bracing against the heavy gravity, he turned and ran.

Gu Qing Yi glanced back every few steps, his mind racing. The dignified Ling Bu Shou Zuo, if he died like this, would be utterly humiliating.

Just then, subtle anomalies appeared in the skies from all directions, catching Gu Qing Yi's attention.

"Another anomaly?"

Every time Yu Ling Di convulsed, the horizon showed these slight disturbances. Gu Qing Yi didn't know if it was because of the distance that the changes seemed minor, or if they were always like that.

But now that he understood the connection between Yu Ling Di's condition and the Xu Kong Men, he seemed to grasp what these disturbances meant.

"The previous times, it only lasted a few breaths before Yu Ling Di pulled through... that probably means the Xu Kong Men in the deep sea was opened a bit, but maybe only one person came in?"

Gu Qing Yi looked back at Yu Ling Di, who was still desperately fighting not to die.

"Now that it's lasted so long without stopping, it means the Xu Kong Men is fully open... and a lot of people came in at once?"

Gu Qing Yi clutched the Xu Kong Ling and suddenly abandoned his plan to run to the edges.

He didn't know exactly how many people might have come from the deep sea. But things had reached this point. Without a doubt, Xu Kong Dao was about to get lively.

"If I send the intelligence out now, it's already too late, and besides, whether Rao Jian Xian can find a way out is another story.

"Anyway, since it's come to this, and everyone's here, I might as well join in and compete for the opportunities..."

The Xu Kong Ling in his hand suddenly felt "hot."

Taking a favor without completing the task made Gu Qing Yi uncomfortable—he wasn't the type to make promises and break them.

But...

Thinking about how the closest place to the deep sea was Gu Yin Ya, and the person closest to Gu Yin Ya was his second junior brother...

If a crowd surged into the deep sea... Would his second junior brother, Gu Qing Er, have jumped in too?

"Yu Ling Di..."

"Second junior brother..."

Faced with this choice, Gu Qing Yi hesitated only for a moment before deciding.

Even if the gift from a stranger was good, as the eldest senior brother of Zang Jian Zong, he couldn't ignore his own people and fulfill a task forced upon him.

"Sorry."

Gu Qing Yi looked up and bowed slightly toward Yu Ling Di, who was about to lose consciousness.

"If my second junior brother comes here, with his personality, he's bound to get into trouble.

"This Xu Kong Ling—I'm giving it back. I have to stay here and find him!"

With that, regardless of Yu Ling Di's response or whether he could even respond, Gu Qing Yi threw back the Xu Kong Ling and resolutely followed his instincts, chasing after that faint, familiar sword intent.

He wouldn't accept rewards without earning them. If his second junior brother was in danger, then this key to going home could be forgotten!

Xu Xiao Shou felt like he had been smashed down from the sky.

Just a second ago, he was still in the deep sea, holding Si Tu Yong Ren and dealing with Rao Yao Yao and the Ban Sheng Jiang Bu Yi.

But as soon as the Sheng Di Jin Zhao unfolded, the Xu Kong Men stirred, and the dazzling light swallowed everyone in front of the gate.

No surprises, all the survivors in the deep sea world must have been sucked into the Xu Kong Men by that terrifying force.

As Shui Gui had said... Beyond the Xu Kong Men was Xu Kong Dao!

"Is this the storm's heart, the Sky City famed for its 'Feng Sheng Dao Ji,' also known as the 'Exile Land' that trapped Ban Sheng and even Sheng Di... Xu Kong Dao?"

He looked up. In front of him was a massive stone, and in the distance, ancient city streets rose toward the heights.

His vision and physical senses were suppressed by Xu Kong Dao's strange magnetic field, so he couldn't see far. But his "perception" wasn't affected.

From a perceptual view inward, the deeper he looked, the more massive the buildings became. Xu Kong Dao was like a kingdom of giants! It seemed the race that built this place must have been "furious giants"!

"Is this Xu Kong Dao?"

Xu Xiao Shou wasn't afraid of the enormous structures, but the weight of the legends about Xu Kong Dao made him anxious and uneasy.

As the old saying goes, since you're here, make the best of it. Shui Gui hadn't lied—Xu Kong Dao was a death trap, but also a land of opportunities!

Only...

"Where is everyone?"

Xu Xiao Shou turned his head and looked at his right hand. He had clearly been holding Si Tu Yong Ren in the deep sea, so how had he vanished upon transmission?

"Random teleportation?"

Xu Xiao Shou fell into thought. He wondered: if his perfect hostage, Si Tu Yong Ren, was gone, what if he ran into Rao Yao Yao or Ban Sheng Jiang Bu Yi here? He wouldn't even have a scapegoat!

"Damn it!"