Chapter 579: Escape Alive?

Within the Bai Ku alternate dimension, gray streams of destructive energy surged and churned, only to be drawn into the spatial fragments by the black hole's pull.

As the entire space descended into complete chaos, the Bai Ku micro-world seemed on the verge of collapse.

A soft footstep echoed.

From the spatial rift, a figure emerged—one foot at a time—it was Xin.

He glanced around, clearly disoriented and lost.

All he could see was utter devastation everywhere, with the vast land stretching for miles in the same wretched state. Where were the landmarks that could stir any memories?

"Wasn't I supposed to return to Li Jian Grassland..." Xin's lips parted in shock, unable to close them.

"Put me down."

Lan Ling finally regained her senses from the turbulent spatial fragments, shaking her head sharply before Xin set her down from his back.

The moment her feet touched the ground, she extended her hands and formed seals with her fingers.

"Thirty-Six Heavens Sealing Array, activate!"

With that command, a faint glow illuminated the area for several miles around.

Intricate Dao patterns wove together densely, forming a massive net that enveloped the entire region.

Xin realized it instantly.

"Is this Li Jian Grassland?"

He stared in astonishment at the expanse covered by the Dao patterns.

Clearly, this area marked the boundaries of the "Thirty-Six Heavens Sealing Array," encompassing Li Jian Grassland and its surroundings.

But where was the grassland now?

Li Jian Grassland—gone were the grasses, and even the swords had vanished...

Nothing was left!

"Seal it!"

A sharp command came from beside him.

Xin turned his head and saw Lan Ling, who had just emerged from the ancient book space. She had no time for irrelevant thoughts.

All her focus was on the "Thirty-Six Heavens Sealing Array."

Her goal was to use the array's power to forcibly contain the fracturing of Bai Ku, preventing it from exploding due to the ancient book space's blast.

Even Xin understood that if the Bai Ku world shattered as before, the consequences would be dire...

A single ancient book space explosion had already left all the Hong Yi in disarray.

If Bai Ku truly exploded, few would survive to escape!

Footsteps followed one after another.

Gradually, figures in Hong Yi attire stepped out from the spatial rifts.

Earlier in the ancient book space, there had been sixteen or seventeen red figures, but now, only eleven or twelve landed in the skies above Li Jian Grassland.

"Lan Ling!"

Shou Ye spotted her the moment he landed, struggling to maintain the array.

He wanted to help but felt utterly powerless.

"Don't worry about me. First, check the rest of Bai Ku for the other trial participants." Lan Ling turned her head and said, "I can't hold Bai Ku together for long!"

Shou Ye's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately shifted into action.

Those who had entered Li Jian Grassland were beyond help; in that fatal situation, they had done their best to release their final efforts.

But the trial participants who hadn't entered Li Jian Grassland couldn't be left to perish. The Hong Yi wouldn't allow such meaningless sacrifices.

Besides, how would they explain it to the forces around Bai Ku?

What could they say?

"Your young talents entered Bai Ku and died in an accident, all of them?"

Impossible!

Unthinkable!

Without hesitation, Shou Ye infused his spiritual sense into the Heavenly Dao, harnessing dark elements and fate to expand his exploration range as much as possible.

At this point, he didn't need precision.

Any sign of life fluctuations or human presence would indicate survivors who had barely escaped.

But...

"No one!"

Shou Ye's face turned pale upon his scan. Not only were there no human traces, but within dozens of miles, there was no trace of life at all!

"All dead?"

Xin's brows furrowed, wrinkles forming on his forehead as he said in disbelief, "One explosion wiped everyone out?"

Shou Ye fell silent, at a loss for words.

Given the power of that massive blast, even with spatial fragments as a buffer, Bai Ku must have suffered greatly.

Just look at how Lan Ling was struggling to maintain the array—that said it all.

If even the Hong Yi found such an explosion troublesome, what chance did the trial participants in Bai Ku have of surviving?

"Not necessarily all dead."

Hei Ming stepped out from the spatial rift and said, "Don't forget, we couldn't contact the outside from within Bai Ku's space, and they couldn't reach us either."

"The Hong Yi forces wouldn't all die off without sending any signal."

"So, the outside world must have noticed something went wrong in Bai Ku—we lost contact."

"In that case..."

He left it unsaid, but Xin suddenly understood.

"Are you saying Wu Yue and the others have already evacuated all the trial participants?"

Hei Ming didn't respond.

He simply tilted his head back and gazed into the distance.

"Look."

Everyone lifted their eyes at once.

In that moment, the surrounding noise faded, and silence enveloped them.

Faint, persistent sounds reached their ears.

A soft pattering...

"Is it raining in Bai Ku?" Xin asked, his face full of surprise.

Above, fine raindrops fell continuously, but due to the shattered space that hadn't fully mended, they vanished within a breath, unable to linger.

Yet, if you looked higher up where the rain originated...

The drops fell and dissipated in a endless cycle.

Still, the sky above kept leaking water.

Under these conditions, the unending rain from the heavens gathered into a curtain, like a wide barrier separating the layers of Bai Ku's void.

"How could it rain in Bai Ku?"

Everyone stared in bewilderment.

Bai Ku was a scorching realm.

Even a single breath here was filled with intense fire elements.

In such a place where yin water couldn't exist, how could rain suddenly fall?

"Something's off."

Shou Ye was the first to think of Shu Shu Ren.

After all, from earlier until now, besides the Hong Yi group, he hadn't seen anyone else.

And those two Sheng Nu seemed to have vanished together, as if by prior agreement.

"Be careful!"

Xin tensed up instantly, spreading his spiritual sense around and flashing to Lan Ling's side to protect her.

"What about the communication team?"

He urged, "Send word to the outside about what's happening here. Shu Shu Ren and Wu Xiu aren't something we can handle alone."

No one replied.

The scene was eerily silent.

Hei Ming scoffed, "You big fool, the communication team was in the ancient book space too, but do you think they could withstand the explosion and break through those layers of spatial fragments?"

Xin froze for a moment.

He turned and saw the Hong Yi members, their clothes riddled with large tears.

He recognized them all—they were the ones who usually charged into battle alongside him.

Of course, these experienced fighters could emerge from the pushed-back layers of spatial fragments.

But what about the communication team, who weren't skilled in combat?

Xin lowered his eyelids briefly and fell silent.

Everyone's expressions darkened slightly as they bowed their heads.

The atmosphere grew heavy.

No one spoke; only the pattering rain continued its clamor high above.

They all knew this mission was grueling, with unexpected twists like Shu Shu Ren and Sheng Nu Wu Xiu midway.

But...

They hadn't even fully engaged in battle, and the enemy had sealed them in an ancient book space and detonated it.

Half of their own people were dead?

"This was supposed to be Gou... Wu Yue Jian Xian's task!" Xin suddenly blurted out heavily.

"Xin!"

Lan Ling whipped her head around, her eyes glaring fiercely.

Xin immediately lowered his head.

Yes, so what if it was his task?

They were all part of Sheng Shen Hall, even if divided into Hong Yi and Bai Yi factions.

They were family, and this wasn't something Wu Yue had deliberately caused.

The intruders weren't ones they had let in.

Who could they blame?

No one.

"Just wait."

"Wait for the outside to contact you. Do you still have the communication jade?"

Shou Ye gently patted Xin's shoulder.

Xin sniffed, his nose twitching as he turned his head aside, his gaze distant and unfocused.

"Shu Shu Ren might not be here anymore."

"His ancient book space required preparation in advance to replicate the 'Sealing Heavens Array' and 'Thirty-Six Heavens Sealing Array'."

"Without fully replicating them, the rules would be incomplete, and he'd need to fill in the Heavenly Dao rules to create a new ancient book space."

"Something like that, not even he could do easily."

"So, he couldn't use that method against us again."

"And with Lan Ling controlling the array here, if he shows up, it won't make a difference..."

Shou Ye paused, and Xin quickly interjected, "What are you planning?"

He knew this tone all too well.

Last time near Ling Rong Ze, Shou Ye had spoken like this before heading off alone to find Xu Xiao Shou.

Shou Ye shook his head lightly, "I'll leave this place and Bai Ku to you, but... Lu Ke can't die!"

With that, he turned and flew away resolutely.

"I'm going with you!"

Xin grew anxious in an instant.

Who didn't know that Lu Ke was in the hands of Sheng Nu's second one?

If Shou Ye went alone, wasn't that walking straight into death?

"Protect Lan Ling."

Hei Ming held Xin down firmly and said gravely, "I'll go."

Xin's expression turned doubtful, "Can you handle it?"

Hei Ming: "..."

He didn't even bother responding and leaped into the air.

But just then, a series of giggles came from above.

"Hee hee, isn't your opponent me?"

Hei Ming looked up sharply.

There, in the sky, a ragged figure in a red skirt had appeared out of nowhere.

"Shu... Shu Ren!"

Hei Ming gritted his teeth, realizing, "You were waiting for Shou Ye to leave?"

"Hee hee, you're getting smarter."

Shu Shu Ren fiddled with her fingers and said coyly, "After all, that old guy has Tai Xu power. I wonder if it's something you all share, or just him?"

Hei Ming's heart sank completely.

Share it?

He wished!

Even the Hong Yi forces at Sheng Shen Hall headquarters couldn't achieve that.

It was Shou Ye's own opportunity.

"What's the point of you staying?" Hei Ming said in a low voice, "You said you don't want to kill, and there's no one here for you to kill now!"

Shu Shu Ren's smiling eyes scanned the group, finally settling on Lan Ling.

"Impressive, being able to control the array to this extent."

"I probably can't kill any of you, but it's not easy for this array to hurt me either."

Shu Shu Ren's eyes twinkled as she suggested, "How about this? We all just stay put—you don't move, and I won't either. Deal?"

"Huh?"

Even Lan Ling, focused on the array, was momentarily stunned.

What kind of proposal was that?

The enemy doesn't move, so we don't move?

"Why do this?" Hei Ming forced the words through his teeth, "What are you really after?!"

"Didn't do anything..."

Shu Shu Ren twirled her fingers and pouted with a sigh, "Someone just asked me to hold you back here. That's all—no other reason. I'm just being used."

Someone?

All the Hong Yi were taken aback, and in the next second, they realized.

Sheng Nu's second one!

"One step to the heavens!"

"Two steps to the heavens!"

"Three steps to immortality!"

Xu Xiao Shou had found the spatial node in the ancient book space and returned to Bai Ku without wasting a second.

After activating "Disappear," he chain-teleported until his spiritual energy was depleted, then stopped.

He let out a heavy breath.

Xu Xiao Shou deactivated "Disappear."

Both of these awakened skills drained his spiritual energy too much.

And he was still in Bai Ku, so he couldn't afford to be low on energy.

Even with "Full of Vitality," he pulled out several cans of energy liquid from Bai Ku Ling and chugged them down, finally feeling a bit secure.

"Escaped with my life!"

He clenched his fist tightly, and the weight in his heart lifted.

From the wits-and-wiles in the ancient book space, to being cornered and nearly forced to act, then turning the tables with a swift escape, and finally the space explosion...

This string of events had nearly exhausted his mental energy.

Now, Xu Xiao Shou didn't even want to think anymore.

He just wanted to find a quiet spot, lie down, and sleep soundly to recover.

But he couldn't!

He was still in Bai Ku.

In times of safety, one must still think of danger.

His crisis wasn't fully over, so how could he sleep?

Comfort was for the dead!

"Time to get out."

He quickly pondered in his mind.

Xu Xiao Shou's longing for home was overwhelming.

He just wanted to return to Tian Sang Ling Gong.

To go back to the Spirit Affairs Pavilion and hear Elder Qiao's absurd, comical laugh.

To return to the main hall and touch the dean's silky white hair.

To go back to...

Aside from Old Sang, everyone in Tian Sang Ling Gong was someone he missed dearly!

"But how to get out?"

He used a spiritual energy layer to hold the four swords in his hand.

At that moment, Xu Xiao Shou's thoughts halted.

His plan had only covered escaping the ancient book space and then disappearing to teleport away—nothing beyond that.

In the ancient book space, there hadn't been time to think further.

"Li Jian Grassland?"

A wild idea surfaced in his mind.

Xu Xiao Shou thought of the only way out of Bai Ku besides the official routes—using the Tian Shu Mechanism Disk to control the "Thirty-Six Heavens Sealing Array" and teleport himself out.

But...

Was he crazy?

Going back?

That would be suicide!

Xu Xiao Shou instantly dismissed the insane notion.

He started thinking again.

"Om..."

In his mind, the fixed-time broadcast resumed, emitting the long-absent call from the alternate dimension rift. Xu Xiao Shou's spirit stirred.

But just then, a relaxed yet surprised voice came from behind.

"Xu Xiao Shou?"

"Who!"

Xu Xiao Shou instinctively turned in alarm.

A figure in flowing red robes stood there.

It was Shou Ye, who had called out on a whim. Seeing the so-called "Sheng Nu's second one" react so vigilantly, his smile froze on his face.

Xu Xiao Shou's mouth twitched.

Then twitched again.

And again...

Their eyes met.

The rain pattered on, and the atmosphere wasn't exactly warm.

Only then did Xu Xiao Shou spare a bit of attention to check his information panel.

"Tracked: Passive value +1."

"Observed: Passive value +1."

"Suspected: Passive value +1."