Proving Immortality Starting with Hextech Runes

Chapter 196 Departure from the Eye of the Dark Sea

Wu Yazi paused, then looked at Chen Xu, his tone earnest and solemn: "Fellow Daoist Xu's mastery of formations is profound, far surpassing ours. We will need you to oversee the central command and coordinate the breaking of the restrictions."

Finally, he took out a bead the size of a fist, which was the rare treasure Dinglan Bead mentioned earlier.

"This bead is the key item. It can form a relatively stable spatial force field to protect us as we pass through the most turbulent edge zone."

"However, its effect will only last for a maximum of 35 minutes. We must break the seal within this time. Once the time is up, regardless of success or failure, we must immediately withdraw!"

Wu Yazi put away the nautical chart projection and looked intently at Chen Xu: "I have made an appointment with the other three fellow Daoists to meet at Falling Star Reef, a hundred miles west of the city, in five days."

"We'll rest for a day, share intelligence, and practice our teamwork. Afterward, we'll set off to lie in wait on the outskirts of the Netherworld Eye, awaiting our opportunity. What do Fellow Daoist Xu and Fellow Daoist Nan think?"

A brief silence fell over the cave.

Nan Longyue held her breath, her gaze fixed on Chen Xu, awaiting his decision.

This opportunity sounds incredibly fortunate, but the ominous reputation of the Netherworld Eye is well-deserved, and the ancient cultivator's remains are even more unpredictable in terms of fortune and misfortune.

Chen Xu tapped his knuckles lightly on the edge of the stone table, his mind rapidly weighing the pros and cons.

He has now broken through to the Core Formation stage and has many trump cards up his sleeve.

Exploring ancient ruins is crucial for understanding the secrets of this world and finding opportunities to advance further.

Judging from Wu Yazi's words and actions, his pragmatism as a wandering cultivator and his sincerity when sharing his experiences did not seem fake.

However, the identities of the few old friends he mentioned still need to be verified with one's own eyes.

In short, risks and opportunities coexist, and Chen Xu believes that his trump cards are sufficient to deal with most of the dangers at the Core Formation level.

"It is both a warm invitation from Fellow Daoist Wu and a matter of ancient destiny."

Chen Xu finally spoke, his voice steady: "I and Fellow Daoist Nan are willing to accompany you on this journey."

Wu Yazi's eyes instantly lit up with joy, and he exclaimed repeatedly, "Excellent! Excellent! Fellow Daoist Xu is indeed straightforward! With the two of you joining us, our chances of success on this trip have greatly increased! On behalf of my old friends, I thank you in advance!"

He solemnly cupped his hands in greeting to Chen Xu and Nan Longyue.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, you're too kind. It's just a mutually beneficial matter." Chen Xu nodded slightly.

"In that case, my friend Nan and I will definitely keep our appointment at Falling Star Reef in five days."

"That's excellent!" Wu Yazi felt a great weight lifted from his heart, and exchanged a few more pleasantries.

After agreeing on the contact details, he tactfully rose to take his leave: "Then this old man will not disturb your peaceful cultivation any longer and will take his leave now. See you at Falling Star Reef in five days!"

After seeing Wu Yazi off, the cave's protective barrier was closed again.

Nan Longyue looked at Chen Xu, a question in her eyes: "Senior, this Youlan Sea Eye is extremely dangerous..."

"It's alright." Chen Xu walked back to the spirit-gathering array, his eyes deep.

"Wu Yazi is a meticulous man, and it seems that his sincerity in cooperating outweighs his calculations. As for his old friends, we'll see in five days."

"This journey is indeed dangerous, but the opportunities are even greater. You have only recently formed your core, and this journey will also be a test for you."

He paused, then continued, "These next few days, you need to adjust your condition to its peak and stabilize your cultivation. The water control ability of the Sea Spirit Body may have a miraculous effect in the Eye of the Netherworld Sea."

"Yes, senior, Longyue understands." Nan Longyue replied respectfully, her heart filled with both trepidation about the unknown and a strong desire to become stronger.

Chen Xu said no more and sat down cross-legged again.

He did not immediately enter a meditative state, but instead focused his mind on his sea of ​​consciousness, once again feeling his current power.

The most obvious of these is divine sense, which underwent a qualitative leap after the formation of the core, with a perception range reaching an astonishing two hundred miles.

The spiritual sense of an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator is exactly two hundred miles.

If Chen Xu didn't take action now and only used his divine sense, almost everyone would think that Chen Xu was a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Of course, Chen Xu wouldn't easily use such a trump card.

……

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Two streaks of light silently left the floating island cave and flew towards Falling Star Reef, a hundred miles west of Meteor City.

Falling Star Reef is not a single rock, but a group of countless black, jagged rocks that have been eroded by wind and waves over the years, resulting in various shapes that resemble stars fallen here.

The spiritual energy here is scarce and the environment is harsh, so few cultivators set foot here. It is indeed a secluded meeting place.

Following the spiritual energy imprint left by Wu Yazi, Chen Xu and Nan Longyue quickly landed on a relatively flat, huge rocky platform.

There were already four people waiting on the platform.

The one leading them was Wu Yazi. Upon seeing the two, he smiled and greeted them, "Fellow Daoist Xu, Fellow Daoist Nan!"

He stepped aside and introduced them, saying, "Come, come, let me introduce you two."

"This is Fellow Daoist Zhang Yan, a master of fire and earth techniques, possessing formidable physical strength!"

Zhang Yan was burly, with fiery red hair and a rugged face. He wore dark red leather armor and carried a broad-bladed giant axe on his back.

Upon hearing this, he simply clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chen Xu and Nan Longyue, his voice booming like a bell: "Fellow Daoist Xu, Fellow Daoist Nan!"

His gaze held a subtle scrutiny, as if he wanted to weigh the significance of these two Core Formation cultivators.

"This is Fellow Daoist Qianjizi, a master of talismans, with a meticulous mind."

Qianjizi was thin and wore a blue Taoist robe. He had an ordinary face, but his eyes were exceptionally bright and lively.

His smile was warm, and his tone was calm, giving people a sense of reliability: "Fellow Daoist Xu, Fellow Daoist Nan, I have long admired you. The safety of this journey depends on our concerted efforts."

"This is Fellow Daoist Liu Yiyi, whose attainments in the art of sound cultivation are extraordinary."

Liu Yiyi wore a light blue palace dress, her figure graceful, and she held an ancient-style Jiao Wei Qin (a type of zither), the body of which radiated a faint spiritual light.

She smiled faintly, her voice as clear as a spring: "Fellow Daoist Xu, Fellow Daoist Nan greets you."

Chen Xu calmly swept his gaze over the three of them, then cupped his hands in return, saying, "Xu Ping'an greets the three fellow Daoists."

Nan Longyue, who was standing to the side, also greeted them according to etiquette.

Zhang Yan's gaze finally landed on Chen Xu, his tone tinged with eagerness: "Brother Wu said that Fellow Daoist Xu has profound knowledge of formations and a deep foundation."

"I, Zhang, am a rough man who likes to be straightforward. Since we're going to venture into that dangerous place side by side, we should at least have a plan in mind."

"Fellow Daoist Xu, would you be so kind as to offer some guidance? I'll stop here, just to warm up and broaden our horizons?"

He patted the giant axe on his back, his fighting spirit rising subtly.

Wu Yazi frowned slightly, about to speak up to smooth things over.

Chen Xu nodded calmly: "Fellow Daoist Zhang is straightforward. Good, mutual understanding will be beneficial for future cooperation."

He stepped forward, not taking out the Primordial Saint Spear, but simply standing there casually, his aura heavy and composed: "Fellow Daoist Zhang, please."

"Great! That's awesome!" Zhang Yan laughed loudly, his eyes gleaming.

He did not pull out the axe, but instead let out a low shout, and his body shone with a bright red light, his skin instantly turning a rock-like yellowish-brown luster.

Zhang Yan transformed into a giant, burning lava statue, unleashing a violent and scorching aura.

He stomped his right foot on the reef, cracking the hard black rock inch by inch, and charged towards Chen Xu like a cannonball, throwing a punch.

The fists whistled through the air, carrying immense force and high temperatures like molten lava erupting, causing the air to explode.

This punch was powerful and heavy, enough to split mountains and shatter rocks; it was one of Zhang Yan's signature skills.

Facing this fierce and unparalleled punch, Chen Xu remained unmoved.

Only when the wind of the punch reached his body did he casually raise his right hand, fingers spread, neither dodging nor avoiding, directly meeting the heavy punch of burning lava.

"Fellow Daoist, be careful!" Wu Yazi couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice.

Nan Longyue also clenched her fist slightly.

However, the scene of Chen Xu being blasted away as expected did not occur.

Chen Xu's palm firmly blocked Zhang Yan's violent fist, remaining completely still.

Zhang Yan's smile froze instantly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He felt that his full-force punch not only failed to shake his opponent in the slightest, but the force of the rebound also made his arm feel slightly numb.

At this moment, Chen Xu felt the immense force coming from his palm, and a very faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

He did not retaliate forcefully, but merely flicked his wrist slightly, releasing a flexible force-dissipating force like a deep-sea whirlpool.

Zhang Yan felt the power in his fist suddenly vanish, followed by an irresistible pulling force.

Zhang Yan staggered back three steps before regaining his balance, his face flushing red and then turning pale. His gaze towards Chen Xu had completely changed, now filled with shock and awe.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Fellow Daoist Xu... what formidable power! I, Zhang, am convinced!"

Just now, the opponent clearly held back; otherwise, the recoil and the strange force-dissipating pull alone would have been enough to give him a minor setback.

Seeing this, Wu Ya Zi was also extremely surprised. He stroked his beard and laughed, "Haha, Brother Zhang, now you know there are always people stronger than you, right? Fellow Daoist Xu's strength is unfathomable; he is indeed a powerful ally for our trip!"

Qianjizi and Liu Yiyi exchanged a glance, both seeing the solemnity and joy in each other's eyes.

Liu Yiyi's beautiful eyes brightened slightly; Chen Xu's display of power control just now made her feel at ease.

Chen Xu withdrew his hand and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Zhang is too kind. Your dual cultivation of fire and earth is exceptionally powerful and rare."

In a small test, Chen Xu effortlessly intimidated Zhang Yan, who was quite powerful, with just his physical strength.

This also earned them the respect they deserved as the core members of the temporary team.

"Alright, now that we've all met and witnessed each other's abilities, and given the time constraints, let's set off immediately for the outer perimeter of the Dark Ocean Eye!"

Seeing that the atmosphere was harmonious, Wu Yazi immediately made the decision.

He once again summoned the Tranquilizing Pearl, which emitted a soft blue light. The pearl floated in his palm, emitting a stable spatial fluctuation that calmed the raging sea breeze around him.

"This journey is perilous. Stay close to me and do not stray too far from the protection of the Dinglan Pearl!"

Everyone's expressions turned solemn, and they all nodded.

Chen Xu, Nan Longyue, Zhang Yan, Qian Jizi, and Liu Yiyi quickly gathered around Wu Yazi.

"Go!" Wu Yazi shouted, activating the Dinglan Pearl, and a light blue light screen enveloped the six of them.

The light curtain isolated the noise from the outside world, making the interior space exceptionally stable.

Six beams of light shot into the sky, hurtling toward the Eye of the Dark Sea.

The sea breeze howled outside the light curtain. The further out to sea they went, the more gloomy the sky became, and the seawater gradually changed from a deep blue to a chilling inky black.

The spiritual energy became chaotic and thin, and a faint, corrosive chill permeated the air.

Chen Xu was inside the light screen, but his divine sense quietly extended outwards, sensing the changes in the external environment.

He could clearly sense that as he got closer to the Eye of the Dark Sea, the spatial structure began to become fragile and unstable.

Tiny spatial cracks, like black threads, appeared and disappeared in the void.

The bone-chilling coldness seeped in even through the light barrier of the Dinglan Pearl, as if it could freeze spiritual power and the soul.

Nan Longyue's spiritual energy fluctuated slightly, seemingly instinctively feeling a slight unease towards this chaotic body of water, yet also faintly attracting it in a strange way.

Wu Yazi was completely focused on controlling the Dinglan Pearl, his forehead slightly sweaty. It was clear that maintaining the stability of this extraordinary treasure in such a harsh environment was quite taxing.

He said in a deep voice, "Everyone be careful. We have entered the outer area of ​​the sea eye, and spatial turbulence may appear at any time. In another half day, we will reach our chosen ambush point."

At this moment, the pale blue light emitted by the Dinglan Pearl was like a lone boat in a raging sea, struggling to navigate the dark, churning waters.

Nan Longyue's face turned slightly pale, and the primal power of the Sea Spirit Body within her body was faintly restless.

She subconsciously moved half a step closer to Chen Xu, as if that would make her feel a little more at ease.

Chen Xu remained calm, carefully sensing the fluctuations in every inch of the surrounding space.

"To the left front, three zhang away, the spatial distortion is intensifying!" Chen Xu's deep and clear voice broke the oppressive silence within the light screen.

Almost the instant his words fell, Wu Yazi's pupils contracted, and he abruptly activated the Dinglan Pearl.

The blue light from the light curtain intensified, forcibly shifting it to the right.

"Sizzle!!"

A pitch-black spatial rift, as thick as an arm, suddenly split open along their original path without warning.

A violent spatial turbulence erupted from it, carrying a destructive tearing force, and slammed hard into the edge of the Dinglan Pearl Light Curtain.

boom!!

The light curtain vibrated violently, and its surface was instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks.

The Dinglan Pearl trembled violently in Wu Yazi's hand. He groaned, his face turned deathly pale, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, clearly suffering a backlash.

"Hold on!" Qianjizi reacted extremely quickly, his fingers flying, and several talismans flashing with golden light flew out instantly, sticking to the densest part of the cracks on the inside of the light screen.

The talisman, transformed into flowing liquid gold, temporarily reinforced the defense.

Liu Yiyi's slender fingers brushed across the Jiaowei Qin, and a series of clear and melodious notes flowed out, transforming into an invisible sound wave barrier that superimposed on the light screen.

However, the power of spatial turbulence is far greater than imagined.

The light of the Dinglan Pearl dimmed at a visible speed, and Wu Yazi's forehead veins bulged and he was sweating profusely.

Maintaining the light curtain is the limit; it cannot be moved at all.

"At this rate, we won't last three-quarters of an hour!" Qianjizi's voice was filled with anxiety as the golden light of the talisman he had reinforced was being rapidly eroded by the turbulent currents.

Chen Xu's gaze was like lightning, locking onto the core of the spatial rift that was constantly spewing out turbulent currents.

"Longyue, sense the water flow and find the weakest point of impact!" Chen Xu spoke very quickly.

Nan Longyue immediately closed her eyes, pushing her Sea Spirit Body's perception to its limit.

Then she suddenly opened her eyes and pointed in one direction...

Author Loves Bubbling Durian highly recommends: I hope you enjoy the story of "Proving Immortality Starting with Hextech Runes" on Cola Novels.