Chapter 954: Eerie Six-Star Hall
Luo Youping, though still apprehensive, felt less threatened than before. He recognized the formation's strength, but was astonished by Ye Mo's swift mastery of it. He'd believed himself doomed, yet his strike had revealed a weakness in the formation, offering a path to freedom. Once he escaped, his worries would end. After all, Ye Mo was merely a Golden Core Stage Level 2 cultivator, while he himself was a Golden Core Stage Tertiary. Even having expended half his cultivation essence, he still held a significant advantage.
However, the cascading, intensifying purple sword rays proved Ye Mo's swordsmanship exceptional, reigniting his fear. He raised his yellow umbrella, only to discover his error. Even if he hadn't already depleted half his cultivation essence, he might not have withstood Ye Mo's attack.
Before he could react, the purple sword rays, amplified by the trap formation, overwhelmed his umbrella's radiance. The umbrella ripped apart, sending Luo Youping flying into the formation. He coughed up blood, collapsing to the ground, staring at Ye Mo in stunned silence. He hadn't even thought to beg for mercy; never in his life had he witnessed such power from a Golden Core Stage Level 2 cultivator. The ease with which Ye Mo shattered his protective umbrella, even considering his own depleted state, was simply incomprehensible.
Ye Mo struck again with Zi Xu. Until his final moments, Luo Youping could scarcely believe his demise had been so swift.
After retrieving Luo Youping's storage ring and burning the body, Ye Mo re-examined the hall. It was spacious, yet devoid of furnishings, save for the walls of unknown material and the single entrance. He turned to set a trap at the entrance, intending to be ever vigilant.
But when he turned, he was bewildered. The entrance had vanished, leaving only six walls. He could no longer discern his entry point, and, more alarmingly, the rink seemed to have shifted.
What was happening? Confusion clouded Ye Mo. He'd been continuously present, and any change should have been immediately apparent. Yet, the rink had undeniably moved from the Li to the Kan position.
Calming himself, Ye Mo considered the disappearance of the door, likely triggered by some mechanism, perhaps even a rotating mechanism. But his spirit sense revealed no rotation.
He frowned. The place felt unsettlingly eerie. Without hesitation, he drew his sword and approached the rink. With no exit, and the walls unbreakable, he aimed to secure the hall's treasure and depart.
As he prepared to insert the sword, an unsettling feeling washed over him. He trusted his instincts; was there hidden danger? He hesitated, a subconscious urge to withdraw the sword rising.
But before he could, a suction force emanating from the rink seized the sword, pulling it into place.
Stunned, Ye Mo attempted to retreat, only to find the entire hall spinning, the speed rapidly increasing. He envisioned himself torn apart by the centrifugal force.
This was no ordinary ruin, he realized. Ruins were meant for exploration, not execution. A sudden insight struck him: this resembled a formation. But what formation lacked flags?
A seal! It clicked. The hall was a seal! Upon entering, it hadn't spun. This wasn't hexagonal; accounting for up and down, it was octagonal! And if a seal, what did it contain? Whatever it was, releasing it would likely prove disastrous. The sword, he realized, was the key.
A curse escaped Ye Mo's lips. He focused on resisting the dizziness, rushing towards the rink to retrieve the sword. The seal wasn't fully unlocked; he just needed to remove the key.
However, despite his efforts, the sword remained stubbornly fixed. A mocking sneer seemed to echo in his ears.
Sweat beaded on his brow. He poured all his remaining cultivation essence into the task, but the sword remained immovable. Without further hesitation, he retrieved his Burst Yin Pill, unused even against Ji Zhiyuan, and prepared for desperate measures.
He hurled the pill onto the rink, simultaneously entering the Golden Page World.
A tremendous explosion rocked the hall, far exceeding the power of Luo Youping's formation, comparable to a Nascent Soul Stage Primary expert's attack! The hall momentarily paused before resuming its rotation.
Before the blast subsided, Ye Mo emerged from the Golden Page World. The concussion, though tearing his clothes, mattered little; he possessed only one Burst Yin Pill. His first act was to expel essence blood, which he then ignited, using it to bolster his strength as he reached for the sword.
Under the pill's effect, the sword finally loosened, and he pulled it free. The powerful suction returned, but he held firm, instantly storing the sword within the Golden Page World—knowing it might be drawn out even from his storage ring.
Finally, the hall shuddered, slowing to a complete stop. Ye Mo slumped to the ground, utterly exhausted, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.