524 A Golden Opportunity? (2/2)

”Fatty, do you still have any puppets left? Release a few to test the hex. I want to see the entire activation process.”

Wang Baole almost quit when he heard what Zhao Yameng said. ”Fatty” was a taboo word for him. He was about to glare when Zhao Yameng turned and gave him a sideways stare. The aura that she exuded then, the feeling she gave, was almost identical to that of the Martian Colony Governor that Wang Baole remembered.

Wang Baole sucked in a deep breath. He comforted himself by insisting secretly that he wasn't afraid of her mother. He was doing this because of their fellowship. He stuck his belly out and walked forward. Then, he pulled out his puppets and flung them out. They raced towards the mountain peak, and the black light appeared instantly and turned them into dust.

The scene alarmed Zhuo Yifan, and Zhao Yameng's eyes narrowed. After a moment of contemplation, she took out a jade slip that was meant specially for documenting array formations. She began inking inscriptions and designing an array formation that would dispel the hex.

Time passed slowly. Two days went by. During these two days, Zhao Yameng hardly slept or rested at all. She began to look exhausted and frail. Zhuo Yifan and Wang Baole had no time for rest either, as they stood guard and kept watch over the surroundings. Fortunately, they didn't need to do this for long. Zhao Yameng suddenly raised her head on the third day.

”In general, a hex is a type of array formation. However, there are different types of hexes. If I'm not wrong, this particular hex is a multi-layered, interconnected array formation. Triggering any point would unleash the full power of the entire array formation. We have a safety window of thirty breaths…” Zhao Yameng looked at Wang Baole after saying that.

”Yameng, Yifan, both of you will head for the pavilions. I'll head for the cave abode at the very top. Let's do our best to return within the duration of thirty breaths!” Wang Baole narrowed his eyes and said immediately.

Zhuo Yifan nodded. Zhao Yameng took a deep breath before throwing the jade slip in her hand out. It transformed into a rainbow that raced towards the mountain peak. As soon as it approached, the same black light appeared and headed for the jade slip, intent on destroying it.

As soon as the black light collided with the jade slip, the jade slip shuddered and exploded. It didn't shatter into multiple pieces but transformed into nine parts that lined themselves together and encircled the black light. It seemed to form an instant seal that trapped the black light within. The black light shook violently but was unable to free itself.

”Quick, let's go!” As soon as Zhao Yameng said that, she moved and dashed towards the array formation. Wang Baole was quicker. He grabbed Zhao Yameng and Zhuo Yifan, sped up, and brought the three of them passed the hex, straight into the mountain!

Just as they stepped foot on the mountain peak though, the trapped black light began to shudder violently. It morphed into a dozen black strands of light that attacked the broken pieces of jade slip, imprisoning them. It seemed as if they were about to free themselves successfully. The entire mountain peak quaked as they attacked. The retaliation from the hex seemed to be summoning forth the powers of teleportation. There were certain unknown forces present in the mountain that were causing the region to shift and teleport away.

”Quickly!” Zhao Yameng said hastily and flew off, racing towards a well-preserved pavilion. Zhuo Yifan reacted equally quickly, dashing towards another pavilion. Wang Baole didn't pause in his steps at all after he entered the mountain. He marched forward with wide steps, leaping into the air and landing in the cave abode on the very top of the mountain peak!

They knew what they were supposed to do, and they did it quickly. Zhao Yameng and Zhuo Yifan spared no time auditing what they took. They grabbed whatever they could see when they entered the pavilion. Wang Baole did the same. The first thing he grabbed when he approached the cave abode was the purple identity token that belonged to a core disciple.

His devouring seed activated then, and the token flew towards him under its extreme suction. The corpse was pulled along as well, entering his storage bag.

His heart thumped loudly after he completed the series of actions, but he didn't stop. He dashed into the cave abode behind the corpse.

The cave abode was a mess. Everything was in ruins, and shattered stone littered the ground. It was difficult to inspect anything in detail, so Wang Baole flung his sleeve aside and took everything. He was about to leave when suddenly, on the wall of the cave abode, a faint glowing light appeared. A line of words appeared on the wall!

”Those who manage to enter this cave are fated to do so. As a core disciple of the Vast Expanse Dao Palace, I find it difficult to continue living on after calamity has befallen our sect. The cultivators of our generation defied the laws of the universe with our cultivation. We should not fear death. However… one's spirit may perish, but the laws of the universe cannot be broken. I leave behind my life's work and research on runic soldiers for the one whose fate brings him here…”