646 Sealed In! (1/2)
Wang Baole's pupils contracted as he stared unblinkingly at the firebird. He readied himself to take action at a moment's notice, body crouched forward like a cheetah ready to take the leap!
A cheetah with a slightly bulging tummy, perhaps… but that didn't hinder Wang Baole's movements in the slightest. The slightly chubby tummy might even be a sign of greater flexibility.
Wang Baole focused his concentration and prepared himself. The firebird flew around the millstone, in the opposite direction that it was turning, and smashed into it. A thunderous boom rang out, rippling outwards. The firebird unleashed its full strength with its attack, then disintegrated into dust. The millstone wasn't damaged. It did, however, stop for a moment when the firebird collided with it!
The millstone stopped turning for a second, its nine handles jerking violently. In the distance, nine towering beasts in nine different directions let loose furious roars.
Everything happened in the single moment when the millstone stopped. Feng Qiuran seemed to be waiting for this moment. She dashed forward and slipped into the gap between the two plates!
Following close behind her were Zhao Yameng and the others. They let loose a sudden burst of speed, approaching the millstone and making their way into the same opening. Mirroring their actions was Wang Baole!
He was extremely swift, stepping into the gap immediately after the rest had exploited the sudden pause in the millstone's rotation and burrowed their way into the slight opening.
His sudden appearance was quite a shock to some of the cultivators, but they released a sigh of relief upon realizing that it was Wang Baole. Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao were delighted to see him, while Feng Qiuran froze in surprise before nodding at him.
This wasn't the time for conversation though. They kept their pace as they made their way through the gaps revealed with the plates' sudden stop.
The stench of blood rushed to meet them, and crushed bones and flesh surrounded them—it was a horrifying sight to behold. Some almost wanted to throw up, but there was no time for disgust. No one wanted to die here, so they shoved down all discomfort and advanced frantically!
They were well aware… that they were traveling between two plates. If they didn't escape out of the area before the millstone started moving again, they would end up sharing the fates of those skeletons thrown in the millstone—crushed to bits!
Everyone was racing forward madly. Fortunately, even though the millstone was enormous and heavy, the force of the firebird's collision had been extremely powerful as well. Nobody spared any effort or wasted any time as they ran madly between the plates. They finally dashed out of the danger zone before the millstone started turning again, arriving at the center of the millstone!
The center was hollowed out. Before them was a huge hole that connected the upper and lower plates, and the hole was filled with howling winds.
While a great many of the party had managed to escape from the gap between the two plates, there were a few who were too slow. The millstone started moving before they could get out, and an irresistible suction force yanked them back in, pulling them back between the plates. The rumbling of the turning plates and their screams of pain sent shivers down the surviving cultivators' spines.
”We'll make a run for it. This is the only way into the second level. We have to disrupt the sacrificial altar in order to activate a teleportation!” Feng Qiuran had a dark look on her face and was dashing down the hole even as she spoke!
Her cultivation continued to shelter Zhao Yameng, Kong Dao, and her two personal disciples. The rest stayed near her as well as they raced down the hole. As for Wang Baole, he kept close to the other Nascent Soul realm cultivators.
Stress weighed down on everyone's hearts as they continued running down the hole. If not for their resilience, they would have broken down in tears, having navigated multiple failed attempts at escape without an end in sight.
The hole was like a dark cave, a gaping wide maw that felt suffocating. The continuous turning of the millstone created a suction force that continued to draw them upwards, preventing them from speeding up.
There was also the terrible stench of blood that permeated the hole. They might be cultivators who had nourished their bodies with Spirit Qi and developed extraordinary constitutions, but the stench was simply too much for them. Their heads were beginning to feel dizzy. They wanted to throw up!