At this moment, Gong Yi of Xiaoyao Tower approached Lin Yun.
“Lin Yun, I’m Gong Yi. Your courage, perseverance, and loyalty to your teammate have truly impressed me. You’re undoubtedly someone worth befriending, trusting, and relying on. I, Gong Yi, would like to be your friend. If there’s ever anything I can help with, just say the word.” Gong Yi clasped his fists toward Lin Yun.
Gong Yi knew that few other Eternals would dare to do what Lin Yun had done. Most would likely have told Mo Qing to turn back.
Lin Yun responded with a polite smile, “Senior Gong Yi, you’re too kind. I, Lin Yun, am always happy to make friends.”
As they spoke, the last few Eternals trailing behind successfully reached the island.
All eighteen Eternals had crossed the sky bridge.
After all, those present today were generally formidable, with cultivation ages mostly exceeding ten thousand years, except for Lin Yun and Mo Qing.
“Since we’ve all made it across, it’s time to thoroughly explore this place,” Xin Yu of the Celestial Palace said.
Everyone turned their gaze to the massive island ahead.
Before them stood a hundred-metre-high gate, forged from metal.
Rumble.
The gate was slowly opening.
“This must be the entrance, but we know nothing about what’s inside. Everyone, stay vigilant and don’t be careless,” Xin Yu of the Celestial Palace cautioned.
With that, Xin Yu and another Eternal from the Celestial Palace led the way toward the gate.
Though cautious, their group was undeniably powerful and impressive, which bolstered their confidence.
What kind of danger could possibly overwhelm a group like theirs?
“Let’s go.”
The Eternals began moving toward the gate.
Upon entering, the light grew dimmer.
Boom.
An ancient aura surged toward them.
At the same time, a powerful, terrifying presence enveloped them, bringing an intense, invisible pressure.
Under this pressure, their blood flow seemed to slow, and even their inner energy circulated more sluggishly.
This would inevitably hinder their ability to unleash their full strength!
“This place is so strange,” someone couldn’t help but exclaim.
The scene was peculiar too. Above was pitch darkness, with no ceiling visible, while ahead lay a wide path.
Lin Yun carefully sensed the surroundings, feeling that the invisible pressure seemed to emanate from the air above.
At the path’s end stood a colossal ancient tree!
The tree was about five kilometres away from where they stood.
“What a massive tree!”
Upon seeing the ancient tree, all the Eternals gasped in awe, having never seen anything like it.
Even Lin Yun was stunned.
How large was the tree? It would likely take a hundred people holding hands to encircle its trunk.
Its height soared into the sky, disappearing into the darkness above, its crown invisible.
The tree’s branches were lush, with leaves so large—each roughly a square metre or more—that Lin Yun felt one could stand on them. Its branches were extraordinarily thick.
“Everyone, that giant ancient tree must hold something extraordinary. There might even be a supreme treasure on it!” Yuan Qing, the old monster from the Xingwu Empire, said with gleaming eyes.
“Let’s go and investigate closely!” Xin Yu of the Celestial Palace declared.
No sooner had Xin Yu spoken than Yuan Qing and the bald Eternal from the Xingwu Empire rushed forward, leading the charge toward the giant tree before anyone else moved.
“Those two are in such a hurry?” some Eternals grumbled.
If there were treasures, those two, rushing ahead, might claim them first.
The other Eternals, unwilling to lag behind, surged toward the giant tree.
As they charged, thirty-six black raindrops suddenly fell from the pitch-black sky.
The falling droplets transformed into black humanoid figures, attacking Yuan Qing and the bald Eternal from the Xingwu Empire, who were at the forefront.
The sudden assault was not only abrupt but ferociously intense.
Caught off guard, Yuan Qing and the bald Eternal faced the simultaneous onslaught of the thirty-six black figures.
“Damn it!”
“What are these things!”
They exclaimed, quickly retaliating.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The battle erupted instantly.
From their charge to the sudden descent of the thirty-six black figures and the outbreak of combat, it all happened in a flash.
Facing the simultaneous attack of the thirty-six black figures, Yuan Qing and the bald Eternal from the Xingwu Empire were swiftly knocked back, crashing heavily to the ground.
“Cough, cough, damn it!” Yuan Qing cursed repeatedly while coughing.
After repelling the two, the black figures did not pursue, as if they were merely guarding the path.
“Serves you two right for rushing ahead!” Gong Yi of Xiaoyao Tower sneered.
“Is this the time for that? These things are strong. We need to figure out how to get past them!” Yuan Qing snapped fiercely.
“These things aren’t real humans. They… have no life fluctuations, and their faces are featureless, mere human-shaped shadows,” Xin Yu of the Celestial Palace observed.
Lin Yun nodded, his gaze fixed on the figures ahead.
“And this invisible pressure here limits our strength to about fifty or sixty percent, which will significantly reduce our combat ability. That’s a problem,” an Eternal from the Taigu Sect said, frowning.
Since entering, the omnipresent invisible pressure had been weighing on them.
“No matter what, to move forward, we must get past them. All eighteen of us will join forces to break through!” Xin Yu of the Celestial Palace declared.
“Agreed!”
The Eternals responded in unison.
In such a moment, unity was clearly essential.
“Everyone, let’s do this!”
Xin Yu of the Celestial Palace drew a treasured sword, transforming into a streak of light and charging forward.
“Charge!”
The other Eternals drew their weapons and rushed forward as shadows.
“Senior Sister Mo Qing, Xiangguo, let’s go too.” Lin Yun drew his sword and charged ahead!
Mo Qing and Dongguo Wuji followed closely behind!
