Qingyunzi's words were like a bolt of lightning, shattering the joy in our hearts to pieces.
"Specific conditions? What conditions?" I asked eagerly, a wave of ominous foreboding rising in my chest.
Qingyunzi stroked his beard, his expression grave. "This Teleportation Array requires three special energy crystals to activate, representing the forces of heaven, earth, and humanity respectively. Only by placing the three crystals in their corresponding positions can the Teleportation Array be activated."
"Then where are these three energy crystals?" Linger asked anxiously.
Qingyunzi pointed toward the labyrinthine, intricately connected passages behind the Teleportation Array. "These three crystals are hidden within this labyrinth. I have been studying this Teleportation Array for days and have calculated the approximate locations of the three crystals."
Pointing in three separate directions, he continued: "To the east is the Azure Jade Crystal, representing the force of 'heaven'; to the west is the Yellow Jade Crystal, representing the force of 'earth'; and to the north is the Red Jade Crystal, representing the force of 'humanity'. To save time, we shall split into three groups and head to these three directions to search."
"Qu Chen and I will go east to find the Azure Jade Crystal," Qu Chen said without hesitation, his gaze filled with determination.
Linger also raised her hand. "Xuanfeng and I will go west to find the Yellow Jade Crystal."
"Good! There is no time to lose, let us set off at once!" Qingyunzi nodded, then transformed into a streak of light and soared toward the north.
Qu Chen and I exchanged a glance and immediately set off, running toward the east.
The passages of the labyrinth were intricate like a spider's web, and one could easily lose their bearings without paying close attention. Qu Chen and I proceeded with utmost caution all the way, constantly watching our surroundings for fear of getting lost or running into danger.
Along the way, we encountered quite a few mechanisms and traps, but we neutralized them one by one. I gradually felt that the coordination between Qu Chen and me was becoming more and more tacit, as if we shared a telepathic connection.
"Lier, watch out!"
Suddenly, Qu Chen grabbed me and pulled me behind him.
I looked up and saw a stone door appear ahead, carved with strange runes that emitted a faint golden glow.
"Behind this stone door should be where the Azure Jade Crystal is located," Qu Chen said in a low voice.
I nodded, gripping the long sword in my hand tighter, a faint unease stirring in my heart.
Qu Chen took a deep breath, reached out, and slowly pressed his hand against the stone door.
The moment his hand touched the stone door, the runes upon it suddenly flared with brilliant light, and a powerful force blasted us backward...
The violent impact left me dizzy and my vision blurred. When I finally recovered my senses, I found that Qu Chen and I had tumbled into a spacious cavern. The stone door had vanished, replaced by a deep, pitch-black void.
"Lier, are you alright?" Qu Chen's concerned voice came as he helped me up, his eyes filled with worry.
I shook my head, struggled to my feet, and looked around, a sense of unease rising within me. "What is this place? Those runes..."
Before I could finish my sentence, I felt a powerful surge of Spiritual Power emanate from the depths of the cavern, accompanied by a hair-raising laugh.
"Ha-ha, finding what one seeks takes no effort at all! The energy crystal that old Qingyun has been searching for bitterly has ultimately fallen into my hands!"
Out of the darkness, a figure slowly emerged. He wore a black robe, his face hidden beneath a hood, revealing only a pair of eyes flickering with an eerie green light.
"Who are you?" Qu Chen pulled me behind him and asked vigilantly.
"You are not yet qualified to know my name!" The Black-Robed Person sneered. "Hand over the energy crystals on you obediently, and I might consider sparing your lives!"
"What energy crystals? We have no idea what you're talking about!" I said loudly, though my heart was filled with doubt. Could the energy crystals he spoke of be the Azure Jade Crystal we were searching for?
"Hmph, you never give up until you see the coffin!" A murderous intent flashed in the Black-Robed Person's eyes. He abruptly raised his hand, and a powerful surge of Spiritual Power instantly enveloped Qu Chen and me.
"Not good!" Qu Chen's expression shifted drastically. He shoved me aside while taking the full force of the blow himself.
"Qu Chen!" I cried out in alarm, watching helplessly as Qu Chen was sent flying, crashing heavily against the stone wall.
"Mere ants from a lower world, yet you dare covet treasures from our higher world? Truly overestimating yourselves!" The Black-Robed Person approached step by step, his eyes filled with contempt and disdain.
Only then did I realize that this Black-Robed Person was not a resident of our world of Immortal Cultivation, but a powerhouse from a higher-dimensional world of Immortal Cultivation! No wonder his strength was so formidable, leaving even Qu Chen powerless before him.
I gripped my long sword, my heart filled with despair. Were we really going to lose our lives here today?
Meanwhile, Linger and Xuanfeng were also running into trouble.
"Xuanfeng, look, what is that?" Linger pointed ahead and said in surprise.
Right before them appeared a breathtakingly beautiful lake. The water was crystal clear, reflecting the surrounding green hills and lush trees like a fairyland on earth.
"How gorgeous..." Linger couldn't help but exclaim, stepping forward to get a closer look.
"Wait, Linger!" Xuanfeng grabbed her, observing their surroundings with vigilance. "It's too quiet here. I have a bad feeling about this."
"What's wrong? Are you just being too nervous?" Linger said with a smile. "We've been walking for so long, it's time for a break anyway."
With that, she tried to break free from Xuanfeng's grip and head toward the lake.
"Watch out!" Xuanfeng's expression abruptly changed. He yanked Linger behind him while swinging his sword forward.
*Clang!*
A crisp metallic clash rang out, and the sword in Xuanfeng's hand bounced right back, yet there was nobody in front of him.
"What's going on?" Linger asked in surprise. "Who attacked us?"
Xuanfeng knitted his brows, glanced around, and said in a deep voice, "We may have stumbled into an illusion array!"
"An illusion array?" Linger's face paled as she realized that the scenery before them was not real at all, but a phantom created by an illusion array!
At that moment, the surrounding scenery suddenly shifted. The lake, the trees, and the sky all warped and ultimately vanished, replaced by an endless expanse of darkness.
"What should we do?" Linger grabbed Xuanfeng's sleeve tightly, her eyes filled with terror.
Xuanfeng took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He closed his eyes, carefully sensing the surrounding fluctuations of Spiritual Power in an attempt to find a way to break the array.
...
I watched in despair as the Black-Robed Person drew closer, my heart filled with a sense of utter helplessness. Just then, a voice suddenly echoed in my mind: "Lier, quick, drop your blood onto the sword..."
That was... Qingyunzi's voice! Qingyunzi's voice was weak yet urgent, as if he were enduring immense agony. My heart tightened. Could he have already... With no time to overthink, I bit my finger and let a single drop of fresh blood fall onto the blade.
As the blood merged into the blade, the once plain and unadorned long sword instantly burst into a dazzling radiance, and an ancient dragon roar seemed to reverberate through the air, striking deep into the soul. The sword in my hand shook violently, and a mighty force surged through my arm into my body. I felt as though I had merged with the sword, brimming with power.
"What is this?!" The Black-Robed Person was clearly startled by this sudden turn of events. He took a step back, a flash of apprehension in his eyes. Seizing the opportunity, I swung the sword, sending a howling surge of sword qi straight toward the Black-Robed Person's face.
The Black-Robed Person let out a cold snort, flicking his sleeve to block my attack, though the immense power contained within the sword qi still made him stagger. Joy welled up in my heart—it seemed the method Qingyunzi taught me was truly effective!
"You ant, how dare you injure me!" Enraged, the Black-Robed Person gathered his Spiritual Power once more, preparing to strike me down.
"Stop!" A weak voice came from behind him.
I turned around in astonishment to see Qingyunzi being held hostage by another Black-Robed Person, covered in wounds and breathing his last.
"Master!" I cried out involuntarily, my heart sinking instantly.
"Lier, ignore me, go!" Qingyunzi forced the words out, his face etched with anxiety and worry.
"Want to leave? Not that easy!" The Black-Robed Person holding Qingyunzi sneered. "If you want to save him, obediently hand over the Divine Artifacts on you, or else..."
He increased the pressure in his hand, and Qingyunzi groaned softly, a trail of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"Master!" My heart felt as though it were being torn apart, yet I was utterly helpless.
"Lier, do not agree to him!" Qingyunzi endured the pain to speak. "This is all my fault. I was too careless and dragged you into this..."
"Master, say no more. I will not abandon you!" I gripped my long sword tightly, my heart filled with grief, anger, and despair.
At that moment, a violent tremor erupted from the depths of the cavern. Cracks began to form on the stone walls, and rubble continuously rained down.
"Not good, the Teleportation Array is collapsing!" Linger and Xuanfeng's voices came from afar; they, too, were trapped in this impending cave-in just like us.
"Hurry! This place is collapsing!" I shouted anxiously, yet the Black-Robed Person paid me no mind whatsoever, fixing his greedy gaze entirely on the long sword in my hand.
"Lier, forget about us, you must go!" Qingyunzi urged again, his voice growing increasingly faint.
I bit my lip, my heart torn with pain and struggle. Just as I hesitated, a massive boulder at the cavern's ceiling suddenly collapsed, separating the Black-Robed Person and me.
"Lier, go!" Qingyunzi's voice grew more and more distant, eventually swallowed by the chaos.
"Master—" I cried out in despair, but it was to no avail.
"Lier, let's go!" Linger and Xuanfeng pulled me, running desperately toward the exit of the cavern.
We stumbled out of the cavern, only for the scene before us to plunge us into utter despair. The Teleportation Array that should have been there was now reduced to ruins; all the runes had lost their glow, and the array was completely destroyed...
"How can this be..." I dropped weakly to my knees, all hope turning to ash at that very moment.
"It seems we are trapped here..." Xuanfeng muttered to himself, his eyes filled with despair and powerlessness.
The Black-Robed Person's words echoed in my ears like a basin of cold water, extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in our hearts. Were we truly destined to be trapped in this world forever, never able to return to our own home?
I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug deep into my flesh, my heart burning with unwillingness and fury.
"No, I will not give up!" I raised my head, determination flashing in my eyes. "I will find a way back, I certainly will!" Over the ruins, a fierce gale howled, kicking up dust and rubble as if mocking our helplessness. I stared blankly at everything before me, a chilling emptiness freezing my heart.
"You ants of a lower world, dreaming of entering the upper realm is sheer delusion!" The Black-Robed Person holding Qingyunzi descended from the sky, his voice sounding as though it came from the nine nether hells—cold and piercing. "Hand over the Divine Artifact, and I might consider sparing your lives, otherwise..."
He increased the pressure in his hand once more, and Qingyunzi groaned, more blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. My heart ached as if sliced by knives, but I was powerless.
"What do you want?" Qu Chen, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke. His voice was low and hoarse, carrying a suppressed fury.
The Black-Robed Person smiled hideously. "What I want, you should know very well. That sword, and the secrets upon you, are treasures belonging to the upper realm. Ants like you are not worthy to possess them!"
"In your dreams!" I gripped my long sword, the blade emitting a series of hums as if responding to my resolve.
"Overestimating yourselves!" A trace of contempt flashed in the Black-Robed Person's eyes. "Do you truly think that with the strength of mere ants, you can be a match for me? I advise you to surrender obediently and save yourselves from physical torment."
As soon as he finished speaking, a powerful pressure erupted from him, pressing down like Mount Tai and making it difficult for us to even breathe.
"Thud!" Linger and Xuanfeng could not withstand the terrifying pressure and dropped to their knees.
"Linger! Xuanfeng!" I tried to help them up, only to find that I couldn't move either.
"Lier..." Qu Chen tried to reach out and pull me, but was forced back several steps by the Black-Robed Person's pressure.
"You ants are fundamentally unqualified to contend with me!" The Black-Robed Person laughed wildly, his laughter filled with mockery and disdain. "If you want to live, obediently hand over the Divine Artifact, or else I will make you taste a fate worse than death!"
I clenched my teeth, my heart filled with despair and resentment. Were we really going to submit to this demon? Were we really going to be trapped in this world forever, never able to return to where we belonged?
"No, I will not give up..." I screamed inside, yet no sound came out.
Just then, I felt a wave of warmth emanate from the long sword in my hand, and a mighty surge of power poured into my body, reigniting my hope.
"Lier, do not give up..." Qingyunzi's weak voice reached my ears. "You are the Heaven-Chosen One, you will surely..."
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by the Black-Robed Person. "Hmph! The Heaven-Chosen One? Ridiculous! In this world, power is the only truth!"
"Lier..." Qu Chen looked at me, his eyes filled with worry and reluctance.
I smiled faintly at him, signaling him not to worry. I knew I could not give up; I still had many things to do, I still had to find a way back, and I still had to...
I took a deep breath, gripped the long sword tightly, and prepared for a final struggle.
However, the Black-Robed Person did not give us that chance. With a cold snort, he grabbed Qingyunzi, turned into a streak of black smoke, and vanished into the horizon...
"Master—" I screamed in despair, watching helplessly as he was taken away.
"What... what should we do?" Linger and Xuanfeng struggled to their feet, their faces written with confusion and terror.
I fell silent, having no answer for them.
"Let us..." Qu Chen walked up to me and gently took my hand. "Return to the camp first and discuss it then."
I nodded, following him step by step toward the direction of the camp.
With every step I took, my heart sank a fraction further. I knew that this setback was a massive blow to us. We had lost Qingyunzi, we had lost the Teleportation Array, and we had lost... hope.
Upon returning to the camp, we found the atmosphere unusually heavy...