Chapter 182: Countermeasure! Peak Stage Five!

“Don’t need the spell formation...” Zhu Changfeng’s eyes narrowed. “Could it be that City Master Link holds other means of opening the historical ruin?”

Jiang Wencheng, Wang Hao, Ou Chen, and the others directed their gazes toward Link. Their eyes flashed, each with their own guesses in their hearts.

Could it be that the key to the historical ruin is in this City Master Link’s hands?

Link didn’t care about those gazes at all; he only stared at Zhu Changfeng. “Whether or not I can open the historical ruin has nothing to do with you people. However, I’m afraid that spell formation isn’t that simple, is it?”

As his voice fell, Zhu Changfeng and Han Yingjie’s countenances constantly changed as if their weakness had been caught.

“City Master Link, if you don’t destroy the spell formation, there will still be room for negotiation between us... If you insist on doing so, I’m afraid you will regret it by then!” Han Yingjie’s expression was clouded as he threatened Link—fierce in manner but faint in heart.

Link’s eyebrows arched slightly. These two people... don’t have the slightest awareness of being captives.

He couldn’t be bothered to say anything more. Instead, he headed out of the campsite with Zhao Yongkang and the others. The spell formation that Evil Sect arrayed should be in the Forest of Darkness. It shouldn’t be too far.

Seeing Link turn around, Han Yingjie and Zhu Changfeng met eyes. Their expressions turned sinister, and frightening killing intent burst out from them.

Han Yingjie’s limbs were bound by large amounts of spider silk, so he was unable to break free. He opened his mouth, and a streak of icy force condensed into a sharp blade and shot out, slicing toward Link’s head.

The sound of air being broken came striking.

Link didn’t even turn back; he merely shook his sleeve lightly. The [Spring and Autumn Sword Technique] was instantly launched!

Streaks of swift and fierce sword energy instantly emerged from the void and surrounded Link!

Having used [Spring and Autumn Sword Technique] many times, Link’s grasp of swordplay had already reached a height difficult for an ordinary person to reach.

The surging sword energy was no longer bound to the sword; it moved in accordance with Link’s intentions instead.

In an instant, the icy blade that came shooting was crushed by the sword energy! The tempestuous sword energy then kept going and directly blew up Han Yingjie’s entire head!

Han Yingjie dared spit at Link; wasn’t this using an unconventional method to seek his doom?

Fresh blood mixed with brains splattered in all directions; a good amount stained Zhu Changfeng’s face as well. The blood was still warm, and the strong metallic scent rushed into his nose...

Zhu Changfeng was rather stunned presently.

There was indeed a problem with that spell formation! In reality, Han Yingjie and himself weren’t the powerhouses that Evil Sect dispatched. There was also one powerhouse at Stage Five, Level 10, about to break through to Stage Six.

That spell formation seemed to be used for opening the historical, but it was actually resources prepared for that powerhouse’s breakthrough to Stage Six.

Earlier, they were actually intentionally steering things. This was to make Link notice the problems with the spell formation and spur the Evil Sect’s powerhouse hiding there into striking.

In the end, Han Yingjie was too into the show and didn’t grasp his limits well. His blood was spilled then and there...

This made Zhu Changfeng’s current feelings a little complicated...

Zhu Changfeng glanced at Link’s back view and thought inwardly, In any case, the plan... should’ve succeeded! Elder Zheng, who is about to break through to Stage Six, should—no, he certainly will be able to kill this fellow and seize the historical ruin!

Zhu Changfeng shot a look at Jiang Wencheng and the few others who were captured and couldn’t help revealing a strange smile. The first to laugh might not be the final winners. My Evil Sect will be the ones who truly get the last laugh!

As he was in thought, his face suddenly suffered a kick.

Ou Chen lifted his foot, gave Zhu Changfeng a side glance, and said with slight disdain, “This fellow is smiling so foolishly. It cannot be that he has suffered an emotional shock, right?”

Wu Hao and Tian Mingyuan silently looked away, pretending that they hadn’t seen that.

...

In the center of the Forest of Darkness.

Beside the pit sketched with an array formation and mysterious incantations, a figure sat cross-legged in the distorted forest.

He was Evil Sect’s Zheng Jinshang, a top powerhouse about to break through to Stage Six. Dressed in wide gray robes, he seemed to be one with the forest.

The aura all around him had been completely restrained by him. At first glance, it was difficult to notice Zheng Jinshang’s existence.

All of a sudden, he opened his eyes, seeming to have sensed something as a hint of vigilance flashed across his face. “Someone is here; it’s an unfamiliar aura! Has Zhu Changfeng and company met with a mishap?”

Previously, Zhu Changfeng secretly crushed the communication talisman and attracted Han Yingjie and the others.

Zheng Jinshang was aware of this too, but he was Evil Sect’s hidden countermeasure. Thus, he didn’t go forth to support them. Now that he was suddenly sensing an unfamiliar aura come close, he couldn’t help the sprouting of some unpleasant associations in his heart.

Zheng Jinshang did not rush to strike; instead, he restrained his aura even more, becoming like a section of inconspicuous deadwood.

At the same, the footsteps of Link—who was approaching the spell formation—paused.

His mental strength had the [Talisman of Eternal Sleep] and his title’s blessings. Hence, it far exceeded that of players at the same level; his senses were also more acute and powerful.

Moments before, he vaguely sensed that someone was watching them, and a few hints of alertness rose in his heart.

“Interesting.” A speck of contemplation flashed through Link’s eyes; his footsteps didn’t stop as he continued to move forward.

Earlier, he had felt that Zhu Changfeng and Han Yingjie were being too intentional. So he knew that there had to be a significant problem with that spell formation.

It now seemed that the Evil Sect had indeed left a countermeasure here...

It wasn’t just Link. Luo Haoyue—who had come along—also sensed it, and her gaze became colder.

Link gave her a look, signaling Luo Haoyue not to act rashly and alert the enemy.

Very soon, the party arrived beside the pit.

It was all [Doomsday Online] players inside the pit. They covered the area, lying in all directions. However, their chests were still rising and falling; they were fine for now.

This spell formation wouldn’t only extract the magic within their bodies; vitality was also a part of it. This was also the reason why Zhu Changfeng and company hadn’t killed them.

Zhao Yongkang jumped into the pit, about to awaken those players.

Right then, an inexplicable force swept across the area, and a sudden change struck!

The soil beneath Zhao Yongkang’s feet swiftly turned into a mire. Palms covered in mud reached out from the mire and went for his ankles!

“This is... a domain!” Zhao Yongkang frowned and shouted. He was, after all, someone who had seen many great spectacles with Link. He instantly realized something was amiss, and he wasn’t very flustered.

Zhao Yongkang instantly swung the longsword in his hands and slashed at those mud palms that came grabbing at him.

The jet-black sword ray flashed through, and the palms were broken, turning back into mud.

Lines of dense spider silk also came shooting at this point; they fastened around Zhao Yongkang’s arms and brought him out of that mire.

Beside the pit was an area of ground covered in spider silk. Luo Haoyue had clearly launched her own domain as well and didn’t allow the area to be affected by the enemy’s domain.

A slightly hoarse voice sounded from the forest. “A Stage Five Star-rank powerhouse, and the rest are all Stage Fours. Your capabilities aren’t too bad, but you aren’t a match for me yet! What exactly happened at the campsite? Which faction do you people belong to? If you do not confess, all of you shall die here!”

As the words fell, a vast aura instantly shot to the skies. Ill winds surged, making one fearful!

That was the aura of a peak Stage Five existence—only a step away from a Stage Six Bright Moon-rank powerhouse!