NOVPUBFeng Zhongzui was somewhat moved.
The Five Domains Spectators also felt a bit touched by Hallmaster Dao’s kindness and mercy. Such a good Hallmaster Dao, why did he step down?
Only Xu Xiaoshou had a peculiar expression.
Why was Elder Dao the Flamboyant being so flamboyant even as they were about to enter the Dead Sea, still rallying people’s hearts?
But...
"Is this really not the Dead Sea?" He looked at Beibei, unable to hide the strangeness on his face.
"Yes!"
Beibei nodded heavily, "The Dead Sea has eighteen layers, the deeper it is, the greater the crime. This is just a buffer zone, not considered the Dead Sea."
"Then, what’s the situation here?"
Xu Xiaoshou raised his hand, using the Weaving Technique to reveal a layer hidden from everyone, unveiling the Divine World that even the Sword Deity and demi-saint present could not see or touch.
At this moment, the Dao Imparting Mirror clearly displayed the exterior of the Heavenly Mechanism Sphere World’s internal universe to the five regions.
This sphere world was covered by complex divine path patterns.
Xu Xiaoshou merely removed its invisibility Divine Array without revealing its inner parts.
Even so, the environment of the cave immediately turned eerie.
Because everyone could faintly hear heart-wrenching screams coming from within the Divine World:
"Ah..."
"Let me go..."
"I beg you, let me go..."
Feng Zhongzui was horrified, what was going on, it wasn’t the Dead Sea, but it was the Dead Sea?
Who placed this Divine World here?
If Lord Shou hadn’t discovered it, wouldn’t everyone accidentally step in and start suffering punishments that would elicit such screams?
"Hmm?"
The Dao Imparting Mirror was passed to Beibei.
Beibei was stunned, not responding.
As a ruler of the white-clothed people and a member of the Council of Ten, she didn’t know about this mechanism in the cave passage.
Could it be that it was arranged by Lord Cangsheng?
Beibei felt she had made a mistake, fearing she introduced too much, giving Xu Xiaoshou enough time to uncover this first "trap?"
She instinctively turned her head, casting a glance at Elder Fang and others for help.
Yet, it was a sight of equal bewilderment.
Fang Wenxin also didn’t know why there was a Divine World here.
"Plan Sixteen" he knew, attracting Xu Xiaoshou to the Dead Sea to fight, everyone knew, even Xu Xiaoshou might know.
But if there already was a trap waiting for Xu Xiaoshou from the start, why did Lord Cangsheng not inform everyone immediately?
We could have cooperated!
Beibei turned back, shaking her head slightly, her eyes were all confusion, "I don’t know..."
Without needing control, Xu Xiaoshou could deduce from the body, spirit, and intent that Beibei wasn’t lying.
Fang Wenxin and others’ emotions weren’t obviously brewing either.
That means, they all didn’t know.
Ai Cangsheng, why just this?
I am a master of the Divine Secret, have you truly forgotten?
"Step aside."
Xu Xiaoshou hesitated for a moment, still unwilling to step into such an obvious trap, then made a slash forward with his finger as a sword.
As he slashed, he immediately crouched and took out the Shattered Shield to shield himself in front and overhead.
Sizzle!
The Divine World was ripped open instantly.
Lord Shou said "Step aside," initially everyone didn’t know what he wanted them to step aside for.
But it counted as heeding advice.
Everyone retreated half a step, or one step.
Feng Zhongzui was the wisest, he retreated a full five steps, almost joining the Holy Mountain Sanctuary.
This was clearly insufficient.
The moment the Divine World was torn apart.
The screams that were only faint before, as if stripped of the protective film, became incredibly piercing, almost shrill:
"No!!!"
A demon’s voice!
The sound filled with violence, despair, and horror, more terrifying than Heavenly Thunder, exploded in the ears of the Five Domains people through the Dao Imparting Mirror.
They shivered.
The chill of the soul was secondary, the visible impact was the most terrifying.
But as that Divine World cracked open, and the shriek rang out.
Countless bloody, limp tongues, whether vertical, horizontal, folded, or compressed... in various forms, burst from the center, shooting towards everyone in the cave.
Tens of thousands!
Inevitable!
Like a palm-sized balloon compressed with ten thousand featherless dead rats, the balloon exploding, pop, pop.
...
"Splat!"
Beibei bore the brunt, hit by the endless bloody tongues.
The icy cold and soft sensation slapped her face blank, her soul extracted.
Even her slightly ajar mouth felt like a snake was trying to force its way in.
"Aahhh!!!"
This was more terrifying than stepping on a cockroach or being thrown amidst a pile of spiders; Beibei felt she was about to split apart entirely.
"Roll away ah ah ah ah——"
She went completely berserk, gripping the Supreme Emperor Sword, blindly chopping forward, but as soon as her mouth opened...
"Ugh!"
"Urgh... ugh! Ugh!!"
Beibei felt dead.
She thought she would never forget the nightmare in the grotto this day for the rest of her life.
The writhing, foul stench insidiously bored into her nose and mouth;
The disgusting sensation against her face felt as if it would squish her through her clothes.
She almost vomited out her bile, yet couldn’t alleviate the overwhelming fear and irritability.
Spiritual Cultivation attacks, swordsmanship attacks...
No matter how painful, the Sword Deity Bei was confident she could endure.
But this physical kind of magical attack, these tongues... jumping into the Heart-washing Pond might not even cleanse today’s pollution!
Xu! Xiao! Shou!
Look at what you’ve done!
...
The grotto was small, filled with tongues.
Feng Zhongzui was relatively far away, but the explosion came suddenly, and close.
Even though the demi-saint by his side immediately unfolded Holy Power for protection, it could only deter physical harm.
Fat tongues, pressed almost against everyone’s faces, slid off only to be stopped by tongues blasting from behind, unable to fall.
"Urgh!"
Fang Wenxin was retching, his old face ashen.
Even the Dao Imparting Mirror was distorted, as if the spirit within was frightened—more so than when the Cold Palace Emperor’s pressure shattered the mirror.
People from the five regions were nearly scared crazy.
Vomit was everywhere; some even heaved up last night’s meal, a reek like no other.
The starting impact was a critical hit.
We thought the Dead Sea’s buffer zone would at least provide some relief.
Unexpectedly, it first tore down everyone’s psychological defenses, scaring one with face-to-face tongue contact.
After surviving the most terrifying part, is what’s left just a buffer?
Is this the true essence of the "buffer zone"?
"I’m sorry!"
"Spare me!"
"I beg you!"
"..."
The tearing sound was piercingly harsh.
Coupled with this face-sticking fleshy tongues, it’s scarier than Tongue-pulling Hell... no, this buffer zone is Tongue-pulling Hell, isn’t it?
Feng Zhongzui fought the nausea as Elder Fang opened the path with one Shaking Fist, shattering the tongues, carrying the Dao Imparting Mirror forward.
He passed by the blood-strewn, despairing, and convulsing Sword Deity Bei, inwardly expressing condolences.
He also walked past Lord Shou, elegantly rising from the pile of fleshy tongues beside him, holding the Shattered Shield like a paper umbrella strolling the rain-soaked Jiangnan, inwardly acknowledging respect.
He finally reached the source of the high-pitched wailing, only to pause quickly.
It was a blood-curdling golden-robed man, his golden robes untainted by blood or dust, yet his entire being was morbidly sick!
He knelt upon a small decree of Zui, holding a golden Sword of Justice in his right hand, his left hand shakily reaching toward his own mouth.
He pulled out his tongue, slicing it with the sword.
"Ah—"
Trembling and shrieking, he began bowing his head.
He banged his head against the ground on that Treasure Seal, breaking his forehead, still apologizing fearfully:
"I’m sorry! I’m sorry!"
"Spare me! Spare me!"
His tongue grew out again.
So he continued to reach out, pulling his tongue, slicing it again with the sword...
"Ah!!!"
He kowtowed again, banging his head repeatedly.
His eyes had completely lost their light, his soul seemingly controlled by a demon, blood and tears pouring from his eyes incessantly.
Neither alive nor dead.
Neither human nor ghost.
"Spare me, I beg you."
"I was wrong, I truly know my wrongs, Hallmaster Dao..."
