Chapter 395 - 391: Unexpected Fourth Party
Tuo Bihan’s words sent the crowd into an abrupt start, confusion and uncertainty emerged on the expressions of many elders, especially the former Grand Imperial Sages. Due to the Auric Sea’s unique environment and inherent dangers, the sect had decided to only leave a few minutes prior to the scheduled entrance. However, Tuo Bihan’s order had accelerated their activities.
The former Grand Imperial Sages instinctively sent inquisitive spiritual transmissions to Tuo Bihan inquiring about the change, but he merely swept his gaze across everyone and his eyes emanated silver light. He waved his hand, his spiritual force barking out an order.
"Do not resist!" When those words slammed into the minds of everyone, Tuo Bihan didn’t waste anymore time. Faint rays of gorgeous silver light erupted from his fingers, sweeping around the crowd like lively streamers. These rays became like slippery fishes that circulated around the bodies of everyone present.
Qing Qiumu felt startled by Tuo Bihan’s sudden actions, unconsciously stepping closer to Wei Wuyin. She hadn’t noticed, but the worry within her heart started to dissipate. When Long Chen noticed this little action of hers, his focus quickly returned to Wei Wuyin due to his want to continuously question, a blazing fire burned within his heart.
Wei Wuyin kept his focus on Tuo Bihan, his body felt lighter as the silver light swam around his body. He had experienced this numerous times already, but it was the first time the process was slower and more detailed, likely due to the sheer number of individuals being brought away.
Just as he thought, the rays of light started to undulate with rippling waves that were visible through the air.
Swish!
Tuo Bihan exerted his spatial force, bringing everyone away into the Everworth Void Gate. When everyone arrivee inside the building, they were greeted by a similar environment like the Wu Astral Tower. The dizzying crisscrossing tiles and extremely spacious area. There were no unnecessary items besides a single Void Gate that was several times larger than standard.
The half-circular silver arc that was the Void Gate had a platform beneath it that was multi-colored, emitting some strange and dim light. If one inspected it, they would find their energies stirring.
Wei Wuyin knew this was a unique empowering tool that was added to the large-sized Void Gate for the sake of penetrating certain environments and restrictions safely. Most sects, clans, or planets would typically have some restrictive formations that prevented the abrupt descent of enemy forces.
After all, a Void Gate was one-way travel that left very little evidence of an arrival. Its unique characteristics made it an astonishingly effective invasion tool. At a moment’s notice, War Commanders could send an army of ten thousand experts at someone’s doorstep.
But this Void Gate was designed for war, to breach into weaker areas of a restriction. While they might not be able to descend directly upon the enemy forces, they could descend nearby, or at an established allied camp, bypassing these issues with ease.
All the youths had never seen such a large Void Gate, its use had been decommissioned for the last eight hundred years, the time of the last war between the Myriad Monarch Sect versus the other three hegemonic forces. While the sect suffered the loss of many of its territories, they maintained their core and survived through the ordeal, signifying their foundation and exceptional strength at the time.
The large silver-colored semi-circular arc had all the similarities to a normal Void Gate. Tuo Bihan’s figure flickered with faint silver light as he unhesitantly sent out a Void Disk that integrated with the Void Gate, causing a curtain of multi-colored light to descend.
"Go!" He shouted out.
The former Grand Imperial Sages, especially Qin Rui, frowned heavily at this. It was rare that they’ll have to listen to the direct orders of others. They hadn’t expected to be barked at like subordinates, causing a desire to become Realmlords to grow ever-stronger.
Of course, Tuo Bihan cared little for their feelings. Seeing how there was a moment of hesitation, he waved his hand and the elders felt their bodies leave their control. Like darts thrown across the room, they were sent into the Void Gate at startling speeds. There were a few who exclaimed in shock but it accomplished nothing as they disappeared.
"Go!!" He shouted again, allowing no more hesitation. The elders clenched their teeth, shooting into the Void Gate after their comrades. While they didn’t know why this was happening, they were still confident of their strength.
After all the elders left, the former Grand Imperial Sages looked at Tuo Bihan with a leveled gaze, and then shot off into the Void Gate. They wanted to know why these developments were happening. The disciples were the last and next, causing them to follow after their elders after a brief hesitation.
Da Shan turned to Wei Wuyin with questions in her heart, but seeing his relaxed and calm appearance, she felt a wave of relief flow into her heart. Finding her rock of confidence, she brought her well-endowed body through the Void Gate, her eyes flashing with battle spirit.
Qing Qiumu, too, looked at Wei Wuyin. If anyone knew what was going on, she felt Wei Wuyin would know. After all, who didn’t know that Tuo Bihan was incredibly close, almost a subordinate, to Wei Wuyin. He had even gone personally to retrieve his concubine.
Wei Wuyin didn’t hesitate either. He grabbed Qing Qiumu’s hand and said, "Let’s go." They shot into the Void Gate.
Qing Qiumu was startled by Wei Wuyin’s actions, feeling the surge of unprecedented warmth and strength he carried within his hand. This was the first time she had such direct physical contact with Wei Wuyin, but her heart warmed. She knew he was doing this for her, hoping to alleviate her worries. So she followed along.
Long Chen was the type of person that liked to observe events and take action last, a tactic that he’d developed after years of traveling into dangerous locations or being brought into spontaneous developments like this one. As such, he was near the last of individuals that would enter the Void Gate. When he witnessed Wei Wuyin and Qing Qiumu holding hands, he hadn’t raged, exhibiting extreme calm.
As if this answered all his suspicions, he no longer cared about Qing Qiumu in his heart, burying their stories in the depths of his mind. He grabbed Lian Yu’s hand, shooting off with her in tow.
After they all entered, Tuo Bihan looked at the Void Gate, his eyebrows furrowed. He then shot into the Void Gate and vanished, causing the Void Gate to close.
-----
The Auric Sea was considered one of the most dangerous, mysterious, and mystifying locations within the entire starfield. There were numerous other areas, sometimes restricting certain individuals from entering, like the first Demon Planet that was conjured by the Abyss Master of Demonic Abyss Mountain. It was the only planet in the starfield that was covered in the corrosive and infective demonic energies year-round in extreme levels.
There were numerous unique lifeforms born due to this, and most of the life situated there had become demonic in nature, even the trees. It was stated that any non-demon creature would immediately suffer the effect of demonization from exposure of demonic energies after a single day there.
This led to it being both extremely dangerous and shocking, because there were few who knew who the Abyss Master of legend had created such a planet.
But the Auric Sea was slightly different, and that was due to its unexplorable environment and composition. It might be called a ’sea’ but it was a circulate planet, the largest planet in the entire starfield by roughly twelve times. Furthermore, it had no orbit, remaining completely stationary where it was.
Even more shocking, the planet had no external gravity outside of its atmosphere. This meant nothing was every pull down to it. In fact, objects could fly past its atmospheric layer with an inch of difference and remain unaffected. But that didn’t mean it had no gravity. In fact, its internal gravity was abnormally strong. To add, the gravitational force became stronger the closer one got to its ’surface’ until they were brought into its depths and crushed to death.
As for its composition, this was even more confusing as it was 100% liquid. It wasn’t normal water, but some type of dense azure liquid that had a greater density level than water. There was no weather on the planet either, meaning no wind currents. The entire ’sea’ was incredibly still.
From the outside, it seemed like an unmoving azure ball. It could even be mistaken as the starfield’s largest marble, the still liquid seemingly solid.
Ten thousand feet above the surface of the Auric Sea, still within the bounds of the atmospheric protection from the Dark Void, but at its most outer layers, there were three groups of individuals. They stood a large distance apart.
They were all looking at a single location that was shockingly empty, but the odd expressions on their faces at the moment betrayed the truth: there was something there.
Amongst these three groups, there were a few notable figures within each. There was a group in alchemist robes, redesigned and imparted with distinctive characteristics of a Martial Artist’s robes. They all had cauldrons on their backs, and this cauldron was spewing out an unending series of stars. This clearly belonged to the warrior faction of the Alchemist Association, and at the head of this group was Qingye Yun.
One other group was adorned in white robes with various colored strips. They had various insignia etched into their outfits at strange locations, likely denoting their faction, rank, and other things, but they all shared one common characteristic; at the right shoulder was a swirl of white that consisted of nine lines. The Elemental Heaven Pavilion was headed by Lin Ruyan, the Pavilion Master.
The last group consisted of just three people, and at the head of this group was a figure shrouded by a misty exterior, but his aura was unmistakable: A Realmlord!
The San Emperor was here!
At this moment, several dozen miles away, a figure emerged belonging to the first elder of the Myriad Monarch Sect.