Chapter 669: Tranquility in the Still-Wave Pool
Chapter 669: Tranquility in the Still-Wave Pool
"Boom boom boom~~~!"
Mountains in the surrounding valleys collapsed with thunderous roars.
As the smoke cleared, revealing the inner scenery, there stood a simple thatched cottage beside a circular pool eighty-one zhang in diameter.
Next to the pool was a small stone tablet with three protruding red characters: "Still-Wave Pool!"
Xuan Yuan\'s attack shattered the formation, causing a tremendous vibration that sent ripples through the Still-Wave Pool.
As the heavens and earth turned upside down and fierce winds swept in all directions, this small pool remained serene, showing only the slightest ripple, unperturbed.
"Squeak~~~"
The door of the thatched cottage slowly opened, and a frail old man with white hair emerged.
Glancing at the sky and the collapsed mountains of Yunfeng, and observing the formidable figures in the sky—five great Earth Immortals and even the Wayless Celestial Ghosts—the old man\'s expression remained calm, as if the life and death struggle of the Tian Family had nothing to do with him.
Finally, he turned his gaze to Zhongshan\'s trio.
When he saw Xuan Yuan\'s first dusting, the old man\'s eyes widened slightly.
"The Palace of Genesis, the Palace Master?" the old man spoke.
Xuan Yuan nodded.
"And you, sneaking in silently last time, almost even hiding from me!" The old man looked at Zhongshan, his pupils narrowing.
"Yin Zhi Zun, Xuan Yuan, stop him!" Zhongshan immediately ordered.
The old man appeared indifferent, like a transcendent figure untethered from worldly affairs. However, Zhongshan had no time to \'chat\' with him. It was pointless to waste words. It was better to forcefully intrude into the Still-Wave Pool first! After all, today was about challenging the Tian Family, so why be polite?
"Hahaha~~~"
Zhongshan\'s words made the old man laugh angrily.
"You\'ve turned the Tian Family upside down, and now you want to break into the Still-Wave Pool? Apart from the master, anyone who enters the Still-Wave Pool will meet death!" The old man\'s tone turned cold.
But Zhongshan, accompanied by Xuan Yuan and Yin Luo Yue, paid him no mind.
Stepping toward the Still-Wave Pool!
Seeing that the person in front of him completely ignored him, the old man, despite his good manners, was angered. His figure flickered and disappeared on the spot. At the same time, Xuan Yuan also disappeared instantly. In an instant, Xuan Yuan saw the old man\'s purpose, and his figure disappeared.
"Boom~~~"
With a loud noise, a powerful impact shattered the space, but neither the old man nor Xuan Yuan moved. The palms of the two were already a black hole, and the surrounding space was shaken. Xuan Yuan stood in front of Zhongshan. The strange thing was that Xuan Yuan\'s body was white and bright, and Zhongshan\'s place was not affected at all.
Behind Xuan Yuan, a pair of Tianyin wings soared into the sky, with a strong momentum directly challenging the old man!
Yin Luo Yue assisted on the side. Zhongshan was naturally assured.
No matter how strong the old man was, he could not be the 12th in the realm of Tianji. With Xuan Yuan here, Zhongshan was enough to be assured. In addition to Yin Luo Yue, Zhongshan had no worries, and he walked directly to the edge of the Still-Wave Pool.
The Still-Wave Pool, the strange Still-Wave Pool. Even under such a tremor, the Still-Wave Pool still has a very little effect.
Inside the Still-Wave Pool, what appeared to be water was unlike any ordinary liquid—it possessed an eerie strangeness.
Zhongshan hesitated not at all, stepping into the Still-Wave Pool.
Without the usual sound of a splash, he mysteriously entered its interior.
Zhongshan walked on, entering the true heart of the Tian Family\'s stronghold.
This was not water. Zhongshan had already affirmed that this was not water but a concentration of spatial energy.
A spatial aggregation?
Frowning, Zhongshan looked onward. Descending further, he finally passed through a strange passage into the depths of the so-called Still-Wave Pool.
Beneath the Still-Wave Pool lay an enigmatic space.
The space was pitch black, filled with water below that was calm as a mirror, undisturbed by any ripples. In the distance, on the mirror-like surface of the water, floated nearly a thousand lanterns emitting a yellow glow. Within each lantern flickered what seemed like a figure—ghosts, souls captured by the Tian Family, each trapped inside a lantern as if undergoing some eerie form of redemption.
Above the water surface, there were also twenty-four cushions arranged in a line. From left to right, the second, seventh, and ninth cushions were empty. On the remaining twenty-one cushions sat individuals clad in the Tian Family\'s robes, each performing various hand seals, seemingly immersed in cultivation. Even with Zhongshan\'s intrusion, not one of the twenty-one individuals stirred.
Twenty-one people?
Zhongshan was startled. Could they all be in the realm of Tianji? If the Tian Family was indeed like this, it would be truly terrifying—twenty-one Tianji realm experts? No, there were also eight outside, making it twenty-nine Tianji realm experts? And this didn\'t even count the three empty cushions.
Zhongshan\'s scalp tingled. The Tian Family was too horrifying!
So many powerful beings?
However, strangely, why hadn\'t these twenty-one individuals noticed him?
Watching this hair-raising scene, Zhongshan took a deep breath. Since he had come this far, there was no room for retreat.
With a flicker, he rapidly shot downwards.
Although Zhongshan was only a distance of ten thousand zhang from the water surface, he bizarrely discovered that no matter how much he descended, there was still a distance of ten thousand zhang from the water surface?
What was this?
Increasing his speed, Zhongshan suddenly realized after half an incense stick of time that he had only descended by one zhang—just one zhang?
A thousand miles apart?
Zhongshan finally understood what "a thousand miles apart" meant. The internal space of the Still-Wave Pool operated under extremely peculiar laws, making it impossible to reach the other side. Even if he sped up or spent more time, he couldn\'t land on the water surface.
"Roar~~~!"
Zhongshan let out a roar.
However, his voice seemed unable to travel more than a zhang away—it couldn\'t transmit at all, not even with his divine sense here. No wonder the twenty-one people hadn\'t noticed Zhongshan.
What was going on here? Manipulation of spatial laws?
What should he do? Lingering here wasn\'t an option. He had to plunge down, even if it caused damage beyond measure.
Making up his mind, Zhongshan\'s pupils suddenly contracted, then widened again, turning from their original black to green.
Unbeknownst to Zhongshan, as he entered this dark space, seated in meditation on the leading cushion among the twenty-one, an elderly figure furrowed his brow slightly. Clearly, he had sensed Zhongshan\'s arrival but chose not to reveal it.
Zhongshan\'s pupils widened!
"Reincarnation Passage, open!"
With a thunderous shout, Zhong Shan\'s voice echoed through the air. Suddenly, a swirl of black mist materialized in the midair of this strange space. At the center of the mist, a green dot appeared, rapidly expanding into a ghostly, gaping maw. The immense suction from the Reincarnation Passage tore at the surrounding space.
The powerful suction finally began to affect the environment. If this were the outside world, the space around would have shattered. However, the internal space here was incredibly sturdy, only trembling slightly. The calm, mirror-like water below began to ripple.
"Pop!"
A ripple spread towards the twenty-one formidable figures in the distance.
"Whoosh..."
All twenty-one opened their eyes simultaneously, their gazes filled with fierce hostility, directed straight at Zhong Shan.
Zhong Shan\'s body stiffened as if he couldn\'t move. Even the Reincarnation Passage abruptly collapsed back into nothingness without his control. The combined gaze of these twenty-one individuals was so overwhelming that it rendered Zhong Shan immobile. Was this the power of the Tian family?
The group stared at Zhong Shan as if their gazes alone could penetrate his body. Each of these twenty-one seemed to possess the strength of a Tianji disciple. How could the Tian family have so many powerful individuals? It was simply too terrifying!
Zhong Shan couldn\'t move, not even to breathe properly. How could he possibly summon the Reincarnation Passage under such circumstances?
"Ten of you, go out and see what\'s happening with the Tian family," the leading elder ordered.
"Yes!" The twelfth to the twenty-first individuals immediately stood up.
The ten figures swiftly moved past Zhong Shan, seemingly unaffected by spatial laws, and vanished in an instant.
Inside, only eleven Tian family members remained.
"Who are you?" the leader asked, fixing his gaze on Zhong Shan.
Zhong Shan felt a powerful binding force in the surrounding space, preventing him from moving. Suddenly, he realized he could speak.
"I am a direct disciple of the Tian family head!" Zhong Shan quickly exclaimed.
"The direct disciple of Tianji?" The elder sneered.
"No, I am a direct disciple of Tianxing!" Zhong Shan hastily corrected himself.
"Nonsense, since when did the Tian family head become Tianxing?" the third man roared angrily.
The leader\'s eyes narrowed, but he did not rebuke Zhong Shan. Instead, he stared at him intently. "Tianxing?"
"My master gave me a token!" Zhong Shan said.
"Ridiculous! Do you think we are so easily deceived? Do you know where you are? Don\'t think you can leave once you\'re here!" another Tian family member shouted angrily.
"Oh?" The leader looked at Zhong Shan with curiosity.
At this moment, Zhong Shan realized he could move again.
He quickly activated a spell, conjuring an illusion of a token in front of him. The illusion depicted the token that Tianxing had once given him, the \'Tian Token.\'
Zhong Shan dared not take out the actual token, but he could project its illusion with his magic.
At first, some of the people sneered at Zhong Shan\'s illusion. But as they saw the solemn expressions on the others, they took a closer look. Upon careful inspection, almost everyone\'s pupils contracted.
"The... Tian Token?" someone exclaimed in surprise.
Immediately, everyone gave Zhong Shan a deep look and then turned their gazes towards the leading elder.