Chapter 24: Plunder

In another territory, infinitely far from the Dark Ocean.

On a chaotic star, there was a huge diamond-shaped crystal emitting waves.

“Closer.”

“We can go even closer.”

Over a hundred World-level cultivators had gathered on this chaotic star, their eyes burning as they gazed at the diamond-shaped crystal stuck in the earth far ahead. The waves from the crystal directly entered their minds.

“Such an opportunity must be seized.”

“A little closer.”

Like toddlers learning to walk, each World-level cultivator struggled step by step, drawing nearer to the diamond-shaped crystal. The closer they got, the stronger the invisible pressure became, pressing directly on their truesouls. Yet they strained to get closer, to hear more clearly the sound contained in the waves.

It was the sound of the Dao.

“Whoosh——” Above the chaotic star, a pitch-black hole millions of miles wide silently split open. From within the hole slowly emerged a massive head, its two flame-like eyes gazing down at the World-level cultivators below.

“This is…”

The more than a hundred World-level cultivators, who had been immersed in the joy of a great opportunity, stared in shock at the terrifying giant head above. Their truesouls trembled in fear.

“Huff.”

The giant head opened its mouth and inhaled, forming a pitch-black spacetime passage. The hundred-plus World-level cultivators on the star, powerless to resist, flew up one by one and were sucked into the passage. Even the diamond-shaped crystal stuck in the earth was swallowed in.

“Chomp.” The great mouth closed, the giant head retracted, and the pitch-black hole sealed up again, all without a sound.

…

The Geliand Territory, a region beyond the control of the Dao Alliance, belonged to the sphere of influence of the “Eternal Clan.”

In the void chaos, two magnificently dressed mighty beings walked side by side.

Wherever they passed, spacetime twisted. Though they seemed to stroll, each step covered far more distance than an ordinary World-level cultivator could with a spatial teleport.

“Gequè, you’re actually willing to let ‘Little Gehuò’ become my disciple? When he awakens, he’ll at least be half my subordinate.” The female mighty being, dressed in a green robe and with a beautiful face, spoke with a smile.

“Little Gehuò is the most promising descendant I’ve had in endless ages. Though he’s only at the World level now, with my full cultivation he can match a one-step Dao Lord. And that’s not all his potential—his greatest strength is the Dao of Spacetime… In spacetime, within our entire Eternal Clan, you are one of the best. Only by becoming your disciple can he achieve greater heights in the Dao of Spacetime.” The silver-haired middle-aged man’s eyes held longing. “The stronger he is before awakening, the greater the benefits at awakening, and the more astonishing his potential… I watched Little Gehuò grow up, nurtured him step by step. Though he’ll be your disciple and half your subordinate, for Little Gehuò’s sake, I’ll let you have this advantage.”

“You make it sound like you’re giving me such a big advantage.” The green-robed woman laughed. “I’ll have to put in a lot of effort to cultivate him; it’s quite draining.”

“Our Eternal Clan has few members, and such excellent descendants are even rarer. Little Gehuò could awaken at any time, but he’s been suppressing it… Sending such a promising disciple to your door, don’t be smug about it.” The silver-haired middle-aged man said.

“Let’s agree: since Little Gehuò is becoming my disciple, I’ll take him away for one chaos cycle. You must not interfere.” The green-robed woman said.

“Fine.” The silver-haired middle-aged man agreed.

Chatting and laughing, they strode through the void and soon arrived at a chaos world.

“Hmm?” The green-robed woman’s expression changed. Her eyes suddenly showed a glint of gold, reflecting the surrounding spacetime. Her face turned serious as she said, “The spacetime around here has been forcibly twisted.”

“Forcibly twisted?” The silver-haired middle-aged man’s face changed. With a thought, he examined that chaos world.

“Where is Little Gehuò?”

“How is he gone?”

The silver-haired middle-aged man was shocked. “How could even his servants and the guardian of this chaos world have all disappeared?” According to the rules he had set, the guardian was absolutely forbidden to leave without his orders, because this was an extremely important place of the “Gequè King’s lineage.”

But now, all the World-level cultivators in this chaos world had vanished, including his most valued descendant, “Gehuò.”

“My subordinates would never dare leave without my orders. They must have been forcibly killed or forcibly taken away.” The silver-haired middle-aged man’s entire body began to surge with scarlet flames, his eyes full of killing intent. “The spacetime here was forcibly twisted. Trace the distortion, find the source. I will kill him, kill him!”

“You can’t kill…” The green-robed woman’s face was grim.

“Hmm?” The silver-haired middle-aged man looked at her.

“I can’t trace the marks. The mighty being who twisted spacetime is stronger than me in the Dao of Spacetime.” The green-robed woman said. “If he wants to leave, you can’t stop him.”

“Stronger than you in the Dao of Spacetime?” The silver-haired man found it hard to believe.

“Who did this?” The green-robed woman frowned. “Could it be the Dao Alliance? There are only a few in the Dao Alliance capable of this. Would they stoop to targeting Little Gehuò? That seems unlikely…”

…

A blazing chaotic star, releasing raging flames, illuminated a nearby chaos world. Its light nurtured all things.

“Whoosh——”

In the void beside the chaotic star, a pitch-black hole split open. The giant beast’s head slowly emerged, opened its mouth, and inhaled sharply toward the huge chaotic star.

“Who?” A furious shout.

Then the blazing chaotic star rapidly condensed and shrank, transforming into a flame-covered beast. The previously blazing chaotic star had turned into this flame beast. Its aura was powerful, and it struggled desperately, roaring, “Who are you?”

“Child, it’s time to come home.” The giant beast’s head spoke. Its mouth inhaled, again forming a pitch-black spacetime passage.

“Huff.”

The flame beast could not resist the suction and was drawn toward the pitch-black spacetime passage. The closer it got, the smaller it became, until it was completely swallowed.

The giant beast’s head retracted into the pitch-black hole, and the hole sealed shut.

…

“How interesting.”

In the void, a humanoid creature formed of water sat cross-legged, curiously gazing at the void around it.

“Is this what life feels like?”

This humanoid creature, entirely formed of water, had eyes full of curiosity, like a newborn baby observing the world.

“Whoosh——” A pitch-black hole appeared beside it, and the giant beast’s head emerged.

“A newly born little one…”

The giant beast’s head opened its mouth and inhaled.

“Eh? Hmm?” The water humanoid, unable to resist, flew toward the spacetime passage. It still watched curiously, not struggling, because it sensed no hostility from this seemingly terrifying creature.

…

During this period, across the vast boundless territories, many powerful beings simply vanished.

…

Ji Ning and his group of cultivators, inside the flying boat, were sucked into the spacetime passage. They felt spacetime twist, like riding a “spacetime teleportation array.”

“This is a spacetime teleport. Where is it taking us?” Ji Ning and the others were all anxious and fearful, for the beast that had sucked them in was too powerful.

Whoosh——

Spacetime stabilized.

“Where is this?” Ji Ning and the others saw clearly: they were on the summit of a towering mountain. The summit was vast, and already filled with a great number of beings, most of them cultivators. At a glance, over a thousand cultivators had gathered here.

Ji Ning and his ninety-eight cultivators also appeared on the summit. They first put away the flying boat, each being cautious.

“Where is this?”

“Fellow Daoist, where is this, and how can we leave?” Xiang Lu World God immediately asked the cultivators who had been there earlier.

That black-robed cultivator glanced at Xiang Lu World God and shook his head slightly. “There’s no way to leave. The summit is surrounded by restrictions; we can’t take a single step off it. We can’t even damage the summit itself. Actually, I only arrived half a day before you.”

Ji Ning and the others changed expression, each lost in thought.

Just then, the space above twisted, and another hundred cultivators appeared out of thin air, all looking confused and uneasy.