Chapter 710: The Terrifying Spatial Storm
Flame Emperor, Xiao Yan?
Looking at the black‑robed man flanked on both sides by two stunningly beautiful women, Lin Langtian paused, a trace of surprise crossing his face.
He had not expected to run into the Flame Emperor Xiao Yan of the Dou Qi Continent—another lower plane—while traversing between planes.
In the original timeline, Flame Emperor Xiao Yan and Martial Ancestor Lin Dong were both top‑tier experts of immense renown in the Great Thousand World, both having risen from nothing and fought their way up from lower planes.
Thinking of this, Lin Langtian could not help looking over the black‑robed man again. The other truly lived up to the title of Flame Emperor; his aura was deep and restrained, his bearing dignified and towering like a mountain. Most striking of all were those black eyes, as profound and mysterious as the starry sky.
"Truly worthy of the Flame Emperor…" Lin Langtian murmured inwardly.
He had only ever seen such a presence in one other person: the man by his side now, Lin Dong.
Flame Emperor and Martial Ancestor—barring unforeseen disaster, both would one day step into the Ruler Realm. The only question was whether Lin Langtian himself would reach that height.
Sighing inwardly, Lin Langtian's gaze shifted to the two women at Xiao Yan's side.
If he guessed right, they had to be Xiao Xun'er and Cai Lin, whose popularity in his previous life had rivaled that of Ling Qingzhu and Ying Huanhuan.
Neither disappointed. As first‑rate beauties of the Dou Qi Continent, their looks and bearing could only be matched by a handful of women like Ling Qingzhu, Ying Huanhuan, and Tang Xinlian.
"Brother Langtian, that man is very strong," Lin Dong said, his expression tightening as he looked in Xiao Yan's direction.
From Xiao Yan's body, he sensed an extremely powerful aura, blazing with fiery attribute.
This man was clearly a master of flame.
Lin Langtian chuckled and nodded. "Very strong indeed. Judging by his appearance, he also hails from a lower plane.
"The Great Thousand World truly is the center of all planes, gathering countless geniuses. If we get the chance someday, we might cross paths with him there. When that time comes, we must make his acquaintance."
If circumstances had allowed, Lin Langtian would certainly have gone to greet the Flame Emperor.
Unfortunately, the two of them were now traveling through the treacherous currents between planes, separated from Xiao Yan by a vast distance, and it was hardly convenient to approach.
"A pity," Lin Dong said with a smile. "But you're right—someone like that will never remain unknown in the Great Thousand World. If we meet in the future, we'll have to share a good drink."
Perhaps because like called to like, Lin Dong felt an instant affinity for Xiao Yan after only a single glance.
"For now, we should focus on the road ahead. The Great Thousand World is where our true journey begins," Lin Langtian said with a smile as he stared into the void.
Lin Dong nodded solemnly, a thrill of anticipation stirring in his chest.
As Lin Langtian and Lin Dong gradually passed out of sight, the two women beside Xiao Yan also noticed his small gesture. The more refined of the two smiled. "Brother Xiao Yan, what is it?"
"Nothing, I just sensed two powerful people nearby. For some reason, I felt an odd affinity with them. I hope we can meet again someday. Let's keep going."
Xiao Yan smiled and said no more. With a wave of his sleeve, the three of them turned into streaks of light and vanished, heading toward that "new world."
There, the most spectacular stories awaited them.
…
Within a silent, pitch‑black spatial tunnel, two black dots flickered by without a sound, vanishing into the darkness an instant later like lonely travelers in an endless void.
The two were none other than Lin Langtian and Lin Dong.
According to Aunt Ling, experts of the Great Thousand World usually used teleportation arrays to cross large distances quickly. But as a lower plane, the Tianxuan Continent had not even known the Great Thousand World existed before now, much less possessed any teleportation arrays. Lin Langtian and Lin Dong had no choice but to make the journey under their own power.
Even as Supremes, traveling without teleportation would still take months of uninterrupted flight to reach their destination—and that assumed there were no obstructions along the way.
From Aunt Ling, they had learned that between planes and continents lay either boundless oceans or natural traps that even Supremes dreaded.
Some continents were completely isolated by spatial currents; crossing those waters was a deadly risk even for Supremes.
Thus, the two had advanced with extreme caution. To die here before they even set foot in the Great Thousand World would be to betray the hopes of all the living beings of the Tianxuan Continent.
After the initial thrill of the journey wore off, the path became dull and monotonous.
An endless, unchanging darkness was enough to drive the weak‑willed into madness.
Fortunately, both Lin Langtian and Lin Dong were firm of mind. Even so, the tedium was wearing.
Thus, time passed quietly.
Before them sprawled a vast, sapphire‑blue sea. The ocean stretched away until sea and sky met, and from its depths great fish‑like spirit beasts occasionally leapt out, sending up thunderous waves.
Hiss, hiss.
High above the water, space suddenly twisted, violent spatial ripples surging as a vortex spun itself into existence.
From within that vortex, two streaks of light shot forth and came to a stop above the sea.
Seeing the boundless ocean, both Lin Langtian and Lin Dong forgot their fatigue at once, joy lighting their eyes.
"We've been on the road for about two months now. We're finally close to the Great Thousand World," Lin Langtian said with a smile as their eyes fell upon the distant, speck‑like continent far ahead of them.
He did not know which land of the Great Thousand World they were approaching, but they had at last crossed its threshold.
"So those are spirit beasts…" Lin Dong murmured as he watched a great beast leap from the sea. "Their aura is like that of those Leng Clan experts—very different from the yuan power of our Tianxuan Continent."
"Mm. Leng Feng said the power cultivated in the Great Thousand World is called spiritual energy. Compared to yuan power, its quality is much higher."
Lin Langtian caught a handful of the surrounding ambient power, feeling the strange energy within it. "Once we reach the Great Thousand World, the first thing we must do is convert the yuan power in our bodies to spiritual energy. Otherwise, we'll be repelled by the world's laws, unable to absorb the ambient spirit energy, and we won't be able to move an inch."
He recalled how Xiao Yan had stumbled when he first entered the Great Thousand World in the original timeline, ignorant of the need to transform his dou qi into spiritual energy. Only with the help of the former patriarch of the Luo God Clan had he understood.
By forging that bond with Xiao Yan, the Luo God Clan had survived its fall and eventually wrapped itself in the protection of the Endless Fire Territory. Otherwise, they might never have endured long enough for Luo Li and Mu Chen to rise.
"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Langtian," Lin Dong said with a nod.
Buzz.
Before his words had even faded, a deep rumbling sound rolled across the sky. Lin Langtian and Lin Dong both started.
They looked up and their faces hardened.
Not far ahead, the void itself was filled by a pale‑silver torrent.
The shimmering flood seemed to stretch across the entire sky, and within it seethed a terrifying density of spatial power.
"What is that?" Lin Dong asked, staring at the silver stream in puzzlement.
"A spatial current," Lin Langtian said, his expression changing.
Of all dangers encountered during planar travel, this was the one they feared most. Caught in a spatial current, even an Earth Supreme would struggle to escape unscathed. As for Supremes, they would likely be torn apart without a trace.
"Fortunately, it's still some distance away. We're safe for the moment," Lin Langtian exhaled.
No sooner had he spoken than his and Lin Dong's expressions froze in horror.
The once‑calm spatial current began to churn violently. At its heart, it slowly spun, condensing into a storm of pale‑silver spatial force.
The silver storm towered like a giant, thousands of feet high, as fearsome as some ancient fiend.
From within it poured a swallowing force so strong that both Lin Langtian and Lin Dong trembled, feeling as though they might be ripped away at any moment.
"A spatial storm…"
They both went pale as they stared at the raging silver vortex. They had never expected their worst luck would strike now.
"So this is a spatial storm… It really is terrifying. With such massive spatial power, even Ancestor‑level experts could never unleash something like that," Lin Dong said quietly, eyes locked on the serpent‑like spiral of silver.
"Truly unfortunate. That storm sits right between us and that continent," Lin Langtian muttered, frowning as he glanced past the storm to the land beyond.
"What do we do now?" Lin Dong asked, face grim.
"We can only force our way through. This is the closest continent to us. If we bypass it, who knows how long we'll drift in this void. Time is not on our side."
Thinking of the latent threat of the Northern Region Leng Clan, Lin Langtian was loath to waste any more time. His voice hardened.
Lin Dong nodded, and the two exchanged a look of shared resolve.
Whoosh.
Boundless yuan power surged forth as they unleashed their full speed, shooting ahead like arrows loosed from their bowstrings.
In a blink, they had crossed a thousand meters and plunged straight into the wild silver storm.
Bang, bang.
The instant they entered, their bodies lurched violently, faces going rigid. They were like tiny skiffs tossed about on a raging sea.
Feeling the dreadful tearing force within the storm, Lin Langtian's expression grew darker. It was only by virtue of their strength and their mastery over spatial power—thanks to the Ancestral Symbol of Space—that they were able to endure.
Anyone else would likely have been shredded in an instant.
Even so, they could not last long. They would have to escape quickly.
With that thought, both men gritted their teeth and poured out another surge of power.
Their speed climbed to the very limit as streaks of pale‑silver spatial force danced across their bodies like lightning.
"Brother Langtian, I can see the continent!"
Just as Lin Langtian's endurance was approaching its limit, Lin Dong's joyful shout hit him like a tonic.
Looking up, he saw it too—a hazy outline of land emerging from the distant darkness.
They were nearly there.
Bang!
Before he could let himself feel relief, a monstrous blast of spatial power smashed into him.
The force was so overwhelming that only by straining every fiber of his will did Lin Langtian avoid being blown off course and sucked into the storm's eye.
Even so, he was hurled a great distance, the gap between him and Lin Dong widening sharply.
He barely regained his balance when a glance ahead made his pupils narrow sharply.
The spatial storm was swelling into a frenzy.
Within it, the devouring force erupted in a sweeping wave, and under that suction Lin Langtian's speed plummeted.
"Go on without me, it's too dangerous here!" he shouted to Lin Dong.
"But…" Lin Dong's face changed.
Lin Langtian was his clan head and sworn brother. How could he abandon him?
"Don't worry, this storm can't kill me. If you stay, we'll only make it worse. Go on ahead, I'll be right behind you," Lin Langtian said, his tone brooking no argument.
Lin Dong's face shifted between struggle and resolve. Finally, he gritted his teeth. "Take care, Brother Langtian. I'll be waiting for you ahead."
With that, he shot forward toward the distant continent.
In the face of such a storm, there was nothing more he could do. All he could do was trust the man he admired most.
Watching Lin Dong disappear into the distance, Lin Langtian let out a long breath before turning back to the raging storm behind him, scalp prickling.
He beat the Kun Dragon wings on his back with desperate force, pushing the Space Ancestral Symbol to its utmost. His figure blurred into afterimages that were ripped apart one by one by the storm's suction.
Time stretched as he fled through the howling vortex. At last, just as he was about to break free, a chill swept over his skin. Instinct took over; his body dropped in a sudden dive.
Whoosh.
A massive streak of silver spatial force tens of feet thick lashed past like a serpent, slamming into his back and erupting in a burst of light.
Blood sprayed from Lin Langtian's lips as the Kun Dragon wings flared one last time. He turned into a streak of light and tumbled out of the storm, plummeting toward the unknown continent below…
(END CHAPTER)
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