Lin Xue hesitated for a moment before handing the jade vial to him. She knew that she didn't possess Chen Hao's speed and reflexes; under these circumstances, he was far better suited to execute this critical mission.
"I'll create a distraction," Lin Xue said. "You charge in during the chaos and splash the potion onto the sphere. Remember, no matter what happens, don't look back."
"And you?"
"I have the Shadow Cat Martial Soul; my stealth is extremely strong. They won't be able to find me." Lin Xue spoke as she retrieved several black spherical objects from her waist. "These are flash bombs. I'll throw them into the four corners of the hall and detonate them simultaneously. The flash will temporarily blind everyone, including the High Priest. You'll have three seconds."
Chen Hao took a deep breath and gripped the jade vial tightly. His hand trembled slightly—not out of fear, but from a complex mix of tension and exhilaration. This was his first time executing such a dangerous mission against such a powerful enemy. If he succeeded, he would become a hero of the Heroic Spirits Academy; if he failed, both he and Lin Xue would die here, and die horribly.
"Ready?" Lin Xue asked.
Chen Hao nodded.
"Three, two, one, go!"
Lin Xue lobbed all four flash bombs at once. The bombs traced four arcs through the air, landing precisely in the four corners of the hall. Almost in the exact same instant, four deafening blasts erupted simultaneously, and blinding white light flooded the entire hall, dispelling all darkness and shadow.
"Argh—"
"My eyes!"
"What's happening?!"
The cries of the black-robed cultists rose and fell one after another.
Chen Hao squeezed his eyes shut, but the power of light he cultivated granted his eyes a powerful resistance to intense brightness. Even with his eyes closed, he could perceive his surroundings through the faint light filtering through his eyelids. He burst from the shadows, his body like a bolt of lightning, weaving through the gaps between the black-robed cultists as he sprinted toward the black sphere at the center of the hall.
Thirty meters, twenty meters, ten meters...
The distance rapidly closed. Chen Hao could already feel the suffocating pressure radiating from the black sphere. It felt as though an invisible hand was gripping his throat, suffocating him. Countless voices surged into his mind—whispering, screaming, weeping, cursing. They were the resentful spirits of the innocent killed by the Void Cult, sealed within the black sphere, turned into nourishment for the power of the Void.
Five meters, three meters, one meter...
Chen Ho yanked the stopper from the jade vial and hurled the silver-white liquid at the black sphere. The liquid dispersed in mid-air like a silver rain, splashing across the sphere's surface. The instant the potion made contact, the cracks on the black sphere violently flared. The dark red glow morphed into a blinding crimson, like a star on the verge of exploding.
"No—!" The Void High Priest's voice rang out through the hall, filled with fury and terror.
The silver-white liquid spread across the black sphere's surface. Wherever it touched, the black mist was dispelled, the runes were erased, and the dark red glow within the cracks gradually dimmed. The sphere's rotation slowed, its pulsations growing weaker and weaker, like a heart about to stop beating.
"It worked!" Joy surged in Chen Hao's heart, and he turned to run.
But he had forgotten Lin Xue's warning: don't look back.
The moment he turned his head, the Void High Priest had already opened his eyes. Those purple pupils stared dead at Chen Hao, the gaze devoid of all emotion, holding only pure killing intent. He raised his right hand, a black radiance condensing on his fingertips. The light morphed into a massive black palm that lunged toward Chen Hao.
Chen Hao had no time to dodge. The black palm passed straight through his body.
No, not passed through—it had seized him.
Chen Hao felt his body pinned by an invisible force. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and even his heartbeat slowed down. An icy power surged from his chest, spreading along his meridians to every limb and bone, freezing his soul power, freezing his blood, freezing his very thoughts.
"A little mouse." The Void High Priest's voice echoed beside Chen Hao's ear. It was very, very soft, as if he were mumbling to himself. "A little mouse who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, actually daring to barge into my temple and destroy my research. Do you know what you've done? You've ruined ten years of my painstaking effort!"
The Void High Priest's hand clenched violently. A searing agony erupted in Chen Hao's chest, as if something had exploded inside his body. He spat out a mouthful of blood, which crystallized into ice in mid-air, hitting the ground with a crisp clatter.
"Chen Hao!" Lin Xue's voice rang out from the shadows.
She couldn't just stand by and watch any longer. Though she knew that rushing out was tantamount to suicide, she couldn't watch Chen Hao die right in front of her. She emerged from the shadows, the Shadow Cat's sharp claws swiping at the Void High Priest's throat.
The Void High Priest didn't even spare her a glance. He simply flicked his left hand casually, and a shockwave of black energy sent her flying. Lin Xue's body slammed into the wall with a dull thud, then slid to the ground, motionless. It was impossible to tell if she was alive or dead.
"Lin Xue!" Chen Ho roared hoarsely, his voice cracking with sobs.
"Relax, she's not dead yet," the Void High Priest said indifferently. "I won't let her die so easily. You destroyed my research, and I will make you pay the price. I will rip your souls out and seal them inside the Heart of the Void, where you will wail for all eternity, never to find release."
The Void High Priest raised his right hand, and Chen Hao's body was hoisted into the air by an invisible force. He raised his left hand, and the fingernail on his index finger lightly traced across Chen Hao's chest. The skin split open in a gash, and blood poured forth. The Void High Priest inserted his index finger into the wound, as if searching for something.
"A possessor of the Sword of Light."
A smile crept onto the Void High Priest's lips.
"Marvelous. Your soul is of exceedingly high quality, and it contains potent power of light. Using your soul to repair the Heart of the Void would be absolutely perfect."
Chen Hao twisted his body in agony, but he couldn't resist. The power of a Titled Douluo was too overwhelming; he was like a mouse caught in a cat's paw—no amount of struggling would do any good.
Just as the Void High Priest was about to extract Chen Hao's soul, the massive doors of the hall suddenly let out a deafening roar. The entire metal door was blasted open by a colossal force, and dozens of figures were sent flying out from behind the door—black-robed cultists who had been blown away.
Su Chen stood in the doorway. The phantom of the Nine-Tailed Silver Fox materialized behind him, its nine tails swaying gently, each radiating a different colored glow. His face was still pale, but his gaze was unwavering as he held a longsword condensed entirely from the power of space.
Ares followed closely behind Su Chen. His body was already sheathed in a layer of rock armor, making him look like a moving stone statue. Every step he took landed with a heavy thud, shaking the very walls of the hall.
------------------------------------------------------
30+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)