Chương 158: Chapter 294: Suppression
"How did this happen?"
"Quick, we have to get out of here!"
"The exit is gone, and I can't summon my Yellow Spring Registry!"
The members of the Wang family who had followed Wang Yongzhi into the Yellow Spring were now trying their best to find a way out, their faces etched with tension. It wasn't just the fear of death that gripped them, but also the knowledge that among their group were some of the key powerholders of the Wang family. If they all perished here, it would be a devastating blow to the family.
The merging of two Yellow Springs was an extremely rare occurrence, and yet they had stumbled upon it—it was almost uncanny!
"Uncle Wang Zhendong, why aren't you leaving?" Wang Yongzhi asked, his voice laced with concern as he, too, had tried to summon his Yellow Spring Registry to no avail.
The stalwart figure of Wang Zhendong, the bedrock of the Wang family, continued to instill a sense of security in them even in these dire circumstances.
"Of course, I'm leaving," Wang Zhendong replied, his brow furrowed in thought. "But I want to stay a little longer to observe the merging of these two Yellow Springs, especially the Hell Yellow Spring..."
A frown creased his forehead as he continued, "This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. If we leave now and return later, this place might already be completely consumed by the Hell Yellow Spring. Without the protection of the rules of this Netherworld-level Yellow Spring, we would be directly immersed in hell, and even I might not survive. This is a rare chance to study the Hell-level Yellow Spring up close."
"And look at all of you," he added with a hint of annoyance, glancing at Wang Yongzhi. "You brought so many people in here without thinking."
Wang Yongzhi immediately understood the concern in his uncle's voice. At the moment, while they were suppressed by the rules of the Netherworld-level Yellow Spring, this Yellow Spring was also resisting the Hell Yellow Spring. As a result, the rules were actually protecting them. If it were the oppressive rules of the Hell Yellow Spring, the consequences would be terrifying, and even those at the Dao Domain might not be able to withstand it.
"Uncle Wang Zhendong, do you know how to get out?" Wang Yongzhi asked hastily, his earlier nonchalance replaced by a sense of urgency.
He had intended to observe how Li Hao would handle the Netherworld Yellow Spring and, in the process, foster a closer relationship with him. But now, it felt like they had just stepped out of their door only to be caught in a torrential downpour of rain and hail.
Noting the anxious looks on their faces, Wang Zhendong let out a cold huff. "The rules here are in flux, causing the original exit to disappear. But don't worry, as long as you have the token, I can lead you to safety."
Hearing that there was still a way out, Wang Yongzhi breathed a sigh of relief, his composure returning, at least on the surface.
"I have it," he replied, nodding. Having anticipated the dangers of the Netherworld Yellow Spring, he had come prepared with the token that ensured their escape at any time.
Turning to Li Hao, Wang Yongzhi said, "Hao Hao, Godly General of the Heavenly Realm, you've probably heard about the situation by now. It's going to get extremely dangerous here very soon, and we must leave as quickly as possible."
Before Li Hao could respond, Wang Zhendong's eyebrows shot up. "What did you just call him?"
Although he hadn't paid much attention to Li Hao earlier, he had still discerned the youth's identity. Such a young man, already in control of the Dao Domain, could only be the renowned Hao Tian General of Liangzhou.
Wang Zhendong himself was here under a secret order from His Majesty to assist this very general. The emperor's high regard for Li Hao was understandable, as any godly general's mansion would covet and regret not having such a prodigious youth among their ranks.
However, there was a distinct difference between a general and a godly general, and that title couldn't be used lightly.
"Hao... Heavenly?" Wang Zhendong's two young companions stared at Li Hao, their eyes wide with surprise.
Realizing that Wang Zhendong was displeased with their impulsive decision to enter the Yellow Spring, Wang Yongzhi quickly explained through a sound transmission, not wanting their anger to be directed at Li Hao.
"What?" Wang Zhendong's face, which had been somber, now reflected his shock at Wang Yongzhi's sound transmission. He turned to look at Li Hao with a newfound intensity.
Chong Er?
The very same Chong Er who topped the Merit List?
The one who had established unparalleled merit in the Three States and created the Merit Treasure Vault?
Wang Zhendong stared at the youthful face before him, finding it hard to believe.
But soon, understanding dawned. No wonder Wang Yongzhi and the others had been so reckless in their haste to come here. They must have wanted to see if this Chong Er had any special techniques for passing through the Yellow Spring.
His anger toward Wang Yongzhi and the others dissipated considerably as he considered their actions from their perspective. In their shoes, he, too, would have been curious enough to venture in for a glimpse.
"A remarkable young man indeed," Wang Zhendong sighed softly, his mood visibly improving. Without further ado, he stood up and said, "Let's get you all out of here first. This place is too perilous."
As they spoke, Li Hao's soul remained attuned to the pitch-black fault outside the town, sensing its slow but relentless advance. It crept forward like an army of ants, inching closer with every passing moment. Based on its current rate of progress, he estimated that in a dozen or so hours, it would reach the buildings within the town.
With the waning and increasing fusion of the Mohe River, the speed of the fusion may increase in the future.
Time is running out.
Li Hao looked at the Wang family members who were about to take action and asked Wang Zhendong, "Senior Wang, do you have any clues or ideas on how to pass through this river?"
"You still want to pass through?" Wang Zhendong's face changed slightly as he stared at Li Hao. "It's impossible. There used to be a way, but now that the Mohe River has merged and is being interfered with by the hell-level rules, it's extremely difficult to pass through!"
"I want to give it a try," Li Hao said seriously as he looked at him. "But first, I'll send you all out, and then I'll try it myself."
He didn't want to give up easily on this trip, and he wouldn't feel at ease if he didn't give it his all.
Wang Yongzhi and the others also changed their expressions, surprised by Li Hao's persistence. They wondered if the Saint of Thieves was a relative of Li Hao's.
"Godly General Hao Tian, you're still young and have a promising future ahead of you. There's no need to take such a risk here," Wang Yongzhi advised solemnly.
Li Hao glanced at him and shook his head slightly. "It's two different things."
Wang Yongzhi opened his mouth slightly but fell silent.
Indeed, it was two different matters. Achieving success and helping others were not mutually exclusive. However, those who had succeeded in the past often chose not to return to the mud and take such sacrifices.
Wang Zhendong looked deeply into Li Hao's eyes and then at the encroaching pitch-black fog outside the town. He said in a low voice, "Let's send them out first, and then I'll take you to find a way."
"Uncle Wang..."
"Let's go, no need to hesitate!" Wang Zhendong was a man of action. His domain quickly enveloped everyone, but when it touched Li Hao's domain, he felt a strong resistance and couldn't cover him.
A chill ran down his spine as he realized the strength of the young man's domain.
Although Wang Zhendong was unaware of the details of Li Hao's killing of the Buddha Lord, he had witnessed Li Hao's public execution of the two demon kings in Qingzhou City. Now, experiencing it himself, he understood why the young man's reputation preceded him.
As Li Hao was about to speak, Wang Zhendong quickly said, "Don't worry about holding me back. I also want to observe the peculiarities of this hellish Mohe River."
According to their speculation, even if they destroyed a domain-level Mohe River, they could obtain tens of thousands of merits.
If they could pass through it, the reward might be in the millions!
Although this was just the Wang family's speculation, no one could verify it, but there was a high probability that it was true.
Hell-level Mohe Rivers were also extremely terrifying. Currently, all the hell-level Mohe Rivers that appeared within the territory were forbidden areas, without exception.
To make matters worse, the Dragon City Mohe River was only at the Youdu level, and the surrounding area had to be ceded to avoid it. As for the hell-level Mohe Rivers, the areas within a thousand miles were all no-go zones.
"Thank you," Li Hao said when he realized that the other party had made up his mind.
With Wang Zhendong leading the way, they quickly flew towards the rear edge of the town.
Here, the black mist was churning, already approaching the edge of the town.
"Quick, get out first!" Wang Zhendong said immediately.
Wang Yongzhi and the others also knew that they had become a burden and that staying any longer would only cause more trouble.
They immediately took out the tokens of the Netherworld Mohe River—black wooden plaques that they had collected in large numbers from the ancestral hall of this Mohe River.
For ordinary people, just going to the ancestral hall to collect the tokens would be extremely dangerous, as there would be many mutated demon spirits and lingering souls attacking them.
But for the Wang family, they had already sent in high-level experts to clear out the dangers, so they only needed to think about how to pass through.
At this moment, Wang Yongzhi handed a token to Li Hao and then summoned his own Mohe River registry.
Golden papers floated into view.
The golden light emanating from the papers seemed to envelop their bodies, with another part falling on the black wooden plaques.
But the next moment, under the cover of the golden light, the wooden plaques suddenly turned into dust.
"What?!" Wang Zhendong's face changed drastically.
Not only Wang Yongzhi but also the wooden plaques of the other ten or so people were shattered by the golden light.
"This..." Wang Yongzhi and the others' pupils constricted, and their eyes widened in horror.
"The Mohe River has merged, and the rules have changed, so the tokens have changed too!" Wang Zhendong's calm expression also changed at this moment.
The originally foolproof escape plan had unknowingly undergone a transformation.
Li Hao was slightly taken aback. The tokens of the Netherworld Mohe River were actually ineffective, so he quickly summoned his own Mohe River registry, and golden papers flew out.
Soon, Li Hao looked at the information on the golden papers and saw that the exit token was still a "Qingzhen Wooden Plaque."
But when he silently chanted the tracking spell, the golden light that scattered from the golden papers pointed towards the darkness outside the town.
Li Hao was stunned. The token hadn't changed, but it seemed to have changed.
Wang Zhendong also noticed this situation, and when he saw the golden light being pulled toward the pitch-black mist, his face turned ashen.
Wang Yongzhi and the others realized what this meant as well. They had been keeping their calm, but now their bodies began to tremble.
The tokens were in the Hell Mohe River, which meant their escape route had been blocked!
"How could this happen...?"
Despair flashed in someone's eyes, despite their efforts to restrain themselves.
Wang Yongzhi's face went pale. He had thought they were going on a joyful trip, but now they had all fallen into a dire situation. This was a mistake on his part as the head of the family.
"Wait here, I'll give it a try," Wang Zhendong said in a low voice. He couldn't afford to delay any longer. He shrunk his domain to cover only himself, and his eyes sharpened.
"It doesn't seem too deep yet. I'll test if my domain can withstand the Hell Mohe River's rules!"
As he spoke, he rushed towards the thick mist outside the town.
As he approached the boundary between the town and the mist, the darkness outside seemed to sense something. Black tendrils of power reached out and pulled at Wang Zhendong's body.
Wang Zhendong's blood energy exploded, and he condensed his domain outside his body, enhancing its strength to counter the rules of the Hell Mohe River with his own domain's rules.
Soon, he took a step forward, entering the edge of the pitch-black Hell Mohe River.
The surrounding black mist seemed to avoid him, retreating under the pressure of his body.
But soon, more black forces surged forward, enveloping and entangling him like countless sharp claws, tearing at his domain.
With a roar, Wang Zhendong's power burst forth, and the rules within his domain went berserk, clashing with the rules of the Mohe River. However, his domain was compressed tighter and tighter.
Suddenly, some of the black mist transformed into sharp spears and stabbed towards Wang Zhendong's back.
His domain was instantly torn open, and the black mist rushed in. Wang Zhendong's body twitched, and purple veins protruded from his pale face.
His heart trembled as he experienced the power of the hellish rules. Even with his domain, he could only withstand a short moment, less than two breaths' worth of time.
And this was just at the edge of the Hell Mohe River!
Whoosh!
He tried to retreat, but the surrounding black forces seemed to sense his intention and quickly surrounded him, entangling his limbs. Although his body was frantically trying to retreat, it instead lunged forward, unimpeded, plunging deeper into the river by several dozen meters.
Even the rules of the Netherworld-level Mohe River had been assimilated and were now manifesting within the Hell Mohe River.
Wang Zhendong's pupils contracted as he suddenly understood the true terror of the Hell Mohe River.
It didn't just have one set of rules; it had... many!
He hadn't yet grasped the other unknown rules, but he was familiar with the Netherworld-level rules. At this moment, he could only control his thoughts and hold onto the belief that he needed to "move forward."
However, at this moment, his body actually lunged forward, unable to reverse direction!
The rules had changed again!
Wang Zhendong's heart turned icy. Not only were there multiple sets of rules, but they alternated and changed constantly? This meant that within the Hell Mohe River, one couldn't fathom the patterns of the rules and could only resist them head-on.
As he was shocked by this realization, the black power continued to spread and penetrate, and Wang Zhendong felt his strength and vitality rapidly draining away.
He could hear the anxious shouts of Wang Yongzhi and the others in the distance.
He wanted to turn his head, but his head wouldn't move. His body alternated between reversing and not reversing, changing constantly.
Wang Zhendong felt that within this Hell Mohe River, there seemed to be a sentient force manipulating these rules.
Just as he was deeply trapped and about to unleash his final move, a vast power suddenly swept in from behind him.
The original darkness melted away like ice and snow, rapidly pushed aside.
The various forces acting on his body suddenly loosened.
A strong, slender hand grabbed his arm.
Wang Zhendong turned his head and saw layers upon layers of domains covering and shielding his body.
One layer, two layers, three layers, four layers...
These domains overlapped and intertwined, exuding a terrifying mighty force! But the rules within the domains did not affect him; instead, they protected his body.
The surrounding black forces struck the outermost layer of the domain but were unable to penetrate it.
Wang Zhendong counted ten layers in total!
"Let's go."
Li Hao pulled him back and flung him towards the town behind them. "I'll go and find a way. Take care of them and wait for me."
As he spoke, he stepped forward, passing by Wang Zhendong, and plunged into the black mist.
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