Chapter 158: Earth Fiend Energy

The pool was protected by layers of powerful restrictions, each incredibly sturdy and difficult to breach. The restrictions on the light barrier were the core of the entire grand formation, and thus even more formidable. Though only a few cracks had appeared, far from the point of destruction, it suddenly shattered.

They had been prepared to overdraw the Fire Raven Tokens' elemental fire energy, even draining the fire raven spirits and destroying the magic items to break the formation. No one had anticipated what happened next. The light barrier shattered without warning, as if forcibly torn apart by immense power.

With the formation broken and the light barrier shattered, the full extent of the chasm appeared before everyone's eyes.

The bottomless chasm was pitch black, light swallowed by darkness. An overwhelming chill emanated from it, causing everyone to shiver involuntarily. For Foundation Establishment cultivators, such a reaction was highly unusual.

Immediately, before anyone could react, a powerful suction suddenly pulled all eight individuals, along with the Fire Raven Tokens, into the chasm. Chaos erupted.

"This is bad!"

The moment the suction appeared, Qin Sang was instantly alert, feeling its terrifying power and greatly alarmed. Fortunately, he had been prepared. He immediately withdrew his mind from the Fire Raven Token, unhesitatingly summoned his Ebony Sword, shrouded himself in its sword light, and attempted to escape by flight. But before he could get far, he was caught by the suction. He was like a weak insect, pulled down with no power to resist.

The others were in the same predicament, plummeting into the chasm like dumplings. Everyone exerted all their strength, but with little effect; their rate of descent showed no sign of slowing.

"Quick, stick together!"

Qing Ting cried out urgently, telling everyone to unite and resist. Before his words finished, a series of booming sounds echoed from below.

'Rumble!'

Intense vibrations rattled the ground, shaking the entire area.

Liu Shan looked down, his expression changing drastically as he cried out in horror, "What is that?!"

Everyone quickly looked down and saw a mass of black mist surging upwards from the depths of the chasm, like a black dragon soaring up directly towards them, threatening to swallow them whole. Upon seeing the terrifying black mist, Qin Sang suddenly felt an inexplicable familiarity. A flash of insight struck him, and he finally remembered what this black mist was, instantly feeling a chill run through his body.

"It's Earth Fiend Qi!" Qin Sang shouted a warning, his face exceptionally grim.

The Sunken Cavern was formed by an Earth Fiend Yin Vein. Qin Sang had been stationed there for several years and, out of curiosity, once ventured deep into it, reaching the boundary between Yin Qi and Earth Fiend Qi, where he saw the essence of the Earth Fiend Qi. At that time, he carried a Warm Yang Pearl and a Fiend-Warding Pouch, and had even prepared several spiritual pills to dispel cold. Yet, he still couldn't stop the bone-chilling cold from invading his body, almost freezing to death below.

Since then, Qin Sang had learned the true power of Earth Fiend Qi and never dared to risk his life again, only absorbing Yin Qi from the upper levels of the Sunken Cavern. Earth Fiend Qi is one of the most Yin and malevolent energies in the world, something even Golden Core cultivators would be wary of. The Earth Fiend Yin Vein in the Sunken Cavern had harmed countless living beings. The absorbed life energy had solidified into malevolent Yin Qi that refused to disperse, affecting a vast area, rendering it barren and desolate. Shaohua Mountain could only try its best to seal off several large fissures with restrictions, slowing its spread, but it couldn't stop the Earth Fiend Yin Vein from expanding outwards.

Could the restrictions above have been left by some master to seal off the Earth Fiend Qi within the chasm? Qin Sang secretly smiled bitterly. Dying here would be too unjust.

After Qin Sang's warning, everyone finally remembered the infamous Earth Fiend Qi and realized the danger they were in, their faces turning ashen. Their bodies were pulled by the inexplicable suction, powerless to resist. As the Earth Fiend Qi drew closer, the terrifying cold froze their bodies, making even movement difficult. They could only watch helplessly as the Earth Fiend Qi surged up to engulf them.

If even Golden Core cultivators found Earth Fiend Qi troublesome, what would be their fate if they fell into it? They had originally intended to observe the dangers below after breaking the restrictions before deciding whether to explore or leave. Who would have thought that the suction wouldn't give them a choice, directly pulling them down into a perilous situation where death was almost certain?

"Who the hell set this trap?!" someone cursed. If the sole purpose was to seal off the Earth Fiend Qi and prevent it from harming the world, there would have been no need for a suction trap. But they could only rage in futility.

Qin Sang had not given up hope. He forced himself to calm down, his mind racing as he quickly considered if any of his own methods could help them escape the peril. Just then, Qin Sang's peripheral vision caught sight of something, and his heart suddenly stirred. He quickly looked around and saw caves in the chasm walls. These caves resembled natural formations, but clearly showed signs of artificial modification. Furthermore, the deeper they went, the more caves there were.

Since someone had excavated caves here, no matter their purpose, they must have had a way to resist the Earth Fiend Qi!

Time seemed to speed up. As they were about to fall into the Earth Fiend Qi, Qin Sang hastily informed everyone of his discovery. Qing Ting had also seen the caves and, without needing Qin Sang's reminder, immediately shouted, "Activate the Fire Raven Tokens with all your might and throw them down!"

Everyone immediately understood Qing Ting's intention. Enduring the extreme cold, they circulated their spiritual power, manipulating the scattered Fire Raven Tokens, which were being pulled by the suction. With all their might, they managed to form a rudimentary formation, then unhesitatingly overdrawn the tokens' elemental fire energy. All the fire raven spirits were released and then forcibly condensed together by the group. The seven Fire Raven Tokens formed a massive fireball, its intense heat slightly alleviating the cold within their bodies.

The flames were unstable, radiating a violent aura, ready to explode at any moment. This was exactly what they wanted. They then fiercely flung the Fire Raven Tokens downwards.

'Boom!'

The moment the raging fire collided with the Earth Fiend Qi, a violent explosion unleashed a chaotic wave. The self-destruction power of a magic item was not to be underestimated. Under the impact of the blast, Qin Sang suddenly felt the suction on him weaken somewhat, finally allowing him to move with difficulty. However, he was then struck by the force of the random explosions, leaving his entire body in agony.

Qin Sang endured the severe pain. This opportunity was hard-won, and time did not allow him to hesitate. He could only aim for the closest cave and, with all his might, rushed into it. At the last moment before entering the cave, Qin Sang hastily glanced downwards. He could only see Qing Ting at the very bottom, struggling to fly towards a cave. They had all been scattered, and he couldn't see anyone else's situation.

'Thud!'

Qin Sang fell heavily into the cave, hitting his head against the stone wall. Then, his vision suddenly darkened, and he saw the giant dragon formed by Earth Fiend Qi sweep past the cave entrance, surging towards the sky. These Earth Fiend Qi had been suppressed for an unknown number of years. Once released, their terrifying momentum filled Qin Sang with dread. He wondered how many would survive.