Chapter 943: Forbidden Law Barrier Strange and Mysterious Lonely Sound Cliff

“Gone, gone...”

Murong Ying’s heart clenched at the sight.

The combat communicator represented all his hopes; it was also his last hope for survival.

Even though battles above the Sovereign stage had erupted here, even manifesting domain energies, and Rao Jixian would soon detect the anomaly...

And despite his own Path of Cutting cultivation surpassing that of the two opponents...

Murong Ying wasn’t arrogant enough to believe he could survive by cooperating with the spatial-mystery-wielding infiltrator and Xu Xiaoshou, the Saint Servant who had genuinely participated in multiple terrorist attacks.

He was indeed one of the captains of the Law Enforcement team.

However, his shadow attribute meant he wasn't a combat-oriented Path of Cutting talent capable of fighting ten opponents at once, like Shouye.

On the contrary, Murong Ying had a clear self-awareness.

He knew he was a control-type, a support-type—a team-fight player who needed teammates to combine their unique strengths and unleash more power.

Since the combat communicator was lost, remaining in this place would undoubtedly lead to a dead end...

Glancing at the strange sea of clouds within Solitary Sound Cliff, Murong Ying’s thoughts raced, and he made a final decision.

At that moment, a look of sorrow appeared on his face as he murmured, “Wang Chao, I never imagined you would choose to betray me...”

It seemed that even at this moment, Murong Ying still didn't believe the Xu Xiaoshou before him was the real Xu Xiaoshou, but rather that Wang Chao's will had gone astray.

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow slightly, wondering if there was something wrong with Murong Ying’s mind.

He had made it so obvious, and Murong Ying still hadn't realized that the real Wang Chao had been replaced?

Just then, taking advantage of Xu Xiaoshou's momentary distraction and Ye Xiaotian's slight daze, Murong Ying's body erupted with magnificent spiritual energy fluctuations without warning.

His face contorted, veins bulged on his body, and a faint mist of blood even burst from his skin due to the excessive exertion.

Then, having squeezed out every last bit of his Path of Cutting power, Murong Ying transformed into a black light, suddenly shooting towards Xu Xiaoshou, who was still near the cliff.

“Watch out!”

Ye Xiaotian reacted swiftly, immediately discerning Murong Ying’s intention—a trapped beast's desperate counterattack!

With a thought, the power of the "Lord of All Realms" domain rippled.

He simultaneously attempted to restrict Murong Ying, who had unleashed the "Blood Sacrifice Art," and shifted space, directly moving Xu Xiaoshou's position next to himself.

At the same time, Xu Xiaoshou also noticed Murong Ying's unusual behavior.

However, the information bar did not display messages like "Under attack."

Instead, the moment Murong Ying darted forward, only one pop-up appeared in the information bar:

“Deceived, Passive Points +1.”

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized that both he and Ye Xiaotian had been mistaken.

Murong Ying wasn't attacking him; he was trying to pursue the combat communicator.

His only chance of escape now was the bottom of Solitary Sound Cliff, which had just caught his attention and felt somewhat unusual!

“Wait...”

He only managed to utter that single word. Just as Xu Xiaoshou tried to intercept, his body was shifted by the domain power, moving him next to Ye Xiaotian.

A whooshing sound cut through the air.

The Path of Cutting expert, attacking with full force, briefly broke through the Sovereign domain's blockade, shattering layers of spatial restraints.

Murong Ying, transformed into a black streak of light, sped at light speed, leaving a long trail of blood-red splashes behind him as he was intercepted by spatial energy and pushed his own power to the limit. He then shot out of Solitary Sound Cliff and into the sea of clouds.

“Hahahaha...”

Murong Ying, having shot above the sea of clouds, returned to his original form. His body was covered in dual wounds from spatial tears, but his eyes were filled with excitement.

“Saint Servant Xu Xiaoshou, how dare you deceive me?

“And you... infiltrator? Heh, what good are spatial mysteries? If you’ve got the guts, come after me!

“I’ll be waiting at the bottom of Solitary Sound Cliff...”

Before Murong Ying could finish his sentence, the sea of clouds within Solitary Sound Cliff suddenly surged violently, emitting an endless dazzling light.

The brilliant light surged from the cliff bottom, and by the time it reached the top of the high cliff, it had been weakened by layers of power, but it was still incredibly dazzling.

Apart from the dazzling light, there were no other unusual fluctuations in the sea of clouds.

Murong Ying, who had just been arrogant and fearless, believing he had found his last escape route, let out a scream like a bird with broken wings the moment the dazzling light burst forth, then fell into the cliff bottom, disappearing without a trace.

“Ah...”

The scream faded from near to far, quickly vanishing into nothingness.

“Whoosh—”

On Solitary Sound Cliff, the eerie, seemingly eternal ghostly wind continued to howl, desolate and merciless.

“Startled, Passive Points +1.”

Xu Xiaoshou’s heart nearly stopped. He stared at the scene before him, utterly bewildered, feeling as though the cliff had suddenly become eerie and mysterious, and the abyss beneath the sea of clouds resembled something filled with unknown terror.

“What... what just happened?” He turned to Ye Xiaotian, a bewildered expression on his face.

Ye Xiaotian’s face was grim. As he withdrew his gaze from the sea of clouds within the cliff, he also fully retracted his domain power, then slightly shook his head.

“I’m not entirely sure, but I know that cliff is dangerous.”

“...” Xu Xiaoshou’s mouth twitched, feeling a strange ache in his teeth.

It was too sudden!

He had only thrown an earlobe, and Murong Ying just wanted to escape.

But he never expected Solitary Sound Cliff to harbor such a mysterious phenomenon.

A Path of Cutting expert was devoured without even a shred of resistance...

The scene just now looked more like Murong Ying, upon rushing out of the cliff edge, had all his power sealed by a mysterious force from the cliff bottom, then became a mortal, plummeting rapidly.

“What special existence is at the bottom of the cliff?”

“That dazzling light just now... can it seal all the power of a Path of Cutting expert?”

Xu Xiaoshou speculated with a furrowed brow, staring intently at the sea of clouds within the cliff.

He suddenly thought of something and looked at Ye Xiaotian: “How did Senior Dean know this cliff was dangerous?”

“I tested it...”

Ye Xiaotian bent down, picked up a pebble, and threw it into the sea of clouds.

The pebble didn't cause any anomaly; it seemed to fall normally, pulled by gravity.

But then, a mysterious aura emanated from the cliff bottom, like a call, possessing an enticing allure.

Xu Xiaoshou’s heart pounded as he realized Senior Dean hadn’t been unaware that Murong Ying was trying to pursue the combat communicator, not ambush him.

He knew all along!

He just wanted to use Murong Ying to verify his suspicions!

*Old fox...* Xu Xiaoshou secretly clicked his tongue, but outwardly spoke with great respect: “Thank you, Dean. If you hadn’t intervened, I might have rushed into the sea of clouds trying to stop Murong Ying... that would have been dangerous!”

Ye Xiaotian nodded nonchalantly, still gazing at the sea of clouds. After a long moment, a glint appeared in his eyes, and he said with a slight frown, “I’m not clear on the exact situation at the cliff bottom, but that dazzling light just now made me think of a possibility...”

“What possibility?” Xu Xiaoshou immediately looked back.

“Law-Sealing Barrier!” Ye Xiaotian enunciated each word solemnly.

Law-Sealing Barrier...

What was that?

Xu Xiaoshou looked down with a bewildered expression, continuing to stare at Senior Dean.

Ye Xiaotian slowly floated up until he was level with Xu Xiaoshou, then spoke with a solemn expression:

“The Law-Sealing Barrier, I have never truly witnessed it before. This is just a possibility, and it doesn’t rule out the chance that my speculation is wrong...”

He paused, then continued:

“That dazzling light just now, which left even a Law Enforcement officer at the Path of Cutting stage utterly helpless, bears some resemblance to information I gathered from fragmented accounts before, reminding me of the ‘Law-Sealing Barrier’.

“Hmm... The reason I know about these things is thanks to your Elder Qiao.”

Elder Qiao?

Elder Qiao Qianzhi, the Grand Elder of the Spiritual Affairs Pavilion in Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace? It's been a long time...

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia, as some strangely captivating laughter echoed in his mind.

Ye Xiaotian didn’t pause, continuing:

“The Law-Sealing Barrier is a Saint-tier formation!

“Your Elder Qiao once said that the most formidable formation in the path of spiritual arrays is this ‘Law-Sealing Barrier.’ It can completely seal off all abilities of a spiritual cultivator, turning them into a powerless, weak mortal.

“Including... including Demi-Saints!”

As Ye Xiaotian said this, even he seemed to find it hard to believe.

Saint-tier formation...

Sealing all spiritual cultivators, including Demi-Saints?

Xu Xiaoshou’s thoughts snapped out of his recollections, his scalp tingling from the shock of this information.

How was that possible?

Demi-Saints have already transcended the scope of spiritual cultivators, haven't they?

They wield the "Saint Path," not the "Heavenly Path." How could the "Law-Sealing Barrier," even as a Saint-tier formation, achieve such a feat?

Doesn’t this mean that even if Dao Qiongcang came here, he would be completely sealed off, becoming an ant to be slaughtered at will?

“Senior Dean, are you joking?” Xu Xiaoshou was silent for a while before uttering this seemingly jocular remark.

Ye Xiaotian shook his head slightly:

“Those were your Elder Qiao’s exact words.

“Precisely because it hasn’t been verified, I said it’s merely a possibility...

“The formation at the bottom of this cliff might not truly be the legendary ‘Law-Sealing Barrier,’ as even your Elder Qiao only knows of three locations on the continent where this formation exists.”

“Which three places?” Xu Xiaoshou felt like an overly curious child.

Ye Xiaotian pondered, seemingly hesitating whether to answer.

After glancing at Xu Xiaoshou, he sensed the immense power contained within the young man and recalled that Xu Xiaoshou had once rescued him, his strength having long since surpassed what it once was.

It could be said that Xu Xiaoshou now possessed the basic qualifications to access the world’s top secrets.

And after accessing them, he had the power to protect himself.

Ye Xiaotian then slowly said: “The Saint Xuan Gate of the Saint Palace, the ‘Dead Sea’ of Mount Gui Zhe, and the Void Island... which is known to the world as the ‘City in the Sky’.”

Xu Xiaoshou was slightly stunned.

The “Law-Sealing Barrier” alone didn't sound like much to him, but once it was connected to the Saint Palace, Mount Gui Zhe, and the Void Island, it immediately felt significant and grand.

“I’ve heard of the Saint Xuan Gate of the Saint Palace. It seems the Heavenly Xuan Gate of Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace was modeled after it, much like the Spiritual Palace’s ‘Goose Lake’ is to the Saint Palace’s ‘Great Goose Lake’?” Xu Xiaoshou asked.

“Yes.” Ye Xiaotian nodded.

“But what is the ‘Dead Sea’?” Xu Xiaoshou asked again.

Hearing this, Ye Xiaotian’s lips curved into a faint smile and he said lightly, “It’s your master’s current home.”

“My master... Old Man Sang?” Xu Xiaoshou paused, his expression strange, “Home?”

Ye Xiaotian regained his serious demeanor, nodded, and said, “The ‘Dead Sea’ is located beneath Mount Gui Zhe and is also known to the world as Saint Mountain Prison. Of course, very few people know the true name of this Saint Mountain Prison, which is the ‘Dead Sea’.”

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless for a moment.

*That’s Saint Mountain Prison we’re talking about! No matter what, Old Man Sang was your old friend! How can you talk about him in such a teasing tone, Senior Dean? Do you have no humanity left?!*

Soon he made the connection: the “Dead Sea” possesses the “Law-Sealing Barrier,” which must be used to seal the spiritual cultivators in Saint Mountain Prison.

So, why does the Saint Xuan Gate of the Saint Palace also have a “Law-Sealing Barrier”?

A similar purpose?

Does the Saint Palace also need to seal something, or... someone?

Also...

“Void Island also has a ‘Law-Sealing Barrier.’ How do you know that, Dean?” Xu Xiaoshou thought of this point, extremely curious.

That was the City in the Sky, whose name was known to the world, but whose whereabouts were unseen.

How could Senior Dean know so clearly? Had he been there before?

As if reading Xu Xiaoshou's question, Ye Xiaotian chuckled and said, “I haven’t actually set foot on Void Island myself, but your master, Old Man Sang, has. Ah Jie was brought out by him, and it was he who told your Elder Qiao that there was a ‘Law-Sealing Barrier’ there.”

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly recalled that when he brought Ah Jie out of the Heavenly Xuan Gate, Elder Qiao had indeed told him about Ah Jie’s origin, that he was brought out by Old Man Sang.

And Old Man Sang was the second-in-command of the Saint Servants, while the Saint Servant Chief, Bazun An, was the venerated dual master of the black and white veins within Void Island's inner island.

Ah, it all makes sense now!

Although it was a big detour...

Xu Xiaoshou finally understood why the small Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace possessed the first generation Heavenly Mechanism Puppet.

When the conversation turned to "Ah Jie," Ye Xiaotian suddenly smiled and said:

“Coincidentally, just after I obtained the ‘Saint Source Crystal,’ your Elder Qiao’s research on the Heavenly Mechanism Puppet made a significant breakthrough, and he needed the ‘Saint Source Crystal’.

“After I gave him the ‘Saint Source Crystal,’ he specifically instructed me that if I encountered you in the Cloud Reaching Mountains, I should bring Ah Jie back to the Spiritual Palace for a purpose.

“I was just thinking about how to find and contact you, and I never expected you’d come looking for me yourself, and directly bump into me...”

Ye Xiaotian sighed a little.

This coincidence was simply too much of a coincidence!

Xu Xiaoshou, however, was confused. Senior Dean wanted to bring Ah Jie back?

“For what purpose?” He instinctively wanted to touch his chest but immediately stopped himself, only asking with a puzzled expression.

Ye Xiaotian calmly replied, “For research.”

“Research?” Xu Xiaoshou instinctively felt resistance. “Is the research you’re talking about dangerous?”

Ye Xiaotian’s eyes narrowed, acutely noticing a sense of unfamiliarity in Xu Xiaoshou’s words.

*He used to call me "Dean," but this time, it’s "you"...*

“I can only tell you that research is never without danger,” Ye Xiaotian still chose to be honest.

“Then I refuse.” Xu Xiaoshou stepped back half a pace, blurting it out without hesitation.

When he brought Ah Jie out of the Heavenly Xuan Gate, he had already promised to show him the colorful world outside and let him experience happiness.

And Ah Jie chose to come with him out of trust.

Through repeated life-and-death crises, the two had already formed a close bond.

For Xu Xiaoshou, Ah Jie was a powerful guardian who could protect him, but also an innocent baby who needed care. How could he go back and accept so-called “research”?

Ah Jie is Ah Jie, not a guinea pig!