Yue Guan followed Ye Shengxin into a strange Stone Forest.
Jagged rocks jutted out from the ground, casting distorted shadows in the afterglow of the setting sun. A faint, chilling aura permeated the air, causing Yue Guan to unconsciously frown.
"This place..." A sense of unease had just risen in his heart when Ye Shengxin's figure in front of him suddenly rippled like water.
Then, it disappeared.
"What?!"
Yue Guan's pupils contracted sharply, and his mental energy instantly spread out, sweeping across the entire Stone Forest like a tide. However, the information that returned made his heart sink—
There was nothing there but cold, hard stones.
There was no sign of life, no Soul Power Wave, not even the chirping of insects or birds. This stone Stone Forest was eerily silent.
"That old bastard Ye Shengxin... he really dares to trick me?" Yue Guan's face darkened, a flash of anger in his eyes. "But what is his purpose in doing this?"
He suppressed his unease and turned to retrace his steps, but after walking for a while, the scene before him made him stop in his tracks—
We're back where we started.
The boulder shaped like a reclining tiger, the three crooked, withered trees, and the footprints he had just left on the ground.
" Illusory Realm? Or a formation?"
The alarm bells in Yue Guan rang loudly, and he tried again. This time he walked extremely slowly, carefully observing his surroundings with every step, and even using his soul power to leave marks on the stones.
After an incense stick has burned.
He saw again the Crouching Tiger Stone, the three withered trees, and the soul power imprint he had left on the ground...
Damn it!
Yue Guan finally lost his temper. He stopped in his tracks, channeling his soul power into his voice, and shouted sharply:
" Ye Shengxin! You get the hell out here! Otherwise, once I'm free, I'll make your Ye Clan pay the price!"
The sound echoed through the Stone Forest, striking the rugged rock walls and transforming into layers of reverberations.
"The price... the price... the price..."
However, apart from the echoes, there remained utter silence.
Yue Guan's heart sank. He suddenly remembered a record he had seen in the ancient books of the Spirit Hall many years ago—that certain special regions, due to abnormal spatial structures, would form natural mazes. Once one strayed into one, if the correct path could not be found, one would be lost forever.
"I, a dignified Titled Douluo, am not even able to escape this broken rock?"
He gritted his teeth and took another step. This time, he pushed his mental energy to the limit, trying to detect any subtle spatial fluctuations.
One lap, two laps, three laps...
No matter which direction he went from, no matter what method he tried, he would eventually return to the starting point. That Crouching Tiger Stone was like an insurmountable curse, firmly pinning him to the entrance of this Stone Forest.
" Ye Shengxin! You son of a bitch—"
Yue Guan finally lost his temper and completely lost his composure. He summoned the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, golden petals blooming behind him, and nine Spirit Ring appeared one after another.
"Third Soul Skill, Aura Barrier!"
"Fifth Soul Skill, Gathering of Cold Blossoms!"
Golden petals transformed into countless sharp blades, blasting wildly towards the surrounding Stone Forest. The roar was deafening, shards of rock flew everywhere, and dust filled the air.
However, when the smoke and dust cleared—
The Stone Forest remains.
The shattered rocks had somehow returned to their original state. The Crouching Tiger Stone, while three withered trees cast long shadows in the afterglow, as if silently mocking the scene.
"Ha ha ha ha--!"
In the hidden cave, Dugu Bo watched the images transmitted back on the Spirit Guidance Screen, laughing so hard he almost cried.
" Chrysanthemum Guan, Chrysanthemum Guan, I never thought you'd have a day like this! Seeing your furious state is absolutely hilarious!"
On the screen, Yue Guan was frantically attacking the air, his expression contorted, completely devoid of the majesty of Titled Douluo.
Qian Renxue stood to the side, a faint smile playing on her lips:
"In my Darkness Domain, the negative emotions of those trapped are amplified. Coupled with the spatial distortion effect of dark power, he is actually just spinning in circles."
Dugu Bo looked at her curiously:
"I remember, isn't the domain of Six-Winged Angel ' Angel Domain '? Your domain... how come it's not 'angelic' at all?"
"My martial soul is the Dark Six-Winged Angel," Qian Renxue said calmly.
" Martial Soul Mutation?" Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow.
"That's one way to put it."
"So what do we do next? Just watch him go crazy?"
"Wait." Qian Renxue's gaze returned to the screen. "The best time to strike is when his mental defenses are on the verge of collapse—just when they're about to crumble."
The crowd continued watching.
Time passed slowly as we waited.
In the Stone Forest, Yue Guan had tried every method he could think of: attacking, probing, marking, and even attempting to forcibly tear space apart with his soul power—all to no avail.
As darkness gradually descended, the Stone Forest was swallowed up by the darkness.
Yue Guan sat leaning against the Crouching Tiger Stone, his eyes bloodshot.
"Damn it... damn it...!"
An unprecedented panic surged within him. Gui Mei had already returned to Spirit City to report; the eerie, Blood-Colored Sword Tip needed guarding. He, however, was trapped in this cursed place, unable to escape...
"That old bastard Ye Shengxin, why did he have to trick me?!"
"Could it be... that he has something to hide? Is there really something wrong with that Luo Yan?"
No matter what he thought, his defenses were gradually crumbling as he faced this seemingly endless Stone Forest. His Soul Skill couldn't shatter the Stone Forest, and his spiritual power couldn't penetrate the space; all his methods were rendered meaningless here.
"Am I really going to be trapped here forever?"
The moment this thought crossed his mind, Yue Guan shuddered. While the lifespan of Titled Douluo was long, if he had to spend the rest of his life in this damned Stone Forest...
He dared not think any further.
Inside the cave.
Qian Renxue suddenly opened her eyes, a glint of malice flashing in them:
That's about it.
She looked at Luo Can:
"My husband, it's your turn to step in."
"What about me?" Dugu Bo, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
"Don't worry, I'll give you a chance." Luo Can patted his shoulder and laughed, "I guarantee I'll let you beat him to a pulp."
Dugu Bo's eyes lit up, and he was already mentally planning how to "greet" his old rival later.
Luo Can vanished from the cave entrance in a flash.
In the Stone Forest.
Yue Guan had lost count of how many times he had tried. He chose a narrow crevice he had never traversed before and squeezed in sideways.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, the view suddenly opened up ahead.
It is a U-shaped valley, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one road leading up to it. The valley is overgrown with weeds, and there is a small pool of water in the center.
"A dead end..."
Yue Guan sank. Just as she was about to turn around, she caught a glimpse of a person sitting by the pool.
His heart trembled violently, and his mental energy swept over it instantly. There was a life force, Soul Power Wave... so faint as to be almost negligible.
"A living person? Could it be an ordinary person who has wandered into this place by mistake?"
Yue Guan breathed a slight sigh of relief, quickly stepped forward, and blocked the other party's path.
He was an ordinary-looking young man, in his early twenties, dressed in simple clothes, looking down at the water, lost in thought.
"Hey!" Yue Guan's voice was hoarse. "Tell me, why are you here? Do you know the way out?"
The young man slowly raised his head.
Moonlight shone on his face, illuminating a handsome and serene countenance. He looked at Yue Guan, a faint smile appearing on his face:
"I'm being held here. Tell me... who am I?"
"Imprisoned?" Yue Guan was taken aback, then suddenly realized, "You're Luo Yan, the one who stole the Thousand-Year Ginseng?"
"You could say that," the young man stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes. "However, I prefer you to call me..."
He paused, a subtle smile playing on his lips:
" Luo Can, the Pavilion Master the Fate Defying Pavilion."
The moment the words fell--
boom!
An aura of terrifying power suddenly erupted from the young man!
The air froze.
Yue Guan's pupils constricted sharply, and his entire body groaned under the immense pressure. He wanted to move, to retreat, to summon his martial spirit—but his body simply wouldn't obey him. That aura was like an invisible mountain, pressing him firmly to the ground, making even breathing difficult.
"You... you are... Peerless Douluo?!"
Yue Guan's voice trembled, his eyes filled with disbelief and terror. This kind of pressure... he had only ever felt it from Qian Daoliu, the Great Enshrined the Spirit Hall!
"You do have some discernment." Luo Can didn't deny it. The smile on his face slowly faded, and he looked calmly at Yue Guan.
But the oppressive aura intensified.
"Well--!"
Yue Guan grunted, kneeling on one knee, veins bulging on his forehead. He gritted his teeth and growled in a low voice, his tone fierce but his voice weak:
"What... what are you trying to do! I am an elder of the Spirit Hall! Let me leave, and I can pretend this never happened!"
Luo Can remained unmoved.
He took a step forward, his shoes making a clear "tap-tap" sound on the gravel. The sound wasn't loud, but it made Yue Guan's heart clench.
" Yue Guan."
Luo Can's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "I'm giving you two choices."
"First, submit to me."
"Second, stay here forever."