Damn it! Let's smash the darkness together!-Chapter 1284 - 156: Never Stopping on the Path of Challenging Beyond One’s Rank
The group had already felt stifled in this pitch-black passage for quite some time. Hearing the suggestion, they responded casually and then one by one, as if diving into water, plunged into the vortex.
Crack!
This time the space passage appeared significantly narrower.
Xu Shu barely felt the pressure before the surrounding resistance vanished instantly.
The sensation of weightlessness was conspicuous. He could feel himself falling, with the intense white light blinding his eyes.
This discomfort lasted only a few seconds, and Xu Shu safely landed.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a peculiar environment—the inside seemed like a colossal mechanical beehive.
Dark golden substances flowed slowly between hexagonal grids, countless prismatic compartments interlocked and extended upwards, forming a grandiose and somewhat exaggerated "residential building."
Each compartment was fronted by a semi-transparent amber film, like floor-to-ceiling windows, not obstructing the view.
A liquid golden light pulsated beneath the glass film, leaping intermittently as if weaving unrecognizable symbols, appearing quite mysterious.
Stalactite-like columns hung from the high dome, with light masses as large as trucks enveloped inside, with rays refracting onto the amber film at each compartment exit, dispersing various iridescent hues, dyeing the whole space with a mesmerizing spectrum.
"Tsk, is this the viewing platform for the duel arena?"
"This is clearly backstage; the viewing platform is below."
"Oh, oh... This might be the most fantastical hidden realm I’ve seen; it feels very socialized..."
"Don’t just marvel at it, such a high level of socialization clearly means it’s extremely dangerous here!"
The group couldn’t help but murmur in admiration, some exclaiming, others alert.
Their position was about two-thirds up the entire beehive.
From top to down, they could clearly survey the circular "duel arena" below.
Looking down, the shape bore a resemblance to ancient Roman amphitheaters, but with exaggerated scale magnification.
The center was a peculiarly shaped disk hall, surrounded by tiered viewing platforms, three layers inside and three layers outside, separated by white low walls.
In the stands, countless "shadows" appeared to be seated, vague and innumerable, as the spectators of the duel arena.
Yet, this sea of audience did not produce the expected cheer or roar, making the scene both bustling and eerily quiet.
Faced with such a surreal and grand spectacle, Xu Shu frowned, wondering whether he had been here before?
For some reason, those white low walls also felt familiar to him.
Though not a perfect match, if those white walls were enlarged a bit...
"Tsk, could the surrounding spectators be Spiritual Bodies, and this place actually be the Death God’s realm nicknamed ’Jingling Court’?"
"But this huge beehive outside doesn’t fit..."
"Could it have been relocated by someone?"
Xu Shu suddenly halted, generating this conjecture.
This was not impossible, as Jingling Court was one of the highest-level Transcendent gathering places within the ruins of the dead.
He had indeed been in there and had made quite a scene among some adorable or mature Death God Agent ladies, visiting their boudoirs multiple times.
This continued until Jing Xiaohua suddenly betrayed the Death God organization, and Xu Shu (Arthur) always maintained harmonious relations with the sisters here.
Otherwise, with just the two of them, how could they escape the pursuit and encirclement by so many similarly ranked experts?
In the end, wasn’t it all thanks to the sisters holding back?
Living in the world, one needs connections and background; mere fighting skills are not enough.
At home, rely on parents; outside, depend on friends—this is the rule...
Xu Shu engaged in whimsical thoughts but, after observing for a moment, did not see any so-called referee seat in the "duel arena," so he couldn’t help but ask Xie Xiaochan in doubt, "Didn’t you say we’d know some rules upon entering? There’s no referee, how do we fight?"
Xie Xiaochan pointed upward, "Why hurry? It’s coming soon, wait... It’s here!"
As soon as her words fell, the writhing light masses on the dome seemed to be triggered, plopping down from the stalactite columns and rolling down.
Following invisible paths, it floated slowly to the front of the group, to the beehive compartment where they were located.
"?"
Xu Shu raised his brows, just about to ask Xie Xiaochan if this was the referee.
At the next moment, the light mass adhered to the thin film, window of their compartment, with layers of milky white light liquid beginning to intertwine with the film, integrating, swallowing, step by step invading into the compartment.
Along with the incorporation of milky white light liquid, the hexagonal barrier of the compartment started to dissolve, countless crystalline particles peeled off, traversing geometric ridges, like star dust drawn by magnetic force, suspended into the light mass.
Simultaneously, a buzz-like whisper, with slight sizzling electric currents, emanated from the light mass!
"What’s this!"
"What’s that?"
This bizarre scene made the group instinctively take a step back.
While Xie Xiaochan’s eyes brightened, "No need to worry, this sound has no malicious intent, I understand it! This is the host of the duel arena, the referee for the upcoming match. It’s here to introduce the combatants according to the rules of the mystic realm.
