Chapter 0564: Land of Fantasy
The eight squads traveled in a compact formation, carefully arriving at the gates in front of Russet Rock City.
Right at this moment, the gates opened as though someone were expecting them. The slowly moving dark-red structures gave all those who saw them a feeling of suppression. They formed a gap, revealing a dimly lit path towards the interior.
Yet no one advanced any further. Everyone paused, carefully observing the dark tunnel that led further into the city.
They understood that once they crossed the line, there was the possibility of no return.
Despite the growing fear within them, they were nonetheless the leaders of their respective sage colleges. Their quality was absolute, never letting up even in the face of futility.
Exchanging glances of determination, there was no longer any hint of hesitation. The First Princess, Lan Lan, and Gong Shenjun took the initiative to step forward first, entering with their squads.
Darkness enshrouded them, and the group could feel a chill gradually wreathing around them, slowly leading to an indescribable sort of suffocating pressure.
No one said a thing in the dimly lit corridor, so only the soft thuds of footsteps could be heard.
However, this did not last forever. Eye-splitting light splashed upon the group when they reached the end of the path.
The sight before them heralded a sense of alertness amongst the squads, and terror could be seen within their eyes. They were greeted with the sight of a bustling city.
There was a tidal wave of people, constantly chattering as they strolled along the beaten streets, with countless peddlers hawking their wares along the pavement.
This was a vibrant marketplace full of activity, showcasing the splendor of Russet Rock City.
However, the squads' gazes only became more ruthless upon seeing this.
The sight in front of them seemed to be the city before the Other Disaster.
How could this even be possible?
The entire Red Clay Province had been devastated by the Other Disaster hard. Could it have been possible that Russet Rock City was left untouched?
The First Princess was the first to speak up. She said in a solemn tone, "This is an illusion... right?"
Lu Ming had a grave expression and seemed to be alarmed. She possessed an illusion resonance, and even then, she couldn't tell what sort of unfathomable power was required to produce such a lifelike recreation.
Furthermore, the passersby seemed to possess all forms of emotions and intelligence—they were even able to barter for goods!
It was so utterly realistic that it was unbelievable.
The only thing keeping everyone sane was the fact that deep down, no one had any doubts that this was an illusion. Their path here had proven so.
"It looks like the Other in Russet Rock City will be a handful, probably many handfuls.." Lan Lan said.
"Huh?" Lu Ming suddenly gasped in fright, attracting the squads' attention.
"What happened?" Zhao Beili probed.
"Did you discover something?" Li Luo had also immediately spoken up. Lu Mingin was the only one in the group with an illusion resonance, and her gasp likely implied that she had discovered something.
Lu Ming's pleasant beauty was taken over by sheer nervousness at this point. She was pointing at a corner of her sleeve. At first glance, no one discovered anything unusual, but upon closer inspection, they realized that it had turned a little illusory!
It was as though it was magically fading away.
"This illusory formation must have a terrifying assimilative ability. If we remain here for too long, we will become one with the illusion! Although I can't tell what will happen to us in the end, it won't be a pretty sight..." Lu Ming explained.
This revelation resoundingly struck everyone like a booming thunderclap going off within their heads. The Heavenly Pearl Stage cultivators, Gong Shenjun, First Princess and Lan Lan, inspected themselves. But nothing much had changed about them. On the other hand, Jing Taixu, Li Luo, and the other Resonant Master Stage cultivators could see that their robes had turned slightly illusory like Lu Ming's.
"It looks like the weaker individuals are affected more quickly." The First Princess frowned.
This was not good news. The North Sea Sage College's team was the only one with no Resonant Master Stage individuals.
If this group of individuals were adversely affected, the future of their colleges and their points would be in jeopardy, and both could be considered unacceptable losses.
"It looks like we have to break through this formation in the shortest amount of time possible," Gong Shenjun concluded.
"Although the setup of this illusory fantasy is impeccable, there will definitely be a way to break through it. The simplest method is to activate Russet Rock City's cleansing barrier. As the nexus of the Red Clay Province, activating it will form a network with the other barriers that we have set up prior, purifying the entire Red Clay Province," Lan Lan suggested.
"When that’s done, breaking the formation should not be an issue."
Everyone else nodded in agreement. This was a fine, and it was an obvious plan that everyone could rally around.
At this point, the First Princess quipped, "Though I don't think the Heavenly Disaster Class Other will just sit back and watch us while we waltz in and set up the cleansing barrier."
"To be fair, we just need to kill it once it pops up, then it will be smooth sailing. If we were to work together, even a Greater Heavenly Disaster Class Other wouldn't be able to resist. This entire illusory formation might unravel by itself once it's dead." Lan Lan clearly demonstrated the pride and confidence of the strongest student in the hall-level competition, completely disregarding this Other. Or perhaps it could be that he had also come to the realization that fearing the enemy did no favors to anyone here. The Greater Heavenly Disaster Class Other was not going to let them off if they begged and pleaded.
A life and death battle was inevitable.
"Brother Lan speaks the truth! Regardless, our mission is to set up the cleansing barrier, and this is in line." Gong Shenjun spoke with a wry smile, expressing his support.
The First Princess nodded in agreement. "Completing the purification is the most important matter. However, the danger of this illusory formation is like a dagger pointed at our hearts in the dark. We can't spread ourselves out too thinly. I'd recommend that we split into two larger groups of four squads each. We can set up the cleansing dew more quickly then."
Li Luo mused over her words before coming to a similar conclusion. This was definitely a more cautious approach. Four squads together would create a formidable lineup, and there were four experts at the Heavenly Pearl Stage leading the charge, ensuring the survivability of both teams.
"Your Highness Gong's suggestion is good. Our squads should not move alone to accomplish our mission. We cannot tolerate the loss of any squad." Qin Yue supported the plan.
The rest naturally agreed, seeing the logic within it. Even the most reckless individuals would not take this situation lightly. After all, the illusory formation seemed to have hidden the presence of the Heavenly Disaster Class Other!
"Let's draw lots to determine which team each squad belongs to. This will be more fair." The First Princess removed eight jade needles from her pocket sphere. "Eight needles, four short and four long ones." Each squad leader stepped up and drew their lots.
Li Luo swept his gaze across and saw that the last needle remaining with the First Princess was a long one. The other three were held by Gong Shenjun, Zhao Beili, and Lian Zong.
With that, he gave a hearty smile as he looked towards Lu Ming and Sun Dasheng. "Wow, it's us again! Let's work well together!"
Lu Ming lightly pouted. "Have you considered what sort of perilous situation we are in? How can we Resonant Master Stage cultivators have any part to play here? Being able to retain our little lives is good enough!"
Sun Dasheng snorted loudly. "So what if we are at the Resonant Master Stage? You weak ladies shouldn't just blabber nonsense. If we face danger later, you can just hide in a corner. I'll let you know what a REAL Resonant Master looks like."
"Weak lady?" Lu Ming was bursting with anger as she glared at Sun Dasheng. "You stinky monkey, are you looking for a beating?"
"I don't fight with ladies. Though if it's Li Luo, I wouldn't mind."
"You can't even beat Jing Taixu and you want to challenge him? Why don't you grow a brain first?!" Lu Ming exhorted.
"Well, you don't know until you try..."
As the two continued their bickering, the other squad leaders had completed the division of the teams, organized the groups, and quickly got to work.
"Let's go." Li Luo stared at the two groups going in separate directions before breaking up the fight between Lu Ming and Sun Dasheng. He quickly moved to his assigned position in the middle. It was the safest and also most suitable for someone like him. After which, the two quarreling fools also did the same, following Li Luo.
Once everyone was in place, the First Princess gave a cursory glance at the entire group. Her gorgeous looks were newly laden with a heavy burden at the task that lay ahead.
However, she did not say much more, simply nodding at the other three squad leaders.
"Move out!" Her softly spoken words fell upon everyone's ears with immense weight. The eight squads had been separated into two large groups and made their way in different directions. In a blink, they had disappeared into the bustling crowds.