“You should let us out immediately. I’m sure that you can’t handle Charon’s wrath. Don’t forget, there’s Dao Bo as well,” the man in grey threatened. The twins’ eyes gleamed and they looked at Lu Yin. This person was the crux of the issue.
“That’s alright. I’m fine where I am right now. I don’t really want to leave quite yet,” Lu Yin said nonchalantly.
The rest immediately stared daggers at him. “Hey, are you crazy? Don’t spout nonsense.” Gus was growing anxious and the man in grey glared at Lu Yin. He really wanted to become the Area Master, and being stuck under the lake wasn’t a part of his plans.
Lu Yin snickered. He hated being used by others, especially someone from Spear Mountain.
“If you help us, the Frostmoon Sect will remember what you’ve done for us,” Can Xue said as she smiled at Lu Yin with shining eyes.
The man in grey glared at Lu Yin. “Think this through. With Charon backing you, they don’t dare to keep you sealed in here. If you let us out, then we can help you absolve your grudge with Frankfurt.”
“Oh, Frankfurt? I know him, too. I can say a few words on your behalf if you want,” Gus said. The others also spoke up, clearly desiring to escape from the lake.
Lu Yin contemptuous spat back, “Frankfurt? Who does he think he is? Does he have the guts to lay his hands on me?”
The man in grey grew even more furious, but he couldn’t say much in response. It was true that, with Charon backing Lu Yin, Frankfurt really wasn’t much of a threat to him anymore. The rest were at a loss for what to do as well as well. Lu Yin had a backer, and nobody could force him to do anything.
After waiting for a while, Lu Yin stared at the complicated expressions on the twins’ face and suddenly said, “It’s not that hard to get out. I have a way to escape even without asking Charon for help. However, why should I bring you with me?”
“What are your terms?” the man in grey asked coldly.
Lu Yin casually answered, “Give me two hundred thousand crystals per person, and I’ll take you all with me.”
“Fine,” Gus agreed immediately. Two hundred thousand crystals wasn’t a small amount, but for the elites from the Astral Combat Academy, it was an acceptable sum. They’d be able to earn this amount of money by just completing a few missions.
The rest agreed as well. Lu Yin wasn’t afraid that they would go back on their word since they were all powerful elites. If they went back on their word, it would actually cause them unnecessary problems by affecting their cultivation. This was a matter of the mind and nobody was willing to let a mere two hundred thousand crystals affect their path to the peak.
Lu Yin whispered his method to the other five, causing them to freeze in place. Will that actually work?
His idea was straightforward. Just as the twins had baited them into the lake’s depths, they would now create a phenomenon of their own at the bottom of the lake.
Phenomena were quite common everywhere within the trial zones, not to mention a training ground like Blackwater Lake. The moment a phenomenon occurred, the twins would definitely come in to check it out even if they were almost entirely sure that it was fake. A phenomenon was far too important to discount because it could allow one’s strength to rise meteorically.
This was a clever scheme because, even if Lu Yin told the twins that they had faked the phenomena, the two girls might still break the Mystical Ice on the lake surface to check it out for themselves. This was just the mentality of humans. The method was simple, but the most difficult part was identifying it.
There were a total of six people trapped at the bottom of the lake. To prevent the twins from growing too suspicious, they quickly separated after discussing the plan.
Back above the layer of Mystical Ice, the twins exchanged doubtful glances before staring at the bottom of the lake. They were fairly certain that the trapped students would not be able to break through the ice, but their sudden, coordinated movements were making them feel uneasy.
“When will the young mistress arrive?” Can Xue asked quietly.
Can Mei shook her head in response. “I don’t know the exact time, but she should be arriving shortly.”
“Each one of them is powerful enough to contend for the title of Area Monster. Who knows, they might actually have a way to break through the Mystical Ice formed from our combined Innate Gifts. I hope that she gets here soon.” Can Xue was worried about the situation.
Right after she said that, a burning light flashed at the bottom of the lake. There seemed to be a figure pushing at the water with an ancient aura surrounding the scene. Above the ice, the air started to distort and synchronize with the movement at the bottom of the lake, forming a huge tornado.
Everybody around Blackwater Lake was surprised by this scene and watched on, shocked. Is this a phenomenon?
At the bottom of the lake, Lu Yin was appalled as this seemed a little too real. They must be real geniuses… Wait, no!
Lu Yin suddenly realized that there was something strange about the phenomenon. Is this actually real?
He immediately glanced around and saw that Gus and the pale-faced man had not returned yet. They were the ones who were in charge of creating the phenomenon, and according to the plan, they were supposed to return as soon as the phenomenon appeared so that the twins wouldn’t discover the truth. However, they had yet to appear, which meant the phenomenon was real!
Lu Yin immediately swam towards the bottom of the lake, and the others all reacted in the same way as well. The man in grey stabbed his spear into the waters, swimming to the bottom of the lake as his spear pushed the water in his way apart.
Above the surface of the lake, the twins exchanged astonished gazes before immediately breaking the Mystical Ice and charging into the water.
Many of the spectators in the surrounding area darted forth as well. The various phenomena in the trial zones could make a cultivator very powerful, and the quality of these images meant that there must be something powerful in the lake.
At the bottom of the lake, Gus and the pale-faced man excitedly watched the area in front of them. The water had gathered into a vortex, and a vague figure quietly stood up inside of that vortex. It was impossible to make out that figure’s details, but it was clear that it was the source of the huge commotion at the bottom of the lake. The water vortex shifted as it merged into the figure, causing the occasional spatial tear to streak past it as it did so. Lightning seemed to be flashing within the water as well.
The pale-faced man charged forward, intent on merging with the figure so that he could comprehend this amazing battle technique.
Gus did the same, but was slightly slower.
But right as the pale-faced man charged into the vortex, he was instantly torn to shreds. The shocking sight caused Gus’ expression to change as he immediately retreated. Meanwhile, Lu Yin and the others had just arrived in time to see the pale-faced man’s death. They were shocked because every single person here was almost as strong as an Area Master, but one of them had been easily killed by the ancient phenomenon. It was a terrifying sight.
Soon enough, the twin sisters appeared behind them shortly after. This time, nobody bothered with them and they all merely stared at the developing phenomenon.
More and more people appeared and stared at the figure in the distance in excitement. All of them hoped that they would be able to obtain the inheritance and see their cultivation soar, allowing them to rush to the peak of the Astral Combat Academy.
The ancient figure stood at the bottom of the lake as the vortex around it grew increasingly larger, until it eventually covered the entirety of Blackwater Lake.
Lu Yin and the others had long since retreated to the safety of the shore, but their eyes were still glued to the figure.
More and more people tried to charge in and merge with the figure, but they all failed. The man in grey had also made his attempt, with the result being both him and his spear being torn to shreds.
The twins had similarly tried to test the waters with their Mystical Ice, but even that was not able to withstand the vortex’s sheer force. At this point, the revolving streams of water had become the most powerful weapons in the world in that figure’s hands. Nobody could go up against them.
Lu Yin had long since activated his Cosmic Art to better observe the phenomenon. What everyone else saw as streams of water, he saw as a horrifying, indescribably concentrated form of bloodlust. It was shaped like a vortex, but it was actually the manifestation of a battle technique. By remaining unchanging, the battle technique could actually adapt to any changes. Anybody who entered the vortex would be torn apart, regardless of their battle technique. This was a battle technique that had been designed by the wisdom of ancient, intelligent minds, and it was likely a simplified version of something even more profound and powerful.
Lu Yin was growing antsy; if he could somehow merge with that figure and experience the battle technique for himself, then his power would immediately soar. At the very least, his method of using battle techniques would transform, but unfortunately, he was not sure if he could break through the vortex.
Yet another student was torn apart by the deadly vortex, but the crowd could only watch on; their frustration and anxiety were simply indescribable.
Lu Yin was no different, and he also wanted to give it a go. In the end, the worst that could happen would be dying, but even that just meant being forced out of the trial zone. After steeling himself, Lu Yin charged into the vortex. Gus moved forward at the same time since the figure was starting to grow indistinct. If they missed this opportunity, then they might never have another chance like this ever again.
Many students charged at the same time, like moths flying to a flame. Even though they knew that they were rushing in towards almost certain death, they still chased after that sliver of light. For cultivators, strength was their sole pursuit. The universe was cruel and practical, but that was just the reality of their world; sometimes, cultivation meant running towards death.
Lu Yin activated his Cosmic Art and his battle force. He charged straight in, intent on reaching the figure in a single leap, but he was forced back by a huge force. His battle force was blown away as was his Cosmic Art. The nine stars exploded, but not even that managed to mitigate the vortex’s ripping force in the least. The next moment, extreme pain shot through his nerves as his body began to be shredded apart.
Gus was already gone, and everyone else who had been fighting to become the Area Master of Blackwater Lake had died as well.
Lu Yin yelled as he barely managed to hold on for a second. The muscles in his calves tore apart as he forcefully used Flash. At the same time, he struck himself with Nine Stacks. That, combined with his Flash backwards, was enough to force himself out of the vortex and send him crashing into the shore.
Aside from Lu Yin, everyone else who had entered the vortex had died. Not a single other person had managed to escape. This scene shocked everyone once again.
The twins narrowed their eyes as they stared at Lu Yin in shock. This person had managed to survive for two seconds within the vortex, which was even better than Gus and the others. Furthermore, he was a mere Melder. What a monster!
Lu Yin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, but his entire body was streaked with blood. This was the first time that he’d been this badly injured after becoming a Melder. He had no idea what the limits of his body were, and his physique had even surprised the Sandmaster. However, this vortex had been able to injure him seriously in just two seconds. Thankfully, he had held on for those two seconds, which was more than the others had been able to do.
Injuries taken inside a trial zone healed very quickly, and he didn’t need to worry even if that weren’t the case. Everything would be fine as long as he didn’t die.
At this moment, a white figure flitted past everyone staring at the figure and charged straight into the vortex. Everyone assumed the white figure would be torn to bits like everyone else, but the ancient figure within the phenomenon forced the vortex to stop the moment the white figure made contact with the vortex. The white figure easily crossed the vortex and merged with the ancient figure, and a moment later, the vortex resumed spinning once more.
This sudden development left everyone shocked. Someone had received the inheritance, or to phrase it differently, the inheritance had been waiting for that person.
Lu Yin narrowed his eyes. Was this opportunity set up for that person? He couldn’t make out any details inside the vortex, and the only thing that he was able to determine about the white figure was a veil and a beautiful side profile. It was a girl.
“Young Mistress!” the twins exclaimed in delight as they stared inside the vortex.
Lu Yin’s eyes widened into saucers. Young Mistress? Is this Yue Xianzi from the Frostmoon Sect whom Gus and the others were talking about? She’s received the inheritance, which means that Blackwater Lake is fated to be hers.
After realizing this, Lu Yin stood up and left despite it causing him extreme pain. This opportunity did not belong to him, and there was no need to force things as such behavior would only bring him trouble later on.
Lu Yin found an area to rest and heal not too far away from the lake. He took no more than half a day to fully recover. As long as one didn’t die in the trial zones, one would be able to regenerate from their injuries very quickly. No one here was using their real body, after all, and between their increased healing abilities and the properties of the trial zones, it meant that battles here typically resulted in death. Battles had two options: fight to the death or not fight at all.
Two hours before Lu Yin finished recovering, the phenomenon in Blackwater Lake disappeared. From that point onwards, the Area Master of Blackwater Lake was officially Yue Xianzi, a powerful person who had entered the Astral Combat Academy to participate in the Astral Combat Tournament.
