Chapter 534: Wuji Jun

Boom—!!

Above the black reef, Chen Ling's large red opera robe fluttered in the strong wind. His eyes were fixed on the roaring giant waves approaching him, and his hands, hidden within his sleeves, slowly rose.

He recalled Ning Ruyu's movements, making his palms as gentle as possible. He closed his eyes, attempting to grasp the so-called "belief."

"Belief... belief..."

Darkness enveloped Chen Ling's vision.

The roaring waves, like wild beasts, surged towards the reef. Chen Ling's skin clearly felt the pressure from the splashing water droplets and the incoming waves. He knew he had to act.

He swept his hand through the air, and the next moment, the towering wave crashed heavily onto the reef cluster, letting out a thunderous roar!

Chen Ling felt a tremendous force hit him, sending his entire body flying backward from the reef. Enveloped by the currents, he was pulled into the seabed. A sense of suffocation constricted his body. He opened his eyes and saw the reef-covered sea surface above him growing further and further away.

Damn it, it really wasn't that easy.

As Ning Ruyu had instructed, Chen Ling used no skills or spiritual power. He was predictably swept away by this wave, forced to swim continuously through the seawater, slowly making his way back to the surface.

Just then, an uplifting force suddenly surged from beneath him, as if an undercurrent actively wrapped around his body, pushing him little by little towards the surface without him needing to exert any effort.

"Is this the undercurrent Senior Brother spoke of?" Chen Ling felt his body continuously rise, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Within a dozen seconds, Chen Ling's body was delivered among the reefs on the surface. Taking advantage of the momentum, Chen Ling leaped and stood firmly on the reef.

Wet seawater dripped from Chen Ling's hair and the edges of his robe. He looked towards the horizon, where another colossal wave charged from the distance, seemingly blotting out the sky.

Chen Ling now understood why Ning Ruyu had always said that practicing "Sleeve-Sweeping Heaven" would be risky. On one hand, the force of the waves was extremely powerful, making it difficult for the body to withstand the impact without using any skills or spiritual power. More crucially, after being pulled into the seabed, he would have to expend a great deal of effort to swim back.

One or two times would be fine, but if he were to repeatedly be swept away, swim back, and then be swept away again, he would become increasingly exhausted, nearing his limits, while the waves would grow stronger. Ultimately, he would most likely drown from exhaustion or be directly crushed.

However, thanks to Ning Ruyu's modifications, the undercurrent saved Chen Ling a significant amount of energy, allowing him to face the waves more calmly and devote more attention to sensing "belief." All the best conditions that could be secured for Chen Ling were now maximized!

Chen Ling stood on the reef, took a deep breath, and the fighting spirit in his eyes burned fiercely!

Ning Ruyu had gone to such lengths for him; if he still couldn't master "Sleeve-Sweeping Heaven," how could he face him? Chen Ling had no retreat. He stared intently at the second oncoming wave, and his hands, still within his sleeves, rose once more:

"Again—!!"

***

The Wuji Realm.

A gentle drizzle fell from the gray, hazy sky, flowing down the uneven cobblestone streets towards the sewers. As the dim yellow streetlights overhead flickered faintly, a figure draped in a black robe appeared like a ghost on the deserted road.

"The rain carries the scent of rust and blood... and a faint smell of burning."

Beneath the black hood, a pair of deep blue eyes scanned the surroundings. It was a young man with black hair; mysterious symbols were etched into the palms of both his hands. Hidden within the sleeves of his black robe, his hands swayed in the cold rain.

"Two major districts, tens of thousands of people, all vanished overnight. Only the Church of Truth could achieve this kind of large-scale alchemy... Have they gone mad?"

"So many people have died, yet the Witchcraft Association hasn't taken any action. The Wuji Realm is truly becoming more chaotic."

After a moment of thought, he directly changed direction, heading towards the tallest and most mysterious cathedral in the city.

Along the way, he occasionally saw passersby, but most were carrying umbrellas, hurrying through the streets with large bags of daily necessities—enough, by the looks of it, for half a year, clearly indicating they didn't plan to go out often.

When some saw the black-robed figure walking under the streetlight, their expressions changed. They cautiously circled widely around him, then quickened their pace, as if encountering a terrifying specter.

Seeing this, the man beneath the black hood furrowed his brow deeper.

As he approached the cathedral, numerous figures clad in silver armor immediately blocked his path. The cold gleam of their longswords reflected in the man's deep blue pupils, and a terrifying sense of oppression emanated from their eyes.

"Who goes there?"

Rust-scented raindrops tapped against the surface of their armor, which was covered in incantations, producing a clinking sound, like a woven wall of steel.

Just as the man was about to speak, a voice echoed from the cathedral entrance:

"Oh, Duran, you're finally here!"

The speaker was a middle-aged man draped in a long robe with red and gold patterns. He descended the tall steps one by one, raising his jewel-adorned hands as he smiled and spoke, "Quickly, invite him in. This is our most talented alchemist, an honored guest of the Association. We must not neglect him."

"Brandt, why are you here??" the black-robed young man asked gravely. "Where is Shang Shaoquan?"

"President Shang passed away a few days ago in an accident... Now, I serve as the acting president of the Association," the man called Brandt said with a sorrowful expression.

"How can this be..."

A flicker of astonishment crossed Duran's eyes. Simultaneously, the wall of steel blocking his path parted willingly to either side, revealing a path leading into the cathedral.

He stood in thought for a long moment before finally stepping towards the cathedral.

"I'm truly delighted to hear you've returned, Duran." Brandt enthusiastically patted his shoulder. "It must have been two... no, three years since we last met? The Wuji Realm has undergone significant changes, and so has the Witchcraft Association. There are things you'll see that will surely astound you!"

"What happened to those two vanished districts? Is someone performing large-scale human transmutations? I also can't reach anyone from the Mystical School, and the atmosphere on the streets seems strange... What exactly is going on in the Wuji Realm?"

"Don't worry, Duran, I'll explain everything to you in detail. Just follow me for now."

Brandt turned and walked deeper into the cathedral, his red and gold-patterned robe reflected on the marble floor. His smile grew even wider. "...I'm taking you to meet someone."

"Who?"

"A legend who overturned the Alchemical School, a great man about to forge an eternal kingdom, a king of matter who transcends truth and logic!"

Brandt forcefully pushed open a heavy door. Inside the luxurious, empty cathedral space, a massive, moon-like sphere of mercury silently hovered in mid-air. Dense ripples trembled across its surface, as if something was about to break free!

"He is... Sovereign Wuji!!"