Chapter 552: Falling Into a Trap
Honey Snow Tower.
The tower spirit reported: “Phase One testing complete. Divine power analysis inconclusive. Divine domain unknown...”
Without waiting for the tower spirit's full report, Shuang Lian summoned her focus and directly accessed all the test results.
The next moment, her expression changed.
The various indicators in the test reports revealed a monumental secret!
“An unknown deity?”
“No, perhaps... They haven't truly descended yet.”
“This divine domain is likely...”
Shuang Lian's heart trembled violently.
Her gaze shifted.
Earlier, when she looked at the divine domain space, she had wanted nothing more than to extinguish it outright.
But now, her burning gaze seemed intent on piercing through the very fabric of the divine domain space, seeking to verify the report's findings and uncover the truth!
“If it truly is what I suspect...”
“This divine domain will be the most crucial opportunity of my entire life!”
Shuang Lian had once stumbled upon a young demi-plane and captured it. It was the greatest fortune of her life.
She seized it.
Through years of cultivation, she reaped immense rewards.
It was precisely the prudent management of that demi-plane that established her worth, providing the foundational capital to leverage within the vast platform of the Alchemy Guild, unlocking even greater resources.
Ultimately, she built the Honey Snow Tower, amassing countless alchemy achievements and becoming one of the most influential elders in the Alchemy Guild.
But now, she felt the opportunity presented by encountering a demi-plane might pale in comparison to the one before her!
“A divine domain... that's not something a demi-plane can rival.”
“What's wrong, Teacher?” Bu Quan asked, puzzled.
She had been watching her mentor closely and was startled to see the tower spirit's report abruptly halt mid-sentence. Her mentor's eyes now blazed with an intense, piercing light!
Spell Conversion - Spatial Pendant!
Shuang Lian's contemplation lasted only an instant before she sprang into action.
She directly transformed the previous Spatial Anchor spell into a Spatial Pendant Spell.
These two spells served distinct purposes.
The Spatial Anchor fixed a space, restricting all spatial alterations. The Spatial Pendant, however, probed alternate planes and performed precise spatial localization.
Honey Snow Tower once again demonstrated its formidable power, effortlessly transforming the previous Spatial Anchor into a Spatial Pendant.
Spell conversion was a casting technique.
Magicians who mastered this skill could transform spells between two similar magic models.
Thus, one spell could be converted into another.
This technique found extensive applications in combat, alchemy, and other fields.
The Spatial Anchor coalesced and materialized once more, then instantly transformed into a giant water-drop pendant.
Without the Spatial Anchor's restraint, the divine domain space instantly shed its constraints and rapidly expanded once more.
Bu Quan was startled and wanted to ask her mentor, but wisely kept her mouth shut.
Shuang Lian was fully focused, manipulating the mage tower.
Spell - Ice Crystal Chain.
Soon, another spell was unleashed.
Frost elements coalesced into five slender chains, extending from the mage tower straight to the Spatial Pendant.
The pendant was hurled forth in the next instant.
The Spatial Pendant plunged directly into the divine domain space. As it penetrated, intense spatial ripples surged through the divine domain space.
Yi Jiu stared in shock and disbelief.
Spell - Frost Flower Imprisonment!
This spell had been used just moments ago.
Under its effect, Da Dou was utterly helpless, frozen solid like an ice block, unable to move.
Frost flowers materialized, first enveloping the space around Yi Jiu, then rapidly spreading to cover the divine domain space.
These frost flowers were over ten times larger than those on Da Dou!
Giant frost flowers interlocked, radiating frigid cold. Crystal clear and translucent, they formed a vast net, imprisoning the divine domain space.
No, more accurately, they were “reinforcing” it!
“Shuang Lian... What is she doing?!” Yi Jiu was stunned.
The other gold level experts within the Tranquil Hill Divine Domain shared his bewilderment.
“Shuang Lian is truly expanding the divine domain space!”
“Not only that, but she’s also reinforcing the spatial passageway, as if fearing we'll abandon Yi Jiu and retreat directly.”
“She actually did it!”
“Mei Lin, what exactly is happening?”
All eyes turned to the mermaid magician.
Mei Lin, however, only gazed silently at the Spatial Pendant entering the Tranquil Hill Divine Domain, offering no explanation.
Suddenly, she declared, “It's almost ready. Xue Tuan Zi, activate the magic formation immediately!”
Xue Tuan Zi responded instantly.
The formation activated, unleashing an incredibly powerful pulling force.
The pulling force acted upon the Spatial Pendant, violently yanking it downward.
The Spatial Pendant and Honey Snow Tower were bound together by ice crystal chains. For the moment, they formed a single entity.
Everything happened too quickly.
Before Shuang Lian could react, the mage tower was dragged down.
Yi Jiu roared in panic.
The divine domain space used him as its spatial coordinate. In his field of vision, the mage tower plummeted from the sky, hurtling straight toward him!
Yi Jiu dodged with every ounce of strength.
He didn't evade completely, getting grazed by the tower's edge.
He flew through the air like a bouncing ball. In an instant, three ribs snapped—despite having activated his gold level defensive battle skill.
Yi Jiu crashed into the snow, coughing up another mouthful of blood.
He scrambled to his feet only to find the mage tower had vanished!
The divine domain space, violently impacted by the tower, now resembled a vigorously stirred paint bucket, the gradually crystallizing vision of the divine domain had coalesced into a multicolored vortex.
A single glance left Yi Jiu dizzy and disoriented.
Even more terrifying, the swirling vortex unleashed a powerful suction force!
Unable to evade, Yi Jiu was seized by the pull and violently dragged into the spatial vortex.
Within the next second, the vortex rapidly contracted into a single point before vanishing completely from Honey snow demi-plane.
With both Yi Jiu and the mage tower vanished, the once-bustling battlefield fell suddenly silent.
Tranquil Hill Divine Domain.
The magic formation used to drag the mage tower shattered with a thunderous crash.
“Success!” Xue Tuan Zi cheered, paying no further attention to the broken formation.
This formation had been a disposable, single-use item, having already fulfilled its tactical purpose.
"Damn it, I fell for it! Within the Honey Snow Tower, Shuang Lian's expression darkened considerably.
She instantly grasped the scheme.
The enemy had first exploited her spell to pinpoint the Honey Snow Tower's location.
Then, the magic force unleashed by the formation marked and dragged the entire unit, both the pendant and the mage tower.
That force alone wouldn't have been enough to subdue the mage tower. The crucial factor was spatial power.
The opponent had cleverly exploited the instability of the spatial passage to create a temporary spatial vortex. Using this vortex, they sucked the mage tower inside.
Originally, the Divine Domain Descent used the spatial power of the Tranquil Hill Divine Domain to counter the spatial power of the Honey snow demi-plane.
But just now, the duelists suddenly exerted force in the opposite direction, while the Honey snow demi-plane, striving to restore its original spatial order, also applied thrust.
The convergence of these two immense forces was something the Honey Snow Tower, caught off guard, could not withstand!
Thus, the mage tower was ultimately sucked into the enemy's divine domain.
A shrill alarm sounded within Honey Snow Tower.
The tower spirit urgently reported the extent of the damage.
The damage was extensive!
A spatial vortex was not a stable portal; it exerted crushing, grinding forces on anything it transmitted. Fortunately, the Honey Snow Tower was exceptionally sturdy, allowing it to pass through the vortex.
Even so, the tower's surface was now horribly twisted, with holes appearing in some places, exposing the interior to the outside.
"We pulled Honey Snow Tower inside?!"
“Weren't we supposed to attack the Honey snow demi-plane?”
"Mei Lin, this is so like you! What a tactical move!"
"Indeed, Shuang Lian has managed that demiplane for years, fortifying it like an iron barrel. Attacking from within puts us at a huge disadvantage. But now it's different. Here, we hold a massive home-field advantage."
The gold duelists all snapped to attention, showering Mei Lin with praise.
Yet Yi Jiu roared in fury: “Mei Lin, are you trying to kill me?!”
Yi Jiu's condition was equally horrific.
His nose had been sliced off, his left leg twisted 90 degrees forward, and his right forearm contorted into a twisted knot. The gravest injuries lay within, several of his internal organs had been displaced.
These were the costs Yi Jiu paid for his physical body traversing the spatial vortex!
In contrast, Shuang Lian, Bu Quan, and the others remained unscathed, protected by the mage tower.
Mei Lin spoke calmly: "Yi Jiu, you've been rescued, haven't you? I fulfilled my promise."
Yi Jiu spat blood in rage, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Mei Lin as if he wanted to devour her: "This is your idea of rescue? Making me pass straight through the spatial vortex?"
“Shuang Lian had already lifted the suppression. Why not wait until the spatial passage stabilizes before letting me return?”
Mei Lin shook her head. “I won't stake our chance on the enemy.”
“With every passing second, Shuang Lian grows more likely to sense this is a trap and alter the spell again.”
"Your injuries are not life-threatening. We simulated this tactic extensively beforehand and calculated every possible outcome."
"The mage tower entered before you, absorbing the bulk of the spatial grinding."
"Of course, you may also view these wounds as a warning from our side."
Earlier, Yi Jiu had threatened to expose Mei Lin and the others, even the entire Tranquil Hill Divine Domain, to provoke their rescue attempt. This had made the vast majority of duelists deeply resentful, even disgusted, toward Yi Jiu.
Yi Jiu trembled with rage at these words.
But seeing the cold stares directed at him by the other gold level duelists, he regained his composure.
"I'll remember this! Next time, Mei Lin, don't even think about hiring me!" Yi Jiu gritted his teeth and turned to leave.
Gold level battle qi enveloped his internal and external wounds, even coalescing into a battle qi prosthetic leg to support him.
"Wait." Mei Lin said.
Yi Jiu's heart shook as he turned around and stared at Mei Lin warily: "What else do you want?"
Mei Lin smiled lightly: "Don't you want revenge? Your true enemy isn't us—it's Shuang Lian."
Yi Jiu snorted coldly, glancing toward the mage tower looming in the sky nearby.
The desire for vengeance burned within him, but his injuries held him back.
Mei Lin suddenly tossed a bundle of potions his way.
Yi Jiu caught them, his expression shifting slightly.
He instantly recognized them as gold level potions, excellent healing items.
“Drink these, and you'll regain your fighting strength,” Mei Lin smiled. "This is my new hire for you. I'm only offering this much because the rest of the reward is over there."
Mei Lin's gaze shifted toward the mage tower, the implication clear.
Yi Jiu's expression flickered through a range of emotions before he finally drew a sharp breath and cursed, "I'll kill Shuang Lian!"
“Anyone else interested?”
The gold duelists exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
“We're all interested!”
“Can you handle it, Yi Jiu?”
“Let me make this clear: no one interferes with me. Or I'll take you all down too!”