kvmb Chapter 539 - 527: Compass Failure!
Chapter 539 - 527: Compass Failure!
"Master Hua, allow me to speak," Lai Shenxiang said, stepping forward with the Evil Spirit Zen Stick wrapped in yellow cloth slung across his back.
"Of course, Lai Shenxiang. Please, go ahead," Hua Xiaotian said without any pleasantries.
"The Qiantang River is currently in a state of Yin River. I don’t mean to build them up at our own expense, but in its present condition, I’m afraid that apart from you, Master Hua, anyone else who touches the water will die instantly. Even if they somehow survive, they will be gravely injured. The chilling aura emanating from the depths is unlike anything I have ever encountered. Our only option is to remain positioned in the air above the river and use the essence of Magic to survey the situation and lay our formations. I can’t think of any other way. Do any of the other Masters have a better idea?"
Lai Shenxiang turned to look at his colleagues. As expected, they all shook their heads.
"Lai Shenxiang is absolutely right," one of them said.
"In that case, can we use a helicopter to take the Masters over the river?" a coordinator beside Hua Xiaotian immediately asked.
"Absolutely not!" Lai Shenxiang shook his head. "Faced with such an unknown and malevolent presence, we must strive for perfection. The interference from a helicopter would be too great. The slightest mishap could lead to a total failure, and if we lose this gamble, we will lose our lives in a matter of minutes. We cannot take that risk."
"Lai Shenxiang, how much time do you need?" Hua Xiaotian asked, an idea already forming in his mind.
"It’s hard to say," Lai Shenxiang replied, swallowing hard. He turned to gaze at the eerily still water of the Yin River. The figure of Qin Fan surfaced in his mind. If Qin Fan, who had once silently slain a Jiao Dragon, were here, they wouldn’t be in such a passive position. Definitely not.
"All those in the Transformation Realm, step forward!" Hua Xiaotian suddenly shouted, glancing at Lai Shenxiang’s back.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
Instantly, a dozen middle-aged men stepped before Hua Xiaotian and formed a line. "Master Hua, your orders!" they said in unison.
"You will carry the Masters and keep them airborne. If you can no longer hold on, you must return immediately!" Hua Xiaotian ordered through gritted teeth, his expression tense. He knew how dangerous this was, but racing against time, he had no other strategy.
"Master Hua, isn’t this... a little too dangerous?" one of the Magic Masters asked hesitantly.
"We have no other choice," Hua Xiaotian said gravely. "We can’t wait any longer. The longer we wait, the more dangerous it becomes. If we wait for the enemy to strike first, we will be at a severe disadvantage!" He was fully aware of the immense risk, but as he had said, there was no other way.
"I understand. Then we shall have to trouble you all," a Magician holding a Compass said grimly. "But please, remember, do not push yourselves. If any of us fall into that water, the consequences will be unthinkable."
"Understood. My men know their limits. Ensuring the Masters’ safety is our top priority," Hua Xiaotian replied. With a wave of his hand, the dozen Transformation Realm Grandmasters stepped forward to meet the Magicians, each reaching out to take hold of one.
However, when a Grandmaster approached Lai Shenxiang, the latter said, "I don’t need one."
Under the Grandmaster’s astonished and puzzled gaze, Lai Shenxiang took the Evil Spirit Zen Stick from his back. He grabbed the yellow cloth and tore it away.
RIIIIP!
The Evil Spirit Zen Stick was revealed.
"A Magic Artifact with such a dense Spiritual Breath?"
The moment the Evil Spirit Zen Stick appeared, the Magicians’ eyes widened in shock. They had seen plenty of Magic Artifacts—indeed, each of them possessed several—but they had never encountered one with such pure Spiritual Power. Feeling the aura it emitted, anyone with a discerning eye knew this was a rare treasure.
Originally, the Evil Spirit Zen Stick was nowhere near this formidable. It was only after Qin Fan had cleansed it of its evil spirit and wicked intent, and infused it with a measure of his Mixed Element True Qi, that its Grade had been elevated by several levels, eliciting the collective awe of the crowd.
"This... this is... Lai Shenxiang, is this one of Master Qin’s Magic Artifacts?" Hua Xiaotian exclaimed, rushing over with wide eyes.
"No, it’s not one he personally uses, but this was a gift from him," Lai Shenxiang replied honestly. He reached out, grasped the Zen Stick, and closed his eyes tightly, his lips moving in a silent, inaudible chant.
In the next moment, the Zen Stick began to emit a soft glow and a faint, humming vibration. Before the bewildered onlookers could react, Lai Shenxiang finished his chant and suddenly released his grip. The Zen Stick instantly froze, hovering in mid-air.
Without a word of explanation, Lai Shenxiang leaped decisively into the air, his feet landing steadily on the upper end of the stick. Despite bearing the full weight of a grown man, the Evil Spirit Zen Stick did not fall. Instead, it remained perfectly still, as if Lai Shenxiang weighed no more than air.
"Go!" Lai Shenxiang commanded with a shout and a wave of his hand. At his command, the Zen Stick shot forward, flying out over the surface of the river.
Witnessing this reality-defying scene, everyone—from the members of the Guardian Institute to the assembled Magician experts—was completely dumbfounded. This...! A Magic Artifact can be used this way?
"Lai Shenxiang is on the move! We can’t delay any longer. Let’s go!" Having already witnessed Qin Fan’s numerous heaven-defying feats, Hua Xiaotian was not overly shocked by this display. Given Lai Shenxiang’s connection to Qin Fan, he was prepared for any other incredible acts the man might perform.
At his shout, the members of the Guardian Institute snapped back to their senses. After a quick word with the Magicians they were escorting, they all took to the air.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The group flew out over the river in unison. For Transformation Realm Grandmasters, such Divine Skills were mundane, but their ability to remain airborne was limited.
"First, we need to pinpoint the location of that thing below!" Lai Shenxiang yelled to the approaching Magicians from his perch atop the Zen Stick. He quickly took out his own Compass, which was also a Magic Artifact.
The next moment, however, he froze. On the Compass, the needle was spinning wildly out of control, rendered completely useless. This wasn’t just happening to his Compass; the other Magicians’ instruments were also spinning frantically.
"Damn it, what’s going on? The compasses have failed!"
"Mine too!"
"Could the beast at the bottom of the river be controlling the Yin Yang Magnetic Field?"
Amid Lai Shenxiang’s shock, panicked cries rose from the other Magicians. Faced with this unexpected turn of events, Lai Shenxiang grew frantic. With their compasses useless, trying to locate the presence at the bottom of the river was like finding a needle in a haystack. This wasn’t some small pond; this was the vast, boundless Qiantang River.
Damn it! A sense of helplessness washed over Lai Shenxiang. They simply didn’t have enough time to search slowly by other means. On top of that, the Transformation Realm Grandmasters couldn’t stay airborne long enough for them to conduct a prolonged search!