Chapter 710
Ren Xue
The wind barrier was far thicker than they had imagined; it took them a full half-hour to traverse it. The shield's light had dimmed considerably, and it was covered with fine cracks. Just as Dai Chengfeng was preparing to replace the spare shield core, the wind ahead suddenly shifted!
No longer a chaotic tearing, but rather an orderly, cohesive movement. The grayish-white air swirled, forming a spiral wind tunnel about two meters in diameter. The interior of the wind tunnel was relatively calm, but the wind blades at the edges were more solid and sharp, radiating a dangerous aura. Meanwhile, the cyan light thread from Bibi Dong's fingertip plunged straight into the depths of this wind tunnel.
"This is it, the passage." Without the slightest hesitation, Bibi Dong stepped into the wind passage.
Dai Chengfeng gritted his teeth and followed. Almost the instant he entered, the wind wall behind him closed, and his retreat vanished. The wind tunnel was far from smooth; immense pressure came from all directions, propelling them forward involuntarily. Their speed increased, and the swirling wind walls on either side reflected bizarre and distorted images, as if they were traversing a time tunnel. Bibi Dong infused her soul power into the Tear of the Wind God, attempting to establish a deeper connection with the wind tunnel. The necklace flashed slightly, and the surrounding pressure seemed to lessen somewhat, making their gliding trajectory smoother.
They didn't know how much time had passed—perhaps a quarter of an hour, perhaps longer. Suddenly, a bright light appeared ahead, and the pressure vanished abruptly. The two were propelled out of the wind tunnel by a gentle yet irresistible force, plunging into a strange space.
With his feet firmly planted on the ground, Dai Chengfeng steadied himself immediately, his soul power surging as he cautiously surveyed his surroundings. However, the scene before him left even this well-traveled Thunder Douluo stunned.
This was no longer the desolate, lifeless, and fiercely windy scene above. They seemed to be beneath a vast, underground "sky." Above them was not rock, but a flowing, azure-green dome of light, like wind both solidified and alive. Soft light poured down, illuminating the entire space. Beneath their feet was a solid, jade-like, greyish-white rock floor, exceptionally smooth, stretching out in all directions as far as the eye could see.
The most breathtaking thing is the "wind" in the space. Wind is everywhere, but no longer a raging gale; instead, it is a gentle, agile, and visible pale blue current. It flows, swirls, and intertwines in the air like living things, forming elegant trails. Some condense into ribbon-like shapes, gently brushing across the rocky ground, emitting a pleasant hum; others gather into small vortices, playfully tumbling; further away, one can see silhouettes made of pure wind elements, resembling birds, beasts, and even human figures, flashing by, full of life. The air is filled with an extremely dense wind-attribute elemental power, and one can feel one's soul power subtly increasing with every breath. Yet, it also carries an ancient, majestic, and inviolable aura.
"The Secret Realm of Wind... or rather, the outer perimeter of the Wind God's Ruins." Bibi Dong spoke slowly, her voice carrying a hint of suppressed excitement. The scorching heat of the Wind God's Tear had transformed into a warm, soothing comfort, like a wanderer returning home. The guiding ray of light hadn't disappeared; instead, it had grown even brighter, pointing deeper into this vast space. There, the outline of a majestic building could be vaguely seen, its entire structure seemingly constructed of azure wind crystals, shimmering with a dreamlike glow beneath the light dome.
"Be careful. Although this place seems peaceful, it feels extremely dangerous to me," Dai Chengfeng said in a low voice. He extended his spiritual power, but felt an invisible barrier. His detection range was greatly limited, and the flowing wind elements seemed to possess some kind of consciousness, showing a subtle rejection of his probe.
Bibi Dong shared the same feeling. She tried to mobilize her soul power and found that although her wind-attribute elemental energy was abundant, the flow of other attribute soul power was much sluggish, as if it were being subtly suppressed by the environment. "It seems that non-wind attribute power is not welcome here. Chengfeng, stay close to me, try to conceal your aura, and don't use your soul power unless necessary, especially the lightning attribute," Bibi Dong instructed. At the same time, she released a wisp of pure wind-attribute soul power, transformed by the Tears of the Wind God, which swirled around her. Sure enough, the surrounding pale blue aura felt much less repulsive towards her, and even seemed to embrace her more closely.
The two cautiously made their way towards the cyan building. The jade-like ground beneath their feet wasn't entirely flat; at times, steps appeared, and at other times, they had to cross illusory bridges formed from wind elements. The surroundings were eerily silent, save for the sound of the wind. It wasn't a violent howl, but a complex sound like sighs, whispers, and chants, as if telling ancient legends.
Occasionally, one can see some broken, unnaturally formed stone pillars and bases half-buried beneath the jade ground. They are carved with ancient and mysterious patterns, mostly related to imagery of wind, clouds, wings, and the sky. Despite the passage of time, one can still sense faint fluctuations of soul power contained within them.
"The legend of the place where the Sky God fell seems to be not unfounded," Dai Chengfeng said in a low voice as he observed the ruins. "The architectural style and remaining traces here are different from any known civilization on the continent. They are more ancient, grand, and full of divinity."
Bibi Dong's fingertips brushed against the wing relief on a broken pillar. The Tear of the Wind God was slightly warm, and a blurry, fragmented stream of information flooded her mind: soaring, war, a shattered sky, fallen glory... and deep sorrow and resentment. She closed her eyes for a moment, processing these fragments, and when she opened them again, her eyes were even deeper. "This is not just a ruin, it's more like a... tomb, or a sealed place."
The closer they got to the cyan building, the more active the surrounding wind elements became, even beginning to coalesce into more concrete and aggressive forms. These included wind blades suddenly attacking from the side, whirlwind traps rising from the ground without warning, and wind spirits transforming into ferocious beasts and lunging at them. Bibi Dong, relying on the sensing power of the Tear of the Wind God and her own formidable strength, was always able to anticipate these attacks. She would either neutralize them with exquisite wind-attribute soul skills or protect Dai Chengfeng behind her. Although Dai Chengfeng's attributes were suppressed, his combat experience and reaction speed remained. He often used skillful techniques or soul tools to assist at crucial moments, and the two cooperated seamlessly, navigating the perilous journey unscathed.
Finally, they arrived before the building. It wasn't a palace, but rather a colossal, roofless altar, or perhaps a plaza. Constructed from countless massive cyan wind crystal stones, it was circular, exceeding a kilometer in diameter. At the center of the altar stood a statue a hundred meters tall. The sculpture depicted a majestic figure draped in flowing robes, face obscured, with three pairs of enormous, luminous wings outstretched behind. He stretched out his arms, gazing upwards (though only a flowing dome of light remained above), his posture both sacred and sorrowful. (End of Chapter)