Chapter 165: Light Crystal

The hull near the bow was caved in. Xiao Kaitian leaped into the sea in a single bound, cupped his hands beneath the vessel, and channeled his divine source energy to lift the boat ashore, pulling it clear of the pounding surf.

Bai Kou jumped down as well. As their feet touched solid ground, the lingering rocking dizziness finally subsided. The moment they landed, they sensed waves of fierce kinetic energy pulsating nearby.

Martial cultivators had already discovered this small island and made landfall ahead of them. The two exchanged glances, their figures flickering as they melted into the darkness in opposite directions.

The other side of the island was close to the eye of the vortex. Statistically speaking, the spiritual crystal was far more likely to appear from that direction. They had not traveled far before Xiao Kaitian keenly sensed a murderous intent rapidly closing in from his flank.

Amidst the torrential rain and pitch darkness, he could only vaguely make out a human figure. The sword in the attacker's hand was pitch-black, its length indiscernible. Xiao Kaitian flooded his entire body with divine source energy. Lacking the time to identify the foe, he barely managed to dodge the attack, spun around with a backhand strike, and hit his opponent's neck with a hand-blade. The attacker dropped to the ground with a soft thud, without even a chance to groan.

This action exposed their positions, and a dozen waves of kinetic energy swept toward them instantly. Xiao Kaitian and Bai Kou raised their guard, preparing for a melee.

Right at that moment, a sudden crack of thunder split the sky, its deafening rumble shaking the earth. Xiao Kaitian's spirits soared; he distinctly felt a force alien to this dimension surge down from the skies above.

The spiritual crystal had manifested! Xiao Kaitian tugged at Bai Kou's sleeve, pointing up at the sky. Bai Kou looked up, and a barrage of lightning bolts instantly poured down from above, hurtling straight toward the island.

"Radiation lightning!" Xiao Kaitian hurriedly wrapped his arm around Bai Kou's waist, his divine source energy circulating rapidly as a thin shield materialized above their heads. While maintaining his defense, he moved at high speed.

The descending lightning reached the island in the blink of an eye. Under the lash of the electric bolts, miserable cries rang out from all directions as some martial cultivators failed to evade in time and were struck dead by the lightning.

Immediately following this barrage of lightning, a sudden burst of red light flared in the sky, and a streak of golden radiance traced a straight line as it shot toward the rear of the island.

"It's out." Bai Kou made a prompt decision. Xiao Kaitian reacted with equal speed, and the two darted like flying shadows toward the landing point of the golden light.

There were quite a few others with the same idea. A spiritual crystal was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, something to be sought rather than forced. At this stage, they had no choice but to gamble everything.

After a dozen leaps, the two arrived in the vicinity. A large circular crater had appeared on the ground of the island, the rocks surrounding it still glowing with a faint red light despite the torrential rain. The area seemed to have been scorched by extreme heat, and as the raindrops hit the ground, plumes of mist rose with a persistent hissing sound.

Bai Kou was about to press forward, but Xiao Kaitian grabbed her arm and stopped her. "The radiation up ahead is still severe. Wait a moment."

He could perceive the danger, but some impatient martial cultivators had already rushed in. They had not gone far before they suddenly let out miserable shrieks, their bodies twisting in agony as they fell to the ground and convulsed, losing all movement shortly after.

Only then did the remaining people realize the peril. For a moment, everyone stood around the large circular crater clutching their weapons, eyeing one another warily.

Xiao Kaitian coated his eyes with divine source energy and swept his gaze across the area. There were still around a hundred martial cultivators left, and the kinetic energy radiating from these individuals was immensely powerful.

It was unclear who triggered the situation first, but abruptly, the martial cultivators surrounding the crater descended into a chaotic melee, paying no heed to friend or foe.

"Take care of the outsiders first, and we can fight for the spiritual crystal afterward!" someone shouted at the top of their lungs.

The scene immediately spiraled out of control. Kinetic energy rippled everywhere, and the mob dissolved into a free-for-all. Billowing mist drifted across the battlefield, obscuring vision until, ultimately, everyone was fighting for themselves.

The battle inevitably spilled over to Xiao Kaitian and Bai Kou. With no other choice, the two struck out in unison, instantly eliminating the martial cultivators who lunged at them.

"What do we do now? How much longer will your so-called radiation last?" Bai Kou asked coldly.

"The radiation will persist, but it will weaken soon. When we go in later, remember to wrap yourself in divine source energy to avoid contamination," Xiao Kaitian replied after testing the conditions. A little longer, and it would be safe to enter.

The chaotic battle outside continued, but after a number of casualties, the survivors finally regained a semblance of reason. Someone shouted loudly, "Everyone! I am Ni Zheng of the Wudang Sect. Please cease your attacks!"

"We don't even know if there's a spiritual crystal in there yet. I suggest we temporarily put aside our hostility. If we are to fight, it won't be too late once we actually lay eyes on the crystal."

"What do you all think? Let us call a collective truce before entering."

In the dark and stormy night, voices were difficult to place, but Ni Zheng channeled his kinetic energy to project his words far and wide. Gradually, the sounds of fighting around them began to subside.

"Each sect, keep your people in line. Let us all restrain our members."

Some sects had dispersed their teams in pursuit of efficiency, leaving friend and foe intermingled. With Ni Zheng acting as a mediator, the martial cultivators remained on guard against one another while searching for their respective main forces.

Xiao Kaitian and Bai Kou belonged to no sect. Compared to the clustered groups scattered across the scene, the two of them standing alone looked somewhat out of place.

Once the remaining dozen or so sects had gathered their members, they began taking roll. Not only had they failed to secure the spiritual crystal, but many fine fighters had already perished in this battle.

"Uncle Hao is gone. He was struck by someone's sword in the dark."

"Six Earth Realm disciples are missing. Their chances of survival are slim."

"We've lost half our manpower, Senior Brother. This venture has proven more trouble than it's worth."

Xiao Kaitian observed in silence, his mind entirely focused on the radiation levels. Judging that the time was right, he exchanged a glance with Bai Kou, who instantly understood.

The two wrapped themselves in their respective divine source energies and leaped out simultaneously, racing toward the landing spot of the golden light.

The group of martial cultivators was startled at first. Although Xiao Kaitian and Bai Kou lacked backing and were widely known to be formidable, neither of them seemed to pose a threat given their small numbers. Ni Zheng had intended to mediate and coordinate a joint advance for everyone, never expecting these two to completely disregard the rules.

Their sudden movement immediately threw the crowd of cultivators into disarray. While the various sects struggled to maintain their formations, the impatient ones surged forward.

Seeing this, Ni Zheng could only sigh in resignation. He issued a command: "We are giving chase as well! Remember to maintain formation and do not get separated again."

The crowd surged forward in a massive, turbulent wave—a truly spectacular sight.

Xiao Kaitian and Bai Kou moved with extreme agility. The landing zone of the spiritual crystal was very small, but Xiao Kaitian could sense the fluctuations of four-dimensional energy, effectively equipping him with a radar. Bypassing unnecessary detours, the two rapidly arrived at the spot where the crystal had fallen.

A minuscule hole marred the ground, almost impossible to detect upon casual inspection. Through his divine source perception, Xiao Kaitian discerned an inverted conical object about the size of a thumb. He let out a sigh. "This is a light crystal!"