322: Chapter 322 The Dark Zone

A few breaths later, Shi Yuying gritted her teeth, seemingly having made up her mind.

She directly produced two space rings, presented them with both hands, and said in a sincere tone, "Lord Chen Yi, these two space rings contain the rarest batch of heaven and earth spiritual treasures we have obtained from exploring the various levels of the secret realm over these past four months!"

"I wonder... would it be possible to use them to exchange for a chance to follow you into the Ultimate Darkness Zone?"

Seeing this scene, the several Contracted Spirit Beasts behind her were instantly stunned!

"Big Sister Ying, what are you doing?"

"These were so hard for us to obtain!"

"If we cultivate for a few more months, we might be able to break the barrier ourselves!"

"Exactly, exactly! Why waste so many resources just to have someone else take us in? He didn't even try to rob us of our resources..."

They voiced their objections one after another, their faces filled with confusion.

Chen Yi also raised his eyebrows with interest.

It seems that Shi Yuying's insistence on entering the Ultimate Darkness Zone stems from some ulterior motive.

And this price is certainly not insignificant!

But for some reason, Chen Yi did not sense any obvious malice from Shi Yuying; instead, there was a feeling... a hint of hope and longing.

Just then, Su Taotao, whom he was protecting behind him, gently tugged at his sleeve.

Tiptoeing, she leaned into his ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Brother Chen Yi... agree to her! I don't know why, but I always feel that the aura from that Shi Yuying makes me feel... very familiar and very close, not unpleasant at all!"

"Aura? Very familiar?"

Chen Yi frowned slightly.

Su Taotao possesses the Taotie Bloodline and has an extremely keen perception of auras.

Since she said so, it indicates that this Shi Yuying, to some extent, might truly have some unknown connection with Su Taotao!

Combined with her persistence in being willing to pay a huge price just to follow along...

Perhaps, he could trust her for once!

After all, when she was telling the story earlier, it seemed like she was genuinely looking out for The girls!

"Fine!"

Chen Yi put on an expression that said, "Seeing how sincere you are, I'll reluctantly accept it," and reached out to take the two space rings.

He put them away without even looking at them.

In this situation, even if Shi Yuying were given several times the courage, she probably wouldn't dare to fake it, right?

"Since you are so sincere, if I refuse again, it would make me seem somewhat unfeeling and too petty!"

After saying that, he raised the Seven-Colored Flame Sword again.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom—"

Seven consecutive deafening roars rang out!

The seven-colored sword light slashed down onto the barrier instantly!

That sturdy barrier, under Chen Yi's relentless consecutive bombardments, was shattered seven times just like that!

Seven sky-blue talismans drifted down one after another.

Chen Yi casually grabbed the seven talismans and handed them to Shi Yuying. "Take them; this is your group's share."

"Many thanks!"

Shi Yuying solemnly accepted the talismans and bowed deeply to Chen Yi.

She said nothing more, immediately distributed the talismans to her Contracted Spirit Beasts, and then led them through the barrier one by one.

Seeing this, Chen Yi did not delay any further.

He lowered his head, kissed Su Taotao on the forehead, and then scooped her up in a bridal carry.

"Ah!"

Su Taotao exclaimed, her little face instantly turning bright red, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Chen Yi's neck.

"Hold on tight, let's go!"

Chen Yi laughed heartily, holding Su Taotao, and strode toward the sky-blue barrier.

After stepping through the barrier and walking forward for about ten kilometers.

Chen Yi and his party officially stepped into the legendary Ultimate Darkness Zone.

The scene before them instantly overturned their perception of darkness.

This place was not a purely lightless land, but a bizarre space where colors and perceptions were distorted.

The surrounding light was like a human trapped in a quagmire, struggling to emanate, only to be quickly pulled by an invisible force and finally dissipate completely.

Leaving only a suffocating sense of lethargy!

The air was extremely thick, and every breath was exceptionally laborious!

The flow of spiritual power within the body became significantly sluggish, feeling as if one had contracted some kind of spiritual power sickness!

What was even more unsettling was the complete loss of a sense of direction.

Up, down, left, and right seemed to have lost their meaning; the ground beneath their feet was sometimes solid, sometimes illusory.

Looking back, the barrier entrance they had come through had long vanished without a trace, leaving only an endless, constantly writhing and changing darkness!

Of course, there were advantages.

Precisely because the spiritual power here was so thick and dense, breathing a single breath here was equivalent to devouring and refining a magic beast crystal core!

It was a true holy land for cultivation!

Of course, one that belonged exclusively to ascetics!

"This place is so uncomfortable!"

"The spiritual power is too dense, and I feel... very uneasy!"

"Indeed, it feels like being trapped in the stomach of a giant beast that is constantly digesting."

"How terrifying! Is this the final area containing the secrets of the world? It truly lives up to its name!"

Even the knowledgeable Black Rose and Luo Shiyin had faces filled with vigilance at this moment.

Chu Feiyu tried to release a wisp of seven-colored flame.

The flame, which should have been burning intensely, burned for only two and a half seconds in this place before being quickly swallowed up!

Yun Zhiyao sensed the nearly dead water elements around her and shook her head gently.

She was experiencing for the first time what it meant to be in an area drier than a desert.

The humidity in the air was infinitely close to zero; she couldn't feel even a shred of water element.

Shi Yuying fell into deep thought.

Her Demon Emperor Bloodline could perceive that what was being felt here was not pure energy suppression.

But an erosion and distortion that pointed directly to the origin of the soul.

Even she felt a sense of trepidation.

The atmosphere here was truly unsettling!

"No wonder... it needed a threshold of the eighth rank!"

Shi Yuying murmured softly, "Those with weak wills and insufficient strength who step into this place would probably be driven mad by this pervasive darkness, or even scared to death!"

Chen Yi looked at Shi Yuying and, out of caution, suggested, "My friend, the environment here is strange, and the road ahead is unknown! Our goals may not be the same; if you feel it's dangerous or have other plans, parting ways now is also a good choice!"

Shi Yuying shook her head and refused almost without hesitation.

Maintaining the gentle smile of a caring big sister on her face, she said, "Lord Chen Yi is joking. Since we came in together, we should naturally explore together! This Ultimate Darkness Zone is so dangerous; having one more person means one more person to look out for each other! Moreover, I am also very curious about this place."

Part ways?

What a joke!

Her goal was to confirm Tao Tao's identity; how could she leave Chen Yi's team at this time?

In any case, she had to stay by their side!