"How many living people are hiding over there?"
Upon hearing Chu's words, Ye Ling couldn't help but be taken aback, feeling a sense of surprise.
The direction Chu pointed to was precisely a spatial gate leading out of the current space. However, from Ye Ling's perspective, all spatial gates looked identical. Furthermore, the special coating on the walls interfered with his vision, preventing him from discerning what lay beyond a spatial gate unless he approached it.
What Chu could now perceive was something Ye Ling currently couldn't!
Chu nodded and said, "I can see people there. They are all armed and radiate intense killing intent, seemingly eager to become our friends."
"Become friends?"
Ye You was stunned by Chu's words, failing to grasp their meaning for a moment.
With weapons in hand and radiating intense killing intent, they were clearly preparing for an ambush. How could friendship be involved?
Ye Ling found it inconvenient to explain Chu's peculiar history to Ye You at that moment, so he quickly changed the subject. "Since we've identified the correct spatial passage, let's go and take a look. We need to rescue Ruo Xue as soon as possible."
With that, Ye Ling leaped towards the spatial gate, not giving Ye You a chance to question him further.
However, the instant Ye Ling approached the spatial gate, a large amount of dark energy surged out from within, enveloping him.
Seeing the dark energy approach, Ye Ling's expression shifted slightly. He immediately halted his movement and retreated, causing the dark energy to miss him!
"Brother!" Ye You called out, her voice laced with urgency.
From Ye You's perspective, she only saw the space ahead suddenly distort, followed by a surge of dark energy filled with an ominous aura, attempting to ensnare Ye Ling.
This dark energy was the same as the dark energy that had emerged from the altar in the Red Dust Pavilion.
No...
It was infinitely more potent than the dark energy from the Red Dust Pavilion's altar!
In other words, if Ye Ling had been entangled by that dark energy just now, the ultimate power hidden within him would likely have been directly siphoned away!
"The Dark Shadow Hall is indeed connected to those extraterrestrial powerhouses," Ye Ling said, retreating to Ye You's side. He stared at the spatial gate, now sealed by the dark energy, a flicker of gravity in his eyes.
The moment he saw the dark energy, Ye Ling had intended to disperse it by brute force. However, a voice within him suddenly urged him to stay away from it.
Ye You asked with a serious tone, "Is that a trap?"
Ye Ling replied, "It is both a trap and our objective for this journey."
"When I approached the spatial gate earlier, my divine soul penetrated outwards, and I saw Ruo Xue imprisoned within."
Hearing Ye Ling's words, Ye You's heart grew heavy. "But now, with that dark energy blocking the gate, if we force our way through and become entangled by it, the extraterrestrial powerhouses might conduct another sacrificial ritual."
"Even more troublesome, if we forcibly dispel the dark energy blocking the gate now, and the space within collapses, what will happen to Sister Ruo Xue?"
"You two, finding your way here is truly surprising..." At this moment, a sibilant voice emanated from behind the spatial gate, drawing the attention of the three.
Subsequently, a young man clad in a black robe, shrouded in dark energy, emerged. He looked at Ye Ling and Ye You and sneered, "We agreed to exchange power and hostages at Mount Buzhou in three days. You've found your way here already..."
"The ultimate power is unwilling to be handed over, and the key hasn't been found. You're making things difficult for me..."
Ye Ling stared coldly at the young man. "Hand over Ruo Xue, and I can spare your life."
The young man laughed. "Death holds no fear for us; it is rather a sublimation bestowed by our master."
"If you kill me, I can also return to my master's embrace with contentment... Of course, I cannot die yet, because if I die, Su Ruo Xue will also die."
A cold glint flashed in Ye Ling's eyes!
The young man continued, "That space is a sealed dimension. Only the spatial gate behind me can be passed through. As soon as you make a move, my companions inside will immediately use extraterrestrial power to kill Su Ruo Xue!"
"A friendly reminder: being killed by extraterrestrial power means that neither the laws of reincarnation nor the laws of time can revive you!"
Upon hearing the young man's words, Ye You's eyes welled up with anger. "What exactly do you want?"
The young man smiled. "The key I seek, or the inheritance of the Creator God."
"Of course, it would be best if you two obediently handed over your ultimate power!"
"As long as you two obediently hand over your ultimate power, we will naturally release Su Ruo Xue, and you won't need to search for the key."
Ye Ling stated, "If we become entangled by the dark energy and allow it to siphon us, not only will our power be taken, but we might even lose our lives."
"At that point, whether you release Ruo Xue or not will be beyond our control."
"Therefore, we cannot agree to the condition you've proposed."
"Rest assured," the young man said with a smile. "After failing to seize your power last time, our masters decided to adopt a gentler method."
A ball of dark energy materialized in the young man's palm. "This dark energy in my palm will only siphon the power from your bodies; it will not take your lives."
"You can't use the ultimate power anyway, so it's better to hand it over and exchange it for your friend's life."
Ye Ling asked, "How can I trust you?"
The young man brought the dark energy closer to Ye Ling and smiled. "You'll know once you try. If your life is threatened, you can interrupt the siphoning ritual at any time."
"Of course, if you're not at ease, Ye You can go first. After all, her strength is far inferior to yours, Lord Emperor."
"I believe with your cultivation, Lord Emperor, you wouldn't be afraid of a minor figure like me playing tricks, would you?"
"Brother, don't fall for his trap!" Ye You exclaimed, her eyes flashing with anxiety as she saw the ball of dark energy before Ye Ling.
She had witnessed the methods of extraterrestrial powerhouses before. Back then, the Red Dust Pavilion had sacrificed half the world's population just to obtain the Creator God's inheritance!
Those deranged individuals would do anything to achieve their goals!
If there was a trick involved here, and Ye Ling fell for it, everything would be lost!
"It's alright, I know what I'm doing," Ye Ling reassured Ye You and proactively reached out, his hand moving towards the ball of dark energy before him.
Seeing Ye Ling's hand approach the dark energy, the young man's smile grew even brighter. "Yes, grab it and offer your power!"
However, amidst his excitement, he failed to notice...
Behind Ye Ling, the laws of space were subtly stirring.
Chu had also quietly hopped onto Ye You's head, keeping a close watch on the space that Ye Ling was opening behind him.
From beginning to end...
Ye Ling had never intended to be threatened by that young man!