Chapter 2033: Chapter 83: Trial (Part 2)
Although it was a Demonic Beast, it was accompanied by extremely obscure rules.
He couldn’t comprehend these rules; they were stable yet complex, far beyond the chaotic rules around them.
It was precisely the rules on its body that repelled the mercury bead, so with the Ruyi Stick in hand, Wu Monkey King couldn’t break through at all.
Wang Ba couldn’t help but be surprised in his heart:
“This Demonic Beast, it indeed has a bit of the flavor of Dharma Do Not Stick, no wonder when I manipulated the rules earlier, it remained unaffected. Had it not been worn down through sheer exhaustion, I’m not sure we could have caught it…”
His gaze fell on the Ruyi Stick, his eyes gradually brightening, and he couldn’t help but ponder.
Before long, the mercury bead blocking the path shattered with a bang.
Covered in Blood Energy, with a few wounds yet to fully heal, Yu Yu rushed out first, his face brimming with exhilaration.
Laughing heartily, he raised his hand and threw a string of pearl-like Immortal Marrow Jade Liquid to Wang Ba in one go.
Shouting:
“Refreshing!”
Yu Wuhen and Chen Xuan, along with the Corpse-digging Ghost King, also flew out one after another.
Wang Ba didn’t ask much, as seeing Yu Yu’s appearance, he knew they must have fought a fierce battle inside the mercury bead.
Glancing at the Immortal Marrow Jade Liquid thrown by Yu Yu, this time it was indeed more generous, amounting to seven or eight drops.
This quantity, for many forces exploring the Sea Market, was already considered a substantial harvest.
Wang Ba collected it casually.
After a brief rest, they continued forward.
This time, after climbing hundreds of steps, they stopped again because there lay a bizarre monster resembling a Demonic Beast ahead.
It seemed as though it was pieced together from many life forms.
Wang Ba’s gaze swept across, quickly realizing this was not a Demonic Beast, but an entity entirely evolved from rules, without intellect or wisdom, only basic instinct.
Yu Yu and the others quickly charged ahead once more.
Wang Ba, however, stood alone on the lower steps, watching the battle unfold.
His expression was somewhat puzzled:
“Strange… the constraints of the stairway’s rules, and these overly obvious, layered obstacles set on the steps… it’s suspiciously too much of a coincidence, completely unlike something that would form randomly in the Sea Market.”
His years of experience told him that coincidences were often not coincidences at all.
“Are we being targeted?”
He couldn’t help but reconsider the entire decision-making process leading them to the Sea Market.
“Repairing the Treasure Basin of Immortal Essence, thus being guided to find Chen Xuan, then coming to the Sea Market at Chen Xuan’s request, and subsequently arriving here… the only suspicious element in all of this seems to be Chen Xuan.”
His peripheral vision swept over to Chen Xuan, who was anxiously watching Yu Wuhen and the others battling the monster, but was helpless to intervene. Wang Ba slightly shook his head.
Having struggled for so many years, he considered his insight fairly sharp, and although Chen Xuan clearly had his secrets, he didn’t give off a sense of danger.
Of course, it’s possible that Chen Xuan was an excellent actor, capable of even fooling him.
And if it wasn’t Chen Xuan’s issue, then it might have simply been a coincidence they encountered.
This conclusion, however, obviously contradicted his feelings and reality.
“So… it seems my previous conjecture was correct.”
Wang Ba’s gaze scanned the surroundings, then settled on Yu Wuhen and the others who were fiercely battling the monster.
His eyes flickered slightly.
With the Land-Parting Staff, the monster couldn’t harm them. Although constrained by the surrounding rules, preventing Yu Yu and the others from flying and thus hampering them, ultimately Wu Monkey King smashed the monster with a single blow.
Afterwards, it exploded into a scattered, shattered cluster of rules.
“What the heck, there’s nothing at all, so stingy!”
Yu Yu complained.
Unlike inside the previous mercury bead, she was significantly restricted on the outer steps, unable to fully exert her true strength against the monster, leading to frustration.
Finally, after cooperating with Wu Monkey King to defeat the monster, the lack of any reward naturally soured her mood.
Wang Ba silently pondered for a moment, then attempted to gather the scattered rules.
Unexpectedly, with just a subtle glow of the Wind-Driving Staff in his Primordial Spirit, these shattered rules drifted towards Wang Ba like leaves on water.
Instinctively, Wang Ba thought of the rules surrounding the Ruyi Stick.
“Dharma Do Not Stick…”
Vaguely, he had some insight.
But for what Yu Yu mentioned as stingy, he didn’t quite agree.
While the monster didn’t provide Immortal Marrow Jade Liquid, these scattered rules, to him, were far superior treasures.
After a short rest, they began climbing once more.
After climbing several hundred more steps, they once again encountered mercury-like droplets blocking their path.
Given the familiar situation, everyone wasn’t surprised, and had even grown accustomed to it.
As usual, Yu Yu charged forward…
Through several such cycles, each battle took increasingly longer, yet they amassed nearly two porcelain bottles worth of Immortal Marrow Jade Liquid and a substantial amount of scattered rules.
The white hilltop finally came into view.
Standing before the gigantic mercury drop, everyone’s gaze instinctively bypassed the droplet, looking towards the end of the jade steps ahead.
With solemn expressions.
There, a creature clearly giving off a strong sense of danger to everyone, a white-maned beast with a horse’s body, was quietly resting with its head drooped.
Though not far away, it seemed shrouded by an invisible force, blurring their vision.
That was likely the last trial they faced on these thousands of steps.
And beyond the steps, the mirage of the Sea Market could be clearly seen, sitting quietly.
“This mirage truly looks real, I wonder where it actually is.”
The Corpse-digging Ghost King gazed at the revealed corner of the pavilion, sighing in awe.
“Let’s deal with this first.”
Yu Yu snorted coldly, hesitating no longer, charged into the mercury drop ahead directly.
Yu Wuhen, as usual, tossed the Land-Parting Staff to Wang Ba and followed in, with Chen Xuan and the Corpse-digging Ghost King also rushing in.
Leaving only Wang Ba and Wu Monkey King behind.
His gaze swept across the white-maned horse-bodied beast, a rare glint of gravity and caution in Wang Ba’s eyes.
“This monster’s surrounding rules aren’t as loose as the previous ones, it might not be easy to resolve… needs a strategy.”
In the past, he might have stopped at the strength of the monster’s appearance, but now, he saw through its essence completely.
Simply a collective of rules.
Even knowing this, resolving it wouldn’t be easy.
He could only think of using rules to confront rules.
Slightly motivated, he thought of his previous idea.
He then guardedly glanced at the creature before instructing Wu Monkey King:
“Guard the area, don’t let anyone disturb me.”
Wu Monkey King naturally had no objections.
The moment Wang Ba sat cross-legged on the spot.
He raised his hand and grasped at seemingly unnoticeable rules, yet under the guidance of the Wind-Driving Staff, they were easily captured.
Wang Ba wasn’t in a rush to act, but gazed at the Ruyi Stick in Wu Monkey King’s hand attentively, as if trying to comprehend the rules surrounding it completely.
Suddenly, Wu Monkey King, looking startled, glanced over at Wang Ba, then stood up obediently with the Ruyi Stick in hand.
Just when Wang Ba was deep in contemplation over the rules entwined around the Ruyi Stick…
Wu Monkey King suddenly furrowed his brow at the sight of Wang Ba and then slowly stood up, leaning on the Ruyi Stick.
But as Wang Ba was fully engrossed in researching the rules,
Wu Monkey King suddenly furrowed his brow at Wang Ba, then wearily stood up, holding the Ruyi Stick for support.
Soon, a peculiar sound that started small quickly grew louder, echoing from the surroundings.
“Quick! Quick!”
“Someone is approaching to disturb my victory…,”
Wang Ba thought.
In the depths of the heart, suspicion morphed into near certainty, just as the sound of footsteps intensified from all directions.
He tightened his grip around the Wind-Driving Staff, preparing for what was to come.
“””