NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 17: Hunter and Prey
Upon the boundless ocean, three large ships sailed, the deep and obscure sea giving the menacing impression of harboring countless ancient ferocious creatures, inciting chaos in the hearts of those who gazed upon it.
They had been at sea for quite some time and had already covered a thousand li. There were still two thousand li left to reach the destination: the Extreme Ice Island.
At this moment, Gu Qingyan spoke up, informing Gu Chen that they were about to enter the "Lost Zone".
"The Lost Zone? What is that?" Gu Chen asked, puzzled, as he turned to look at Gu Qingyan.
Gu Qingyan explained, "The Lost Zone spans a two-thousand-li radius around Extreme Ice Island. It is filled with all sorts of terrifying dangers. Even our Frost Soul Sect, during our initial explorations of the island, suffered considerable losses within this area, with several Great Powers meet their end."
"Is it that severe?!" Gu Chen exclaimed, astonished.
If the younger generation of the upper realm was led by saintly figures, then among the older generation of strong individuals, besides the hidden and most powerful entities who were like dragons—seldom seen and rarely appearing—were Great Powers and saintly rulers, the so-called giants of the upper realm.
Whether Great Powers or giant figures, they all transcended the Earth realm and reached the Heaven realm!
Such individuals were immensely powerful throughout the entire upper realm. No matter the sect or even within colossal forces like the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty, they occupied extremely important positions.
The fall of such a figure would cause a tremendous storm across the world, and the loss to their own sect was incalculable and unbearable.
This illustrates the terrifying nature of the so-called Lost Zone that envelops a two-thousand-li radius around Extreme Ice Island.
"So you mean the people from Night Spirit Valley and Wind Gate don't know how to navigate through this Lost Zone and can only follow behind the Frost Soul Sect?" Gu Chen deduced.
"Exactly," Gu Qingyan nodded lightly, saying, "Even for our Frost Soul Sect, it was only after paying a huge price that we discovered a way to safely traverse this Lost Zone, and anticipate the various dangers."
Upon hearing this, Gu Chen furrowed his brows and said, "Then if the people from Wind Gate and Night Spirit Valley secretly note this method, wouldn't they be able to come and go as they please when the Extreme Ice Island becomes accessible again?"
"It's not that simple," Gu Qingyan responded, "The reason it's called the Lost Zone is that it's shrouded in fog all year long. There is no specific route to Extreme Ice Island, and along the way, many dangers are encountered that require on-the-spot decisions."
"I see," Gu Chen realized, understanding that the Frost Soul Sect must have paid an exorbitant price to discern the patterns within the Lost Zone.
It was impossible for the people from Night Spirit Valley and Wind Gate to comprehend it all in just one go. If they were to rely on such a trick on their next visit to Extreme Ice Island, they would undoubtedly pay a bloody price.
At that moment, Gu Chen also noticed that on the two large ships belonging to Night Spirit Valley and Wind Gate, everyone had come out and were closely following the large ship of the Frost Soul Sect.
Simultaneously, the expressions of everyone from the Frost Soul Sect were very solemn, including Lu Hao's—clearly, they were all well aware of the dangers of the Lost Zone.
Soon after the ship sailed in, Gu Chen's sharp instincts made him shudder the instant they entered the area. A heavy pressure emerged, causing his expression to turn grave.
"What is this?!"
Suddenly, as they entered the Lost Zone, a surge of fog rolled in. Gu Chen immediately felt his vision severely obstructed, and despite his exceptional eyesight, he could only see images within a three-feet range.
The vast fog enveloping the area was eerily bizarre, capable of blocking the sight of living beings and preventing one from seeing through. It was as if one were groping in the dark, and the silent terror of it unavoidably brought forth fear from the depths of their hearts.
At the same time, everyone felt a heaviness in their body. This turned out to be a airspace where flying was forbidden, and it was no wonder that the Frost Soul Sect had chosen to travel by ship.
"This is the advantage of having a wealth of information," Gu Chen remarked.
The people of Night Spirit Valley and Wind Gate were smart enough to stick close to the Frost Soul Sect's ship before entering the Lost Zone. Now, every face was filled with utmost solemnity.
Boom boom boom!
Suddenly, a startling thunderous noise came from not far away, as if thousands of heavenly thunders were descending to inflict divine punishment, causing hearts to quake.
"We must detour around this area," Gu Qingyan said with a tense face, as the person steering the ship showed exquisite skill. Clear on the intelligence of the Lost Zone, they promptly changed course and continued forward.
The straight-line distance from Han State to Extreme Ice Island was three thousand li, but aside from the initial thousand li, the remaining two thousand lay within the Lost Zone, where detours were often necessary.
"What is that?!"
Just then, Gu Chen heard an alarmed shout from the Wind Gate. His gaze shifted toward the distance, where two immense, blood-red lanterns had appeared, flickering with a cold and terrifying light. The piercing, bone-chilling menace emanating from them could chill someone to the core.
"Don't look!" Gu Qingyan's face tensed as she swiftly warned everyone not to stare into the pair of giant blood lanterns.
For those were the pupils of a mysterious giant beast, part of the Lost Zone. No one knew its exact form, but it was understood that one must not lock eyes with those pupils for more than three seconds, or death was certain.