"Do you know how vast the interiors of these black holes are? How much mysterious and special energy they contain? Right now, I've only learned how to understand these powerful and primal forces, but I still can't truly control and use them. Plus, after these black holes are formed, they're like opened Pandora's boxes, letting uncontrolled energy continue to expand. These issues prevent me from casually creating a passage in that black hole like I do with others, and sending you to wherever you want to go," the Countess replied in distress.
"If that's the case, how can you send us back to Yan Chaoyue?" Dream Jia said discontentedly.
"Oh dear! Miss, you can't say that. Although I can't send you there now, this dagger can!" The Countess, feeling scorned by Dream Jia, immediately pointed at the dagger in Haoyun's hand.
"This dagger can send us to Yan Chaoyue? How?" Dao Lao snatched the dagger from Haoyun's hand and examined it carefully for any hidden secrets, while questioning the Countess.
Then, the Countess snatched the dagger back from Dao Lao and said, "Stop looking, you won't find anything on the dagger. What I mean is, back when I sent the Valkyrie to where the mold energy commander fled, at her request, I recorded her movement trajectory inside this dagger. So now, all I have to do is awaken the energy I left in this dagger and use the natural connection between this dagger and the Valkyrie to reactivate the spatial passage that the Valkyrie and the mold energy commander entered the depths of the black hole through, and then send you to the Valkyrie's side."
Since the Countess indicated that she could use the dagger left by Yan Chaoyue to transport Haoyun and his companions to Yan Chaoyue's side, the anxiety that had just hung over Haoyun and his companions finally settled back into their stomachs. Of course, while Haoyun and Dao Lao admired Yan Chaoyue's foresight in leaving a dagger with the Countess for future generations, they also felt more worried about Yan Chaoyue's situation.
According to Dao Lao, Yan Chaoyue's dagger was different from the usual exclusive weapons of priests. As a high-level combatant, Yan Chaoyue's exclusive weapon had long since merged with her spirit, which was why even though the dagger was so far away from Yan Chaoyue, it could still synchronize with her life status.
Furthermore, since the dagger had become part of Yan Chaoyue's body, its separation from Yan Chaoyue's main body would undoubtedly affect her strength. Coupled with the suppression of divine power by the energy turbulence in the black hole, Yan Chaoyue would undoubtedly face unpredictable risks even though she could still display formidable strength. The cracks on the dagger were the best evidence of this.
"In that case, please send us on our way quickly!" Dao Lao urged. Haoyun, on the other hand, felt uncomfortable again after hearing the words "on our way."
Seeing the eager Haoyun and his companions, the Countess didn't say much more. After drinking the wine in her cup, she clumsily wiped her mouth and stood up. Then, the Countess held the dagger left by Yan Chaoyue in mid-air, as if communicating mentally with the dagger, and looked at it intently.
Seeing that the Countess was really starting to take action, Haoyun and his companions quickly stood up opposite her. Through the reflection, Haoyun also casually glanced at the cages placed around him and said, "Huh? There are a lot fewer cages here today. Could it be that they've also been forced to participate in some performance?"
The Countess, who continued to stare at the dagger, replied casually, "Oh, them. Originally, those fellows locked in these empty cages were very honored to be selected as performers to accompany your challenge since they were so close to your confinement cages! However, unfortunately, due to the intense challenges in this episode of 'Destiny and Challenge,' those fellows eventually went and didn't return! Cough, cough, cough!"
After hearing the Countess's answer, Haoyun and his companions were all shocked. "You mean—that those people were dressed up as Xiao Hu and his group's clowns? They were also the assistants accompanying us in the challenges?"
"Yes! In fact, all the characters you saw in the game were played by survivors I rescued. Ah! To create a perfect game environment for you, I really lost a lot of excellent actors! It seems that after you leave, I'll have to go and rescue more survivors! Cough, cough, cough." The Countess said.
The more relaxed the Countess appeared, the more it highlighted her disregard for these lives, and the more Haoyun and his companions remembered that the Countess, fundamentally, was an evil entity. The Countess's choice to help them find Yan Chaoyue was purely to maintain her own interests. Therefore, they must always remain vigilant against the Countess, or they might soon become the next sacrificial lambs sacrificed for her unfulfilled goals.
"Done! The teleportation channel is activated!" Just as Haoyun and his companions were reminded by the unfortunate deaths of those survivors to be wary of the Countess, she suddenly snapped her fingers and spoke.
Then, before the trio could react, the environment around them changed once again. In about two seconds, they found themselves appearing in darkness once more. However, this darkness was entirely different from before. As they emerged into this darkness, it was quickly illuminated by a magnificent sea of stars.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Suddenly, the stars around Haoyun and his companions began to undergo a series of massive explosions under the penetration of various beams of light. The energy generated by the stellar explosions was so immense that everything around Haoyun and his companions became chaotic in the explosion, rapidly evolving into a state of chaotic disorder. After this devastating explosion passed, the entire world turned into a chaotic void. Chaotic vortexes, mixed with strange light, roamed freely in the chaotic void, vowing to destroy all the surviving stars.
"Well... it seems your battle armor has been modified quite nicely. With that, as long as you don't get too close to the dangerous substances inside the black hole, you should be able to survive in there for at least... well... I don't know how long. But if nothing unexpected happens, you should be able to survive for quite a long time." The Countess ignored the stunned expressions of Haoyun and his companions, focusing instead on inspecting the three suits of armor emitting a faint green light, expressing her satisfaction.
"Dear sirs, please make sure to hold onto the dagger tightly! Once the teleportation array is activated, this dagger will smoothly transport you to the area where the Valkyrie is! Remember, this dagger is a crucial tool for finding the Valkyrie, so don't lose it!" The Countess reminded Haoyun and his companions again, gesturing for them to grasp the dagger suspended in the void. Then, using her fingers to draw circles around Haoyun and his companions while chanting a spell that sounded like a devil's whisper, a thick black mist quickly enveloped them.
"Take a deep breath. Now, all you need to do is enter this teleportation gate, and you'll be able to reach where the Valkyrie is! Cough, cough, cough!" As the dense black mist gathered around Haoyun and his companions, the Countess reminded them once more.
"Can't you tell us where Elina might have fled to?" Dream Jia asked persistently before being engulfed by the mist.
"Rules are rules. Without rules, there's no order. Besides, as long as he's with you, you shouldn't have trouble finding Elina." The Countess shook her head stubbornly, then shifted her gaze to Haoyun.
"What do you mean?" Dao Lao asked, puzzled.
"Because he carries the mold spirit energy belonging to Elina within him. So who knows when that mold spirit energy might come in handy and help you find Elina's whereabouts again, just like how you traced her to the Fragrant Nebula this time. Cough, cough, cough!" The Countess said with a mysterious smile.
Haoyun and his companions were surprised to hear this. They hadn't expected the Countess to have known the reason they found Elina hiding in the black hole from the beginning. This raised a new doubt in their minds—how did the Countess know about the mold spirit energy remaining in Haoyun's body? Did she discover it herself? Or did Elina find out and inform her?
If it was the former, it was fine. But if it was the latter, would Elina take precautions against Haoyun, making it impossible for him to use the resonance between the mold spirit energy in his body and Elina's to find her hiding place again? Thinking of this, Haoyun wanted to ask the Countess how she knew about the mold spirit energy remaining in his body. But before he could ask again, the Countess waved her hand and the thick mist instantly engulfed them.
However, just before the Countess's figure disappeared from their sight, Haoyun heard her say, "Alright! Why so many questions? It's getting late! Hurry up and go, and I'll get to work on writing a new script! Oh, by the way, dear Haoyun, I have high hopes for you! Perhaps you'll become the most important pawn in bringing down Elina! Cough, cough, cough!"
As the Countess's voice faded away, the mist swallowed Haoyun and his companions, disappearing into the chaotic void.
"Your Excellency Countess, do you really think they can succeed?" After Haoyun and his companions disappeared, Daddy Cat, who had been following the Countess, half-turned his head and asked.
"Ah! I hope so! After all, they are the most suitable candidates we've found so far! Anyway, no matter what, we won't lose. As long as they can buy us enough time for me to thoroughly understand the composition of the energy here and the relationship between you and this miraculous fellow, and once we truly become one, we can completely break free from all constraints and open up a whole new world for ourselves! Cough, cough, cough!" The Countess replied.
However, at this moment, the Countess's voice did not come from her mouth but from the weird face behind Daddy Cat's round transparent head, which was roughly powdered white and had heavy smoky eye makeup drawn around the eyes, with a grotesque smile painted in red on the big mouth.
And at this moment, the body that originally belonged to the Countess, like a puppet with cut strings, drooped its head and stood limp in the void. After Daddy Cat snapped his fingers, it immediately turned into a large mass of black mist. After the mist completely entered Daddy Cat's transparent body, he danced happily. Then, accompanied by two completely different laughs coming from the faces in front and behind Daddy Cat's head, Daddy Cat's figure gradually disappeared into the mist, soon leaving no trace.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!"
After being engulfed by the mist, Haoyun and his companions suddenly felt their bodies sink, and under the irresistible force, they plummeted in a certain direction. Judging from the whistling wind in their ears, they could tell that they were flying at an extremely fast speed. So, unable to adjust their flying speed, they immediately focused their minds, wanting to quickly understand their situation. But before they could concentrate on observing their surroundings, they felt an even stronger force pushing them down. Then, Haoyun and his companions, in a head-down position, accelerated their descent once again.
After maintaining this diving posture for a few seconds, Haoyun and his companions suddenly felt a force pulling their bodies upward from behind. Then, they heard a crisp sound, and immediately, like kites blown off by a strong wind and broken strings, they were blown back into the sky by the inexplicable chaotic energy.
"What's going on? Have we fallen for the Countess's trick?" Haoyun, completely losing control of his body, was shocked and began to regret why he had so naively believed the nonsense the Countess had said.
"System! Confirm our coordinates! Damn it! We might have been fooled! Haoyun! Dream Jia! Get ready to activate the pinpoint teleportation function!" Dao Lao, feeling a sense of impending doom, immediately commanded.