At that moment, several figures descended from the sky through the rift, landing straight and heavy upon the ground with a thunderous boom.
There were five figures in total: three men and two women. One man was exceptionally tall and bald, with a face full of fierce scars and an incredibly burly, powerful build.
Beside him stood another man whose skin was parched and dry, resembling a withered tree branch. However, his eyes flickered with an eerie green light, exuding a sinister aura.
The third man was also strongly built, though not quite as towering as the bald man. He had slightly curly red hair, and even his eyebrows and beard were a vibrant crimson. His eyes sparkled with intensity, and his entire body seemed to pulse with explosive power.
The two women were both stunning beauties. One had black hair, a black dress, and a pair of mysterious violet eyes. Her figure was incredibly curvaceous, her presence commanding.
The other woman wore a water-green gown and appeared much more approachable. She had a well-proportioned figure and an exquisite face. Her expression was gentle, and a single look at her instilled a sense of warmth and affinity.
Upon landing, the five looked up simultaneously toward the rift in the sky, their eyes flashing with brilliance. A dense, hazy radiance rose from their bodies; it seemed the Dragon Valley's suppression of soul power had no effect on them.
Raising their hands together, ten beams of light shot forth, striking the edges of the pitch-black rift. Instantly, the rift—which had been struggling against the pair of massive black claws—was braced and stabilized.
A low, guttural dragon roar echoed from the darkness within the rift. The massive claws wrenched outward with a sudden force, tearing the rift open to twice its original size. A gargantuan body slowly squeezed through the opening.
First came the head—a massive dragon head, pitch-black in color, with eyes of brilliant, radiant gold. The deep gold seemed capable of piercing through the entire world. The head alone was dozens of meters high.
With its front claws bracing the exit, two more dragon claws appeared below to support the rift. Finally, the colossal body managed to force its way inside.
"Roar—!" The black dragon let out an indignant roar toward the heavens. The surrounding Dragon Clouds suddenly swirled frantically toward it, being absorbed into its body. Its aura surged violently, and with a final, powerful heave, it finally emerged completely from the rift.
Its massive body, hundreds of feet long, unfurled its wings, literally blotting out the sun. A violet-black halo, resembling a domain, spread around the black dragon. All Dragon Clouds within a radius of hundreds of thousands of square meters descended, clearly surrendering to its overwhelming presence.
However, the massive black dragon's body began to shrink rapidly as it descended. By the time it touched the ground, it had transformed into a tall, handsome middle-aged man.
His black hair flowed down both sides of his head, parted in the middle and draped over his shoulders, with a single strand of gold hanging down on the left.
Once landed, he stood with the previous five and raised his hands toward the sky. Two beams of dark purple light shot upward, assisting in supporting the rift.
The rift remained held open. A silver light slowly appeared, shining brilliantly as it descended. It was yet another figure.
As she stepped out of the rift, the six who had landed previously shouted in unison: "Welcome, My Lord."
The silver figure drifted down slowly. She wore a silver dress, her face concealed by a silver veil, and her long silver hair cascaded down her back. Her descent was weightless, stirring not a single ripple of energy.
The middle-aged man—the transformed black dragon—said respectfully, "My Lord, by combining the strength of the six of us to resist this small world, we can barely hold this open for seven days. You must find what you seek within that time."
"Understood. I have used a Time-Space Array to seal the time of this spatial rift. The seal lasts about three hours, which corresponds exactly to seven days here. When I exit, only three hours will have passed in the outside world. Stabilize the situation here; I shall return shortly."
With that, the silver-haired woman flickered and vanished without a sound.
Half a month ago:
"He..." Gu Yue looked at the letter, lost in thought.
Beside her, Wu Zhangkong also remained silent.
By the time Gu You had absorbed seventeen True Dragon Souls, he arrived at the southern side of a valley.
The valley collapsed inward; though called a valley, it looked more like a basin.
It was a staggering sight. Looking down, the valley seemed to stretch infinitely. In the distance, the twilight was heavy, obscured by a faint mist.
But within that thousand-meter-deep basin, countless massive skeletons paved every corner of the valley floor. The moment Gu You reached the edge and looked inside, an indescribable sense of grief surged into his heart.
Unable to control his emotions, he roared toward the sky. A high-pitched dragon cry rang out, echoing throughout the entire valley. Within the depths of the Dragon Valley, low, sobbing dragon roars seemed to answer him in return.
Far away, at the other end of the Dragon Valley, a silver figure stood on the edge. Her eyes were indifferent and cold, but deep within them lay a dense, chilling killing intent.
Suddenly, she heard the dragon roar echoing through the valley. She looked up toward the distance, her eyes filled with shock. She lightly tapped her chest with her right hand, suppressing her own urge to let out a long cry.
Straining her vision, her gaze seemed to pierce through the mist to look into the distance.
Gu You's roar lasted for several minutes, as if he were finally venting the indignation buried in his heart.
He leapt down. The moment he landed, a desolate aura rushed at him from all directions, threatening to freeze his very soul.
Gu You closed his eyes. He seemed to hear the mournful cries of countless dragons.
Such a powerful race... Looking out, there were likely at least a thousand True Dragons fallen here. They had been left exposed in the wilderness without even a single tomb to mark their passing.
Seeing the bones from inside the valley was entirely different from seeing them from above.
Only by truly entering could one feel the sheer shock of so many dragon remains. The massive skeletons ranged from dozens of meters high to some reaching hundreds of meters. All of them emitted faint, flickering fluctuations of energy.
Even as mere skeletons, they felt like hibernating behemoths. If they were this imposing in death, how powerful must they have been when they were alive?
Gu You took a deep breath. He walked slowly to the skeleton nearest to him and placed his hand upon it.
The desolate aura instantly infected his emotions. He seemed to hear the mournful cry of this dragon just before its death. Faint patterns flickered on the bones, and terrifying energy fluctuations lingered in the air.
He continued walking deeper, touching each skeleton as he passed...
(End of Chapter)