CHAPTER 279: SOUL BINDING

Immediately after, cracking sounds reverberated in the cavern and fissures appeared on the cave walls.

"The cave is about to collapse." Feng Xue said with a worried expression.

"Where is the bloody exit?" Shen Xu asked, looking around the cave.

However, other than the gap leading to the previous cavern, there were no other openings.

"Gather around." Zhen Yuan shouted.

At the same time, he removed a level six formation disk from his storage space.

After everyone, including Dongfang Jing and Chen Yi gathered together, Zhen Yuan activated the formation disk, just in time to avoid a rock that had just fallen out of the roof.

"We are saved." Yang Shi said and Feng Xue rolled her eyes.

"Can a cave collapse harm you?" She asked.

"It can’t kill me but who wants to be injured when they can be safe and sound?"

"Daoist friend Zhen, you have saved us again. Thank you." Chen Yi said.

Hearing this, Shen Xu chuckled.

"We are grasshoppers on the same rope." He said and quickly continued.

"Dean, Senior Chen, how do you plan to return to the Tianxuan continent?"

"Ancient road." Dongfang Jing answered without hesitation.

"Ancient road? What is that?’" Shen Xu asked, his right eyebrow lifted in question.

"Other than the eight-towers teleportation formation, there are two ways to go to the Tianxuan continent from the Tianqi continent." Chen Yi said and began explaining.

"The first way is the ancient road. However, this road is extremely dangerous and few are willing to use it. Only cultivators who are approaching the end of their life dare to use this method."

"Why is it so dangerous?" Li Wenqiang asked.

"Monsters and other strange phenomena. I have heard the road has more level nine monsters than the Tianxuan continent combined."

Everyone was shocked when they heard this.

After all, the highest cultivation in the Tianqi continent was the fusion realm, equivalent to a level seven monster.

Considering that, the chances of fusion realm cultivators surviving the ancient road was close to zero.

"Why choose the ancient road instead of the eight-towers teleportation formation?" Li Wenqiang asked in a confused voice.

After joining Zhen Yuan and Shen Xu, he learned the truth about the eight towers.

He knew that anyone who used the towers to go to the Tianxuan continent would be enslaved and forced to mine for one thousand years.

However, one thousand years were nothing to a spirit transformation realm cultivator, let alone void refining and fusion realm cultivators.

Rather than risk certain death, wasn’t it better to mine for one thousand years?

"The eight towers aren’t so simple." Chen Yi said with a meaningful expression.

"You only know about the mining but you don’t know about the soul binding. Most importantly, the location of the mines is extremely disadvantageous. There is basically no chance of escape."

"Soul binding?" Shen Xu asked.

As a book reader, he thought he knew everything about the eight towers.

Unexpectedly, there were still things that he didn’t know.

"Using the eight-towers teleportation formation leaves a soul imprint on someone. Normally, this imprint is benign and won’t cause any problems. However, that is only at ordinary times."

"First, the top families and sects in the Tianxuan continent have a way of locating people with an imprint. Second, if a war erupts, those with an imprint are sent to the frontline. It’s good if they are powerful but if they are not, they are sent to be cannon fodder."

"What if they refuse?"

"Refuse?" Chen Yi sneered before explaining.

"The imprint will be triggered and the soul will be annihilated."

"How devious!" Shen Xu exclaimed.

"Can’t the imprint be erased?" Zhen Yuan asked but Dongfang Jing shook his head.

"Many have tried but all have failed. It’s said that the soul imprint was left behind by an immortal master."

"What did you mean when you said the location of the mines is disadvantageous?" Shen Xu asked.

"Some are in the sea, others are in secret realms..., it’s almost impossible to leave these places without losing your life."

Shen Xu sighed when he heard this.

"It seems we really can’t use the eight-towers teleportation formation." He said.

"What is the second way?" Yang Shi asked.

"Space crack." Dongfang Jing said and the others couldn’t help but be shocked.

"Is it to rely on luck? Hope to get involved in a space crack that leads to the Tianxuan continent?"

"Close but not quite." Dongfang Jing said and quickly continued.

"Have you heard of the space desert?" He asked and Zhen Yuan nodded.

"It’s one of the most dangerous areas in the forbidden zone." He said.

"Space cracks often appear in the space desert. If one is lucky, they may encounter a space crack leading to the Tianxuan continent."

Shen Xu and the others didn’t know what to say.

On one hand was an ancient road and on the other was a space desert.

Both were extremely dangerous but life-threatening in different ways.

"What about other continents?" Zhen Yuan asked.

"It’s no use." Chen Yi said.

After that, he revealed everything he knew about the other continents.

From what they heard, Zhen Yuan surmised that going to other continents would not solve their plight because each way to the Tianxuan continent involved some kind of soul imprint.

"The ancient road is naturally formed and its exit moves from place to place. Because of this, Tianxuan continent cultivators can’t keep track of it or control it."

"It also means we could end up in a very dangerous place." Shen Xu observed and Chen Yi nodded.

"There is such a risk." He said.

"Our choices aren’t promising." Yang Shi said, his brows creased in a frown.

Whether it was the ancient road or space crack, their chances of survival were very slim.

"There is plenty of time to figure it out." Zhen Yuan said and waved his hand.

Instantaneously, the defensive formation disappeared and the seven stood up.

Looking around, they saw broken rocks and sunken grounds.

However, they realised they had already left the caves and returned to the island.