The black sheep and Yan Zhichun descended step by step, feeling as though the staircase had no end in sight.
Though they had entered only a minute or two after the last member of the “Extremists,” there was no sign of anyone ahead—just the seemingly endless stairs leading straight into the abyss.
The steps vanished like a long thread at the edge of their vision, as if descending from a mountaintop straight into hell.
Yan Zhichun felt uneasy in this space. The path was far too dark. She reached out to lightly touch the walls on either side, only to find the sensation utterly bizarre.
It felt like she was touching something that **didn’t exist.**
The pitch-black walls had no temperature, no hardness, no color, and reflected no light. Though her fingers clearly made contact, it was impossible to describe what she was actually touching.
After another ten minutes of walking, when Yan Zhichun’s legs began to ache, the unchanging scenery finally shifted—the stairs seemed to lead to an irregularly shaped opening.
She turned to ask the black sheep if he knew anything, but he admitted it was his first time entering the “cargo hold” and had no idea what lay ahead.
Before they could even step into that strange passage, the faint scent of blood drifted into their nostrils. Considering they had only been in the “cargo hold” for a few minutes, the intensity of the stench suggested many had already died.
Yan Zhichun’s heart clenched, and she instinctively quickened her pace, with the black sheep close behind.
“Hey!” the black sheep hissed, watching her reckless advance. “Be careful!”
“We’re dealing with a **Celestial-level**… Does being careful even matter?”
With a grim expression, Yan Zhichun stepped into the opening—and the sight inside instantly filled her vision.
It was an impossibly vast plaza, so expansive that its walls were invisible.
She had expected the place where “ants” were imprisoned to be some kind of cage-filled dungeon, but instead, it was just a dimly lit square. There were no visible light sources or lamps, yet the entire space was somehow visible.
Countless “ants” writhed like a swarm of insects. Some wandered aimlessly, some sat motionless, and others opened their mouths as if to speak, but their mangled tongues could only produce faint, rustling whispers.
A closer look revealed the “Extremists” scattered in defensive positions, crouching low—some even using “ants” as shields—as they warily scanned their surroundings. At the center of the plaza lay a gruesome pile of dismembered corpses, making it impossible to identify the fallen.
“What’s going on…?”
Yan Zhichun couldn’t make sense of the situation. Though bodies littered the ground, she saw no enemies.
“**Bitch, get down!**”
Zhou Mo’s voice rang in her ears. Without hesitation, Yan Zhichun dropped—just in time to feel something graze past her scalp, the force of its passage whipping her hair upward.
Only seconds later did the fear hit her. If not for Zhou Mo’s warning, she might have become another pile of shredded flesh.
The black sheep narrowed his eyes at the empty air. Whether due to dim lighting or sheer speed, he hadn’t seen anything when Yan Zhichun was attacked.
Just how fast was this thing, to be completely invisible to an **Earth-level**?
Glancing back, Yan Zhichun noticed the black sheep was the only one still standing. “**Black sheep!** Get down! It’s too dangerous!”
“Kneeling won’t help,” he replied coldly. “An **Earth-level Zodiac** has appeared in this plaza. No matter where I hide, I’ll still be the most obvious target. Find cover for yourself.”
With a grim nod, Yan Zhichun hunched low and swiftly moved to join an “Extremist,” both of them taking shelter behind an “ant.”
The black sheep continued observing, desperate to figure out what was attacking them.
**Where was the Ox?**
The empty plaza revealed nothing but countless “ants.” If that was the case…
**Where was the exit to this “cargo hold”?**
Staring into the void, the black sheep pondered. To prepare for this fight, he had even sparred with the Earth Ox as practice.
Both were lean, muscular women—he’d assumed their combat styles would be similar. But now, he realized how naive that assumption had been.
**They hadn’t even seen the Ox yet, and their squad was already suffering casualties.**
Yet even so, he was baffled. No matter how strong the enemy was, there should at least be **some trace** of them. How were they supposed to kill something that left no opening?
As he strategized, the black sheep suddenly sensed a subtle shift in the air currents.
Something invisible was tearing through the atmosphere, moving at an unthinkable speed.
His expression darkened. Instinctively, he raised his hands to counterattack—but a primal warning screamed in his mind, forcing him to cross his arms defensively instead.
**BANG!**
A brutal force collided with him, the impact launching his body backward with enough force to send him flying. Had he not blocked, that strike would have left him crippled.
Yan Zhichun’s eyes widened in horror. The thing wasn’t just **too fast to see**—it **didn’t exist** at all. It had stopped upon hitting the black sheep, yet remained invisible.
“**It’s ‘Concealment’…**” Her pupils dilated. “This is bad… This ability is just…”
She realized with dread that the Ox’s power would counter most of their **Echoes** here.
Officer Li and Su Shan crouched behind three “ants,” peering over their shoulders.
“Do you see it?” Officer Li whispered.
“There!” Su Shan pointed at an empty spot in the air.
“Got it!” Officer Li focused on that void, reaching into his pocket—but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pull out anything.
**His enemy was nothingness itself.**
After rigorous training, he’d mastered the art of extracting hearts with ease. But today’s opponents were the Black Tortoise, the Vermilion Bird, and now an Ox that couldn’t even be seen.
“It’s no use…” Officer Li frowned at the sky. “Su Shan, what **is** that thing?”
“Looks like… a woman?” she replied uncertainly.
“Either it is or it isn’t. What do you mean ‘looks like’?”
“I can only see a glowing silhouette…” Su Shan’s eyes reddened. “It resembles a woman, but she’s carrying something massive on her shoulders—bigger than her entire body. The two glowing forms blend together, making it hard to tell.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage