"What is that?"
The moment the black vortex appeared, Yi Tianxing felt an overwhelming sense of danger—one so intense and irrational it seemed to threaten his very life.
"Could it be that some monster is coming out of that portal?"Master Lu's body trembled as he murmured to himself.
"Terror… an immense terror."Young Lord Void also looked toward the sky, where the black hole had manifested. His heart surged with a dreadful, inexplicable fear of death—as though whatever emerged from that vortex might very well kill him.
The black portal churned into a dark, swirling vortex.
"Look up! What is that in the sky? Such a huge vortex—where did it come from? Is this another tribulation? But no, the heavenly tribulation has passed, the ascension was completed. Could this be a catastrophe following the ascension?"
"This vortex is horrifying. I feel like even my soul is being sucked toward it! What the hell is in there—some kind of monstrous presence?"
The townsfolk below had noticed the black vortex as well.
Its oppressive aura was overwhelming—even ordinary people could feel it. The pitch-black swirl hung in the sky like a shadow that pressed down on everyone's hearts.
"Husband, what is this vortex?"Cai Yan approached Yi Tianxing's side, her expression pale as she stared upward, a chill coursing through her soul.
"I'm not certain. But it's likely a disaster brought about by the ascension."Yi Tianxing took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with black and white light.
Swish!!
Suddenly, without warning, something emerged from the vortex—a fishhook.
It was small and delicate in appearance, connected to a translucent fishing line, hanging straight down from the vortex as if someone on the other end was fishing from the darkness.
Swish!!
The hook descended rapidly, as if able to extend infinitely, and then—out of nowhere—it darted toward a random citizen within Xuanhuang City. As it approached, the hook enlarged to the size of a human head, swooping over the man's skull and plunging into him.
The bizarre part was—there was no physical injury. The hook didn't harm the flesh—it passed into his body like a ghost. But when it withdrew, the man fell over, dead on the spot.
"His soul!!"Yi Tianxing's Innate Yin-Yang Eyes had been activated to the limit. Within the swirling black-and-white light in his gaze, he saw what others could not—the fishhook had pulled the man's soul out of his body.
Even for cultivators, the soul remains integrated with the body until death—it can't be so easily separated.
Yet now, this mysterious hook had fished the soul right out of a living body and was dragging it back into the vortex.
This wasn't a normal fishhook—this was a soul-hook.It wasn't fishing for fish—it was using humans as bait to fish for their souls.
"How is this possible?! What kind of item can fish out a soul directly? Who's fishing behind that vortex?"
"Are they treating us like fish in a pond? This is outrageous!"
Some of the townsfolk had their own level of cultivation. Infusing their eyes with true qi, they could now perceive the faint outline of souls. They saw it—a soul wriggling on the line like a fish on a hook, struggling in vain.
The horrifying scene caused an uproar of panic and fury.
"Archers—target the black vortex! Fire!!"
"Divine Machinery Corps—target the vortex! Volley fire!!"
From atop the city walls, the soldiers, faces twisted in fury, obeyed the order without hesitation. Arrows and bolts rained like a storm toward the black vortex.
But then—a terrifying phenomenon occurred.
The moment the projectiles neared the vortex, they were sucked into it, disappearing without a trace. It was like shooting into a bottomless abyss—nothing could stop it. Even exploding in mid-air had no effect.
Swish!!
The soul-hook retracted with such speed that even Yi Tianxing couldn't react in time, vanishing into the vortex along with the soul.
But then—it returned.And this time—nine fishhooks descended simultaneously.
Like a coordinated hunt, they spread out over Xuanhuang City, aiming to drag away more souls.
"Damn it—Iron-Blood Barrier, activate!!"Rage flared in Yi Tianxing's heart. With a shout, a blood-red defensive barrier instantly enveloped the entire city.
But—those hooks were too strange.
They passed through the barrier like it wasn't even there, completely unaffected, and continued to strike down toward the citizens.
"Avoid them! Don't get near those hooks! If you see one—evade it immediately!"
Yi Tianxing was stunned—even the Iron-Blood Barrier couldn't stop these infernal hooks.
The citizens didn't need to be told. After witnessing someone's soul get ripped away, they treated the hooks like venomous snakes. But not everyone could dodge—the hooks moved too fast.
In a blink, they pierced one body after another, and each time, a soul was ripped free and pulled toward the vortex.
Clang!!
Just then—black-and-white chains manifested in mid-air, like celestial ribbons. They wrapped tightly around the stolen souls as the hooks retracted.
These were Yin-Yang Chains.
Nine chains linked together into a massive tether, intercepting the fleeing souls and binding them in place.
"Come back to me!!"Yi Tianxing grabbed the Yin-Yang Chains and yanked with immense force—a strength like thunder itself.
Caught off-guard, the one fishing behind the vortex had no time to resist. With a deafening clash, the nine souls were wrenched free of the hooks and pulled back to their bodies.
The corpses that had stopped breathing suddenly gasped back to life, eyes flying open in terror—their ordeal clearly etched into their very souls.
"YES!!"
The townspeople burst into thunderous cheers. The panic that had gripped them finally began to ease.
The hooks might be terrifying, but Yi Tianxing had a way to fight back—a method to pull back the stolen souls. This revelation ignited a new sense of hope.
If there's a way to resist, it's not unbeatable.
"Death Hooks... Someone is fishing for souls behind that vortex. I'd like to see exactly who dares treat my Xuanhuang City as a fishing pond for death!"Yi Tianxing sneered coldly.
Light flashed in his hand—the Meteorfall Bow appeared.Without hesitation, he notched a white bone arrow and drew the string taut.
Whoosh!!
With a snap, the arrow tore through the air like lightning, crashing into the black vortex with terrifying force.
The vortex could devour all—but this arrow, filled with overwhelming power, tore right through it and shot into the depths.
A rumbling explosion echoed from within.
"Insolence!!"A furious voice echoed from deep inside the vortex.
Suddenly—a fishing rod fell out.
Yes, an entire rod, not just a hook or a line. A severed hand still clutched it—its wrist torn, clearly severed by Yi Tianxing's arrow.
And the hand... it was a dark green.Clearly not human.
Swish!!
From within the vortex, another rod lashed out—trying to retrieve the fallen one.
"Want it back? Too bad—you'll have to ask me first."Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed. That arrow had been meant as a warning—but he'd snapped an enemy's arm and seized a vital weapon in the process.
It was clear—the enemy behind the vortex had not expected to be counterattacked, and now Yi Tianxing had struck a vital blow.