That strike from the giant black-armored scorpion's tail was truly insidious. Even the Evil Eye King, powerful as he was, felt his very soul shudder. Screaming in agony, he wildly lashed out in every direction, sending icebergs flying in all directions.
A trickle of blood seeped from that single golden eye.
"Now's our chance!" The black-armored scorpion was overjoyed.
"Move!" The three-headed, six-eyed Golden Maned Beast roared, knowing full well the Evil Eye King's capabilities.
"I'll kill you all!" The Evil Eye King bellowed. Blood-red rays—more than ten of them—erupted from his bleeding golden eye in an instant.
The three-headed, six-eyed Golden Maned Beast darted into the passage at full speed. One of its heads grabbed the black-armored scorpion and hauled it in after them. These four great magical beasts were the last to enter the passage. By the time they rushed into the ninth level, all they could hear were the thunderous rumblings from the eighth level behind them.
"We've finally made it to the ninth level."
Lin Lei, Desly, Fahn, and the others had already arrived here beforehand. Once the three-headed, six-eyed Golden Maned Beast and the black-armored scorpion came through, all eleven powerhouses were gathered together once more. They looked at one another, and a hint of a smile appeared on every face.
"We didn't get a divine artifact, but everyone made it safely into the ninth level. That's lucky enough," Fahn said with a chuckle.
"Phew, that really scared me half to death," Rosalyn said, showing her true feelings for once. "Fortunately, the Evil Eye King was focused entirely on Olivier. That's how we managed to slip through."
"Exactly. The Evil Eye King hadn't even had time to show his real strength. 'Soul Freeze' is just one of his standard attacks. To become king of the Evil Eye race—his power is truly unfathomable. We were incredibly fortunate," the six-eyed Golden Maned Beast sighed.
That last strike from the black-armored scorpion was powerful enough, but it could only wound the Evil Eye King, not kill him.
"We were lucky. Lucky to have Olivier," Desly said, smiling at Olivier.
Everyone turned to look at him.
Olivier remained silent. Among this group of powerhouses, he was indeed a man of few words.
"Olivier, you were hit by that 'Soul Freeze'—how come you're fine?" the six-eyed Golden Maned Beast asked curiously.
Olivier hesitated for a moment, then squeezed out a few words: "I don't know either."
No one pressed further. Whether he truly didn't know or simply didn't want to say, it wasn't their place to pry.
"Everyone be careful. The danger on this ninth level is probably no less than the eighth," Desly spoke up. "We can't count on getting as lucky as last time."
Lin Lei and the others nodded.
They hadn't obtained a divine artifact from the eighth level, but nobody cared. In truth, compared to divine artifacts, the group's real target was a divine spark. And divine sparks only appeared on the eleventh level. As for the twelfth—Lin Lei and the rest wouldn't even dare to think about it. According to Beloit and the others, one had to reach the god-level to have any hope of protecting oneself on the twelfth level.
Arriving at the eleventh level as quickly as possible, without losses—that was what everyone hoped for.
"This ninth level seems pretty eerie," Lin Lei observed, looking around the ninth level of the Divine Tomb.
Below Lin Lei and the others stretched a vast blue ocean, waves rolling endlessly toward the horizon. In this ninth-level world of the Divine Tomb, besides the boundless sea, all that could be seen was a small, quiet green island not far away.
"Be careful, everyone. Once we pass this level, we can focus on preparing for the eleventh level. This is the last real obstacle before that," Tulili said gravely.
Everyone surveyed their surroundings with caution.
Though this was only the ninth level, with the tenth still ahead, Lin Lei and the others knew that the Divine Tomb was structured in sets of five levels per tier. The tenth level would actually be much easier than the stretch from the sixth through the ninth.
Nobody regarded the tenth level as an obstacle—it was simply a place to rest and prepare. Much like the fifth level before it.
"The surroundings are nothing but endless ocean," Rosalyn said with a frown. "There aren't any tall structures at all. The passage to the tenth level can only be in one place—there." She pointed toward the island in the distance.
"The passage to the tenth level should be on the island," Lin Lei silently agreed.
After all, besides the island, there was only the ocean. If the passage were placed on the bottom of the endless sea, how long would it take just to search for it? Lin Lei believed that even the high-and-mighty High Gods who designed this Divine Tomb would not have made it so impractical.
"Let's go," Desly said.
The eleven powerhouses flew toward the distant island at once, each one exercising extreme caution. Once they cleared this ninth level, then... stepping into the eleventh level to obtain a 'divine spark' would be within arm's reach. No one wanted to fail here.
The island was tranquil. Lin Lei and the other ten powerhouses landed on the sandy beach.
"Sssshhh... sssshhh..."
Waves gently lapped at the shore. The beach was strewn with pebbles, and the water periodically surged forward to wash over the sand before retreating again. A light sea breeze blew, rustling the tall trees and flowers across the island.
"What a peaceful place," Rosalyn said, a faint smile on her face.
"It really is beautiful," Lin Lei agreed. The group couldn't sense any hint of danger in this ninth level.
"Let's find the passage," Fahn said with a smile.
The eleven powerhouses stepped into the interior of the island and began a thorough search for the passage to the tenth level. The island was gorgeous—in its center rose a small mountain. After searching for a while, all eleven made their way up the mountain.
"We've checked everywhere else on the island. The passage should be on this mountain," Lin Lei said, gazing up at the winding mountain path.
The path was rugged, but their speed was swift. They glided through the forest like the wind and quickly reached the mountain's summit. However, when all eleven powerhouses arrived at the top, they froze.
In the center of the island, atop this small mountain, beside a gnarled little tree, stood a wooden cabin.
In front of the cabin sat a stone table and a stone chair.
A fair-skinned young man, handsome and dressed in clothes woven from blades of grass and wearing a straw hat, was sitting in the stone chair, sipping tea with evident enjoyment. The scene was perfectly serene—yet Lin Lei and the others felt a chill creep through their hearts. Someone had just appeared here, on the ninth level.