Chapter 2: Tremors in the Small Thousand World (1)
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Inside the Small Thousand World,
In the bidirectional teleportation array connected to Sky Sword City.
Wang Qianshan wore a gloomy expression,
Trying to act calm, but sweat trickled down his forehead like a faulty faucet.
“What’s going on here? You guards just sitting around like a bunch of lazy sloths?”
A few disciples on rotation duty in the teleportation array were scolded so hard they felt like their heads were spinning, yet they were absolutely frustrated.
The teleportation array suddenly failing had nothing to do with them; they just maintained order as best they could. But with the Sect Leader’s recent misfortune, Wang Qianshan was now the big shot of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
They dared not argue back, only nodding their heads like bobbleheads, looking all guilty and remorseful.
Wang Qianshan knew that yelling at these poor disciples wouldn’t solve anything; he was just venting his frustrations.
Ever since he joined the Heavenly Sword Sect, freely coming in and out of the Small Thousand World and Sky Sword City had become second nature for him. He’d never imagined a day when this teleportation array would actually fail.
“Elder Wang, does your sect have anyone who can repair the teleportation array?” asked Lei Wanying, an elder from the Monster-Catching Tribe.
Wang Qianshan replied, “…”
If I had someone, do you think I’d be standing here swearing like a sailor?
“Elder Lei, please calm down. There must be a reason the teleportation array failed. I’ll take some people and investigate thoroughly before making any decisions.”
Lei Wanying frowned and said, “Alright, I get it. So, you’re telling me you’re just as clueless, huh?”
Wang Qianshan’s face turned various shades of red and white, “Hey! Old Lei, can you at least cut me some slack?”
“Sure, sure, I’ll give you face, but heaven help us if you don’t get this teleportation array working!”
Wang Qianshan thought, “Could this be related to that White Peach from the Flowerless Palace? She was just fine before entering the Small Thousand World. The moment she appears, our Sect Leader gets attacked, and now the teleportation array starts acting up. This won’t do; I’ll have to bring her in and interrogate her later!”
But just then, something unexpected happened.
The entire Small Thousand World suddenly shook violently.
After a landslide-like upheaval, a massive crack started to appear in the normally temperate center of the Small Thousand World.
And much to everyone’s horror, this crack grew wider with every passing second, sending waves of scorching heat wafting through the air.
“Magma! It’s magma!” the disciples shouted in terror.
As they looked on, a roiling river of molten lava emerged from the crack.
The red river corroded the riverbanks, setting nearby forests and flowers ablaze, filling the sky with thick smoke in no time.
They never imagined this kind of unimaginable horror would manifest in the Small Thousand World.
But this was still just the beginning.
As all the disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect floated in the air, drawn toward the lava river,
A creature, glowing a fiery red and radiating intense heat, slowly crawled out from the lava.
It looked like a giant toad, but its limbs were a bit longer, and its massive mouth spewed lava as if it were drooling.
“Boom!”
The trees, already parched from the heat, immediately burst into flames.
Seeing that their once peaceful Small Thousand World was turning into hellfire, the disciples couldn’t hold back any longer and rushed at the giant toad with swords drawn.
“k*ll, k*ll, k*ll!”
The disciples unleashed their skills; flying swords zipped through the air like arrows aimed at the creature, slicing past it.
But to everyone’s surprise, the giant toad had impressive defense; even when it got hit, only a few drops of red magma dripped off it, and it continued to lumber forward as if nothing happened.
A few inner disciples, unable to resist, landed in front of the creature, eager to engage in close combat.
After all, this beast didn’t look athletic in the least—just tough to damage.
With so many classmates watching on, these disciples threw everything they had at the creature from all directions.
Just as they expected, the creature was indeed sluggish. While it occasionally belched lava, the nimble disciples dodged easily.
“Alright, on the next strike, let’s all go for its neck!”
“Got it!”
The group was in sync.
“Swish, swish, swish!”
These folks were clearly from the same mountain, with an impressively high level of teamwork.
As they swung their swords, the gusts of wind tossed their robes and long hair about, looking quite dashing like righteous heroes slaying demons.
The onlookers burst into applause!
Some disciples regretted not stepping up earlier—now that they wanted in, it felt like they were trying to steal the limelight.
Ah, being in the spotlight,
There’s no such thing as too much, especially when it boosts your reputation and status in the sect.
If only they had acted a bit sooner.
These four might immediately become legends in the Small Thousand World, known to the powers that be!
“Roar!”
The giant toad let out a mighty roar.
Unfortunately for it, that cry did nothing to change its fate; four swords plunged deep into its neck from the four cardinal points all at once.
Watching as its body twitched and began to fail, the four disciples revealed victorious smiles.
Wang Qianshan, observing from a distance, stroked his beard triumphantly.
Finally, a day with something to feel good about!
So what if an unexpected crisis erupted in the Small Thousand World? Each Heavenly Sword Sect disciple was tough as nails. Let that loudmouth Lei Wanying see what the Heavenly Sword Sect was capable of. Even if the Sect Leader was attacked, as long as Wang Qianshan was around, the Heavenly Sword Sect would still be at the top, deserving of respect from all!
But then, at that moment, Wang Qianshan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, a sensation that had saved his skin more than once in his youth.
Could it be?
Wang Qianshan leapt into action, darting toward the lava river, his shout echoing behind him.
“Get away!”
Sadly, his warning came too late.
The giant toad, impaled in the neck, struggled for a few seconds before its body suddenly contracted, explosively releasing a tremendous amount of energy.
“Boom!”
The four disciples, positioned way too close, were instantly engulfed by the expanding flames.
When the smoke cleared, the spot where they once stood had become a deep crater; both the creature and those four were nowhere to be found.
The onlookers were awash in terror.
No one expected that creature could self-destruct; those poor souls were blown to bits—truly a tragic sight.
Wang Qianshan hovered mid-air, sighing deeply, thinking he might as well create a tomb for these disciples; after all, they were true heroes of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
As for that lava river, he’d just have to order disciples to stay clear of it.
But at that moment, something shook him to his core.
Another giant toad crawled out from the gushing river of lava.
Behind it, to everyone’s shock, there were dozens of monster heads bobbing in the blazing magma.
Everyone stood frozen in disbelief.
They suddenly realized the Small Thousand World, which had existed for at least a few thousand years, might actually be facing extinction today.
