# 707
Chapter 708: Three-Way Standoff
When Lin Qiye stepped through the torii gate, the world spun around him, and his feet landed on hard ground.
Before he could assess his surroundings, a howling fist wind swept from behind his head—razor-sharp, targeting a vital point!
In Lin Qiye's wake, Wei Dong's eyes blazed with killing intent!
Wei Dong had waited for this moment for so long.
His original plan was simple: if he could use psychological tactics to drive Lin Qiye and the other away from that coordinate, it wouldn't matter if he died. But if they insisted on coming here anyway, Wei Dong had one counterattack opportunity.
That opportunity came from these torii gates.
Before Lin Qiye and his companion arrived, Wei Dong had thoroughly explored this wall of torii gates and discovered that every gate led to a different location within a ruined shrine.
Ideally, Wei Dong had hoped to pass through different torii gates with Lin Qiye's group, using the spatial teleportation function to shake them off, then locate and move the signal transmitter first.
But after observing them for some time, he realized Lin Qiye was far too cautious to ever split up and enter different gates. So Wei Dong settled for a compromise—using his head start through the gate to launch a sneak attack!
With Lin Qiye unable to wield his Magatsu Blade, taking the initiative with a preemptive strike, Wei Dong was confident he couldn't lose.
Unfortunately, the moment Lin Qiye saw Wei Dong vanish through the torii gate, he had already anticipated this possibility and prepared accordingly.
The instant that fist wind appeared, Lin Qiye's spiritual perception had already locked onto Wei Dong's position. He crouched down sharply to evade the punch, then twisted his body and swept a reverse kick backward!
Meanwhile, Wei Dong's punch missed its target. He responded in kind, lashing out with a spinning roundhouse kick.
BOOM—!!
Their legs collided in mid-air, the collision sending shockwaves rippling outward.
Wei Dong was a member of the Oath Society, and the most dangerous paratrooper at that. He frequently needed to execute missions within various Human Enclosures. Due to the watchful gazes of deities and artifact spirits, paratroopers didn't require Forbidden Ruins—only exceptional physical素质 and professional combat素养.
Through relentless training, Wei Dong's physical capabilities had reached extraordinary heights. But even so, Lin Qiye's kick nearly shattered his leg bone!
After all, Wei Dong was merely a trained human, while Lin Qiye possessed a Sea Realm body enhanced by the Starry Dancer skill. In a sense, his physical capabilities had long surpassed the limits of ordinary humanity.
Agony lanced through Wei Dong's leg. His body buckled, losing balance, and Lin Qiye's kick sent him flying backward into a towering dark grey wall. He crashed to the ground.
Clenching his teeth, he勉强从地上站起—forcing himself to his feet—his eyes fixed on Lin Qiye filled with shock and disbelief.
How could a Magatsu Blade wielder possess such overwhelming strength?!
At that moment, Amemiya Haruki emerged from the torii gate near the wall. Seeing Wei Dong's disheveled state, his brow furrowed; he had already guessed what had transpired.
"Not bad." Lin Qiye spoke calmly.
Wei Dong stared at Lin Qiye, enunciating each word. "Who exactly are you? A Magatsu Blade wielder shouldn't possess this level of power..."
"Why don't you confess your identity first? Then we can have a proper chat." Lin Qiye drew the pixel pistol, twirling it in his hand before speaking coldly.
Wei Dong remained silent. Lin Qiye said nothing.
The atmosphere instantly turned oppressive.
In this cramped space, three young fighters from three entirely different factions—the Great Xia Night Watch, the misty Oath Society, and the Japanese Magatsu Blade—stood in separate corners, probing and suspecting each other's identities.
Of course, Lin Qiye and Amemiya Haruki had already established mutual trust.
Then, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently!
...
Three minutes earlier.
Deep beneath the mist, in Japanese waters.
Jialan, Wu Xiangnan, and the knight swam to the deep-sea mirror surface. Following the light beams shining down from above, they searched along the reflective plane using hand signals.
Underwater, normal communication was impossible—they could only convey meaning through gestures. The knight checked the positioning device and pointed in a direction. The three began swimming toward it.
After an unknown duration, one of the light beams swept across the mirror surface. Instead of reflecting, it was swallowed whole—plunging into absolute darkness.
It was a gap in the deep-sea mirror, spanning over two hundred meters in radius.
From the edges, the gap's cross-section was smooth yet irregular, as if pierced by some kind of sharp object. Beyond that void lay only endless darkness.
Wu Xiangnan turned to glance at the knight, who held the positioning device and gave him a thumbs-up.
The coordinates pointed directly beneath this gap in the mirror.
Wu Xiangnan swam ahead, about to dive straight into the void, when Jialan grabbed him first. She raised her right arm, gesturing "strong," then swam ahead of both of them, taking point into the darkness.
While the positioning device confirmed their direction, it didn't mean entering the gap was risk-free. Among the three of them, Jialan feared danger the least.
The three descended through the mirror's gap. After what felt like an eternity, passing through what seemed like a soap-bubble-like membrane, the world spun violently, and their bodies slammed onto hard blue stone paving.
Jialan rose first. When she saw the scene before her, she froze entirely.
Before her stretched a wide flagstone path, extending forward endlessly into darkness. On both sides stood towering dark grey walls. Behind her loomed an enormous vermilion gate of peculiar design.
They had just tumbled out from within this vermilion gate.
Soon after, Wu Xiangnan and the knight tumbled out of the gate as well. They surveyed their surroundings. Wu Xiangnan removed his oxygen mask, confirmed the air was breathable, and began shedding his heavy diving gear.
"Have we reached a Human Enclosure?" Jialan glanced at the pale blue aurora drifting overhead, puzzled.
"Not sure." The knight walked to one of the dark grey walls, running his hand gently along its surface as if deep in thought. "These walls are man-made artifacts, though they appear quite ancient..."
"The layout here does have a distinctly Japanese style." Wu Xiangnan pointed at the vermilion gate they had fallen from. "This is called a 'torii gate.' They're typically placed near various Shinto shrines, primarily to demarcate the boundary between the divine realm and the human world. It's a kind of barrier, representing the entrance to the realm of the gods. You can think of it as a kind of 'door.'"
"Entrance to the divine realm, then..." Jialan murmured.
"In other words, this should be some kind of shrine?" The knight raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile forming. "The Oath Society specializes in blowing up shrines and temples, after all..."