“Impossible! With two Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasures suppressing this realm, no one could possibly break free from the Nine Truths Demon Subduing Formation. Moreover, the seal has already cracked. If you had truly escaped, Senior, you would have long since left this mountain. Why would you still linger here? Most likely, you’ve only managed to free a wisp of your divine sense to scare me away.” After a moment of panic, Xiang Zhili quickly regained his composure, his expression steadying in an instant.
“You know of the Nine Truths Demon Subduing Formation and the Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasures! Are you a descendant of the Kunwu Three Sages?” The woman’s voice, though still melodious, turned noticeably colder.
“I am not a descendant of the Kunwu Three Sages, but there are indeed a few in this realm who know of your existence, Senior. I happen to be one of them.” As Xiang Zhili spoke, his eyes darted around cautiously, his demeanor wary.
“Hmph! Don’t bother searching. My true form has indeed not yet escaped, but I won’t let you ruin this once-in-a-millennium opportunity. You’ll stay here quietly for the next few months.”
The woman’s icy words were followed by a distortion in the space above the stone pavilion. A white vortex appeared out of thin air, and a vast expanse of five-colored radiance descended upon the old man.
“Phantom Mirage Phenomenon!” Xiang Zhili’s face paled at the sight. Without hesitation, he enveloped himself in silver light and shot away like a streak of lightning.
But the five-colored radiance swirled slightly, generating an immense suction force that abruptly halted his escape. The radiance swept over him, and in an instant, Xiang Zhili vanished without a trace, as if he had never been there.
“It seems I’ll have to sleep a little longer. The more cultivators who come here, the better! I hope the day I wake will be the day I truly break free! Kunwu Three Sages, you’ll pay for sealing me away! When that day comes, hehe…” The woman’s voice weakened into a murmur before dissolving into a fit of mad laughter, then silence.
Seven days later, as the Ye Clan breached the Ten Thousand Cultivators’ Gate only to be trapped in another high-level illusion array, Han Li and his two companions found themselves blocked by a peculiar restriction on the stone steps, forced to ponder a way to break through. Meanwhile, near the unnamed lake above the sealed site, the scene was bustling with activity.
Over a thousand cultivators had gathered within a radius of dozens of miles, including more than a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators. The most conspicuous among them were the four elders of the Poison Saint Sect standing side by side on the lakeshore. The other Nascent Soul cultivators mostly acted alone, having arrived hastily upon hearing the news.
At that moment, a disciple was reporting to the Poison Saint Sect elders.
“Elder, we’ve searched most of the underground seal and found a lead. About twenty miles from here, someone has deliberately concealed something with an illusion array. Our disciples skilled in formations are working to dismantle it. Though it’s a temporary array, the caster’s skill makes it time-consuming to break.” The red-turbaned disciple spoke respectfully.
“Good. We’ve been here for days—it would be troublesome if we couldn’t find the entrance. But be discreet; don’t let others notice your actions. Return at once and inform us the moment the array is broken.” The middle-aged man with emerald markings exhaled in relief and issued his orders.
“Yes!” The disciple bowed, then slapped a Earth Escape Talisman onto his body and vanished into the ground.
Another Poison Saint Sect elder spoke up.
“Brother Hua, there’s no need to worry. The Southern Border lacks late-Nascent Soul cultivators. Even if others arrive, the four of us can handle them.”
“That may be true, but every day we delay, more high-level cultivators will arrive. The Southern Border isn’t solely our domain—there are sects here that rival our Poison Saint Sect. If they arrive before we enter, it’ll be disastrous. Worse still, if we drag this out, the Ten Great Sects of the Righteous and Demonic Paths might intervene.” Elder Hua’s expression darkened.
Some elders dismissed his concerns, while others grew uneasy.
Just then, Elder Hua let out a surprised noise and looked sharply toward the sky. The others followed his gaze.
A massive gray mist appeared on the horizon, streaking toward them at incredible speed. The Poison Saint Sect elders sensed the terrifying spiritual pressure within and paled.
The mist reached the lake in an instant, then burst apart, revealing five faint white figures hovering motionlessly in the air.
“Five Children United Demons!” Elder Hua’s expression froze.
“The Five Children Demons? Could it be the incarnations of the Dry Devil of the Yin Luo Sect?” Another elder gasped, his face ashen.
“Hmph! Who else but that old devil cultivates such demonic arts? His true form can possess any of the five demons. Unless you can kill all five simultaneously, he’s virtually immortal.” Elder Hua muttered, his tone laced with dread.
“Ah, so someone knows so much about my Five Children incarnations. It’s the Poison Saint Sect’s Elder Hua. I didn’t expect you to bring your entire sect here. Do you know something about what’s sealed beneath?” A breezy voice drifted down, its origin impossible to pinpoint.
“Brother Qian jests. How would I know anything? We’re merely here because this place is close to our sect. But you, as the Yin Luo Sect’s Grand Elder, must have ample leisure to visit.” Elder Hua forced a laugh.
“Oh? I recall the nearest sect here is the Hua Xian Sect. When did your sect relocate? As for me, I was in the Southern Border on business and stumbled upon this commotion.” The Yin Luo Sect Grand Elder’s tone was mocking, clearly unconvinced.
“I’d have thought someone of your stature wouldn’t travel lightly. What matter could warrant your personal attention?” Elder Hua probed.
“Nothing urgent. Just hunting down a traitor who fled to the Southern Border. I grew restless, that’s all.”
“Is that so? My apologies for overthinking.”
The exchange ended in silence, the atmosphere growing tense.
“Found it! There’s a crack in the seal to the north! The Poison Saint Sect is breaking the entrance’s restrictions!”
A figure burst from the ground near the lake, shouting as it fled into the distance. The nearby cultivators stirred at once.
Several blue-robed, red-turbaned Poison Saint Sect disciples emerged in pursuit, but the escapee’s extraordinary speed left them far behind.
Elder Hua’s face twisted in fury.
“Hah! So that’s it. I’ve dabbled in formations myself—perhaps I can assist your disciples. I’ll take my leave first.” The Dry Devil laughed, and the five white figures plunged into the lake, vanishing without a trace.
“Move! That old devil is ruthless—we can’t let him harm our disciples!”
Elder Hua stomped his foot and produced a small yellow flag. With a flick, a yellow cloud enveloped the Poison Saint Sect elders, carrying them underground.
Not just the Dry Devil and the Poison Saint Sect, but the other cultivators also dove underground, thinning the crowd in moments. Those left behind—low-level cultivators without earth-escape techniques or treasures—could only watch helplessly.
Twenty miles north of the lake, a thousand zhang underground, lay a vast, pitch-black space. Dazzling lights flickered at its edges, while below stretched an endless white barrier, thick and crackling with lightning. Anyone who approached was met with a brutal arc of electricity, forcing them back or leaving them battered.
Yet, at one spot on the barrier, no lightning struck. There, eight Poison Saint Sect disciples stood guard, scowling as they faced off against the gathered cultivators.
The crowd hurled insults but hesitated to act. The Poison Saint Sect’s reputation in the Southern Border was formidable, and most present were locals unwilling to provoke trouble.
But not everyone feared the sect. A streak of red shot forward, accompanied by a cold voice.
“Out of my way. I’m going in.” The speaker, though elderly, radiated impatience.
“Senior, this area was discovered by our sect. Our elders are nearby—” A Core Formation disciple tried to dissuade him.
“Even if Hua Tianqi himself were here, I’d still enter.” The red figure sneered, raising a hand as a blinding light ignited in his palm.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage