Chapter 1014: The Sumeru Five Elements Wall

After a quick glance at the three figures in the yin energy—the big-headed freak and his companions—and then a sweep of the exit at the other end of the hall, Hua Tianqi’s face suddenly hardened with resolve. He let out a low shout, “Go!”

With a flip of his palm, a small green banner appeared in his hand. A slight shake caused a burst of emerald radiance to explode outward, enveloping the four of them in a green light that shot like a meteor toward the entrance of the next level.

“Hua Tianqi, how dare you!” The big-headed freak, seeing this, flew into a rage. Suddenly, countless yellow sword beams as thick as thumbs erupted from his body, instantly piercing through the surrounding yin clouds. It seemed he would break free in no time.

But Hua Tianqi dared not linger. With a flash of green light, they had already flown dozens of zhang away, disappearing into the exit at the other end.

By the time the big-headed freak and the ancient demon joined forces to swiftly disperse the surrounding yin energy, the previously empty entrance suddenly shone with white light, and a thick, crystalline wall materialized out of nowhere.

The wall, of unknown thickness, completely sealed the entrance without the slightest gap.

Without hesitation, the freak raised his hand and unleashed a sword beam several zhang long, slashing fiercely at the crystalline wall. However, with a flash of five-colored radiance, the sword beam vanished as if swallowed by mud.

“The Sumeru Five Elements Wall!” The freak froze for a moment before recognizing it, then roared in shock and fury.

“That’s it. Isn’t this the treasure of the Sumeru Sect? How did it end up in the hands of the Poison Saint Sect? Ah, right—the Sumeru Sect is also one of the major sects of the Southern Border. I heard they have some connection with the Poison Saint Sect. It seems they borrowed it somehow,” the old man from the Ye Family said, his expression darkening.

“The Sumeru Five Elements Wall… I’ve heard of it too. Its reputation is no small matter,” the ancient demon muttered, frowning.

“This is trouble. It seems the bottom of this tower might indeed hold that legendary Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasure. Otherwise, why would these Poison Saint Sect members take such a risk?” The freak stared at the wall, his face turning livid.

“Brother Ye, no need to fret! It might be a good thing they went ahead of us. Who knows if the next level truly holds the Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasure? But whatever is imprisoned below is bound to be even more troublesome. If they rush ahead, they’re only inviting suffering. Once we finish off this Ghost King and break through the wall, we might just reap the benefits,” the ancient demon sneered.

The big-headed freak paused at these words, then relaxed and chuckled.

“Brother Han speaks wisely. I was too fixated on the treasure and lost my composure.”

After saying this, his cold gaze shifted to the ghostly figure still entangled by the silver flying fork.

On the other side of the crystalline wall, Hua Tianqi and the other three elders of the Poison Saint Sect had already reappeared. Just as Hua Tianqi let out a sigh of relief, one of the elders couldn’t help but complain.

“Senior Brother Hua, wasn’t this too reckless? Though the Sumeru Five Elements Wall can block them temporarily, offending them like this—how will we deal with them later?”

“Hmph, do you still dream of coexisting peacefully with the Ye Family? Even if we were willing to give up the treasure, Ye Yuesheng faked his death years ago to escape the purge by the Ten Great Sects. Now that we’ve stumbled upon him, do you think he’d let us leave so easily? Whether we offend them or not makes no difference. Besides, if even our sect’s founder coveted this treasure, do you think it’s something ordinary? It’s almost certainly the legendary Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasure. For that, what’s a little risk?” Hua Tianqi shot a cold glance at his uneasy junior brother.

“The Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasure? If it truly is such an extraordinary artifact, it’s worth the risk. But with Ye Yuesheng and his men waiting outside, even if we obtain it, how will we escape?” another elder asked, still hesitant.

“Don’t worry, brothers. Do you think I’d act without a plan? Before coming here, I brought the sect’s Poison Dragon Pearl. Once we secure the treasure, I can take the pearl—even if it means recuperating for ten years—and hold off a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator long enough for us to escape.” Hua Tianqi spoke with confidence.

“So Senior Brother had already prepared. In that case, there’s no issue.” The other three elders visibly relaxed. Though the treasure was tempting, their lives mattered more.

“Pity Junior Brother Yuan isn’t here. With him, we could’ve fought a late-stage cultivator without resorting to the Poison Dragon Pearl,” Hua Tianqi sighed, mentioning the absent Yuan.

“True. But didn’t you leave word for him? He might already be on his way. If so, escaping afterward could be much easier,” one elder suggested optimistically.

“Let’s hope so. Everyone, stay alert. The seventh-floor ghosts were tough enough—who knows what horrors await on the eighth and ninth floors? But this Demon-Suppressing Tower lives up to its name. If not for the Ye Family clearing the earlier floors, reaching this point would’ve taken far more effort.” Hua Tianqi’s tone turned serious.

The others nodded in agreement.

Then, the group turned and entered a downward-sloping passage behind them. Based on their earlier experience, descending a few dozen zhang would lead them to the next level.

But this time, after only ten zhang, they abruptly found themselves in a small, square stone chamber. Inside, aside from two small teleportation formations—one black, one white—the walls were bare.

“What’s this?” Hua Tianqi frowned in confusion.

The other three elders exchanged puzzled glances.

Stepping into the chamber, Hua Tianqi clasped his hands behind his back and examined the two formations closely.

“Junior Brother Miao, you’re skilled in ancient formations. Check if these are short-range teleportation arrays,” he finally said, turning to a thick-browed elder.

“Understood!” The elder approached one formation and scrutinized it carefully while the other two watched curiously.

“Indeed, they’re short-range teleportation formations—very short, likely no more than a hundred li,” the elder confirmed after a while.

“Then it must lead to the eighth floor. Strange that we’d need a teleportation array to reach it. Are they bidirectional?” Hua Tianqi asked cautiously.

“Typically, yes. But why two formations? Are there two eighth floors?” The thick-browed elder stroked his chin, puzzled.

“Unclear. But we’ll know once we try. Let’s take this one first. The other gives me an uneasy feeling.” Hua Tianqi pointed to the white formation and strode onto it without hesitation.

The others, also unsettled by the black formation, hurried onto the white one.

With a spell from Hua Tianqi, white light flared, and the Poison Saint Sect members vanished.

The next moment, after a dizzying sensation, they found themselves in a place like a fairyland.

Blue skies, white clouds, and spiritual flowers surrounded them, the air thick with rich spiritual energy.

But what truly stunned them was a small, resplendent golden palace ahead, resting atop an enormous formation and encircled by numerous altars. Each altar bore a massive stone figure holding a golden blade, silently facing the palace.

The crude style of the altars and stone figures exuded an ancient, primal aura.

Even Hua Tianqi stood speechless for a long moment.

—

At the same time, Han Li stood on the white jade plaza where he had left earlier, staring at the group of cultivators glaring coldly at him from all sides. He suddenly regretted his decision.

Perhaps staying hidden in the Forging Spirit Hall would’ve been wiser—or at least delaying his exit by a moment to avoid this welcoming party.

The moment he arrived, intending to choose another stone staircase, a crowd surged from the woods flanking the plaza. These people had bypassed the normal paths, sneaking along the sides—something his restricted spiritual sense hadn’t detected until it was too late.

“Fellow Daoist Han, what a surprise to meet you here. You’ve been quite elusive,” said a striking white-robed woman directly opposite him, her icy eyes locked onto him, teeth clenched.

It was none other than the Heavenly Lasso Saintess, Lin Yinping! The others included a vaguely familiar white-robed youth, Ge Tianhao, and two black-robed elders.

They had formed a semicircle, blocking the downhill path as if fearing Han Li would flee.

Han Li sighed inwardly. After the auction years ago, he had taken a jade pendant from her to refine into a detection tool—just in case. But its effect had long faded. Had they met two years earlier, this wouldn’t have happened.

“I didn’t expect to encounter the Saintess here either. What a coincidence. And this must be one of your Great Heavenly Masters?” Han Li remained calm, cupping his fists slightly before turning to the white-robed youth.

To him, the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator posed the greatest threat. Though outnumbered, he focused sixty to seventy percent of his attention on this man.

“I am Xu, one of the Four Great Heavenly Masters of the Heavenly Lasso. I once glimpsed Fellow Daoist Han from afar, but you refused to stay for a friendly exchange. Perhaps now you’ll oblige?” The youth spoke emotionlessly, his gaze fixed on Han Li.