While everyone was attacking the grand formation surrounding the palace, no one noticed that the two female cultivators from the Hua Xian Sect were secretly conversing.
“Senior Sister, are we really going to help them break this formation? Could this palace be the sealed location of the Ancient Demon Saint Ancestor that Elder Xiang mentioned? Otherwise, why would the Eight Spirit Ruler appear here?” The delicate-looking woman quietly transmitted her voice to Lady Mu, her expression filled with concern.
“Junior Sister, don’t worry. This is definitely not the sealed location of that demonic entity. Otherwise, the Dragon Transformation Seal would have reacted long ago. As for why I want to break this formation, it’s not entirely for the Eight Spirit Ruler. The control hub for the entire Kunwu Mountain’s restrictions lies on the ninth floor of this Demon Sealing Tower. If we want to reinforce the seal, aside from the Dragon Transformation Seal, we must also reach the final floor to perform the spell. But look around—there’s no entrance in sight. The only suspicious place is this palace. Most likely, the entrance is hidden somewhere inside, and this Eight Spirit Ruler and formation might be sealing the entrance to the ninth floor. I didn’t explain this in detail earlier, so it’s no wonder you have so many concerns,” Lady Mu replied confidently.
“So that’s it! No wonder you didn’t focus on reinforcing the seal but instead dragged me here without explanation. But what about this Eight Spirit Ruler? We…” The delicate woman suddenly understood.
“The Eight Spirit Ruler is, after all, a relic of our Hua Xian Sect’s ancestors. It’s only natural for us to reclaim it,” Lady Mu interjected before the delicate woman could finish.
“That’s true, but I’m afraid it’ll be difficult for us to seize this treasure,” the delicate woman hesitated, glancing at the surrounding cultivators and the silver-winged yaksha demons.
“Not necessarily. Don’t forget, the Four Symbols Ruler in your hand was crafted as a replica of the Eight Spirit Ruler. When the time comes to fight for the treasure, activating it might yield unexpected results. And even if we fail, remember that Elder Xiang could arrive at any moment. No matter who ends up with this Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasure, they’ll have to hand it over obediently. Given his ties to our Hua Xian Sect, even if we can’t keep the Eight Spirit Ruler, we’ll surely receive other benefits if we plead earnestly,” Lady Mu said with a hint of cunning.
“That makes sense! But what about the black teleportation array in the stone chamber we entered? Could that be the sealed location of the Ancient Demon? It’s a shame the array is inactive now. Otherwise, we could have checked it first,” the delicate woman asked worriedly.
“Who knows? Maybe. Our sect’s records don’t mention the specifics of the Ancient Demon’s sealing,” Lady Mu replied after a brief pause.
Unbeknownst to the two women, in a nearby dark space, the very Ancient Demon Saint Ancestor they spoke of was breaking free from its seals.
Five demonic artifacts—a black mirror, a jade lotus, a ring, a command arrow, and a small black bottle—floated above the twin-headed giant wolf, each emitting a black beam that plunged into the massive silver wolf’s body. A sinister demonic light enveloped the wolf, forcibly pushing the talismans and chains away from its body by several feet.
The talismans and black chains flickered erratically, as if their restrictions had been activated.
But the most astonishing sight was the yellow bronze mirrors surrounding the space. They now emitted a resonant hum, their yellow beams several times thicker than before, making the prison they formed seem indestructible.
The twin-headed, four-armed Ancient Demon hovered mid-air, its four hands forming seals to control the five demonic artifacts. Both faces wore solemn expressions as it watched the silver wolf above.
Beneath it, the black teleportation array was covered by a set of gray-glowing formation flags, temporarily halting its operation to prevent other cultivators from entering.
At this moment, the black wolf’s head had fully transformed into a demonic form. Its horn had grown significantly, crackling with black lightning and roaring thunder. Purple demonic flames flickered in its eyes, and wherever its gaze fell, the talismans spontaneously combusted into ashes.
After absorbing the demonic energy from the five artifacts, the Saint Ancestor’s split soul had finally accumulated enough power to begin its escape.
Time passed slowly. When the black wolf’s head incinerated the last talisman nearby, it let out a low growl. Its already massive body expanded further under flashes of black light, as if transforming into a primordial deity capable of filling the entire space.
The prison of yellow beams barely held the giant wolf for a moment before shattering. Hundreds of bronze mirrors exploded simultaneously, vanishing like scattered stars.
However, the seemingly unremarkable Great Zhou Heavenly Chain shimmered and thickened along with the wolf’s growth, tightly restraining it. As the wolf struggled, a layer of milky-white flames ignited on the chain’s surface.
The stench of scorched flesh instantly filled the space. The white flames ignored the wolf’s protective demonic light, directly burning its silver-white fur. The black wolf’s head contorted in agony—this fire was no ordinary flame.
The Ancient Demon below paled at the sight of the flames, murmuring, “Pure Yang Bone Fire! So the ancient cultivators fused this demonic flame into the chain. This complicates things.”
Just then, the black wolf’s head jerked violently. With a thunderous boom, the black lightning on its horn coalesced into a sphere before exploding mid-air.
Countless black arcs rained down, striking all the black chains.
In an instant, white flames and black lightning intertwined like two monstrous serpents locked in combat, filling the air with eerie, muffled roars.
Unrelenting, the black wolf’s head intensified the purple flames in its eyes and chanted a low incantation. Opening its maw, it unleashed a wave of black mist that swept outward like a tidal wave, obliterating countless unknown restrictions in the distance with terrifying force.
The Ancient Demon below smiled triumphantly.
It seemed the Saint Ancestor’s split soul, though imprisoned for years, had lost none of its power. It wouldn’t be long before it broke free.
At the entrance to Kunwu Mountain’s sealed rift, figures moved about, but the crowd had dwindled from over a thousand to just two or three hundred. Strangely, most of those remaining were at least Golden Core cultivators, with over a dozen at the Nascent Soul stage.
Sitting cross-legged before the rift, Elder Xuan Qing’s expression grew graver. Were it not for the Taiyi Sect’s formidable reputation and his own status as a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, some might have already tried to force their way in.
Yet even he couldn’t hold them off indefinitely, especially since many present were elders from major sects—forces even the Taiyi Sect hesitated to provoke.
“Elder Xuan Qing, how much longer must we wait? I didn’t come here to waste time!” A ruddy-faced elder, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, stepped forward impatiently.
“Fellow Daoist Luo, as I’ve said, the rift is currently impassable. I’m only trying to prevent unnecessary deaths,” Xuan Qing replied calmly, though inwardly sighing.
“Then why were the Yin Luo Sect and Hua Xian Sect allowed entry?” Luo retorted.
“Lady Mu and Elder Qian had the Sun-Moon Shuttle and the Spirit Rhinoceros Peacock to pave their way. If you possess one of the Three Great Spirit Shuttles, I wouldn’t stop you. A few more days, and the rift will stabilize,” Xuan Qing said evenly.
“A few more days, and Qian Laomo will have looted everything!” A voice laced with irritation spoke up as a figure wreathed in green mist emerged from the crowd.
“So Fellow Daoist Yu of the Green Phosphorus Cliff has arrived,” Xuan Qing frowned. Though not from a major sect, Yu’s mastery of poison arts made him a formidable opponent even Xuan Qing wished to avoid.
Truthfully, Xuan Qing cared little for these cultivators’ lives. His concern stemmed from a classified report: the Ye Clan had unsealed the rift. While pondering their motives, he’d received a cryptic order from his sect—to enter the rift alongside the Seven Wonders True Monarch of the Heavenly Demon Sect and, until then, to block others.
The order’s originator held such authority in the Taiyi Sect that even Xuan Qing dared not disobey. Otherwise, he’d never undertake such a thankless task.
The directive’s insistence on two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators entering together hinted at the sealed entity’s extraordinary danger. A subsequent jade slip confirmed his fears, filling him with regret for allowing Qian Laomo’s group inside.
Now, he couldn’t risk more cultivators entering. Their interference might unleash catastrophe—especially with a Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasure at stake. If the sealed being broke free, who in the mortal realm could oppose it?
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