No sooner had the words been spoken than the brocade-clad burly man gave an order, and nearly a hundred disciples around him simultaneously shouted, each brandishing various magical artifacts.
These artifacts, some resembling banners and others disks, were clearly tools for setting up formations. At the same time, a chorus of incantations rose.
Instantly, a flash of multicolored light appeared above their heads, and a hazy yellow formation materialized out of thin air. With a swift rotation, over a dozen white beams shot forth in succession, instantly forming a straight line that struck the massive gate.
A thunderous roar erupted as countless white runes flickered and scattered across the gate, yet it remained unmoved, showing no sign of opening.
The others couldn’t help but feel aghast.
Seeing this, the brocade-clad man didn’t grow angry but instead laughed.
“Interesting. I didn’t expect a mere gate to be so difficult to open. It seems I’ll have to get serious.”
With that, he formed a hand seal with one hand and chanted an incantation, pointing toward the formation in the air.
A metallic clang rang out as the formation’s color abruptly shifted to a silvery hue. Within it, a cold glint flashed, revealing thousands of tiny silver swords.
“Go!”
The burly man barked, flicking his sleeve toward the massive gate.
A sharp whistling sound erupted from the formation as all the silver swords surged forth like a tide, merging eerily in midair to form a colossal silver sword a thousand zhang long. With a flash, it slashed down fiercely onto the distant gate.
A piercing shriek echoed as a silver line gleamed across the gate’s surface.
Then, the entire sky trembled before golden and silver runes flickered on the gate’s surface. Slowly, a narrow gap opened along the silver line—just wide enough for someone to pass through.
Overjoyed, the brocade-clad man enveloped himself and his disciples in a flash of light, transforming into a silver streak that shot forward. In a blur, they vanished into the gate.
At that moment, Huaxi Fairy suddenly stamped her foot and, alongside Wugou Patriarch, shot forth as a combined azure-and-crimson streak toward the gap.
A dull thud sounded as the streak was repelled by an invisible force a hundred zhang from the gate.
With a rumbling noise, the gate slowly closed on its own, its surface shimmering with golden and silver light as the gap vanished without a trace.
The repelled streak circled once before revealing Huaxi Fairy and Wugou Patriarch.
The enchanting woman looked surprised, while the man beside her remained expressionless.
“It seems I was too hasty. I thought to save some effort by following Sect Master Feng inside, but it seems that won’t work. We’ll have to do it ourselves. Husband, you open the gate,” she said with a coquettish smile, her eyes glinting.
Wugou Patriarch uttered a single “Good” before his body was enveloped in purple light. He raised a hand and slowly pushed toward the gate.
With a soft puff, his seemingly ordinary palm suddenly swelled violently in the wind, transforming into a massive purple hand the size of a pavilion. It slammed down onto the gate with tremendous force.
A muffled boom resounded as countless rays of light erupted from the gate, revealing a hole several zhang wide.
Delighted, Huaxi Fairy and Wugou Patriarch transformed back into their azure-and-crimson streak and flashed inside.
The gate buzzed faintly as the hole swiftly sealed itself.
“It seems only one group can enter at a time. In that case, us three old fellows won’t stand on ceremony,” one of the three gaunt elders said with a strange laugh.
The three flickered to the gate’s front, each pressing a palm against it. Three immense forces surged forth.
A deafening roar erupted as the tightly shut gate slowly creaked open. The three elders blurred and entered.
“Brother Han, would you like to go first?” Seeing so many people already inside, Xiao Ming suddenly turned to Han Li with a smile.
“Since Fellow Daoist Xiao is so courteous, I won’t refuse. Blood Soul, let’s go,” Han Li replied indifferently before glancing at the woman behind him.
“Yes, Senior,” Blood Soul answered with a bow.
Han Li flicked his sleeve, enveloping himself and Blood Soul in golden light before taking a step forward.
A soft pop echoed as the space before them rippled slightly.
In a blur, Han Li and Blood Soul vanished from the golden light.
The next moment, they reappeared near the gate.
Han Li strode forward boldly, with Blood Soul following closely behind.
With a whoosh, silver flames erupted around Han Li, encasing him entirely before he crashed into the gate.
An unbelievable sight unfolded.
A nearly inaudible sizzle sounded as a human-shaped hole appeared in the gate, its edges melted.
Han Li had passed through the gate as if it were nothing.
Blood Soul, though aware of Han Li’s extraordinary abilities, was momentarily stunned before quickly following.
The hole slowly sealed itself.
Almost simultaneously, the five Blood Harmony Sons in the sky let out a long cry before transforming into a bloody streak that descended…
Moments later, only Xiao Ming and his two companions remained at the basin’s edge.
“Brother Xiao, I’m going in,” Lady Wanhua finally said impatiently.
“No need to rush, Fellow Daoist Wanhua. Did you really think we were the only ones here? Others have arrived but choose to remain hidden,” Xiao Ming chuckled before turning meaningfully toward a certain direction.
“What? Someone’s hiding nearby?” Lady Wanhua and Qingping Daoist instinctively looked in the same direction.
“Never mind them. As long as they don’t interfere, let them lurk if they wish. Besides, I’m not the only one who noticed—others are pretending not to see. Why should we meddle? Let’s go.”
Xiao Ming retracted his gaze and shook his head. With a flick of his sleeve, a silver streak shot forth, transforming into a massive ring over ten zhang wide. It crashed magnificently into the gate…
A short while later, a faint ripple appeared in the space Xiao Ming had been observing, revealing a blood-red figure.
The shadow’s face was indistinct, but its pale green eyes coldly regarded the now-sealed gate, its thoughts inscrutable.
At that moment, several streaks of light appeared on the distant horizon.
The blood shadow’s eyes narrowed, a hint of bloodlust flashing within. With a twist, it transformed into a faint bloody streak and surged toward them.
Within moments, agonized screams erupted in the distance as the streaks of light vanished amid a thick bloody mist.
……
“So this is the seal personally laid by Tian Ding Zhenren. It truly is extraordinary,” Han Li remarked, gazing at the thick, five-colored barrier of runes blocking the entrance. A trace of admiration flickered across his face.
The seal stretched for hundreds of li, so upon entering the grayish space beyond the gate, everyone had dispersed to different sections to break it individually.
Thus, only Han Li and Blood Soul floated quietly in this part of the void.
“It’s said this seal was placed by Tian Ding Zhenren just a year before his ascension, representing the pinnacle of sealing techniques in our Spirit Realm. To force one’s way through, a Mahayana cultivator would need to spend a century refining it with their Nascent Soul’s flames. Otherwise, no matter how powerful one is, entry is impossible. But this palace only appears for a short time—once a month passes, it vanishes again. The keys to Tian Ding Palace only surfaced in recent years. Before that, even if someone broke through the gate, they could only stare helplessly at this seal, unable to retrieve any treasures. Only after replica keys appeared could more people enter,” Blood Soul explained respectfully.
“If the seal is truly this formidable, I’d like to test it myself,” Han Li mused, a glint of interest in his eyes.
Blood Soul was about to respond with a smile when a strange tremor rippled through the entire space. The seal before them shuddered slightly, its runes flickering erratically.
But within moments, the barrier calmed, as if nothing had happened.
“Someone’s already broken through? That was fast,” Han Li murmured, his expression turning solemn for the first time.
“They must have used a genuine key. A replica couldn’t break the seal so quickly,” Blood Soul said gravely.
“A genuine key? Never mind. Since time is short, I won’t experiment further. What’s this shortcut you mentioned? It’s time to explain,” Han Li asked, frowning.
“Senior, could you summon the Void Heaven Cauldron?” Blood Soul countered.
“Of course.” Without hesitation, Han Li flipped his hand, summoning a sphere of azure light that condensed into an ancient-looking small cauldron—the Void Heaven Treasure Cauldron.
Blood Soul eyed it before opening her mouth and releasing her own azure sphere, which swirled and transformed into another small cauldron.
“Oh? This is…” Han Li was momentarily taken aback.
“Senior, this is the Void Emperor Cauldron—a replica key, and the most successful one at that, possessing seventy percent of the original’s power,” Blood Soul explained slowly.
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