“What’s going on? Why are you all so alarmed?” Old Devil Qian was taken aback. The white shadow, which had initially assumed an attacking stance, flickered and returned to its original position before abruptly turning halfway around, adopting a guarded posture.
The reason was simple—the cultivators emerging from the light barrier behind them, though disheveled, were all at the Nascent Soul stage. Even with his arrogance, Old Devil Qian wouldn’t dare underestimate them. Moreover, the explosive sounds from the barrier had given him an ominous premonition.
“Brother Qian, your powers are truly astonishing—you arrived here before us. Hmm? Isn’t this Fellow Daoist Fu of the Nine Serenities Sect? And who are these two…?” The group turned out to be the Four Elders of the Poison Saint Sect and five other Nascent Soul cultivators, including the elusive Sparse Reality Taoist. However, Hua Tianqi was the first to react with surprise upon spotting Han Li and the others.
“Ah, Brother Hua, what a coincidence. But what exactly caused that explosion just now?” Elder Fu, preoccupied with the exit, skipped formalities and cut straight to the point.
“Humph! We were about to ask you the same. Since you arrived here before us, the illusion array outside must have been your doing. Its self-destruction sealing the passage again—was that also your arrangement?” A burly man among the Nascent Soul cultivators snorted coldly.
At these words, the others also turned hostile, their expressions darkening as they glared at Han Li and his companions.
“Fellow Daoists, don’t misunderstand. When we arrived, other cultivators were already here. The illusion array you mentioned has nothing to do with us. If you’ve suffered losses, don’t take it out on us,” Elder Fu retorted sharply, his face hardening.
In such a volatile situation, showing weakness would only invite bullying. Standing firm was the only way to avoid being ganged up on.
“Others are here?” This revelation stunned not only the Four Elders of the Poison Saint Sect but also Old Devil Qian.
“Humph. The three of us were teleported here accidentally by an ancient formation. When we arrived, we heard the sounds of restrictions being broken on the mountain. However, we were trapped by another barrier for several days and couldn’t investigate further. The illusion array you mentioned must be the work of those people,” Elder Fu explained succinctly, his words carrying weight.
“Is that so?” The burly man hesitated, and the others exchanged doubtful glances.
“Elder Fu is the Law Enforcement Elder of the Nine Serenities Sect. He wouldn’t lie about something so straightforward. Besides, if the Nine Serenities Sect had broken this seal, Elder Gu would surely be here to oversee it,” Hua Tianqi said, his expression easing as he seemed to accept the explanation.
“That makes sense,” the burly man conceded after a moment’s thought.
“However, when we flew in just now, the three of you and Brother Qian seemed at odds. Did Fellow Daoist Fu offend Brother Qian in some way?” Hua Tianqi’s eyes flickered as he broached the subject, having clearly witnessed the earlier tension.
“This matter…” Elder Fu hesitated.
As Elder Fu pondered how to respond, far above in a grand hall atop Mount Kunwu, the big-headed freak swung a small golden hammer, releasing a silver-white lightning arc that shattered a stone tiger puppet charging at him.
Behind him, the Ye Family cultivators were similarly engaged, each wielding their magic treasures to fend off a relentless onslaught of stone puppets shaped like beasts and birds. These puppets were incredibly durable and could unleash simple spells, making them formidable foes. They poured in endlessly from four corridors surrounding the hall.
Yet, the Ye Family members remained composed, methodically wielding their treasures as if they had everything under control.
After a while, a thunderous explosion echoed from one side, followed by the collapse of a corridor. The flow of puppets from that direction ceased immediately.
Hearing this, the Ye Family cultivators brightened.
Soon, the other three corridors also crumbled in succession. With no new puppets emerging, the remaining ones in the hall were swiftly dispatched.
“What are these things? They don’t resemble any puppets I’ve seen before,” one of the Ye Family muttered.
The group relaxed, pulling out spirit stones to replenish their energy. Though the battle hadn’t seemed overly perilous, the prolonged exertion had drained their mana considerably.
Just then, a streak of light shot out from the last destroyed corridor, landing before them. The radiance faded, revealing the white-robed scholar.
“Elder Han, you were right. There were side halls at the end of each corridor, and the puppets emerged from them. Following your advice, I breached the restrictions and destroyed their control cores,” the scholar said with a smile, addressing one figure among them.
“It was nothing. I’d read about this puppet formation in ancient texts, so I knew how to handle it. Otherwise, even the most powerful cultivator would be worn down eventually,” replied the figure—none other than the ancient demon in disguise, his tone calm.
“Haha, it seems my decision to bring Elder Han along was indeed wise. We may need your expertise again,” the scholar said warmly.
“Grand Elder flatters me. Even without your words, I’d do my utmost,” the ancient demon replied with a faint smile, earning an approving nod from the scholar.
At that moment, the big-headed freak chuckled. “By my calculations, the trap we left in the illusion array should have activated by now. With luck, it might buy us some more time.”
“Indeed. By now, someone must have entered the array. Triggering the trap would cause it to self-destruct, sealing the entrance temporarily. However, the blockage will last only five or six days at most. After that, the entrance will reopen. Besides, even without this, the seal will begin weakening soon anyway,” the scholar said gravely.
“The seal’s collapse is still far off. We have ample time to retrieve the treasure. The real question is—where are we on Mount Kunwu? We must be close to its core by now,” the big-headed freak pressed.
“Likely so. The increasing frequency of restrictions suggests we’re nearing the mountain’s vital areas,” the scholar mused.
“Good. But there’s another problem—that silver-winged nightfiend has been shadowing us. What does it want? Is it waiting to ambush us?” The big-headed freak glanced warily toward the hall’s opposite entrance.
The others followed his gaze, but the space appeared empty. Yet, they all knew the nightfiend was likely lurking nearby, invisible.
The thought unsettled them deeply.
If not for the presence of two late-Nascent Soul cultivators among them, ordinary cultivators would have fled long ago under such predatory scrutiny.
“That flying corpse is indeed troublesome. Given time, Uncle Seven and I could devise a way to cripple or even kill it. But we’re pressed for time. Provoking it now might only enrage it further. Our best bet is to find a restriction ahead to trap it,” the scholar said after a long pause.
The others nodded in agreement. Given the nightfiend’s preternatural speed, shaking it off through sheer force was impossible.
After recovering some mana, the group exited the stone hall, only to freeze in astonishment at the sight before them.
A sprawling network of stone staircases stretched ahead, branching in over a dozen directions, each vanishing into dense white mist. There was no way to tell where any of them led.
“How do we proceed? Even if we split up, we can’t cover all these paths,” one elder sighed, turning to the scholar in dismay.
“Don’t panic. This confirms we’ve reached Kunwu’s core. The branching paths are a good sign. Splitting up is too risky—we’d be too vulnerable alone. Let’s head to that platform first and see if there are any markers,” the scholar said calmly, pointing to a vast white jade plaza where all the staircases converged, a few miles away.
With no better alternatives, the group agreed.
They summoned their flight techniques, only to plummet back to the ground moments later.
“An anti-flight restriction! They’ve set one up here?” the big-headed freak exclaimed.
Fortunately, no one was hurt, though the fall was undignified. The discovery, however, was a mixed blessing—while the restriction slowed them down, it also confirmed they’d entered Kunwu’s most critical zone.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage