After most of the day had passed, in a remote corner of the Ten Thousand Poisons Valley teeming with venomous insects, a sudden flash of silver light appeared, followed by the eruption of over a dozen massive fireballs. With a series of muffled “pops,” the fireballs did not explode but instead transformed mid-flight into vividly lifelike fiery serpents that lunged toward the ground. A wave of scorching heat surged forth, instantly forming a small sea of flames that reduced all the venomous insects on the ground to ashes in the blink of an eye.
“Tsk tsk! Fellow Daoist Han’s control over spells has truly reached a divine level. If you claimed to specialize in fire-attribute techniques, few would doubt it,” a woman’s light laughter rang out.
“It’s nothing. In my early years when my cultivation was still weak, my favorite spell was the Fireball Technique. It’s merely a matter of practice making perfect,” Han Li replied indifferently.
Shortly after, amidst the silver glow in the distant mist, the burly man and Han Li’s group emerged one after another, walking toward the gradually extinguishing flames.
Han Li swept his gaze into the distance, and his expression shifted slightly as he abruptly halted. The poisonous mist on the opposite side of the fire sea was unusually thin, vaguely revealing something. But before he could extend his spiritual sense, the leading burly man suddenly tapped the jade ruyi above his head. The treasure immediately erupted with a dazzling silver light and shot forward. Under the silver radiance, everything in the distance, previously obscured by mist, became crystal clear.
When Han Li saw it clearly, he gasped in shock. Just a few dozen zhang ahead lay a massive chasm. Glancing to either side, its length was indiscernible in the haze, but its width spanned at least a hundred zhang. From within, faint black gusts of yin wind occasionally surged, scattering the nearby poisonous mist.
“This is the entrance to the Yin Yang Cave! Let’s proceed.”
Apart from Han Li and Bai Yaoyi, the others had all been here before. Thus, after the old man’s brief remark, the group moved forward without hesitation, stopping at the edge of the colossal chasm.
Despite the ferocious yin wind billowing from the chasm, everyone remained composed, calmly peering downward.
The chasm plunged into unfathomable depths like an abyss, with swirling black yin winds forming eerie vortices of varying sizes. From these vortices, faint wails and howls could be heard.
Han Li’s gaze swept along the chasm walls, where crystalline glimmers suggested a thick layer of ice had formed.
“What we’re seeing now isn’t the Soul-Startling Yin Wind—just ordinary yin wind. But once we descend a few hundred zhang, the Soul-Startling Yin Wind will appear. Without preparation, even Nascent Soul cultivators like us can’t endure it for long. However, with the Purple Nether Pearl I’ve brought, the threat is greatly diminished. That said, the intensity of the Soul-Startling Yin Wind varies in different parts of the Yin Yang Cave. Given your extensive experience, I needn’t remind you to remain cautious,” the old man surnamed Fu said with a light cough after everyone had surveyed the chasm.
He then raised his hand, revealing a purple orb the size of a fist. As soon as it appeared, Han Li scrutinized it closely. Instantly, his vision blurred with purple shadows, and his spiritual sense wavered uncontrollably, as if his soul were about to leave his body.
Startled, the Great Development Art within him automatically activated, sending a cooling sensation through his mind and restoring his clarity.
Outwardly unfazed, Han Li was inwardly alarmed. This object truly lived up to its reputation as a demonic sect’s treasure—it was indeed sinister. With this thought, he glanced at the burly man surnamed Yuan and Bai Yaoyi.
Their eyes flickered, and their expressions were uneasy. Clearly, they too had been caught off guard by the pearl’s effects. He wondered what secret techniques they had used to resist its soul-disrupting power.
Old Man Fu paid no heed to their reactions. Holding the pearl aloft, he muttered an obscure incantation. A dazzling flash later, a faint halo emanated from the pearl, enveloping an area of over thirty zhang in radius. Han Li and the others found themselves bathed in a pale purple glow, and the previously fierce, icy yin wind weakened significantly.
“The Purple Nether Pearl lives up to its fame!” The burly man surnamed Yuan, having stowed his jade ruyi, couldn’t help but praise.
“The pearl’s true power remains to be seen once we descend. Let’s proceed,” Old Man Fu said dismissively, cradling the pearl in one hand while summoning a cloud of purple-red mist with the other. With a flicker of green light around him, he began descending slowly into the chasm.
Naturally, Han Li and the others stayed within the purple halo’s range, each activating protective treasures as they followed into the abyss.
The burly man deployed a jade-green tablet that hovered above his head; Bai Yaoyi summoned an icy crystal flying dagger that orbited her body; the black-robed beauty wielded a dark shield held close to her front; and Han Li simply exhaled several golden flying swords to guard himself.
Moments later, their figures vanished into the swirling black vortices below, and the chasm returned to silence.
Meanwhile, as Han Li’s group entered the Yin Yang Cave, above an unnamed lake in the Southern Border, seven or eight cultivators hovered in the air, listening to a black-robed cultivator’s report.
These cultivators, a mix of Daoists and laymen, were none other than members of the Ye Clan who had gathered in the imperial palace months earlier. Among them stood the large-headed oddity, flanked by the square-faced mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, with the youth resembling Han Li—the ancient demon—lingering nearby. The demon listened expressionlessly to the speaker.
The black-robed cultivator, at the Core Formation stage, addressed the Nascent Soul elders with utmost deference.
“Four hundred years ago, our Ye Clan discovered hints about the legendary ‘Kunwu’ Mountain from an ancient stele fragment. Since then, we’ve been planning this endeavor. This fabled immortal sanctuary was inexplicably buried underground by ancient cultivators using immense power. Beyond the countless ancient caves and treasures within, the stele also revealed that two Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasures were left behind when the mountain was sealed. Obtaining these would double our clan’s strength, allowing us to rival the major orthodox and demonic sects. Over a century, we dispatched numerous disciples across half the Great Jin Empire before finally locating the site beneath this lake. Our clan’s array masters immediately began dismantling the restrictions. Given the stakes, only the previous grand elder and two or three others were privy to this operation.”
The black-robed cultivator paused before continuing, “But the ancient restrictions proved far more complex than anticipated, layered and spanning a hundred li underground. A dozen array masters spent another century devising a solution: harnessing natural forces to dismantle the seals. The scale of materials and arrays required was staggering, and many components were exceedingly rare, necessitating covert collection to avoid drawing attention. Progress was intermittent, with multiple halts, but now the final array is being laid beneath the lake. Within a month, we’ll activate a grand concealment array to suppress the unsealing’s manifestations, allowing the elders to enter Kunwu Mountain and claim its treasures.”
After his explanation, the black-robed cultivator stepped aside silently.
“Kunwu Mountain? So that’s our destination?”
“Incredible! I’d assumed it was an ancient cultivator’s cave!”
“Only a mountain like Kunwu could house Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasures!”
Murmurs of excitement spread among the group, save for the oddity, the square-faced man, and the ancient demon.
“Don’t celebrate prematurely,” the square-faced man interjected sternly. “Unsealing is merely the first step. If it were so simple, why would Third Brother gather us here and invite Seventh Uncle’s aid? As grand elder, he’ll also join us in a month to enter Kunwu, evading other sects’ notice.”
“Does Kunwu Mountain hold unforeseen dangers?” a Daoist-robed elder asked nervously.
“More than dangers. This expedition might be a one-way trip,” the square-faced man replied grimly.
“Impossible! With Seventh Uncle and Third Brother—both great cultivators—even formidable restrictions shouldn’t pose a threat,” a Confucian scholar protested.
“Wishful thinking. Why would ancient cultivators seal a sacred mountain and leave treasures behind? There’s undoubtedly a dire secret within,” the square-faced man countered darkly.
The others exchanged uneasy glances.
“Enough. This is merely a worst-case scenario. The sealing may have other reasons. Stay vigilant, but don’t dwell on it. I’ll intervene if needed,” the oddity chuckled, easing the tension.
As the group relaxed, the square-faced man turned to the ancient demon. “Elder Han, your expertise in ancient texts will be invaluable in Kunwu. Rest assured, we’ve secured two demonic artifacts for you once this concludes.”
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