"Three Golden Core cultivators!"
Everyone was shocked and alarmed, but then the supreme sect leader revealed even more startling news. "I just contacted Junior Brother Gu. After his seclusion, he discovered that the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground had been sealed off by a strange forbidden art. The art is mysterious and difficult to decipher, so it might be impossible to break through it in a short time to send reinforcements."
Seeing the panic on everyone’s faces, the supreme sect leader smiled and said, "There’s no need to be afraid. The Sect's Protective Array, set up by two Spiritual Infant cultivators invited by the patriarch, can't be breached by just a few Core Formation Realm cultivators. Right now, ring the Evil-Striking Bell to gather all Foundation Building disciples on the mountain. Together, we’ll operate the array to defend against the enemy. I've already sent messages requesting reinforcements. Once a few of our allies arrive, the crisis will naturally resolve itself."
After Xuan Chengzi and the others left the cave dwelling, filled with fear and anxiety, the smile on the supreme sect leader’s face immediately disappeared. His expression became extremely grave as his figure gradually faded from the cave dwelling and reappeared above the sect's protective array.
Demonic flames surged, and after the Supreme Sect Leader of the Yuanzhao Sect manifested, Yi Tianye’s figure also emerged from the flames.
...
Zhao Yan, with Qin Sang and three others, descended from Sect Leader Peak and dove straight into the lake.
The ground continued to tremble without end, the silt at the bottom of the lake rose, and the water rippled, turning murky. Using the chaotic conditions at the bottom of the lake as cover, the five of them quickly dove deeper.
Their visibility was limited to the filthy water around them, and it was unclear how deep they had gone when a faint light suddenly appeared ahead. Zhao Yan immediately ordered them to slow down and quietly approach the light.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
When they finally reached it, they were met with an incredibly beautiful scene.
A giant clam, the size of a house, lay quietly at the bottom of the lake, its massive shell wide open. Surrounding it, exotic flowers bloomed in full splendor, and aquatic plants swayed gently. The ground was covered in a layer of white sand, studded with countless gems, twinkling like an underwater immortal palace.
It seemed as though an invisible barrier was present, keeping the rising silt from invading this space, maintaining its serene tranquility.
Zhao Yan signaled for them to stop. The five of them stood motionless within the murky lake water, hidden by the Four-Clouded Divine Seal.
As Qin Sang gazed at the breathtaking scene before him, he was secretly astonished. He recalled Senior Brother Zhu’s introduction to the forbidden areas within the Yuanzhao Sect, but he had never heard of such a mysterious place existing beneath the lake.
The enormous clam clearly wasn’t an ordinary object. What is inside it that made Zhao Yan risk his life for this?
Before Qin Sang could ponder further, two figures suddenly emerged from the clam, one tall and the other short, both Foundation Building Realm cultivators.
A muffled grunt came from within the fog, and though Qin Sang couldn’t see what was happening, it was clear that Zhao Yan had done something to subdue the unruly evil spirits, as they gradually quieted down.
Then, with a loud shout, Zhao Yan commanded, "Go!"
The banner, now swarming with evil spirits, flew directly out of the Four-Clouded Divine Seal, heading straight for the clam. Its movements were so conspicuous that the short cultivator guarding the clam immediately noticed it.
"Who’s there?"
The short cultivator flashed in front of the clam and, upon seeing the banner flying toward him, cried out in shock, "Astra!"
He clearly understood what the presence of an astra meant, and terror spread across his face. In a panic, he hurriedly summoned a golden oryoki[1] artifact, activating a layer of golden light to block the incoming attack.
At the same time, a flying sword appeared in his palm, and he desperately poured spiritual power into it, preparing to send out a message.
However, just as the banner reached him, the ghostly mist suddenly expanded several times over. The golden light from the oryoki offered no resistance at all as both it and the short cultivator were swallowed up by the mist.
The banner planted itself firmly in the ground, surrounded by layers of ghostly mist. Countless evil spirits poured from the banner, quickly forming a ghostly domain. The short cultivator was trapped within, and soon, there was no sound coming from him.
Breathing heavily, Zhao Yan growled, "Let’s go!"
As they moved past the edge of the ghostly mist, Qin Sang was still deeply shocked. Even a Foundation Building cultivator can't escape the grip of the ghostly banner. How can I, with just his sword qi, possibly contend with Zhao Yan?
Inside the clam, the space was small but protected by a water-repelling barrier. It was dry and refreshing, with only a simple arrangement of two Waterheart Bamboo meditation cushions.
The most eye-catching feature, however, was a deep pit at the far end of the clam. A stone staircase descended into the depths, leading to a bottomless abyss.
Urged on by Zhao Yan, they followed the stone steps downward and finally reached the bottom of the pit. Before them appeared a vast underground cavern, filled with an endless mass of gray-white mist.
The sight of the gray-white mist alone made it clear that it was nothing to be trifled with. There could be dangerous arrays hidden within. Qin Sang and the others glanced at Zhao Yan, uncertain of what tricks he still had up his sleeve.
1. Ōryōki is a set of nested bowls and other eating utensils for the personal use of Buddhist monks. Ōryōki also refers to a meditative form of eating using these utensils that originated in Japan and emphasizes mindfulness awareness practice by abiding by a strict order of precise movements. ☜