Chapter 284: Gathering of the Strong

Chapter 284: Chapter 284: Gathering of the Strong

"Demonic calamity, suppressed by a step, sects gathered, prosperous era?"

For someone like Zhong Shan, the closer he got to excitement and the brink of success, the more he maintained his composure and exercised caution.

The phrase "suppressed by a step" referred to the stone slab with a woman's footprint. Was it this woman who suppressed something with just a step? But the previous phrase mentioned a "demonic calamity."

This suggested that beneath this footprint, there might be a demon or some other malevolent entity. The historical record dated back 18,000 years. Had the demon perished in that time? Zhong Shan wasn't sure, so he knew he had to proceed with utmost caution.

"Sir, should we break it open?" Ah Da asked eagerly.

"Not yet. First, clear all the soil, stones, and trees around the footprint," Zhong Shan instructed.

"Yes!" Ah Da replied.

With meticulous care, Ah Da used spells to clear away the soil, stones, and trees around the footprint. Together with Nian Youyou, they even removed the surrounding mountains of the valley.

After a massive effort, they retreated to a distant mountaintop. The valley was gone, and the surrounding mountains had been cleared, leaving only a giant nine-colored footprint in the center. The footprint, nearly 300 meters long, was that of a woman.

Surrounding the footprint were countless cracks, extending like a spiderweb across a large area, glowing faintly red.

"Did she create a seal with one step?" Nian Youyou remarked in awe.

The numerous cracks seemed to interconnect intricately, not loosening the ground below but instead making it as solid as steel.

Focusing his thoughts, Zhong Shan's eyes transformed into a fragmented world where countless cosmic rules flickered intermittently. In no time, he was shocked to find that the cracks radiating from the footprint were perfectly aligned with the cosmic rules, as if written deliberately by a pen. But in this case, it was a footprint that caused the cracks.

"An immortal? Is this the power of an immortal? This is insane." Zhong Shan thought, amazed.

"Zhong Shan, are you worried that there might be a 'demonic calamity' as recorded in history?" Nian Youyou asked.

"Yes," Zhong Shan nodded.

"It's been over ten thousand years. If there was a demon, it would likely be dead by now. Even if it's not, the fact that it was previously sealed means that someone on the Divine Land could seal it again. We shouldn't worry too much. The key is to open this seal," Nian Youyou argued.

"No matter what, we need to investigate thoroughly first. If we break the seal, the spiritual energy will inevitably leak out, drawing many people here," Zhong Shan cautioned.

"Alright!" Nian Youyou and Ah Da agreed.

The three of them then descended the mountain and began a meticulous inspection around the giant footprint. The footprint and the eerie cracks had blocked their spiritual senses, so they had to rely on their own eyes for examination.

They split up, and Zhong Shan followed a thin crack to the edge of the valley.

Suddenly, Zhong Shan's senses screamed danger. His hair stood on end, and an immense sense of peril enveloped him. His protective shield activated reflexively, and he drew his large blade in an instant.

A sudden, intense sense of crisis gripped Zhong Shan. It might have been a sixth sense, but in that moment, Zhong Shan felt an impending threat of death.

Instinctively, he activated his protective shield. What was happening? How could there be danger here? A sneak attack, it must be a sneak attack. But who was behind it?

In an instant, Zhong Shan saw a hand. A hand emerged suddenly from a short distance away and was now right in front of him.

Wu An! It was Wu An.

The hand carried a deadly intent, as if it meant to kill Zhong Shan with a single blow.

There was no time. The hand was already upon him. Ah Da and Nian Youyou noticed, but it was too late for them to intervene. The hand was about to strike Zhong Shan.

Death? Zhong Shan was unwilling to accept it. He couldn't believe he would die, especially since he had a jade talisman for protection.

"Boom!!!"

The ground began to shake violently, with soil rolling and rumbling from all directions. The mountain on which Zhong Shan and the two women stood trembled uncontrollably.

Retreat, retreat further!

Zhong Shan, Nian Youyou, and Zi Xun retreated to a safer distance.

"Boom!!!"

The ground erupted skyward.

An immense fireball shot into the sky!

A volcanic eruption. A colossal volcano burst forth as if it had been suppressed for millennia, suddenly released. Thick lava surged skyward, scattering clouds in its path.

As the lava rained down, it ignited surrounding areas, setting forests ablaze in a massive inferno.

Animals fled in terror as a raging firestorm swept the landscape.

The sky turned red from the blazing fire.

Such is the power of nature—a massive volcano, previously sealed by the celestial footprint, had erupted!

Ah Da flew to Zhong Shan's side to protect him.

The others watched, taking deep breaths.

They could feel wisps of strange spiritual energy emerging from the lava, which then dispersed, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to become chaotic.

Celestial energy—it was celestial energy.

Everyone held their breath, eager to see what the celestial artifact might be.

Within the time it took for the volcano to erupt, a few powerful figures had already arrived.

"Whoosh!"

On a distant mountaintop, a bald figure appeared—Huiguang Arhat. Surprisingly, he was present as well.

Shortly after, two more figures appeared on another mountaintop. Both were known to Zhong Shan.

Jin Chan—the writer of the brilliant essay during the imperial exam.

Behind Jin Chan stood a man who commanded everyone's attention and caution.

Dawei Tianlong Bodhisattva!

Among those present, Dawei Tianlong Bodhisattva was the most powerful. The arrival of the celestial artifact would be complicated with him around.

Everyone was wary of the three powerful figures who had arrived first.

"Greetings, Bodhisattva!" Huiguang Arhat greeted Dawei Tianlong Bodhisattva with respect.

Dawei Tianlong Bodhisattva merely nodded, not paying much attention to him, but instead looked towards Zhong Shan on a nearby mountaintop.

"Thank you, Mr. Zhong Shan!" Dawei Tianlong Bodhisattva said to Zhong Shan.

Upon hearing Dawei Tianlong Bodhisattva's tone, Zhong Shan immediately understood the reason. The Bodhisattva knew it was Zhong Shan who had someone write on the mountain wall, saving his life.

"Bodhisattva, you're too kind," Zhong Shan responded.