The cultivators from the seven parties, including those from the Scenic Mountain Sect, flew on a cloud as they headed for Scenic Yang Cave Abode.
In just an hour, a huge lake appeared beneath them. In the middle of the lake was an island with clouds lingering above it.
“We are here at Scenic Yang Cave Abode,” Sect Master Gong and Palatial Lord Essence Charm took in the sight beneath them with no attempt to hide their excitement.
“It’s been three thousand years. We have been useless descendants. We only now managed to gather all six tokens,” Palatial Lord Essence Charm could not help but mumble. “Furthermore, all treasures other than the manuals are to be given to outsiders before we can even have a chance at obtaining the manuals. As descendants, we are truly useless. Useless.”
He said this all verbally but he insulated his voice from others.
Sect Master Gong had mixed feelings as well.
“We are here.”
“Scenic Yang Cave Abode.” The royal family’s Ji Lie and Sixteenth Prince, as well as the Bai family’s Bai Junyue and her sister, were all looking on with anticipation as their eyes shimmered.
“I care not about Numinous treasures or transcendent-grade Dharma treasures. But the flying sword, White Dew, as well as any items left behind by Elder Sword must be obtained,” Deacon Yuan thought to himself.
“Eighth Brother. We are here to challenge ourselves. Whatever treasures we vie for will be decided by you.” The stocky young man and the youth from the Primordial Chaos Sect’s Zhu family were communicating by voice transmissions.
Yi Fenggu and Yi Xiao similarly only had thoughts of challenging themselves. Whatever treasures they obtained would be purely determined by luck.
Despite the Zhu family and the Yi family being thousand-year-old family clans, the Zhu family only had two Connate Golden Cores in the current generation while the Yi family had one. They did not wish to risk the lives of their Connate Golden Cores! Although the chances of death were likely very low in the expedition to Scenic Yang Cave Abode, with Perfected Scenic Yang unlikely to be overly ruthless to humans, it would still be very difficult. No one knew how ruthless Perfected Scenic Yang might have been when setting up the guardian array formations during his final days.
Only the royal family and the Bai family could easily send a Connate Golden Core. The Yue Chapter’s Deacon Yuan was also advanced in his years, so he was risking it all on this one bet with the hopes of returning White Dew to the Yue Chapter! That way, the Yue Chapter would have an additional cornerstone Dharma treasure.
“Once we enter the cave abode, everything will depend on our own skills and methods,” Hong Lingtong said with a voice transmission that was filled with fighting spirit.
“A low profile. Keep a low profile,” said Qin Yun with a chuckling voice transmission. “Our side appears to be the least striking at first glance.”
Phew.
The cloud descended onto the periphery of the island.
“Sect Master.” There were Scenic Mountain Sect disciples already on the island that came to greet the group.
“Alright.” Sect Master Gong nodded. Following that, he smiled at Qin Yun and company. “Everyone, please follow me.”
They proceeded on a tiny path made of granite.
Soon, a rugged mountain door about a hundred feet tall towered in front of them. On the door was written two massive words, ‘Rosy Dawn’. However, outside the door was a gigantic eight trigram that slowly spun as it sealed the door. Sitting cross-legged beside the door were eight Daoists. At that moment, the eight Daoists saw Sect Master Gong and company walking over from afar. They stood up and bowed, “Greetings, Sect Master.”
“Guardians of Scenic Yang Cave Abode, it has been tough on you. From this day forth, there will be no more need for you to guard it,” Sect Master Gong said with a smile.
The eight Daoists nodded slightly. However, they did not have the kindest expressions when they looked at the cultivating experts from the six different factions behind Sect Master Gong.
They also knew…
The expedition into the abode would only end up with the Scenic Mountain Sect taking away the manuals. The treasures would all be taken by the six parties! These were treasures left behind by their ancestral master, Scenic Yang! However, there was no other way about it. They could only blame themselves for being weak.
“Deactivate the array formation,” instructed Sect Master Gong.
“Yes.”
The eight Daoists immediately took action and soon, the eight trigram seal that sealed the entire door began to dissipate.
The Rosy Dawn Door revealed its full nature. It was extremely unadorned and very simplistic. However, upon careful inspection, one could sense great horror! The eight trigram seal from before might appear ostentatious, but in fact, it could only ward off people that were beneath the Essence Soul realm! And although the mountain door was ordinary, it contained a power that would strike terror into the hearts of immortals and fiendcelestials.
“Scenic Yang Cave Abode was Ancestor Scenic Yang’s other cultivation residence,” Sect Master Gong explained with a smile. “Later on, Ancestor Scenic Yang predicted that my Scenic Mountain Sect would suffer a calamity in the future. Therefore, he prepared and hid manuals and many treasures in here, leaving them for the descendants of my Scenic Mountain Sect.”
“Today, we have all come here together. My Scenic Mountain Sect will only be retrieving the manuals and will not take any of the treasures. Those will be up for grabs among the six parties gathered here,” said Sect Master Gong with a smile. “In front of us is the main door, Rosy Dawn Door. It is the only door and also the only correct way to enter the cave abode. All these years, my Scenic Mountain Sect has only guarded this Rosy Dawn Door. As for the entering the cave abode through other areas on the island, that would be seeking death! Many cultivators have tried to enter from other spots throughout the years, but none have returned alive. The treasures of the cultivators that died inside are also up for grabs.”
“Yea.”
Qin Yun and company had long known this fact.
“The mountain door is the only correct entrance. Without the token, it would be most dangerous to forcibly barge in. Weaker immortals or fiendcelestials would be crushed to death by the entire Scenic Yang Cave Abode’s array. Even the stronger immortals or fiendcelestials that are capable of breaking down the door would not dare do so. That’s because once it is broken open, the entire Scenic Yang Cave Abode’s array formation will stir up the Heaven and Earth powers in a hundred-and-fifty-kilometers radius. By breaking it forcibly, you would cause everything within a hundred-and-fifty-kilometer radius to turn to dust! Countless mortals and demons would be sacrificed and wiped out in the devastation.”
“Such immense karma! How terrifying would this negative karma be? Even immortals or fiendcelestials would not be able to withstand it. The payback will immediately take effect in the form of an eruption that would equal certain death,” Sect Master Gong said with a smile. “And that power is not limited to the mountain door. No matter which area the immortals or fiendcelestials enter from, if they enter Scenic Yang Cave Abode sneakily, they will be sensed by the arrays and everything in a hundred-and-fifty-kilometer radius will be reduced to dust. Therefore, no immortal or fiendcelestial has attempted to forcibly gain entry for three millennia.”
“How relentless.” Hong Lingtong sent a voice transmission to Qin Yun. “Tying all the lives in a hundred-and-fifty-kilometer radius to the cave abode…it really shows that an immortal that’s about to die is willing to do anything.”
“Therefore, immortals of fiendcelestials do not dare enter,” said Qin Yun with a voice transmission.
“Everyone, please take out your tokens. One has only thirty seconds to enter when the mountain door is opened. After that, the door will close again.” Sect Master Gong said, “As for coming out, there’s no need to worry. The mountain door only prevents outsiders from entering but it will not obstruct those coming out from the inside.”
Qin Yun and company had long known the basic information. The six parties took out their tokens.
With the six tokens taken out, they immediately flew out one by one towards the mountain door.
Hum! Hum! Hum!
The six tokens joined up together and formed a circular disc and merged into the middle of the mountain door’s ‘Rosy Dawn’ words. What looked like an ordinary mountain door was, in fact, blocked by an invisible spatial membrane. It was something weaker immortals or fiendcelestials would not be able to break apart. And at that moment, the spatial membrane vanished.
“According to what my Scenic Mountain Sect has declared in the past, there will be three from our sect entering.” Sect Master Gong walked straight in front. Behind him, two Connate True Core realm disciples followed.
“Sect Master Gong is entering himself?”
“This…”
The other six parties were somewhat astonished.
Sect Master Gong was number one in Jiang Prefecture! Why was he taking such a risk?
“It is imperative that my Scenic Mountain Sect obtains the manuals,” Sect Master Gong scanned the people behind him. “Everyone, let’s enter together.”
The royal family’s Ji Lie knitted his brows tightly. He had been the strongest out of all of them! Now, Sect Master Gong was entering as well. Sect Master Gong’s strength was definitely not inferior to his. Furthermore, Ji Lie knew that Scenic Mountain Sect was truly going for broke. Even the sect master was risking his life so it was obvious that he would bring along extremely powerful treasures.
“This Scenic Mountain Sect Master will not backstab us when we enter, right? In terms of knowledge regarding the Scenic Yang Cave Abode, no one can compare to the Scenic Mountain Sect,” Ji Lie ruminated in secret. “Hmph, but even if they are ten times more emboldened, they would not dare act against the royal family. If I were to die in here, with no way to send a message to the external world, His Majesty would definitely be able to infer what befell me.”
Human Emperor had unified the world and was presiding over it. It was unlikely that the Scenic Mountain Sect would dare provoke the royal family.
Following that, the group entered.
“Qin Yun.” A voice sounded in his ear.
Qin Yun turned to see Sixteenth Prince’s cold gaze. There was a mocking smile hanging from Sixteenth Prince’s lips as he continued his voice transmission. “You are only an itinerant cultivator but you dare enter the Scenic Yang Cave Abode. How bold of you! However, I have to warn you of one thing. The news of the six factions entering Scenic Yang Cave Abode has probably been spread throughout the world. Not only to us humans, but even the top factions of demons and the Four Seas’ Water race of every corner of the world have learned of this expedition.”
Qin Yun was secretly alarmed.
Had it been made known to the entire world?
He knew that once the six parties gathered, he and Hong Lingtong would be exposed. However, for the news to spread throughout the world so quickly, including to the demons and Four Seas’ Water race, it startled Qin Yun somewhat.
“It’s very dangerous to enter an immortal abode to retrieve treasures, but it’s even more dangerous to bring those treasures into the outside world.”
“I urge you to give up quickly. That way, you can still survive,” said Sixteenth Prince with a voice transmission. “If not, you might die in the immortal abode. And out of it, you will definitely die. In short, death for you is certain.”
“What I just said is for your own good. If you give up now, you will be able to live. This is your only chance of survival.” The smile on Sixteenth Prince’s mouth turned more intense.
Qin Yun could tell that the prince was up to no good.
At the same moment Sixteenth Prince made the voice transmission, the group had entered. They passed through the Rosy Dawn Door.
Soon.
The Rosy Dawn Door’s array formation began activating as the spatial membrane appeared once again, isolating them from the external world. No one from the outside could enter again.