Serpent Ancestor

Xu Hei had undoubtedly hit the jackpot this time.

His gains seemed to surpass those of the Yan Dao Sect.

The commotion on his side had drawn the attention of others, and soon two people approached: an elder in a blue robe carrying a sword and a middle-aged man in a yellow daoist robe, who were Li Changge and Huang Tiancheng, respectively.

However, Xu Hei had already stowed away the pills, giving them no chance to inspect.

”Fellow Daoist Xu seems to have made quite a haul?” Huang Tiancheng remarked with a hint of surprise, looking at Xu Hei.

”Just a little trick, nothing that would catch Fellow Daoist Huang’s discerning eye,” Xu Hei replied with a cupped fist and a smile. ”I merely snuck away a few bottles of pills, nothing compared to Fellow Daoist Huang’s full return.”

Xu Hei knew that the two had seen him put away the pills earlier, so he didn’t bother denying it.

”I’m not interested in what you obtained, Fellow Daoist, but I am very concerned about the methods you two used to break the restrictions. This concerns whether we can enter the inner hall and leave this place,” Huang Tiancheng said with a smile, his expression turning slightly serious.

”We’ve been studying for a year, and apart from breaking open a few stone chambers, the way to enter the inner hall remains a mystery. I noticed you two have a way to ignore restrictions and retrieve pills. If you could cooperate with Brother Huang and my disciple, who is skilled in spatial divine abilities, entering the inner hall might not be impossible,” Li Changge suggested.

Divine Transformation cultivators have long lifespans, and closing off in the Flying Spirit Garden for decades is no big deal, especially since the place is rich in spiritual qi, a rare blessing outside.But being stuck here forever is not an option; there will always be a day to leave.

Moreover, everyone was very concerned about the secrets within the inner hall. There must be a reason why five ascended cultivators went through so much trouble to break into this place.

”What do you think?” Xu Hei asked the Old Tree beside him.

He didn’t want to stay here forever either. If he were alone, it might be fine, but with so many outsiders around, he couldn’t cultivate in peace.

Breaking through to the mid-stage Divine Transformation only to be blocked at the door by a group of people was an experience Xu Hei didn’t want to repeat.

”I’ve studied this hall door, and there’s a slight chance of forcing it open, but the consumption of Void Stones is too great. I’m afraid you all can’t afford it,” the Old Tree said with a smile.

”Void Stones...”

Everyone exchanged glances and immediately took out a large number of Void Stones, piling them up on the ground like a millstone.

”Is this enough?” Li Changge asked.

”Just barely, it’s worth a try.”

The Old Tree grabbed all the Void Stones with its branches and then swayed towards the inner hall door.

All eyes were fixed on it.

The Blood Refining Sect and Ancient Tomb Sect quickly moved to the side of the inner hall, but kept a safe distance from Xu Hei.

Li Changge and the others tactfully positioned themselves in the middle to prevent any conflict between the two sides.

The Flame Demon Ancestor, unusually, did not take the lead. Usually, others avoided him, but now he stood at the back, his expression uncertain, lost in thought.

”Brother Flame Demon, you don’t look well. Did something happen?” Wei Wudao transmitted his voice.

At this moment, the Flame Demon Ancestor’s face indeed looked off, and even his aura was more chaotic than before.

As a late-stage Divine Transformation Ancestor who had cultivated for a thousand years, this was clearly abnormal. Either something went wrong with his cultivation, or something major happened, causing his mind to be unsettled.

”My Blood Refining Sect lost five Divine Transformation Ancestors, even the once-in-a-millennium Chosen, Xiong Yan, fell. How can I remain calm?” the Flame Demon Ancestor said coldly.

Wei Wudao frowned slightly, deep in thought.

Everyone dispersed, leaving only the Old Tree, Huang Tiancheng, and Ah Yin standing in front of the main door.

After a brief discussion, they began their preparations.

First, Huang Tiancheng spent three days constructing a formation framework. Then, the Old Tree used the Void Stones as raw material to refine the starting point of a spatial passage.

”The space here is exceptionally stable. That little one skilled in the Law of Space, it’s up to you now,” the Old Tree transmitted.

Ah Yin raised her hand, a twisted square ripple appearing on her forehead. Instantly, the stable space ahead became chaotic, like a calm ice surface starting to melt.

The Old Tree seized the opportunity to press the Void Stones down, and the spatial passage immediately delved inward, but it soon encountered another obstacle.

”Keep going, don’t stop!” the Old Tree transmitted.

Sweat appeared on Ah Yin’s forehead, her face turning pale, while Huang Tiancheng’s formation continued to maintain stability.

During this time, Huang Tiancheng proactively took out three pills to restore spiritual power and gave them to Ah Yin, while Xu Hei also offered a pill to heal the primordial spirit.

They busied themselves for about a week.

Finally, with a series of cracking sounds, the spatial tunnel ahead stabilized, leading straight inside.

”Phew!” Huang Tiancheng let out a sigh of relief.

Now, as long as they passed through this tunnel, they could directly reach the inner hall.

But just then.

The Old Tree’s expression changed, its roots shooting up as it retreated swiftly.

The two beside it also quickly retreated, fortunately having prepared for a quick retreat, their reactions swift.

”Buzz!!”

A dim, yellowish light shone from within the spatial passage, illuminating the ground ahead, and two of the Old Tree’s branches melted away instantly.

Huang Tiancheng’s protective golden light shattered in an instant, forcing him to burn his primordial spirit and activate ten life-saving talismans to teleport away.

Ah Yin was the luckiest, mastering the Law of Space, she was the first to teleport far away, avoiding the yellowish light.

Everyone’s expressions changed drastically, retreating quickly. A moment’s delay meant death if caught in the light!

”Whoosh!”

Xu Hei had just retreated when he noticed that the light, when it reached a hundred feet in front of him, seemed to be blocked by a layer of light shield, stopping it outside.

After a moment, everyone had retreated to a safe distance, and the yellowish light vanished.

”What was that?” Everyone was horrified.

Huang Tiancheng’s face was extremely grim.

”The Taiyin Divine Light, one of the great tribulations said to be encountered only by ascended cultivators during their ascension, actually appeared here,” the Flame Demon Ancestor said.

”No doubt! That was definitely the Taiyin Divine Light!” Li Changge confirmed emphatically.

The Old Tree also nodded in agreement.

Void Shattering Stage cultivators, during their ascension, encounter various unimaginable tribulations, one of which is this Taiyin Divine Light.

Even a Void Shattering cultivator could perish if careless, and for them, Divine Transformation cultivators, touching it meant instant death, with no room for resistance.

However, the Taiyin Divine Light only appeared for a moment and then disappeared, not lasting long.

Could it be that this is truly an ascension passage leading to the Spirit Realm?

”Xu Hei, it seems you have something on you that can block the Taiyin Divine Light?” Li Changge looked at Xu Hei.

Everyone else also turned their gaze towards him, their eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Just now, when the yellowish light shone a hundred feet away from Xu Hei, it was intercepted by a light shield, witnessed by all.