Heh heh... Chen Tong could only manage an awkward laugh. Then he coughed, recovered his serious expression, and turned to the muscular True Demon. "Um... I won't need you to lead the way after all. But... to be safe, I'll have to ask you all to stay somewhere else for a while." Chen Tong glanced at him and the little demons behind him.
The demons looked at one another in confusion! The muscular True Demon asked hesitantly, "Um... may I ask where you're taking us, brother?"
Chen Tong slowly raised his left hand, which was wreathed in a faint, eerie glow, and pointed it at him. Then he gave a strange smile. "A spatial rift." As soon as the words left his mouth, he closed his hand. Before the demons could react, they had vanished from sight.
"Hmph, enjoy the darkness of the void!" Chen Tong curled his lips into a smug smile and turned around, only to find Bing Lin staring straight at him with her frosty face.
"Where did you send them all?"
"Heh heh, to a place they'll never forget for the rest of their lives."
Bing Lin gave him an indifferent glance, then headed toward the back mountain on her own.
"Hey! Bing Lin, wait for me!" Chen Tong hurried after her.
Since they had both hidden themselves and sealed their auras, the journey was like strolling through their own backyard, admiring the flowers and scenery at their leisure.
"Do you think West Phoenix Mountain was where the phoenixes used to live?" Chen Tong asked.
"According to legend, a phoenix once descended here long ago. After bestowing its blessings upon the land, it flew west. To show their gratitude, later generations named this mountain West Phoenix Mountain."
"So it really is connected to a phoenix," Chen Tong muttered. He'd only been guessing, but he hadn't expected to be right.
Before long, the two of them reached the barrier entrance at the back mountain. Two stone pillars stood on either side of the entrance, emanating a faint, holy aura. Beyond them was only a vast expanse of white mist. That must have been the barrier.
"What should we do? Force our way in?" Bing Lin's aura turned cold, and at some point, Snow Ice Sword had appeared in her hand.
Chen Tong shook his head. "That Yellow Eyebrow Rat Wolf may be in seclusion, but forcing our way in would definitely alert them."
"Are you afraid?" Bing Lin studied the barrier and spoke softly.
"Afraid of him? Hmph!" Chen Tong looked disdainful, then glanced far to the west. What he feared was Tathagata. After all, this wasn't out at sea. And since more than one person was imprisoned here, rescuing them would be harder.
"Um..." Chen Tong thought for a moment, then asked, "If we break in directly, how long would it take you to find your sister?"
"One breath," Bing Lin replied without hesitation.
"Whoa—"
Even Chen Tong, a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, drew a sharp breath at her confidence. "You should think this through. The people in there..." As he spoke, something came to mind, and his face flushed hot. "Your sister isn't the only one in there."
"I know." Bing Lin was completely confident she would find her sister. Then she asked in an unfriendly tone, "Was my sister like that too?"
"Like what?" Chen Tong had no idea what she meant.
"Completely naked!"
"Uh... this...!" Remembering the scene that had left his blood boiling, Chen Tong immediately looked away and denied it. "Um, I don't know either."
Bing Lin gave him a cool glance but didn't press the matter. She raised Snow Ice Sword and pointed it at the barrier. "Should we break through by force?"
"Yeah. If you're sure you can find your sister, then it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Break it!"
Chen Tong had barely finished speaking when a streak of icy sword light shot from Snow Ice Sword and slammed into the barrier.
"Boom!!"
A wave of energy shook the entire back mountain, but after a few ripples appeared across the barrier, it became still again.
"Hm...?" Chen Tong was a little surprised by how sturdy the barrier was.
"Step aside. I'll do it," Chen Tong said, extending his left hand toward the entrance. A faint glow gathered in his palm. Suddenly, his divine sense stirred, and a beam of light blasted toward the barrier!
"Bang!!"
Another tremendous wave of energy shook the area, but only a few cracks appeared in the barrier. "There's something strange about this barrier."
"What should we do?" Bing Lin asked, her eyes also searching for a solution.
"Hmph! If once isn't enough, I'll just hit it a few more times." Chen Tong didn't believe it could be tougher than the barrier at the South Heavenly Gate.
"But if you do that, you'll draw the attention of the entire West Phoenix Mountain, and might even attract more terrifying opponents." Bing Lin glanced worriedly at Chen Tong, who had fallen silent. "How about trying those two stone pillars?"
Chen Tong turned his gaze toward them and studied them for a moment. Then he said thoughtfully, "You think there's something wrong with the pillars?"
"I don't know." Bing Lin shook her head. "I just think that in this expanse of white, those two pillars are an eyesore. They bother me."
Chen Tong: "??"
What kind of reasoning was that? Still, it was possible the pillars really were connected to the barrier.
"Let me borrow your sword for a moment."
"I never let anyone touch my sword. But you can be the exception." As she spoke, Bing Lin handed Snow Ice Sword directly to him.
Chen Tong was taken aback, but he still accepted the sword. The instant it touched his hand, a bone-piercing chill ran through him. If an ordinary person touched it, they'd probably turn into an ice statue on the spot.
"Nice sword," Chen Tong said appreciatively. Then he circulated his divine sense, pouring all the power of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal into Snow Ice Sword. Its original snowy radiance transformed into an explosive, eerie glow.
Chen Tong's gaze hardened. He gathered his strength and swung with all his might. A razor-sharp blade of sword energy slashed toward the two stone pillars!
"Rumble!!"
The two stone pillars toppled, and at that very moment, the barrier slowly vanished.
"This...?" Chen Tong was at a loss as he watched the pillars fall. He'd thought there was something special about them and that he'd need to strike them several times. He hadn't expected one blow to do the trick.
"So the barrier really was connected to those two pillars." Bing Lin murmured as she watched it disappear.
"Bing Lin, this is a nice sword. How about lending it to me for a few days?"
"If you like it, just keep it." Bing Lin left those words behind and hurried inside.
"Hm... she didn't even refuse." Chen Tong was a little surprised and quickly followed her.
After they left, strands of dark red light began to seep from the two broken pillars. Neither of them noticed.
Inside the back mountain, a gigantic stone cave stood a few dozen meters ahead of them. It looked like the entrance to hell, and Chen Tong's expression grew solemn.
"Wait!" Chen Tong stopped Bing Lin as she was about to approach.
"What's wrong?" Bing Lin looked at him in confusion.
"The yin energy here is too heavy. It's so dense that it can take physical form. If you go in recklessly, it could affect your cultivation in the future."
Bing Lin furrowed her brows in puzzlement. "Then what should we do?"
Chen Tong thought for a moment. With a movement of his divine sense, a small, deep-blue sphere enveloped in a dense aura appeared in his hand.
"This is my Grand Unity Divine Essence. Take it! The immense aura of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal can shield you from all yin energy."
Before you continue