Yan Chihuo's inspection revealed traces of earth-attribute magical power having been used to form this cave abode. He thought to himself, Could this originally have been a cave on the verge of collapse, which that Zhang Wuhen stabilized with earth-attribute magical power? He found the place increasingly bizarre and became even more vigilant.
Ying Pangui said, "There's a magical Restriction on this golden stone door. I can't break it."
Yan Chihuo said, "Step back."
He recognized the Restriction on the stone door. It could not be undone without cultivation at the Dao Integration Stage or above. He stepped forward and formed a hand seal. After the golden light flickered several times, the stone door slowly opened. At the instant the golden light vanished, an exceedingly fine thread of golden light passed through Yan Chihuo's palm and entered his body.
Yan Chihuo smiled faintly and activated the Innate Seventy-Two Transformations, trapping that golden light within his sea of consciousness. Had Yan Chihuo not possessed a Spiritual Eye and remained on constant guard, he truly would not have detected it. Once he realized that the golden light was formed from soul power, he was reassured.
With the Innate Seventy-Two Transformations protecting his body, what use could this sort of covert attack by soul power possibly have? If he had not feared that devouring it would arouse the other party's suspicion, he would already have swallowed that soul power whole.
Beyond the stone door lay a long passageway. Yan Chihuo and Ying Pangui proceeded down it, only to find another golden stone door at its end. It too bore the emblem of the Sea Heaven Sect, along with a Restriction.
This Restriction differed from ordinary Restrictions. Such Restrictions were known as Soul Restrictions; as the name implied, they contained soul power, and breaking