Back Door!

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, trust you have been well."

Beneath her black veil, the eyes of Leng Weiyue held a hint of a smile, as if she had long anticipated his arrival. "It seems that, in the end, you could not resist the temptation of the Mysterious Sky Palace."

Li Qingshan remained vigilant, though his expression stayed indifferent. "Such a grand event; I merely came to witness it. If Fellow Daoist Leng is seeking me out, is there another collaboration in mind?"

"Speaking with a clever person like Fellow Daoist Zhou is always efficient."

Leng Weiyue let out a soft laugh and lowered her voice. "A frontal assault on this Seven-Colored Glazed Barrier is a poor strategy. Even if we could break it, it would take days, and we would exhaust everyone's magic power—the gains would not justify the losses. I happen to have discovered a formation node; we might be able to bypass the front and enter through a side gate."

Her gaze swept over several cultivators nearby who were also watching coldly, not exerting their full strength. "I am not the only one who has made this discovery. Yin Kui of the Yin Luo Sect, Liu Wenyan of the Beast Taming Sect, and that pair of rogue cultivators, Chen Gang and Zheng Wenxiu, have all seen through some of the mechanics."

"How about it? Are you willing to collaborate once more? Entering through a side gate may not lead directly to the main hall, but it will put us a step ahead and allow us to avoid this pointless expenditure of energy."

Li Qingshan followed her gaze.

Yin Kui of the Yin Luo Sect was a pale-faced youth with a sinister look in his eyes; when he looked toward Li Qingshan, there seemed to be a trace of imperceptible coldness.

Liu Wenyan of the Beast Taming Sect appeared to be a gentle and refined youth, with a snow-white exotic beast lying prone beside him.

The rogue cultivator couple appeared to be in their thirties; the man looked honest and simple, while the woman appeared shrewd. They were whispering to each other.

Every one of these people possessed an extraordinary aura; they were clearly not to be trifled with.

Most importantly, their cultivation levels were all at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

Only he remained at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

Li Qingshan pondered for a moment.

Collaborating with these people was no different than asking a tiger for its hide.

However, Leng Weiyue's words were not false; entering through a side gate was indeed the best choice at the moment.

More importantly, Li Qingshan felt confident that even when facing so many Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivators, he possessed the strength to protect himself.

"Very well."

He nodded. "This Humble One is willing to collaborate with you again."

Leng Weiyue smiled with satisfaction and immediately sent a voice transmission to the others.

A moment later, the group seemed to reach an agreement. They quietly retreated, detached themselves from the main force, and darted toward a secluded cliff at the side and rear of the main hall.

Upon reaching the base of the cliff, hidden by vines, there was indeed an inconspicuous stone wall. The formation patterns upon it were significantly dimmer and sparser than the barrier at the main entrance, yet they remained complex.

"This is the place."

Leng Weiyue pointed to a dozen faint, flickering light spots on the stone wall. "The seven of us must exert force simultaneously and strike these nodes with precision. Our strength and timing must be flawless to briefly open a gap. Everyone, please prepare yourselves."

The group nodded one after another, each condensing their magic power.

Li Qingshan understood clearly that this was not just a collaboration, but also a mutual probing and a display of strength.

He quietly circulated his Longevity True Essence, controlling it to the level of the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage—neither overly prominent nor appearing too weak.

"Strike!"

Following Leng Weiyue's low shout, seven beams of light, each a different color but all incredibly condensed, shot out simultaneously and struck the nodes with precision!

The formation patterns on the stone wall flickered violently, emitting a groan of unbearable strain before finally splitting open to reveal a blurry light gate just wide enough for one person to pass through.

"Enter!"

Leng Weiyue went in first, and the others followed in quick succession.

Li Qingshan was the last to enter. The moment he stepped through the light gate, he felt that Yin Kui of the Yin Luo Sect had cast a glance at him, his gaze icy and filled with intent.

Passing through a short, dim passage, the view before them suddenly opened up; they were already inside the Mysterious Sky Palace!

The space within the hall was vast, filled with carved beams and painted pillars that seemed to prop up the sky. Although it was also covered in the marks of time, it was far more complete and magnificent than the ancient inheritance halls outside. The dense spiritual energy of heaven and earth was almost impossible to disperse, and it was laced with various medicinal scents and the resonance of artifacts, refreshing the spirit.

However, almost the instant they entered, the loose, temporary alliance dissolved.

"Fellow Daoists, since we have entered, let us rely on our own luck and fortune! Farewell!" Leng Weiyue laughed softly and was the first to transform into a shadow, speeding off toward a certain direction in the depths, as if she had a target in mind all along.

"Hmph!" Yin Kui of the Yin Luo Sect sneered, chose a direction, and left quickly.

Liu Wenyan of the Beast Taming Sect cupped his hands toward the group and headed down another corridor with his spirit beast.

The rogue couple, Chen Gang and Zheng Wenxiu, walked up to Li Qingshan. The honest-looking Chen Gang spoke, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, the palace is filled with hidden dangers. Why don't the three of us travel together? We can look out for one another."

Li Qingshan could clearly feel the shrewd gaze of the woman, Zheng Wenxiu, as she scrutinized him, her eyes filled with calculation.

He smiled slightly and declined with a bow. "I thank you both for your kind intentions, but this Humble One is accustomed to traveling alone. I shall not burden the two of you."

The couple exchanged a look, appearing somewhat regretful, but they did not press the matter and turned to leave quickly.

After everyone had departed, Li Qingshan stood where he was, not rushing to act.

He sensed his surroundings carefully once more.

Within his dantian, the trembling of the Wish-Fulfilling Gourd became clearer. That faint sense of summoning was guiding him toward the depths of a secluded corridor on the right side of the main hall.

At the same time, his keen divine sense captured that Yin Kui of the Yin Luo Sect, who had just left, had not traveled far. Instead, he seemed to be lingering and hiding nearby, a trace of extremely subtle killing intent locked onto him.

So, you couldn't help yourself after all?

A flash of cold light flickered in Li Qingshan's eyes and vanished.

He feigned ignorance, following the pull of the Wish-Fulfilling Gourd as he strolled unhurriedly toward the corridor on the right.

That path led directly to the side hall area of the Mysterious Sky Palace.

Compared to the main hall, the side halls were deeper and more secluded, with winding corridors and dim lighting. Following the increasingly clear guidance of the Wish-Fulfilling Gourd, Li Qingshan cautiously made his way into the depths.

As he ventured further in, a strange medicinal fragrance gradually permeated the air. This scent was not singular; it was a mellow, concentrated essence formed from the fusion and settling of countless spiritual herb extracts. Smelling it invigorated the spirit, and even the Longevity True Essence within his body seemed to grow more active.

Finally, he arrived before a stone door left slightly ajar.

The medicinal fragrance was spilling out from within. He vigilantly probed with his divine sense, and after confirming there were no obvious restrictions or signs of living beings, he slowly pushed the door open.

Inside was a fairly spacious pill chamber.

In the center of the room stood a three-legged alchemy furnace, half a person's height.

The furnace had an archaic design and was dark gold in color. Its body was carved with soaring dragons, dancing phoenixes, and patterns of the sun, moon, and stars. Though its surface was covered in dust, it could not hide its extraordinary aura; it possessed an inner spiritual glow and a natural resonance of the Dao—it was unmistakably a top-tier alchemy furnace!

"Not a second-tier spiritual tool, but... a third-tier magical treasure?! And a top-tier third-tier magical treasure at that?!"

Li Qingshan's entire body trembled, his eyes burning with an incredibly intense light.

What moved Li Qingshan even more was that the alluring medicinal fragrance was wafting out in thin wisps from the furnace's vents. Clearly, a pill was gestating inside, and it had been nurtured for who knew how many years!

"A top-tier furnace! Containing a spiritual pill! This adventure was worth it!"

A light of joyous surprise erupted in Li Qingshan's eyes. For any cultivator, such a treasure was an opportunity that could be sought but never found!

Especially that nurtured spiritual pill; it had likely been there for thousands or even tens of thousands of years. Even if it had started as a third-tier pill, it had probably evolved into a fourth-tier one by now.

A fourth-tier spiritual pill—that was a treasure only Nascent Soul old monsters were qualified to consume.

What kind of pill could possibly be nurtured for so long?

He suppressed his excitement and stepped forward, preparing to carefully study how to collect this furnace.

The very moment his focus was slightly drawn toward the furnace—

A sudden change occurred!

A streak of extremely sinister, lightning-fast black light shot out without warning from the shadow of a massive stone pillar behind him, aiming straight for his temple!

The timing of the ambush was calculated to perfection, striking exactly when his guard was at its lowest!

At the same time, a powerful binding force descended instantly, attempting to lock down the space around him!