Above the stone gate are nine intersecting golden chains, with runes flowing across them, clearly the final layer of restriction and the key to the core of the cave.
At the edge of the bluestone platform, all sorts of cultivators had already gathered, mostly rogue cultivators and powerful figures from small forces who had followed earlier, as well as a few early-stage Sunie Realm cultivators who had slipped through the Cultivation Alliance's net.
The Cloud Immortal Couple and the Ancient Demon Bero also arrived here. Seeing that Luo Chuan was already there, they quickly walked over.
"Brother Luo, you've arrived." Wang Wei said with a solemn expression, "The previous checkpoints were just the simplest ones; the real trouble begins after we enter this area."
"Brother Wang, this should be the depths of the cave, right? I wonder if the things left behind by the Immortal Emperor Qinglin are here?"
Wang Wei and Hu Juan exchanged glances, shook their heads simultaneously, smiled bitterly, and replied, "Brother Luo, it's not that we don't want to tell you, but we don't know either. After all, after our master built the cave dwelling, no one knew what was inside except for himself."
As disciples, Wang Wei and Hu Juan were deeply favored by their master, but they knew nothing about the affairs of the cave. Even Immortal Emperor Qinglin's daughter, Immortal Monarch Qingshuang, was unaware of it, let alone the disciples themselves.
Just as everyone was discussing, a strange ripple suddenly appeared in the void on the other side of the bluestone platform, and three obscure and incomprehensible auras quietly descended, causing all the cultivators present to turn their heads.
Tian Yunzi slightly raised his eyes, which seemed to be able to see through the secrets of heaven, and lightly swept over Luo Chuan and Cloud Immortal Couple, his gaze lingering on Luo Chuan for a moment.
Now that the core of the cave is right before their eyes, whoever makes a rash move first will become the target of everyone's criticism. He naturally understands this simple truth.
Sword Venerable Marquis Lingtian and Tianmozi both had their eyes flashing as they stared intently at the central stone gate, their auras completely concealed, appearing ready to wait for the situation to unfold.
In an instant, the atmosphere on the bluestone platform became strange, with the various forces clearly divided, yet no one dared to be the first to touch the golden chains on the stone door, fearing that they would trigger a fatal restriction and end up dead.
Just then, the ancient stone gate standing in the center of the platform suddenly trembled slightly without warning.
Buzz...
A deep, Youyuan hum emanated from within the door, echoing throughout the entire bluestone platform, and the nine golden chains wrapped around the door suddenly shone with dazzling divine light.
The carved eyes on both sides suddenly opened, bursting forth with two golden rays that pierced the heavens and earth. The runes on the chains flowed rapidly as if they were alive, and then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, they slowly untied themselves from top to bottom!
Click...
The crisp sound of chains breaking echoed in their ears. In just a few breaths, all nine golden chains turned into specks of light and vanished into the void. The stone door, which had been tightly closed for countless years, finally opened slowly inwards under the expectant gazes of everyone.
In an instant, an ancient aura, imbued with the might of Immortal Emperor, surged forth from within the gate, sweeping across the entire platform!
"The door is open! It's the core of Immortal Emperor Qinglin's cave!"
"The treasure is inside, charge!"
After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in a frenzied roar.
Those rogue cultivators and cultivators from small factions, who could no longer suppress their greed, rushed towards the open stone door like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey, fearing that if they were a step too late, the opportunity would be snatched away by others.
After exchanging a glance, Tian Yunzi, Tianmozi, and Sword Venerable Marquis Lingtian no longer hesitated. With a flicker, they transformed into three streams of light and rushed into the stone gate.
The Cloud Immortal Couple and the Ancient Demon Bero's expressions tightened, and they immediately looked at Luo Chuan, saying, "Brother Luo, let's go in too."
Luo Chuan nodded slightly, his eyes grave, and said, "Be careful, the restrictions on this cave are strange, and it's definitely not as simple as it seems on the surface."
Before the words were finished, the four of them leaped up and stepped into the open stone gate.
However, as soon as their feet touched the ground, everyone discovered that the treasure hall and the place of inheritance they had expected had not appeared.
What came into view was an endless, incredibly dense primeval forest.
The giant tree reached for the sky, its trunk as thick as a thousand feet, its branches intertwined like a dome, completely blocking out the entire sky and preventing any sunlight from reaching it all year round.
A thick, gray mist, as thick as syrup, filled the forest, compressing visibility to within a few feet. Divine senses that probed into it were like a mud ox entering the sea, instantly swallowed up by the mist without a trace.
A faint, strange fragrance wafted in the air, making one feel disoriented. Underfoot was a thick layer of decaying leaves, soft and silent as one stepped on them. The surroundings were deathly still, without even the chirping of insects or birds, exuding an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.
"Oh no! It's a teleportation restriction!"
Wang Wei's expression changed drastically, and he cried out in alarm. But as soon as he finished speaking, the mist in the entire forest suddenly became violent, and countless dark spatial rifts quietly opened within the mist.
An irresistible teleportation force suddenly enveloped them, locking onto everyone present.
Luo Chuan felt the space around him violently distort, and a powerful force was pulling at his body, trying to forcibly move him away.
"Damn it, it's a teleportation array..."
Luo Chuan's fingers moved rapidly, trying to break free with his cultivation, but this teleportation power originated from the primordial restriction personally set up by Immortal Emperor Qinglin, and even with his current strength, he could hardly break free.
Hu Juan, standing beside him, gasped in surprise as her figure was instantly swallowed by the mist. Wang Wei tried to reach out to pull her back, but was also pulled away by a tremendous force and disappeared from Luo Chuan's sight in the blink of an eye.
The Ancient Demon Bero roared, its Ancient Demon aura soaring into the sky, but it still couldn't withstand the strange teleportation power. Its body gradually faded and eventually disappeared into the vast mist.
In the blink of an eye, the cultivators who were originally crowded together were completely scattered by this sudden forced teleportation.
Luo Chuan looked around. The forest, which had been bustling with activity just moments before, was now empty except for him. He stood alone in the thick gray mist.
Everyone was teleported to different areas of the forest, and they lost all contact with each other.
Amidst swirling mists and chilling winds, an unknown, malevolent aura slowly awakens deep within the forest, silently approaching Luo Chuan in the boundless silence.
Seeing the energy fluctuations before him, Luo Chuan subconsciously frowned, a barely perceptible chill flashing in his eyes. "It seems this place... is the real trouble."
Luo Chuan held the Jade Flute in his hand, put it to his lips and gently blew it. Immediately, the surrounding mist seemed to fear the energy of the Cinie Treasure magic weapon and all avoided it.
Luo Chuan did not lower his guard upon seeing this, after all, there were many restrictions within the Immortal Emperor Cave Abode, and a slight mistake could lead to his death.
In addition to the energy emanating from this place, Luo Chuan was absolutely certain that this place was similar to the Monster Forest, fraught with danger.