When Gu Sheng stabilized his body and looked around, he found that only Gu Yuanyuan was left holding his sleeve tightly!
Zhao Boyang, Jin'er, the burly man, and the tall and thin formation master all disappeared!
They were randomly teleported to different locations!
The environment in front of him was even more eerie and weird than before.
The sky is still dark red, but the pale "moon" seems to be larger. The black lines on the surface are like squirming blood vessels, exuding a heart-stopping aura of death.
The air was filled with a strong smell of decay and blood, and there was a sticky black mire underfoot. From time to time, turbid bubbles emerged and burst, emitting a pungent stench.
And not far in front of them, an unimaginably huge black palace stood quietly like an ancient beast crouching in the darkness!
The gate of the palace has long been broken, revealing a passage as deep as a huge mouth.
The walls of the palace were covered with dense, twisted and painful reliefs of human faces, as if countless innocent souls were imprisoned in them, wailing silently.
An indescribable aura of coldness, malice, and despair spread from the depths of the palace, making people's souls tremble!
"Master... this place... is so scary..."
Gu Yuanyuan's face was pale and his voice was trembling.
Even with Gu Sheng by her side, the aura emanating from the palace made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Gu Sheng's eyes were unusually calm. He stared at the black palace with understanding in his eyes.
"Hall of a Thousand Souls Hall..."
He whispered to himself, and then said to Gu Yuanyuan.
"Don't leave within three steps of me."
"Yes! Master!"
Gu Yuanyuan responded quickly, suppressing the fear in his heart and followed closely behind Gu Sheng.
The two of them walked towards the palace gate that looked like the mouth of a giant beast.
The closer they got, the stronger the cold and vicious aura became, as if there were countless pairs of malicious eyes watching them in the darkness.
Inside the palace gate, it was dark and bottomless, with only gusts of dark wind howling out, bringing with it a biting chill and a faint whimpering sound.
The moment they were about to step into the hall, a sudden change occurred!
Deep in the hall, the sticky black mire rolled violently!
A huge head made of countless bones and carrion slowly rose up!
On the head is a huge, bloodshot one eye!
The one-eyed one stared at Gu Sheng and Gu Yuanyuan who entered the hall. Deep in the pupils, there was endless resentment and greed!
A roar full of violence and destruction, like the death knell from Nine Nether Hell, exploded!
Along with the roar, a black sound wave visible to the naked eye, containing the impact of terrifying souls, swept towards the two of them!
Wherever it passes, the space is distorted and oscillated!
Gu Sheng and Gu Yuanyuan stood in front of the Hall of a Thousand Souls hall that looked like the mouth of an ancient beast.
The huge black stone door was tightly closed, covered with traces of erosion over time, as well as countless battle wounds of varying depths.
The most eye-catching thing is the irregular groove in the center of the stone door and the extremely complex and mysterious formations that spread around the groove.
These formation patterns are slightly flowing with light, exuding a powerful forbidden aura.
"Master, there is a restriction on this door. It seems that a specific token is required to open it."
Gu Yuanyuan carefully observed the grooves and patterns on the door and whispered.
Gu Sheng nodded slightly, and he also saw the clues.
This forbidden aura is ancient and powerful, and cannot be broken by brute force.
He glanced at the shape of the groove, thinking deeply in his mind.
At this moment, Gu Yuanyuan seemed to remember something and quickly took something out of his arms carefully.
It was an irregularly shaped metal fragment about the size of a palm.
The edges of the fragment were jagged, and the surface was covered with strange dark golden lines, exuding weak energy fluctuations that vaguely echoed the formation patterns on the door.
"Master, look at this!"
Gu Yuanyuan handed the fragment to Gu Sheng, with excitement and uncertainty in his eyes.
"When the disciple was accidentally sucked into the depths of this secret realm, was seriously injured, and his life was hanging by a thread, it was this fragment that saved the disciple! It... it seems to be related to this hall!
The disciple was in a daze at the time, feeling that it was the light emitted by this fragment that allowed the disciple to avoid the dangerous remnant souls nearby, and finally escaped. Moreover, the disciple remembers that the monster that saved me... seems to be quite concerned about this fragment. "
"Oh?"
Gu Sheng took the fragment and felt it was slightly heavy and cold to the touch.
He carefully sensed the lines and energy fluctuations on the fragments, and then compared them with the grooves and patterns on the stone door, with understanding in his eyes.
The shape of this fragment matches the groove exactly!
The patterns on it come from the same source as the forbidden pattern on the door!
"Do you know the origin of this fragment?"
Gu Sheng asked.
Gu Yuanyuan shook his head.
"Disciple doesn't know. I just remember that I was seriously injured and fell into a coma. When I woke up, this fragment was beside me. Later, when I struggled to survive in the secret realm, I relied on the weak aura emitted by this fragment to luckily avoid many powerful residual souls and restrictions."
As soon as she finished speaking, the mutation reappeared!
In the thick black mire in front of the main hall, a soft nine-colored glow suddenly appeared!
The light grew stronger and stronger, dispersing the surrounding haze and Death Qi. Immediately afterwards, a strange-looking monster slowly walked out of the glow.
It is shaped like a deer, with an elegant body, covered with pure and flawless white hair, exuding a holy halo.
On the top of the head is a crystal-clear horn, as if carved from crystal, with a colorful stream of light.
The most eye-catching thing is that on its back, there is a pair of light wings condensed from pure nine-color rays of light!
The wings of light flapped gently, scattering dots of starlight, which was so beautiful that it formed an extremely strong contrast with the gloomy and silent environment!
"That's it! That's it!"
Gu Yuanyuan shouted in surprise and pointed at the nine-color monster.
"Master! It was the one who saved the disciple back then! The disciple remembers its appearance!"
The nine-color monster walked through the mire, as if on flat ground, and walked straight to Gu Sheng.
Its eyes were staring at Gu Sheng quietly, and their eyes were full of indescribable complex emotions - awe, admiration, and even... and deep sadness.
In the surprised gaze of Gu Yuanyuan, this demonic beast with a holy aura and noble posture slowly lowered its head towards Gu Sheng, bent its front knees, and made a movement similar to that of a human kneeling down!
Gu Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
He tried to release a ray of gentle spiritual power, trying to communicate with this strange monster.
"You... know me?"
The mental power was like a stone sinking into the sea, and the monster showed no reaction, but still maintained its kneeling posture, with emotions surging in its eyes.
Gu Sheng stretched out his hand and tried to touch the monster's horn that exuded a soft halo. Something weird happened!
His fingers actually penetrated the monster's body without any hindrance! As if it was just an illusory projection!
"Master?"
Gu Yuanyuan also discovered anomalies.
Gu Sheng took back his hand and frowned slightly.
This monster... is not an entity? In other words, its form of existence is extremely special?
"Yuan Yuan, go and try."
Gu Sheng said.
Gu Yuanyuan stepped forward as instructed, carefully stretched out his hand, and gently touched the monster's forehead.
This time, there was no penetration!
Her fingers actually touched the smooth, moist, and strangely warm hair!
The nine-colored monster seemed to feel her touch, raised its head, gently rubbed her palm, and let out a low moan, full of intimacy.
Gu Yuanyuan A lot of surprises.
"Master! I can touch it!"
Gu Sheng has a deep light in his eyes.
This monster seems to only have a substantial reaction to Gu Yuanyuan? In other words, only Gu Yuanyuan who holds that fragment is recognized?
He stopped delving into it and made a quick decision.
"Use that fragment to open the door."
"Yes!"
Gu Yuanyuan responded quickly, took the metal fragment, walked to the huge stone door, and aimed at the irregular groove in the center.
The moment the fragment was put into the groove——
The entire Hall of a Thousand Souls hall shook violently!
Above the stone gate, those complicated formations that had been silent for countless years suddenly lit up!
Countless rays of blue light flowed and gathered rapidly along the veins of the array pattern!
The dark golden patterns on the fragments also erupted with dazzling light, blending perfectly with the pattern on the door!
Boom!
Along with the deafening roar, the huge stone door, which seemed to have never been opened in ancient times, slowly opened inward amid the dazzling blue-gold light!
The heavy friction sound was like the awakening of an ancient behemoth. An older, more vast atmosphere, mixed with endless vicissitudes and sadness, surged out from the door like a torrent that had been sealed for thousands of years!
At the moment when the door opened and the light was at its strongest, in the depths of Gu Sheng's sea of consciousness, next to the spiritual fetus sitting cross-legged and emitting chaotic light, an illusory figure slowly condensed and took shape.
The figure was an old man, with white beard and hair, a slender face, and deep eyes, carrying the wisdom of understanding all things and the lingering fatigue.
He was wearing a simple robe, with some strange gear and rune patterns vaguely visible on the sleeves.
"Hall of a Thousand Souls..."
The old man's shadow looked at the majestic door that was slowly opening outside the sea of knowledge, and let out a long sigh, which sounded directly in Gu Sheng's consciousness.
"I didn't expect that the last important weapon that I and Zhuo Jing refined for Boundless Sacred Land would end up like this..."
"Yue Shen Gong?"
Gu Sheng's heart moved and he immediately recognized the identity of this phantom.
It is the refiner of Nine Dragon Universe Cauldron, the ancient master of weapon refinement - Yue Shen Gong!
His remnant soul or will has been hidden in the cauldron, and now it is attracted by the breath of Hall of a Thousand Souls!
"It's me."
The shadow of Yue Shen Gong nodded slightly and looked at the open door with complex eyes.
"This hall, named 'Thousand Souls', is actually one of the core hubs of the 'Myriad Spirits Nexus' that my deceased wife and I devoted our efforts to build for Boundless Sacred Land! The gate of this hall is the pinnacle of the two of us' exhaustive efforts in mechanism techniques and formations!
The secret key to unlocking it was designed and forged by Zhuo Jing herself, incorporating her bloodline mark and the power of Space Law. It is unique! "
Gu Sheng was shocked in his heart! Myriad Spirits Nexus core hub? Yue Shen Gong couple's pinnacle work? No wonder it's so extraordinary!
He immediately seized the opportunity and asked in the sea of consciousness.
"Senior, this Hall of a Thousand Souls... no, this Myriad Spirits Nexus, where did it come from? What is its purpose? Why did Boundless Sacred Land suddenly collapse back then?"
The shadow of Yue Shen Gong swayed slightly in the sea of consciousness of Gu Sheng, like a candle in the wind, and its voice carried endless vicissitudes of life and sadness.
"Myriad Spirits Nexus... ah, what a Myriad Spirits Nexus! This is just the last move made by those old guys Boundless Sacred Land to survive!"
His illusory gaze seemed to penetrate the sea of consciousness and fall on the majestic but lifeless Hall of a Thousand Souls outside.
"Back then, the senior leaders of the Holy Land deduced from nowhere that a catastrophe that would sweep Eastern Wasteland and even the entire continent was imminent! In order to protect themselves and preserve the fire inheritance of the Holy Land, they secretly activated 'Phoenix Fire Plan'.
This 'Myriad Spirits Nexus' is one of the cores of the plan! And Hall of a Thousand Souls is the cardinal's most important node—the place of sacrifice! "
"Sacrifice?"
Gu Sheng felt a little scared.
"Not bad!"
Yue Shen Gong's voice was filled with uncontrollable anger and sadness.
"In Hall of a Thousand Souls, there is an ancient taboo formation hidden inside - Thousand Souls Sacrifice Array! Once this formation is activated, it can forcibly sacrifice thousands of warriors in the formation who are similar to the main formation!
His lifelong cultivation, energy, blood, and even the essence of his soul were forcibly stripped, smelted, and poured into the body of one person in the main formation! This creates a peerless power who can reach several levels beyond his own realm in a short period of time! "
He paused and his tone became heavier.
"But this formation goes against the will of heaven, and the price is heavy! Those who are sacrificed will be destroyed physically and mentally! And although those in the main formation can gain majestic power, their souls will also suffer a huge impact and can easily get lost!
More importantly, as the core of the formation eye, the main formation's body will become extremely powerful after being infused with such violent force, but it will also gradually lose its vitality and turn into Soulless Shell!
His life span will be burned at a rate of a hundred or a thousand times! This is a dead end for drinking poison to quench thirst and destroying one's own foundation! "
Gu Sheng's eyes flashed coldly!
Forcibly sacrifice a thousand warriors of the same level? Create a short-term invincible strong man? Transformed into Soulless Shell? Overdraft of longevity?
This information was quickly combined and deduced in his mind!
Think of what Zhao Boyang said about the Boundless Sect, think of the two geniuses who were born in the Boundless Sect in the Holy Academy True Disciple Ranking - Xiao Beixuan and Xia Furong!
Then think of the remnant soul of Nether River Venerable hidden in the Boundless Sect with evil intentions!
A clear outline of the conspiracy gradually emerged!
"Nether River Venerable..."
Gu Sheng sneered in his heart.
"What a big deal! He wants to borrow the hand of the Boundless Sect to activate this Thousand Souls Sacrifice Array! At the cost of sacrificing a thousand genius warriors, a Soulless Shell with terrifying power, but a short lifespan, and may even be secretly controlled by it was forcibly created!
Use the power of this body to impact and destroy the ancient restrictions that seal his body! "
"Xiao Beixuan...Xia Furong..."
Gu Sheng's eyes are as sharp as a knife.
"One of these two people must be chosen by Nether River Venerable as the 'main formation leader' of this Sacrifice Array! In other words, it is the 'Soulless Shell' that is about to be sacrificed!"