Origin Tracing opens the Immortal Ruins; Five-Phase Immortal Gold forges a life-bound treasure

In the deepest reaches of the Ten-Thousand-Demon Marsh lay thirty thousand li of barren land.

A million soldiers of the Qingzhou Suppression Army stood in silent formation like a black forest of steel before the enormous transparent barrier spanning heaven and earth.

Though the army maintained a solemn bearing, many generals and accompanying Formation Masters could not conceal the shock and despair in their eyes as they gazed at the impassable chasm before them.

"Your Highness, this ancient barrier is far too strange."

A Deputy General from the Grand Commander's Office and several white-haired formation grandmasters hurried before the floating throne and dropped to one knee in shame. "We have failed you. This formation is seamless, without a single weakness.

"To break it by force, we would have to muster the formation power of all one million soldiers, together with three thousand Psionic Heavy Cannons, and bombard the same point with uninterrupted blood sacrifices for twenty hours. Even then, we might only tear open a gap..."

"No."

A pair of slender, fair-skinned hands gently parted the floating throne's beaded curtain.

Clad in his Violet-Gold Royal Robe, Chu Bai stepped slowly out. His gaze passed over the million-strong army and rested quietly on the screen of light shimmering with an ancient radiance. His voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority:

"The underlying workings of a Sect-Protecting Grand Formation belonging to an ancient great sect must be linked to the earth veins' self-destruct mechanism throughout its grotto-heaven Immortal Ruins.

"If we attack with brute force and trigger the formation's ultimate backlash, the explosion will instantly wipe out the million soldiers within a thousand li. Every ancient treasure inside will also sink into the turbulent void. Jade and stone alike will burn."

"Then... what should we do, Your Highness? Must we stand before