While Chen Yu cultivated in seclusion.
Little Bamboo Peak, behind the mountain.
The five elders of the Dao Sect's Outer Sect gathered there, along with Elder Wu of the Inner Sect, who had presided over the entrance assessment.
Once the sun had set and night had fallen.
"The Yin Qi is growing denser."
Elder Wu watched the white mist gradually rising over the Mass Burial Grounds, brows slowly knitting.
At that moment, Elder Sun of Emerald Cloud Peak turned toward Elder Song of Purple Bamboo Peak on the other side and asked, "Elder Song, are you certain there are Immortal Ruins in these Mass Burial Grounds?"
"Yes." After a day of recuperation, Elder Song's injuries had mostly healed. "Last night, I did indeed see an enormous structure in this white mist. At first, it was only a phantom image, but it gradually became solid. Since I was injured, I chose not to investigate last night."
"An enormous structure..."
Elder Sun looked at the Mass Burial Grounds ahead.
A sudden irritation stirred within him.
Over thirty disciples had died in the Mass Burial Grounds last night. Twenty-seven of them had belonged to Emerald Cloud Peak, and every one of them had outstanding loans. Liu He in particular had owed him a full twenty-four pieces of spirit essence!
He had intended to wait until Liu He's final repayment deadline arrived, then refine him into supreme-grade spirit essence together with Elder Zheng.
Instead, the man had died here.
Death wiped the debt clean. He could only swallow the loss himself.
As Elder Sun pondered this, Elder Hao of Heavenly Flame Peak suddenly stared blankly ahead. "Immortal Ruins..."
Elder Sun froze at the sight.
He turned toward the white mist.
In an instant,
His pupils contracted sharply!
An enormous phantom image of a structure had appeared at some unknown point within the vast white mist ahead, covering the entirety of Little Bamboo Peak. Its outer walls were pitch-black and glittered with starlight. Countless thick chains coiled around the structure, as though imprisoning something...
Even Elder Wu of the Inner Sect gazed at it in shock.
As the structure gradually changed from a phantom image into something solid, the six elders felt as insignificant as ants before it.
"Hiss-"
One of the elders drew in a sharp breath.
Finally, Elder Wu recovered first and told the others, "Go. Bring the ten Outer Sect disciples who accepted the mission."
"Yes!"
Elder Sun nodded.
He turned and left, returning shortly afterward with ten Outer Sect disciples.
When the ten Outer Sect disciples approached and saw the enormous structure within the white mist over the Mass Burial Grounds, its terrifying pressure made two of them go weak in the knees. They nearly collapsed.
Elder Sun formed a hand seal with his right hand and steadied the two.
Elder Wu's attention remained fixed on the Immortal Ruins. He did not look at the ten Outer Sect disciples.
"Go."
Although they had steeled themselves when accepting the mission, now that they stood before it, all ten trembled. Not one dared take the first step.
Elder Sun simply gave them a shove with his spiritual power.
With the ten disciples leading and the six Dao Sect elders following behind, they arrived before the Immortal Ruins and saw an enormous open gate.
"Go inside."
Elder Sun addressed the ten Outer Sect disciples.
The ten exchanged glances,
Swallowed,
And finally walked inside...
A quarter of an hour.
Half an hour.
Soon, a full hour had passed.
Outside the Immortal Ruins.
The six Dao Sect elders waited quietly.
Suddenly, someone ran out carrying a booklet.
"He's out!"
The five Outer Sect elders immediately crowded around him.
Elder Wu remained where he stood and formed a hand seal. The booklet flew from the disciple's hand into his own. He lowered his gaze. "Azure Sea Art."
It was a cultivation method.
Then another disciple ran out.
He was carrying a box.
Elder Wu formed another hand seal and opened the box: three high-grade Qi Refining Pills.
Then another emerged.
This time, it was a mid-grade Spell Sword.
After that, they received, in succession, two high-grade Marrow-Cleansing Pills, two high-grade Spirit-Concentrating Pills, one copy of Green Vine Art, one copy of Swordsmanship Essentials, three high-grade Qi Refining Pills, two high-grade Fire-Gathering Pills, and one high-grade Origin-Nourishing Pill.
All ten Outer Sect disciples returned.
Elder Wu asked, "What did you encounter? Answer one at a time."
One of them said, "An enormous palace. There were skeletons inside, but they weren't very strong. After killing them, I searched everywhere. Apart from some rooms I couldn't enter, all I found was this Azure Sea Art."
Once he finished, the disciple beside him answered, followed by the next...
Except for finding different things,
Their experiences had been exactly the same.
After hearing them out,
Elder Wu noticed the crucial point.
"After entering, none of you saw one another?"
"That's right."
At their answer, Elder Wu looked thoughtful.
All ten Outer Sect disciples had returned alive. Could the Immortal Ruins be free of danger? But then why had those Outer Sect disciples died last night?
He turned toward the ten disciples and said,
"Go in again."
"Huh?"
The ten Outer Sect disciples froze at first.
But on second thought, there had been no danger inside the Immortal Ruins, so they agreed.
Another hour passed.
All ten Outer Sect disciples returned.
They brought back different items.
However, these were still relatively basic pills or cultivation methods.
After they emerged, Elder Wu took all the treasures they had found and sent the ten inside once more.
They waited half an hour.
Suddenly!
One disciple came running out in a panic, empty-handed, his robes bearing signs of a fight.
"The skeletons inside have gotten stronger!"
This time, only seven of the ten returned.
Looking thoughtful, Elder Wu sent the remaining seven into the Immortal Ruins again.
A quarter of an hour later.
Several disciples fled outside with injuries.
After this round, only three of the remaining seven were left.
"Go in again!"
Elder Wu ordered.
At his words, despair filled the three disciples' eyes. But facing six Dao Sect elders, they could only steel themselves and go back inside.
Less than a quarter of an hour passed.
Only a few minutes
Had elapsed.
One disciple staggered out empty-handed, his entire body drenched in blood.
The moment he emerged,
He saw Elder Sun blocking his path.
"Elder..." Despair reached its peak in the Outer Sect disciple's eyes as he pleaded, "No."
Elder Sun ignored him. "Go inside!"
He reached out to push the Outer Sect disciple back in.
The blood-drenched Outer Sect disciple looked at the six elders' expressionless, indifferent faces, and despair swallowed him whole. Just as he was about to step inside again, a barrier suddenly appeared before the gate and blocked him.
"Could each person be allowed to enter only five times at most?"
Elder Wu reasoned.
At those words, the Outer Sect disciple wept with joy, tears instantly streaming down his face.
Elder Wu already had a guess in mind. He walked toward the interior of the Immortal Ruins, only to find himself stopped by an invisible barrier.
"Those above Foundation Establishment cannot enter."
Elder Wu pondered for a moment.
Then he turned,
And addressed the six Outer Sect elders:
"Starting tomorrow, all other Outer Sect disciples, except those from Purple Bamboo Peak, will enter the Immortal Ruins in turn to seek treasures. Each must enter at least three times. Begin with Heavenly Flame Peak." After speaking, Elder Wu glanced at the sole remaining Outer Sect disciple and shook his head. "With injuries like those, he probably won't live much longer."
At those words, Elder Sun's eyes lit up!
He had understood the hidden message.
"No..."
When the Outer Sect disciple saw Elder Sun watching him like a tiger eyeing its prey, the relief of surviving disaster vanished instantly from his eyes. Fear and despair enveloped him once more. He turned, trying to run, but in the next second, a sweet scent drifted into his nostrils...