Discovery, the Devil Cultivators Arrive

A hint of surprise flashed in Huangfu Chenyin's eyes, then he nodded. "Then I'll trouble Sect Leader Li to lead the way."

Li Yunjing led the way, guiding the two through the dense forest and up a secluded mountain path.

Not long after, he returned to the Taiyi Immortal Sect.

However, compared to the prosperous scene seen during the Taiyi Immortal Ceremony, the Taiyi Immortal Sect was now deathly still.

Along the way, one can see broken walls and ruins everywhere, collapsed stone archways, broken stone steps, and flagpoles that have long been rusted, and one can vaguely see the magnificent outline of the mountain gate in its heyday.

On both sides of the stone steps, where the disciples' quarters should have been, towering ancient trees have now grown, their roots entwined around the broken blue bricks, and vines climbing all over the crumbling walls.

The wind blew through the woods, making a mournful sound, carrying a sense of desolation after the passing of prosperity.

"This was once the most prosperous immortal mountain in Flying Immortal Prefecture." Li Yunjing walked ahead, his voice calm. "It is said that at its peak, the mountain had 100,000 disciples, and the sound of sermons could be heard for miles around every day. Who could have imagined that it would become like this overnight?"

Huangfu Chenyin looked around, his expression grave. "It's no easy feat for such a large sect to be destroyed silently. Either it suffered a catastrophic disaster, or... there's something that the entire sect would risk their lives to protect."

Her words were loaded with meaning, clearly also relating it to the Origin Dao Physique.

Li Yunjing didn't respond, but he also became curious about this speculation.

The Taiyi Immortal Sect was destroyed exactly 80,000 years after the last appearance of the Primordial Dao Fruit.

If the Taiyi Immortal Sect was originally a sect dedicated to protecting the Origin Dao Physique, then the entire sect's sacrifice in order to protect the Dao body makes perfect sense.

Half an hour later, the three arrived at an abandoned plaza halfway up the mountain.

In the center of the square stands half of a huge stone tablet, the inscriptions of which are now blurred, with only the characters "Taiyi" faintly discernible.

"Let's rest here for a bit." Li Yunjing stopped. "Above that is the core area of the great formation, with even more restrictions. Let's discuss how to find it."

The three of them sat down beside the stone tablet.

Huangfu Chenyin took out a jade plate, examined it against the mountain's terrain, and said in a deep voice, "According to the calculations, the place with the strongest primordial energy should be near the belly of the main peak. However, our divine sense is suppressed, so we can't search inch by inch. We must find a way to pinpoint its exact location."

Tie Shan patted his chest. "I don't have any other skills, but I'm good at setting up formations. I can set up eighteen sensing formations on the mountain. As long as there is the aura of a living person or fluctuations in the source, the formations will immediately issue an alert."

Setting up the formation will take some time, at least two hours.

"Setting up the formation is too slow and makes too much noise," Huangfu Chenyin shook his head. "Besides, we don't have that much time."

She looked at Li Yunjing: "Sect Leader Li, you have the Taiyi inheritance. Could you try to find the Origin Dao Physique?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Li Yunjing nodded and took out the Origin Sensing Pearl given to him by the Third Elder from his Storage Bag.

The bead was pure white and warm to the touch. He held it in his palm and slowly circulated the Supreme Unity Pure Subtlety Scripture.

The pale blue Spiritual Qi flowed into the sensing bead from the palm of his hand.

The next second, the bead became slightly warm and emitted a faint white light.

The white light pointed towards the main peak, flickering and unstable.

"It is indeed deep within the main peak." Li Yunjing opened his eyes, "But there's something in the way, the sensation is very vague, as if it's blocked by a barrier. It should be the core restriction left behind by the Taiyi Immortal Sect back then."

"That makes things easier." Huangfu Chenyin made a decisive decision. "We'll split into three groups to search. Tie Shan, you go to the northern mountain pass and set up an early warning and defensive array to guard the rear. If there's any movement, immediately raise the alarm."

I went to the western valley and searched all the cave ruins to see if there were any traces of living people.

Sect Leader Li, go to the main peak and follow your senses to find the entrance to the core restriction.

You possess a lineage, making you the most likely candidate to find the entrance.

"Return here in three hours, regardless of the outcome. Remember, do not linger in battle; use the communication talisman for notification."

"Good."

"I understand."

The three had a clear division of labor and set off immediately.

Li Yunjing headed towards the main peak alone.

The higher you go, the more ruins and crumbling walls you see, and the more magnificent the palaces become.

After passing through a collapsed Alchemy Chamber and over the ruins of the martial arts arena, a steep cliff appeared ahead. The cliff face was covered with vines, and a waterfall cascaded down into a deep pool below.

This is it.

Li Yunjing swayed and landed by the pool.

The pool water was crystal clear, chillingly cold, and a thin mist of Spiritual Qi floated on its surface.

Without hesitation, he leaped into the pool and swam down more than ten feet with the current, finally finding a hidden stone door.

The stone gate is engraved with the cloud pattern emblem of the Taiyi Immortal Sect and is covered with moss.

Li Yunjing condensed a wisp of Spiritual Qi from the Supreme Unity Pure Subtlety Scripture at his fingertips and pressed it onto the emblem.

The stone gate trembled slightly, moss fell in rustling motions, and the emblem glowed with a pale blue light.

The heavy stone door slowly slid open to one side, revealing a passage leading to the heart of the mountain.

He slipped into the passage, and the stone door slowly closed behind him.

The stone hall behind the stone gate was not large. Scattered Jade Slip and broken magical Law Artifact were placed around it. On the central stone platform, the groove where the Cultivation Method Jade Slip slips used to be placed was now empty.

Li Yunjing did not linger and went straight to the deepest part of the stone hall.

There was a smooth stone wall here, and he took out the Origin Sensing Pearl again.

This time, the bead shone brilliantly, its white light dazzling and so hot it was almost impossible to hold.

The bead trembled violently, clinging tightly to the stone wall as if trying to drill into it.

Sure enough, it was inside.

Beyond the stone wall lies the core area, where the Origin Dao Physique resides deep within the mountain.

Li Yunjing put away the sensing bead and reached out to touch the stone wall.

A warm, smooth sensation came from my fingertips. The stone wall was covered with fine array patterns, which shared the same origin as the Supreme Unity Boundless Array.

He tried to infuse the array with the Spiritual Qi of the Supreme Unity Pure Subtlety Scripture, and the array patterns lit up briefly, but there was no sign of it activating.

Almost there.

Either their cultivation level is insufficient, or they lack the key to unlock it.

He was frowning in thought when he suddenly heard a soft buzzing sound.

It's a warning vibration from the communication talisman.

From the direction of Huangfu Chenyin, coming from the western valley.

Li Yunjing's expression changed.

Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and sped back the way he came.

His figure moved like lightning, bursting out of the pool and transforming into a streak of blue light, rushing towards the western valley.

The valley to the west was filled with a murderous aura.

When Li Yunjing arrived, he saw six black demonic lights hanging in mid-air, their demonic energy surging and casting shadows over the entire valley.

Without exception, all six auras were at the Dao Union Perfection.

The leader was a young man dressed in a black brocade robe, with an eerily handsome face and a cynical smirk on his lips. His demonic aura was the purest and most profound.

Behind him stood five demon generals clad in black armor, each exuding Sha Qi, their demonic weapons gleaming coldly.

In the center of the valley, Huangfu Chenyin held the Mystic Yin Law Enforcement Whip, his body protected by spiritual light. His face was pale, and his shoulder was stained with demonic energy, leaving a charred scar.

She had clearly already fought before and suffered a setback.

Tie Shan had just arrived, holding the Xuantie Shield in front of him, his array patterns glowing, and a thick, earthy-yellow Spiritual Qi protecting the two of them. However, facing six Devil Cultivator at the Dao Union Perfection, the protective shield seemed on the verge of collapse.

"Sect Leader Li!" Tie Shan roared when he saw Li Yunjing arrive, his voice filled with anxiety.