Rumble—
Under the command of the various Saint Lords, the cultivator army formed by the major powers charged into the Purple Mansion Sacred Land. The army rumbled forward, with several overlords remaining behind to maintain the stability of the Heaven and Earth Gate.
Entering the Purple Mansion Sacred Land was akin to stepping into another vast and magnificent world—a secret realm personally opened by the ancient Great Power ancestor of the Purple Mansion Sacred Land. It was immense and magnificent, forming a world of its own.
In the distance, one could see numerous divine islands floating in the deepest part of the Sacred Land, with silver waterfalls cascading down. Even more faintly visible was a magnificent divine city in the sky, with grand and continuous celestial palaces standing tall, appearing and disappearing.
All of this was breathtaking. This was the grandeur of a Sacred Land—divine islands suspended in the air, a divine city standing in the heavens, celestial palaces standing in rows, immortal mountains stretching in clusters, and blessed lands of caves and heavens too numerous to count. Everything displayed the terrifying heritage of a supreme Sacred Land.
However, while it was awe-inspiring, it was also heart-palpitating. The vast and magnificent Purple Mansion Sacred Land appeared normal on the surface, yet it was utterly silent. Not even the roar or cry of a single bird or beast could be heard. Everything was eerily quiet, enough to make one's heart tremble.
It was practically a ghost realm.
What kind of earth-shattering mutation had occurred in the Purple Mansion Sacred Land back then, causing it to vanish without a trace overnight? Now that it had reappeared, everything within the Sacred Land seemed unchanged, just as it was over a hundred thousand years ago, except all the living beings of the Sacred Land had disappeared without a trace.
In this peaceful world, there was always a sense of a sinister, bone-chilling evil emerging, making one's heart race with fear.
"Let's go!"
The various Saint Lords, each highly skilled and bold, traversed the sky, their might suppressing the heavens and earth as they actively entered the deepest regions.
They were the most powerful and needed to personally investigate the dangers in the deepest parts. The other experts from the major powers, such as elders and renowned figures, followed their respective Saint Lords forward, entering the deepest regions while also eliminating various dangers along the way.
As for the many treasures they might encounter along the path, they paid them no mind. For the major powers, the numerous secret treasures within the deepest parts of the Purple Mansion Sacred Land were the greatest divine treasure. The other treasures along the way were left for the three thousand young geniuses who set out last, serving as an opportunity for them to train and seek treasures.
The three thousand young prodigies remained in place. The young powerhouses stood side by side, with many quickly rushing toward the innermost areas, aiming to seize the many treasures along the path at the first opportunity.
The Saints and Saintesses from various immortal forces such as the Daoyan Sacred Land, Wan Chu Sacred Land, Cang Clan, and Northern Netherworld Family successively set off, taking the lead among the prodigies.
Ye Chen felt a cold gaze fall upon him. It was from Zhao Wudao and the Canglan Saint. The two False King powerhouses had actively joined forces and were followed by numerous young powerhouses, keeping pace with them.
"Kid, remember to be careful. Don't lose your life inside," they threw out a sentence before also entering the deepest regions.
Ye Chen merely glanced at them indifferently, never once considering them a threat from beginning to end.
If it weren't for the fact that they were near the Heaven and Earth Gate, with several overlords watching, he would have long since taken action to suppress and kill these two.
"Let's go too!"
Ye Chen and Zhao Tianyi set off.
The Purple Mansion Sacred Land had been hidden in the void for over a hundred thousand years. Although a terrifying mutation had occurred within the Sacred Land, it had remained hidden from the world. It possessed ancient spiritual energy unmatched by the outside world, even purer, giving birth to numerous heaven and earth spiritual essences that were abundant among the clusters of immortal mountains. Many were over a thousand years old in medicinal age.
Occasionally, one could even see some Ten-Thousand-Year Medicine Treasures that had withered and turned to dust after exceeding ten thousand years, making one sigh with regret.
Each heaven and earth spiritual essence was a truly precious wonder medicine, of high value. Numerous young prodigies rushed over like lightning, plundering one spiritual essence after another. Regardless of medicinal age, they seized them first and thought later.
Ye Chen and Zhao Tianyi also set off, but they were far from as anxious as those young prodigies, moving neither fast nor slow, which somewhat surprised Zhao Tianyi.
While others were scrambling to be first, he was moving so leisurely, causing astonishment.
"Be careful. This is, after all, the Purple Mansion Sacred Land. Even though there's no one here, there might still be some array formations and restrictions. Don't be careless," Ye Chen warned.
He was an expert in the path of formations, highly sensitive to arrays, capable of surveying the heavens and earth. He could discern some of the ancient formations existing within the Purple Mansion Sacred Land, hidden within this vast expanse of mountain forests.
Sure enough, not long after, not far ahead, screams began to ring out. Many young prodigies had their bodies shattered into bloody mist, continuously wailing in agony.
Within the mountain forests, terrifying beams of slaughtering light suddenly appeared, killing many young prodigies who couldn't dodge in time, making one's heart tremble with fear.
Among them were even disciples from immortal forces whose bodies were directly sliced into bloody mist, a mournful and vivid bloody aura drifting about.
"Be careful! There are ancient Sacred Land array formations here, including slaughtering formations."
Some Saints and Saintesses spoke up to remind the other young powerhouses from their respective forces to avoid falling into the formations, or the consequences would be unimaginable. Even they wore grave expressions at this moment.
How could the array formations set up by a supreme Sacred Land be ordinary? Once trapped within, even figures like them would suffer misfortune.
Fortunately, the formations here weren't excessively powerful. Otherwise, forget about them—if a true killing formation appeared, even Saint Lord-level existences would be ground to death upon arrival.
And it wasn't just the remnant formations within the Sacred Land; human hearts were the same.
During the struggle for heaven and earth spiritual essences, many people acted impulsively, directly escalating into battles between both sides, even fierce conflicts and mutual strife.
Here, all the rules of the outside world were lost. The law of the jungle prevailed, survival of the fittest. Even killing was considered natural.
Greed, jealousy, and ferocious primal instincts were displayed without reservation. Because there were too many spiritual essences here, every cultivator wanted to monopolize them. No one was willing to let go.
Many lost their rationality, engaging in wanton slaughter. At least over a hundred people killed each other, creating a scene of bloody carnage.
"Kill!"
Suddenly, Zhao Tianyi beside him leaped up, his eyes blood-red, wielding a three-foot azure sword that shot forth like green lightning, stabbing toward Ye Chen's brow.
Clang!
Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged as he lightly flicked a finger. The three-foot azure sword was forcibly halted, its terrifying force sending Zhao Tianyi, along with the sword, flying backward.
But Zhao Tianyi didn't stop. The next moment, he charged forward again, unleashing divine abilities and slashing out swathes of sword beams that shot skyward, shattering the mountain forests and crushing down.
Ye Chen frowned because he saw Zhao Tianyi's eyes had instantly turned completely blood-red, as if stimulated by something, controlled against his will. Immediately, he let out a light shout. A Daoist cry rang out, and intangible soundwave force spread out, sending him flying. The blood-red in his eyes rapidly faded.
"This is..."
Soon, Zhao Tianyi came to his senses, remembering everything that had just happened. He felt both disbelief and regret, hurriedly saying, "Brother Ye, I'm sorry. I actually attacked you."
Ye Chen shook his head at him, his expression slightly grave. "No need to blame yourself. This has nothing to do with you. It's because there is a fearsome sinister evil within the Purple Mansion Sacred Land that can affect people's minds. That's why you were influenced."
Not only Ye Chen sensed it, but even Old Yan felt it. Although the Purple Mansion Sacred Land appeared relatively peaceful, even filled with immortal mist and swirling clouds, ethereal like a paradise.
Yet, there was always an intangible and sinister aura permeating between heaven and earth, capable of imperceptibly influencing people's minds, causing them to lose rationality and turn into desire-driven, slaughtering demons.
And it wasn't just Zhao Tianyi; others were the same. One by one, their eyes turned blood-red, losing their proper senses of mind, continuously attacking and killing those around them.
The Purple Mansion Sacred Land was exceedingly sinister.
The reason Ye Chen remained unaffected was because his Primordial Spirit and will were sufficiently strong, thus impervious to the influence.
Other King-level figures were the same, but each wore grave expressions, sensing something amiss.
Ye Chen let out a light shout. A layer of divine halo appeared, flowing with hazy radiant light, enveloping his own body, blocking the sinister aura and even repelling it. He was sacred and inviolable.
Even Zhao Tianyi beside him received protection.
From then on, the two proceeded with much greater caution.
And much slaughter appeared. Blood was visible everywhere in the mountain forests, stains everywhere, drawn by the sinister aura.
Boom—
Suddenly, a massive golden Buddha statue appeared between heaven and earth, towering in the world, reciting Buddhist scriptures. Boundless Buddha light surged forth, illuminating the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, rippling through the outer regions of the Purple Mansion Sacred Land.
"It's a divine monk from the Western Buddhist Sect taking action. He detected the sinister evil and is lending a hand."
A Saint murmured softly.
One could see in the sky a gaunt figure clad in kasaya, hairless with a shaven head that gleamed, imprinted with incense scars. This was precisely the divine monk from the mysterious Great Thunderclap Temple.
He sat cross-legged in the sky, continuously reciting Buddhist scriptures. Immeasurable Buddha light shone universally, rippling through the outer heavens and earth. All sinister auras were dispersed, expelled, purifying the world.
This was Buddha power, a mysterious force only cultivators of the Buddhist Sect could master. It could purify all sinister evils, sharing similar wonders with the Angel Race's Holy Light Art.
Under the Buddha light, those young powerhouses whose eyes had been blood-red saw the redness dissipate, regaining clarity. Remembering all their actions while out of their minds, they felt lingering fear and great panic.
They never expected this world to be so sinister, harboring a terrifying evil that could control their minds, making them do things they never intended.
Soon, that Buddhist divine monk departed. After purifying the outer region's sinister evils, he once again entered the deepest regions to explore.
"The Buddhist Sect's Tathagata Buddha... He was a true Supreme One Emperor, who participated in the final battle of the Mythical Era..." Old Yan suddenly sighed.