"All five of you, come over here." Perfected One Yuan Mu addressed the five Core Formation cultivators present.
Mo Tiange knew this meant it was time to open the spatial rift. She glanced at Qin Xi, saw him nod slightly, and noticed a faint red glow flickering within his sleeve. She then stepped forward towards Perfected One Yuan Mu.
Prior to this, she had discussed with Fuyaozi what to do if the other party used overwhelming force to subdue her and threatened her life. At the time, Fuyaozi had said dismissively that it would then depend on who had the greater resolve—whether the other party was unwilling to give up the chance to open the secret land, or whether she was unwilling to give up her life.
Fuyaozi had fought his way from being a loose cultivator to becoming Yunzhong's number one cultivator. Although his temperament was amiable, his character was fiercely independent. Coincidentally, Mo Tiange was the same. She disliked the feeling of being timid and overcautious. While prudent, she had never been afraid to take risks, a trait related to her experiences wandering Kunwu with her Second Uncle in her youth. As a loose cultivator, how could one possibly have everything perfectly arranged? Sometimes, survival depended on whether one dared to risk one's life. The slightest hesitation could lead to perishing in a moment of crisis, while those who dared to fight might seize a sliver of life.
Now that Qin Xi had arrived, she felt even more confident. Qin Xi's Three Yang True Fire Sword, obtained from an ancient secret method, possessed immense power, as demonstrated when he exterminated Mei Feng moments ago. Although such strength could only contend with a single Late-Nascent Soul cultivator, these cultivators, having reached the Late-Nascent Soul stage with the Deity Transformation opportunity right before them, how could they possibly be willing to risk a life-and-death struggle with a peer before entering the secret land? Any injury to themselves would only benefit others.
Perfected One Yuan Mu glanced at Qin Xi, and indeed, a trace of helplessness appeared in his eyes. He shook his head and said, "You five, when the Sacred Relics acknowledged their masters, you should have all received the opening secrets from the five seniors. There's no need for this old man to say more. Make your preparations."
Upon hearing this, Mo Tiange and the other four said nothing and each took up a position. The five of them formed a pentagonal star shape, their positions interlocking like horns.
Once in position, Mo Tiange's gaze swept over the other four. Juewu still wore a faint smile, as if not particularly concerned about the matter; Ling Yunhe's expression was solemn; Yang Chengji's face was impassive; and Han Shizhi, when his eyes met hers, revealed a cold glint.
Mo Tiange, however, smiled slightly. She certainly knew why Han Shizhi looked at her that way. Back when she obtained the Fusheng Sword, Han Shizhi had tried to snatch it from behind. If Han Shizhi had succeeded then, he would have possessed two Sacred Relics, and today's opening of the Five Sages' secret land would have had nothing to do with her.
Unfortunately, Han Shizhi didn't know that the conditions for the Fusheng Sword's master acknowledgment were so stringent. If the sword had been snatched by him back then, it was likely the Five Sages' secret land could not have been opened in the near future at all.
"Begin," Perfected One Yuan Mu commanded. The five of them each took out their Sacred Relics, closed their eyes, and recited a series of incantations.
"Clang—" Each of the five Sacred Relics emitted a clear, ringing sound, detached from their holders' hands, and floated above their heads.
These five Sacred Relics immediately attracted the attention of all the Nascent Soul cultivators. Setting aside their function of opening the spatial rift, these five Sacred Relics were the ultimate trump-card treasures of the Five Sages—how could they be underestimated? To name just one, the Heavenly Demon Tower alone could greatly enhance a demonic cultivator's power. At this moment, each of the five Sacred Relics emitted a radiant light, their aura astonishing.
Although many coveted them, no one dared to make a move. After all, compared to the Deity Transformation opportunity, no matter how powerful these treasures were, they paled in significance.
The light from the five Sacred Relics grew brighter and brighter. Finally, with a "hum," a white light erupted from each relic. As the white light dissipated, five figures, ethereal as smoke, floated in mid-air.
Seeing this, everyone, including the eleven Late-Nascent Soul cultivators, drew a sharp breath.
These five figures, though merely illusory shadows formed of smoke, possessed spiritual energy fluctuations like real people. One monk, one scholar, one demon, and two Daoists—with a little thought, everyone realized these were the images of the Five Sages.
These Five Sages were figures from tens of thousands of years ago. When they left behind the five Sacred Relics, their cultivation was far from its peak. Yet, this display of divine ability was considerably stronger than that of the eleven Late-Nascent Soul cultivators present.
Many felt a sense of awe. The Five Sages were indeed the Five Sages. Over the past hundred thousand years in Yunzhong, how many powerful Late-Nascent Soul cultivators had emerged? Yet only these five were collectively called the Five Sages—and that was no coincidence.
Once the five Core Formation cultivators finished their incantations, the five illusory shadows of the Sages suddenly moved in unison, actually forming hand seals as well. Then, the five illusory shadows suddenly transformed into beams of light, converging into a single massive orb of radiance. The aura of this orb was terrifyingly powerful, even more intense than the pressure from a Late-Nascent Soul cultivator. If not for the protection of the five Sacred Relics, the five of them would likely have been unable to withstand it.
"Master..." Mo Tiange murmured softly upon seeing this strange phenomenon.
Fuyaozi's voice sounded in her consciousness: "Do not worry. The appearance of this orb indicates the spatial rift can be opened."
As soon as Fuyaozi finished speaking, the orb suddenly rose and exploded in the air with a thunderous boom.
As the blinding light faded, everyone saw a hazy white portal appear in the sky above the small island.
"Fellow Daoists!" Seeing the portal appear, Perfected One Yuan Mu shouted loudly, "This is the entrance to the Five Sages' secret land! From now on, this entrance will remain for approximately half an hour. After half an hour, it will disappear, and no one will be able to enter!"
Hearing this, the small island immediately fell into commotion.
"Amitabha!" Venerable Wuming's Buddhist chant rang out like a great bell. With a smile, he said, "Fellow Daoists, do not rush. Half an hour is sufficient for all of us to enter. Let us begin with the five junior fellow Daoists representing the five factions."
The Nascent Soul early-stage cultivators, their minds shaken by Venerable Wuming's chant, dared not rush forward and obediently waited their turn.
Subsequently, starting with the Jiuyan Sect, cultivators from Huayan Temple, Yueshan Academy, and Guifang City entered one by one. After these four sects had entered, Mo Tiange and Qin Xi entered hand in hand. Following them were the factions represented by the various Late-Nascent Soul cultivators, then sects like Danxia Sect and Five Elements Valley with slightly lesser strength, and finally, the group of Nascent Soul early-stage cultivators.
In the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the small island was empty, with everyone having entered the portal.
At that moment, a streak of light flew swiftly across the sky above the Guixu Sea. Upon arrival, it revealed a Nascent Soul early-stage cultivator in a blue robe with a sword on his back. This person looked at the deserted island, then at the still-existing portal in mid-air. After a moment's hesitation, he stepped inside.
Upon entering the portal, Mo Tiange had already activated her Primordial Chaos Qi Art and White Silk Handkerchief, while Qin Xi released his Three Yang True Fire Sword, forming a sword formation around them as a precaution.
However, after entering, it was completely safe—no restrictions, no demonic beasts.
The two of them looked up to survey their surroundings and were greatly astonished.
This so-called spatial rift was actually so vast.
The place where they and the other cultivators had entered was at the base of a mountain range. Before them stood a mountain thousands of zhang high, its midsection covered in dense forests, its peak capped with pristine snow—a magnificent sight. And atop the mountain peak, nestled amidst the snow, stood a palace that was entirely translucent white, emitting a faint spiritual glow.
"An Immortal Palace!" a cultivator exclaimed involuntarily, gazing at the palace atop the peak in utter amazement.
Of course, an Immortal Palace was not a true palace of immortals. But if this was a spatial rift torn from ancient times, it was most likely the palace of a sect that had cultivators at the Deity Transformation stage or above, even the Great Ascension stage. Present-day cultivators referred to such ancient relics as Immortal Palaces. Only an Immortal Palace would be filled with such resplendent, treasure-imbued spiritual light.
Seeing this Immortal Palace, a greedy light appeared in the eyes of almost everyone, even those Late-Nascent Soul cultivators were no exception.
If this truly was an Immortal Palace, no wonder it held a Deity Transformation opportunity! Only at this moment did all the cultivators cease to doubt that this space contained such an opportunity.
"Hmph!" A cold snort came from Fuyaozi in her consciousness. "They're celebrating too soon. Since it's an Immortal Palace, how could it be so easy to enter?"
Mo Tiange had heard a general description of the situation within this spatial rift from Fuyaozi, but she hadn't expected it to be so vast. It was almost the size of a major sect's main mountain range, containing an entire spiritual vein.
"Master, are there restrictions within this Immortal Palace?"
"Restrictions naturally exist," Fuyaozi said. "Back then, the other four and I, setting aside our past grievances and cooperating fully, only managed to enter the outer periphery of this Immortal Palace. The true interior was beyond our reach."
Mo Tiange's heart stirred. She asked, "Master, back then, the five of you were only at the Nascent Soul mid or late stage. How were you able to leave behind keys? And after we leave, can we do the same?"
This time, Fuyaozi was silent for a long while before finally speaking. "The reason we were able to leave keys for later generations back then was because we obtained a joint space-tearing technique from the Immortal Palace. This technique is incredibly profound, but the spiritual energy required is also terrifying. Given our cultivation realms at the time, it was basically impossible to perform. Later, we devised a method to slowly seal the spiritual energy required for this space-tearing technique into the five dharma treasures, making it much more convenient for future visits. As for why we never returned, I do not know. Your master is now but a wisp of divine sense; what I know is limited to the time of the sealing."
"And this space-tearing technique..."
Fuyaozi sighed softly. "In the past, the five of us could not fully trust each other, so we divided that space-tearing technique into five parts as a safety measure. My portion, of course, can be passed to you. But whether the other four passed theirs down, I have no way of knowing."
"..." Mo Tiange fell silent. If that was the case, then this matter could not be forced.
Once all the Nascent Soul cultivators had entered, Perfected One Yuan Mu said, "Fellow Daoists, if you wish to leave, you can do so directly from here. But once you leave, you cannot re-enter. Very well. How many opportunities and dangers this ancient land holds, none of us know. Let each rely on their own fortune."
Most of the Nascent Soul cultivators present had already found allies before entering this secret land. After a brief discussion, they departed in twos and threes.
The five Core Formation juniors who possessed the Sacred Relics did not move. The others were waiting for instructions from their elders, while Mo Tiange was unsure what these Late-Nascent Soul seniors were actually thinking.
Perfected One Yuan Mu and Scholar Yu also seemed to find the situation somewhat troublesome, frowning slightly and secretly communicating via sound transmission.
After a while, Perfected One Yuan Mu said, "Junior Fellow Daoist Mo, you previously stated that you learned the method to obtain the immortal opportunity from Senior Fuyaozi and used that to negotiate terms with us. So, for what comes next, should you travel with us?"
Mo Tiange smiled and shook her head. "Senior, you must know that the true immortal opportunity lies within that Immortal Palace, though the specific method to obtain it is unknown, correct?"
Perfected One Yuan Mu frowned and nodded.
Mo Tiange said, "Since that is the case, meeting again at the Immortal Palace would be just as well. Allow me to search for some treasures along the way on my own? To be honest, if I travel with you seniors, I'm afraid I won't gain much benefit on this journey."
Her words were frank, which actually made it difficult for Perfected One Yuan Mu to object. If she traveled with them, any treasures they encountered would have to be shared, and with only her and Qin Xi, they would certainly not get an equal portion. Therefore, wanting to act alone was quite normal. Moreover, Qin Xi's strength should be sufficient to protect her safety until they reached the Immortal Palace.
After brief consideration, he nodded. "Very well. We shall do as Junior Fellow Daoist Mo suggests. We will meet again at the Immortal Palace."
With that, Perfected One Yuan Mu waved his hand and led the Jiuyan Sect contingent away, followed by cultivators from Yueshan Academy, Huayan Temple, and other sects. In the blink of an eye, more than half had left.
Lady Miaoying did not leave. Instead, she greeted the two with a smile. "Fellow Daoist Qin, Madam Qin, are you truly not planning to travel with others?"
Qin Xi hesitated slightly, then clasped his hands apologetically. "Fellow Daoist Miaoying, my wife and I have been separated for a long time, and it would be inconvenient to travel together. We are grateful for your warm hospitality earlier. If the opportunity arises, we will express our thanks properly."
Lady Miaoying waved her hand with a smile. "Such a trivial matter, Fellow Daoist Qin, there's no need for such courtesy. Since that is the case, we shall also meet again at the Immortal Palace." Then, without further delay, she led the Jingxu Sect cultivators away.
After everyone had left, Qin Xi said, "Some time ago, when I missed you, Lady Miaoying not only helped me search for your whereabouts but also gifted me some healing spirit pills. In terms of favors, I owe her one."
Mo Tiange had already heard a brief mention of this. She said, "If that's the case, we'll find an opportunity to repay the favor." Then, she looked at him with concern. "Senior Brother, how are your injuries, really? I still have many healing pills here. Should we wait a while before heading to the Immortal Palace?"