The light of the Teleportation Array flashed, and the scenery before their eyes shifted. Before Mo Tiange could even take in her surroundings, she felt a chilling, murderous intent.
"Sss! Sss!" Several sounds rang out as the Spiritual Qi protective shield around her body blocked something. A violent fluctuation of Spiritual Qi surged toward her, and she immediately slapped a spirit talisman onto herself.
Golden light flared, and the Spiritual Qi around her slowly stabilized.
Subsequently, the blades and arrows formed from Spiritual Qi vanished, replaced by a fierce hurricane that whipped up, hurling large chunks of hail down upon them.
Qin Xi raised a hand, gathering a fiery red radiance in his palm. The hail that met the red light melted and disappeared one after another.
This series of events lasted for the time it takes an incense stick to burn before finally ceasing.
The two stepped out of the Teleportation Array and looked up. Before them was still a palace constructed entirely from high-grade ice-attribute spirit stones, pure white in color. With its jade doors and soaring eaves, it stood solemn and imposing. A plaque hung high above the palace gate, inscribed with three ancient characters: "Scripture Pavilion."
What was strange was that the space where this Scripture Pavilion was located seemed completely independent. Mo Tiange looked around and discovered that dense Spiritual Qi permeated the area around the palace, blocking divine sense. To the naked eye, the surrounding scenery seemed extremely distant, yet also as if there was nothing at all.
"Hmph!" Just as she was surveying their surroundings, Mo Tiange heard a cold snort. Turning her head, she saw it was Demon Lord Guifang, staring at the two of them with a rather unpleasant expression.
Only then did she realize the situation was somewhat peculiar.
The other four groups had entered before them, and all were now looking somewhat disheveled. The exquisite pagoda in True Person Yuan Mu's hand was scorched black; Perfected One Iron-Face had lost some of his hair; Ling Shiyu hadn't even managed to keep his beard. The clothes of all four were covered in scorch marks; the fact that their garments remained intact was likely due to their special material. Scholar Yu and Han Shizhi weren't faring much better. As scholars, they usually paid great attention to their appearance and demeanor, but now their grace had become rather lopsided, their bodies covered in stains and their attire disheveled. Demon Lord Guifang and Yang Chengji were slightly better off, but they too had lost all traces of their lofty bearing. Only Venerable Wuming seemed largely unaffected; he shook the stray grass from his robes and quickly returned to his usual state.
Mo Tiange chuckled inwardly. She didn't need to ask to know what had happened. Fuyaozi had said that this Scripture Pavilion was where the sect stored its cultivation methods, and only disciples of the sect were permitted to enter. Therefore, any cultivator entering via the Teleportation Array should possess an identity token. With a token, this Killing Formation would not activate. But they had none. Thus, the moment they set foot on the inner grounds, the Killing Formation would immediately trigger.
However, back when the Immortal Palace was not yet abandoned, the Scripture Pavilion had disciples on guard duty. Therefore, it wasn't designed to annihilate utterly but left a sliver of life.
According to the rules of many sects, entering important places like the Scripture Pavilion forbade disciples from using Magical Treasures. Some methods might even be employed to temporarily deactivate treasures. Therefore, if the Killing Formation activated and the intruder used a Magical Treasure, it would trigger ruthless execution. But as long as no Magical Treasures were used, the power would be greatly reduced, allowing the guarding disciples to promptly shut down the formation to prevent careless disciples from needlessly losing their lives.
The above was Fuyaozi's speculation, but it was reasonable and likely close to the truth.
It was just that the others hadn't experienced this before and naturally didn't know this point. While not life-threatening, they had all sustained some minor injuries.
True Person Yuan Mu's face was cold and stern as he said in a deep voice, "Could it be that Fellow Daoist Mo did this on purpose?"
Mo Tiange, of course, knew what he was referring to, but she replied with a look of surprise, "What does Senior mean by that?"
Demon Lord Guifang snorted and said, "Otherwise, why are the two of you so unscathed? Why didn't you warn us beforehand?"
Mo Tiange looked even more astonished. "This formation isn't particularly powerful. Was there anything to say?"
The several Nascent Soul cultivators were taken aback, momentarily at a loss for words. To be honest, this Killing Formation really wasn't that powerful. With prior preparation, one could pass through it easily. But if it wasn't powerful, why were they in such a sorry state? This formation grew stronger against strength and weaker against weakness. The moment they sensed danger, they instinctively used their Magical Treasures, which triggered the formation's all-encompassing, net-like attacks. With their status as top Great Cultivators, they wouldn't perish here, but extricating themselves wasn't easy either. Venerable Wuming fared slightly better because his Buddhist cultivation methods didn't rely as heavily on Magical Treasures as the others.
But to have them admit that this matter had nothing to do with Mo Tiange—that was a joke. How could they save face like that?
"Fellow Daoists," Venerable Wuming finally stepped in to smooth things over, "we have already entered the treasure mountain. Should we really waste time here?"
Hearing this, the expressions of True Person Yuan Mu and the others finally softened. With treasures before them, the Opportunity was more important.
Demon Lord Guifang looked at the Scripture Pavilion and asked, "Fellow Daoist Mo, are there any other mysteries here?"
Mo Tiange shook her head and replied, "Senior Fuyaozi said that the places storing those top-tier cultivation methods are beyond our reach. This ancient great sect might have had Great Ascension cultivators; those areas are not places we can enter. As for the areas storing methods below the Deity Transformation stage, the outer restrictions have been removed, so there's no danger. We can largely act according to our own abilities."
"Oh?" True Person Yuan Mu stroked his beard and asked, "So you're saying, from now on, we can each rely on our own skills to search for cultivation methods?"
"That's correct."
True Person Yuan Mu exchanged a glance with Perfected One Iron-Face, then looked at Scholar Yu and the others. "Since that's the case, let us enter now."
Naturally, no one objected, and they all entered the Scripture Pavilion together.
Untended for at least a hundred thousand years, this palace was actually somewhat dilapidated. Tables and chairs were placed haphazardly, few remaining intact. Dust was everywhere, leaving almost no place to set foot. However, due to the rich concentration of Spiritual Qi here, it still appeared profoundly Immortal, masking its state of decay.
Everyone looked around. The main hall of the Scripture Pavilion was extremely spacious, easily accommodating several hundred people. At the front were tables and chairs, likely the duty station for the disciples managing the pavilion. In the center were decorative sculptures and ornaments. After a cursory glance, the group realized these weren't Magical Treasures and paid them no further mind.
Apart from these, there were several Teleportation Arrays lined up at the far end.
These Teleportation Arrays were still intact, though it was unclear whether they had been well-preserved all along or were repaired by the Five Sage predecessors back then. But they were dim and lifeless, likely because the spirit stones powering them were exhausted.
According to the jade slip records at the duty station, these Teleportation Arrays all led to places storing cultivation methods, just with slightly different classifications: Five Elements Arts, Cultivation Heart Methods, Martial Cultivation Path, Alchemy and Artifact Miscellaneous Studies, and Insights and Records. Which array led to which category was not specified.
The group exchanged glances. True Person Yuan Mu spoke first, "Fellow Daoist Mo, is there anything particular to note here?"
Mo Tiange shook her head. "Inside are only protective restrictions. Even if you enter the wrong one, it shouldn't matter."
True Person Yuan Mu nodded. The Scripture Pavilion was an important sect location. When the sect existed, naturally there were disciples on guard. Triggering a restriction would lead to discovery. But now that this Immortal Palace was abandoned, no matter how many restrictions they triggered, no one would come to expel them. As long as there was no danger, it was fine.
"Then shall we proceed as we wish?" Ling Shiyu asked.
"Wait," Scholar Yu spoke up to stop them. "Fellow Daoists, we have cooperated all along this journey. Now that an Opportunity lies before us, shouldn't we establish some rules?"
Demon Lord Guifang asked in a low voice, "What does Fellow Daoist Yu mean by that?"
"Nothing much," Scholar Yu said calmly. "It's just that unpleasant words should be spoken upfront. Although we are currently collaborators, none of us can fully trust the others. It's better to make things clear."
True Person Yuan Mu pondered for a moment, then nodded. "That's true. Fellow Daoist Yu's words are reasonable."
Scholar Yu glanced at Demon Lord Guifang. Seeing that he remained silent, he continued, "There happen to be five Teleportation Arrays here. Let's divide into five parties, each entering one, without interfering with each other. How about that?"
Demon Lord Guifang narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Fellow Daoist Yu, on the surface, one party per array seems fair. But the contents of the cultivation methods inside are vastly different. How can the place storing miscellaneous studies compare to the one storing Five Elements Immortal Arts?"
"Naturally, it cannot compare," Scholar Yu replied calmly. "But we have a fair chance. Whatever we select is our Opportunity. If one picks the useless one, they can only blame their own poor luck."
"But..."
"Fellow Daoist Guifang!" Scholar Yu asked solemnly, "If we all entered together, with cultivation methods right before us, could we truly guarantee peaceful coexistence?"
Demon Lord Guifang's expression stiffened, and he fell silent.
Scholar Yu was right. With treasures right before their eyes, if they still stuck together now, and the cultivation methods varied in quality, disputes would be inevitable. Then, it would be a matter of whoever had the strongest strength calling the shots. At that thought... their gazes both turned toward the Jiuyan Sect members.
True Person Yuan Mu, of course, understood. With a somber expression, he said coldly, "What clever calculations you fellow Daoists have. What else can this old man say?" Although the Jiuyan Sect was the strongest among the five parties, if the others joined forces, they would surpass them.
Scholar Yu smiled slightly but said nothing. Although his relationship with True Person Yuan Mu was good, at a time like this, it was natural to ally with the others to restrain the Jiuyan Sect.
"Fellow Daoist Yu's words are reasonable," Venerable Wuming, who had rarely voiced his opinion, spoke up. "We entered this Immortal Palace seeking Opportunities. It's better to prevent disputes. Besides, having cultivated to our current realm, we can already create our own cultivation methods. Even if we obtain the best methods, we cannot start over; at most, they benefit our descendants. Since that's the case, why nitpick over minor details?"
Hearing this, True Person Yuan Mu's expression gradually softened. That was true. Although obtaining high-level cultivation methods would be greatly beneficial to them, their chances of advancing to Deity Transformation were not high. This benefit wasn't enough to make these late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators turn against each other.
He let out a breath and said in a calm voice, "Very well, this old man agrees as well. However..." His gaze turned toward Mo Tiange and the other. "Have the several of you forgotten that this Fellow Daoist Mo is an exception!"
Sensing the murderous intent he revealed, Qin Xi's aura turned cold. He stepped forward, placing himself in front of Mo Tiange.
True Person Yuan Mu waved his hand. "Do not misunderstand, Fellow Daoist Qin. This old man has no other meaning. It's just that we don't know which library each of these Teleportation Arrays leads to. But Fellow Daoist Mo has Senior Fuyaozi's divine sense assistance, so she would know..."
Mo Tiange let out a light laugh and said nonchalantly, "What's so difficult about that? Either draw lots, or you choose first. Isn't that all?"