Xiao Chen pushed the door open. The first thing that caught his eye was a massive alchemy furnace of unknown material. Standing tall at over thirteen feet, its three legs firmly planted on the ground, the furnace was etched with intricate patterns that seemed to cause dizziness if one stared too long. Xiao Chen felt a chill in his heart and quickly shifted his gaze inward.
He casually picked a bottle from a wooden rack filled with medicinal containers. With a wave of his hand, he lifted the seal on the bottle's mouth. A dense medicinal fragrance immediately filled the air. With just one deep breath, Xiao Chen felt his primordial spirit expand noticeably within him.
"Fourth-grade pill, Devilbane Pill!" Xiao Chen's eyes sparkled with a dazzling light as he examined the pill in his hand, which was about the size of a child's fist.
He quickly opened the remaining six jade bottles, and the overwhelming sight of his discovery stunned him. Seven bottles, one pill in each—a total of seven!
In the cultivation world, pills were classified into eight grades corresponding to different cultivation realms. This fourth-grade Devilbane Pill was a legendary ancient concoction whose formula had long been lost. Its primary purpose was to aid cultivators at the peak of the Golden Core stage in breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. It could shield the user from external demonic interference and increase their chance of forming a Nascent Soul by a full ten percent!
A mere ten percent might not seem like much, but its effect was considered defiant against the heavens. Such pills were exceedingly rare throughout the cultivation world. To have seven of them in his possession was a fortune so great that it would likely incite a frenzy among Golden Core and even Nascent Soul cultivators if word got out.
Xiao Chen took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart. He quickly placed seals on the jade bottles to prevent the medicinal potency from dissipating, then carefully stored them in his spatial pouch.
Near the wooden rack stood a wooden table with two jade slips on it. Xiao Chen swept his spiritual sense over them, then withdrew it and reverently placed the jade slips into his pouch. These slips contained the alchemical insights of an ancient cultivator. While they held limited personal value to Xiao Chen, they would be treasures of immeasurable worth to alchemists in the outside world.
What excited Xiao Chen even more were the ancient pill recipes recorded within. A quick glance revealed dozens of names of ancient pills that could enhance cultivation at various stages. With these recipes, Xiao Chen was confident he could refine them once he gathered the necessary materials, greatly accelerating his cultivation progress.
"This place clearly isn't the cave mansion of an ancient cultivator but seems specifically designed as a sealing ground. That mysterious woman's cultivation is unfathomable, and her origins are unknown. It's best for me to leave quickly," Xiao Chen decided.
However, just as he was about to move, a thunderous rumble echoed, and the ground beneath his feet trembled violently.
Xiao Chen's face darkened. Though he didn't know what had happened, the faint waves of spiritual energy he sensed chilled him to the bone. For his divine sense, rivaling that of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, to feel like the world was collapsing could only mean one thing—the combatants were terrifyingly powerful.
"A Golden Core cultivator!" Xiao Chen felt a bitter taste in his mouth, and his face showed traces of worry.
"I must leave now before things spiral out of control!" Determination flickered in Xiao Chen's eyes as he turned and walked briskly toward the exit. Just before stepping out, he hesitated, then produced an empty spatial pouch. With a hand seal, he stashed the alchemy furnace away before hurrying onward.
Meanwhile, a pudgy Daoist exuded excitement. "It's mine! The Demon Lord's inheritance is mine!" His eyes glimmered with fervor, and his face flushed with exhilaration. He continuously cast seals while consuming pills to replenish his spiritual energy. After sitting cross-legged briefly to refine the pills, he resumed breaking the array.
"Break, illusion array!" the pudgy Daoist shouted. The sinister, ghostly scene before him dissipated instantly, leaving him standing within the same grand hall, just a step forward from before. The Daoist, unfazed, took out two more spirit-recovery pills, swallowed them, and began meditating again.
"Hmph! Liu, since you refuse to assist me, the rewards from this venture will be mine alone. Once I master the Demon Lord's legacy, I'll personally turn you into a puppet!"
Elsewhere, an elderly woman with a stern face stood at the foot of an impossibly tall, sheer mountain. The wind roared, cutting into her skin like knives. Despite knowing the sight before her was just a manifestation of restrictive illusions, her heart couldn't help but tremble.
"Ancient cultivators truly had extraordinary methods. Even my divine sense can be deceived," she muttered.
Closing her eyes for a moment, the old woman abruptly opened them and took a step forward, arriving at the mountain's base. She waved her hands, sending ripples of light into the peak before her.
"As expected. Despite its immense power, the array has weakened with the passage of countless years. Breaking it won't be difficult for me."
Her expression turned solemn as she continued to cast seals, making the towering mountain before her gradually turn ethereal.
"Master's calculations are truly meticulous," Chu Kuang said with a bow, his face full of deference. He stood before a jade plate, watching a woman seated cross-legged within. A flicker of fervor flashed in his eyes.
"By deliberately providing those two with jade slips, you made them believe this was the inheritance site of the Scatter Demon. They'll work tirelessly to break the arrays! Once they destroy the outer barriers, it'll mark the day of your liberation and return to roam the heavens!"
The mysterious woman opened her eyes slightly, her tone indifferent. "Their greed alone is sufficient to fuel their actions."
Chu Kuang's brows furrowed slightly, but he quickly replied, "However, the guardian beast has already dismantled most of the restrictive barriers in its path. Soon, it will reach this place. Those two, though Golden Core cultivators, may not be its match."
"I have my arrangements. Worry not." With that, the woman closed her eyes again, her body radiating a gentle light. The blood-red patterns on the jade plate beneath her gradually receded.
Chu Kuang's expression flickered briefly before he retreated respectfully to the side.
The woman's lips curled into a faint smile, one that seemed to carry mockery, scorn, or perhaps both.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dozens of fireballs struck the protective barrier outside the courtyard where Xiao Chen stood. His brows furrowed. Though the fireballs were weak individually, their cumulative force rivaled that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator's attack, yet they hadn't even caused a ripple in the shield.
"Sky-Devouring Finger!"
Realizing that talisman-based attacks were ineffective, Xiao Chen wasted no time. He unleashed his most powerful technique. Fully exerting the Sky-Devouring Finger, he could unleash a strike rivaling that of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator at his current level.
Spiritual energy surged toward his arm, spiraling through his meridians before coalescing into his hand. A powerful pressure radiated from him as the energy condensed into a massive finger of light. The surrounding spiritual energy was drawn into it, making it increasingly solid until even faint fingerprints appeared on its surface.
"One finger to swallow the heavens! Break!" Xiao Chen roared, his voice low and strained as his complexion turned pale.