Chapter 92

"Third Golden Pill Ascetic!"

The crowd was shocked, but then the Supreme Patriarch of the sect delivered even more shocking news, "I just contacted Junior Brother Gu. After he emerged from seclusion, he discovered that the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground had been sealed by a peculiar and mysterious restriction. It will be difficult to break through this restriction and come to our aid in a short time."

Seeing the panic in everyone's faces, the Supreme Patriarch smiled and said, "There's no need to be afraid. The grand array protecting our sect, set up by two Core Formation cultivators at the behest of the Ancestor, is not something a few Core Formation cultivators can break. You should now sound the Evil-Dispelling Bell to gather the Foundation Establishment disciples on the mountain. Together, you will operate the grand array to defend against the enemy. I have already sent a message for help. Once a few fellow daoists arrive, the crisis will be resolved."

After Xuanchengzi and others left the cave with trepidation, the smile on the Supreme Patriarch's face immediately vanished, and his expression became extremely serious. His figure gradually faded and disappeared from the cave, reappearing above the grand array protecting the sect.

The demonic flames surged, and after the Supreme Patriarch of Yuanchaomen appeared, Yitian Nie's figure also materialized from the flames.

...

At this moment, Zhao Yan was leading Qin Sang and the other four down from the Sect Leader's Peak, directly jumping into the lake.

The ground continued to shake, and the lake bottom was filled with rising mud and sand, causing the water to become extremely turbid. The five of them used the chaos at the lake bottom as cover to quickly dive deeper.

The water remained murky, and after diving an unknown depth, a beam of light suddenly appeared ahead. Zhao Yan immediately ordered them to slow down and approach the light silently.

Finally, they reached the source of the light, and what they saw was a breathtaking scene.

A giant clam shell, as large as a room, lay open on the lake bottom. Around the clam shell, exotic flowers bloomed, and aquatic plants swayed. The ground was covered with a layer of white sand, dotted with countless gems, sparkling like a fairy palace under the sea.

It seemed there was an invisible barrier, preventing the mud and sand from entering this space, which remained peaceful and undisturbed.

Zhao Yan signaled them to stop, and the five of them stood motionless in the turbid lake water, hidden by the Four Cloud Divine Prohibition.

Qin Sang was secretly amazed by the magnificent scene before him. He had not heard Senior Brother Zhu mention such a mysterious place at the bottom of the lake when he introduced the various restricted areas of Yuanchaomen.

This giant clam shell clearly was not an ordinary object. What was inside it that was worth Zhao Yan risking his life to come here?

Before Qin Sang could think more, two figures suddenly emerged from the clam shell, one tall and one short, both Foundation Establishment cultivators.

After the two figures appeared, the five of them, including Zhao Yan, became very tense. They were so close to each other; could the Four Cloud Divine Prohibition really conceal their presence?

As they were anxiously waiting, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators stood outside the clam shell, looking up.

At this moment, Qin Sang and the others also heard the faint sound of the Evil-Dispelling Bell, knowing that it had been sounded again in Yuanchaomen.

The Evil-Dispelling Bell rang nine times, and the two cultivators' expressions changed.

The shorter cultivator said urgently, "Senior Brother Miao, the Evil-Dispelling Bell has rung nine times. It seems the enemy is strong, and the sect is calling all Foundation Establishment cultivators to operate the grand array to defend against the enemy. What should we do?"

Senior Brother Miao frowned slightly and hesitated, "When the Evil-Dispelling Bell rings, all disciples must obey the order. Otherwise, they will be punished according to the sect rules. Since we were not specifically informed, we must follow the order. However, this place cannot be left unattended. Junior Brother, you stay here, and I will go up to observe the situation and report to Senior Brother Sect Leader. He will surely understand."

The two of them exchanged a few more words in low voices, and then Senior Brother Miao activated his magical tool, breaking through the water and speeding away.

After watching Senior Brother Miao's figure disappear, the shorter cultivator returned to the clam shell, looking worried.

Zhao Yan frowned, pondered for a moment, and then ordered Qin Sang and the others to remain still. He took out a large ghost banner from his storage bag. The banner was as tall as a person. At first, Qin Sang thought it was a large Yama banner, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was very different. The banner was carved with countless fierce and terrifying ghosts, which seemed to come to life, exuding an eerie aura.

What surprised Qin Sang even more was that this ghost banner was not a magical tool but seemed to be a ... magical treasure?

Cultivators below the Core Formation stage could not use magical treasures. Qin Sang could use the blackwood sword because it was a fragment of a magical treasure and had been re-refined by a refinement master.

Could Zhao Yan control a magical treasure?

Qin Sang was secretly glad he had not acted rashly, manipulating the triangular cloud flag while secretly observing Zhao Yan's actions.

Zhao Yan held a jade in one hand and the ghost banner in the other, pressing the jade against the banner and muttering incantations. Then, the ghosts on the banner came to life, baring their fangs and claws, as if trying to break through the banner and enter the real world.

*Whoosh!*

A gust of cold wind rose, and countless ghostly mists poured out of the banner, along with the ghosts. Zhao Yan was instantly enveloped in the ghostly mists, making him invisible.

A muffled groan came from Zhao Yan, and no one could see what he was doing inside. Gradually, the ghosts became more docile.

Then, Zhao Yan shouted, "Go!"

The ghost banner, carrying countless ghosts, flew out of the Four Cloud Divine Prohibition and headed straight for the clam shell. The commotion was so great that the short cultivator inside the clam shell immediately noticed.

"Who's there!"

The short cultivator appeared in front of the clam shell, seeing the ghost banner flying towards him. He exclaimed, "A magical treasure!"

He understood the implications of a magical treasure and his face turned pale with fear. He hurriedly summoned a golden bowl magical tool, which emitted a layer of golden light to protect him.

At the same time, a flying sword appeared in his palm, and he poured spiritual energy into it, preparing to send a message.

However, as the ghost banner approached him, the ghostly mists suddenly expanded several times, and the golden light from the golden bowl offered no resistance. The short cultivator was instantly enveloped in the mists.

The ghost banner firmly planted itself in the ground, and layers of ghostly mists surrounded it. Countless ghosts poured out, forming a ghostly domain in an instant. The short cultivator, trapped in the ghostly domain, fell silent.

Zhao Yan took a deep breath and said, "Let's go!"

As they passed through the edge of the ghostly mists, Qin Sang was still in shock. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could not escape the ghost banner, and he knew that even if he activated his sword qi, he could not match Zhao Yan.

The space inside the clam shell was not large, with a water-repelling restriction, making it dry and comfortable. The interior was simple, with only two water bamboo mats.

The most eye-catching feature was a deep pit at the back of the clam shell, with a stone staircase leading down into the depths, where it was dark and bottomless.

Under Zhao Yan's urging, they followed the stone staircase down, finally reaching the bottom of the pit. Ahead was a large underground cave filled with endless grayish-white mists.

These mists were clearly not benign, and there might be dangerous formations hidden within. Qin Sang and the others looked at Zhao Yan, wondering what other means he had.