Three days passed in a blur of healing and preparation. The once-bustling Qinghe Village was now a ghost town, silent save for the occasional gust of wind. Six figures stood at the edge of the village square: Old Lady Shen, Hei Zun, Han Yue, Hei Zun's two disciples (one wreathed in a Crimson Flame aura, the other in Violet Lightning), and finally, Doctor Lu Cheng.
"I have successfully evacuated the villagers," Lu Cheng said, his voice weary but firm.
"Good," Old Lady Shen replied. "We have gathered the healing pills and the village's greatest artifacts. We are as ready as we can be."
Hei Zun watched her, his eyes narrowed in calculation. A Late Core Formation expert, rare artifacts, and a hidden valley... he thought. In other regions, you'd be lucky to find a Early Core Formation master. This place is a treasure trove that has somehow escaped being marked on the continental maps.
"Senior Shen," Hei Zun called out. "Dare I ask where this village obtained such a Heavenly Grade artifact? It is... unusual."
Han Yue nodded in agreement as they walked. "It's more than unusual. In most regions, even an Earth Grade artifact is a myth. To see a Heavenly artifact in a tiny village like this... it defies logic.
Old Lady Shen went silent, her mind racing. Do they think we are too small to hold such power? "Are you suggesting we are unworthy?" she asked, her voice cool.
"No, Senior, that is not it," Han Yue corrected quickly. "What I mean is... the world is not what it used to be. A hundred years ago, an Immortal descended from the Second Layer World. He demanded for four rare artifacts. No one could resist him."
Doctor Lu Cheng stepped forward, grabbing Han Yue's shoulder in shock. "What? Tell me! What happened?"
Han Yue flinched, his expression darkening as he brushed Lu Cheng's hand away. How dare a mere Foundation worm touch me? If not for the Old Lady, I would kill him where he stands.
"The Immortal couldn't find every treasure," Han Yue continued coldly. "So, he placed a Seal of Obscurity on the world. Any artifact above the Spirit Grade was suppressed or hidden so humans could no longer find them easily. The world was stripped of its teeth."
"Those Immortals," Lu Cheng spat. "They always think they own the heavens."
Old Lady Shen closed her eyes and smiled faintly. So that is why he asked. He wasn't being arrogant; he was genuinely confused.
"Where is the passage?" Han Yue asked.
"Quiet," Old Lady Shen commanded.Then she began to levitate, her aura turning cold. "We are here. Huh, this... this are just four pillars standing in square form, Han yue said Even doctor lu Cheng was surprised. Stay off the ground."
Han Yue obeyed immediately. With a metallic hum, his flying sword shot from his storage ring, widening beneath his feet. Beside him, Hei Zun's disciples followed suit: the crimson-clad disciple summoned a blade covered in Flame Inscriptions, while the purple-clad one stepped onto a blade crackling with Dark Lightning.
Doctor Lu Cheng sighed, summoning a pale green medicinal sword. It trembled slightly under his feet, but it held him aloft. Only Hei Zun rose without a tool, black Qi coiling beneath his boots as his serpent halo flickered like an eclipse.
Old Lady Shen's fingers moved in a blur, weaving ancient seals: Dragon Bind... Heaven Split... Earth Open... Spirit Convergence... and finally, the Forbidden Gate Seal.
Each sign pulsed with deep blue Qi, striking the massive array hidden beneath the dirt.
KRRRRRMMMM!!!
The ground didn't just crack, it groaned as it was torn asunder. Four massive jade pillars emerged from the earth, rotating slowly around a collapsing center. Chains as thick as ancient trees rattled violently as a giant circular symbol rose from the darkness.
Then, with a final, world-shaking thud, an ancient stone staircase rose from the abyss, leading straight into the heart of the Forbidden Mountain