Schemes

The Inner Hall. The Nascent Soul cultivators entering the Inner Hall this time, aside from those eligible to take part in the trials, all followed Lingzhuzi through the left gate of the Hall of Seven Kills. Passing through a long corridor, a speck of light appeared ahead. An already open stone gate presented itself before them. Outside the gate was an elevated platform. Gale-force winds howled inward, bitterly cold and desolate. To one's surprise, facing mere yin winds, these Nascent Soul cultivators all circulated their true essence or activated the protective astral shields of their spirit robes to resist it. It seemed the yin winds here were far from ordinary. Lingzhuzi was the first to step outside, standing at the edge of the platform and gazing into the distance, while the rest filed out behind him. Even here, the various factions remained clearly demarcated. The cultivators of the righteous and demonic paths clustered around Lingzhuzi and the Demon Master, respectively. The people of the Three Great Merchant Alliances stayed together, the three alliance leaders gesturing toward the Inner Hall as they communicated secretly via divine sense transmissions. The other forces, large and small, did not draw close to any of these three sides, instinctively banding together among themselves. They watched the movements of the righteous and demonic paths and the merchant alliances, refraining from acting rashly. "A century has passed, yet the Inner Hall remains unchanged as ever." Lingzhuzi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, sighing with emotion. The platform they stood upon was actually constructed against a sheer cliff. On the mirror-smooth precipice, only this single cavern and platform served as the entrance to the Inner Hall. Beneath the cliff lay an abyss tens of thousands of feet deep, pitch-black, from which yin winds blew up relentlessly like the wails of ghosts, striking terror into the heart. Gazing outward: Immortal restrictions drifted in the air. Ahead stretched a thousand peaks and myriad ravines. In some places, extraordinary glows shimmered, marking ancient ruins, but also concealing danger. Yet there was no heavenly scenery here. The entire Inner Hall was cast in a gloomy tone. Yin winds swept through every corner, eerie wails echoing incessantly, and faint black mist drifted everywhere like ghostly miasma. Broken walls and ruined masonry could be seen on every side; riverbeds were parched dry, completely devoid of life. Even entire peaks had collapsed, loose rubble filling craters and ravines in a desolate tableau. Coupled with the perilous restrictions everywhere, the entire Inner Hall resembled a ghostly domain. Anyone entering would instinctively be on utmost alert. "Ever since the Four Sages discovered the Hall of Seven Kills, this place has never changed! One day, this seat will uncover every secret of the Hall of Seven Kills and see just what happened to the ancient cultivation world that severed the immortal path for us later generations!" The Demon Master arched an eyebrow, fierce and unyielding. His words rang out with ringing conviction. Among the Nascent Soul cultivators present, many felt the same way, and sighs arose. Having stood out in this ruined age to achieve the Nascent Soul stage, had they lived in ancient times, they certainly would have been standout figures among cultivators, with limitless futures. Especially the two great cultivators, the Demon Master and Lingzhuzi. Yet born in the wrong era, they could see no hope in the immortal path, not daring even to dream of the Deity Transformation stage, merely scraping by and struggling to survive under the constant threat of one heavenly tribulation after another. How was this any different from withered bones in a tomb? Leaving those words behind, the Demon Master drifted away, and the other Nascent Soul cultivators gathered their wits and sprang into action one after another. Lingzhuzi sighed softly, turning his head to say, "Once the immortal restrictions begin to fluctuate, it indicates that the Inner Hall is about to close. Time is limited. Whatever you fellow Daoists wish to do, make haste and set off." With that, Lingzhuzi also departed with his entourage. All at once, streaks of escaping light shot out from the platform, speeding off in different directions. Among them, the people of the Three Great Merchant Alliances still did not separate. Led by the three alliance leaders, the group did not head straight for the depths of the Inner Hall, but instead flew toward the left of the platform, landing before long on a mountain covered in dilapidated structures. After the Nascent Soul cultivators had departed... A barely perceptible ripple stirred in the immortal restriction atop the precipice. The old woman, concealed amidst the restriction's rosy light, swept her gaze across those departing cultivators, then surveyed the surrounding restrictions. "The immortal restrictions here are normal, and the restrictions left by the ancestors haven't changed at all. Why did it appear ahead of time..." Her face full of bewilderment, the old woman tapped her cane and vanished into thin air. On the mountain. The cultivators of the Three Great Merchant Alliances touched down. Looking up, what they could see was actually only the lower half of the mountain; the peak was entirely enveloped in immortal restrictions, rendering the scene inside invisible. While the others waited in place, the three alliance leaders quietly glided to the edge of the immortal restriction. That red-faced elder—the Beichen Alliance Leader—casually laid down an isolating restriction, formed a hand seal, and after a moment of silence said, "There is no one nearby." The Dongji Alliance Leader nodded, looking up at the mountain peak. "This is the true location of the Trial Realm, hidden entirely within the immortal restriction. Once the formation is laid, we will split up according to our agreement. I will remain here to unseal the divine altar hidden inside the Trial Realm, while you two fellow Daoists quickly depart for the other locations. Unseal all the divine altars as soon as possible, and do not miss the opportunity—success or failure hinges on this one move!" The Beichen Alliance Leader nodded slightly. The Western Nether Alliance Leader remained silent, but raised no objection. The three alliance leaders conferred briefly, then retrieved extraordinarily precious treasures one after another from their mustard seed bags, working together to set up a peculiar grand formation. The formation's position was extremely concealed, emitting not the slightest fluctuation. It was impossible to discern its purpose, nor why it required three alliance leaders working together to arrange it. "We leave this place to you, Fellow Daoist. Let us go." The Beichen Alliance Leader called out to the Western Nether Alliance Leader, leading their people away from the mountain. Once the others had departed, the Dongji Alliance Leader looked up and stared at the immortal restriction for a time, then sat cross-legged on the sacrificial altar in the center of the formation, closing his eyes in quiet meditation. An unknown amount of time passed. The Dongji Alliance Leader abruptly snapped his eyes open, a sharp glint flashing within them. He raised both hands, his fingers moving like spinning wheels as he rapidly formed seals, casting one incantation seal after another into various parts of the grand formation. *Buzz...* The divine altar trembled gently. Yet the grand formation as a whole remained remarkably tranquil, without any conspicuous disturbance. Even if someone were right beside this mountain, it would be difficult to notice anything amiss. Finally, the Dongji Alliance Leader fully activated the formation. In an instant, countless circular mirrors seemed to appear within the formation, dim and murky. In the center of each mirror, a hazy greenish mist loomed faintly, bordering on nothingness. The Dongji Alliance Leader did not stop, chanting the incantation with rapt concentration. The ripples across the mirrors grew larger and larger. Those wisps of mist, like trapped fish unable to escape the bounds of the formation, began condensing toward the center. As the Dongji Alliance Leader's incantation neared its conclusion, the form of this mist shifted drastically into something like flying swords lacking hilts—illusory blades without physical substance. The illusory blades pointed up at the formation in midair, their sharp edge fully bared. Having completed this step, the Dongji Alliance Leader paused momentarily, seeming to feel the strain. After ingesting a few spirit pills, he resumed casting the incantation. The form of the blades shifted once more; what had retained a faint greenish tint now turned completely transparent—purely illusory blades invisible to the naked eye. "Phew!" The Dongji Alliance Leader let out a long breath. Opening his eyes and looking at the illusory blades floating around him, a hint of delight appeared on his face. He then retrieved a medallion from his mustard seed bag, gripping it in hand and making no further move. The illusory blades hovered beneath the restriction. The Dongji Alliance Leader seemed to be waiting for an opportune moment.