In the end, they determined that only the Grand Shaman and Old Devil Fang could enter the toxic lake.
The others remained outside.
The Grand Shaman and Old Devil Fang took turns deploying their methods to ward off the poison as they searched the toxic lake thoroughly.
Suddenly, the Grand Shaman's expression shifted. He plunged straight to the lakebed, where he found an ancient, unadorned stone platform!
The moment his palm brushed the stone platform, a searing heat flared along his arm, and divine runes flickered faintly.
"An ancient divine rune restriction!"
The Grand Shaman could not help but exclaim in astonishment.
***
At the edge of the Spirit-Suppressing Domain.
Among the rugged peaks, within a forest of stone spires atop one mountain, two figures—one standing, one sitting—remained entirely silent.
They were none other than the Dongji Alliance Leader and Su Nü.
Su Nü's eyes darted about, filled with sheer dread. Her cultivation and movements were sealed; she could not budge an inch.
After being forced by the Dongji Alliance Leader to swallow Soul-Cleansing Liquid and spirit pills, she had been brought into the Secluded Valley and kept waiting here for a long time, unaware of who they were awaiting.
Despair engulfed Su Nü.
When Venerable Ye made no move against her in the Trial Realm, she had assumed she was safe, never imagining that a greater catastrophe awaited her.
Her premonitions had been correct all along: the Dongji Alliance had groomed her for an ulterior motive. Yet the Dongji Alliance Leader was among the paramount figures in the realm, leaving her completely powerless to resist.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
A gust of fierce wind swept past as two figures arrived one after the other—the Western Nether Alliance Leader and the Beichen Alliance Leader.
The sight of them only deepened Su Nü's horror and despair.
The Dongji Alliance Leader rose to greet them, asking impatiently, "Did things go smoothly for you two?"
The other two alliance leaders had gone to breach the other two main sacrificial altars. Though less troublesome than the one in the Trial Realm, their task had carried far greater peril.
Both sites lay deep within the Inner Hall, dense with spatial rifts—places almost unreachable by human cultivators.
The two leaders appeared somewhat pale, having clearly sustained minor internal injuries, though not enough to severely impede them.
"Fortunately, we did not fail our mission!"
The Beichen Alliance Leader smiled faintly and countered, "Judging by Fellow Daoist Baili's expression, you must have succeeded as well? It was all thanks to your ingenious plan that we could pull this off."
"I must also thank Fellow Daoist Ye," the Dongji Alliance Leader replied with modest deference. "For the sake of our immortal paths, giving our utmost is only natural."
"I only fear you've been far too devoted!"
The Western Nether Alliance Leader, known as Qingyun, let out a cold snort. Her gaze shifted onto Su Nü, turning frosty and mocking. "A Five Yin Exquisite Body—to think you actually found one! Even bringing my disciple with the Yin Meridian Body up there would have been better than this!"
"Taking both would naturally be ideal, but even with the three of us pooling our secret arts, we can only barely shield one person to ascend Yitian Peak. Fellow Daoist Qingyun needn't worry. The three of us agreed to advance and retreat as one; regardless of whom we bring, the credit belongs to all three of us. Besides, that old devil is no fool. If we couldn't find the supreme Nine-Turn Cha Yin Body to serve as his vessel, we certainly couldn't hoodwink him with a mere Yin Meridian Body. If he felt we hadn't put our hearts into it, we would all suffer. A Five Yin Exquisite Body is just right..."
The Beichen Alliance Leader assessed Su Nü and added with a hint of regret, "Pity she is only at the Core Formation stage."
After consuming the pills and the Soul-Cleansing Liquid, Su Nü's cultivation had skyrocketed, yet her attempt to form a Nascent Soul had ultimately failed.
"Her cultivation time was too brief, and her foundation lacked depth. Forcing a breakthrough with medicinal pills and Soul-Cleansing Liquid left her foundation unstable. Ancient demon cultivation methods are equally brutal at this hurdle, and her chances of forming a Nascent Soul were already slim. Failing was only natural. The peak of the Core Formation stage is just enough to meet the threshold, so it shouldn't provoke the old devil's wrath..." the Dongji Alliance Leader explained.
The three of them casually discussed such dreadful matters right before Su Nü's eyes.
"What, did you truly intend to hand the old devil a Nascent Soul stage body?"
The Western Nether Alliance Leader showed her impatience. "Enough nonsense. Undo her seals at once; I need to place my insurance."
The Dongji Alliance Leader took no offense. Raising his hand, he withdrew the restraining force binding Su Nü.
Su Nü spun around to flee, but before her foot could even touch down, she was frozen in place once more.
"Quite audacious, aren't you!"
The Western Nether Alliance Leader sneered and made a grasping motion, dragging Su Nü flying backward into her grasp.
Flicking her fingers in rapid succession, restrictions took shape in midair like a talisman, slowly drifting toward the glabella of Su Nü's brow, only to be halted by the Beichen Alliance Leader.
"Stop! The glabella is too conspicuous; the old devil might notice!"
The Western Nether Alliance Leader glanced at him, her delicate brows knitting slightly. After a brief consideration, she shrank the talisman and struck it into Su Nü's left wrist, where it vanished without a trace.
The Beichen Alliance Leader and the Dongji Alliance Leader also took turns applying their own measures.
The Dongji Alliance Leader implanted an illusory sword shadow hidden within her other arm, while the Beichen Alliance Leader fastened a ring-shaped restriction around Su Nü's waist.
Only after inspecting her thoroughly did the three feel at ease.
Su Nü had no strength to resist. She could only watch helplessly as her body was treated like a chess piece, manipulated entirely at their whim. The restrictions sank into her flesh without any physical sensation, yet she knew with absolute certainty that this would bring nothing good!
With their fail-safes in place, the three alliance leaders shifted, taking positions around Su Nü. True essence surged from their palms, runes flashing before coalescing into a transparent barrier that enveloped her.
"Let's go."
Flanking Su Nü, the three sped toward Yitian Peak.
The moment they crossed into the Spirit-Suppressing Domain, the immense pressure bore down. The barrier creaked and distorted, but the trio continually infused true essence into it until it stabilized.
Su Nü remained unharmed.
Without lingering, they headed straight for Yitian Peak.
***
On the other side of the Spirit-Suppressing Domain.
Several figures sat cross-legged inside a mountain cave, their eyes closed as they regulated their breath, silent and motionless as corpses.
Among them sat none other than the Demon Lord!
Just then, the Demon Lord's eyes snapped open, a sharp gleam flashing within. Rising to his feet, he murmured, "They are finally here! Fellow Daoist Mou, it is time for us to move as well."
A dark shadow stirred at the edge of the cavern, emitting a bizarre laugh. "After waiting this long, I thought your grand plan was going to fall through."
"After preparing for so long, how could I return empty-handed? I was merely waiting for the other guests to take the stage..."
The Demon Lord turned to the others and commanded, "Wait on the periphery. If any unforeseen event occurs, I will lure the adversary down the mountain. Be ready to activate the Five Elements Inversion Killing Formation at a moment's notice to surround and execute them."
"Understood!"
The Demon Lord and Old Devil Mou emerged from the cave, masking their auras as they quietly crept toward Yitian Peak.
"This time, I will need Fellow Daoist Mou to lend your full support," the Demon Lord transmitted.
Old Devil Mou replied coldly, "I am practically a stray dog now. After you and that old bull-nosed Daoist shattered my foundation, I exhausted all my wealth just to recover eighty percent. If I cannot heal my wounds, advancing will be impossible, and even maintaining my current cultivation will prove difficult. I am dependent on you to heal my injuries—how could I dare disobey?"
The Demon Lord smiled faintly. "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist. Once the matter is settled, I shall take full responsibility for your past grudges. The righteous path will not trouble you, and I will do everything in my power to help you break through to the late Nascent Soul stage."
"And that brat from the Qiongyu Guild! Even if you must search from the highest heavens to the depths of the underworld, you must find him for me!" Old Devil Mou gnashed his teeth in fury.
His current wretched state was entirely the result of trying to flush Qin Sang out. What infuriated him most was that after paying such a steep price, the boy had vanished without a trace.
The Demon Lord wore a peculiar look. "He was likely terrified into hiding by you. As long as he is still breathing, he cannot stay hidden forever. I will mobilize the full might of the demonic path to find him. I'd certainly like to see what sort of character could reduce the exalted Master of Tianfeng Island to such a state."
Chapter 1061