Red Phoenix Evil

At this moment, the bell chimed. Noticing the chime's calming effect, they subconsciously looked around. Unable to find its source either, they gave up and turned their attention back to the Golden Peak. "Perhaps it was someone who once did a kindness for the Jinghai Sect." Primordial Lady Yuyi turned this thought over in her mind, choosing not to probe further into the stone statue's origins. She lowered her gaze. Before the Buddha stood an altar table, while the space before the stone statue was completely empty. It seemed religious faith truly was deemed more important. The items resting on the altar table caught her eye. Aside from the pure water, candles, incense sticks, and other customary offerings, three things were clearly extraordinary. In the center sat a Buddhist shrine. The shrine stood only a foot tall, its surface carved with intricate, lively lotus reliefs of magnificent splendor, and inside stood a statue of a Bodhisattva. The whole piece was a dark red, made of a material indistinguishable to the naked eye. To the left of the shrine rested a lingzhi ruyi, upon which sat a cross-legged Bodhisattva. To the right was a perfectly round pearl. The pearl was the size of a baby's fist, free of any carvings on its surface, pure as water. Beneath the altar table lay several skeletons, all seated in the lotus posture. No signs of external wounds could be seen on their remains; it appeared they had died here silently, an eerily bizarre sight. Several other magic treasures lay beside the skeletons. A pair of arm-length golden forks laid crossed over each other, sharp and menacing. A circular, slightly convex mirror-like magic treasure, resembling a breastplate mirror. A vajra pestle, heavy and imposing. A flower basket, its blossoms surprisingly still fresh and delicate, gently swaying, shaped in the likeness of miraculous flowers from Buddhist legend. And a small jade sword, clutched in the hand of a skeleton and faintly visible between the bared fingers. These were all the magic treasures visible from outside the Golden Peak Hall. Primordial Lady Yuyi swept her gaze across each one in turn. First to be ruled out were the golden forks, the jade sword, the vajra pestle, and the breastplate mirror. These were most likely offensive or defensive treasures. At her level of cultivation, she did not lack such items; what she prized most were unorthodox treasures with unique abilities. Of the remaining four, the flower basket, lingzhi ruyi, and Buddhist shrine all carried heavy Buddhist characteristics, likely Buddhist treasures that only Buddhist cultivators could activate. Only the pure pearl was the most unique and eye-catching. Although the shrine occupied the obviously more prominent place, Primordial Lady Yuyi's gaze was still drawn to the pure pearl. Immediately after, her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, for she noticed Old Man Hunmo staring intently at the pure pearl as well, without the slightest concealment. *He has set his eyes on the pearl too. Well, it makes sense; our thoughts and discernment are much the same...* Primordial Lady Yuyi sighed inwardly, seized by hesitation. Was it worth offending Old Man Hunmo over a magic treasure whose purpose was unknown? After weighing her options, she shifted her gaze away, torn between the lingzhi ruyi and the breastplate mirror. If she could not get the pearl, obtaining a defensive magic treasure would not be a bad alternative. "Let us begin!" Old Man Hunmo spoke in a low voice. He needed Primordial Lady Yuyi's cooperation to break the restriction and claim the treasures in the hall before the seal collapsed. Primordial Lady Yuyi nodded gracefully and raised her right hand. A flash of red light flew from her sleeve, manifesting as a length of red ribbon, though its form appeared somewhat ethereal, as if it were not physical. As soon as the red ribbon appeared, it twisted, and pale figures entangled in red mist flew out one after another—every one the soul of an extraordinarily handsome and graceful man. These souls were completely naked, their faces blissfully ecstatic, as though immersed in some wondrous sensation. "Fairy's Red Phoenix Evil has grown even more refined," Old Man Hunmo remarked with a glance, a trace of wariness hidden in his tone. Primordial Lady Yuyi gazed tenderly at the souls, her eyes rippling like spring waters. Letting out a coquettish chuckle, she tapped her jade finger lightly toward the Golden Peak Hall. Whoosh! The red ribbon lunged at the restriction, instantly dispersing like a cloud of mist. The men's expressions warped drastically; turning ferociously vicious, they threw themselves at the restriction as though stripped of all reason, gnawing at it ravenously. Old Man Hunmo gave the scene a deep look, then flashed to another door. Raising his black bamboo staff, he drove it slowly into the restriction, his eyes half-closed. The next moment, the Golden Peak Hall shook violently, its restriction shuddering incessantly. ... Inside the hall. The exit of the secret passage lay right behind the stone statue. Concealed within the secret passage, Qin Sang felt the violent tremors from the restriction. His gaze sharpened as he monitored the restriction while keeping a vigilant eye on the shifts in the seal behind him. Should the seal crumble prematurely, he would have no choice but to evacuate first. The layout of the hall resurfaced in his mind. Qin Sang's target was likewise locked onto that pearl. Although he lacked a handy defensive magic treasure, relying on the Thunder Escape technique and his Nascent Soul talisman puppet was sufficient to handle most dangers, so it was not an urgent need. As for the blessed vajra pestle Tan Hao had specifically requested, it lay closest to the secret passage. Qin Sang knew that what Tan Hao truly wanted might not necessarily be that pestle; it was simply the easiest one to retrieve. ... Boom! Boom! Rumble... Loud explosions resounded continuously across the Jinghai Sect, drowning out even the chiming bell. Both the pagoda and the Golden Peak trembled violently. Realized Master Chijie forced himself to ignore the chilling cold on his shoulder and focused on breaking the restriction. The three of them remained on high alert against one another, poised to be the first to charge in once the pagoda was breached. In comparison, Old Man Hunmo and Primordial Lady Yuyi appeared far more harmonious. Primordial Lady Yuyi held a peculiar incantation gesture with her jade fingers, remaining motionless; only the Red Phoenix Evil and the men were busy, melting into the restriction bit by bit. Old Man Hunmo was as steady as a pine. The black light radiating from his black bamboo staff had already corrupted a large swath of the restriction. As time passed, the Buddhist light shrouding the Golden Peak Hall dimmed further and shook with increasing violence. Right at that moment, the spiritual array in the sky suddenly split open, and several figures flew in. Each radiated a powerful aura—all were Nascent Soul cultivators. Due to the dissipation of the scarlet flame aura, the sect-protecting grand formation had developed more and more flaws. Though these people had entered the array even later than Old Man Hunmo, they had managed to force their way in surprisingly quickly. With no time to rest, they immediately took in the situation at the Golden Peak and the pagoda. Exchanging glances, they lunged toward the Golden Peak without hesitation, even with Old Man Hunmo present. Yet Old Man Hunmo and Primordial Lady Yuyi paid them no mind at all, for the restriction was on the verge of breaking. By the time those people arrived, all they would see was an empty Buddhist hall! Inside the secret passage. Qin Sang sensed the scarlet flame aura behind him turning increasingly violent as the seal marched toward collapse; his expression grew exceedingly grave. He could not see what was happening outside, but he was certain that the power of the restriction over the Golden Peak Hall was rapidly draining away. *Now!* Qin Sang cried out in his heart and crushed the talisman in his hand with force. Pu! In the herb garden, the talisman in Tan Hao's hand erupted into a ball of flame. Tan Hao's eyes snapped sharp. Shaking off the fireball, he paced through the Big Dipper steps and activated the set of array implements Qin Sang had given him, all of which were positioned at critical nodes of the herb garden's restriction. At the same time, he rubbed his palm vigorously against the Misty Rain Pot. Boom! The dense purple mist abruptly surged in a violent upheaval, rocketing toward the heavens and staining the sky purplish-red. Within the purplish-red mist, phantom silhouettes of spirit herbs flickered faintly. The sudden phenomenon drew everyone's gaze in an instant. Even Old Man Hunmo and Primordial Lady Yuyi were startled by the spectacle!