While Great Sage Tianpeng and Demon King Huangmei were conferring, several demon kings around them were busily at work.
The assembled fiends and demons were currently standing upon a flight of white jade steps.
This was the deepest part of the sea of clouds.
After considerable effort, breaking through layer upon layer of ancient restrictions, the band of demons and fiends had arrived here one after another.
To their surprise, the deep valley presented a scene of utter desolation.
Upon arriving, they did not see the treasures they had envisioned, nor was there any treasure pavilion or similar place. There was only a three-tiered circular platform of white jade whose entirety could not be taken in at a single glance.
The platform was colossal. Each tier stood twice the height of a man. Though its surface bore no beautiful carvings or motifs, it was constructed from flawless white jade.
Contrasted against the rugged cliffs and scattered boulders all around, it appeared all the more pure and magnificent.
Raging flames erupted from the platform's center.
A pillar of fire soared a hundred zhang into the air.
It was a kind of spiritual fire they had never seen before, radiantly multicolored. Even standing at the edge of the platform, one could not feel the slightest heat; it seemed almost unreal.
After countless years, the spiritual fire had still not extinguished and could still muster such staggering momentum, enough to awe everyone present.
It was hard to imagine what an astonishing sight it must have been in ancient times!
When the demons and fiends first caught sight of the massive platform and raging fire, they were stunned. Only after a dazed pause did they think to soar to the top of the platform to observe it up close.
The center of the circular platform was actually hollow, with only enough space along the rim for a few people to stand side by side.
Peering down, all that met their eyes were raging flames; nothing else could be seen.
The demons and fiends vaguely sensed that something lay beneath the flames. After circling the platform once, they indeed found two exceptionally thick chains plunging into the fiery depths.
The two chains happened to be anchored to opposite sides of the platform, jointly tethering something below. Forged from an unknown material, they had been tempered in the fire through countless ages without suffering the slightest damage.
The fiends and demons tried to haul the chains, but could not budge them in the least.
Several demon kings had even assumed their true demon forms, wielding monumental strength capable of shaking mountains, yet they still failed to raise a single chain.
Had this been anywhere else, they might have suspected that some evil entity was sealed beneath the platform and would not have dared act so recklessly.
Instead, based on the designs carved on the cauldrons in Danxiang Pavilion and discoveries made in other places, they had pinpointed this deep valley and deduced that it was most likely a treasure trove.
The circular platform was like a giant cauldron for refining artifacts, and the flames were spiritual fire that had tempered the treasure at the end of the chains for countless years.
Once such a treasure saw the light of day, what kind of power would it possess?
At the thought of this possibility, the breathing of the demons and fiends grew somewhat heavier.
Upon closer inspection, they discovered that the flames inside the platform were truly peculiar: half resembled spiritual fire, while the other half seemed conjured by the power of restrictions—a strange and unseen force.
Yet this did not stop them from devising a solution.
The treasure appeared to be sealed beneath the flames. As long as they attacked relentlessly to disperse the fire and break the seal's power, there was a high likelihood they could retrieve what lay below.
Realizing this, the fiends and demons, who had previously been at each other's throats, temporarily put aside their grievances.
Before even seeing the treasure, with Xuantian Palace watching like a tiger from outside, fighting to the death right now was meaningless.
Led by Great Sage Tianpeng and Old Man Hunmo, the demons and fiends tacitly split up. Taking up positions on the left and right, each faction occupied one iron chain and got busy.
As it turned out, their efforts bore remarkable fruit!
Sparing no effort and displaying their prowess, the demons and fiends unleashed a dazzling array of magic treasures and divine abilities. The momentum of the fire pillar was now far weaker than before, and the seal's power had diminished considerably.
Barring any accidents, it would not be long before the treasure emerged.
Even as he spoke with Demon King Huangmei, Great Sage Tianpeng did not forget to attack the flames within the hollow.
Xuantian Palace could have arrived early or late, yet they chose this crucial juncture to appear.
After a brief hesitation, Great Sage Tianpeng's figure swayed and turned into a streak of golden light, circling around to the other side of the platform. The fiends along the way halted their attacks one after another, their faces full of vigilance.
Ignoring everyone else, Great Sage Tianpeng walked straight up to Old Man Hunmo.
Listening to what he had to say, Old Man Hunmo narrowed his eyes slightly and said coldly, "Peril lurks at every step in this valley. Yin Changsheng won't find it so easy to get here! Still, the fact that Xuantian Palace is only arriving now has exceeded this old man's expectations. We wasted a fair bit of time opening Yong'an Pavilion; I thought Yin Changsheng would have entered back then."
Having lost the lingzhi ruyi, they could not control the opening and closing of the stone tablet space, nor could they conceal the commotion caused when it opened.
If Xuantian Palace sent someone to investigate, they would easily detect the anomaly.
Thus, after entering the stone tablet space, the demons and fiends had no heart for internal strife, focusing entirely on hunting for treasure. Only if a treasure appeared directly before their eyes would they come to blows.
Yong'an Pavilion was the very core of all the halls and pavilions within the stone tablet space.
Great Sage Tianpeng said impassively, "Perhaps the arrangements we left in Yong'an Pavilion took effect and bought us a bit of time. Yong'an Pavilion was so grand—the grandest this Great Sage has ever seen in his life, rivaling an immortal palace and far more enticing than this place. They will definitely head there first. However, now that Yin Changsheng has tracked us down, we can no longer leave things to chance. Xuantian Palace has controlled the Sacred Ground for so many years; who can say how much they hold in their grasp? Perhaps they have a way to affect this place! If Fellow Daoist scavenged any treasures from Yong'an Hall that are connected to this place, it is time to bring them out. Any later, and we may end up drawing water with a sieve."
Old Man Hunmo smiled without answering, giving nothing away.
Seeing that he could not probe the old fiend's depth, Great Sage Tianpeng snorted inwardly and looked down at the chains. "After attacking for so long, the seal's power is far weaker than before. It is time to pull the chains up. This Great Sage possesses a divine ability that can add a measure of brute force. Fellow Daoist surely has similar methods, yes?"
"Haul it up by force?"
Old Man Hunmo frowned slightly and turned to look toward the valley's entrance.
Clouds and mist swirled around the mountains, layered with ancient restrictions. Though the entrance was hidden from view, one could well imagine that Xuantian Palace was rapidly closing in.
Great Sage Tianpeng's words were not without reason.
Even if the demons and fiends joined forces and possessed the strength to contend with them, which of them was not an old fox who valued his own life like gold?
Not only did Xuantian Palace have Yin Changsheng and a spirit treasure, but they were also of the same sect. Unlike these fiends and demons, who harbored their own schemes and were a scattered sheet of loose sand, they would certainly be at a disadvantage once a clash occurred.
"Very well," Old Man Hunmo nodded slightly. "From what I see, what is tethered to the chains might not be a single magic treasure or spirit treasure as we guessed, but a colossal entity. If it turns out to be something like a treasure pavilion, there will be plenty for all of us to share."
Great Sage Tianpeng gave a chuckle, offering neither agreement nor disagreement. He leapt back to the opposite side and called the demon kings together to discuss the matter.
The other fiends and demons were equally wary of Xuantian Palace. Once Yin Changsheng arrived, their chances of securing any treasure would become even slimmer.
Reaching a consensus swiftly, the demons and fiends brought forth their signature abilities, sparing no effort as they attacked the seal.
For a time, the flames in the center of the platform surged and ebbed erratically, and the seal grew increasingly chaotic.
Great Sage Tianpeng fixed his gaze on the iron chains. Watching for the right moment, golden light suddenly erupted across his entire body, and he directly assumed his true demon form, transforming into a golden-winged peng bird. His massive wings spread like clouds blotting out the heavens, extraordinarily magnificent.
Chapter 1506