Hearing these words, several people looked at the Liu brothers in surprise.
The peak of the thirteenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage might seem only a step away from Foundation Establishment, but the gap between the two could not be measured so simply.
To think that two cultivators at the thirteenth layer of Qi Refinement joining forces could display strength on par with Foundation Establishment—this was the first time Qin Sang had heard of such a thing. What a peculiar technique.
The Liu brothers looked very much alike, though their personalities differed slightly, with the elder brother, Liu Jiang, being somewhat more composed.
Liu Jiang cupped his hands and spoke neither obsequiously nor arrogantly: "Please do not laugh at us, seniors. We two brothers are identical twins and have shared a mental connection since childhood, which is the only reason we could cultivate this technique. My younger brother and I can link our souls together, making our origin soul defense somewhat stronger than others. When working together, we also have a few decent spells at our disposal, but we are far inferior to you seniors. Senior Yu exaggerates too much."
Everyone smiled, not prying further; whether to believe it or not was up to each individual.
Qingting bowed slightly, looked around at the crowd, and spoke: "Junior Brother Yu and I invited everyone to explore together because we believe in your abilities, which will make us even stronger. Junior Brother Yu has likely introduced the details of the ancient cultivator's ruins and made the pros and cons clear, so I will not repeat them. We invited you all here today simply to get a definitive answer."
Yu Daiyue also chimed in, "The magic tool to break the array requires seven people to operate. If all fellow daoists can agree, I won't need to ask anyone else. I can distribute the formation-breaking magic tools right now, and as soon as you refine them to your will, we can set out immediately."
With that, Qingting and Yu Daiyue quietly looked at Qin Sang and the others.
A silence fell; no one spoke, and the atmosphere grew slightly awkward.
Wu Yuesheng gave a light cough and said, "Senior Sister Qingting, Senior Brother Yu, I gave my word long ago and certainly will not break it. However, I have always had a question. The demonic tone restriction outside the ancient cultivator's ruins is nothing to fear, but what dangers lie within the grand array inside? Senior Brother Yu mentioned earlier that you spent years preparing and refining magic tools to break the array. Forgive my presumption, but could we take a look at them?"
Yu Daiyue glanced at Qingting. Seeing her nod, he said, "Junior Brother Wu and fellow daoists, do not worry. Senior Sister Qingting and I have probed it many times. The grand array itself poses no danger. It is an array primarily consisting of Water-element restrictions, but it is exceptionally sturdy. With only our strength, we could not shake it and had to return to the sect to search for a way to break it. Senior Sister Qingting found a magic tool called the Fire Crow Token in the records on Pagoda Peak. Since water and fire counter each other, each of us holding a Fire Crow Token to form an array and specifically target the weak points of the grand array will give us a very high chance of breaking it. That is why we invited you all to lend a hand."
Saying this, Yu Daiyue retrieved a token-shaped magic tool from his mustard seed bag and displayed it for everyone to see.
Seeing this bizarre magic tool, a flicker of surprise crossed Qin Sang's eyes. The token was less than a palm's length, pointed at both ends and disk-shaped in the upper middle. Its entire body was white—even ghastly pale—formed by countless slender bones clasping together.
Looking closer, one could see that these bones were actually in the shape of bird talons, tightly clutching together and packed into a cluster, ultimately forming the shape of a token. It was exceedingly eerie.
In the center of the clasped talons burned a clump of dark green flame. The flame shifted constantly, occasionally taking the shape of a fire crow, as if a fire crow soul were sealed inside. Bound by the bird claws, the fire crow struggled incessantly, scorching with flames to no avail, its beak opening in silent cries.
The moment Yu Daiyue took out the Fire Crow Token, an exceptionally pure surge of Fire-element power rushed toward them. Qin Sang even felt a faint burning ache on his face, showing that this token was undeniably potent.
"Each Fire Crow Token is refined from the bones of spirit birds adept at controlling fire. Gathering them was no easy task; Senior Sister Qingting and I traveled to all the major cultivation markets before finally assembling the spirit materials for seven Fire Crow Tokens. Once refined, the Fire-element power contained in the spirit birds' bones is refined into a fire crow soul. Not only is it immensely powerful, but its temperament is also violent. A Foundation Establishment cultivator is required to thoroughly tame it and command the soul at will to break the formation... The two Liu brothers surely can as well."
After finishing his introduction, Yu Daiyue passed the Fire Crow Token around for everyone to inspect.
When it reached Qin Sang, the moment his hand grasped the Fire Crow Token, a shrill screech of a fire crow abruptly echoed in his mind. Qin Sang acted as though he had heard nothing. Following Yu Daiyue's instructions, he extended a wisp of spiritual power inside to probe, which was easily scattered by the fire crow soul.
Qin Sang nodded inwardly. The fire crow soul within the token was indeed fierce; it would be difficult for a Qi Refinement cultivator to control it and make it obey commands.
However, once the fire crow soul was released to break the array, depleting its Fire-element power, he wondered if it could be replenished. If not, this magic tool probably could not be used many times, and might even be unusable after breaking the array once.
Finally, the Fire Crow Token was passed to Baiyun Shanren. After returning the token to Yu Daiyue, he stroked his long beard and mused, "Hearing the two fellow daoists' description, why does this old Daoist feel that the grand array resembles some sort of seal? Could it be that some evil entity is sealed inside? I wonder how much the two of you know about this ancient cultivator's ruins?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked at each other. They were exploring the ruins to seek treasures; if they ended up releasing an evil creature, the gains would not make up for the losses.
Qingting's expression remained unchanged as she said, "That grand array not only blocks vision, but also cuts off spiritual sense. We do not know what lies within it either. But according to the analysis of Junior Brother Yu and myself, this array does not look like a seal; it looks more like the protective grand array originally guarding the ancient cultivator's cave abode. Even if an evil entity is truly sealed inside, judging from the array's strength, the creature's power would not be too high, and with so many Foundation Establishment cultivators among us, we have no reason to fear it. Otherwise, there must be another seal inside, and we can make a decision based on the circumstances when the time comes."
Baiyun Shanren nodded gently. Liu Shan, however, suddenly spoke up: "My elder brother and I are rogue cultivators. We agreed to join the two seniors solely to search for a treasure to break through our bottleneck, and we understand that riches are sought amidst danger, so we are not afraid of any evil creatures. But my brother's and my strength is far inferior to you seniors. If it becomes clearly evident that immense danger lies behind the array, yet you insist on entering, must we brothers follow you in to die?"
Seeing that everyone seemed to agree deeply with this sentiment, Qingting and Yu Daiyue exchanged a glance. After a moment's thought, Qingting said, "Fellow Daoist Liu makes a very good point. However, Junior Brother Yu and I are also here to break through our bottleneck, and we have already paid a considerable price to locate the ruins and refine the magic tools. Unless it is a perilous place where survival is nearly impossible, we will certainly not give up.
"If any fellow daoists worry for your safety, disagree, and are unwilling to enter the ruins, we can send you back. It would be equivalent to hiring you to assist in breaking the array. In accordance with the rules of the cultivation world, you will be given a certain remuneration afterward. Since breaking the array does not carry much danger, the payment will not be very high. But in that case, starting from our departure, you must follow the arrangements of the two of us in all things."
Chapter 151