Opportunity

*Whoosh!* The incarnation recalled the Ice-Fire Tokens. Seeing that they were undamaged, his mind eased, and he began carefully examining the entire space. Although he was still far from Deity Transformation, with a tribulation-crossing array right before his eyes, how could his heart not be stirred? After some observation, he determined that the core of the tribulation-crossing array lay in the Taiji Immortal Terrace, the Ice-Fire Tokens, the jade disc, and another treasure whose whereabouts were unknown. Although the restrictions on the four walls also played a role, their greatest value was capturing the projection of a Deity Transformation tribulation crossing for descendants to study and comprehend. "One ice and one fire—or more accurately, one yin and one yang. The other treasure is certainly an item of extreme yang, and the odds are highest that it belongs to the Fire Element..." The incarnation's gaze swept over the yin and yang poles of the immortal terrace. Clearly, the jade disc and the other unknown treasure were the crux of the array, absolutely indispensable! The cold fiend qi of the ice disc was unique. From this, one could infer that the other treasure must also possess a very special power, making it difficult to substitute with anything else. *Could that treasure be in the Fire Phase Hall?* The incarnation fell into thought. During the heyday of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, Deity Transformation cultivators had emerged one after another, which was bound to be connected to this spirit array. A tribulation-crossing array could not possibly have been monopolized by the Water Phase lineage alone. He recalled what he had discovered outside earlier. The ice disc served as the array eye's treasure stabilizing Bingyi Palace's grand array, while the grand array simultaneously accelerated the rate at which the ice disc recovered. Every Deity Transformation tribulation crossing would greatly deplete the ice disc's power, requiring it to be placed on the ice terrace to be nurtured and restored. The other treasure would surely be no exception, and the Fire Phase lineage likely possessed a similar arrangement. However, during the great turmoil, the ice disc had been carried out of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, and through a twist of fate, it had ended up in his hands. Had the other treasure also ended up scattered outside? Qin Sang had no way of knowing, and he inwardly sensed that recreating the tribulation-crossing array would be no easy feat. It remained unknown whose hands the Wuxiang Immortal Sect would ultimately fall into, and the Taiji Immortal Terrace could not be moved away. Even if he found the other treasure, he would still need to cast a Taiji Immortal Terrace and refine Ice-Fire Tokens. The incarnation rose and stepped down from the immortal terrace. His eyes shone with fervent light as his divine consciousness continuously swept between the Taiji Immortal Terrace and the Ice-Fire Tokens, analyzing the array's runes and restrictions. He possessed some attainment in restrictions, and gradually, clues began to emerge. Essentially, the tribulation-crossing array relied primarily on the two treasures. The Taiji Immortal Terrace and the Ice-Fire Tokens served as mediums between the two treasures, stabilizing their powers of extreme yin and extreme yang, preventing the two forces from colliding directly, and allowing them to be harnessed by a cultivator. Having understood their functions, he had a starting point, a thread to follow. With dedicated comprehension, recreating it was by no means impossible. There was no method recorded here for forging the spirit array or refining the Ice-Fire Tokens, so he could only grope his way forward on his own. Fortunately, the Taiji Immortal Terrace was intact. Sensing the power of the ice disc, even though the spirit array was not fully activated, it was enough for the incarnation to clearly discern the warding runes and their operating principles. The spirit array was exceedingly intricate, and he naturally could not grasp it immediately. Whether he understood them or not, he forcibly committed every single variation to memory, intending to ponder them at leisure once he returned. In contrast, the Ice-Fire Tokens were somewhat more troublesome. Without a complete artifact-refining technique, he could only reverse-engineer the refinement method from the Ice-Fire Tokens. The difficulty was immense. Qin Sang knew full well that restoring the genuine Ice-Fire Tokens was impossible, so he could only do his utmost to imitate them. Lacking a complete set of Five Phases Tokens, that was precisely what Zhu Wudao had done. As for what fraction of their power the imitation Ice-Fire Tokens would retain, Qin Sang did not dare make any assertions for now. Fortunately, he had immersed himself in the art of artifact refining for many years, so he was confident he could manage it. ... Meanwhile, as Qin Sang's incarnation was exploring Bingyi Palace... Northern Mount Dishou. The Wood Phase Hall. *Rumble!* Great swathes of the forest came crashing down. The wooden palaces built atop the canopy collapsed one after another in its wake. There was no smoke or dust, only wood chips and green leaves flying in all directions, as emerald rays coalesced into a massive tide of light surging forth from the source of the collapse. What the emerald light brought was not vitality, but thick, murderous intent! Suddenly, a figure emerged at the forefront of the light tide. Originally of ordinary human height, the moment it was about to be submerged by the surging light, it rapidly inflated, transforming into a towering giant. *Thud! Thud!* The mountain forest quaked. The giant swung his arms and broke into a sprint through the woods. Ancient trees towered within the Wood Phase Hall, their canopies so dense not a breath of wind could pass, forming an emerald ocean. Now, one could clearly see a path torn through it, spreading rapidly outward. The giant sprinted wild and unchecked. Ancient trees that appeared sturdy proved exceptionally fragile before him; with a single shove or collision, swathes of ancient trees collapsed, snapped, or were even ripped up by the roots. Had the forest alone been barring his path, there would have been no need for the giant to cause destruction on such a grand scale. The damaged ancient trees were actually collateral damage caught in the shockwaves of the giant breaking through the restrictions. Wherever there were no restrictions, as the giant passed by, the vines in the forest grew taut and the ancient trees swayed. Controlled by some sort of power, they parted to clear a path ahead, not impeding the giant's sprint in the slightest. *Thud! Thud! Thud!* The giant did not pause his strides. His pace seemed unhurried, yet a single leap carried him across vast stretches of forest, keeping him consistently ahead of the surging tide of light. Right then, the giant seemed to sense something and ground to an abrupt halt. Both feet slammed into the ground. The staggering force transferred into the earth, immediately throwing up a tall, circular wave of soil that expanded outward. Amid a roaring crash, the surrounding ancient trees toppled in all directions. An open clearing appeared around the giant, finally revealing his full appearance. Like a human, the giant possessed four limbs, a torso, and even facial features, but his stature was immense. His skin was coarse like tree bark, and his arms and fingers were slender and elongated like branches, making him look like a spirit born from an enlightened ancient tree. *Whoosh!* Fixing his gaze ahead, he raised both arms high and threw both fists forward with ferocious power! *Boom!* Strange light rippled through the empty air. An invisible barrier that had stood ahead now revealed itself, a large hole violently smashed open by the giant's fists. The edges of the breach writhed, looking as though they would mend in the blink of an eye. Spotting his moment, the giant shook his shoulders, bursts of dense green light erupting as his silhouette twisted, and he threw his entire body through the barrier. In the next instant, the giant vanished, and an ordinary human silhouette appeared outside the barrier—none other than the scar-faced man! *Whoosh...* The tide of light surged close behind, but the barrier had already reformed, blocking it back. The scar-faced man glanced back, breathed a soft sigh of relief, then raised his right hand. Looking at the Wood Phase Token in his palm, he frowned and muttered to himself, "This thing cannot control the Wood Phase Hall's grand array, so what purpose does it actually serve? When the five lineages refined the Five Phases Tokens back then, could it really have been solely to control the sect-protecting grand array?" He had parted ways with Cave Master Qiling to come to the Wood Phase Hall in person to claim the treasure. He had assumed that with the Wood Phase Token in hand, it would be an easy task. Unexpectedly, the Wood Phase Token had no effect whatsoever on the Wood Phase Hall's grand array. He had been forced to force his way through the entire time, repeatedly triggering counterattacks and facing perils at every turn. Fortunately, the Wood Phase Hall was currently masterless, with no one operating the spirit array or restrictions. Though it had been arduous, he had successfully retrieved his target treasure. However, the trip had taken longer than anticipated. With his heart set on the Sword Tomb in the Immortal Palace, the scar-faced man had to retreat, temporarily abandoning any thought of scouring the Wood Phase Hall further. Before departing, he had tampered with something in the Wood Phase Hall before breaking out from another direction. Any cultivators who subsequently explored the Wood Phase Hall would surely suffer heavy casualties, buying him time. The Immortal Palace was certainly important. Yet he had obtained only a portion of the Wood Phase Hall's legacy, and the leftover treasures of the hall still held immense appeal for him. The tide of light gradually receded. Without looking back, the scar-faced man flew out of the forest and sped westward toward the precipice. Gazing toward the precipice from afar, a strange look gradually crept onto his face. He remembered clearly that before he entered the Wood Phase Hall, an eye-catching anomaly had appeared atop the precipice. Yet now, the place was completely silent. The strange phenomenon had vanished, leaving him all the more uneasy. The earlier phenomenon meant they had begun activating the teleportation array. What had happened after that? Subconsciously quickening his pace, the scar-faced man traversed mountains and ridges westward. He had no idea how far he had flown when his gaze was suddenly drawn by a deep blue light glowing in the sky not far away. "The Water Phase Hall..." The scar-faced man was somewhat familiar with the layout of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect. At the very least, he knew the approximate locations of the Five Phases Halls and Mount Dishou. The five lineages surrounded Mount Dishou. The Wood Phase Hall lay in the north, while the Water Phase Hall was located slightly north of west. The Fire Phase Hall lay due south; he had passed it earlier on his way here, though he had not entered. The Metal Phase Hall was east of Mount Dishou, and the Earth Phase Hall lay even farther east of the Metal Phase Hall. The layout of the Five Phases Halls was irregular, as they were constructed according to the flow of spirit veins, with various halls and pavilions like the Langhuan Jade Pavilion and Mingdu Hall interspersed between the five lineages. "What a ruin of broken walls and shattered rubble!" Seeing the state of the Water Phase Hall, the thought could not help but cross his mind. The damage to the Water Phase Hall was noticeably worse than to the Wood Phase Hall, its devastation second only to that of the Fire Phase Hall. One could only wonder about the condition of the Earth and Metal Phase Halls. However, deep blue light permeated the sky above the Water Phase Hall, showing that remnants of the spirit array's power still lingered. Exploring it would not necessarily be easy. Just as the scar-faced man was about to sweep past the Water Phase Hall, he suddenly sensed something and halted outside Bingyi Palace. His expression turned surprised. Staring deep into Bingyi Palace, a flicker of temptation flashed in his eyes. Hesitating briefly, he looked back toward the precipice once more. With cultivation like his, how could he not understand how to weigh his priorities? The Immortal Palace was more important after all. Giving the depths of the deep blue light a lingering look, the scar-faced man bypassed Bingyi Palace and broke through the air, speeding away. After another stretch of flight, the summit of the precipice remained dead silent, deepening his unease. Before he even reached the precipice, he unexpectedly ran into Cave Master Qiling. "Why did you come down?!" The scar-faced man's face instantly darkened. Cave Master Qiling's robes were disheveled, as though he had just been through a fight. He snorted, and just as he was about to explain, he remembered something and asked impatiently, "Did you get it?" Suppressing his displeasure, the scar-faced man tossed him a wooden box. "Did that bastard Zhu Wudao go back on his word?" "Good! Good! Good!" Cave Master Qiling praised repeatedly, scrutinizing the wooden box fondly. Under the scar-faced man's direction, he carefully opened the restriction on the box to reveal an azure ball of light within. Thrusting his hand into the light orb, countless profound scriptures surfaced in his mind. "With this secret technique in hand, this trip was not in vain! It's a pity the Wood Phase Hall was so conservative in those days—only the Hall Master and Vice Hall Master were qualified to inherit it. When both Hall Masters fell, it was nearly lost to the world!" Cave Master Qiling spoke excitedly, but glancing down at the wooden box again, he could not help frowning. "You only obtained this secret technique?" The scar-faced man did not answer, fixing Cave Master Qiling with an unfriendly stare. Cave Master Qiling cleared his throat, only now remembering to explain. "Something happened at the Immortal Palace." The scar-faced man naturally knew something was amiss, but from Cave Master Qiling's tone, it seemed they had not been plotted against by Zhu Wudao. "Unforeseen mishaps kept cropping up this time. Just as we found the teleportation array, Daoist Zilei and Yue Lingtian suddenly appeared, and the bearer of the Earth Phase Token turned out to be old Daoist Hegao of Bajing Abbey. Our every move was under their watch..." Cave Master Qiling gave a detailed account of the battle at the teleportation array, then sighed softly. "A complete wild goose chase! There was no response from the other side of the teleportation array, so that route is definitely dead. The array is right on the clifftop; you're welcome to go try it yourself. Moreover, Daoist Zilei kept the Buddhist sect in the dark, allowing us to open the ancient immortal abode and fight over the teleportation array. I suspect that with their Deity Transformation cultivators missing, they too lost the ability to enter the Immortal Palace. Who knows what went wrong with the Immortal Palace..." The scar-faced man's face turned green and white by turns. Never had he imagined such an outcome! The two returned to the precipice. Faced with the facts before his eyes, he had no choice but to believe. "Has Old Demon Zhu fallen?" Upon hearing that Zhu Wudao had been targeted by three great cultivators of the Daoist sects, the scar-faced man figured that no matter how vast his supernatural powers were, the chance of him escaping alive was exceedingly slim. "Probably not yet." Cave Master Qiling looked hesitant, speaking with little certainty. "Mo Xingdao and I were persuaded by Old Demon Zhu, agreeing to join forces for a single strike. Naturally, our primary goal was our own escape, but that demon is truly formidable. Mo Xingdao and I merely created a single opening for him, and he seized the moment to detonate the ancient hall's restrictions, breaking out of the encirclement and fleeing down the cliff." "Where is Old Demon Zhu now?" the scar-faced man pressed. Cave Master Qiling shook his head, a trace of anger mingling with relief in his tone. "Old Daoist Zilei didn't take Mo Xingdao and me seriously at all, heading straight after Old Demon Zhu." The scar-faced man flew high into the sky and looked all around. Unfortunately, the territory of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect was vast, covered in layers upon layers of restrictions. "Old Demon Zhu cried for help, and you and Fellow Daoist Mo stepped forward out of chivalry?" Landing back on the ground, he looked at Cave Master Qiling with an expression of blatant disbelief and an eerie tone. Cave Master Qiling froze, then gave a dry chuckle. "Of course not. But the old demon claimed there is an opportunity for Deity Transformation on Mount Dishou, known to him alone..." "An opportunity for Deity Transformation?" The scar-faced man sneered. "If Mount Dishou held an opportunity for Deity Transformation, why would Old Demon Zhu need to enter the Immortal Palace to seek the Sword Tomb?" "I had my doubts as well, but the Wood Phase Hall had this secret technique, and as the common master of the five lineages, Mount Dishou surely would not be inferior to it. The Immortal Palace is out of reach, and the old demon spoke with utter certainty. Even if there's only a sliver of a chance, it's worth a try." Pausing, Cave Master Qiling added, "Even if it's a trick, saving Old Demon Zhu isn't a bad thing. Letting him draw the Daoist sects' attention... this old man has no desire to be targeted by old Daoist Zilei." The scar-faced man fell silent. Cave Master Qiling's words were not without reason. During this opening of the immortal abode, their side had seemed formidable on the surface, but in truth, they were a loose sheet of sand—and harbored an undercover agent in their midst. The Daoist sects were powerful, and the Buddhist sect was eyeing them like tigers from who knew where. Once Daoist Zilei took control of the situation, they would find it hard to take even a single step. If Mount Dishou truly held some opportunity, it would ultimately fall into the hands of the Daoist sects. Preserving Zhu Wudao was indeed a brilliant move! "We'll head to Mount Dishou first to search for the opportunity. Old Demon Zhu claimed that holding a Five Phases Token grants unimpeded passage on Mount Dishou. He sounded quite confident, so he should have some means to survive. Even if he manages to shake off old Daoist Zilei, however, injury is inevitable. When we encounter him again, you and I can strike while he's weak and subdue him together—then we'll know truth from falsehood!" Cave Master Qiling said ruthlessly. With the path to the Immortal Palace cut off, their only hope lay in Mount Dishou. The scar-faced man had no choice but to accept reality. "Before entering Mount Dishou, help me explore the Water Phase Hall, Cave Master. It won't take long."