Heavenly Phenomenon

"Junior Brother Che..." The cultivator surnamed Du nodded in greeting, glanced outside the hall, and said, "Junior Brother Xuan Yu will be here with his group shortly. The array has been opened; you might as well take the lead, Junior Brother Che." ... Between two sheer cliffs lay a broad, flat stone valley. Beneath the eastern cliff face, the rock had been hollowed out to construct a stone hall. The pitch-black stone hall had almost merged into the cliff, exuding an exceptionally ancient aura; no one knew how many years it had stood. At this moment, several cultivators wearing the Daoist robes of Shangyuan Qingjing Palace were moving in and out of the stone hall, all in a hurried rush with tense expressions, seemingly waiting for something. Suddenly, the stone hall gave a slight tremor. Everyone froze. A Foundation Establishment cultivator said in a deep voice, "The teleportation has begun. Quick, take your positions!" The crowd hurriedly lined up on both sides of the stone hall's main entrance, standing quietly with hands clasped respectfully. Glimmers of light flared within the stone hall. Through the glow, one could see that inside the vast stone hall lay only a single ancient teleportation array. The light grew brighter and brighter, turning nearly blinding. Then the brilliance rippled, and a figure clad in a moon-white Daoist robe stepped out with an easy expression and composed strides. Upon seeing this man, the cultivators standing respectfully outside the stone hall exchanged glances. Anyone who could emerge so effortlessly after riding an ancient teleportation array had to be a Core Formation cultivator. Yet they recognized all the Golden Core Masters of their own sect and could recall none who looked like him. Could he be a newly advanced Golden Core Master? The Foundation Establishment cultivator at the front was sharp-witted. Without the slightest hesitation, he bowed low. "Shangyuan Qingjing Palace disciple Cao You pays respects to Senior." The rest came to their senses at once and bowed along. Whoever could be teleported from the other side had to be either an elder of their sect or a close ally; addressing him as Senior would never be wrong. Che Yutao gave a slight nod, his figure flashing as he stepped into the stone valley to await those following behind. Soon after, more and more people emerged from the stone hall. Catching sight of the robes they wore, the Shangyuan Qingjing Palace disciples realized these were Martial Uncles from Shaohua Mountain. Yet as these Shaohua Mountain disciples stumbled out of the ancient teleportation array, it turned into quite a comical scene. The Foundation Establishment cultivators fared relatively well; their faces were merely pale and their steps unsteady. Still, after walking into the stone valley, every one of them could not wait to find a spot to sit in meditation for a while before overcoming the discomfort caused by riding the ancient teleportation array. The Qi Refinement disciples suffered far worse. Their faces were pale as paper and their eyes glazed over as they swayed and staggered. Those who could even barely keep their footing were already individuals of steadfast will. Some felt their legs turn to jelly and collapsed to the ground with a thump, lying flat on the ground and vomiting outright, clearly distressed to the absolute limit. Qin Sang lagged behind. He was in somewhat better shape; with the jade Buddha shielding his divine soul, he had not been affected too severely during the teleportation. Only his physical body had been squeezed by the spatial force, making him feel rather uncomfortable. Thinking back to the dizzying, world-spinning sight during the transit, lingering fear still stirred within him. This teleportation array merely crossed the Lesser Cold Domain. Legends told that in ancient times, there were ancient teleportation arrays that spanned the entire cultivation world; those were probably far more agonizing. Qin Sang walked briskly to the edge of the stone valley, found a clean corner, and circulated his cultivation technique twice. Once his body returned to normal, he looked up toward the sky with curiosity. This was the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. The ancient teleportation array of Shangyuan Qingjing Palace was situated within a secluded secret realm on the periphery of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. This secret realm had already been thoroughly explored, all dangers had been eliminated, and its restrictions were now controlled by Shangyuan Qingjing Palace. In the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, similar secret realms and remnant abodes were by no means scarce. After exploring many such realms and abodes, the major sects would not destroy them; instead, they strove to master the restrictions within, attempting to claim them for their own use. These secret realms all possessed endless utility. Even the most useless secret realm with thin spiritual power could serve as a shelter for disciples entering the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Some secret realms preserved the environment of the ancient cultivation world. After seizing them, the major sects cultivated spirit herbs within, where they grew slightly faster than outside. Not to mention, many remnant abodes originally contained the herb gardens of ancient cultivators. The Dan Dragon Ginseng that Qin Sang had consumed to break through to Foundation Establishment had been discovered in just such an herb garden. The cliffs on either side blocked his view. Qin Sang was curious about what the Ancient Immortal Battlefield truly looked like and felt inclined to fly up to see for himself, but seeing Che Yutao standing motionless nearby, he could only abandon the thought. Nevertheless, from this narrow strip of sky alone, one could perceive how peculiar the Ancient Immortal Battlefield was. On the left side of the sky, heavy snow fluttered down in a vast expanse of white, while on the right, yellow sand filled the air. The blizzard and sandstorm formed a distinct dividing line high above, relentlessly surging into each other's territory. The collision of the two celestial phenomena and the terrifying might of heaven and earth were awe-inspiring. Fortunately, a layer of light flickered in midair, remaining steadfast under the assault of the blizzard and sandstorm, firmly barring them outside and putting one's mind at ease. Before long, both phenomena vanished simultaneously. The light barrier flickered and then faded away. The blizzard and swirling sand vanished without a trace in an instant. The sun blazed high in an azure sky, scorchingly hot. *These must be the bizarre and unpredictable celestial phenomena of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield,* Qin Sang thought to himself. The cultivators of Shangyuan Qingjing Palace were already accustomed to this scene, but the Shaohua Mountain disciples visiting the Ancient Immortal Battlefield for the first time stared dumbfounded. Right at that moment, another group stepped out of the stone hall—all of them rogue cultivators. Qin Sang noticed that their cultivation levels were not high; most of those in the Qi Refinement stage were at the eighth or ninth level. Qin Sang understood in his heart. Rogue cultivators were not like Shaohua Mountain disciples, who could receive a Foundation Establishment Pill as long as they met the sect's requirements. If their talent was lacking and they wished to achieve Foundation Establishment, they had no choice but to search for Foundation Establishment Pills on their own or seek out opportunities to defy the heavens and change their fate. They had to start planning now. Wealth and fortune were sought amidst danger. The opportunities in the Yuncang Great Marsh were far inferior to those in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Staying in the Yuncang Great Marsh might be safe, but it also meant their chances of reaching Foundation Establishment were slim, leaving them to resign themselves to fate. *If I hadn't managed to establish my foundation by now, would I be risking my life just like these rogue cultivators?* Qin Sang sighed inwardly. The rogue cultivators were in even worse shape than the Shaohua Mountain disciples. Battered by the ancient teleportation array, their vitality was depleted. Those with weaker cultivation were especially pathetic, vomiting until they nearly coughed up their hearts and lungs. A pungent, foul stench instantly permeated the stone valley. Seeing the chaotic mess, Che Yutao frowned deeply and sent a voice transmission to the Shangyuan Qingjing Palace disciple with the highest cultivation: "Once Fellow Daoist Xuan Yu arrives, tell him this old man has gone ahead and will not wait for him." Che Yutao then swept his gaze over the Shaohua Mountain disciples and asked, "This old man will now take you to Xuanlu Pass. If any of you wish to remain in the battlefield, step aside." "Reporting to Martial Uncle Che, we wish to stay behind..." Several Foundation Establishment cultivators stepped forward together. This was not their first time here; returning this time, they harbored the desperate resolve to stake everything on a single throw. They had not come for peaceful cultivation, but had already resolved to venture directly into the Ancient Immortal Battlefield.