"Once you enter the stone tablet, you will face trials left behind by the master of the abode. The exact nature of them is unknown. According to the clues obtained previously, danger is certain, but it will not be a death trap. As long as you remain cautious enough, you should be safe. Those who successfully pass the trial and enter the ancient cultivator's abandoned abode may explore freely, save for a few hazardous areas. How much you gain will depend on your own fortunes. Furthermore, if you notice any signs of an anomaly within the abode, retreat to the entrance immediately. Otherwise, even I will not be able to attend to you or save your lives..."
Before entering the black hole, Qin Sang heard Che Yutao's voice transmission.
Qin Sang had anticipated that perilous places existed within the ancient cultivator's abandoned abode. Although there was no telling where they were, once inside, one could easily sense them by the sheer power of the restrictions and defensive arrays guarding their exteriors.
Yet he wondered what Che Yutao had meant by an anomaly.
Perhaps even Che Yutao himself did not know.
***
After sending all the Foundation Establishment disciples inside, the five Core Formation cultivators looked at one another. Sikong Muyue said in a grave voice, "The restrictive power we encounter differs from that faced by the juniors only in strength; the changes in the restrictions follow the exact same principles. Fellow Daoists, by now you are all thoroughly familiar with the formation from earlier, yes?"
Old Man Dique chuckled. "There is no need to trouble yourself, Fairy Sikong. It is a mere Nine Luminaries Star River Formation; it will not stump us old fellows."
Ignoring Dique's laughter, Sikong Muyue reminded them, "We will undergo a different trial than those juniors, and its difficulty is bound to match the strength of Core Formation cultivators. Judging by what was written in that clue, the trial will by no means be simple. It is best that no one grows careless."
The five immediately took their respective positions, forming a five-man Nine Luminaries Star River Formation. The starry sky that materialized above their heads was far deeper, the starlight far brighter, each star dazzling like a full moon.
"With the strength of our group, we will not be stopped by the trial. My greatest fear is that the demonic sects have already picked the place clean, leaving behind an empty shell and making all this time and effort a waste."
Du Yi, the Sect Master of the Qingluo Sect, let out a long sigh. He lightly tapped a precious mirror, and its light enveloped his body, transforming him into a star that soared into the depths of the starry sky as his parting words faded.
Dique gave a strange laugh, pushed off his single leg, and followed closely behind Du Yi. "Whether there are treasures inside the cave abode is of no concern to this old man; it has nothing to do with me anyway. In fact, I look forward to seeing all of you return empty-handed, haha..."
Che Yutao was about to set off when he noticed Daoist Xuan Yu staring at the black hole with a peculiar expression. Puzzled, he asked, "Old bull-nose, what are you looking at?"
Daoist Xuan Yu had a contemplative look on his face. "If the trial in the abode is measured, then once Daoist Sikong finishes refining the formation so that a trio can enter, it will become far easier. We could actually treat this place as a training ground for our sect's disciples."
Hearing this, Che Yutao pondered for a moment. "This place is located in the middle layer, so Foundation Establishment disciples travelling here alone would not face too much danger. It is indeed suitable. But it is still too early to say. Old bull-nose, you had better focus on how to pass the trial first."
***
Upon entering the black hole, the formation was instantly shattered by the impact of the restriction's power, unable to hold together.
Qin Sang felt as though he had fallen into turbulent, stormy waves. His body was entirely beyond his control, and he could only watch helplessly as the nine of them were scattered. He had no choice but to let the force of the restriction push him swiftly toward the stone tablet.
With the precedent set by Yunyouzi and the others, Qin Sang was not worried about being smashed to death. Still, he mobilized his spiritual power with all his might to shield his entire body, wary of being caught off guard should he encounter immediate danger upon entering the tablet.
In a flash, Qin Sang was right before the stone tablet. Then, a vortex sucked him inside. His world spun dizzily, and when it cleared, he was already standing in an unfamiliar space.
A blinding golden light assaulted his eyes. Qin Sang's first instinct was to activate an evasion technique to conceal his figure, then summon his ebony sword to protect himself before taking a careful look at his surroundings.
He was currently standing inside a glittering golden corridor.
Squinting slightly, Qin Sang realized that the floor, the ceiling, and the walls on both sides of the corridor were entirely paved with gold bricks, stretching all the way to the far end beyond the reach of his vision.
Ten thousand years had passed since the demonic sects occupied the ancient immortal abode, and countless ages must have preceded their discovery of it.
Yet even now, the gold bricks in this corridor remained brand-new, showing not the slightest trace of age or damage, glittering brilliantly with ostentatious luxury.
The corridor was not particularly wide, allowing only five people to walk abreast.
From the moment Qin Sang appeared until now, the corridor had remained deathly quiet. There was not a sound, nor had any enemy appeared; he had no idea what the so-called trial entailed.
However, Qin Sang noticed that the golden light along the side walls was somewhat peculiar. He focused his gaze and stiffened; painted upon the walls were portraits of Golden-Armored Divine Generals.
Every few paces, there was another portrait of a divine general, each depicted with a different posture.
What they shared in common was that all wore full golden armor with faceplates covering their features, making it impossible to see their faces. Only two hollow voids could be seen where their eyes should have been, filled with piercing golden light.
What differed was their weaponry—they wielded a varied assortment of sabers, spears, swords, halberds, and more.
Looking at the portraits, they seemed to be lifeless paintings, yet Qin Sang could not shake the feeling that beneath those faceplates, countless gazes were locked onto him. Even though he had concealed himself with an evasion technique, he felt completely exposed.
Qin Sang remained on guard where he stood for a while, but there was still no movement. He wondered if one had to walk forward to trigger the trial.
With that in mind, he looked left and right. Seeing no one else, he reached to his waist and tapped it. A green-faced, fanged zombie flew out of his corpse puppet pouch and, under Qin Sang's command, darted forward.
*Whoosh!*
The zombie blurred into a series of afterimages, closing the distance to the first two portraits in the blink of an eye.
Qin Sang glanced briefly at the zombie before fixing his eyes on those two paintings. The moment the zombie passed them, his eyes flashed. *Just as I thought!*
The instant the zombie crossed between the two portraits, the golden light on them began to ripple like flowing water. Immediately afterward, the Golden-Armored Divine Generals in the paintings sprang to life. Divine light erupted from their eyes, their weapons slashed out lightly, and they vanished from the walls.
The next moment, the corpse puppet Qin Sang was keeping tabs on met with neither resistance nor attack. Instead, Qin Sang's furious shout suddenly rang out back at the corridor's entrance!
Even Qin Sang had not expected that these two Golden-Armored Divine Generals, upon being stirred by the corpse puppet, would ignore it completely and charge straight for him. Moreover, despite his concealment, they had pinpointed his exact location with unerring precision.
To Qin Sang's left and right, two phantom figures of Golden-Armored Divine Generals appeared out of thin air, hemming him in from both sides, each wielding an identical golden sword.
Before their bodies even arrived, their sword qi struck first.
Two arcs of golden sword qi tore through the void, slashing diagonally toward him.
Chapter 229