Immortal Platform

After several maneuvers, they arrived at the spot Yunyouzi indicated. A ray of sword qi shattered a speck of light. Countless motes of light scattered, illuminating a fissure in the darkness. "Go in!" Yunyouzi barked in a low voice. Qin Sang immediately drove his flying sword to envelop the two of them and plunged into the fissure. The next moment, a terrifying crushing force bore down on them, but before they could resist, it vanished in an instant. Light dispelled the darkness, and ruins appeared before their eyes. Though it had lasted only a moment, the sensation of nearly being crushed into minced meat was all too vivid and horrifying, breaking Qin Sang out in a cold sweat. Before their eyes lay the ruins of a palace that was mostly collapsed, along with a scene of desolate decay. In the past, there had surely been more than just a single palace here; it must have been a magnificent cluster of immortal halls. Yet now, only this lone fragment remained, the rest having fallen who knew where. In front of the palace, there was a vast expanse where remnants of pavilions still lingered. Yet the ponds had dried up, the paths were overgrown, and between the cracks of the stone flagstones on the ground, clumps of wild weeds grew vigorously, even sturdier than those in the river valley below. Within the ancient hall, several broken walls still stood stubbornly amid the surrounding debris and shattered tiles, presenting a scene of utter decay. Even so, from the broken walls and collapsed rubble, one could still glimpse some of its former grandeur. Straight ahead in the ruins of the ancient hall was a broken wall, and hanging from one corner was a battered plaque, teetering precariously. The battered plaque had lost all its luster, reduced to blackened, rotten wood. The characters on it could barely be made out, and it was precisely that character *Ju* Yunyouzi had recognized. This place was not large; a sweep of spiritual sense laid it all bare. It was indeed a ruin, and even within the Spirit-Gathering Hall, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Whoever had discovered this place had wasted time and energy breaking the array and had searched it more than once. They had arrived with great hope, only to find no treasures whatsoever and leave in exasperated fury. "It is indeed a part of the Spirit-Gathering Hall, and moreover, the main hall used to store the Spirit-Gathering Alms Bowl!" Yunyouzi said in a heavy voice, "When most of the Spirit-Gathering Hall collapsed, it fell into Xuanpu Palace, and the treasures within were swept clean by those Nascent Soul cultivators. Who would have thought the most important portion landed here? There should be an immortal platform in the hall where the Spirit-Gathering Alms Bowl was placed. It was originally protected by an immortal restriction, but once the restriction was destroyed, the platform concealed itself." Qin Sang and Yunyouzi exchanged a glance, flickered over to the broken wall, glanced up at the dilapidated plaque, and began searching the ruins. Qin Sang waved his hand, sending forth a gust of strong wind to clear away the debris inside, revealing a floor riddled with cracks. Some of the broken marks were clearly not left from the ancient era, but had been damaged by later arrivals during their treasure hunts. In the end, they had all come away empty-handed. According to what Yi Tiannie had seen in the ancient slip, one needed to use a special incantation coupled with footwork inside the hall to activate its hidden restriction and reveal the treasure. They located the central position of the Spirit-Gathering Hall. The floor tiles there were already shattered, marked by dozens of sword marks in a chaotic mess. The soil beneath had been churned up, and on the surface, everything looked ordinary. Fortunately, the outline of the Spirit-Gathering Hall remained. Qin Sang stepped into the center, feet together, his hands forming seal formulas. At this moment, he felt a bit nervous inside, unsure whether the records in the ancient slip were reliable. Yunyouzi only knew that this was the main hall of the Spirit-Gathering Hall and that the Spirit-Gathering Alms Bowl was indeed hidden here, but could not be sure if this method was correct. The anomaly in the surrounding vegetation indicated a very high probability that the Three Light Jade Liquid was hidden here. If it failed to open and they returned empty-handed, it would be truly disheartening. *Snap!* A seal completed, Qin Sang flipped his palm and struck downward beneath his feet. It sank into the earth without causing the slightest change. Qin Sang kept his eyes fixed on his hands, chanting the incantation intently without looking at the ground. Dozens of intricate hand seals were executed in swift succession, and then Qin Sang suddenly lifted his foot and took a step. Swift as a bounding hare and a swooping falcon, he shifted positions in an instant, yet still no anomaly appeared on the ground. For a time, Qin Sang paced the Big Dipper, circling the center of the Spirit-Gathering Hall. His figure shifted continuously, exceptionally nimble like a butterfly weaving through flowers. At the same time, countless seal formulas were driven into the ground beneath his feet in a dazzling display. In the blink of an eye, the secret technique was nearly complete, yet everything remained unchanged. A faint look of worry could not help but surface on Yunyouzi's face as well. The Three Light Jade Liquid concerned his very life; even with his mental fortitude, it was difficult to maintain absolute detachment. Finally, taking another step, Qin Sang spun gracefully. With a single leap and descent, he returned to the central position of the Spirit-Gathering Hall. *Poof!* The final hand seal sank into the ground. Qin Sang lowered his head to stare at the ground, only to find it remained the same as before. Unwilling to accept this, he sent out all of his spiritual sense to sweep through the earth below. "Perhaps the immortal restriction has altered, and this method can no longer summon the immortal platform," Yunyouzi sighed. "Forget it. This is my fate—I am destined not to obtain the Three Light Jade Liquid. Brother Qin, you can collect more ancient texts brought out of Ziwei Palace to learn about immortal restrictions. The next time you enter, you might be able to find the Three Light Jade Liquid. It is a divine object and a great boon; do not let it slip away..." Yunyouzi was deeply disappointed, yet he was magnanimous and did not cling to it. Seeing that nothing could be done, he turned to leave. Unexpectedly, having barely taken a step, Yunyouzi froze abruptly. He snapped his head back, staring intently above Qin Sang's head, intense delight surfacing in his eyes. Qin Sang also noticed something amiss and hastily darted back in retreat. The next moment, a beam of rainbow light descended from the sky, magnificent and breathtaking. Once the rainbow light cascaded down, it gathered together, condensing without scattering. In the central position of the Spirit-Gathering Hall, amid the rainbow light, a square silhouette actually emerged—it was the shadow of an immortal platform! The immortal platform was immense, occupying more than half the space of the Spirit-Gathering Hall. Its top was flat, rising several zhang above the broken walls. The silhouette of the immortal platform grew increasingly solid, manifesting out of the void. Before the shower of light appeared, there had not been the slightest sign—no wonder others could not find it even after digging three feet into the earth. Qin Sang clenched his fists. Hope had emerged from despair; they had finally summoned the immortal platform! Once the phenomenon appeared, the transformation was swift. Before long, an exceedingly tall immortal platform stood before them, towering in the center of the Spirit-Gathering Hall. Suppressing the excitement in their hearts and confirming that there were no dangerous restrictions around the platform, they flew up above it in unison. The top of the immortal platform was an expansive square terrace, lined with jade pillars carved with dragons and phoenixes in exquisite splendor. At the very center of the platform was a small indentation. By sight, the indentation was very small, roughly the size of an alms bowl used by mortal monks. Qin Sang landed on the edge of the platform and looked at the indentation with curiosity. This should be where the Spirit-Gathering Alms Bowl was placed. He had not expected it to be so small, yet said to gather the power of the world's solar, lunar, and heavenly circuit stars. The methods of ancient powerhouses were wondrous indeed, inspiring profound yearning! At this moment, the indentation was empty. Yunyouzi said in a disappointed tone, "The Spirit-Gathering Alms Bowl is gone after all. Either it was stolen, or it was destroyed in the great turmoil. What a pity! What a pity!" Qin Sang also felt it was a great pity. His gaze swept across the empty immortal platform, and he asked with some confusion, "Senior, where do you think the Three Light Jade Liquid is hidden?"