Chapter 770

“Hmm?”The figures in black-and-white robes were none other than the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Black-and-White Temple.

When they saw the vast Immortal Palace and felt the overwhelming power radiating from it, even they were momentarily stunned.

However, their leader, Mo Tushan, quickly recovered. Without sparing the palace another glance, he began scanning his surroundings.

He hadn’t forgotten—he had been chasing that silver flying vessel all the way here. So where was it now?

The space within the Gui Xu Secret Realm was extremely stagnant, and with the immense pressure from the palace ahead, even a Nascent Soul cultivator’s divine sense was heavily restricted.

Fortunately, the Spirit Jade Plaza was vast and open. With just a glance, Mo Tushan spotted Lu Qing’s figure.

But when he realized that there was only a single person standing there, he froze for a moment—then his eyes widened slightly.

So the one who had fooled all of them earlier… was just a single person?

Mo Tushan found it hard to believe.

Those daring enough to enter the Gui Xu Secret Realm to seize opportunities—every sect among them had sent their finest elites, each backed by powerful experts.

And yet that silver flying vessel from before… had only contained one person?

And not just anyone—just a measly Five-Tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator!

Or perhaps… this youth was merely bait, with others lurking in the shadows?

Countless thoughts flashed through Mo Tushan’s mind, but his actions didn’t falter. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a black bone claw, which shot forward toward the youth, intending to capture him.

No matter what scheme was at play, a mere Five-Tribulation Nascent Soul ant was not worth his concern. Once captured, the boy would be at his mercy.

“This is bad.”

Lu Qing felt the surge of danger behind him, and a chill ran down his spine.

The black bone claw unleashed by Mo Tushan was terrifyingly powerful—it even contained a trace of spatial suppression, something completely beyond his ability to resist.

Thankfully, the space of this secret realm was incredibly stable, which limited that suppressive power enough to give him a chance.

Sensing the threat, Lu Qing didn’t hesitate. Power exploded beneath his feet as he shot forward at full speed, narrowly evading the claw’s grasp.

“Hmm?”

Mo Tushan hadn’t expected his certain strike to miss.

By right, even a Six-Tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator should not have been able to withstand that attack.

But he quickly realized what had happened.

“No… the space here is too stable. That’s why my Nine Nether Bone Claw couldn’t suppress him.”

Only now did Mo Tushan notice how unnaturally solid the space within the Gui Xu Secret Realm was. Even as an Eighth-Tribulation Nascent Soul powerhouse, he found it difficult to affect.

The power of his Nine Nether Bone Claw had been drastically weakened as a result—no wonder that brat had managed to escape.

“Interesting. I’d like to see just how far you can run.”

Seeing his prey darting away, Mo Tushan’s eyes turned cold as he prepared to pursue him personally.

But just as he took a step, a streak of sword qi slashed down before him, forcing him to halt.

Turning, he saw that others had arrived—cultivators from other sects who had also entered the secret realm.

The one who had stopped him with that sword qi was Yu Jian.

“Yu Jian, what do you mean by this?”

With his path blocked and the youth getting further away, Mo Tushan’s tone darkened.

“It means nothing,” Yu Jian said calmly. “I simply cannot stand to see the strong bullying the weak.”

Having just entered, Yu Jian didn’t yet understand the full situation. All he saw was Mo Tushan attacking a mere Five-Tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator—so he instinctively intervened.

He didn’t know why Mo Tushan was attacking that person, but he knew one thing—whatever the Black-and-White Temple intended to do, stopping them was always the right choice.

Besides, for some reason, he felt a strange familiarity from that Five-Tribulation cultivator’s aura.

So, without hesitation, he struck to block Mo Tushan.

“Do you even know who that brat is? He’s the one who deceived us all and entered the secret realm ahead of everyone else!”

“So what?” Yu Jian’s expression didn’t change. “The Gui Xu Secret Realm is unclaimed. Whoever has the ability can enter. If he got here first, that’s his skill. But you, trying to bully him right before my eyes—that won’t do.”

“Good. Very good.”

Mo Tushan’s expression grew colder, but seeing Yu Jian’s allies from the Heaven-Shattering Sword Sect and the nearby disciples of the Kongming Sect, as well as other factions still entering the area, he forced down his anger.

He knew that a fight here could trigger a full conflict between the Black-and-White Temple, the Heaven-Shattering Sword Sect, and the Kongming Sect—and others would surely take advantage.

Even with his strength, he wasn’t about to invite such trouble.

With a cold snort, he led the disciples of the Black-and-White Temple toward the Immortal Palace instead.

And by then, the Five-Tribulation youth was long gone.

“He actually held back.”

Seeing Mo Tushan restrain himself, the other sects’ experts all looked disappointed.

If the major sects fought among themselves, it would have been a blessing for everyone else.

If they could even cripple or kill one another, that would’ve been even better.

Unfortunately, Mo Tushan, despite his reputation for recklessness, was surprisingly cautious. Their hopes were dashed.

As he moved toward the palace, the other factions also began to advance, each heading in different directions.

Every group had their own ancestral records about this place, remnants of the last time the Gui Xu Secret Realm appeared. Each wanted to claim their forebears’ treasures first.

After all, the Gui Xu Secret Realm only opened once every hundred thousand years—and remained accessible for just a hundred years.

Time was short. None could afford to leave empty-handed.

“Senior Brother Yu Jian, what are you thinking?” asked Qing Xi, noticing his thoughtful expression.

“It’s nothing. What are your plans now?” Yu Jian asked, regaining focus.

“Our Kongming Sect’s ancestor left a scroll that records the location of a side hall. We plan to investigate there first,” Qing Xi said.

“Perfect. My sect master gave me a scroll as well, pointing toward another site. Let’s split up for now—claim our sects’ inheritances first, and regroup at the palace entrance afterward?”

“Agreed,” Qing Xi nodded. “We’ll meet there after securing our fortunes.”

“It’s a deal.”

Thus, the disciples of the Heaven-Shattering Sword Sect and the Kongming Sect parted ways to pursue their ancestral legacies.

“So that’s the power of a peak Nascent Soul expert… terrifying. If not for that sword qi, I’d never have escaped.”

Hidden deep within a cluster of ancient buildings, Lu Qing’s heart still pounded.

That black bone claw’s power had been devastating. With his current strength, unless he used his trump cards, he wouldn’t have survived.

Worse, he sensed that Mo Tushan hadn’t even used his full strength. Had he been caught, there would’ve been no escape.

“I can’t afford to interact with any of these sects. With my current strength, I’d just be fish on the chopping block.”

Lu Qing quickly decided.

Even though that white-robed youth had saved him, until he understood more about the man, he wouldn’t risk contact.

“I need to find a place to hide, first.”

He scanned his surroundings.

He was still far from the Immortal Palace, only in its outer region. Around him stood many grand buildings, each resembling palaces.

Yet every one of them was tightly sealed by powerful light barriers radiating dangerous energy.

Clearly, each was protected by a formation—entering would not be easy.

That was bad news for Lu Qing. Soon, the other sects would arrive, and without a place to hide, he’d be an easy target.

Just as he grew anxious, a sudden jolt of instinct hit him. His body tensed, and he leapt aside, slipping into the shadow of a palace wall.

His aura flickered—and vanished. In the next instant, he seemed no different from an inanimate object.

Moments later, over a dozen powerful figures appeared where he’d just stood.

Their leader was an old man with white jade horns growing from his forehead.

They failed to sense Lu Qing’s presence. The old man compared a jade scroll in his hand to the nearby structures before his eyes lit up with joy.

“This is it! The very palace described in our ancestor’s records—it’s this one!”

Hearing this, the others grew excited.

According to their ancestral scroll, this side hall contained a treasure vault filled with artifacts—some even at the level of spiritual treasures.

If they could break through the outer restrictions, they’d strike it rich.

Under the old man’s lead, the group began to unravel the formation encasing the hall, following the recorded method precisely.

Hidden nearby, Lu Qing watched quietly, deep in thought.

He didn’t move—his Shapeless Transformation Technique allowed him to perfectly blend with his surroundings, concealing both body and aura.

Any lesser cultivator would’ve been discovered instantly at such close range.

Before long, the white-horned elder and his followers successfully broke through the barrier and entered the hall.

Lu Qing didn’t follow. Instead, maintaining his concealment, he quietly slipped away.

He had no intention of competing with them. Even the weakest among that group was a Five-Tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator, while the horned elder was at Seventh-Tribulation perfection.

He wouldn’t stand a chance.

Still, his observations weren’t without gain.

He now knew that the outer palaces also contained opportunities. Anyone able to break through their formations could enter and claim their fortune.

“Breaking formations, huh?”

A spark of light flashed in Lu Qing’s eyes.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, a middle-aged man in a purple dragon robe led his clan to another secluded hall.

“Patriarch, is this the place?” an elder asked.

The dragon-robed man compared the jade slip in his hand, then smiled broadly.

“Yes. This is it. The very side hall mentioned in our ancestor’s secret record!”

At that, the cultivators of the Great Yuan Immortal Clan grew excited.

“Patriarch, let’s not waste time—let’s begin!” the elder urged.

“Alright!”

The man in the purple dragon robe didn’t hesitate. Following the secret techniques left by his forebear, he began to cast seals one after another toward the formation outside the hall.

As each seal struck, the light barrier rippled like water.

Seeing this, the entire clan grew even more animated, and the patriarch’s eyes shone with barely contained excitement.

According to the ancient record, everything in the Gui Xu Secret Realm—even a blade of grass—was protected by restrictions. Only by breaking those restrictions could anything be taken.

This side hall, as recorded, was a pill hall filled with countless spirit pills. But each of those pills was also protected by powerful seals.

The last time their ancestor entered, he had spent too much time breaking the outer barrier and ran out of time before unsealing the inner ones—managing to retrieve only a few pills before being forced out.

This time, armed with the ancestor’s methods, they would surely obtain every last treasure within!

With the final seal struck, the rippling light barrier finally split open, forming an entrance large enough for several people to enter.

“Go!”

The dragon-robed patriarch gave the order, and the Great Yuan Immortal Clan entered the hall.

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