Chapter 2388: Double Cauldrons

Volume 4: Winds Rise Overseas

No sooner had he spoken than the brocade-robed man gave an order. Nearly a hundred disciples around him immediately shouted in unison, each revealing their unique magic tools.

These magic tools, whether banners or plates, were clearly types of formation artifacts. Simultaneously, incantations began to rise.

Instantly, a colorful glow flashed above their heads, and a hazy yellow light formation appeared out of thin air. After spinning once, a dozen or so white light pillars continuously erupted, instantly forming a straight line and striking the giant gate.

A tremendous rumbling sound arose, and countless white runes flashed wildly and splattered across the gate, but the giant gate remained motionless, showing no sign of opening at all.

The others couldn't help but feel a bit startled.

Seeing this, the brocade-robed man, instead of getting angry, began to laugh.

"Quite interesting," he remarked. "I didn't expect a mere gate to be so difficult to open. It seems I'll have to use some real skills."

After saying this, the brocade-robed man immediately formed a hand seal with one hand and, muttering incantations, pointed into the air at the light formation.

With a sharp clang, the light formation's color abruptly changed, turning into a hazy silver hue. At the same time, a cold light flashed within it, and countless silver miniature swords appeared, numbering in the thousands at a glance.

"Go!"

The burly man let out a low roar and flicked his sleeve towards the giant gate.

A great whooshing sound arose from the light formation as all the silver miniature swords surged out like a tide, strangely coalescing in mid-air and transforming into a colossal silver sword a thousand zhang long. After a flash, it heavily slashed down towards the distant giant gate.

A piercing shriek!

A silver line brightly appeared on the surface of the giant gate.

Following that, after the entire sky trembled for a moment and golden and silver runes on the giant gate's surface flashed, a fissure slowly opened from the silver line.

Although it didn't seem wide, it was still wide enough for people to enter.

The brocade-robed man was overjoyed. A colorful glow flashed around his body, sweeping all the disciples beside him into it, and transforming into a silver rainbow that shot through the air. After a blur, he vanished into the giant gate.

Just then, Fairy Huaxi suddenly stomped her foot. Surprisingly, she and the Immaculate Old Ancestor beside her shot out, combining into a long blue-red rainbow that also sped towards the giant gate's fissure.

With a dull thud.

The long rainbow, about a hundred zhang away from the giant gate, was bounced away by an invisible immense force.

Then, the giant gate automatically closed with a rumbling sound, golden and silver light flashed on its surface, and the fissure disappeared without a trace.

The blue-red rainbow that had been bounced away merely circled once, revealing the figures of Fairy Huaxi and the Immaculate Old Ancestor within.

The enchanting woman among them showed a look of surprise, while the man beside her had a blank expression.

"It was indeed my recklessness," the enchanting woman said with a soft laugh, turning her head after her beautiful eyes shimmered like autumn waves. "I had originally wanted to save some effort and enter directly by borrowing the power of the Sect Master, but now it seems impossible. I still have to make a move. Husband, please open this gate."

The Immaculate Old Ancestor beside her uttered a "Good," and his body was suddenly enveloped in a purple light as he slowly sent a large hand towards the giant gate.

With a "whoosh," the seemingly ordinary palm suddenly expanded wildly against the wind, instantly transforming into a purple light hand the size of a pavilion. As it descended, it heavily smashed onto the giant gate.

With a dull thud, thousands of rays of light erupted from the giant gate, and a massive hole, about a zhang in diameter, appeared out of thin air.

Fairy Huaxi's face lit up with joy, and she immediately, along with the Immaculate Old Ancestor's escaping light, transformed into a blue-red rainbow once more and flashed inside.

The giant gate continued to hum softly, and the hole rapidly closed up to its original state at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"It seems only one group can enter at a time," one of the three withered old men said with a strange laugh. "Since that's the case, us three old fellows won't stand on ceremony either."

Then, the three of them simultaneously blurred, appearing before the giant gate. Likewise, each extended a palm and pushed towards the giant gate. Three immense forces surged out.

A tremendous rumbling sound immediately erupted, and the originally tightly closed giant gate slowly pushed open. The three old men blurred and entered inside.

"Brother Han, would you like to go first?" Xiao Ming suddenly asked Han Li with a smile, seeing that so many people had already entered the giant gate.

"Since Fellow Daoist Xiao is so courteous, I won't stand on ceremony then," Han Li replied indifferently. He then turned his head and instructed Xuepo behind him, "Fellow Daoist Xuepo, let's go in too."

"Yes, Senior," Xuepo replied, bowing her head.

Han Li flicked his sleeve, and after a golden light enveloped his body, he wrapped Xuepo within it. Then his shoulder slightly swayed, and he took a step forward.

With a "whoosh," the void ahead rippled slightly.

Han Li's body blurred within the golden light, and he and Xuepo vanished in a flash.

The next moment, a ripple also appeared near the giant gate, and Han Li and Xuepo flashed out, one after the other.

Han Li lifted his leg and brazenly walked towards the giant gate.

Xuepo naturally followed closely behind, not daring to stray half a step.

With a "whoosh."

A layer of silver flame surged up from Han Li's body, instantly wrapping him from head to toe into a fiery figure. With a flash, he directly slammed into the giant gate.

An incredible scene unfolded.

With a nearly inaudible "sizzle," a human-shaped hole appeared out of thin air on the giant gate, with a ring of dissolved traces around its edges.

Han Li had, surprisingly, pierced through the giant gate as if it were nothing.

Xuepo, who was behind him, had long known that Han Li's divine abilities had reached an incredible level, but to break open the giant gate so effortlessly still left her stunned for a moment. Her delicate body then moved, and she followed him inside.

The human-shaped hole slowly disappeared.

Almost at the same time, the Five Blood Fiends in the sky let out a long howl, then abruptly transformed into a mass of bloody light and swept down from their standing positions...

A moment later, only Xiao Ming and two others remained at the edge of the basin.

"Brother Xiao, I'll go in too," Lady Wanhua finally couldn't help but say.

"Fellow Daoist Wanhua, there's no need to be too anxious," Xiao Ming said with a chuckle, then suddenly turned his head and said something meaningful towards a certain direction. "Do you truly believe only we have arrived here? Someone else has also arrived, but they simply don't wish to reveal themselves and meet us yet."

"What? Someone else is hiding nearby?" Lady Wanhua and Daoist Qingping were no ordinary people; hearing this, they immediately instinctively looked in the same direction.

"Don't mind them," Xiao Ming said, withdrawing his gaze and shaking his head. "As long as they don't hinder our actions, let them wait for a windfall if they wish. Moreover, I'm not the only one who discovered them; others are feigning ignorance, so why should we bother? Come, let's head down." He then flicked his sleeve, and a ball of silver light shot out from it. After a tremble, it astonishingly transformed into a massive halo over ten zhang in diameter. After another tremor, it majestically slammed into the giant gate...

After the time it takes to steep a cup of tea, a faint ripple appeared in the void where Xiao Ming and the others had originally looked, and a bloody figure emerged.

On the bloody figure's seemingly blurry face, a pair of pale green eyes coldly watched the giant gate that had returned to its original state, lost in thought.

Just then, a whooshing sound echoed from the distant horizon, and several more streaks of escaping light appeared.

The bloody figure immediately turned its eyes, glanced at these escaping lights, and after its pupils narrowed, an indescribable bloodlust surprisingly emerged. It twisted its body and suddenly transformed into a faint bloody light, rushing towards them.

However, after just a few breaths of time, screams suddenly erupted from the distant horizon, and the streaks of escaping light all scattered and vanished amidst a dense bloodbath.

"This is the seal personally laid by True Lord Tianding," Han Li said, a hint of admiration faintly appearing on his face as he gazed at the hazy five-colored spirit runes forming a thick light curtain before him. "It truly looks extraordinary."

This seal, blocking the entire entrance, was hundreds of li long. Therefore, upon entering the hazy gray space beyond the giant gate, everyone, without prior agreement, split up, choosing sections of the seal far from each other to break individually.

Thus, in this void, only Xuepo and Han Li silently hovered there.

"It is said that this seal was personally laid by True Lord Tianding one year before his ascension," Xuepo respectfully introduced from the side. "It almost represents the pinnacle of sealing-type restrictions in our Spirit Realm. If one were to truly force their way through, unless a Mahayana cultivator was willing to spend a hundred years gradually refining it with Nascent Soul fire, otherwise, no matter how great their divine abilities, they would be unable to enter. However, this palace's appearance time is extremely short; as soon as a month passes, it will disappear precisely on time again. The keys to the Heavenly Cauldron Palace have only appeared in recent years. When they had not appeared before, even if one broke through the giant gate to enter here, they could only helplessly gaze at this seal and were fundamentally unable to retrieve any treasures from it. Only after the replicated keys emerged later did the number of people able to force their way inside increase."

"This seal is truly so powerful," Han Li said, a hint of interest appearing on his face after he heard this. "I'd actually like to try forcing my way through it."

After Xuepo heard this, she was about to reply with a charming smile, but from a certain direction, a strange fluctuation that disturbed the entire space arrived. Then the seal before them trembled slightly, and all the spirit runes flashed wildly, appearing and disappearing.

But in an instant, the light curtain before them regained its calm, as if the previous anomaly had never occurred.

"Someone broke through and went in so quickly," Han Li said, his expression subtly changing as he revealed a hint of solemnity for the first time.

"Someone must have used a true key," Xuepo also said with a solemn expression. "As for a replicated item, it would absolutely be unable to break the seal so quickly."

"A true key?" Han Li frowned and asked Xuepo. "Never mind. Since time is quite pressing, I won't try anything else. What is the shortcut you mentioned? You should tell me now."

"Senior, could you please take out the Void Heaven Cauldron?" Xuepo, however, asked in return.

"The Void Heaven Cauldron? Of course, no problem," Han Li replied without hesitation. With a single flip of his hand, a ball of green light immediately appeared, and after solidifying, it transformed into an ancient-looking small cauldron.

It was indeed the Void Heaven Treasure Cauldron.

Xuepo glanced at the small cauldron, then suddenly opened her cherry lips, and a ball of green light flew out from her as well. After spinning once, it also surprisingly transformed into a small green cauldron.

"Oh, this is..." Han Li was slightly startled upon seeing this scene.

"Senior, the item in my hand is called the Void Emperor Cauldron," Xuepo slowly said. "It is also a replicated key, and it is the most successfully replicated one, possessing almost seventy percent of the original item's effectiveness."