Chapter 703: Thunderfire Spear

**Volume Five: Gaining Renown**

A Mortal's Journey to Immortality VIP, Volume Five: Gaining Renown

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As the ground beneath their feet trembled violently, a thin, vertical crack appeared in the small stone mountain, stretching from its peak to its base, emitting a soft white light. It seemed as if the stone mountain was truly about to split in two down the middle.

Han Li and the others gasped, deeply wary of the Nanhong Marquis and the white-robed elder’s mountain-splitting, stone-cracking abilities. Despite their shock, they maintained composed expressions, observing the scene before them as if nothing were amiss. Only Heaven knew what they were truly thinking.

Wang Chan and Yan Ruyan, the two with the lowest cultivation among them, stood silently behind Wang Tiangu, their faces pale. Han Li cast a cold glance at the two, then withdrew his gaze. It seemed there would be no opportunity to make a move against Wang Chan before the treasure was retrieved.

The chanting of the Nanhong Marquis and the white-robed elder did not cease for a moment. After a short while, the stone mountain finally split in two, revealing a massive chasm approximately ten zhang wide. Within the chasm, a flight of green stone steps leading directly underground appeared before everyone.

“Let’s go,” the white-robed elder briefly called out, a flicker of excitement on his face, and then led the way inside. The Nanhong Marquis, as the initiator, merely smiled faintly and followed behind. Seeing this, Han Li’s heart stirred. It seemed the white-robed elder was not simple; here, even the Nanhong Marquis appeared to defer to him.

The others also seemed to notice something. After exchanging a few glances, they all shrewdly remained silent on the matter, instead following inside with unchanged expressions.

The stairs were long, with white moonstones embedded in the walls on both sides. However, the further they descended, the colder and more ominous it became.

Soon after, the group had descended approximately a hundred zhang deep beneath the stone mountain. The moonstones no longer emitted a faint white light. Instead, for some unknown reason, they had shifted to an eerie green, making the passage dim and unclear, filled with a chilling aura. Upon seeing this, Han Li frowned slightly and instinctively widened the distance between himself and the black-faced cultivator ahead of him. This was to ensure he had time to react should anything unexpected occur.

In fact, it wasn't just Han Li. The other old cultivators, apart from the Nanhong Marquis and the white-robed elder, also wisely took the same precaution, spreading out so that the group was separated by more than ten zhang. The Nanhong Marquis and the elder surnamed Yun, despite clearly knowing that the others were wary of them, feigned ignorance and continued to stride forward without any hint of displeasure.

After walking for what felt like the time it takes to eat a meal, Han Li and the others finally entered a mysterious grand hall, one by one. It was mysterious because its four walls shimmered with blue light, making the entire hall crystal clear and dazzlingly bright, as if carved and refined from a colossal piece of jade. Now, standing in this vast hall, dozens of zhang wide, expressions of astonishment appeared on everyone's faces. Of course, these structures couldn't possibly be real jade!

The moment Han Li entered the hall, he swept his divine sense across one of the walls. Upon contact, his divine sense was repelled, unable to penetrate even slightly. Han Li wasn't surprised; he then probed every other part and corner of the hall with his divine sense. The results were all the same. Han Li muttered a few words to himself, then his gaze shifted to the others. Wang Tiangu, the cultivator surnamed You, and the others also frowned, evidently finding it as tricky as he did.

"Could this be where the 'Grand Marvelous Divine Restriction' is laid out? It seems the Nanhong Marquis truly wasn't exaggerating."

As Han Li was pondering this, the entire hall suddenly began to shake violently, followed by a series of loud thuds from behind them. The old woman and the others were startled and hastily turned around, only to find that the entrance passage had vanished without a trace, replaced by a wall shimmering with the same blue light. The entire hall had instantly become a sealed space.

"Fellow Daoist Nanhong, what is the meaning of this?" the black-faced man questioned, his expression darkening at the sight. Wang Tiangu and the others also looked wary, their gazes flickering as they stared at the Nanhong Marquis and the white-robed elder.

"Fellow Daoists, you are overthinking this! This is merely the outer restriction activating on its own, resealing the stone mountain. It was the same when we came here last time. As long as we wait three days in the hall, we can open the mountain again when the restriction's power is at its weakest. We won't be trapped here. Moreover, with the outer restriction closed, we don't have to worry about those spellcasters discovering us from outside." The Nanhong Marquis spoke calmly, showing no surprise whatsoever.

Hearing this, the black-faced man and the others remained somewhat skeptical, but their expressions softened. As long as the Nanhong Marquis and the other elder were also inside the hall, there was no need to fear them setting a trap or harboring ill intentions.

"In that case, I was indeed too hasty just now," the black-faced man said, cupping his fists in apology.

"It's nothing! Let's hurry and break the restriction. This is where Fellow Daoist Yun and I failed last time. This Grand Marvelous Divine Restriction is not easily broken," the Nanhong Marquis chuckled, seemingly unconcerned.

"Is this restriction truly so difficult to break? A while ago, this old woman acquired a treasure specifically designed to counter various restrictions and barriers. Perhaps there's no need for such trouble; simply by activating this treasure, we could break this restriction?" The old woman suddenly smiled, her face full of wrinkles, saying something that greatly surprised the others.

"Oh! If Madam Tai possesses such a wondrous treasure, of course, we should try it. Our method of using divine sense to break the restriction is not a hundred percent guaranteed either," the white-robed elder replied without hesitation, a flash of delight in his eyes.

"Indeed, Fellow Daoist Yun, please proceed with your spell. We will not hinder you," the Nanhong Marquis said with equal surprise and joy.

"Since both Fellow Daoists have agreed, this old woman won't stand on ceremony. However, if this treasure fortuitously breaks the restriction, may this old woman have priority in choosing a treasure along with both of you?" The old woman chuckled, a gleam of shrewdness flashing in her previously cloudy eyes as she revealed her true purpose.

Upon hearing this, the cold-faced cultivator and Wang Tiangu's expressions subtly changed, but they then waited to see how the Nanhong Marquis and the other elder would respond. A hint of surprise flickered across the Nanhong Marquis's face, but after glancing at the elder, he suddenly addressed everyone in the hall:

"Regardless of whether it's Madam Tai or any other Fellow Daoist, whoever can break this restriction will have priority in choosing one treasure after the two of us have made our selections. What do you all think?"

After saying this, the Nanhong Marquis specifically observed the expressions of Han Li and the others. As a result, Han Li and Wang Tiangu appeared indifferent. Although the black-faced man and the cultivator surnamed You showed displeasure, they did not voice any objection, tacitly agreeing.

Thus, the Nanhong Marquis smiled, then decisively told the old woman: "Since the other Fellow Daoists have no objections, Madam Tai, you may proceed."

"In that case, this old woman shall give it a try." The old woman was secretly pleased. She had considerable confidence in her treasure. As long as it wasn't an invisible restriction like an illusion formation, she felt she had a good chance of success. Otherwise, she wouldn't have risked offending the others who came with her by rashly bringing up the matter.

The woman surnamed Tai reached into her wide sleeve and pulled out a small, several-inch-long object. The object was pointed at the front and wide at the back, entirely fiery red, resembling a sharp cone. Ignoring the others, the woman opened her mouth and spat out a blinding ball of spiritual light onto the sharp cone.

Immediately, the object flashed with red light, and a wave of scorching heat emanated from it, instantly filling the entire hall. The Nanhong Marquis, the white-robed elder, and the others, being experienced and knowledgeable, immediately recognized the object's extraordinary nature upon seeing this. They couldn't help but retreat a few steps and cast more glances at the old woman's sharp cone.

Wang Chan and Yan Ruyan's expressions changed drastically upon contact with the heat wave. They hastily activated a blood-red protective shield, encasing themselves within it, their faces showing dismay. Despite their late Core Formation cultivation, a single surge of the heat wave instantly dried their mouths and made their bodies burn, preventing them from remaining in its presence for even a moment.

A flash of white light, and a faint crackling sound emanated from the sharp cone. Han Li and the others paused, then focused their gazes intently. Only then did they notice faint streaks of white electric arcs flickering within the sharp cone's fiery red glow. This treasure was also an ancient artifact with both lightning and fire attributes. Immediately, several gazes, each with a different expression, simultaneously fell upon the old woman.

The woman, however, paid no attention to this, taking a deep look at the blue wall in front of her. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled the Lightning-Fire Cone. A brilliant fiery light erupted, and a low humming sound was heard. The sharp cone rapidly spun above the woman's head, instantly transforming into a flash of light, almost too fast to be seen. Only a faint red-and-white blur could be seen darting rapidly around the hall. Its speed was so astonishingly swift, almost imperceptible, that it changed the expressions of everyone present.

Han Li was even more astonished. It was his first time seeing an ancient artifact with such incredible movement speed. If deployed against an enemy, even a Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to evade. If he encountered it, aside from deploying his Wind-Thunder Wings, it would truly be difficult to guard against.