Chapter 1017: Aftercomers

The four individuals entered and walked through a golden passage.

The old woman, leaning on her staff, walked slowly, speaking in a deliberate, soft tone. "From now on, whenever you come, follow the steps we just demonstrated without the slightest error."

The young boy and girl assented repeatedly.

Just then, the old man beside them sighed and said, "The Inner Hall is appearing earlier and earlier each time. At this rate, by their generation, who knows what kind of situation might unfold. Even the Ancestral Master probably didn't foresee such a change occurring in the Seven Killers Hall. If the Seven Killers Hall truly emerges, they will have enough time to break the immortal seals. Relying solely on us, their unworthy descendants, it would be impossible to completely prevent the Wu Clan from entering and exploring."

"Elder Brother, why worry so much?" the old woman asked. "Our descendants will forge their own paths. The Ancestral Master didn't entrust us with the mission of protecting humankind; we only need to fulfill the tasks they instructed. The human race has numerous powerful cultivators, and ostensibly, we still hold the advantage. Even if the Seven Killers Hall emerges, the Wu Clan won't gain much of an advantage."

The old woman tapped her staff, and her voice reverberated through the passage. "What's more, didn't we carefully check last time? Everything about the immortal seals was as usual, and the restrictions left by the Ancestral Master weren't affected by the premature emergence."

The young boy and girl exchanged glances, completely bewildered by the conversation, but dared not ask more questions, obediently following behind.

After walking for a while, the four reached the end of the passage.

Upon seeing the sight before them, the young boy and girl's faces immediately showed surprise. Amidst a cluster of clouds, to their surprise, a suspended mountain stood there. The suspended mountain floated in mid-air. The peak wasn't large, but it was lush and green, encircled by mystical clouds. Clear springs flowed, and meandering streams wound around pavilions. Who could have imagined that within the perilous Inner Hall, such a tranquil, serene, and vibrant place could exist, resembling a grotto of immortals?

The two elders, however, showed no surprise, walking out of the passage with calm expressions and flying towards the suspended mountain. The young boy and girl snapped out of their shock and quickly followed.

Soon after, the four landed in front of a wooden hall in the forest. The solitary wooden hall stood here, surrounded by overgrown weeds and covered in fallen leaves. In the secluded and tranquil forest, it appeared bleak and forlorn. The old woman paused and lightly tapped her staff downwards. An unseen wave emanated, and the surrounding weeds and fallen leaves were instantly swept clean.

The other elder, meanwhile, approached the wooden hall and gently pushed open its wooden door. A creak echoed. Light streamed into the wooden hall, dispelling the darkness. Unexpectedly, it contained a teleportation array.

The four stepped onto the teleportation array. A flash of light, and in the next instant, they appeared inside a gloomy mountain cave. A chilling cold assailed them, causing the young boy and girl to shiver. They subtly circulated their cultivation methods, only dispersing the chill after one full circulation.

A drip echoed. Dripping water could be heard from further ahead.

After walking briskly for a short period, both of them froze upon seeing the sight before them. What lay ahead was a circular cavern. It was very damp inside; water droplets clung to the stone walls, and occasionally, droplets would fall. The damp chill they had previously felt had indeed emanated from this cavern.

A raised platform stood in the cavern's center. On the platform was a square-shaped object with two handles. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was, surprisingly, a stone cauldron. The two elders moved swiftly, ascending to the platform and peering into the stone cauldron. Inside, they saw water droplets clinging to its stone walls, and a thin layer of clear liquid had pooled at the bottom. This clear liquid radiated a bone-piercing chill, yet it remained unfrozen.

The old woman raised her head and stated grimly, "There's only half the amount of spiritual liquid compared to previous years."

The old man nodded and said, "It's normal for this amount to have accumulated. It's only been a little over a century since the Inner Hall last emerged."

Meanwhile, the young boy and girl also came closer, gazing curiously at the crude stone cauldron and the spiritual liquid within.

"Grandmaster, is this the Soul Cleansing Liquid?" the boy couldn't help but ask. "How does it form in a stone cauldron?"

"This spiritual liquid is not the Soul Cleansing Liquid itself," the old man said with a gentle expression, "but a crucial spiritual liquid ingredient needed to refine it. It needs to be combined with several other spiritual herbs to produce the Soul Cleansing Liquid. Fortunately, the other spiritual herbs aren't exceptionally precious." He continued, "However, this spiritual liquid can only be found here. This place seems to have originally been an underground cold spring with unique power. Now that the cold spring has dried up, only the enchantments within the stone cauldron can slowly extract this special spiritual liquid from the grotto. The spiritual liquid contains the purest power and can be used to refine the Soul Cleansing Liquid. You two step back first, observe carefully the hand seals we use for refining the Soul Cleansing Liquid, and commit all steps firmly to memory."

"Understood!"

The youngsters retreated to the base of the platform, their faces tense, staring intently at the two elders' hands, their eyes unblinking.

"Junior Sister," the old man said, "let's begin."

The elder's hand brushed over the spatial pouch at his waist, and one jade box after another flew out in succession. Each contained different spiritual herbs; some were spiritual flowers, others spiritual fruits, varying in kind.

"Into the cauldron!" The elder gave a gentle gesture, and all the spiritual herbs flew into the cauldron at once. Immediately, they both simultaneously extended their hands, pressed them against the sides of the stone cauldron, and channeled their true essence into it.

A hum echoed. The cauldron vibrated with a low thrum. Then, mysterious runes shimmered across the cauldron's surface, radiating an unusual luster. Its previous rough appearance vanished, giving it an extremely mysterious look. The two elders' fingers moved swiftly, like blurring wheels, in a dizzying display as they continuously imprinted hand seals into the cauldron. Ethereal light suffused the cauldron's interior, constantly shifting, with enchantments swirling, creating a chaotic scene that obscured the spiritual herbs within.

Concurrently, a strange aroma diffused from the cauldron. A moment later, the aroma grew fainter and fainter until only a lingering, faint, and crisp fragrance persisted, refusing to dissipate.

"Collect!" the elder uttered a low command. They both simultaneously withdrew their palms, looked into the cauldron, and broke into smiles.

Then, the elder retrieved several small jade bottles. Using his true essence to guide it, he transferred a small portion of the Soul Cleansing Liquid into the bottles. While the young boy and girl watched in surprise, he put the bottles away.

"Grandmaster, why did you leave so much?" the boy asked, filled with confusion.

The elder replied, "This is an ancestral decree. Moreover, the enchantments in the cauldron limit us; each time we refine the Soul Cleansing Liquid, we can only take a portion. The remaining Soul Cleansing Liquid is to be sent to the Realm of Trials as a reward."

"The Realm of Trials? Is that for those people waiting at the Inner Hall's entrance when we arrived?"

The girl pouted, saying wistfully, "The cold spring was discovered by our Ancestral Masters, and all the other spiritual herbs were painstakingly cultivated by you, Grandmasters. They're strangers to us. Why give so much Soul Cleansing Liquid to unrelated people? Giving them a third... no! Even a tenth is too much!"

Hearing her words, the two elders exchanged amused glances.

"You're quite greedy, little girl!" The old woman gently tapped the girl's forehead. "The Soul Cleansing Liquid and the Realm of Trials were both established by our four ancestors to ensure the continuous succession of talent and the enduring prosperity of our human race. With these arrangements, our human race can keep producing talented individuals, and for all these years, we have consistently suppressed the Wu Clan, keeping them confined to the Witch God Continent. The vast vision of our ancestors is beyond the comprehension of a mere young girl like you!"