Chapter 1032: Contact

Brilliant treasures shone brightly.

The interior of the pavilion was entirely empty.

At this moment, glowing orbs floated throughout the space, each containing a magical artifact.

There were common flying swords, as well as various unorthodox magical artifacts.

Among them, some artifacts were clearly damaged, specifically ancient relics.

Qin Sang stood at the entrance, examining the artifacts within the glowing orbs.

With his expertise as an artifact refiner, he could discern a fair bit about some of the artifacts, but not the damaged ancient relics. Some, like the Crimson Essence Gauze, might possess remarkable uses, but their power would be severely diminished, leading to self-destruction after only a few uses.

He extended his hand, effortlessly drawing one of the glowing orbs closer.

After examining it for a moment, Qin Sang shook his head.

Unable to use his spiritual sense, he found it difficult to accurately judge the artifacts' grades.

"Hmm? Bring that iron chain over, let me see..."

Bai suddenly spoke.

Qin Sang's gaze swept over, and to his surprise, he found that the artifact Bai pointed to was not a damaged ancient relic, but a complete one.

The complete artifacts in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion were all crafted by the predecessors who left behind the trial grounds. As Bai wasn't from their era, Qin Sang wondered why he would be interested in such an item.

Curiosity piqued, Qin Sang summoned the glowing orb containing the iron chain.

The iron chain was as thick as a baby's arm, link by link, each identical. It was plain-looking, completely black, and devoid of any luster.

However, since it was in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, it must have its purpose; one shouldn't judge it by its appearance.

"Do you recognize this item, fellow Daoist?" Qin Sang asked.

After a moment of silence, Bai said with a hint of doubt, "It looks a bit familiar. I seem to have seen similar-looking artifacts before, but I can't recall what it was... Perhaps it's just a coincidence."

Then, Bai chuckled and said, "You've taken a liking to that artifact, haven't you? Should I go out and try to take it for you?"

"Forget it. How could the Hundred Treasures Pavilion have such an obvious loophole?"

Qin Sang shook his head. "Your presence with me is probably related to the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, making you appear as my refined corpse. If you take an artifact, it will ultimately be accounted against me. Missing out on the Soul Cleansing Fluid because of this would be a significant loss for a minor gain. There's nothing more to see here; let's go back..."

Even the best artifacts here couldn't compare to the Ebony Sword and the Eighteen Demonic Banners, making it not worth the risk.

Qin Sang turned and left the stone peak, finding a secluded spot to meditate and regulate his breathing, patiently waiting for Ming Wei.

Far from the stone peak.

Inside a hidden mountain cave.

Su Nü and the others stood at the cave entrance, gazing towards the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

"We've already seen several streaks of light enter the stone peak. Before us, there must have been even faster ones. Most of these individuals are likely true disciples from various sects, aware of the Soul Cleansing Fluid's existence. It's easy to imagine how fierce the competition for the Soul Cleansing Fluid will be with so many people."

The charming woman's expression grew serious as she turned to the long-bearded elder. "Senior Brother, how much longer must we wait? If we don't prepare early, I'm worried we won't be able to compete with them. Especially those arrogant individuals from the righteous and demonic paths; they might even team up to exclude us first."

"No hurry," the long-bearded elder replied. "There's still some time before the Soul Cleansing Fluid emerges. Let's wait for another incense stick's time. If Junior Brother Zuo still hasn't arrived, we won't wait for him any longer."

The others remained silent, quietly watching the direction of the stone peak.

Soon, the time it takes for an incense stick to burn passed.

Junior Brother Zuo still hadn't arrived.

"Let's go!" the elder said in a deep voice, then was the first to fly out of the cave, with the others following closely behind.

They did the opposite, not heading towards the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, but instead flying in the opposite direction for a long time until the stone peak was no longer visible. They finally found a deep valley and stopped.

"Before our master departed, he commanded us to work together to activate this token after entering the final trial..."

The long-bearded elder no longer concealed anything, taking out a token from his mustard seed bag. It was identical to the one held by the East Pole Alliance Leader outside.

"Junior Brother Zuo's strength is comparable to mine, so he also possesses one. However, we know nothing about the token's function or Master's plan; we'll only find out once we try..."

The others exchanged glances, staring at the token, unable to discern anything meaningful. They could only act according to the command.

"Form the array and cast the spell!"

The long-bearded elder gave the order, and everyone divided their tasks, beginning to work busily.

Another secret realm within the trial grounds.

It was exceptionally hot here, with smoke and dust billowing, sealing off the sky above. Yet, it was dazzlingly bright, revealed to be a world of lava.

Lava surged wildly, raising crimson giant waves. Fire spirits occasionally leaped out, swimming in the molten rock. Both their size and strength were incomparable to the fire spirits Su Nü had encountered.

Even more terrifying, spatial cracks crisscrossed above the lava, some even slowly shifting, making it an extremely dangerous place.

Remarkably, amidst such peril, there was an isolated island that hadn't been swallowed by the lava.

On the isolated island, a kind-faced, gray-robed elder sat cross-legged, seemingly in meditative seclusion here.

The elder's aura was indistinct.

Fire spirits swam freely in the nearby lava, none detecting the presence of this person.

If anyone else had witnessed this scene, they would have immediately recognized him: this elder had stood behind the East Pole Alliance Leader in the plaza outside the inner hall and had chosen to enter the Nascent Soul cultivator's trial grounds when the inner hall opened.

The elder sat motionlessly on the isolated island, completely ignoring the surrounding dangers, seemingly in no rush to leave the trial grounds.

After an unknown period, the elder suddenly opened his eyes. A sharp gleam flashed in his pupils, and with a flick of his hand, he produced an item: another token identical to the others.

Meanwhile, Su Nü and the others were nearing the completion of their work. A peculiar grand formation had taken shape, vast and extraordinarily complex, almost covering the entire deep valley.

The long-bearded elder took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Begin!"

As he spoke, the elder tossed the token from his hand into the air above the grand formation.

The others stood behind the elder, looking up at the token.

Su Nü looked at the elder's back, a hint of urgency flashing in her eyes. However, surrounded by powerful individuals like the strong man, each stronger than her, she dared not make any rash moves.

"Stabilize!" the long-bearded elder shouted, throwing the token, then pointed a finger.

The token froze in mid-air, precisely at the center of the grand formation.

The power of the grand formation was activated; countless runes flickered, and light flowed.

'Rumble...'

The ground trembled.

If this place hadn't been sufficiently hidden, it would surely have been discovered.

Spiritual array runes surged wildly into the token, causing it to vibrate intensely and begin to glow, growing ever brighter and more dazzling, illuminating the entire deep valley.

Everyone felt uneasy and stared intently at the changes in the token.

At the same time.

On the isolated lava island.

The token in the elder's hand flickered faintly, like a weak candle flame, wavering unsteadily.

The elder's face lit up with joy, and he quickly cast a spell.

Beneath the inner hall's immortal restrictions.

The token in the East Pole Alliance Leader's palm trembled slightly, startling him awake.

Raising the token for a moment's observation, the East Pole Alliance Leader's lips curled into a slight smile. "To hide the main altar, which can only be unsealed by Nascent Soul cultivators, within a Core Formation stage trial – do they truly believe it's foolproof?"