The four stared intently at the crimson glow. A scorching aura emanated from within, instantly boiling the surrounding seawater.
The sight before them was unexpected. Their expressions of joy vanished, and they exchanged bewildered glances. They had expected an entrance or the full extent of the formation blocking it to appear after their attack, but this was far from what they anticipated. It seemed to be an active underground fire vein, not the Buddhist ruins they had imagined.
As the four stood perplexed, the crimson glow suddenly ceased its outward expansion and rapidly contracted inwards. The scorching aura was suppressed, and the formation threatened to revert to its original state in an instant.
If the crimson glow disappeared, their previous attack would have been in vain. The Fire Jade Centipede couldn't last much longer. Regardless, they had to enter the Pure Sea Sect within the duration of the insect formation!
Seeing this, Qin Sang and the others exchanged glances.
"Continue!" cried Valley Master Mu.
The Serpent Spear emitted a cold, eerie light, like a python brought to life. Qin Sang shared the same sentiment. Having sacrificed the Fire Jade Centipede to reach this point, he had no reason to give up, regardless of whether it was the Pure Sea Sect within. He immediately made his decision and channeled the Golden Sinking Sword to its peak, transforming it into a golden rainbow. Qi and Wang were equally swift. Their flag formation flipped, and a more condensed, dark blue water sword emerged.
The four Nascent Soul cultivators held nothing back. Black, gold, and blue. Only the strange lights emanating from the three attacks were visible to the naked eye, converging on a single point in an instant. The four Nascent Soul cultivators' control was exquisite, compressing their offensive to the extreme before it abruptly erupted the moment it struck the crimson glow!
The scene that followed surprised everyone. The crimson glow stopped contracting. After a brief pause, it surged outwards in all directions with even greater speed than before, causing the seawater to boil once again. Accompanying it was an incredibly violent crimson flame aura, sealed for countless years, finally unleashed with their assistance!
Feeling the power of this aura, Qin Sang and the others' expressions changed drastically. Not only did they dare not rush forward, but they instinctively retreated in unison to avoid its edge.
Meanwhile, stimulated by the crimson glow, the outline of the formation finally appeared! Wherever the crimson glow passed, faint golden Buddhist light materialized out of thin air. Each beam of Buddhist light formed a barrier, thin as a cicada's wing, layered upon layer. When all the Buddhist light emerged, the resulting sight was truly peculiar. The barriers, shaped by the Buddhist light, converged and tightly closed, forming an unopened Buddhist lotus bud!
This Buddhist lotus bud was the complete form of the entire formation. The crimson glow rampaged within the Buddhist lotus. The dazzling Buddhist light vied with the crimson glow. Within their vision, only red and gold lights were discernible. Only Qin Sang, with the help of his Heavenly Eye Butterfly, could faintly perceive something unusual at the center of the crimson glow. That spot was likely the entrance to the Pure Sea Sect.
However, neither Qin Sang nor Valley Master Mu dared to approach the Buddhist lotus rashly at this moment. They prudently retreated to the side, observing the situation.
"Could this merely be an underwater fire vein?" the cultivator surnamed Qi murmured.
"It shouldn't be that simple," the female cultivator surnamed Wang countered, shaking her head. "Why would the Pure Sea Sect be built on an erupting underwater fire vein? And if it were to erupt, why wouldn't they relocate instead of expending immense effort to seal it with a formation?"
They conversed while anxiously monitoring the changes within the Buddhist lotus.
Thoughts flashed through Qin Sang's mind. He suddenly felt an ominous premonition and turned his head to ask, "How many Nascent Soul cultivators are there near the Ethereal Sea?"
"There aren't many prime locations in the Boundless Sea. Nascent Soul cultivation grounds are quite far apart, and cultivators generally keep to themselves. Apart from us, the only other notable Nascent Soul cultivator nearby is Master Jie, the current island master of Nine Precepts Island. What are you thinking, Daoist?"
Qin Sang pointed at the Buddhist lotus. "I want to know how many people would be drawn here if news of this leaks? And how quickly would they arrive?"
Before he finished speaking, 'Rumble!' A thunderous roar suddenly erupted from within the Buddhist lotus. The clash between the crimson glow and the Buddhist lotus reached its most intense point.
The Buddhist lotus trembled, and under the illumination of the Buddhist light, the surroundings transformed into a golden ocean. Yet, the crimson glow's aura was no less powerful, even surpassing it, as it broke through layer after layer of Buddhist light barriers. Amidst the thunderous roars, the Buddhist lotus spectacularly split open!
In an instant, a wave of crimson-gold energy surged outwards in all directions with visible speed.
"Not good! Disperse!" Their expressions changed dramatically as they felt the power of the wave. The crimson flame aura, accumulated for an unknown duration, combined with the shattered Buddhist lotus formation; these two forces, mixed together, would likely spell disaster if they struck them.
'Bang, bang, bang...' Four figures successively burst through the ocean surface and soared into the air, staring ahead in horror.
'Boom!' A massive crimson-gold pillar of light shot skyward. Its scale and momentum far surpassed the strange phenomenon the cultivator surnamed Qi had witnessed before. The four simultaneously craned their necks, unable to see the pillar of light's end. The pillar showed no signs of dissipating; instead, it intensified. Giant waves surged. The tranquility of the Ethereal Sea was utterly shattered.
Their expressions flickered. What Qin Sang had feared had come to pass. These two forces showed no signs of weakening, and they were utterly incapable of suppressing them. If this continued, cultivators thousands of miles away would likely be alarmed by the phenomenon. Once this news spread, it would inevitably sweep across most of the Boundless Sea at top speed, attracting other Nascent Soul cultivators. Fortunately, it would take time for those individuals to arrive, allowing Qin Sang and his group to enter the Pure Sea Sect sooner.
In the distance, Old Man Hunmo and Master Jie also witnessed the scene. Master Jie was slightly stunned. He too realized that if they couldn't find a way in soon, the opponents they would face next wouldn't just be the four in front of them. He couldn't help but feel fortunate for his foresight in inviting Old Man Hunmo.
Meanwhile, Old Man Hunmo stared fixedly at the crimson-gold pillar, a sinister glint in his eyes. "Useless! More trouble than they're worth!" Old Man Hunmo snorted angrily, slamming his black bamboo staff heavily. Master Jie glanced at him in surprise, unsure why he had lost his composure.
"What do we do now?" Both Qi and Wang looked towards Valley Master Mu. They offered a wry smile. "After all our painstaking efforts, are we just paving the way for others?"
Valley Master Mu pondered for a moment, then went underwater to investigate. Upon returning to the surface, he shook his head slightly. "The fluctuations from the collision of these two forces are still growing stronger. We can't discern the true scene inside. Even if we forced our way in, it would be a situation of near-certain death."
"Forcing our way in now means certain death!" Qin Sang suddenly interjected, casting a deep glance at the seabed. "There must be other dangers beneath the entrance, such as a guardian formation! Our only option now is to wait for this crimson flame aura to weaken before attempting to enter. Otherwise, trying to withstand the crimson flame aura while simultaneously dealing with other crises would make it difficult for even the four of us to protect ourselves, let alone survive."
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