Chapter 1407: Jinghai Sect

The decline was also a slow process.

Scorching hot air billowed forth, and the sky glowed fiery red. Had there been any islands nearby, their inhabitants would surely have been incinerated. Even at night, this sea area was illuminated as brightly as day by the pillars of light.

Qin Sang and the others hadn't left the area for days, occasionally approaching the Buddhist lotus to assess the intensity of the fluctuations.

As night fell, the brightness of the light pillars had significantly dimmed compared to their peak. The size of the sea pit had also shrunk. A stream of light flew out from the center of the sea pit.

Valley Master Mu went down to investigate once more. He flew back into the air and cautiously said, "This is now a level we can withstand. In another two or three hours, we should be able to enter."

Merely being able to withstand the impact of this fiery aura was not enough. They needed to wait for the anomaly to weaken further so they would have enough reserve power to deal with other dangers. They had already waited so long, a few more hours wouldn't make a difference.

The cultivator named Qi let out a sigh of relief. "Finally, we can go in! I didn't expect something like this to happen, forcing us to wait outside for several more days and attracting so many people..." As he spoke, the cultivator named Qi glanced into the distance.

Like a tide, cultivators gathered in large numbers. Figures stood on boats or hovered in mid-air. There were Golden Core cultivators, Foundation Establishment cultivators, and even Qi Refinement cultivators, oblivious to the danger, who had come to join the excitement. They had all been drawn here by the anomaly in the Empty Sea. A few of them were even descendants of the Qi and Wang families.

Upon inquiry, they learned that the anomaly here was clearly visible from thousands of miles away. It was unknown how many more cultivators were still on their way. This outcome caught them off guard, but they couldn't prevent it.

"No matter who comes, we still have the advantage," Valley Master Mu said calmly. "As long as we act fast enough, one or two individuals won't cause us much trouble. It's just a pity that some of the treasures inside might be taken by others."

Suddenly remembering something, he looked around, scanning the sea surface. "Has True Master Chijie not appeared yet?"

The cultivator named Qi shook his head and snorted, "No! Nine Precepts Isle is not far from the Empty Sea. As long as that fellow hasn't left the island, he must know about this and wouldn't miss it! He's always been cunning; who knows where he's lurking, plotting something. Everyone, be careful once we're inside."

Seeing Qin Sang's curiosity, Valley Master Mu explained, "Brother Qi's cultivation abode isn't far from Nine Precepts Isle. They've had disagreements due to conflicts between their disciples, and later an accident created a deeper enmity, leading to their current strained relationship... The anomaly only appeared two days ago, so it would be difficult for other Nascent Soul cultivators to arrive so quickly even if they received the news. Chijie's strength is similar to Brother Qi's, and alone, facing the four of us, he shouldn't pose too great a threat. Of course, it's always wise to be cautious."

Qin Sang nodded thoughtfully.

The Boundless Sea was vast and sparsely populated, a chaotic mix of powers, and Nascent Soul cultivation abodes were very far apart. If they acted quickly enough, they might be able to search through the Pure Sea Sect before other Nascent Soul cultivators arrived. However, it was unknown how many dangers still remained within the Pure Sea Sect. Qin Sang didn't feel very optimistic. He silently watched the Buddhist lotus, his gaze flickering.

As time passed, the accumulated fiery aura continued to dissipate, its intensity gradually weakening. Under the assault of such a massive fiery aura, the illusory Buddhist lotus, formed by the array, was already severely damaged. The Buddhist lotus was almost unrecognizable, with only fragments of its spiritual light remaining. However, the conflict between these two forces remained extremely intense.

Two hours quickly passed. After repeated tests, Valley Master Mu and Qin Sang decided to force their way into the Pure Sea Sect immediately! The damaged Buddhist lotus no longer posed an obstacle.

The four appeared near the Buddhist lotus. They could vaguely see a chaotic void at the center of the fiery aura, seemingly a gate-shaped entrance that was somewhat twisted and deformed by the impact. Qin Sang saw a bit more clearly. Behind the gate, a potent and fierce fiery aura still lingered. Deep within this fiery aura, a faint golden light flickered in and out of sight, but its nature remained unclear.

"Let's move!" Valley Master Mu commanded. He held his snake spear horizontally across his chest, not pointing it at the entrance.

A hissing sound. The roar of a python echoed. The snake spear twisted, suddenly erupting with profound light, transforming into a hundred-zhang-long black python. The black python's body was ethereal. It coiled in the air, its head even extending out of the sea pit to look down at the people on the sea surface. Seeing Qin Sang and the others enter the sea pit, the onlookers had initially wanted to approach, hoping to get lucky and find some scraps. But as the black python's chilling gaze swept over them, they suddenly felt a chill run down their spines and their bodies stiffened.

The black python swiftly flew back, its form rapidly shrinking until it coiled around Valley Master Mu, resembling a suit of serpent armor. The snake spear was indeed a magical treasure capable of both offense and defense.

Meanwhile, Qi and Wang stood together. The female cultivator named Wang took out a turtle-shell-shaped magic treasure. With a clap of her hands, the turtle shell vanished, and a ghostly image of a turtle shell appeared above both their heads. The inverted turtle shell cast down fringe-like light, surrounding them. It was also a rare defensive treasure. The cultivator named Qi took out a spirit sword, standing ready.

Qin Sang outwardly still held the Golden Sinking Sword, but the Eighteen Devil Banners were secretly hidden in his sleeve.

Qin Sang and Valley Master Mu were in front. Qi and Wang were behind.

*Boom!*

Sword qi and spear shadows burst forth simultaneously, targeting a random gap in the Buddhist lotus. With a thunderous roar, a gap was instantly blasted open in the light pillar, which then rapidly closed. Qin Sang and Valley Master Mu exchanged glances, continuing to activate their magical treasures. Attack after attack struck the light pillar, making the opening larger and larger. As soon as it was wide enough for a person to pass through, they flashed inside.

Their judgment was accurate, and the process went very smoothly. The Buddhist lotus array was no longer capable of displacing intruders. Qin Sang and the other three successfully charged to the center of the light pillar, clearly seeing the gate inside.

This was an entrance wide enough for more than a dozen people to pass through abreast. When intact, it should have resembled a memorial archway. Now, it was severely damaged, and where there were originally characters above, only a single stroke remained. Unsurprisingly, it was likely a stroke from the character "Jing" (净).

Pure Sea Sect! They had found the right place!

A flicker of joy appeared in Valley Master Mu's eyes. After observing for a moment, he rushed in without hesitation. Qin Sang and the cultivators Qi and Wang followed closely behind.

As the four figures disappeared, the light pillar returned to its original appearance. The cultivators watching from outside waited for a while before daring to cautiously approach the sea pit.

"Did the four seniors really go in?" someone asked, a look of disbelief on their face.

The fluctuations emanating from the anomaly were too terrifying. Even Golden Core cultivators could barely stand at the edge of the sea pit, and those with lower cultivation didn't even dare to approach. A Golden Core cultivator nearby nodded repeatedly, saying enviously, "With such powerful restrictions, there must be valuable treasures hidden inside. This is a tremendous opportunity, but unfortunately, it's not meant for us!"

"Are you trying to compete for treasures with Nascent Soul cultivators?" his companion rolled his eyes. "I'll be content if I can just get a sip of the soup once the anomaly disappears."

Unnoticed by anyone, two ethereal figures quietly appeared near the Buddhist lotus.