Chapter 1422: Seal Transformation

Rain pattered on the bluestone.

"Boom!"

The deafening roar interrupted their conversation.

Everyone fell silent, their gaze collectively drawn to the convergence point of the two mountain ranges.

From the mountain pass, crimson flames erupted.

An intensely concentrated aura of crimson flames formed a massive pillar of fire, soaring towards the sky.

On the surface of the mountain pass, a '卍' symbol seal, resembling a golden talisman, hovered in the void. A faint golden light enveloped the entire pass, its interior a dazzling crimson.

Even with the seal in place, the crimson aura managed to create such an immense display.

It was hard to imagine the terrifying power that had accumulated beneath the seal.

It seemed poised to burst forth from its confines.

The entire Jinghai Sect would be on the brink of disaster.

"Rumble... rumble..."

The booming sounds continued, and the ground trembled.

The mountain pass and the seal were the epicenter of the commotion.

At this moment, they clearly observed.

The '卍' symbol seal covering the mountain pass appeared highly unstable. Its main body continued to rotate, but at an increasingly slower pace, indicating a clear weakening of the sealing power.

The seal itself showed signs of bulging, and the surrounding golden light was gradually dissipating.

This sight was a clear indication that the seal was on the verge of collapse.

Even from their distance, they could feel the incredibly violent power emanating from beneath the seal, causing their scalps to tingle.

Upon witnessing this, the expressions of the several Nascent Soul cultivators turned grim.

Even without understanding the origins and history of the Jinghai Sect, the current situation made it clear that if the seal were to collapse, the sect would be utterly wiped from existence.

They even suspected that the Jinghai Sect's abandonment of their domain and the disappearance of all its members were connected to this very place.

The excitement in Master Chijie's eyes was suppressed as he exclaimed, "The seal is about to collapse! What an odd coincidence that it happened just as we entered... Could breaking the formation have triggered this anomaly?"

Yu Yi Yuanjun's gaze remained unsteady.

She was initially drawn by the pillar of crimson flame and the seal at the mountain pass. Then, as if she had discovered something, her eyes shifted, first to the Golden Summit, then to the Pagoda, and finally to the spiritual formation above them that they had just traversed.

Hearing Master Chijie's words, Yu Yi Yuanjun scoffed, "Hasn't Fellow Daoist Chijie realized? The '卍' symbol talisman is just one component. All the restrictions within the Jinghai Sect, including those at the Golden Summit and the Pagoda, along with the protective grand formation above, were forcibly integrated by someone using immense divine power. They form a single, complete seal, their energies interconnected and mutually supportive. Damaging any one part will cause the entire seal to weaken, or even collapse..."

Master Chijie's expression became sheepish.

His knowledge of the Jinghai Sect came from his master.

However, his master, Jiujie, also knew very little, uncertain about the reasons or process of the Jinghai Sect's disappearance.

Just then.

The Old Demon of Chaos, who had been holding his black bamboo staff and remained silent until now, suddenly spoke. "They weren't forcibly merged. These restrictions were inherently connected. The Jinghai Sect might have had a premonition from the very beginning of its establishment."

His words caused everyone else to pause in surprise.

"Fellow Daoist's assessment should be correct," Yu Yi Yuanjun's expression grew increasingly solemn as she stared intently at the mountain pass. "Does this mean it's not merely crimson aura inside, but something else entirely is sealed within?"

Hearing Yu Yi Yuanjun's words, they felt an even greater sense of dread.

The power displayed by the Jinghai Sect's protective grand formation was enough to attest to the strength of this Buddhist sect.

Why then was such a venerable Buddhist sect so little known, and why did it suddenly vanish without a trace?

Master Chijie let out a dry laugh. "Let's not make wild guesses; what's done is done. Fairy Yu Yi just mentioned that Old Ghost Huang gathered a few old fellows half a month ago, plotting something unknown in their cave. Having received this news, they certainly wouldn't miss out. They've probably already entered and are working on breaking the formations. Let's secure the treasures first before anything else. After expending so much effort, we can't possibly leave empty-handed..."

He spoke while subtly glancing at the Old Demon of Chaos.

With the Old Demon of Chaos and Yu Yi Yuanjun remaining still, he dared not make a move on his own, only feeling a secret urgency.

The other two early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators remained silent, but their eyes continuously darted between the Golden Summit and the Pagoda.

These two locations were highly significant, clearly important Buddhist sites.

"Should anything unforeseen occur, it will fall to you, fellow Daoists. Just don't release any great demon that could wreak havoc upon the Boundless Sea. The beauties on my island are like precious jade, painstakingly gathered, and they cannot endure such turmoil."

Yu Yi Yuanjun withdrew her gaze from the mountain pass, her expression languid yet profoundly captivating.

A slight curve appeared at her lips. "This isn't quite what you two mentioned earlier. We don't have much time left to retrieve the treasures. It's impossible to meticulously explore and slowly decipher the methods to break the restrictions."

Master Chijie cursed silently to himself.

The Old Demon of Chaos paused, tapping his black bamboo staff. His tone was indifferent as he stated, "There should still be enough time to open the Golden Summit Grand Hall and the thirteen-story Pagoda. To prevent the seal from collapsing mid-process, let's act together. Choose your own destination."

Master Chijie and the other two fell silent.

Yu Yi Yuanjun asked, "Where will Fellow Daoist Chaos choose?"

"The Golden Summit!"

The Old Demon of Chaos softly uttered two words, his cloudy eyes fixed on the Golden Summit. Ignoring the others, he subtly moved, then ascended, flying towards the Golden Summit.

Yu Yi Yuanjun let out a charming laugh, then made an unexpected decision. "I trust Fellow Daoist's judgment. The treasures within the Golden Summit will not disappoint this fairy."

The two strongest cultivators had surprisingly both chosen the Golden Summit Grand Hall.

This was something the other three hadn't anticipated.

Master Chijie could barely contain his surprise and delight. He said in a steady voice, "With the Senior and Fairy Yu Yi taking action, success is assured. I shall proceed to the Pagoda; its restrictions appear weaker."

Just then, the tall, expressionless cultivator who had seemed detached until now, twitched an ear almost imperceptibly. He subtly glanced at Yu Yi Yuanjun's retreating figure, then mused for a moment before saying, "I'll go to the Pagoda as well."

The two moved almost in tandem, flying towards the Pagoda.

Master Chijie cast a slight side glance, smiling. "Fellow Daoist Sanyin, we must cooperate closely to avoid falling behind the Senior and Fairy Yu Yi and missing out on the Buddhist treasures."

The Nascent Soul cultivator, whose dharma name was Sanyin, merely nodded subtly.

At this point, only one cultivator remained, still rooted to the spot, undecided.

The worry on his face had somewhat diminished.

Watching the other four, he couldn't quite decipher their relationships at that moment.

He knew in his heart that these individuals were likely not as harmonious as they appeared and intended to avoid the center of the conflict. However, within the entire Jinghai Sect, there was no third location that could rival the Golden Summit or the Pagoda.

Even if other treasures were hidden, by the time he found them, the seal would probably have already collapsed.

After a moment of hesitation, he stamped his foot and set off, following Master Chijie and Sanyin.

The five Nascent Soul cultivators split into two groups.

Fairy Yu Yi lagged half a pace behind the Old Demon of Chaos, chuckling charmingly. "Fellow Daoist, surely you can tell me now why you truly came? It would help me avoid inadvertently taking a treasure you desire and causing unnecessary trouble. This fairy certainly doesn't wish to follow in the footsteps of those other old fellows and suddenly perish without reason."