Chapter 1425: Red Luan Sha

Just then, a bell rang.

Realizing the bell's effect, they instinctively looked around. Unable to locate the source, they gave up and turned their attention to the golden summit.

"Perhaps it's someone who once showed kindness to the Jinghai Sect."

Yu Yi Yuanjun dismissed the thought, no longer delving into the statue's origins.

Her gaze shifted downwards. She saw an offering table before the Buddha statue, while the space in front of the stone statue was empty. It seemed faith held greater importance. The items on the offering table caught her eye. Beyond the expected offerings of pure water, lamps, and incense sticks, there were three items that were clearly not mundane. At the center was a Buddhist shrine. The shrine, barely a foot high, was adorned with intricate, lively, and beautiful lotus carvings. Inside stood a Bodhisattva statue. The entire piece was a dark red, its material indiscernible to the naked eye. To the left of the shrine lay a ganoderma ruyi scepter, with a Bodhisattva seated upon the ganoderma. To its right was a perfectly spherical precious pearl. The pearl was the size of a baby's fist, its surface unblemished and pure as water.

Beneath the offering table lay several skeletons, all in the lotus position. There were no visible external injuries on their bodies, suggesting they had died silently, a truly eerie sight. Several magical artifacts were also arranged beside the skeletons: a pair of arm-length golden forks, sharply pointed and overlapping; a round, slightly convex mirror-like artifact, resembling a chest protector; a heavy, powerful vajra; and a flower basket containing surprisingly vibrant and delicately swaying flowers, all resembling legendary Buddhist blossoms. Additionally, a small jade sword was clutched in the hand of one skeleton, faintly visible through its skeletal fingers.

These were all the artifacts visible from outside the Golden Summit Hall. Yu Yi Yuanjun's gaze swept over each artifact. She first disregarded the golden forks, jade sword, vajra, and chest protector. These were most likely offensive or defensive items. Given her cultivation level, she had no shortage of such artifacts; what she truly prized were unusual artifacts with unique capabilities.

Of the remaining four artifacts—the flower basket, ganoderma ruyi scepter, and shrine—all bore strong Buddhist characteristics, likely Buddhist treasures that only Buddhist cultivators could activate. Only the pure, precious pearl stood out as the most unique and captivating. Even though the shrine's placement was clearly more prominent, Yu Yi Yuanjun's attention was drawn to the pure pearl.

Immediately, Yu Yi Yuanjun's brow furrowed imperceptibly as she noticed Old Man Hunmo also staring undisguisedly at the pure pearl.

"He's also eyeing the pearl. Well, everyone's thoughts and preferences are often quite similar…"

Yu Yi Yuanjun sighed inwardly, feeling a pang of hesitation. Was it worth offending Old Man Hunmo for an artifact whose function was unknown? After weighing her options, Yu Yi Yuanjun shifted her gaze, hesitating between the ganoderma ruyi scepter and the chest protector. If the pearl was unattainable, a defensive artifact would still be a good acquisition.

"Let's begin!" Old Man Hunmo's voice was low. He needed Yu Yi Yuanjun's cooperation to break the restriction and retrieve the hall's treasures before the seal collapsed.

Yu Yi Yuanjun nodded her delicate head, then raised her right hand. A red light, which resolved into a silken ribbon, flew from her sleeve. Its form appeared somewhat ethereal, as if not entirely physical. As the ribbon appeared, it twisted, and one by one, pale figures entangled in red mist emerged from it. They were all surprisingly handsome male spirits. All the spirits were naked, their faces alight with pleasure, seemingly immersed in something wondrous.

"Your Fairy's Red Phoenix Hex has become even purer," Old Man Hunmo remarked with a subtle hint of wariness in his gaze.

Yu Yi Yuanjun gazed tenderly at the spirits, her eyes shimmering like spring water. With a delicate laugh, she pointed her jade finger lightly towards the Golden Summit Hall.

Whoosh!

The red ribbon darted towards the restriction, instantly dissipating like a cloud of mist. The men within changed expression dramatically, savagely lunging at the restriction and gnawing at it as if they had lost their minds. Old Man Hunmo cast a deep glance at the scene, then teleported to another doorway. He raised his black bamboo staff and slowly inserted it into the restriction, his eyes slightly closed. The next moment, the Golden Summit Hall shook violently, and the restriction began to flicker erratically.

Inside the hall, the exit of the secret passage was located behind the stone statue. Concealed within the secret passage, Qin Sang felt the intense fluctuations emanating from the restriction. His eyes narrowed as he simultaneously monitored the restriction and cautiously observed any changes in the seal behind him. Should the seal collapse prematurely, he would have no choice but to retreat first. The layout of the hall reappeared in his mind. Qin Sang's target was also set on that precious pearl. While he lacked a convenient defensive artifact, his Thunder Escape technique and Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet were sufficient to handle most dangers, so he wasn't in urgent need. As for the blessed vajra that Tan Hao had specifically requested, it was closest to the secret passage. Qin Sang knew that while it was the easiest to acquire, it might not be what Tan Hao truly desired.

Boom! Boom! Rumble...

Loud, continuous tremors echoed throughout the Jinghai Sect, even drowning out the bell. Both the pagoda and the golden summit were trembling violently. True Lord Chijie forced himself to ignore the chilling sensation on his shoulder, focusing entirely on breaking the restriction. The three individuals, wary of one another, stood poised to be the first to rush into the pagoda once it opened.

In comparison, Old Man Hunmo and Yu Yi Yuanjun appeared much more harmonious. Yu Yi Yuanjun held a strange hand seal, remaining motionless, while only the Red Phoenix Hex and the men within it busied themselves, gradually merging into the restriction. Old Man Hunmo, still as a pine, continued to imbue the restriction with dark light from his black bamboo staff, contaminating a significant portion of it. As time passed, the Buddha's light around the Golden Summit Hall grew dimmer, and the hall shook more violently.

Just then, the spiritual array in the air suddenly split open, and several more powerful figures, all Nascent Soul cultivators, flew inside. As the Scarlet Flame aura dissipated, the sect-protecting array developed more weaknesses. These individuals, who had entered the array even later than Old Man Hunmo, had managed to break through surprisingly quickly. Without time to rest, they instantly grasped the situation at the golden summit and pagoda. After a quick exchange of glances, they lunged towards the Golden Summit without hesitation, even knowing Old Man Hunmo was there. However, Old Man Hunmo and Yu Yi Yuanjun completely ignored them. The restriction was on the verge of breaking; by the time the newcomers arrived, they would find only an empty Buddhist hall!

In the secret passage, Qin Sang sensed the Scarlet Flame aura behind him growing increasingly volatile, the seal nearing collapse. His expression was grim. He couldn't see what was happening outside, but he could confirm that the Golden Summit Hall's restrictive power was rapidly fading.

"Now!" Qin Sang inwardly roared, forcefully crushing the talisman in his hand.

Poof!

In the herb garden, the talisman in Tan Hao's hand burst into a ball of flame. Tan Hao's eyes suddenly narrowed. He flung away the fiery orb, then began a specific footwork, activating a set of array artifacts Qin Sang had given him. These artifacts were strategically placed at key points of the herb garden's restriction. Simultaneously, he vigorously rubbed the Misty Rain Pot.

Boom!

A thick purple mist violently erupted, surging skyward and staining a portion of the void a purplish-red. Within the purplish-red haze, faint ethereal images of spiritual herbs flickered.

The sudden anomaly instantly drew everyone's attention. Even Old Man Hunmo and Yu Yi Yuanjun were startled by the phenomenon!