Chapter 1505: Stone Tablet Space (4k)

This phenomenon could not be the supernatural power of those demons; even the combined efforts of Chaotic Fiend and Heavenly Peng could not achieve it.

Hall Master Jiang and Elder Mei were dumbfounded.

They hadn't expected any real changes when they came this time. If Chaotic Fiend and others had trespassed deep into the sacred ground and accidentally been caught in turbulent currents, getting seriously injured, there might have been an opportunity for them to gain an advantage. The sight before them shocked them into near speechlessness.

The sacred ground, which they knew so intimately, surprisingly held secrets unknown even to them.

"This..." Elder Mei's mouth was slightly agape. After a long moment of stunned silence, she murmured, "What exactly did the Palace Master do?"

Old Chaotic Fiend was brought here by Yin Changsheng. She naturally suspected Yin Changsheng.

Hall Master Jiang gazed at the space deep within the mist and said in a deep voice, "The Grand Elder just asked them. The Palace Master originally intended for them to create illusions around the stone tablet and set up a killing formation, waiting for Chaotic Fiend to fall into the trap. Besides that, there shouldn't have been any other arrangements..."

If Yin Changsheng had known about the stone tablet space, he would have opened it long ago.

"Could it be... that Chaotic Fiend or Heavenly Peng discovered the secret of the stone tablet? A secret that generations of cultivators in the Profound Heaven Palace have never found?"

Elder Mei's voice was slightly distorted; it was simply unbelievable. The Profound Heaven Palace had always unknowingly guarded a treasure mountain. That group of demons found and opened the mysterious space on their very first visit. What incredible luck! Could the stone tablet be a sacred artifact of the demonic path or the demon race?

Qin Sang and Liu Li flashed over to their side, both looking at the continuously expanding white mist. It was Liu Li's first time entering the sacred ground, so her feelings weren't as profound; she was merely curious.

Qin Sang asked, "Is this the first time the stone tablet has undergone such a change?"

Hall Master Jiang nodded. "Let alone such an astonishing phenomenon, our predecessors have made various attempts. No matter what we did, the stone tablet never reacted in any way..."

Qin Sang commanded the Sky-Eyed Butterfly to fully activate its divine ability. As far as the eye could see, immortal mist swirled, and within it, there seemed to be phantom images resembling halls and pavilions, their reality uncertain. The stone tablet and the lotus platform, however, had completely disappeared.

This space had been sealed for countless years; why did it suddenly open now? Qin Sang secretly pondered, wondering if it might be related to the sword spirit. Had the sword spirit sensed the fragments of the killing sword, thereby triggering a restriction within the space? The more Qin Sang thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Regardless, he had to go.

Qin Sang carefully inspected the surroundings and said, "There are no traces left by Chaotic Fiend and the others here."

"The space opened gradually. The stone tablet must have been the beginning, or rather, the entrance. Even if they had made any arrangements, they were likely swallowed along with the stone tablet," Hall Master Jiang nodded forward and assessed, "The entrance to the space now covers nearly ten li wide. It seems they have been inside for some time!"

Hall Master Jiang's expression was troubled. Although he knew there was no time to lose, inside were a group of ferocious demons. With only four of them, they were too few. Acting rashly would not only prevent them from gaining any opportunities but also put their lives in danger.

Elder Mei frowned and decisively said, "I will go back immediately to inform the Grand Elder and bring people over. You all should act according to the situation!" With that, Elder Mei summoned her magic treasure, displayed the fastest speed of her life, and vanished into the turbulent void in a flash.

Qin Sang and Liu Li exchanged a glance. Qin Sang said, "Hall Master Jiang, we are preparing to go in first to scout ahead. What are your thoughts?"

Hall Master Jiang hesitated. "I'll search nearby and see if I can find any traces while waiting for the Grand Elder and the others. The stone tablet is part of the sacred ground, so this space must have some connection with the floating mountains outside. Perhaps there's something we can use. The demons are formidable, so you two must be careful. Liu Li, take this golden toad."

As he spoke, Hall Master Jiang took out two thumb-sized golden toads. The golden toads held pearls in their mouths. Handing one golden toad to Liu Li, Hall Master Jiang explained, "The space inside shouldn't be very vast. This is a special magic artifact I obtained during my travels many years ago. It can transmit simple messages within a certain range, unless obstructed by special spirit formations or seals. If anything unexpected happens, call for help immediately!"

In a place like this, having a means of communication was not a bad thing.

As Liu Li took the golden toad, Qin Sang lightly patted his corpse puppet bag and took out Hall Master Yin's imprisoned Nascent Soul. He partially unfurled the seal. Hall Master Yin awoke, initially somewhat bewildered. After seeing Qin Sang's face, he realized his current predicament and said coldly, "Why don't you just finish me off? Are you still hoping..." Mid-sentence, Hall Master Yin suddenly noticed that the surroundings were amiss. He stared intently at the white mist, and an expression of irrepressible shock appeared on his Nascent Soul's face.

Seeing Hall Master Yin's reaction, Qin Sang knew for sure that it was indeed not Yin Changsheng's doing. Resealing him, Qin Sang and Liu Li flashed inside.

The entire entrance to the space was sealed by immortal mist. The mist looked very mysterious. Qin Sang dared not be negligent, having Liu Li follow behind him, slowing their pace, and proceeding with extreme caution. After walking a distance, they discovered that there were no obstacles, not even restrictions or protective spirit formations; the path was unobstructed.

Qin Sang gradually quickened his pace. After walking briskly for a while, the mist gradually thinned. The phantom images of halls and pavilions they had seen earlier were not illusions. Stepping out of the mist-shrouded area, what greeted their eyes was a small lake, with halls and pavilions built upon it. Their upturned eaves and intricate dougong brackets were exceptionally beautiful.

Qin Sang and Liu Li stopped, concealed their aura, and observed their surroundings. They found boundless clouds overhead, pressing down extremely low, giving a feeling of extreme oppression and danger. Across the small lake was a mountain. The lake water had dried up, and the mountain no longer possessed its former spiritual beauty. However, the halls and pavilions, as well as the connected buildings behind them, still gleamed as new and were completely undamaged. The mountain was covered in shimmering, strange lights, emitted by ancient restrictions.

Qin Sang didn't see Chaotic Fiend and the others, but he noticed some fresh traces on the mountain, indicating that someone had forcibly broken through the ancient restrictions here. The traces pointed towards the most conspicuous wooden building behind the halls and pavilions. This building was only two stories high, with a red gourd carved at its top, slightly tilted, and three large characters inscribed: "Danxiang Pavilion."

"'Danxiang Pavilion.' Could it be a place where ancient cultivators refined pills? A pill chamber right at the entrance, what kind of layout is this?" Qin Sang muttered to himself, noting that the restrictions of Danxiang Pavilion had already been broken, and it had probably been ransacked several times by the group of demons.

Behind Danxiang Pavilion, several jade steps branched off, leading in different directions. No one was seen in any of the directions. Qin Sang and Liu Li discussed for a few moments, then quietly moved towards Danxiang Pavilion. Since they had entered late anyway, a brief delay didn't matter. Although Danxiang Pavilion had been preempted, observing the restrictions within it could help them understand this mysterious space.

With predecessors having cleared the way, Qin Sang and Liu Li arrived in front of Danxiang Pavilion effortlessly. Qin Sang and Liu Li exchanged glances, their eyes filled with surprise. They couldn't even discern what material was used to build this structure; they could only be certain it was no ordinary substance, but an unprecedented spiritual material! However, the more mysterious the stone tablet space, the greater the possibility of the killing sword fragments being present.

Qin Sang had seen the inner hall of the Seven Kills Palace and the restored Ziwei Palace, both incredibly magnificent. He had originally thought that the Profound Heaven Palace's sacred ground didn't quite match the killing sword fragments. Confirming there were no traps around, Qin Sang and Liu Li stepped to the door, pushing it open with a light touch, and the scene inside came into view.

The first floor was a spacious hall. The only object was a jade pill furnace, standing as tall as a person, with large handles and a round belly. Its lid was arranged with several small circular holes, though no smoke now emerged from within. The spiritual fire beneath the pill furnace had long since extinguished. There were no ancient restrictions here, but some residual auras of Daoist magic and divine abilities had not yet completely dispersed. Old Chaotic Fiend and the others had tried to take the jade pill furnace, but they failed. This showed that the object was not as simple as it appeared!

Liu Li seemed very interested in the patterns on the pill furnace and leaned closer to examine them. Qin Sang did not act rashly. He casually glanced around, then ascended the steps to the second floor, where the sight was even more unexpected for him.

The furnishings on the second floor were also simple. Identical tables were placed against each of the four walls, presumably where pills were stored. At this moment, valuable gourds containing medicines were placed on all four tables, and surprisingly, none had been taken!

"This..." Seeing this sight, Qin Sang's evaluation of the stone tablet space immediately rose to a higher level. So many masters had painstakingly broken through the restrictions of Danxiang Pavilion, yet ultimately couldn't even take a single gourd. It was truly unbelievable!

Qin Sang felt something strange. After a slight hesitation, he walked to the table opposite, his palm raised in a void, true essence surging out, forming a hand that reached for one of the valuable gourds.

*Swish!*

A shocking scene appeared. The moment his hand touched the gourd, the light twisted for a moment, and it passed through the gourd as if nothing were there. As his hand moved away, the gourd immediately returned to its original state.

Qin Sang was startled and said in surprise, "An illusion?" An illusion convincing enough to be mistaken for reality. The Sky-Eyed Butterfly hadn't detected it at all. Although the Sky-Eyed Butterfly's divine ability was powerful, it was also limited by cultivation, and it couldn't see through every illusion.

Qin Sang tried multiple times; all the valuable gourds were the same, visible but intangible. He immediately turned and went downstairs, finding that the jade pill furnace was also the same. Qin Sang had to admit his limited knowledge; he truly couldn't tell whether these valuable gourds were illusions or if they had been sealed by a special restriction, entering a profound state. No wonder there were so many residual auras of Daoist magic and divine abilities around. The treasures were right before them, yet untouchable, like reflections in a mirror or the moon in the water. No wonder that group of demons was filled with anger and unwillingness.

"It seems opportunities are not so easily obtained. Who they will ultimately belong to remains unknown." Qin Sang secretly sighed, then glanced at Liu Li, who was focused on observing the pill furnace. "Any discoveries, Immortaless?"

Liu Li raised her hand and pointed to one of the patterns on the pill furnace. Qin Sang looked over and found that the pattern was drawn with very simple strokes, but upon closer inspection, it could be discerned that it depicted the scenery around Danxiang Pavilion. A few people were seated in the halls and pavilions on the lake, drinking wine, composing poetry, and indulging freely, truly joyful. From Danxiang Pavilion behind them, wisps of green smoke drifted out, and young attendants were busily working inside.

Following the strokes further, one could discover that this drawing seemed to encompass the entire stone tablet space. The latter part was more impressionistic than the former, making it impossible to discern accurate information. However, after Qin Sang and Liu Li carefully analyzed it for a while, they confirmed that there were three locations that should be the most important within the stone tablet space. No one was seen around; presumably, they had all gone there. The three locations were in different directions, far apart. Only by visiting all of them could they determine their purpose. The demons had probably already finished their separate investigations. If they searched place by place, they would definitely be too late.

Qin Sang took out the Yang Puppet Crystal given to him by Earl Dongyang, released the demonic fire restriction, and probed with his divine sense. He didn't sense General Gui's location. He walked out of Danxiang Pavilion, ascended the jade steps, trying each one. Finally, after walking a certain distance on one of the jade steps, the Yang Puppet Crystal finally showed a reaction. General Gui was ahead! It was one of the three locations chosen by Qin Sang and Liu Li!

This group of demons was not good. There was no trust between them; only under the pressure from Profound Heaven Palace could they temporarily cooperate. With the secret realm right in front of them, it was already good that they hadn't immediately turned against each other; they would surely be extremely wary of each other. Great Sage Heavenly Peng led his army in campaigns against the human race, achieving outstanding military exploits. His prestige among the demon race even surpassed that of Great Sage Nine-Headed. The demon kings had long suffered under the human race and shared a common hatred, clearly more united than the demonic cultivators. Those demonic overlords also worried about being defeated one by one by the demon race, so they probably wouldn't stay too far from Chaotic Fiend. If there was a hidden treasure in the stone tablet space, it was most likely there!

Thinking of this, Qin Sang called Liu Li, left a mark for Tong Lingyu at a hidden spot, and immediately set off. The Yang Puppet Crystal's readings were sometimes clear, sometimes vague. Qin Sang deduced that General Gui was more easily sensed by the Yang Puppet Crystal whenever he used that puppet, activating the power of the Yin Puppet Crystal. This suggested that General Gui might be currently engaged in a magical combat!

"Have they already started fighting? It seems they really found something..." Qin Sang chuckled inwardly. It was best to "fish in troubled waters" during chaos.

There were no ancient restrictions on the jade steps, which wound their way through patches of strange flowers and exotic plants, dense forests, and tall bamboos. However, after the incident at Danxiang Pavilion, Qin Sang always felt that the scenery here wasn't real, perhaps all illusions. Along the way, Qin Sang remained vigilant, but did not feel as though he was being spied upon.

Before long, Qin Sang and Liu Li ascended a hillside along the jade steps, turned a corner, and saw the scene further ahead: another mountain peak, with more and more branching paths. Guided by the Yang Puppet Crystal, they continued without stopping, their goal clear, crossing one mountain after another, getting closer and closer to that place. At the same time, the puppet crystal's readings became increasingly clear.

Surprisingly, along the way, they didn't encounter a single person; it was as if all the demons had disappeared.

"It's just ahead, be careful." Qin Sang transmitted a warning, restrained his aura, and slowed his steps. Turning past this cliff face, Qin Sang's gaze suddenly sharpened.

On the pill furnace, this place was depicted with a straight black line. In reality, the path behind the cliff face sharply turned downwards, leading to a deep valley. Inside the valley, clouds were like a sea, a scene of chaos. Deep within the clouds, multicolored lights flickered, appearing and disappearing uncertainly within the sea of clouds, as if they could burst out of the deep valley and reappear in the world at any moment. According to past experience, this was precisely a sign that a treasure was about to emerge.

There was no one in front of the deep valley. The Yang Puppet Crystal, however, pointed towards the deep valley. Qin Sang glanced at the deep valley, carefully observing the entrance. He found no one on guard; it seemed all the demons had been drawn inside.