Chapter 1507: Deep Valley Seal

The Human World

While the Great Sage Tianpeng and Demon King Huangmei were conversing, some demon kings nearby were busy.

The demons were currently standing on a white jade platform. This was the deepest part of the Sea of Clouds. After considerable effort, the demons had broken through numerous ancient restrictions and arrived here one after another.

To their surprise, the deep valley was desolate. Upon arrival, they didn't find the treasures they expected, nor a place like a treasure vault. Instead, there was only a three-tiered white jade circular platform, too vast to see its entirety at a glance.

The circular platform was enormous, with each tier standing two people high. Although its surface bore no intricate patterns or designs, it was constructed from flawless white jade. Against the backdrop of rugged mountain walls and scattered rocks, it appeared even more pristine and magnificent.

Blazing flames erupted from the center of the circular platform. The column of fire soared a hundred zhang high. It was a spiritual fire they had never seen before, multicolored and vibrant. Even standing at the edge of the platform, they felt no heat whatsoever, making it seem almost unreal. Having endured countless years, the spiritual fire had not yet extinguished and still created such an astonishing display, enough to awe everyone. It was hard to imagine what the scene must have been like back then!

Initially, upon seeing the colossal platform and its fierce flames, the demons were stunned. After a moment, they remembered to rush to the top of the platform for a closer look. The center of the platform was hollow, with only enough space for a few people to stand abreast around its edge. Looking down, all they could see were raging flames, obscuring any view of what lay beneath.

The demons vaguely sensed something beneath the flames. They walked around the platform and, sure enough, found two incredibly thick chains descending deep into the fire. The two chains were fastened to opposite sides of the platform, collectively holding something. Their material was unknown, yet they remained completely unharmed despite being tempered by the flames for countless ages.

The demons tried to pull the chains, but they couldn't budge them in the slightest. Many demon kings even revealed their true demon forms, wielding immense strength capable of shaking mountains, yet still couldn't lift a single chain.

In another location, they might have suspected some malevolent entity was sealed beneath the platform and wouldn't have acted so rashly. However, based on the patterns on the alchemy cauldron in the Danxiang Pavilion and other discoveries, they had identified this deep valley and concluded that it was highly likely to be a treasure trove. The circular platform resembled a colossal artifact-refining cauldron, and these flames were the spiritual fire, which had been refining the treasure at the end of the chains for countless years. What power would this treasure possess once it emerged? The mere thought of this possibility made the demons' breathing grow heavy.

After further exploration, they discovered that the flames within the platform were peculiar: half resembled spiritual fire, and half seemed to be a manifestation of restrictive power, an unusual force they had never encountered. However, this did not deter them from devising a solution. The treasure seemed to be sealed beneath the flames. They deduced that by continuously attacking to disperse the fire and dismantle the sealing power, they would most likely be able to retrieve the item below.

Upon realizing this, the demons, who had originally been at odds with each other, temporarily set aside their grievances. The treasure hadn't yet been revealed, and the Xuantian Palace was still lurking outside. Fighting to the death now would be pointless. Led by the Great Sage Tianpeng and the Old Man of Chaos Demons, the demons tacitly split up, each group taking one of the iron chains, and quickly got to work.

It proved highly effective! The demons spared no effort, unleashing their unique abilities. A variety of magical artifacts and divine powers were deployed, and the column of fire's intensity had significantly diminished, indicating a great reduction in the sealing power. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the treasure would soon be revealed.

Even while conversing, the Great Sage Tianpeng and Demon King Huangmei continued to attack the flames in the cavern. The Xuantian Palace chose the most inconvenient time to arrive, not too early, not too late, but precisely at this critical juncture.

After a brief moment of contemplation, the Great Sage Tianpeng flickered, transforming into a streak of golden light, and moved to the other side of the platform. Along his path, the demons stopped their actions, their faces full of vigilance. Ignoring everyone else, the Great Sage Tianpeng went directly to the Old Man of Chaos Demons.

After listening, the Old Man of Chaos Demons' eyes narrowed slightly. He spoke coldly, "The valley is fraught with dangers at every turn. It won't be easy for Yin Changsheng to reach here! Still, the Xuantian Palace arriving only now is beyond my expectation. We wasted a lot of time opening the Eternal Peace Pavilion; I had originally thought Yin Changsheng would have entered by then."

Having lost the Ganoderma Ruyi Scepter, they could no longer control the opening and closing of the stele space, nor could they conceal the commotion caused by its activation. When the Xuantian Palace sent people to investigate, they would easily discover the anomaly. Therefore, after entering the stele space, the demons had no mind for internal strife. They were all focused on searching for treasures, only resorting to outright conflict when a treasure appeared directly before them. The Eternal Peace Pavilion was the most central and crucial chamber within the entire stele space.

The Great Sage Tianpeng said calmly, "Perhaps our arrangements in the Eternal Peace Pavilion played a role and delayed them a bit. The Eternal Peace Pavilion is grand beyond anything I've ever seen, comparable to a celestial palace, and far more appealing than this place. They will certainly go there first. However, since Yin Changsheng has already tracked us down, we cannot rely on luck anymore. The Xuantian Palace has controlled this holy land for many years; who knows how much they truly possess? They might even have a way to influence this place! Fellow Daoist, if the treasures you plundered from the Eternal Peace Hall are related to this location, you should bring them out now. Any later, and we might end up with nothing."

The Old Man of Chaos Demons merely smiled, remaining silent and expressionless.

Seeing that he couldn't probe the old demon's intentions, the Great Sage Tianpeng secretly scoffed. He looked down at the chains and said, "We've been attacking for so long, and the seal's power is significantly weaker. It's time to pull out the chains. I possess a divine ability that can add brute force; surely, Fellow Daoist has similar means?"

"Pull them up by force?" The Old Man of Chaos Demons frowned and turned to look towards the valley entrance. Misty mountains and layers of ancient restrictions obscured the view of the valley entrance, but it was clear the Xuantian Palace was rapidly approaching. The Great Sage Tianpeng's words were not without reason. Even if the demons united, they might be able to contend, but none of them were simple-minded; they were all cunning and valued their lives dearly. The Xuantian Palace not only had Yin Changsheng and his spirit treasures, but they also belonged to the same sect, unlike the demons who were disunited and harbored their own agendas. Should they clash, the demons would certainly be at a disadvantage.

"Very well," the Old Man of Chaos Demons nodded lightly. "From what I observe, the object bound by the chains is likely not a single magical artifact or spirit treasure as we presumed, but rather something colossal. If it's a place like a treasure vault, there would certainly be enough for everyone to share."

The Great Sage Tianpeng chuckled, noncommittal. He leaped back to the opposite side, summoned the demon kings, and discussed the matter with them. The other demons also feared the Xuantian Palace. Once Yin Changsheng arrived, their chances of obtaining the treasure would become even slimmer. A consensus was quickly reached. The demons unleashed their signature techniques and attacked the seal with all their might. Immediately, the flames at the center of the platform became erratic, and the seal grew increasingly chaotic.

The Great Sage Tianpeng stared intently at the iron chains. Seizing the opportune moment, his entire body suddenly erupted in golden light. He directly revealed his true demon form, transforming into a Golden-Winged Great Peng. Its colossal wings seemed to cover the sky, magnificent and extraordinary.