Chapter 1619: Five Elements Crown

What a mess!

Standing on the mountaintop, everyone looked at the scene behind the mountain and simultaneously shared the same thought. Even from the highest point, they couldn't see much clearly. The Unfettered Immortal Sect was not only shrouded in mist, but the mist itself was vibrant with colors. The lights of various restrictions and spirit formations flickered erratically, and countless magical swords roamed the air, creating a chaotic spectacle everywhere. Activating their vision, everyone could only vaguely discern layers of mountain shadows. The Unfettered Immortal Sect thus became even more mysterious and unpredictable.

The mountaintop had been cleared into a platform. Judging by the remaining traces, this was originally the entrance to the Unfettered Immortal Sect. Several teleportation arrays were built on the platform, likely leading to different locations within the Sect, all seemingly well-organized. Behind each teleportation array, there was a stone tablet with inscriptions. However, these teleportation arrays had long been destroyed from the other side and were beyond repair. The stone tablets, though likely protected by restrictions in the past, were now merely broken fragments.

The surviving characters on the fragments of the tablets revealed words like "Valley," "Hall," and "Pavilion." Most were fragmented, allowing only a rough guess at the purpose of these places. At the center of the platform, several teleportation arrays were clearly of great importance. One stone tablet in particular had perfectly preserved characters: "Earth Aspect Hall!" Four other teleportation arrays, along with the Earth Aspect Hall array, surrounded a central teleportation array.

Su Zinan pointed to these teleportation arrays. "According to what fellow Daoists have said before, these should be the core of the Unfettered Immortal Sect. This nameless teleportation array, guarded by the Halls of the Five Elements, clearly holds a high status. The Unfettered Immortal Sect's supreme treasure, the Five Elements Crown, must be stored here, right?" He spoke, casting an inquiring gaze towards Zhu Wudao, the strange-faced man, and others.

The strange-faced man ignored him. Zhu Wudao, unwilling to fall out with Su Zinan just yet, replied while observing the Unfettered Immortal Sect: "When the Unfettered Immortal Sect suffered its catastrophe, its legacy was scattered, and the Five Elements Crown went missing. No one knows where it ended up. It might still be preserved somewhere within the sect's ruins, the treasure gathering dust, or it might have already been taken out by someone..."

"If that's the case, then the Five Elements Crown is ownerless, and whoever obtains it will possess it. At that time, please don't claim 'since ancient times' and refuse to let go." Su Zinan paused, then, seeing Zhu Wudao nod, smiled contentedly. "When my foster father told me the secrets of the cultivation world, he never mentioned a single word about the Five Elements Crown. If it weren't for your definitive statements, I truly wouldn't believe that the Unfettered Immortal Sect's protective treasure is such an obscure item."

"If it were widely known, how would this old man dare use the Five Elements Crown to summon the descendants of the Immortal Sect?" Zhu Wudao seemed to have spotted what he was looking for, staring intently in one direction. "The Five Elements Crown is just one of the Unfettered Immortal Sect's protective treasures, and it's the least known. Only the true disciples of each lineage were aware of it back then..." It turned out that the strange statue worshipped by the Gu God Sect wore a crown made of five crude jade pieces, which was precisely the image of the Five Elements Crown. Zhu Wudao propagated the Gu God Sect, using the image of the Five Elements Crown to rally the hidden descendants of the Unfettered Immortal Sect.

While Zhu Wudao observed everything, others also tried to discern the various scenes within the Unfettered Immortal Sect, guessing which secret grounds they might be, but with little success. The only thing certain was that the northeast direction was heavily fortified with immortal restrictions and layers of mountains. Even the chaotic spectacle couldn't completely obscure the aura of an immortal realm. It must be a vital area of the Unfettered Immortal Sect! The Five Aspect Halls were likely in that direction.

Zhu Wudao found his target and swiftly moved first, gliding down the mountain. Judging by his performance so far, no one present understood the Unfettered Immortal Sect better than he did. Everyone immediately followed closely as Zhu Wudao descended the mountain.

"Huh? The anti-flight restriction has weakened." Not long after they started, Mo Xingdao was the first to notice a new change. His figure soared, and he only felt pressure and the sensation of being targeted by magical swords after rising two zhang (approx. 6.6 meters) off the ground. Everyone tried it, and indeed, it was true.

The Sword-bearer gazed ahead, pondering, "The chaos of the Unfettered Immortal Sect is not just superficial. The restrictions and spirit formations here cannot be judged by common sense. Some areas have weaker restrictive power, allowing for higher flight, while others are stronger."

"Exactly!" Zhu Wudao continued moving, without turning his head. "Everyone should still proceed with caution. If an anomaly is triggered, it could affect other fellow Daoists." The others readily agreed and continued flying low.

They reached the foot of the mountain. Below the mountain lay a vast, barren stone beach, stretching as far as the eye could see. The beach was covered with shattered stones, devoid of any vegetation. Zhu Wudao flew onto the stone beach, then suddenly stopped. He looked down and reached out to pick up a piece of pale white gravel. This was no mere stone; it was clearly a fragment of a meticulously refined spiritual material, yet it didn't resemble the shattered remains of a magic artifact. The vast stone beach was filled with such fragments everywhere. Their numbers were countless. The others also discovered the true nature of the stone beach.

Just then, the fragments on the surface of the stone beach began to tremble slightly, and a rumbling sound, like the pulse of the earth, emanated from underground. "What's that sound?" Su Zinan's expression changed slightly, a sense of foreboding washing over him. Though he was a Soul Transformation successor, he dared not be careless in the Unfettered Immortal Sect. This place was far more complex than a mere Soul Transformation cultivation ground; too many unknown entities existed here. The vibrations from underground grew stronger.

Bang!

The ground suddenly exploded. Immediately after, dense explosions continuously erupted across the stone beach. Amidst the 'bang-bang' sounds, fragments flew everywhere, and strange-shaped figures burst out. Before these figures appeared, Zhu Wudao and the others had not detected any signs of living creatures. The figures surged out of the stone beach without a sound and without any noticeable aura, uniformly turning towards Zhu Wudao and the others.

"Battle formation puppets!" Zhu Wudao recognized the origin of the figures, his expression darkening. The figures were actually puppets created by the Unfettered Immortal Sect, fashioned into various forms to achieve optimal coordination in battle formations. These were pure killing machines, born for battle formations. Sensing an intrusion, they would indiscriminately attack all enemies. Although Zhu Wudao had inherited the Unfettered Immortal Sect's legacy, he couldn't control its ruins, so these battle formation puppets would not recognize him. The puppets' eyes were empty and lifeless. Stared at by so many puppets, even with their formidable cultivation, their hearts couldn't help but tighten.

The next moment, the sound of tearing air filled the sky! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Everyone felt their vision dim as the battle formation puppets surged forward, instantly blackening the sky above the stone beach. Their spiritual senses were sharp; they perceived that the individual strength of these puppets was not particularly strong, and many were missing limbs, severely damaged, and unable to form complete formations, posing no threat to their lives. However, the sheer number of puppets was overwhelming, and their helpers had fallen behind, forcing them to fight alone.

"Charge!" Without Zhu Wudao's reminder, everyone understood they had only one choice. Immediately, Su Zinan and the others summoned their respective magic artifacts and displayed their divine abilities, charging into the stone beach, aiming to carve a path through the puppets. They were all top experts; a mere wave of their hands could destroy a small group of puppets, reducing them back to fragments. However, the puppets in the stone beach seemed endless, impossible to completely eliminate. Moreover, they had lost the basis for cooperation, each wary of the others, fighting individually, which required considerable effort to manage.

Su Zinan's speed was neither fast nor slow, maintaining a distance from everyone, including Mo Xingdao. He slightly raised his right hand, five dragon sinews wrapped around his fingertips, connected to a silken net of dragon sinews. The net, like blooming butterflies, enveloped patches of puppets. As the sinews tightened, the puppets were crushed into fragments. Su Zinan's face showed no sign of strain. His eyes flickered as he subtly glanced at the backs of Zhu Wudao and the others, seemingly deep in thought.

Just then, Su Zinan suddenly felt something, and sharply looked up! The clouds above rippled, and at some unknown moment, tiny points of light appeared, flickering dimly within the mist. They had just seen this phenomenon: a sign that the magical swords were disturbed and about to attack! Their entry into the stone beach had not only awakened the puppets but also alerted the magical sword killing formation.

Su Zinan inwardly cursed. He flicked his fingers, and streaks of blood light shot up, converging above his head to form a blood token. Then, with a 'bang,' the blood token shattered, and a visible blood-red ring swept outwards. Touched by the blood light, the puppets' joints seemed to rust, and their speed immediately slowed. Su Zinan swiftly flicked his right hand, and the dragon sinew net spread open above his head, forming a defense. At the same time, a great whistling sound erupted from above. Magical swords, like a forest, descended from the sky!

In an instant, everyone's figures vanished, submerged in a sea of magical swords and puppets. Zhu Wudao, with a golden mirror above his head, withstood the onslaught of the magical swords. Golden light enveloped his entire body, shaking off the close-range puppets as he firmly pushed towards the direction he had targeted. His target was not the vital area of the Unfettered Immortal Sect in the northeast, as others had initially determined. It was somewhat off, heading directly north.

Ever since entering the stone beach, the Sword-bearer had been following closely behind Zhu Wudao, repeatedly wielding his heavy sword. He used sword forms with saber techniques. His moves were strange, yet their power was considerable, and they served to prevent others from discerning his identity. The heavy sword, powerful and weighty, moved through the puppet horde as if entering an unmanned territory. As the magical swords attacked, the Sword-bearer remained calm amidst the chaos. His precious sword rapidly slashed around him, saber glints flashing repeatedly, as if his entire being was enveloped in a cage of blades, locking onto Zhu Wudao.

On the other side, the strange-faced man and the Crying Spirit Cave Master had, at some unknown point, come together. The Crying Spirit Cave Master had a red flower hovering above his head. This treasure, when emitting treasure light, could blast puppets away, and when transformed into a suction force, it could swallow magical swords, its wondrous uses seemingly endless.

However, the strange-faced man appeared the most at ease. He walked without his feet touching the ground, stepping on a vine as thick as a dragon. Both ends of the vine were deeply embedded in the earth, carrying the strange-faced man undulating forward. As soon as puppets approached, the vine would shoot out thinner tendrils, entangle them, and directly drag them underground. When the magical swords descended, the strange-faced man's reaction was somewhat similar to Su Zinan's: countless tendrils shot upwards, weaving a vine net above his head.

Glancing at Zhu Wudao's position, the strange-faced man transmitted a message: "Cave Master, please follow Old Demon Zhu closely. I will first go to the Wood Aspect Hall to obtain that secret art, then immediately rush to rendezvous with you." Upon hearing this, the Crying Spirit Cave Master showed dissatisfaction. The strange-faced man sensed the Crying Spirit Cave Master's thoughts and felt compelled to explain further. "Old Demon Zhu is treacherous; we must guard against him tampering with the teleportation array to the Heavenly Harmony Hall after activating it, lest we fall into his trap. This secret art is also a must-have, its importance no less than that of the Immortal Hall. Old Demon Zhu's destination is not in the same direction as the Wood Aspect Hall, so we can only split up. I have already sworn a heart demon oath and a karmic oath to the Cave Master; what more do you have to worry about? Old Demon Zhu's disciples and grand-disciples haven't arrived yet, so as long as the Cave Master remains vigilant, there will be no danger."

Ultimately, the Crying Spirit Cave Master followed the strange-faced man's suggestion and went after Zhu Wudao alone. The strange-faced man gazed for a moment, then stomped his foot. The vine immediately turned around and headed directly east.

The white-robed man was at the very back of everyone. After being surrounded by puppets and magical swords, the white-robed man was more cautious than the others. He immediately slowed down, his body steaming with water vapor, transforming into a thick armor made of water. The armor appeared soft. Continuous 'thud-thud' sounds echoed; both puppets and magical swords could shake the armor, but they could not penetrate it, securely protecting the white-robed man inside. He was neither fast nor slow, and even after losing track of Zhu Wudao, he showed no intention of speeding up. In fact, he eventually stopped, waited for a while, and then quietly moved away from the others.

Mo Xingdao was likely the one with the least knowledge of the Unfettered Immortal Sect among them. He had only recently begun gathering information about it, while Su Zinan could still hear some secrets from Old Demon Lu. His cooperation agreement with Su Zinan had ended after they ventured into the Hall of No Regret. Later, they temporarily allied again at Zhu Wudao's invitation, but Su Zinan would not share any secrets with him. Aside from the Five Elements Crown, he didn't know what other treasures the Unfettered Immortal Sect possessed. However, Mo Xingdao was certain of one thing: following Zhu Wudao would not be wrong!

After a fierce charge, Zhu Wudao finally broke through the stone beach. Ahead lay a canyon, overgrown with weeds, which also did not look like a benign place. Ignoring those following him, Zhu Wudao continued without hesitation, charging into the canyon. Soon, the Sword-bearer and the Crying Spirit Cave Master also entered one after another. When Mo Xingdao broke out of the stone beach, he was surprised to find that Su Zinan had disappeared. This person had actually not followed, and no one knew where he had gone. After a brief deliberation, Mo Xingdao decided to disregard Su Zinan and act alone.

Two figures flashed on the mountaintop: the Purple Lightning True Man and Yue Lingtian. They overlooked the scene below the mountain. The stone beach had become a sea of puppets and magical swords, too chaotic to discern the movements of others. As Yue Lingtian observed the stone tablets, the Purple Lightning True Man took out a jade talisman, held it in his palm, sensed it briefly, said "Let's go," and flashed into the stone beach. Yue Lingtian followed closely. Before leaving, Yue Lingtian looked back over his shoulder, his brows slightly furrowed. The Cloud Dragon had changed; he wondered if Hua Chenzi would still be able to arrive in time.

Not long after the Purple Lightning True Man and Yue Lingtian entered the stone beach, Qin Sang ascended the mountaintop, also exclaiming, "What a mess!"

"Anti-flight restrictions, magical sword killing formations, a sea of puppets... Back then, they must have already breached the Unfettered Immortal Sect's mountain gate. It's estimated that the gate was forcibly sealed during the war, and these restrictions fell silent. Now, with the re-activation, sensing the aura of living beings, they have been awakened again..." Qin Sang analyzed the events of the past based on these signs. The Unfettered Immortal Sect's predecessors hastily sealed the mountain gate, indicating that many treasures within had not been moved in time. Scanning the area, Qin Sang was in no hurry to descend the mountain, instead examining the inscriptions on the stone tablets.

"Earth Aspect Hall... what is Minglou... huh? Langhuan..." Qin Sang's eyes lit up. Legend has it that Langhuan was the Heavenly Emperor's treasure trove of books. The Unfettered Immortal Sect would certainly not name things haphazardly. This "Langhuan" should be the sect's scripture repository!