Chapter 230: BRICS Corridor

"After entering the stone tablet, you will face trials left by the dwelling's master, the specific content of which is unknown. Based on previous clues, we can confirm there will certainly be dangers, but it won't be a death trap. As long as you are cautious enough, you should be safe. Those who successfully pass the trials may explore the ancient cultivator's dwelling freely, apart from a few dangerous areas. Your gains will depend on your fortune. Furthermore, if you discover any signs of abnormality within the dwelling, immediately retreat to the entrance, otherwise, I won't be able to look after you all and save you..."

Before entering the black hole, Qin Sang heard Che Yutao's telepathic message. He had already anticipated the existence of dangerous areas within the ancient cultivator's dwelling. Although he couldn't pinpoint their exact locations, he knew he would discern them by the power of the restrictions and protective arrays surrounding them once inside. However, he wondered what Che Yutao meant by "abnormality." Perhaps even Che Yutao wasn't entirely sure.

After all the Foundation Establishment stage disciples had entered, the five Core Formation stage cultivators exchanged glances. Sikong Muyue spoke gravely, "The restrictive forces we and the Foundation Establishment stage juniors encountered only differ in power; the changes in the restrictions all follow the same pattern. I trust you all have a clear understanding of the array from just now?"

The old man from the Terrene Deficiency laughed, "No need to trouble Fairy Sikong. It's just a trivial Nine Radiance Star River Array; it won't stump us old fellows."

Ignoring the old man's laughter, Sikong Muyue reminded them, "We will undergo different trials from the younger generation. The difficulty of these trials will undoubtedly match the strength of Core Formation stage cultivators. According to the clue, the trials will certainly not be simple, so it would be best not to be careless."

The five instantly took their respective positions, forming a Five-Person Nine Radiance Star River Array. The starry sky that formed above them grew deeper, and the starlight became even brighter, each star dazzling like a full moon.

"With our combined strength, we won't be stopped by the trials. My greatest fear is that the Demonic Sect has already plundered everything inside, leaving nothing but an empty shell, wasting all our time and effort," sighed Du Yi, the Sovereign of the Azure Net Sect. He lightly tapped his treasured mirror, and its light enveloped his body, transforming him into a star that shot deep into the starry sky, leaving his words hanging in the air.

The old man from the Terrene Deficiency let out a strange laugh, tapped his single leg, and followed closely behind Du Yi. "Whether there are treasures in the dwelling or not, I don't care; it has nothing to do with me anyway. I'm actually looking forward to seeing you all return empty-handed, haha..."

As Che Yutao was about to depart, he noticed Daoist Master Xuanyu staring at the black hole with an unusual expression. He asked curiously, "Old Ox-Nose, what are you looking at?"

Daoist Master Xuanyu wore a pensive expression. "If the trials in the dwelling are well-measured, then once Fellow Daoist Sikong improves the array, three people could enter the dwelling together, which would be much easier. We could even use this place for our disciples to gain experience."

Che Yutao mused, "This area is in the middle layer; Foundation Establishment stage disciples wouldn't encounter too much danger if they came alone. It is indeed suitable. However, it's too early to say. Old Ox-Nose, you should first think about how to pass the trials."

Upon entering the black hole, the array was immediately dispersed by the restrictive forces and could not be maintained. Qin Sang felt as if he had fallen into a raging storm; his body was completely out of control. He watched helplessly as the nine individuals were scattered, having no choice but to let the restrictive force swiftly push him towards the stone tablet. Drawing lessons from the precedent set by Yun Youzi and others, Qin Sang wasn't worried about being killed by a fall. Still, he fully activated his spiritual power to protect his entire body, so he wouldn't be caught off guard by immediate danger upon entering the stone tablet. In an instant, Qin Sang was within arm's reach of the stone tablet. He was then sucked into it by a vortex, feeling a dizzying sensation before finding himself in an unfamiliar space.

The golden light was incredibly dazzling. Qin Sang's first reaction was to activate his escape art and conceal himself, then summon his Ebony Sword for protection. Only then did he begin to carefully survey his surroundings. He was standing inside a glittering golden passageway. Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed that the floor, ceiling, and side walls of the passageway were all paved with golden bricks, extending to the end of the passageway, beyond his sight.

Ten thousand years had passed since the Demonic Sect occupied the ancient immortal's dwelling, and there must have been an unknown number of years before that. Yet, even now, the golden bricks in the passageway still looked brand new, without the slightest sign of age or damage, appearing incredibly luxurious and sparkling. The passageway was not wide, only enough for five people to walk abreast. From the moment Qin Sang appeared, the passageway remained perfectly silent; no sounds were heard, and no enemies emerged. He wondered what the so-called trial was.

However, Qin Sang noticed something unusual about the golden light on the walls of the passageway. He narrowed his eyes for a closer look, and his expression immediately tightened as he saw paintings of golden-armored divine generals on the walls. At regular intervals, there was a painting of a golden-armored divine general, each with varied expressions. They all wore full golden armor with face guards, making it impossible to discern their faces; only two empty sockets where their eyes should be were visible, filled with dazzling golden light. Their weapons, however, were diverse: sabers, spears, swords, and halberds were all depicted.

Visually, the paintings were just lifeless objects, but Qin Sang always felt as if countless gazes from beneath the divine generals' face guards were fixed on him, making him feel completely exposed even though he was hidden in the shadows using his escape art.

Qin Sang stood on guard for a moment, but still no movement occurred. He mused to himself, "Do I have to walk forward for the trial to begin?" Thinking this, he looked around but found no one else. He then reached to his waist, and a blue-faced, fanged zombie flew out from his corpse puppet bag. Under Qin Sang's command, it darted forward.

*Whoosh!*

The zombie transformed into streaks of afterimages, swiftly approaching the two foremost paintings in the blink of an eye. Qin Sang glanced at the zombie, then fixed his gaze on the two paintings. The instant the zombie passed between them, Qin Sang's eyes flashed, and he thought, "Just as I expected!"

As soon as the zombie passed between the two paintings, the golden light on them immediately flowed like clear water. Then, the golden-armored divine generals in the paintings suddenly came to life, divine light bursting from their eyes, and their weapons gently swung out before they disappeared from the paintings.

The next moment, the corpse puppet was neither blocked nor attacked, but a furious shout from Qin Sang suddenly echoed at the passageway entrance. Qin Sang hadn't expected that these two golden-armored divine generals, alerted by the corpse puppet, wouldn't attack the puppet but instead head directly for him. And even though he was still hidden, the divine generals could still pinpoint his location accurately.

Two phantom figures of golden-armored divine generals appeared out of thin air on either side of Qin Sang, flanking him from left and right, both wielding identical golden treasured swords. Before they even arrived, their sword qi reached him. Two golden sword qi streaks tore through the void and slashed towards him diagonally.