Chapter 273: Return

There were a total of twenty-seven individuals who entered the ancient cultivator's relic site, excluding Core Formation cultivators. Now, however, only sixteen of them are gathered near the stone stele.

Of course, it's also possible that some, similar to Rogue Cultivator Yun Qiong, gave up on the trial partway through and departed the ancient relic site.

When Qin Sang arrived, he saw that both Mu Yifeng and Yu Daiyue were present, so he approached them.

“Uncle Che and the others haven’t emerged yet?” Qin Sang quietly asked.

Mu Yifeng shook his head, his gaze fixed solemnly on the west. “After the anomaly occurred, Senior Sikong ordered us to leave first and await further instructions. She then personally went to rendezvous with Uncle Che and the others.”

The collapse was escalating. Some spatial rifts had merged, forming a colossal fissure a thousand zhang long, resembling a monster's gaping maw, poised to swallow any intruders.

Space itself was being torn apart, presenting an incredibly bizarre spectacle.

Some rivers of magma abruptly ceased flowing, while in other areas, the ground and mountains were strangely inverted, defying all logic. This phenomenon became increasingly severe the closer one got to the four Celestial Peaks.

Yet, at this point, none of the Core Formation cultivators had emerged.

Old Man Dique and Daoist Xuan Yu were certainly not going to appear; surprisingly, the other three had also not shown themselves.

Could all five Golden Core cultivators have perished? Qin Sang murmured inwardly, gazing at the apocalyptic scene.

Losing five Golden Core cultivators at once would be a significant blow to the major sects. Even among the Eight Orthodox Sects, the number of Core Formation cultivators within each sect is limited.

Qingluo Sect, in particular, suffered the most, as their Sect Master was among those inside.

After waiting for some time, the magma and fire beasts began to encroach aggressively, drawing ever closer to the stone stele. With still no sign of the Core Formation cultivators, everyone began to feel increasingly anxious.

Just then, someone's expression suddenly brightened with joy. Pointing into the distance, they shouted, “Look there!”

Looking as far as the eye could see, three points of light appeared amidst the spatial rifts. The space was still far from stable, constantly fluctuating; some rifts were expanding, and some were even drifting.

The points of light navigated with great difficulty, each time narrowly evading being swallowed by the spatial rifts. Although they were extremely distant and indistinct, the sight was nonetheless breathtaking.

Finally, the points of light emerged from the spatial rift zone, only to be met by a swarm of raging fire beasts.

However, despite their numbers, the fire beasts seemed scarce compared to the vast expanse of the relic site. They posed no significant threat to Core Formation cultivators, who easily shook them off.

Soon after, three figures materialized before the group: Che Yutao and his two companions.

Sikong Muyue and Du Yi appeared relatively unharmed, but Che Yutao looked considerably more dishevelled. His left arm even bore a prominent wound where a large piece of flesh had been torn off by something unknown.

Che Yutao did not immediately attend to his wound. His gaze swept over the gathered cultivators, his expression suddenly darkening. “Where is Daoist Xuan Yu?” he demanded angrily.

The oppressive aura of a Core Formation cultivator bore down, making everyone gasp for breath, feeling as though a mountain had descended upon them. Greatly alarmed, one late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator struggled to speak. “Reporting, Uncle Che, after the anomaly occurred, we haven’t seen the two seniors. They… it seems they haven’t emerged yet…”

Che Yutao and his companions exchanged grim glances upon hearing this. Sikong Muyue then stated gravely, “When the anomaly began, I sent them out and then returned to rendezvous with you. I did not encounter the two fellow Daoists.”

Du Yi turned and gazed into the distance, a note of surprise in his voice. “Daoist Xuan Yu ascended the Celestial Peak just like us, so it’s understandable if he was trapped by danger. But why hasn’t Daoist Dique managed to escape yet? Could he also be confined by some restriction?”

By this time, the fire beasts were drawing closer. Near the stone stele, magma was even seeping out of the ground.

Sikong Muyue shook her head, then looked at Che Yutao. “This place is not suitable for us to linger. We should retreat first. I observe the collapse showing signs of slowing; this relic site should not be utterly destroyed. The two fellow Daoists are fortunate individuals; as long as they find a hiding place, they should be safe. It won't be too late to devise a rescue plan once the site stabilizes.”

Che Yutao’s face was grim, lost in thought.

Du Yi, impatient, added, “Daoist Sikong’s suggestion is sound. We must first ensure our own safety before we can have the means to rescue the two fellow Daoists. At the very least, sending someone back to Hanging Skull Pass for reinforcements wouldn’t be too late.”

Seeing that both agreed, Che Yutao could only nod in assent.

Before entering the stone stele, Qin Sang cast one final glance behind him, then withdrew his gaze and stepped inside.

After a dizzying sensation, his vision cleared, and he found himself standing on the rubble outside the relic site. Besides Rogue Cultivator Yun Qiong, three other individuals had also abandoned the trial and were waiting there.

In total, six Foundation Establishment cultivators had perished within the relic site.

Seeing their dishevelled state, Rogue Cultivator Yun Qiong and the others were understandably astonished. After inquiring about the events inside, expressions of relief spread across their faces.

Che Yutao and his two companions secretly exchanged a few words, then positioned themselves by the entrance, showing no intention of departing. Qin Sang and the others, having received no command to leave, dared not depart on their own. They sat on the ground nearby, some meditating to regulate their qi, others tending to their injuries.

Qin Sang inwardly examined himself, casting a glance at the Nine Dragons Heavenly Carriage Talisman in his Sea of Qi. Suppressing his inner urgency, he refrained from probing the secret talisman with his spiritual sense, instead allowing it to warm and recover on its own.

He also placed several restrictions within his Sea of Qi, completely sealing off the secret talisman's aura to prevent any leakage.

As Old Man Dique had stated, the secret talisman was ownerless. As long as no one forcibly searched his Sea of Qi, he wouldn’t need to worry about the Nine Dragons Heavenly Carriage Talisman being exposed.

After sealing the Nine Dragons Heavenly Carriage Talisman, Qin Sang quietly opened his eyes. He saw Che Yutao and his two companions standing in a triangular formation around the entrance, occasionally activating the black hole to observe the changes within.

The stone stele within the black hole initially appeared calm, but then suddenly began to tremble violently. A surge of dark light erupted from the black hole, making it resemble a black sun.

The three Core Formation cultivators hastily acted, setting up a large restriction to obscure the dark light, lest the anomaly attract cloud beasts.

Three days passed in this manner.

Eventually, the black hole vanished completely. The dark light dissipated, and the stone stele truly revealed itself, standing amidst the circular rubble, much to everyone's astonishment.

Though covered in cracks, the stone stele remained remarkably intact, having fortunately not shattered.

After waiting for another three days, the area remained calm; no further anomalies occurred with the stone stele.

It seemed the ancient cultivator's relic site within had stabilized.

Sikong Muyue cautiously approached the stone stele, touching it with her palm. Spiritual energy surged from her hand, seemingly probing. After a long silence, she declared, “The trial space has been destroyed, which is why the entrance is now exposed.”

Che Yutao and his two companions deliberated for a moment, then called everyone together, revealing their surprising intention to re-enter the ancient relic site.

At this point, no one knew what dangers lay within the ancient relic site. Qin Sang and the others, though reluctant, had no choice but to obey. They collectively formed a massive Nine Luster Star River Array, with the three Golden Core cultivators as the primary formation masters, and together they stepped into the black hole, entering the stone stele.

Upon entering, and as Sikong Muyue had predicted, they were no longer shunted into the trial space but were instead transported directly into the relic site itself.