Chapter 1457: Crisis?

Qian Tianming breathed a long sigh of relief. That had been truly dangerous; he had almost met his end, but thankfully Wang Changsheng had come to his aid.

Ao Qing and Shi Hou's true objective was the Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure, the Blood Demon Blade, not to eliminate Zhou Sihong.

Without the aid of the Primordial Magnetic Pearl, Wang Changsheng and the Immortal of Wine moved with ease. However, True Man Heiyang and True Man Huoyang found every step difficult. Had they not enlisted Wang Changsheng's help, they wouldn't have just failed to kill Zhou Sihong; they would have all met their demise there.

Upon Zhou Sihong's death, the Blood Demon Blade's spiritual radiance dimmed, and affected by the golden magnetic force, it rapidly plummeted to the ground.

Qian Tianming summoned a shimmering golden cauldron, which emitted a golden light and absorbed the Blood Demon Blade.

This formidable weapon had previously killed nearly twenty Nascent Soul cultivators. Its immense malevolent energy made it incredibly difficult to control.

Wang Changsheng turned and approached a stone wall, striking it with the Grand Vast Spirit-Slaying Blade he held.

"Clang!" The Grand Vast Spirit-Slaying Blade merely left a shallow gash. This was a gold magnetic ore deposit, and Wang Changsheng intended to acquire some gold magnetic stones to refine into a powerful treasure.

A series of metallic clangs resonated, sparks flying, yet Wang Changsheng was unable to chip off a single piece of the gold magnetic stone.

After a brief hesitation, he released the Gold-Devouring Ant Queen and over a hundred Gold-Devouring Ants, each with faint silver markings on their backs.

The Gold-Devouring Ants couldn't gnaw through the material at all. Only the Gold-Devouring Ant Queen fared slightly better, managing to bite off some pieces of the gold magnetic ore.

Feeling the Gold-Devouring Ant Queen's progress was too slow, Wang Changsheng donned his Spirit-Breaking Gauntlets and began to punch the stone wall.

"Boom!" The ground trembled, and a long crack appeared where he had struck the wall.

Wang Changsheng continued to punch relentlessly, eventually prying off a gold magnetic ore chunk weighing several hundred catties. He estimated that a decent amount of gold magnetic stones could be extracted from it.

Qian Tianming and the other two exchanged astonished glances. Wang Changsheng's physical strength far exceeded their expectations. Throughout history, countless cultivators had set their sights on the metal ore veins of the Immortal Burial Sea, yet only a select few managed to acquire any special metal ores. Most Nascent Soul cultivators were powerless against these veins.

Wang Changsheng had used sheer force to break off a gold magnetic ore chunk weighing several hundred catties. If such a chunk had hit them, would they have survived?

"Fellow Daoist Wang, we should leave here quickly!" Qian Tianming urged, his expression anxious. "Spirit-depleting energy could erupt here at any moment, and getting trapped by it would be disastrous."

Wang Changsheng nodded, recalled his Gold-Devouring Ants, and departed with Qian Tianming.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, your contribution to eliminating the great demon Zhou Sihong this time is immense," Qian Tianming said sincerely. "Upon our return, I will report it truthfully. Had it not been for your extraordinary strength, I would surely have perished by Zhou Sihong's hand."

True Man Huoyang offered a wry smile and remarked sincerely, "The two of us were of little help; we merely watched. I had intended to spar with Fellow Daoist Wang earlier, but it seems there's no need now. Your strength far surpasses mine."

Not only was Wang Changsheng unaffected by the golden magnetic force, but he also managed to forcefully dislodge a large chunk of gold magnetic ore from the vein. True Man Huoyang felt utterly outmatched by such power.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you're too generous, I..." Before Wang Changsheng could complete his sentence, a sudden white light streaked from ahead. It was Shi Hou, his expression panicked.

"This is bad! Spirit-depleting energy is erupting! Run!"

Upon hearing this, the smiles on the faces of Wang Changsheng and the other three instantly vanished.

Before the spirit-depleting energy spread, they could still use their magic power. However, once it completely filled the Immortal Burial Sea, transforming it into a spirit-depleting zone where cultivators couldn't use their abilities, they would face certain death.

No sooner had Shi Hou finished speaking than a vast expanse of white gas appeared behind him. More white gas billowed into the void, and the Silver Moon Shuttle began to violently pitch, threatening to plummet at any moment.

"Damn it, run!" Qian Tianming cursed. He quickly formed a hand seal, and the Silver Moon Shuttle shot into the distance.

Shi Hou was overtaken by the white gas and suddenly plunged from high altitude into the seawater. He submerged himself, moving swiftly along the seabed.

Vast quantities of spirit-depleting energy surged forth, engulfing an area hundreds of li in radius. The expanding zone of energy continued to spread, encircling Qian Tianming and the other three.

"Let's escape through the seabed!" Wang Changsheng declared. "Life and death are fated, fellow Daoists. I'll go ahead." He then leaped into the seawater. This was his only chance, as he could still use his magic power before the spirit-depleting energy fully erupted.

After diving a hundred zhang beneath the surface, Wang Changsheng released his Sea-Suppressing Ape, instructing it to carry him to safety.

The seabed also possessed magnetic forces, severely disrupting cultivators' spiritual senses. However, the Sea-Suppressing Ape's escape speed was exceptional, and the natural magnetic field had minimal effect on it.

A quarter of an hour later, the Sea-Suppressing Ape surfaced. Before them lay a barren island, over a hundred li in size. Massive amounts of spirit-depleting energy surged towards them; as far as they could see, the entire vicinity was enveloped by it.

Wang Changsheng quickly recalled the Sea-Suppressing Ape, then summoned the Sea-Suppressing Token and pressed it against a specific point on its reverse side.

A mechanical sound echoed, and the Sea-Suppressing Token erupted in a myriad of colorful lights. After a moment, the lights dissipated, revealing a blue palace over ten zhang tall. The palace was sumptuously decorated, and its plaque prominently displayed the characters "Xuan Shui Palace."

Wang Changsheng darted into the Xuan Shui Palace. The palace doors swiftly closed behind him, and a faint blue light barrier materialized across their surface.

The surging spirit-depleting energy was blocked by the blue light barrier.

Wang Changsheng let out a long sigh of relief and slumped to the ground. The Xuan Shui Palace contained a spiritual vein, allowing Wang Changsheng to use his magic power.

Strictly speaking, the Xuan Shui Palace was now akin to an independent space. Spirit-depleting energy affected cultivators and, consequently, the use of their magical treasures. Since Wang Changsheng was not directly exposed to the spirit-depleting energy, he could naturally wield his magic power.

"I truly wonder who created the Xuan Shui Palace," Wang Changsheng mused to himself, letting out another long sigh of relief. "It's an absolute necessity for treasure hunting and exploration."

If he had been trapped by the spirit-depleting energy, he would not only have been unable to use his magic power but also unable to perform Bigu (abstinence from grain), leading to starvation.

The spirit-depleting energy would not dissipate anytime soon. Unable to leave, Wang Changsheng headed towards a secret chamber.

The secret chamber was small, its stone walls intricately carved with numerous water-attribute runes that emitted a pure mist of water vapor.

The Xuan Shui Palace was fully equipped with all necessary facilities, including training rooms, bedrooms, guest rooms, alchemy rooms, and artifact refining chambers.

Wang Changsheng sat down cross-legged and retrieved the gold magnetic ore along with other artifact refining materials. He intended to forge a magical treasure similar to the Primordial Magnetic Pearl. Naturally, with only this single piece of gold magnetic ore, the resulting artifact wouldn't possess the full power of the Primordial Magnetic Pearl; even a fraction of its might would be satisfactory.

Wang Changsheng wasn't concerned. He happened to have a substantial amount of artifact refining materials with him. Being trapped in the Immortal Burial Sea meant he could refine artifacts at his leisure, and perhaps significantly improve his refining skills in the process.