After resting and reorganizing, the Qingxu Temple disciples concealed their traces and set out again on their journey. The closer they approached the secret realm's core area, the more viscous the spiritual qi in the air became, almost liquefying into substantial spiritual mist. With each breath, one could feel minute increases in cultivation. However, this opportunity was accompanied by ubiquitous danger. Powerful demon beast territories occupied the necessary paths, and some naturally formed dangerous areas and mazes also emerged endlessly. Occasionally, they could even sense the presence of other cultivator teams. An atmosphere of an approaching storm permeated the air.
With Eldest Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng's cautious command, Third Senior Sister Liu Yun's sharp path-clearing, and Xiao Qi's increasingly keen spiritual sense (especially for sensing malice and demonic qi), the team passed through several dangerous areas without mishap. During this time, they also distantly avoided a few waves of other sects' teams. At this moment in the core area, trust had become extremely luxurious; no one could guarantee that seemingly righteous comrades wouldn't suddenly turn hostile before great treasures.
On this day, following the fragmentary directional information recorded in the ancient jade slip obtained from the "Tingtao Residence" cave dwelling, everyone passed through a stone forest filled with jagged rocks and twisted light. When they stepped out of the stone forest, the scene before them made everyone stop in shock.
Ahead was no longer mountain forest terrain but an incomparably vast flat ground. The ground was not made of earth but paved with warm, jade-like white stone slabs emitting a faint fluorescence, extending to the limit of vision. In the center of this flat ground stood a hall that defied description in its magnificence and antiquity.
The hall was entirely a dark gold color, constructed from unknown materials. Despite endless ages, it still circulated with hazy treasure light. Its design was not the common palace style of the Central Plains but appeared even more archaic and grand, with flying eaves pointing upward, carrying a majestic momentum pointing straight to the heavens. The entire hall was enormous; humans were as insignificant as ants before it. Around the hall swirled seven-colored auspicious clouds that were like substance—a phenomenon formed by spiritual qi concentrated to the extreme interweaving with some unknown law.
Merely gazing at it from afar, one could feel a vast, ancient aura rushing forth, inspiring awe, as if facing a slumbering ancient deity. This was the true core of the Cloud Mist Secret Realm and the ultimate goal of all cultivators who entered!
"Found it... the secret realm's core hall!" a disciple murmured, his voice filled with irrepressible excitement and trembling. After enduring countless hardships, even paying the price of companions' lives, they had finally arrived here.
However, beyond the excitement, realistic problems immediately presented themselves. Before that magnificent hall, about a thousand zhang away, the path was not clear. A visible, semi-transparent, seven-colored glazed light film shaped like a giant inverted bowl enveloped the entire core hall! On the light film, countless extremely intricate runes circulated like living things, emitting a heart-palpitating, vast energy fluctuation. An invisible, powerful pressure spread from the light film, making everyone's breathing stagnate, as if taking one more step forward would invite devastating attack.
This was clearly an extremely powerful ancient restriction guarding the core hall!
"Such a powerful restriction!" Liu Yun's pupils contracted. She could feel that this restriction's strength far exceeded any formation encountered before; even if a Nascent Soul cultivator came, they might not be able to forcefully break it.
Mu Qingfeng nodded gravely: "According to the jade slip's residual records and the law aura emanating from this restriction, this is likely a variant or simplified version of the 'Zhou Tian Star Restriction' used by an ancient great sect to guard their heritage grounds. It borrows the power of Zhou Tian stars and fuses with earth vein spiritual qi, forming a self-sustaining cycle. It's incredibly sturdy and possesses extremely strong counterattack capabilities."
He tried walking forward a few steps. When still a hundred zhang from the seven-colored light film, he felt a powerful repulsive force, as if invisible arms were pushing him away, preventing further approach. Simultaneously, the circulation speed of runes on the light film seemed to increase slightly, with a dangerous aura faintly locking onto him.
Mu Qingfeng immediately stopped, slowly retreating, and the locking sensation gradually disappeared. He said gravely: "Do not rashly approach. This restriction's perception is keen, repelling all unlicensed approach. Forcible assault will invite backlash."
Everyone's hearts sank upon hearing this. After finally finding the place, they were blocked by such a powerful restriction—were they to return empty-handed?
"Eldest Senior Brother, does the jade slip mention any method to enter?" Xiao Qi couldn't help but ask. The jade pendant at his chest had been maintaining a warm sensation since approaching this core hall, as if faintly resonating with something inside, giving him hope in his heart.
Mu Qingfeng shook his head: "The jade slip is fragmentary, only mentioning the core hall's location and general description, not recording the specific entry method. The opening method for such important restrictions is probably known only to the core disciples of the sect that set it up back then."
For a time, the team fell into silence. Gazing at the opportunity so close yet so far, everyone felt unwilling but helpless. Some disciples began trying to probe with their spiritual sense or test with low-level spells, but the seven-colored light film remained immovable. All attempts sank like stones into the sea, not even stirring a ripple.
"Seems we can only wait for other cultivator teams to arrive and see if they have methods, or... wait for the restriction itself to change?" a fellow disciple guessed.
Just as everyone was at a loss, Xiao Qi stared at the endlessly circulating seven-colored runes, that faint resonant sensation growing clearer in his heart. He subconsciously circulated the "Yimu Ningxin Art" he had just begun learning, trying to make himself more peaceful to sense that resonance.
As the cultivation technique circulated, a soft hum seemed to sound in his sea of consciousness. What he "saw" was no longer those incomparably complex runes but, at the core of the seven-colored light film, several relatively dim nodes with slower circulation speeds. The positions of these nodes faintly constituted a pattern he felt somewhat familiar with.
Yes! It was somewhat like the ancient rune combination mentioning "balance" and "resonance" in the jade slip recording ancient miscellaneous knowledge! Though not identical, the core meaning seemed to connect.
With sudden insight, he walked forward a few steps to where Mu Qingfeng had previously stopped. He did not advance further but instead closed his eyes, fully circulating the "Yimu Ningxin Art" while sinking his mind into the jade pendant at his chest, guiding that cool, peaceful breath to merge with his spiritual sense. Then slowly, like extending an invisible tentacle, he carefully reached toward those special nodes he had perceived on the light film.
He did not attempt to assault or break through but instead adjusted his aura to harmonize with the extremely weak "frequency" emitted by those nodes, like attempting a silent communication with this ancient restriction.
This process was extremely draining of mental energy, and fine sweat soon appeared on Xiao Qi's forehead. He could sense that restriction's vast, ocean-like power; his bit of spiritual sense was like a firefly before the bright moon in comparison. One misstep could invite devastating backlash.
Mu Qingfeng and Liu Yun detected Xiao Qi's unusual state and immediately signaled the others to silence while nervously guarding beside him, prepared for any eventuality.
Time passed bit by bit. Just as Xiao Qi felt his mental energy was about to be exhausted and that subtle "resonance" was about to break—
"Weng..."
The seven-colored light film enveloping the hall seemed to vibrate extremely slightly.
Immediately after, in everyone's shocked gaze, the nodes that had been dim directly facing Xiao Qi suddenly lit up with soft white light of the same origin as the cool breath faintly radiating from Xiao Qi! The white light quickly spread, outlining a portal about three people high and two wide!
Inside that "light door," the seven-colored restriction became like rippling, transparent water. Though one could still feel the vast energy behind it, the powerful repulsive force and aggressiveness had disappeared at this moment!
The door had opened!