Chapter 1000: Stone Puppet

Twenty miles north of the small lake, deep underground, hundreds of cultivators were gathered at the entrance of the seal crack. (Web)

Because the illusion array self-destructed, the crack several zhang wide appeared clearly in front of the crowd, but this also made the passage become extremely dangerous. Silver light flickered incessantly at the entrance, as if silver waves were surging out, appearing extremely strange.

At the entrance, those rogue cultivators and small-faction cultivators who knew they couldn't participate in the competition hid far away. Besides them, there were three groups of cultivators gathered there, seemingly in a stalemate.

One group was composed entirely of female cultivators in emerald green clothes, each young and beautiful, with graceful figures. Looking at their attire, they were Southern Border local cultivators. There were only two leaders: a middle-aged woman at the Nascent Soul mid-stage with an ordinary appearance, and a beautiful young woman at the Nascent Soul early-stage.

Facing this group of female cultivators were over thirty cultivators. But strangely, this group was vaguely divided into two factions: one group in black clothes, and the other in snow-white robes.

Standing in front of them were five Nascent Soul cultivators respectively. Ge Ge Tianhao and the Heaven-Lan Saintess Lin Lin Yinping were among them, but the most eye-catching was a young man standing beside the Heaven-Lan Saintess, who from his spiritual energy fluctuations, was actually a Nascent Soul late-stage Great Cultivator, none other than that Great Immortal Master Xu from the Heaven-Lan Grasslands.

The last group of cultivators was the smallest, with only three Daoist priests in green robes, led by a white-haired, red-faced old Daoist, with a celestial appearance, who was also a late-stage Great Cultivator.

"Madam Mu, why does your sect have to wade into these muddy waters? It's not that I look down on you, Madam, but this trip is truly dangerous. If you are not careful, the Transformation Immortal Sect might suffer a great loss of vitality. I am only trying to persuade you out of our past friendship," the white-haired old Daoist said solemnly to the woman.

Judging by his tone, the old Daoist was actually quite familiar with the woman.

"Xuan Qingzi, even if the Tai Yi Sect claims to be the number one righteous sect, it cannot be so overbearing. This seal is clearly located within our sect's sphere of influence; why can't our Transformation Immortal Sect enter? As for danger, our sect's disciples don't take it to heart," the woman replied calmly.

This group of female cultivators was actually the Transformation Immortal Sect, one of the two major sects in Southern Border, closest to the seal.

Speaking of which, the reputation of this sect in the cultivation world was even louder than the Poison Saint Sect. Because of their cultivation techniques, most of the disciples were female, and the high-stage cultivators and elders in the sect were also women. But this sect could shake Southern Border because of their unpredictable curse and poisonous arts, which were said to be able to kill people from ten thousand miles away without a trace.

This made other sect cultivators extremely wary of the female cultivators of this sect, and they were unwilling to provoke them easily.

This 'Madam Mu' even had a terrifying legend of cursing and killing three cultivators of the same stage in different places in one day, and the old Daoist had an unclear grievance with this woman in his early years.

Thus, even though he was an elder of one of the top sects in Great Jin, the old Daoist still appeared extremely polite.

"Fellow Daoist Xuan Qing, I won't ask about the affairs of other sects. But our Yin Luo Sect must enter," Ge Ge Tianhao also spoke up from the other side.

This person had accompanied a group of Heaven-Lan cultivators on their journey day and night, and upon entering Southern Border, he met two other elders of the Yin Luo Sect and learned about the underground seal. He immediately brought everyone here. Now that he felt his side's manpower was stronger than the Tai Yi Sect's, he naturally wouldn't retreat easily.

"If Fellow Daoist Ge truly wants to enter, I will not block you. To tell you the truth, Fellow Daoists, I received secret information that this seal was deliberately opened by someone. Although I don't know what is below, I think it is definitely not a good thing. Besides, even if I don't intervene, this crack has become like this; how can you fellow Daoists pass through? Now, even I dare not rashly break into this crack," Xuan Qingzi didn't get angry upon hearing this, but looked at the silver light surging out of the entrance and said noncommittally.

Hearing this, Madam Mu and Ge Ge Tianhao and the others all fell silent. This was indeed a difficult problem to solve!

Now that the barrier fluctuations in the crack were so violent, entering it was indeed an extremely dangerous thing.

"Our Transformation Immortal Sect just obtained a Sun-Moon Shuttle in recent years, which can be considered one of the few treasures in the world that combines offense and defense. If my junior sister and I join forces, we are willing to give it a try," the woman brushed the green hair from her forehead and said slowly.

"Sun-Moon Shuttle? One of the three Spirit Shuttles. You actually have this treasure!" The old Daoist looked extremely surprised.

"It's nothing, our sect just obtained it, and we intend to make this treasure our sect's inheritance treasure!" Madam Mu said calmly, without the slightest taboo.

"Since you have this treasure, I won't say anything more. Madam Mu, please take care of yourself," the old Daoist nodded and really didn't say anything more.

"Two days later? Didn't you say just now that you couldn't pass through either? What do you mean by this now?" Ge Ge Tianhao sensed something was wrong.

"Did I not say it? Two days later, Seven-Wonder True Person of the Heaven Demon Sect will arrive. With Fellow Daoist Seven-Wonder's Spirit Turtle Flying Carriage, passing through this crack will not be a problem," the old Daoist stroked his beard and said leisurely.

"Seven-Wonder True Person is also coming here?" Ge Ge Tianhao and the others were greatly shocked.

"That's right, the secret information I received originally involved matters between the righteous and demonic paths, and it happened to be the responsibility of Fellow Daoist Seven-Wonder and me. We only separated in the vicinity of Southern Border not long ago. Now that the clues have been found, naturally, I have to find Brother Seven-Wonder to help me. It's not that I am timid, but if the secret information is true, I don't think I can do anything alone. It's safer to wait for Fellow Daoist Seven-Wonder to enter the seal together," the old Daoist said leisurely.

Hearing that the Heaven Demon Sect's Seven-Wonder True Person was also coming out, Ge Ge Tianhao's expression was truly ugly. He fell silent for a while, then communicated with the Heaven-Lan Saintess and the young man surnamed Xu through sound transmission.

The young man surnamed Xu's expression remained unchanged, while Lin Lin Yinping listened with her brows locked tightly.

Seeing this, Ge Ge Tianhao hurriedly said two more sentences. After a while, the young man surnamed Xu finally nodded slowly. Although Lin Lin Yinping was somewhat hesitant, she didn't speak out to stop anything.

Only then did Ge Ge Tianhao's expression relax, and he said decisively to Xuan Qingzi:

"Judging by Fellow Daoist Xuan Qing's tone, there is indeed a big problem under the seal. But since our sect's Great Elder has already gone down, I cannot sit idly by. Although we don't have treasures like the Sun-Moon Shuttle or the Spirit Turtle Flying Carriage, we still have to give it a try."

"Hehe! Since you insist, I won't be the villain. If you have the ability to pass through the crack, feel free to use it. Brother Ge, I will take my leave first," Xuan Qingzi didn't seem surprised, looking at the Great Immortal Master Xu of Heaven-Lan with a calm expression.

It seemed this old Daoist knew the origin of the Heaven-Lan cultivators very well.

"Since that's the case, we won't be polite. Fellow Daoist Xu, I have to trouble you to take action," Ge Ge Tianhao laughed upon hearing this, and after turning his face, said.

"Hmm, since Brother Ge insists, Xu will give it a try," the young man patted a spirit beast bag at his waist, and instantly a sheet of colorful light swept out from the bag, followed by a flash of spiritual light, and a five-colored peacock appeared in the air, its several-feet-long colorful feathers releasing circles of light, truly dazzling and eye-catching.

"This is the Spirit Rhinoceros Peacock!" Xuan Qingzi narrowed his eyes, his face revealing a trace of change.

"Exactly, the five-colored spiritual light released by this Spirit Rhinoceros Peacock can naturally isolate heaven and earth spiritual energy. If it leads the way, we can also enter. Brother Xuan Qing, we will take our leave first."

Seeing the young man surnamed Xu release the spirit bird, Ge Ge Tianhao and the others didn't hesitate any longer. After a clear cry from the peacock, it plunged into the silver light mist, and several Nascent Soul stage cultivators hurriedly followed and escaped into it.

In the blink of an eye, only the low-stage disciples of Heaven-Lan and the Yin Luo Sect were left outside. And these people seemed to have received orders beforehand; seeing that Ge Ge Tianhao and the others entered safely for a while and seemed to have no problems, they didn't stay here, and flew toward the surface one after another.

In a moment, only Xuan Qingzi and his group and the Transformation Immortal Sect's female cultivators were left at the entrance. After witnessing the giant shuttle disappear without a trace, the woman ordered a few more words. Instantly, those female disciples scattered and left this place.

After seeing the disciples leave, the woman signaled to the beautiful woman:

"Junior Sister, release the spirit shuttle!"

"Understood!" the beautiful woman responded, then reached out and touched her waist, and instantly a silver, hazy, sharp-ended treasure appeared in her hand, which she threw into the air.

Almost at the same time, the woman shook her sleeve, and a golden treasure, identical in appearance, was also sacrificed.

Instantly, a silver and a golden light touched each other in the air, and instead of exploding and bouncing away, they merged into one in an instant, transforming into a golden-silver giant shuttle, a zhang in size, with an astonishing momentum.

"Go!" the woman gave a coquettish shout, and then she and the beautiful woman transformed into two streaks of light, disappearing into the giant shuttle in a flash.

The surface of the giant shuttle flashed with golden-silver light simultaneously, and after spinning, it shot out, flying into the crack.

"I have wasted so many words, yet you still insist on going in. If something happens, don't blame me for not reminding you!" After watching the giant shuttle disappear, Xuan Qingzi muttered with a trace of strangeness.

Immediately, he signaled to the two Core Formation stage Daoist priests behind him, and the three sat cross-legged at the entrance, closing their eyes to rest.