Chapter 781

When something happens contrary to the norm, there must be mischief—this sudden island, appearing out of nowhere in a Secret Realm, is hardly a good omen.

In fact, even the Five Spirit Clans sensed something was amiss, so they deliberately delayed, allowing more cultivators to enter. After all, the Five Spirit Clans had always hoped one day to reclaim control of the Five Elements Spirit Soil, and naturally did not wish for any major problems to arise within it.

"It's confirmed—the mysterious island lies at the center of the Spiritual Territory, within the Ling Realm." At this moment, an old man radiating faint cold energy, clad in blue-ice-colored robes, spoke—he was the Ice Spirit Clan's Grand Elder.

"So it truly is in the Ling Realm," said the Fire Spirit Clan elder, his red hair glowing as he spoke in a low tone.

"The Five Elements Spirit Soil has five realms, with the Ling Realm at its center, saturated with Five Elements Spiritual Energy. But since the Demon Emperor shattered the Five Elements Spirit Soil, the Ling Realm has been broken—so how is it—" asked the Wood Realm elder, dressed in green, perplexed.

"Regardless, the Five Elements Immortal Soil's five Spiritual Territories only converge once every several thousand years, and this is the only time the Five Elements Spirit Soil emerges from exile to be captured. The other three clans have spent immense costs to summon three Heaven Supremes to assist us—we can wait no longer. If we delay until the Five Elements Spirit Soil splits again, even Heaven Supremes will struggle to locate its position." A purple-robed elder, lightning arcs dancing across his body, revealed an aura of authority—he was a powerhouse of the Thunder Spirit Clan.

The Wind Spirit Clan's elder beside him agreed, saying: "The Thunder Elder is right—we must enter the Five Elements Spirit Soil no matter what."

The Wind Spirit Clan, Thunder Spirit Clan, and Wood Spirit Tribe were the most decayed; after losing the precious land of the Five Elements Spirit Soil, all Five Spirit Clans relocated to other continents, naming them after their own clans.

But good fortune did not last.

The Five Spirit Clans were inherently different from ordinary beings. Their members were exceptionally adept at the Five Elements' powers—their Spiritual Energy naturally carried unique elemental attributes, stronger than ordinary Spiritual Energy, and they possessed a special Spiritual Vein.

But their uniqueness was both their strength and their weakness: because of their peculiar physiques, the Five Spirit Clans required resources of the same elemental affinity. In ancient times, the Five Spirit Clans possessed the Five Elements Spirit Soil, where each of the five realms corresponded to one element, producing resources perfectly suited to them—this was why their power was so great.

Now, having lost the Five Elements Spirit Soil, their weaknesses have been exposed—especially the Wind, Thunder, and Wood Spirit Clans, which have lost all Heaven Supremes and now rely only on several Earth Supreme Grand Completes to hold them together. They desperately crave the emergence of a Heaven Supreme within their clans.

The Ice Spirit Clan Grand Elder and Fire Spirit Clan Grand Elder exchanged glances. Though only the Ice and Fire Spirit Clans still possessed Heaven Supremes, making them stronger than the other three clans, according to the ancient alliance, the Five Spirit Clans were equals.

Both the Ice and Fire Spirit Clans understood that the Wind, Thunder, and Wood Spirit Clans were determined to enter the Five Elements Spirit Soil, hoping to obtain treasures imbued with dimensional power, enabling their elders to break through to Heaven Supreme.

The Five Elements Spirit Soil was once a supercontinent, vastly larger than any Lower Plane, brimming with far more resources. Such a supercontinent had no Dimensional Embryo—because it was no longer an embryo. Otherwise, the Five Spirit Clans would not have had so many Heaven Supremes in ancient times.

If a Lower Plane advances further, it becomes a supercontinent. If its Dimensional Embryo is seized before the plane fully matures, it becomes a small continent like Ning Tian Continent.

"If so, let us open the Five Elements Spirit Soil now," said the Fire Spirit Clan Grand Elder, nodding. "Whether the mysterious island has any origin or treasures, we do not yet know. We must first send scouts inside to explore before making any decisions."

The Ice Spirit Clan Grand Elder nodded in agreement.

"Then open the Five Elements Spirit Soil now—unseal the Spiritual Territory passage." Upon hearing this, the Ice Spirit Clan Grand Elder immediately gave the order.

The other three clans could not help but grow excited. In fact, the excitement was not limited to the three clans—even the Fire and Ice Spirit Clans could not suppress their thrill.

The Five Elements Spirit Soil was a place coveted by countless beings. Even now, after it had been shattered and much of its Heaven and Earth Power stolen by Domain Beyond demons, along with many Sacred Lands, Divine Trees, and Divine Plants, leaving it far weaker than its former glory as a supercontinent, after fifty thousand years of recovery, the Five Elements Spirit Soil had slowly returned to its former state.

Now, after another thousand years of rest, reopening it—no one could be certain what treasures might emerge. For the Fire Spirit Clan, they had already used Secret Techniques to detect that a new Strange Fire had matured in the Fire Realm, so they too were eager to enter.

For the Fire Spirit Clan, breaking through to Heaven Supreme could be achieved either through a Dimensional Embryo or through Strange Fires. Some Strange Fires reaching the level of Absolute Saint Treasures contained enough dimensional power to allow a Grand Complete Earth Supreme to break through to Heaven Supreme.

Even if those Strange Fires did not reach Absolute Saint Treasure level, absorbing and devouring enough varieties of them could still enable a Grand Complete Earth Supreme to break through to Heaven Supreme.

Upon hearing the Grand Elders announce the opening of the Five Elements Spirit Soil, the disciples standing nearby were filled with overwhelming excitement—they had never imagined they would live to see the Five Elements Spirit Soil open. For many disciples of the Five Spirit Clans, witnessing the opening of the Five Elements Spirit Soil was itself an extraordinary opportunity.

"It's opening!!"

When cultivators saw the powerful figures clad in the Five Spirit Clans' robes emerge from their dwellings and head toward the Five Elements Spirit Soil's space, one cultivator jolted awake, immediately alerting his sect's elders.

The Five Elements Spirit Soil had been sealed as a single entity, and the key to opening its passage was jointly held by the Grand Elders of the Five Spirit Clans—this was common knowledge. Now that the Five Spirit Clans were heading toward the Five Elements Spirit Soil's space, countless cultivators grew agitated, frantically boarding ships and flying out of the continent toward the heavens.

"Hurry, hurry, break camp—prepare immediately to enter the Five Elements Spirit Soil!" In an instant, chaos erupted. Ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers became a roaring, boiling mess, like ten thousand armies exploding into frenzy.

In an instant, countless sects and factions broke camp and departed, scrambling to follow behind—ancient ships, colossal mounts, and powerful cultivators all soared into the sky, appearing from afar like swarms of locusts flying out of the continent into the cosmos.

The scene was utterly magnificent. Behind the Five Spirit Clans, the crowd was a sea of people, like successive waves surging after them.

"Finally, it's opening—the Five Elements Spirit Soil! How many thousands of years does it take for this to happen?" Many cultivators grew excited, some even rolling up their sleeves, eager to make their move.

It opens only once every thousand years—most cultivators lack a thousand-year lifespan. To witness the opening of the Five Elements Spirit Soil is sheer luck!

At this moment, even Heaven Supreme factions had all arrived. Everyone here came for the Five Elements Spirit Soil's resources; some, of course, sought the mysterious island. Now that the Five Spirit Clans were about to open it, no one would miss this once-in-myriad-years opportunity.

When the five Grand Elders of the Five Spirit Clans raised their hands high, a long Scroll slowly floated upward, like an imperial decree. The entire Scroll glowed, its surface revealing a series of Spiritual Energy Sealing Array Runes, exhaling and inhaling Five Elements light that rippled like lake water. In an instant, the Scroll emitted a chorus of sacred chants.

Seeing the Scroll appear, everyone held their breath, tense and alert.

ZZZZZZ!! At that moment, the Scrolls in the hands of the Five Spirit Clans blazed with blinding five-colored divine light. The five-colored light surged violently, and the heavens above began to warp.

As the heavens before them twisted, countless hearts tightened. All eyes fixed on the warped space—no one dared miss a single detail.

Finally, as space twisted wildly, a gigantic, absurdly vast black hole appeared—like a gaping maw ready to swallow anyone whole.

"It's open!!" At the instant the black hole appeared, someone screamed in excitement.

"Disciples of the Five Spirit Clans—enter now," said the Fire Spirit Clan Grand Elder in a deep voice.

The five Grand Elders were all Grand Complete Earth Supremes—they naturally would not enter. Even if they were not Heaven Supremes, a conflict among Grand Complete Earth Supremes could shatter the seal.

The Five Spirit Clans could not possibly send all their members inside—the Five Elements Spirit Soil was no longer what it once was, and dangers remained. Only selected elites were chosen to enter, seeking opportunities and growth.

"Yes!"

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! Five streams of disciples clad in the Five Spirit Clans' robes transformed into five streaks of light, their sharp whistling sounds piercing the air as they vanished into the black hole.

"Let's go in too!"

"Follow the Five Spirit Clans—they won't lead us astray!"

Seeing the Five Spirit Clans' disciples vanish inside, all the cultivators behind erupted in excitement, shouting as a tidal wave surged forward, rushing en masse toward the black hole.

In an instant, the scene became wildly chaotic—countless cultivators piloted ships, desperately cramming into the black hole. No cultivator dared fall behind—they all feared missing this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.

Among this countless tide of people, two figures clad in black robes also entered. Among the throng were countless lone cultivators wearing black robes, so these two blended in unnoticed.

And these two were, of course, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yixian.

"Hmm?" As Xiao Yan and Xiao Yixian entered the black hole, the Fire Spirit Clan Grand Elder suddenly turned toward their direction.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. Probably just an illusion." The Fire Spirit Clan Grand Elder frowned—he had just sensed a faint trace of a Strange Fire, one that had sent a shiver of dread through him.

But when he looked again, the sensation vanished.

The Fire Spirit Clan Grand Elder shook his head with a wry smile. A Strange Fire capable of making him feel dread must be approaching Absolute Saint Treasure level—someone who could subdue such a fire would already be a quasi-Heaven Supreme, or even a full Heaven Supreme. How could such a person be here?

Yet—he was right.

The black hole passage emitted a faint, eerie light. Countless ships raced forward, vying to reach its deepest depths. Around them lay only darkness and void—no one knew what lay beyond the empty expanse surrounding the passage.

At this moment, shortly after countless cultivators entered the black hole passage, something terrifying happened: as the lead ship plunged into the passage, it suddenly lost all weight, plummeting downward into the abyss of the black hole's void.

"Aaaah!"

"What happened?!"

A chorus of screams erupted—the ship carried hundreds of powerful figures from this sect, including Elders of the Supreme realm and disciples of the Supreme Minor Three Trials. Now, with the ship suddenly plummeting, they were filled with terror.

They were all powerful beings; their first reaction was to control Spiritual Energy and levitate upward, trying to escape the ship.

But the result was the same—in this black hole passage, they could not fly at all. Here, all flight abilities of cultivators were completely nullified!

In that instant, no matter what Body Technique they used or what Treasure they activated, nothing could save them. They all plummeted straight down, as if their feet had lost all contact with the ground, utterly weightless.

In an instant, these hundreds of powerful beings were terrified out of their wits; their screams tore through Space. All those behind them were startled and dared not advance further, fearing they too would fall into the depths of Space.

Ultimately, the first few hundred sect members, along with their ship, vanished from everyone's sight. No one knew where they had fallen.

"This—this—this is impossible!"

"That was the Zhang family of Wuhe Continent! Their Family Head is a Nine-Pin Sovereign! How could someone of his power not be able to fly?!"

Seeing this scene, everyone was startled. Those who had rushed forward to seize the Five Elements Spirit Soil instantly halted, shivering involuntarily, silent as cicadas in winter.

"Foolish! The Five Elements Spirit Soil was destroyed and banished by the Demon Emperor of the Domain Beyond. The entire space is saturated with a special Spatial force—Spiritual Energy cannot be used for flight. What you see now is merely a passage opened by a Heavenly Supreme. Even if you are an Earth Supreme, once you encounter those banishment forces, you will fall—seeking death, instantly banished into infinite Space, never to return."

Hearing this, countless cultivators and sect elders shuddered. Though many did not know what "banishment" meant, they understood it was no ordinary exile—after all, even a Heavenly Supreme could only reclaim and seal it once every thousand years.

Every corner here was a trap; one misstep meant certain death.

"But where are the Five Spirit Clans?"

"Hey, look over there! Disciples of the Five Spirit Clans!"

At that moment, someone with sharp eyes pointed far ahead.

There, in the distance, disciples dressed in the attire of the Five Spirit Clans moved like spirit monkeys, leaping from meteorite fragments to propel themselves forward, racing deep into the black hole passage.

Where venomous snakes appear, a cure must lie within seven steps. Things found here often hold the key to survival.

Though cultivators could not fly using Spiritual Energy, they could use fragments of shattered Spiritual Territory floating in this Space as stepping points!

After the Five Elements Spirit Soil was shattered, some rock fragments drifted all around.

"So that's it—we can use these fragments! All disciples, disembark immediately!"

"So we must rely on the broken Spiritual Territory!" Seeing the Five Spirit Clans' disciples leap across meteorites or propel them forward, everyone finally understood.

At once, an old man leapt onto the largest meteorite fragment.

But the moment he landed, countless tiny red Poison Ants burst forth from the rock, swarming toward him.

"Aaaah!!" The old man, overconfident and unprepared, was instantly engulfed by the ants. In the blink of an eye, his entire body was devoured—no bones, no trace remained.

"Heh, thought it'd be that easy?" A disciple of the Ice Spirit Clan sneered, watching the scene. This was their ancestral land—they had no intention of letting others share in its bounty.

Aside from the Five Spirit Clans, nearly everyone here was entering the Five Elements Spirit Soil for the first time and lacked their knowledge.

Seeing this horrifying sight, many present shuddered. Now they understood: every opportunity was never simple. These fragments of former land might be tainted with Demon Qi, harboring deadly creatures—or even unknown dangers.

One misstep, and you'd be dead.

Soon, a sudden hum sounded—a group of powerful figures leapt onto a meteorite, simultaneously activating their Supreme Forms and instantly annihilating the lifeforms upon it, propelling the rock deep into the black hole.

Following them, the Hundred Ghost City, Yin-Yang Gate, Heavenly Saint Sect, and Chan Clan—all deep-rooted, powerful Factions—leapt onto floating meteorites. These Factions possessed sufficient strength: not only did they carry Earth Supreme cultivators, but even the Treasures they brought radiated immense power.

"Let's jump in too!" Seeing the famous Factions drift far away, other lone cultivators and small sects refused to be left behind and followed suit.

Some lone cultivators succeeded in destroying the lifeforms with their Treasures; those who encountered powerful creatures screamed in agony and became food—no bones, no trace.

"Team up."

"Agreed." Instantly, those who felt their strength insufficient began negotiating alliances to confront the threats together.

But Xiao Yan was not in a hurry. He watched as others leapt onto meteorites, drifting far away.

"Aren't we going?" Xiao Yixian looked at Xiao Yan, curious.

Not to mention Xiao Yan's strength—even Xiao Yixian's poison alone could kill the lifeforms on the meteorites. Xiao Yan had no reason to wait.

Xiao Yan smiled, taking Xiao Yixian's Jade Hand in his. "Wait a little longer."

Seconds passed. More and more powerful figures leapt onto meteorites, propelling them deeper into the black hole passage.

Suddenly, Xiao Yan's eyes flashed with a glimmer—he locked onto an ordinary-looking meteorite and whispered: "Get ready. We're going to that one."

Before Xiao Yixian could answer, Xiao Yan scooped her up and leapt onto it. The next instant, he punched the meteorite, his five fingers piercing into it—suddenly, a thread of peculiar flame surged forth, caught in his grasp.

"A Spirit Flame?!" Xiao Yixian's beautiful eyes widened in shock.

That's it?! Already obtained??

I originally planned to make up yesterday's update with fifteen thousand words—but fifteen thousand exceeds my limit. One day isn't enough. I'll post two chapters now, and owe one.

(End of Chapter)