Chapter 205: The Jade Pendant's Power

Click! A faint mechanical spring sound, almost inaudible amidst the violent energy collision and the howling wind of fists. At the edge of the altar, a stone slab originally no different from the others, even covered with thick moss, silently sank slightly inward, then slid to the side, revealing a dark opening just large enough for one person to squeeze through! The opening was deep, with a faint breath of air issuing from it.

Hmph! Trying to run? The Shadow Elder, what a figure—his divine sense had already blanketed the entire cavern; almost the instant the secret passage appeared, he sensed something amiss. A flash of cold light crossed his eyes; he snorted coldly, repelling Zhang Jun's seemingly fierce but actually spent attack, then with a backhand strike he sent his palm through the air, fiercely striking Lin Xue's back as she was about to bend and slip into the passage! Before the palm wind arrived, the chilling, bone-piercing force that seemed able to freeze the soul made Lin Xue's whole body go cold, her movement involuntarily stalled.

Xue'er! Zhang Jun saw this, his eyes about to burst, his heart leapt to his throat! He wanted to turn back to rescue, but it was already too late! At the critical moment, he let out a furious roar; his inner pure yang true qi recklessly surged upward against its natural flow, his meridians tearing with excruciating pain, yet he disregarded much, forcibly gathering this violent force into his arms, not dodging or evading, he recklessly collided with the Shadow Elder's palm that could split stone and crack steles!

Bang!

A deafening explosion rang out in the cavern! Two utterly different yet equally tyrannical forces collided violently; Zhang Jun felt an overwhelming force, as if it would destroy everything, surge into his body like a flood, his chest torn with heart-rending agony, his whole body flung backward like a severed kite, a mouthful of blood mixed with bits of viscera spraying out in a tragic arc. Yet he used that tremendous impact to twist his body in midair at an unimaginable angle, actually striking Lin Xue, who was just about to duck into the secret passage, squarely on the back; he bore the brunt of the shock with his own back, forcibly shoving her toward the newly opened passage entrance.

Xue'er, hurry! I'll hold him off! Zhang Jun bellowed hoarsely, his voice distorted by pain. The Yang Jade within the Yin Yang Jade Pendant hanging on his chest, which had always nurtured him, suddenly burst forth with unprecedented scorching golden light at the moment his master faced a life‑or‑death crisis! The light was so intense it nearly illuminated the whole cavern. The pendant seemed endowed with life, actively frenziedly drawing in his rebelliously surging pure yang true qi, and from it poured an astonishing heat and awe‑inspiring pressure far beyond Zhang Jun's own cultivation, so much that the surrounding air began to violently warp, emitting a strained "crackle‑crackle" sound.

Lin Xue, shoved hard by Zhang Jun, stumbled involuntarily into the dark secret passage. With tear‑blurred eyes she glanced back in panic, only to see Zhang Jun drenched in blood, like an indomitable war god, blocking the passage entrance; the blazing golden light from the Yang Jade on his chest nearly engulfed him, leaving only a vague outline of his still‑upright figure.

"Zhang Jun——!" she uttered a piercing, anguished cry, her heart torn as if by a knife.

The stone slab at the secret passage's entrance then gave a muffled "Boom—" with a heavy reverberation, snapping shut upward and completely sealing off inside and outside.

Zhang Jun crashed hard onto the hard stone floor, kicking up dust. He coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with visceral fragments, and, relying on sheer will, propped his battered body up with trembling arms, fixing a fierce gaze on the Shadow Elder as he slowly stepped closer. The old man's face showed its first truly solemn expression; his earlier cat‑toying‑with‑a‑mouse smirk had vanished, evidently shaken by the uncanny aura emanating from the Yang Jade Pendant and the overwhelming pressure that far exceeded what Zhang Jun should be capable of.

"This… this is…" the Shadow Elder narrowed his gleaming eyes, his voice tinged with a barely perceptible mix of surprise and greed, fixedly staring at the Yang Jade on Zhang Jun's chest, whose light grew ever brighter and its heat ever more astonishing.

Zhang Jun grinned, blood still bubbling from his mouth and staining his chest, yet the rebellious light in his eyes showed no diminution—if anything, it grew a touch more frenzied.

The golden light from the Yang Jade Pendant on his chest surged, blindingly bright, and amidst rolling waves of heat a huge golden vortex materialized out of nowhere.

The vortex spun rapidly, sucking in the Shadow Elder's yin‑cold palm strike with a soft "hiss‑hiss"; most of the chilling force was worn away, the remnant deflected and slammed into the stone wall, sending shards flying and dust billowing.

The Shadow Elder's eyelid twitched; the smug look on his face froze, the wrinkles on his old face tightening—this kid's chest pendant actually possessed such marvelous power, and could even protect its master on its own?

Zhang Jun felt a powerful suction emanating from his chest, as if it wanted to draw away his very soul.

Golden sparks danced before his eyes, his head buzzed, and then everything went black—he knew nothing more.

The golden light faded, and the vortex vanished.

On the altar lay a lone jade pendant, its luster completely gone, no different from an ordinary pebble; it sounded a soft "pat" as if its spiritual energy had been exhausted.

The Shadow Elder stared at the pendant, then glanced at the empty secret‑passage entrance where only a few rubble stones rolled; his face darkened enough to wring water from, his chest suffused with resentment.

The "Heart of the Earth Vein" he had painstakingly cultivated for decades, though not completely ruined, had damaged his vital energy, and he himself had suffered a noticeable backlash.

And now, to top it off, the murderous brat has vanished without a trace—how can he swallow this anger!

Utter disgrace!

"Seal Wan Yao Gu! Not a single fly may leave any exit!" the Shadow Elder's voice rang with icy shards, every word exuding killing intent.

"Search every inch! That girl is surely still in the valley—dig three feet deep and I want her found! Alive, I want to see her; dead, I want to see her corpse!"

He paused, a flicker of greed and wariness crossing his eyes, as he fixed his gaze on that inconspicuous pendant.

"And that brat—even if he's burned to ash, I want every bone fragment gathered! Bring back this pendant as well! Anyone who dares resist will be killed without mercy!"

He simply couldn't believe that a living person could just vanish into thin air!

"Yes, sir!" the tall man and the Poison Mist Person replied in unison, bowing, suppressing their internal injuries, their reverence for this old man deepening a bit; recalling the moment the pendant erupted just before, both still felt lingering palpitation.

No one knew how long had passed.

Perhaps it was an instant, or perhaps several days.

Zhang Jun slowly came to.

He shook his groggy head; that sleep had left him in utter darkness.

He slowly opened his eyes, but instead of a dark cavern he found himself in a vast, white, strange realm.

All around was a hazy expanse, boundless, with nothing to serve as reference—only the purest yang energy to the utmost degree filled every corner.