Chapter 1127

Can't go?

Several people froze instantly, all turning to look at Lan Xinyue.

Er Gouzi jumped up first, glaring: "Why not? Why can't we go? Are you jealous of this Divine Venerable's majestic presence?"

"Miss Lan, is there something strange about that place?" Xu Que pressed Er Gouzi's head down; since Lan Xinyue had been to this Secret Realm, her warning must have reason.

Lan Xinyue nodded: "Everywhere in this Secret Realm is accessible—except that plain. It's perpetually shrouded in mist and clouds. Many cultivators have tried entering it, only to be dissolved by the mist. I saw it with my own eyes."

"Uh… this mist eats people?" Xu Que instantly turned curious eyes toward the plain, where mist curled lazily, showing no obvious danger.

At that moment, Qin Sanli spoke up: "Miss Lan is right. That place is truly a Forbidden Land within the Realm of the Underworld King. Every time the Secret Realm opens, someone always tries entering, believing the Heavenly Emperor's Legacy lies inside—but those who go in almost never return unharmed!"

"Almost? So there are exceptions? Someone once returned completely unscathed?" Xu Que asked immediately.

Qin Sanli nodded: "Yes. The mist is merely an illusion. The real danger is the plain itself—it's a grand sacrificial formation. Every blade of grass is part of the array. Those who enter are sacrificed and die on the spot. But some people, protected by Immortal Artifacts, did enter to search—and returned unharmed. Yet they found nothing. There's truly nothing inside!"

"Immortal Artifacts? Oh, how unlucky for you—I have more of these than I know what to do with!" Xu Que grinned. He stored numerous Immortal Artifacts in his System Space, including some protective gear he could use to shield himself against this sacrificial formation.

"But there's nothing inside—just a formation. Why risk it?" Qin Sanli shook his head. If the Heavenly Emperor's Legacy were truly there, it would've been taken long ago.

Er Gouzi immediately protested: "You know nothing! Inheritance isn't something you just hand out! I can guarantee—beneath this formation, there's definitely an inheritance!"

"So we have to dig up this formation?" Xu Que frowned. This was going to be troublesome.

"Exactly. Those people just wandered around, never thinking the inheritance might lie underground. Kid, get going—start digging!" Er Gouzi said confidently.

Qin Sanli rolled his eyes: "Who says they didn't dig? They used Immortal Artifacts—do you think they'd ignore the ground? They dug the entire plain down, but it was useless. Every hour, the ground and formation automatically restore to their original state."

"Then they just dug the wrong way!" Er Gouzi retorted forcefully.

"Teacher Er Gou seems to know a lot. Then tell us—how should we dig?" Duan Jiude asked at that moment.

Er Gouzi immediately deflated. He was good at shouting, but when it came to actual hands-on ability, he knew nothing.

"This… this Divine Venerable doesn't know, but back in my days on Earth's Island Nation, I met a man with incredible digging skills—superb at digging. His name was… Jiateng Ying. His nickname? Golden Finger!"

"Golden Finger? A man who digs holes with his fingers?" Duan Jiude stared in shock.

"Exactly! I actually wanted to learn a few tricks from him, but my schedule was too full—I forgot!" Er Gouzi nodded.

"Enough with this nonsense!" Xu Que waved his hand, cutting off Er Gouzi and Duan Jiude's rambling. His gaze sharpened as he stared at the distant plain and said gravely: "If I'm not mistaken, this formation can't be dug up brute-force—it must be broken to reach the underground."

He hadn't felt anything before, but as he stared at the plain, a strange familiarity began to surface—almost as if it resonated with his Underworld Prison Suppression Body.

Now, he had an urge to enter.

"Kid, do you know how to break the formation?" Er Gouzi asked curiously.

Xu Que shook his head slightly: "Let's go take a look first."

Saying that, he stepped forward first.

He had a feeling—this formation was somehow connected to the Underworld Prison Suppression Body.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, are you… really going?" Lan Xinyue hesitated. Though she believed Xu Que was extraordinarily powerful, this plain had killed countless people—and she'd witnessed it herself. It was too eerie.

"Don't worry. We'll just look at the perimeter." Xu Que smiled, then stepped forward, summoning a burst of lightning beneath his feet, his body instantly darting ahead.

Soon, he landed at the plain's edge, keeping his distance from the mist.

Er Gouzi, Duan Jiude, and the others followed closely behind. Standing at the plain's edge, they finally saw clearly—the grass here held secrets.

Every blade of grass was the same height, yet grew in peculiar positions, arranged with perfect order along specific curves, pleasing to the eyes of anyone with obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

"Huh? This arrangement seems related to the Five Elements!" Qin Sanli noticed something, frowning as he muttered.

Xu Que nodded: "Correct. From here, the formation on this plain is circular, divided into five sections representing the Five Elements. Only the center, shrouded in mist, remains unclear—perhaps that's the key to breaking the formation!"

"Kid, wanna go take a look?" Er Gouzi urged again.

Whoosh!

Xu Que didn't waste time—he pulled a small bronze metal fragment from his System Space, no bigger than a palm.

Qin Sanli recognized it instantly, stunned: "A Half-Grade Immortal Artifact—Green Robe Armor Plate?"

"Heh, I picked it up at the edge of Huang Yu!" Xu Que nodded, smiling.

It truly was a find. Back at Huang Yu's edge, he'd slain many people, including several Heavenly Immortals who carried Half-Grade Immortal Artifacts—none had even had time to use them before being killed. All their treasures became Xu Que's spoils.

This bronze fragment was one such spoil—a Half-Grade Immortal Artifact. Channeling Immortal Yuan into it activated the Green Robe Armor, granting formidable defense.

"Damn, what about us?" Duan Jiude stared enviously as Xu Que activated the Green Robe Armor.

Xu Que shook his head: "You wait outside. I'll go in with Er Gouzi."

Though he had other Half-Grade Immortal Artifacts for defense, Duan Jiude and Lan Xinyue were only Human Immortal Realm cultivators—they couldn't fully activate the artifact's power, and even if they did, they couldn't sustain it long.

As for Er Gouzi, Xu Que wasn't worried at all. That fool's flesh body was incredibly tough—his defense far exceeded that of a Half-Grade Immortal Artifact. Bringing him inside posed zero danger.

But Er Gouzi immediately jumped back a few steps: "Whoa, kid, you go alone! Why drag this Divine Venerable in? I'm not going! Break the formation first, then I'll follow you in for a stroll."

"You coward! What's there to be scared of?" Xu Que was speechless. After all these years, Er Gouzi's cowardice hadn't changed a bit.

"Hmph! Don't use reverse psychology. I said I won't go—I'm a wolf! This is my principle and dignity!" Er Gouzi declared proudly.

Principle? Dignity?

Xu Que chuckled, shaking his head: "Er Gouzi, ever tried Stinky Tofu?"

"Oh shit! Now I wanna see what's so great about this formation! Kid, let's go!" Er Gouzi shuddered, striding forward with exaggerated bravado.

Amid the solemn gazes of Qin Sanli and the others, Xu Que activated the Green Robe Armor, his body enveloped in a glowing green armor, then stepped forward with Er Gouzi toward the plain's center.

The two were swiftly swallowed by the mist—but the mist affected them not at all.

Xu Que himself was stunned. He felt even without the Green Robe Armor, the mist wouldn't harm him—but out of caution, he kept it on and pressed forward.

Soon, Xu Que and Er Gouzi landed safely at the plain's center. Above them, mist drifted lazily; below, the ground was smooth, barren of any grass.

Yet the sand grains on the ground slowly flowed, like a river of sand.

"Huh… something's wrong…" Xu Que suddenly exclaimed. The Dharma Spell of the Underworld Prison Suppression Body was spontaneously activating—his Immortal Yuan suddenly split into the Five Elements, surging through all his meridians.

The next instant, the sand on the ground surged faster, accelerating rapidly.

And Xu Que was slowly sinking.

……

……

【Second Update delivered!】