Chapter Eighty-Six: The Gathering Storm

At the edge of the valley, a group of people scattered in all directions. Yun Tianchen stood coldly, his gaze fixed silently on Elder Yun Tian’s back. Elder Yun parted the tangled undergrowth and at last found the mark he had left beneath a tree.

“This is definitely the place. Why has the fissure vanished?” he muttered, suspicion clouding his face as he glanced toward a corner of the valley.

The mountainside, shaped by nature, revealed no sign of any opening. He distinctly remembered, before fleeing, leaving behind a trace of his presence. Now, his aura still lingered before the cliff, yet the entrance had disappeared.

Yun Tianchen steadied himself, then strode forward, his voice low. “Elder Yun, the eight towers have been lit for some time. We cannot afford to waste our efforts here.”

His words were polite, but the rebuke was unmistakable. Yun Tianchen was proud by nature; even with his uncles, he showed no leniency.

Sweat formed on Elder Yun Tian’s brow. Though he felt annoyed, he dared not speak up. “Tianchen, don’t worry. This is indeed the entrance to the valley. Perhaps someone has placed a restriction—let me examine it.”

With that, he approached the cliff, spreading his spiritual sense to search for any sign of a barrier, but none was found. Elder Yun Tian knew this well, yet at this moment he could provide no explanation, nor find a reason to excuse himself.

He calculated in his mind, when suddenly his spiritual sea surged violently. A powerful current of spiritual energy coursed through his body, and to his astonishment, his suppressed cultivation abruptly returned to the middle stage of the Golden Core.

“The suppression... it’s gone?” He was bewildered, not knowing what had happened. Around him, agitation rose among the others.

“What’s going on? My cultivation is restored.”

“Mine too! Has the restriction disappeared? What happened?”

Yun Tianchen, at the high stage of Foundation Establishment, was unaffected by the suppression, so he hadn’t noticed at first. But hearing the elders around him, his brows knitted tightly. The disappearance of the restriction meant something had surely occurred within the ruins—a sign that boded ill.

Suddenly, someone pointed and shouted, “Look at the towers!”

At this, everyone shifted their attention. The eight towers trembled and began collapsing one after another. The crash echoed across the land, and even from such a distance, the rising dust was clearly visible.

Yun Tianchen stepped forward, his gaze ablaze. “This is bad—someone has already entered the heart of the ruins!”

Those nearby realized the gravity of the situation. Elder Ke, who had remained at the false entrance, noticed as well. There was no time to wait for the young mistress; with a command, he led the three who had stayed with him, vanishing instantly from their spot.

Yun Tianchen gritted his teeth, anger surging within him, and sought to vent it on Elder Yun Tian. But before he could speak, Elder Yun Tian called out first:

“Tianchen, I’ve found the fissure.”

His narrowed eyes suddenly brightened, and indeed, a fissure had appeared where Elder Yun Tian stood. Without further hesitation, Yun Tianchen flashed to the crack at the valley wall.

“Go!” There was no time to lose, nor to worry about dangers within. Yun Tianchen was the first to slip into the crevice. The rest followed closely, trailing the young sect leader into the fissure.

Meanwhile, within the ancient site, the disciples from the hundred great sects stared in bewilderment as the eight towers toppled with a roar. Their cultivations had been outside the suppression range, so none noticed that restrictions within the ruins had already vanished.

Most were puzzled; those who had been preparing to leave stopped, eager to see what was happening.

Zhang Haoyun led the disciples of the Ethereal Sect, pacing outside the valley. All the towers had been lit, and the inheritance taken by others. Two days had been wasted on these broken towers, and as the senior disciple, Zhang had no choice but to guide everyone in search of other opportunities.

Yet the whole ruin, apart from the towers, was blanketed by dense forests. After another day searching the woods, nothing was found. Looking up at the peaks soaring to the clouds, Zhang Haoyun moved once more, bringing his group to the mountain’s base to try their luck.

Along the way, they met disciples from other sects, who reported that Foundation Establishment pills were being distributed. After much inquiry, they finally made their way here. By now, Shen Wan and his companions had already entered the ruins through the tunnel.

Zhang Haoyun, rubbing his gleaming head, was at a loss when he noticed a subtle change in the scene before him. Suddenly, the tunnel through the valley appeared right in front of them.

The disciples of the Ethereal Sect were startled, fearing they had entered some illusion. Yet the entrance, once covered by weeds thanks to Shen Wan’s group passing through twice, was now clearly visible.

Spreading their spiritual senses, they realized it was no illusion. Zhang Haoyun’s eyes shone; without bothering to investigate, he waved his sleeve and led his disciples straight into the tunnel.

Not only them, but many disciples from the hundred sects discovered fissures at the mountain’s base. With the restrictions gone, the landscape had changed dramatically. Fissures appeared one after another, bringing joy to all.

In the blink of an eye, thousands of disciples rushed into the mountains from various entrances. Jade slips carried word, and more arrived on hearing the news.

Xie Hongmao and the Great Rock Sect followed suit. For a moment, winds stirred and clouds gathered—the towering mountains would know peace no more.

Outside the ruins, the entrance restriction remained intact, bolstered by the Ghost Valley Sect and unaffected by internal events. Thus, none outside knew what was happening within.

Elder Wei Zhen sat alone in the lounge; the others had already been quietly sent away. Led by Elder Zhang Qi, the group left the Ghost Valley Sect, hurried back to the inn to pack, and quickly moved on.

Prepared to flee at any moment, everything was ready. The fact that the Dark Mystery Sect had lit five towers was no secret; disciples leaving the ruins had spread the word.

Wei Zhen listened to elders from other sects whispering, their eyes occasionally drifting his way, and his heart grew heavy. He sent a message to Elder Wen via jade slip, but received no reply.

Currently, Shen Wan remained inside the ruins with four disciples. Lin Bufan, his unfilial pupil, spent all his time with his junior brothers. However strong Wei Zhen’s resolve, at this moment he was like an ant on a hot pan, nerves frayed.

Ancient inheritance was tempting, but one needed the luck to claim it. The saying “a jade held invites disaster” was true enough.

Yet as Wei Zhen sat uneasy, Shen Wan fared no better.

The floating altar shuddered ever more violently. The boundary stone and lantern had shattered, their remains rolling across the ground.

Shen Wan was struck by flying debris, wounds covering his head, but fortunately his Heavenly Spring meridian was working overtime, preventing him from fainting from blood loss.

“Hey, stop daydreaming—it’s collapsing!” he shouted at Mi Ya Ke, who was lost in her emotional reverie. The debris were mere pebbles to her, but to him, it was as though the sky was falling.

Startled by Shen Wan’s shout, Mi Ya Ke snapped to attention, feeling the island tremble beneath her. She rushed forward, grabbed Shen Wan, and began picking up crystal spheres scattered on the ground.

“Leave them! It’s collapsing!” Shen Wan was nearly frantic. Below was a bottomless abyss, and no matter how large the Giant God Clan were, a fall would make them no different from ants.

In a moment like this, to covet those worldly possessions—what good were riches if you lost your life? But Mi Ya Ke seemed not to hear. These were the clan’s treasures, and with her people gone, she couldn’t bear to lose even these last memories.

Luckily, her hands were quick, but the floating island had begun its descent. The iron chains along the edge snapped one by one, whipping through the air.

Sweat poured from Shen Wan’s brow; Mi Ya Ke said nothing, stepping to the edge of the island in a single stride. She glanced at the depth below and said simply, “Close your eyes.”

Shen Wan had no time to react, when a powerful surge seemed to erupt from within. The speed felt as if his soul was being torn away, even his voice lagged behind.

A scream tore past his ears, the gale whipping against his face, tears streaming from his eyes. Mi Ya Ke held her breath, covering Shen Wan’s head with her other hand. Her long legs arced through the starry sky, and she leapt, plunging downward.