[Vol. 6] Chapter 233: Into the Fire
“No wonder there haven’t been any stationed armies here, and no one dared to come stir up trouble. This place is completely sealed off…”
Standing outside the inner valley, the priestess lightly tapped the smooth crystal wall with her staff. A crisp "clang" echoed, and the reflective surface mirrored their group perfectly. Despite the divine weapon’s touch, the barrier showed no sign of movement or weakness, a testament to its extraordinary resilience.
As the core of an ancient magical art, this barrier was far beyond what ordinary means could breach.
Whatever was sealed inside, the purpose of [Mirror Valley], and the reason the Immortal Island summoned powerful individuals here… all of it was becoming increasingly clear.
“The time is almost here,” Violet said calmly.
She paid little attention to the impenetrable crystal barrier, instead scanning the area around them. More and more figures were converging from all directions. Each one a powerful individual who stood at the pinnacle of this world.
Clearly, despite knowing the dangers, most of those eligible to compete weren’t willing to miss this opportunity granted by the Immortal Island.
Among them, some might be selfless souls like the renowned [Wandering Sovereign] Liu Rong, who sought to protect their homeland and ensure the safety of the world. But regardless of their intentions, without the lure of great rewards and honor, many would likely not have had the courage to face what lay ahead.
This was likely why the Immortal Island chose to hold the formal [Four Saints' Immortal Selection Ceremony], gathering the strongest individuals from across the realm.
Perhaps to prepare before the island fully appeared, the timing for the second phase of this event was strict. Those who failed to arrive before noon today would automatically forfeit their qualification to continue.
As a result, the speed at which participants were gathering was remarkable. Many had arrived early to wait nearby, even giving up the chance to earn more points by clearing [False Mirrors] along the way.
Violet spotted numerous people. Some she recognized, some who were familiar, but many who were strangers.
Disciples of the [Shocking God Sect]. The [Wandering Sovereign] Liu Rong, ranked fifth among the top one hundred of the [Ancient Spirit Realm]. The Windblade Swordsman Cheng Fengqi. Even some unlucky individuals she had robbed during the wild survival selection round. There was also the elderly Xuanmen Taoist, along with many others she had once competed against at the ruins of [Heaven-Opening Sect].
They all gathered at the gateway to the final stage, their silhouettes standing like guardians. Some appeared hesitant, others resolute. But they were all here.
Whether driven by greed, the pursuit of fame, or the will to protect their homes, none of them backed down in the face of danger or formidable enemies. For that courage alone, they deserved acknowledgment and respect.
The priestess nodded silently to herself.
Indeed, in every world, there are always beings willing to rise courageously to ensure its survival.
A world like this does not deserve to be destroyed.
Suddenly, a streak of radiance descended from the sky. It was the beautiful Spirit Veil girl Violet had seen during the meeting, the one who had not concealed her face. She gracefully landed before the crystal wall outside the inner valley. However, the other envoys, such as Ming Lianyun, were nowhere to be seen.
The girl glanced at the 300 remaining finalists, now divided into small teams, and gave a solemn bow.
“First of all, thank you all for braving the risks to come here. I believe you already have a general understanding of the situation, so I won’t elaborate further. The final stage of the competition will begin shortly. However, before that, I must ask everyone to hand over the tools you used to clear the [False Mirrors] for safekeeping.”
As expected, Violet signaled to Le Qiaoqiao with a subtle glance. The girl nodded, stepping forward to be the first to hand over her "vacuum" device. It was filled with the dark mist collected from the mutated crystals of over a dozen [False Mirrors].
This device was part of the Immortal Island’s scoring system, with points calculated based on the amount of dark mist collected. Yet, only a few individuals truly understood what this strange, almost liquid-like mist actually was.
A high concentration of [Destructive energy], or yin energy. Spiritual power tainted by corrupted laws.
But why did such substances exist within the [False Mirrors] in the first place?
The fox-eared girl quickly recorded the amount collected by each team. Afterward, she stored all the devices into a special spatial container she carried. She seemed to glance at something unseen by others before tilting her head back to gaze at the bright, sunlit sky.
Taking a deep breath, she spoke.
“Now, please step back three meters and spread out according to your teams.”
Everyone complied, their faces tense with anticipation.
The envoy then carefully retrieved a fox-shaped token from her robes and turned to face the crystal barrier.
Her movements were slow, as though burdened by immense pressure, or perhaps offering a silent prayer to some unknown force. Finally, she pressed the token firmly against the silver barrier and slashed her arm, letting her warm, crimson blood splatter across its surface.
With an authoritative, resounding shout, she declared:
“The end has come! By the name of Spirit Veil, the [Seal of Heaven and Earth] Array, open!!!”
A deafening hum erupted.
“Buzz!!!!!!”
The mysterious token absorbed the Spirit Veil envoy's blood, melting seamlessly into the crystal wall. Instantly, a surge of ancient, primordial energy erupted from the inner valley like a tidal wave, accompanied by a silver aurora that shot skyward, forming an ethereal image. A majestic and stunningly beautiful nine-tailed fox!
The previously impenetrable seal above [Mirror Valley] vanished without a trace. The aurora, guided by the fox’s shimmering silhouette, pierced through the sky and clouds, triggering a chain reaction across the vast [Ancient Spirit Realm].
There are 24 of them in total, and each of the four directions uses one as its core. At the core of each light stood a powerful spiritual beast, slightly less imposing than the nine-tailed fox but still awe-inspiring.
In the west, the [Qilin] rose proudly from beneath the Inner Sea.
In the east, the [Bai Ze] roared from the depths of the mountains.
In the south, the [Xuan Niao] spread its wings atop the boundless peaks.
In the north, the [Pixiu] strode across desolate, savage plains.
The 24 colossal spiritual beasts surrounded the nine-tailed fox above [Mirror Valley], forming nodes in an immense, invisible web that illuminated the entire realm like a grand celestial map.
At the very front of the once-sealed crystal barrier, where the fox-eared girl had embedded the token, a massive gap, several meters wide, suddenly opened. From within, a torrent of destructive energy erupted, far denser and more overwhelming than anything Violet had ever witnessed before.
Yet the envoy seemed to have anticipated this. She immediately threw a large handful of pure, silver crystals onto the ground. These crystals began absorbing the destructive energy like irresistible bait, transforming it into twisted, silver-gray portals.
More than half of the rampant energy was contained by the crystals, leaving only a fraction to drift into the sky and disperse across the distant lands. The fox-eared girl made no attempt to address what escaped. Instead, she turned to the assembled warriors and shouted urgently:
“Quickly! Each team, pick a portal and go in! The larger the portal, the stronger the enemies inside. Know your limits. Don’t overestimate yourselves and throw your lives away!”
The crowd’s expressions grew serious. Even if they couldn’t fully grasp the mystical workings of her actions, they understood the meaning of “danger” and “enemies.” For a moment, they hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances as they deliberated which portal to enter.
Larger portals promised greater achievements and higher chances of securing a spot on the Immortal Island, but they also carried greater risks. Failure to defeat the monsters inside would almost certainly mean death.
As the gathered strong contenders wavered, uncertain of their choices, a sudden, thunderous laugh broke the silence. It echoed across the now-unsealed skies, bold and carefree, like the roar of thunder.
“Hahaha! The younger generation today is really timid! If that’s the case, this great hero won’t hold back!!!”
A swift figure soared through the air on a flying sword, leaving a dazzling trail of light behind as he shot straight into one of the largest portals at lightning speed, disappearing instantly.
Violet didn’t recognize the man, but several others in the crowd gasped in shock.
“Master?!”
“Isn’t that the third-ranked on the [Ancient Spirit Realm Top 100 list], the [Ten Thousand Sword Sovereign], Zun Wanchen?! Why is he here?!”
“Wait, didn’t the [Ten Thousand Sword Sovereign] skip this competition?”
A calm, teasing voice interrupted, “Heh, juniors, focus on your own tasks. We have no interest in competing with you for these minor opportunities.”
Another figure, dressed in black and white robes, seemed to step out of thin air. With an unhurried grace, he approached an even larger portal and walked inside without hesitation.
“Am I dreaming? Was that… was that the second-ranked on the [Ancient Spirit Realm Top 100 list], the Celestial Sovereign Tianxuan? He’s been around since the last era, and it’s been nearly 300 years since anyone’s seen him!”
As the crowd stood stunned, several more terrifyingly powerful figures descended from the sky, each displaying incredible techniques as they surged into the largest portals. Without a doubt, these were the true peak powerhouses, invited by the Immortal Island to handle this critical crisis.
One of them, the fifth-ranked [Wandering Sovereign] Liu Rong, shouted boldly, “We owe our cultivation and strength to the blessings of this land! Now that the [Ancient Spirit Realm] faces another crisis, it’s only right for us to step forward and fight against the enemy! What are you all waiting for?!”
With that, he dashed toward one of the swirling portals without hesitation.
“He’s right! Let’s go! What’s there to be afraid of?!”
“Charge!!!”
“Damn it! Why are they all rushing in so fast?! Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Leave the bigger portals for me!”