The several hundred cultivators of the two sects stood in two areas of the plaza, but neither was very far from the stone stele. At this time, the cultivators in the back all stood quietly, looking at the ten people in front.
The ten Golden Core cultivators in front of the stone stele fanned out in front of it. In the middle, Peng Wuxing and that Immortal Elder Hangwu stood side by side. Elder Peng released his Divine Sense and shot it toward the stone stele. After a moment, the seven-colored flowing light on the stone stele gradually stopped flowing and slowly formed the face of a child.
Li Yan stood in the corner, but like everyone else, he was staring at the front. When he saw a human face emerge from the stone stele, he couldn't help but show a look of surprise. So the stone stele could actually conjure a human face. It seemed that this face was undoubtedly the artifact spirit of the stone stele.
At this time, an old voice slowly came from the air above the plaza. "So it's the Supreme Mystery topknots. I thought it was that bunch of Pure Land bald thieves this time."
Many of the cultivators in the back who had come here for the first time were stunned. Some of the Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation disciples of the Supreme Mystery Teachings couldn't help but show a look of anger on their faces. But seeing that their own Golden Core elders in front had a normal expression, and no one was angry, they could only suppress their anger in their hearts.
Some of the cultivators of the Malevolent Spirit Sect who were also participating in the secret realm for the first time couldn't help but giggle in a low voice. This made some of the people from the Supreme Mystery Teachings on the other side look over here, glaring at them.
When Li Yan heard this old voice, he looked for it and saw the mouth of the child on the stone stele opening and closing. It was clear that he was the one speaking. This face paired with this voice felt a bit strange.
"Senior Heaven Stele, our arrival has disturbed your quiet cultivation," Immortal Elder Hangwu said with a smile, bowing respectfully. Then, the ten people in front of the stele, including Elder Peng's side, also cupped their hands in a salute.
This scene made many people's jaws drop. Li Yan touched his nose. He remembered what Lin Daqiao had said before. "The stone stele calls itself the Great Heaven Stele, and its cultivation is already at the terrifying mid-stage Golden Core realm." But among these Golden Core cultivators, there were many who were at the late-stage of the Golden Core realm. However, this Great Heaven Stele had cultivated for tens of thousands of years. In terms of seniority, it could be said to be quite old.
"Hmm, but with so many Qi Condensation brats going in this time, how much of my essence will be consumed? In that case, I'm not willing to play," the child's face on the stone stele showed a satisfied look after seeing the ten elders being so respectful. Then, after looking at the group of people behind them, its eyes darted around, and then it quickly looked straight ahead again, as if it had been discovered that it was scheming. Who would have thought that everyone here was staring at him, so who could have seen it? It changed the subject and actually said such words. But for these words to come from an old voice made people feel a bit awkward.
"Please don't worry about this, Senior Heaven Stele. Our two sects have each taken out five hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones to compensate for your consumption," Elder Peng said calmly. Then, with a shake of his sleeve, countless crystal-clear small stones shot out like a string of arrows, drawing long arcs and shooting toward the stone stele, lighting up the sky with extremely dazzling colors, a magnificent sight.
At the same time, Immortal Elder Hangwu also had a smile on his face. With a wave of his large sleeve, a great flash of multicolored light also came from his green sleeve, and countless Spirit Stones shot toward the stone stele. Instantly, the spiritual energy in this area of the sky became vibrant, as if a multicolored meteor shower was falling from the sky.
Apart from the calm expressions of the Golden Core elders of both sides, the several hundred Qi Condensation disciples and Foundation Establishment cultivators all had their mouths wide open. Mid-grade Spirit Stones? A thousand of them! My goodness, this was too generous. Normally in the sect, let alone Foundation Establishment cultivators, even the Golden Core elders of a peak only got five Mid-grade Spirit Stones a month. Among the Foundation Establishment cultivators, probably only a very small number of them had one or two in their hands, and they were treated as treasures and not easily taken out.
One Mid-grade Spirit Stone could be exchanged for a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, but very few people were willing to make such an exchange. The quality of the spiritual energy contained within could not be compensated for by the quantity of Low-grade Spirit Stones.
"Hmm, in that case, it can barely make up for my loss," the old voice sounded again, with a tone of reluctance after suffering a loss. But when everyone saw the child's face on the stone stele, which was beaming with joy but trying hard to keep a straight face, anyone could see that it was extremely satisfied and happy.
Although it took a long time to say, the rain of Spirit Stones disappeared without a trace in just a few breaths.
"Senior Heaven Stele, can we begin now?" Elder Peng asked after the payment was made. But he thought to himself, 'If not for the fact that the Nascent Soul old ancestor who built you took into account that you were personally arranged by him, would you have been allowed to gain sentience? Now you are getting more and more greedy. But you do indeed need to consume something. This time, there are over a hundred Qi Condensation cultivators joining. These Spirit Stones will also be the standard in the future. This is the most it will be. Once every fifteen years, it's quite suitable. If you want more Spirit Stones, it's not impossible for that old ancestor to destroy your sentience and make you a permanent Artifact Puppet that only knows how to listen and work.'
"Ahem, of course, of course. I'll begin now. You ten, prepare to activate the passage," the child said, trying hard to hide his joy and keeping a straight face. Then, the surface of the stone stele blurred, and the child's face gradually disappeared, and the surface of the stone stele returned to its seven-colored flowing light.
Elder Peng and Immortal Elder Hangwu exchanged a look, then turned to look at the four people on their sides. Seeing the others nod, the ten of them each condensed their magical power. Instantly, various colored lights flashed, and a world-destroying aura rose from between the ten of them and gathered. Instantly, a pressure descended from the sky on the plaza, making Li Yan and the others feel as if they were facing death. Their hearts were filled with shock and trembling, and a sense of helplessness rose from the bottom of their hearts. They couldn't even produce the thought of moving. The Foundation Establishment cultivators also had pale faces.
The various colored lights in the sky gradually gathered to form a huge purple ball of light. The ball of light finally slowly moved toward the seven-colored brilliant light on the stone stele. The moment it intertwined with the seven-colored brilliant light, the stone stele actually disappeared without a trace. Then, a black and white passage, one zhang high and wide, appeared there. There were vortices rotating and flowing in the passage. It felt as if as soon as one got close to that passage, they would be sucked in and then leave this world forever.
And so, the purple ball of light continuously poured in and maintained it for about a quarter of an hour before the ten of them slowly withdrew their magical power. Their faces were either pale or flushed. It was clear that in just a short half a quarter of an hour, their spiritual power had been greatly consumed. And this was with ten great cultivators of the Golden Core realm.
"Alright, after the Golden Core cultivators of both sects have entered, the rest will line up according to Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation, in groups of ten. The Supreme Mystery Teachings and the Malevolent Spirit Sect will take turns to enter," Peng Buxing said, his face somewhat flushed. His voice was clearly transmitted to everyone's ears. After speaking, the ten of them stood on both sides of the passage again and jointly formed a strange golden seal. This golden seal quickly formed an obscure ancient character in the air, and then slowly fell on the black and white passage, like the character for "Fortune" that is pasted during the New Year in the mortal world, sticking to the top of the passage entrance.
"What are you waiting for? Enter!" Peng Buxing shouted, and then said no more. The ten of them used all their strength to maintain that golden seal, but it was clear that it was quite strenuous.
On the Malevolent Spirit Sect's side, only the beautiful Peak Mistress Li and two other elders were left. They did not hesitate and took a step forward, flying toward the black and white passage. When they reached the entrance of the passage, they did not hesitate at all and directly drilled into the passage. And after the ten remaining Golden Core cultivators of the Supreme Mystery Teachings saw the three elders of the Malevolent Spirit Sect disappear, they also flew into the black and white passage together and disappeared without a trace.
Li Yan stood at the back of the crowd, watching this somewhat strangely quiet scene. Apart from a few simple exchanges, so many people were actually silent. It was clear that they wanted to enter the secret realm quickly. The Malevolent Spirit Sect had only entered three Golden Core elders before, while the other side had ten. They should be going in to arrange things at the other end of the passage, but the difference in numbers was too great. Weren't they afraid of encountering mishaps inside? But on second thought, this passage entrance was in the Malevolent Spirit Sect. He figured his own sect also had many methods. This was perhaps the advantage of guarding the entrance. Even if the other side were to exit from the direction of the Ten-Pace Courtyard, it was probably also taken into consideration. He couldn't help but laugh at himself for being too worried.
Then he saw the Foundation Establishment cultivators in front begin to move. Groups of them from both sides entered in turn. Even when the two teams of Foundation Establishment cultivators met at the entrance of the passage, they still remained silent, and no one spoke. But Li Yan still saw many Foundation Establishment cultivators nodding or smiling at the other side's cultivators after seeing them. It was clear that they were acquainted. But there were also some with fierce looks in their eyes. He saw at least five or six cultivators looking at Li Wuyi with a fierce look, as if they wanted to skin him alive. And Li Wuyi just smiled gently at every Daoist, whether they were hostile to him or just nodded at him, as if they were all old friends of decades. Then, when it was his turn, he quickly entered the passage and disappeared without a trace.
Because Li Wuyi was not a participating Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he did not enter with the first wave of Golden Core elders, Li Yan was able to see such a scene. He couldn't help but think to himself, 'It seems Teacher was right. Eldest Senior Brother has indeed made many enemies. And this is just one Supreme Mystery Teachings.' Of course, there were also many similar situations for Wang Tian, Gan Shi, Baili Yuan, Wei Chituo, and others in the same situation.
The speed of entry was very fast. This was because the ten Golden Core elders at the mouth of the cave were signaling them to speed up with their stern gazes. It was also very strenuous for them to maintain the ancient character pasted at the entrance of the passage. After the Foundation Establishment cultivators entered, it was Li Yan's group's turn. The one hundred and eight of them also entered in groups of ten. But he was standing too far back, so when it was his turn, he was already near the end. As he walked toward the black and white passage with the other nine people, Li Yan suddenly frowned. Just now, because the two sides were too far apart, he hadn't felt anything. In addition, his attention was attracted by the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators. But now, after the two teams of both sides had moved closer to the entrance of the passage, as the two teams were getting closer and closer, Li Yan suddenly felt a palpitation in his heart. And this uneasiness came from this group of ten people from the other side. He felt a familiar aura from these ten people. But at the same time, Li Yan felt that this aura was a bit strange. There was a trace of a familiar taste in this aura, but it also contained a kind of deathly qi. This deathly qi made him feel extremely dangerous.
Li Yan frowned, and his steps couldn't help but slow down a bit. Then he looked up and carefully looked at the group of people from the other side. He did not release his Divine Sense. At such a close distance, looking with his eyes would actually lower the other side's vigilance.
"Hurry up in the back!" Among the ten elders of both sides, an elder from the Supreme Mystery Teachings looked at Li Yan as if he were hesitating, and couldn't help but show a look of dissatisfaction on his face, urging him on.
And on the Malevolent Spirit Sect's side, when the few elders saw Li Yan's appearance, not only did no one speak, but two of them actually had their eyes light up and gave Li Yan an extra look.
There were two other disciples of the Malevolent Spirit Sect behind Li Yan, and they couldn't help but say in a low voice, "Martial Uncle Li, please hurry." It was clear from their tone that they were dissatisfied with Li Yan's hesitation in front of the passage.
The group of Qi Condensation cultivators from the other side also noticed this side, but they just looked at Li Yan and the others with cold eyes.
Li Yan took a breath, then looked at the ten people from the other side who were standing there waiting to enter one more time, and then stepped into the black and white passage.