A Mortal's Start in the Spirit Beast Mountain

Chapter 299 The Cicada Awaits

However, a strike from a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator is no ordinary attack. Even if it was just a casual lash from the bearded man, its power was far beyond what two ordinary Core Formation cultivators could withstand!

"Boom! Boom!"

Two muffled explosions rang out almost simultaneously!

The golden light clashed violently with the magical treasure's spiritual light and the protective aura, but the stalemate lasted less than a moment before the Core Formation cultivator's defenses were easily torn apart and crushed like paper!

"Pfft! Pfft!" Blood mist filled the air!

Under the indifferent or terrified gazes of everyone, the two streaks of light, like flies being swatted, suddenly froze, and then, along with the figures inside, were completely engulfed and torn apart by the violent golden fist energy!

Just two breaths later, the golden light dissipated.

On the ground in front of the teleportation array, only two pools of indistinct, bloody, and rotten flesh remained, mixed with fragments of magical artifacts and remnants of clothing, and a nauseating, thick stench of blood permeated the air.

The middle-aged man in the yellow robe and the short, stout old man were both cultivators in the middle and late stages of the Core Formation realm, and would be considered prominent figures in the outside world. Yet, they were completely annihilated, their bodies and souls vanished without a trace, before they could even utter a complete scream!

The platform was deathly silent.

Only the strong smell of blood wafted on the wind, stimulating everyone's nerves.

The Yin Ancestor and the others watched coldly, offering no words of intervention. In their view, these two arrogant Core Formation cultivators, who were trying to take advantage of the chaos, were simply dead.

This disturbance disrupted the atmosphere of "negotiation" between the righteous and demonic factions. However, Yuan Yao's intrusion and the deaths of two Core Formation cultivators made them realize that they could no longer linger here and had to enter the inner hall as soon as possible, otherwise, even more variables would arise.

Wan Tianming said calmly, "Let's do as we just discussed. Once we enter the inner hall, we'll each rely on our own abilities." Then, he, Tian Wuzi, and Mu Tengzi transformed into three streaks of white light and disappeared into the teleportation array.

What happened next was just like before. The Old Ancestor of Extreme Yin hinted that the Xuan Gu next to him should also be eliminated, but the Barbarian Beard strongly rejected the idea, which made the Old Ancestor of Extreme Yin very frustrated.

After the figures of all the cultivators, including Manhuzi, Wan Tianming, and Luo Ming, completely disappeared into the white light of the teleportation array, about two more hours passed.

On the empty, deathly silent platform in front of the inner hall entrance, where only two pools of glaring blood and flesh remained, a very slight, almost imperceptible ripple suddenly appeared in the space.

Immediately, three figures appeared silently in the center of the platform, as if emerging from water. It was Elder Jin Kui, and behind him were the Fourth Elder and the Refined Elder.

Jin Kui's gaze swept indifferently over the two pools of bloody, mangled flesh on the ground, which reeked of blood. He then glanced at the faint spatial fluctuations left by the teleportation array beside him, a cold smile curving his lips as he let out a cryptic chuckle.

"Heh... Look at these injuries, so domineering and fierce, killing in one blow, flesh and bones reduced to dust, even the soul didn't have time to escape... It's undoubtedly the work of the Barbarian Beard. This guy is as domineering as ever, he likes to 'clear the field' before taking the treasure, sweeping away any 'flies' that might be in his way."

He finished speaking, and without making any move, he simply flicked his finger casually.

"Swoosh! Swoosh!"

Two tiny, pale golden sparks, each the size of a bean but radiating terrifying heat, flew from his fingertips and landed precisely on the two pools of flesh and blood.

"boom!"

The moment the sparks touched the flesh, they burst into flames! They transformed into two incredibly intense, yet strangely smokeless and odorless, golden flames that instantly enveloped and devoured the remains on the ground!

The flames burned for only a few breaths before extinguishing themselves.

The ground was spotless, not even a speck of ash remained, as if the two Core Formation cultivators had never existed. Only the lingering scorching heat, purified by the intense temperature, in the air testified to what had just happened.

The Fourth Elder stroked his beard, his gaze falling on the now calm and seemingly ordinary teleportation array. A knowing smile spread across his face, as if he had everything under control. He chuckled and said:

"Wan Tianming, Manhuzi, and the others are probably racking their brains right now, trying to figure out how to break the inner palace's restrictions and seize the Void Heaven Cauldron. They would never guess that my Star Palace had already completely controlled a small part of the restriction hubs and spatial nodes here a thousand years ago!"

While this inner palace of the Void Heaven Palace isn't our back garden, we can already freely enter and exit, and monitor and control it to a certain extent!

His tone was filled with undisguised smugness and contempt for both the righteous and demonic paths. The Star Palace had maintained its position as the number one power in the Chaotic Star Sea for tens of thousands of years; its foundation was far deeper than outsiders could imagine. This Void Heaven Palace had long been infiltrated, studied, and even partially controlled by them.

Another refined elder nodded slightly, his tone tinged with caution: "That's true, but since we're entering in this way this time, we can no longer openly show ourselves and uphold 'justice' as before. After all, the established rule is that the Star Palace does not directly intervene in the inner palace's treasure hunt."

If we reveal ourselves, we will be breaking the rules, which may provoke a strong backlash and suspicion from both the righteous and demonic paths, and even the entire Chaotic Star Sea forces, which would be detrimental to the overall situation of our Star Palace. Our next actions must be even more secretive.”

If we reveal ourselves, we will be breaking the rules, which may provoke a strong backlash and suspicion from both the righteous and demonic paths, and even the entire Chaotic Star Sea forces, which would be detrimental to the overall situation of our Star Palace. Our next actions must be even more secretive.”

"It's alright." Elder Jin Kui said calmly, as if everything was under control. "Let's go. It's time to see how far they've progressed. I hope... they won't disappoint me."

After saying that, he stopped looking at the pristine ground, turned around, and walked towards the teleportation array next to him, which seemed to have run out of energy and fallen silent.

The Fourth Elder and the Refined Elder followed closely behind.

Upon arriving at the teleportation array, Jin Kui did not step inside like Manhuzi and the others. Instead, he extended his right hand, and a uniquely shaped, pale blue rhombus-shaped token, neither gold nor jade, with star-like light flowing across its surface, quietly appeared in his palm. The moment the token appeared, the surrounding space seemed to distort slightly.

He held the token and gently waved it at the silent teleportation array.

"Buzz—!"

A pale blue halo, filled with mysterious spatial fluctuations, emanated from the token, spreading across the entire teleportation array like ripples on water.

An amazing thing happened!

The teleportation array, which had been dull and seemingly "dead," suddenly lit up with ancient and mysterious runes on its surface the moment it came into contact with the pale blue halo, emitting a soft and stable white spiritual light! In just a moment, the entire teleportation array was fully activated, just like when the bearded man and the others had used it before, and the light was even more condensed and stable!

Clearly, the authority and methods possessed by the Star Palace far exceed the understanding of ordinary treasure-hunting cultivators. They possess special methods for independent activation, and possibly even targeted teleportation!

"Walk."

Jin Kui put away the token, said something indifferently, and took the lead in stepping into the center of the shimmering teleportation array. The Fourth Elder and the Refined Elder followed closely behind.

With a flash of white light, the three figures disappeared from the platform.

The vast entrance platform to the inner sanctuary had finally returned to absolute silence and emptiness.

……

Meanwhile, deep within the inner hall of the Void Heaven Palace, in a complex, labyrinthine bluestone passageway with countless branching paths, resembling a giant maze.

Luo Ming followed cautiously behind the Nascent Soul elders, including Manhuzi and Qingyi Jushi.

On both sides of the passage are towering, rough rock walls, with a tightly closed stone door of different materials and sizes appearing at intervals.

Some stone gates are simple and unadorned, while others are carved with strange patterns or runes, and some even faintly emanate spiritual light and emit varying degrees of restrictive fluctuations.

"Behind these stone doors... could there be treasures hidden? Or perhaps they lead to different trial areas or treasure rooms?" Luo Ming's gaze swept over the stone doors he passed along the way, and he secretly speculated in his heart.

"If I were to cultivate the Avatar Secret Technique within the 'Mysterious Purity Qi Transformation Art,' I could attempt to create an avatar, wielding the fragment of the Void Heaven Map, and venture into one of the stone gates to investigate..."

Luo Ming's thoughts raced, and his desire for the Avatar Technique deepened. In this unknown realm, where opportunities and dangers coexist, having another "self" to explore would undoubtedly increase safety and the probability of obtaining opportunities.

Unfortunately, the Incarnation Technique requires the Nascent Soul stage to cultivate, so for now, it's just a dream.

Just as his thoughts were drifting—

"Boom—!"

From the depths of the passage ahead, a deep, rhythmic rumble, like heavy metal striking the ground, suddenly resounded! The sound grew louder and faster as something rushed toward them!

"They're here!" the bearded man shouted, and everyone stopped in their tracks, gathering their magical power and looking warily in the direction from which the voice came.

Luo Ming immediately focused his mind and used all his spiritual sense to probe forward.

At the corner of the passage a hundred feet away, dust billowed as a tall, imposing figure, his entire body gleaming with a cold, hard metallic luster, suddenly burst out and blocked the way!

That was a metal puppet with a wolf's head and a human body, standing over two zhang tall!

The puppet was forged entirely from an unknown dark blue metal, its lines sleek and powerful. Its wolf-like head was menacing, fangs bared, and two crimson lights flickered in its eye sockets, radiating a cold, violent, and lifeless killing intent. Its thick arms ended not in hands, but in sharp, gleaming metal claws.

What's even more alarming is that the puppet is covered by a thick, dark golden armor with mysterious patterns and radiating pure earth-attribute spiritual energy, making its defensive capabilities appear extremely formidable.

"Hmph! A mere Core Formation stage guardian puppet dares to block my way?"

Seeing this, the bearded man at the front, far from being nervous, laughed heartily, his eyes flashing with excitement and disdain. "Perfect! I just got in, haven't even warmed up my muscles yet, I'll use you, this lump of iron, to warm up!"

Before he finished speaking, a blinding golden light suddenly erupted from the bearded man's body! A terrifying, violent, domineering, and savage aura of blood energy surged out of his body like a volcanic eruption!

On the outer skin, at a speed visible to the naked eye, tiny, fingernail-sized scales, shimmering with a dark golden metallic luster and sharp edges, rapidly grew!

These scales were not illusions, but real growths from his flesh and blood, instantly covering most of his body. Even his cheeks and forehead were not spared, covered with tiny golden scales, making him look like a half-human, half-beast demon!

A terrifying sense of oppression, heavy as a mountain and indestructible, swept through the entire passage! Luo Ming, Han Li, and the others who were closer felt their breath catch in their throats, as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on their hearts, forcing them to circulate their magic power to resist this pressure.