"That old devil brought people here, so why hasn’t there been any movement yet?"

Outside the Spirit-Suppressing Domain, within a remote mountain forest, a group of immortal cultivators sat motionless, their figures blending seamlessly with the stone forest.

A hoarse voice came from within one of the stone trees. They acted with extreme caution, concealing themselves with a hidden array, not letting the faintest trace of their aura leak out.

"The Devil Lord came for Yitian Peak, but that old devil’s mouth is sealed too tight. Even a close confidant like Old Devil Yin knew nothing. We captured him alive yet couldn’t extract any useful information. It seems like our earlier arrangements will amount to little."

The stone tree twisted and rippled, revealing the form of an old Daoist. It was none other than Lingzhuzi, the sect leader of Heavenly Dao Sect.

He tilted his head to gaze toward Yitian Peak, deep wrinkles furrowing his brow. After a moment of thought, he murmured, "Within the Spirit-Suppressing Domain, even the grand elder’s strength will be suppressed. He cannot ascend Yitian Peak. I'll have to ask Madam Li to follow me."

As he spoke, Lingzhuzi turned to glance at a cluster of flowers and stones beside him. Light flickered in the air, and a woman in palace robes emerged from the illusion.

Her beauty was flawless, yet her expression carried an innate dignity, stern and commanding, radiating an aura that inspired awe and forbade impudence. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

This woman was Madam Li, current leader of the Yunxia Sect, one of the great righteous sects. She had originally been only the wife of Yunxia’s former sect leader. After his death, she took up the mantle and steered the sect forward.

Though a woman, her courage and capability were equal to any man’s. Under her leadership, the Yunxia Sect flourished anew. She herself had also broken through repeatedly in cultivation, reaching the middle stage of the Spiritual Infant Realm, now standing at its very peak. She was one of the true pillars of the righteous path, her fame equal to that of the three alliance leaders.

Her power shook the Inner Sea, yet she still allowed others to address her simply as “Madam Li.”

Among the righteous cultivators, she was the one most likely to break through to the late stage of the Spiritual Infant Realm. Even Heavenly Dao Sect’s grand elder could not compare.

If nothing went amiss, once Lingzhuzi passed on, she would likely become the next leader of the righteous path.

"Since Old Devil Mou isn’t dead, he’ll probably enter the mountain alongside the Devil Lord, won’t he?"

If only the two of them went in, their combined power would still not outweigh that of the devilish faction.

Lingzhuzi’s tone deepened. "Back then, we forced the Devil Lord, in the name of humanity’s greater good, to strike against Old Devil Mou. That was already a difficult feat. We thought that as long as we prepared thoroughly, injuring Old Devil Mou’s foundation would suffice. Even if the Devil Lord protected him, he would not be able to change the outcome. Still, I later seized an opportunity to wound Old Devil Mou’s foundation with a secret technique. He won’t recover for some time. With that, our chances remain high..."

Just then, another tree’s shadow stirred, and a Daoist silently stepped out.

Lingzhuzi handed him a jade seal. "Grand Elder, I’ll leave this array to your control. Adapt to whatever may come."

"Yes!" The Daoist bowed deeply in acknowledgment.

***

On Yitian Peak, before a sheer cliff, mists drifted through the air.

Amid the stones and cliffs stood pavilions and towers, remnants of what must once have been a magnificent celestial realm. Now, without the protection of the ancient barriers, they lay in ruin, their former splendor lost to decay.

Streams had dried up, rocks lay bare, and a broken bridge hung precariously across the gorge, pointing toward the cliff wall.

Judging by the traces here, this had once been the site of a vast waterfall, an inverted heavenly river cascading for thousands of li, its roar echoing endlessly.

Through the veils of mist, three figures flew in succession, an old man leading a youth and a young girl. They were the descendants of the Four Saints, having come here after refining the Soul-Cleansing Liquid within the trial realm.

The two juniors were only at the late stage of the Core Formation Realm, yet they moved freely upon Yitian Peak, in the very heart of the Spirit-Suppressing Domain. If anyone else had witnessed this, their jaws would have dropped.

"This will be the last place I show you, and the most crucial, as decreed by our ancestors. You must engrave every word I say into your hearts. This is the mission of the Four Saints Palace," the old man said.

Hands clasped behind his back, the old man gazed up at the towering cliff. Just as he was about to step forward, he paused and said solemnly, "Once we enter, do not remove your protective talismans. Your cultivation is still too low. The Spirit-Suppressing Domain is perilous beyond comparison. Without those talismans, you would die instantly."

"Yes!" The youth and girl straightened, their hearts filled with respect and tension.

On their chests, azure light threads intertwined, forming talismanic patterns shaped like jade tablets, glowing faintly against their robes.

Throughout this journey, they had followed their grandmaster across ancient ruins, hearing story after story of their ancestors' glories, their hearts still stirring with awe and passion.

The old man reached the cliff, drawing a rune in the air. Then he forced out a drop of his blood and essence and flicked it into the talisman. The blood rune sank into the stone wall.

In an instant, the once-ordinary cliff revealed a web of intricate barriers. The blood rune merged with the barrier, forming a narrow opening like a hidden door. The three of them stepped inside, one after another.

***

Above the celestial barrier, Qin Sang followed Ning Wuhui, walking along a long white jade corridor.

The path was unexpectedly long. Qin Sang suspected they had already crossed the boundary of the Spirit-Suppressing Domain, yet still there was no end in sight. Ahead stretched only endless clouds and mist.

He stayed constantly alert. The surroundings were exceedingly perilous. Above and below them surged celestial barriers and raging Spirit Tides, while the fragile corridor seemed so thin it might crumble at any moment.

Qin Sang widened his eyes, scanning in every direction, but saw no other white jade corridor like this one. There were no branches, no side paths, nowhere else to go.

He quietly followed Ning Wuhui onward for some time, until they finally reached the end and saw a vast white jade platform.

"A celestial palace?" Qin Sang was startled. But on closer look, he realized this place did not resemble the projections of those celestial palaces he had seen before.

"It’s Yitian Peak!" Qin Sang looked up, his gaze piercing through layers upon layers of mist. He faintly discerned a majestic silhouette, a colossal mountain like a pillar of heaven itself. It was the portion of Yitian Peak buried within the celestial barrier, magnificent and imposing, its summit still hidden from sight.

The platform stood upon a raised outcrop, resembling an observation terrace. Yet now it was submerged in mist, the mountains below barren and lifeless, with no beauty left to behold.

They ascended swiftly to the platform and found two stairways extending from it, one to the left and one to the right, each leading in a different direction.

One remained intact, winding down the mountainside in graceful curves. The other was broken just beyond the first step.

"We go down from here." Ning Wuhui pointed toward the intact corridor.

But Qin Sang kept his gaze fixed on the other staircase. "Where does that path lead?"

If this place was connected to the ancient teleportation array, and Ning Wuhui’s direction led down the mountain, then perhaps that broken path led to the teleportation array itself.

"I don’t know either." Ning Wuhui shook his head.

Qin Sang walked closer and examined it carefully, not missing a single detail. Unlike before, the break in the stairs had not damaged the celestial barrier. The area still radiated immense danger, revealing no flaw or opening that could serve as an exit.

He activated the Sky Eyes, but disappointment followed. Ahead lay nothing but a barren cliff wall. It seemed there had never been a path there to begin with.

"Sigh! I'll have to wait for Senior Qingzhu to appear before we can find a way out..." With a helpless sigh, Qin Sang turned and followed after Ning Wuhui.

The white jade corridor was built along the mountainside, winding through groves and valleys in elegant curves before suddenly turning downward again. The long stone steps descended almost straight like a spear.

As they went down, the glow of the celestial barrier flickered so close it nearly brushed their faces. Waves of Spirit Tide crashed toward them like a tsunami, seemingly about to engulf them, yet the corridor managed to hold firm.

Qin Sang’s palms grew clammy as he clenched his fists. Step by step, he moved cautiously downward, until at last he reached the end and let out a long breath of relief.