Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 149 - 122: Treasure Delivery Boy?

After all, they could only stay for twelve hours, and with hundreds of Dark Gold Pillars, there simply wasn’t enough time to stop and rest.

As time went on, they uncovered one treasure after another, adding them to their collection.

However, the difference between them was obvious. Out of every ten pillars, Ling Changqing could open at least six or seven, sometimes even more.

Ling Qiyue, however, grew frustrated. Out of ten pillars, she could open two or three at most, and the items she received weren’t even high-grade.

"At this rate, we’ll only be able to open thirty percent of the pillars at most. There’s no way we’ll have time for the rest!"

Ling Changqing said with a frown.

He now understood. The pillars themselves had to be some kind of special Magical Artifact from the Vast Sea Dark and Bright City.

A Cultivator could only open a pillar if their Divine Thought could communicate with it and match a specific resonance. Otherwise, they would come away empty-handed.

"We should be content. We’ve already gotten so much. Anyone else would never have had such a haul!"

Ling Qiyue said with a smile. She had already adjusted her attitude; as long as her junior brother was with her, the main opportunities within the Immortal Mansion Ruins wouldn’t fall into the hands of others.

...

「Outside, at the entrance to a magnificent, golden hall.」

"...Dammit, we finally made it here!"

The haggard-looking, black-robed Elder let out a breath. He still felt a lingering fear as he recalled the many dangers they had faced on their journey.

There had been several times he thought he wouldn’t make it out alive. The deadly traps and Restrictions were unlike anything he’d ever encountered.

He glanced at the men around him; fewer than fifteen of his subordinates were still alive, and half of them were wounded.

And this was only because the Elder, when besieged by a horde of Daoist Soldier Puppets, had decisively used a hidden trump card to fight their way out.

Otherwise, he would never have had the chance to set foot in the core area of these Immortal Mansion Ruins.

"...Elder, what do we do now?"

a black-robed Cultivator who had lost half a leg asked.

"First, we’ll rest for two hours and recover our Magical Power!"

The Elder ordered, finding a corner and sitting down.

The other fourteen Cultivators sat in a circle around him, took their Elixirs, and began meditating to hasten their recovery.

They might face another great battle soon, and there was no telling how many of them would make it back alive.

A moment later, having caught his breath, the Elder opened his eyes and his gaze swept across the hall.

Finally, his gaze settled on the thirteen magnificent portals in the center of the room. His brows furrowed, and he fell into silent contemplation.

"It seems the group that arrived before us already has a head start."

the Elder said slowly, an immense irritation welling up inside him.

He had thought using his trump card would allow him to catch up to the group ahead and seize the most important prize, but he was still one step behind.

By now, they must have entered one of these portals and were plundering the treasures within.

But as for which portal led to the core of the Immortal Mansion Ruins, there was no way to know.

"Elder, we have two options now,"

said the Pseudo Core master holding the Star Plate Shaped Magical Artifact. "First, we don’t go in. We just wait out here for them to emerge.

Second, we find the correct portal, follow them inside, and fight them for the treasures!"

"Lie in wait for them?"

The Golden Core Elder frowned. "Waiting for them to come out is a good idea, but we can’t be certain they’ll come back this way..."

The implication was that if the Immortal Mansion Ruins had another exit, the group that went in first would have left long ago and wouldn’t be returning the way they came.

Therefore, it was highly likely they would be waiting in vain.

"Then... should we just test the portals one by one?"

the Pseudo Core master suggested cautiously.

They had no way to identify the correct portal, so they had to resort to this crude method.

The Golden Core Master nodded. "Alright. You few... starting from the right, one person to a portal. Go in and see what happens!

Oh, and leave your Storage Pouches with me before you go. I’ll give them back when you return!"

The first ones he picked were the injured Cultivators with the lowest Cultivation, making it obvious he intended to use them as cannon fodder.

If they never came back out, their Storage Pouches would naturally belong to the Elder.

"...Yes, Elder!"

The injured men exchanged a glance and agreed helplessly, removing their Storage Pouches and handing them to the Elder.

At the first portal on the right, a black-robed Cultivator at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment paused for a moment before timidly raising his leg to step through.

As everyone watched, most of his body entered the portal. Then, as if seized by some immense force and yanked violently, he vanished completely into its depths.

A faint scream echoed from within, so shrill and distorted it made one’s skin crawl, as if the man were suffering some unimaginable torture.

The Elder’s brow twitched. "Looks like that portal is a dead end. Yuan Kong, you try the second one."

The death of a subordinate didn’t seem to affect him in the slightest.

"Yes, Elder!"

The black-robed Cultivator called Yuan Kong answered in a low voice, rising to his feet and slowly approaching the portal.

Though unwilling, he had no power to defy the Elder’s command.

The organization’s hierarchy was strict and its rules severe. Defying a superior would lead to a fate worse than death.

A dozen breaths later, Yuan Kong stepped into the second portal. Like a clay ox sinking into the sea, he vanished without a sound.

The Elder shook his head. "Looks like that one is a bust, too. Yuanjiang, you go check the third portal."

And so, the third chosen black-robed Cultivator rose dejectedly and walked toward the portal.