Without thinking twice, Gu Qinghe turned back and flew toward the door of the main hall chamber.

Just like the other doors, a rune array appeared and guarded the place.

"The monster we’re about to face might be much stronger than before," Gu Qinghe said.

Ling Jia nodded. She, Yan Ran, and Liu Xi had already prepared themselves for any possibility.

They had promised to help Gu Qinghe fight the monster produced by the defensive mechanism of the main hall chamber.

Gu Qinghe formed hand seals with both hands. A golden rune array appeared behind his back, floated forward, and fully merged with the white rune array.

Ling Jia and the others stayed behind, keeping their distance from Gu Qinghe.

Several rune arrays had successfully merged with the white one.

However, they still needed the formation core, which was usually stored inside a monster’s body.

A strong tremor came from beneath the ground. Gu Qinghe noticed it, then turned around and saw the courtyard floor inside the main hall chamber starting to crack.

From those cracks, a bright crimson light shone, accompanied by a powerful aura and bursts of qi.

Ling Jia and the others turned and flew closer to Gu Qinghe. The courtyard floor collapsed, and a massive fire phoenix rose into the air.

Its qi aura radiated powerfully, and its cultivation pressure slammed directly into the cultivators’ bodies.

For Ling Jia, Yan Ran, and Liu Xi, the pressure was enough to force their bodies downward, but not for Gu Qinghe.

He could withstand the intimidating force of the monster’s cultivation pressure.

Gu Qinghe raised his hand, releasing qi light and beginning to stabilize the area. Ling Jia and the others could finally relax, no longer feeling intimidated.

"Its strength is at the Perfect Core Formation level... just like the lightning dragon at the second peak," Ling Jia said.

"Yeah," Gu Qinghe replied. "But for some reason, this fire phoenix feels easier for me."

The fire phoenix spread its wings and began raining down flames across the courtyard like meteors.

Gu Qinghe reacted quickly, activating a seal with one hand and summoning a golden protective bell in front of them.

"You guys try fighting that monster," Gu Qinghe said.

Ling Jia, Yan Ran, and Liu Xi nodded. They formed hand seals at the same time, then launched their spells forward from inside the golden bell.

Ling Jia released a sword attack, while Yan Ran and Liu Xi fired water spear attacks.

All three attacks struck the fire phoenix, causing an explosion of qi energy along with a powerful gust of wind.

Those sheltered inside Gu Qinghe’s golden bell remained safe, unaffected as the chaotic qi from the explosion was reflected back by the bell’s walls.

The fire phoenix flapped its wings and cried out loudly, glaring sharply at Gu Qinghe and his group while unleashing its cultivation pressure once again.

Gu Qinghe began to feel overwhelmed. The spiritual qi in his body was nearly depleted.

The fire phoenix before them was stronger than he had imagined.

His gaze locked onto the phoenix’s neck. There was a bead necklace that remained untouched by the flames covering its body.

His eyes widened as he realized what he needed to do in response to the fierce resistance of the fire phoenix.

He lightly tapped his bag of holding, summoning the Thousand Sage Beads into his hand. His focus returned to the phoenix’s eyes.

To activate the power of the Thousand Sage Beads artifact, I need to chant a Zen mantra in front of them.

Gu Qinghe paused for a moment, then let out a soft breath. He stepped forward slowly and steadily, his right hand still holding the beads.

Ling Jia turned and saw Gu Qinghe approaching with the artifact beads. She was shocked when she realized his lips were moving, reciting a Zen mantra.

"He can chant a Zen mantra? But how?" Ling Jia asked.

The mantra leaving Gu Qinghe’s mouth formed a golden rune that flew forward, binding the fire phoenix within a golden rune array cage.

His hand moved, rotating the beads as cultivation pressure struck the phoenix’s body.

Gu Qinghe already understood this artifact’s ability. The cultivation pressure it produced was one of the most troublesome aspects for him.

The fire phoenix continued to cry out loudly. Its body felt pain every time Gu Qinghe rotated the beads in his hand.

As time passed, the cultivation pressure crushing it grew stronger and stronger.

The others were not affected. Instead, they felt both amazed and confused about how a Taoist cultivator could learn a Zen cultivation mantra.

Gu Qinghe moved his fingers and rotated the beads for the tenth time.

The fire phoenix collapsed onto the ground, injured and beginning to fade.

However, Gu Qinghe felt the same, especially since his body was not strong enough to endure the surge of power from the Thousand Sage Beads artifact.

In an instant, the fire phoenix vanished without a trace. Gu Qinghe stopped chanting the Zen mantra and fell to his knees, coughing up blood.

"Senior?" Ling Jia called as she rushed toward him.

Using that artifact requires a high cultivation base. I should only use it in life-or-death situations next time.

"Are you okay, Senior?" Ling Jia asked.

Gu Qinghe cleared his throat and nodded slowly. He was indeed injured from using the artifact, but he felt that his injuries were not severe enough to affect his physical condition or cultivation base.

"I’m fine," Gu Qinghe said.

He extended his hand forward, grabbing the formation core floating above the fading remains of the fire phoenix.

Gu Qinghe received it in his hand, allowing the core to merge with the array on the main hall door.

The defensive mechanism had been completed and defeated. Gu Qinghe stepped closer to the door and finished the final stage of breaking the rune array, merging it with the formation core.

The process succeeded. The rune array in front of the door disappeared and scattered across the area, accompanied by a burst of qi.

Gu Qinghe let out a sigh of relief. He stepped inside after opening the door, with Ling Jia and the others following behind him.

The condition inside the room was almost the same as before. The only difference was the artifact.

If the second peak held the Thousand Sage Beads, then the artifact at the third peak was the Golden Sky Energy Sword.

Golden Sky Energy Sword? This is a King-grade artifact with unparalleled offensive power.

If I combine my golden qi energy with that sword artifact, I can imagine its power increasing many times over.