280: Chapter 280: Heroes Fall into the Trap

Outside the palace gates.

A golden pillar of light shot into the sky, piercing through the gray-black mist that had not dispersed for ten thousand years, reaching straight into the clouds.

Within the pillar of light, countless golden runes circulated, emitting an ancient and majestic aura.

That aura pressed down so heavily that the surrounding air solidified, and even the wind stopped.

Old City Lord Li Cang was the first to sense the change in the radiance.

He opened his gray eyes abruptly, and a sharp glint flashed in his pupils.

His withered fingers trembled slightly, not out of fear, but out of excitement.

Having been in seclusion for a thousand years, this was the day he had been waiting for.

The Opportunity for the Mahayana Stage was right before his eyes.

"The Restriction core has been opened!"

Old City Lord Li Cang's voice was hoarse, yet it exploded like a thunderclap in everyone's ears.

Ancestor Shi Cang also stood up from the stone pillar, his golden mane bristling, his vertical pupils filled with Battle Intent.

He clawed at the ground, leaving a deep groove.

The surrounding rubble was sent flying by his Demonic Qi.

"The space-time rift is only for an instant."

"What are we waiting for? Charge!"

Ancestor Shi Cang roared.

The nine experts at the Body Integration Stage struck simultaneously.

Nine terrifying auras, like nine great mountains, pressed down so heavily that the air within a hundred miles trembled.

Old City Lord Li Cang raised his hand, and a strand of gray spiritual energy transformed into a giant palm, striking toward the palace gate.

Ancestor Shi Cang swung a claw, and the golden claw shadow blotted out the sky.

Supreme Elder Jian Cangqiong pointed with his sword finger, and a silver-white sword light tore through the sky.

The Snake Emperor opened his nine heads simultaneously, spewing out nine black pillars of light.

Feng Tian flapped his wings, and the colorful Nirvana Fire transformed into a sea of flames.

Lei Tian's body erupted with electric light, transforming into a purple bolt of lightning.

Chi Tian exhaled a breath of cold air, and the ice-blue radiance froze the moisture in the air.

The Sparrow Emperor opened his giant beak, and the Heaven-Swallowing Vortex spun, sucking in the remaining Restriction on the palace gate.

The nine attacks slammed into the gate, erupting with an earth-shattering roar.

The Restriction that had remained unbroken for ten thousand years finally developed cracks under the combined attack of the nine Peak Body Integration Stage experts.

The cracks grew more numerous and larger, spreading like a spiderweb.

"Boom!!!"

The gate completely exploded, and fragments scattered everywhere.

The nine experts turned into streams of light and rushed into the palace.

Of course, even if the gate was broken, they still had to clear the levels.

Behind the door was the first level.

Sword Intent Path.

The stone Sword Cultivator statues on both sides of the stone steps sensed the intruders and simultaneously raised their longswords, Sword Intent surging forth like a tide.

But this time, they were not facing Cultivators at the Void Refinement Stage, but powerful experts at the Peak Body Integration Stage.

Old City Lord Li Cang snorted coldly, and gray spiritual energy formed a protective barrier around his body.

The Sword Intent struck the barrier like raindrops hitting an iron plate, making a clanging sound.

But it could not hurt him in the slightest.

Ancestor Shi Cang was even more direct; golden Demonic Qi burned around his body, and the Sword Intent hissed as it was burned by the Demonic Qi, unable to get close to his body at all.

Supreme Elder Jian Cangqiong did not defend; his Sword Intent was stronger than that of the stone statues.

He released his own Sword Intent, and the white Sword Intent collided with that of the stone statues.

The Sword Intent of the stone statues was instantly suppressed, like a mouse seeing a cat.

The Snake Emperor's seven heads simultaneously spewed out poisonous mist, which corroded the Sword Intent until nothing remained.

Feng Tian's Nirvana Fire incinerated everything, and the Sword Intent turned into nothingness within the flames.

Lei Tian's lightning shattered the Sword Intent, Chi Tian's cold air froze it, and the Sparrow Emperor's Heaven-Swallowing Vortex devoured it.

The nine experts barely slowed down and rushed straight through the first level.

The second level, Illusion Demon Realm.

In the mist, the resentment of the undead surged forth like a tidal wave, wanting to erode their Divine Souls.

But for Cultivators at the Peak Body Integration Stage, their Divine Souls had long been tempered like steel.

How could mere resentment of the undead shake them?

Old City Lord Li Cang's Divine Soul was powerful enough to directly crush the resentment.

Wherever he walked, the resentment scattered and fled like smoke blown away by the wind.

Ancestor Shi Cang's golden Demonic Qi had a natural suppression effect on the undead; as soon as the resentment touched his Demonic Qi, it screamed and vanished as if burned by fire.

Supreme Elder Jian Cangqiong's Sword Intent severed all illusions, and the resentment could not last even a single breath before him.

The Snake Emperor's poisonous mist corroded the resentment, Feng Tian's Nirvana Fire incinerated it, Lei Tian's lightning shattered it, Chi Tian's cold air froze it, and the Sparrow Emperor's Heaven-Swallowing Vortex devoured it.

The nine experts moved as if they were in an empty land, rushing through the second level in an instant.

The third level, Heavenly Secret Array.

The runes in the stone array sensed the intruders and began to change crazily.

Giant stones moved, paths disappeared, and traps were triggered.

Countless bolts of lightning, flames, ice spikes, and poisonous mists surged from all directions, trying to block their path.

Old City Lord Li Cang stopped, his gray eyes scanning the stone array, with runes faintly circulating in his pupils.

He was deducing the changes in the Formation.

Cultivators at the Peak Body Integration Stage had Divine Sense powerful enough to calculate all the changes in the Formation in an instant.

"Follow me closely."

After saying this, Old City Lord Li Cang walked in one direction.

Turn left, turn right, go straight, then turn left... His pace was fast, and every step landed on the correct spot.

Ancestor Shi Cang, Supreme Elder Jian Cangqiong, Family Head Zhao Tiangang, and the others followed behind; no one questioned him, and no one fell behind.

After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a light gate appeared ahead.

Behind the door was the core of the Heavenly Secret Array.

Old City Lord Li Cang pushed open the door and stepped inside.

In the stone room.

Xiao Ran was standing next to that black bead.

He was still holding that golden Jade Slip in his hand, his spiritual energy having just been withdrawn.

The blood runes around the stone room had dimmed, and the sacrificial Formation had been temporarily suppressed by him.

Hearing the door open.

Xiao Ran looked up and saw the nine Body Integration Stage experts filing in.

Old City Lord Li Cang walked at the very front, his gray eyes falling on Xiao Ran, and he was stunned for a moment.

Then, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

He had not expected that the first person to reach the end and open the Restriction core would actually be Xiao Ran.

A little Cultivator at the Early Stage of the Void Refinement Stage.

A complex expression appeared on his withered face—surprise, admiration, and a hint of something unnameable, like wariness.

City Lord Li Qingge followed behind his father and was also stunned when he saw Xiao Ran.

He frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on Xiao Ran for a moment before moving away.

He had many questions in his heart.

How did Xiao Ran pass the first two levels?

As a Cultivator at the Early Stage of the Void Refinement Stage, how could he possibly break the Heavenly Secret Array?

But he did not ask, because now was not the time.

Supreme Elder Jian Cangqiong looked at Xiao Ran, and a flash of sword light crossed his black eyes.

His perception was sharper than anyone else's; he sensed a special aura on Xiao Ran.

That aura did not belong to the Void Refinement Stage, nor did it belong to the Body Integration Stage.

Instead, it was a kind of... aura that devoured all things.

He remembered the legendary Myriad Dao Guixu Body, and understanding dawned on him.

Family Head Zhao Tiangang snorted, his gray eyes filled with disdain.

A little Cultivator at the Early Stage of the Void Refinement Stage, just lucky.

Even Zhao Tianxiong of his Zhao family hadn't been able to make it here, yet this outsider kid had gotten here first.

He was unhappy, but he couldn't act out.

Ancestor Shi Cang's golden vertical pupils stared at Xiao Ran, a flash of killing intent crossing his eyes, but it quickly faded.

This little Human Race Cultivator was not simple to be able to make it here.

But he had no time to deal with a small fry right now; his target was that ball of light deep in the stone room.

The Opportunity for the Mahayana Stage.

The Snake Emperor's nine heads turned toward Xiao Ran simultaneously, his vertical pupils also filled with wariness.

His intuition told him that there was something strange about this little Human Race Cultivator.

But he didn't say anything more either, because that ball of light was right in front of him, emitting an alluring aura.

Feng Tian, Lei Tian, Chi Tian, and the Sparrow Emperor each glanced at Xiao Ran as well; some were curious, some disdainful, some wary, but none spoke.