Immortals Step into Heaven

After completing all this, Zheng Yuan carefully explored the area and finally found a hidden spot. It was a small cave, cleverly hidden by vines and boulders. The entrance was narrow, but the interior held a hidden world, perfect for him to hide in. He carefully entered the cave, sealing the entrance to prevent easy discovery.

Zheng Yuan knew that although his move seemed low-key and secretive, it might still cause unnecessary trouble, so he restrained his breath, calmed down, took out the Five Elements Secret, and carefully studied the remaining four techniques, Water Spirit Secret, Gold Spirit Secret, Wood Spirit Secret, and Fire Spirit Secret. Zheng Yuan still wanted to practice all five elements at the same time, so that he would have a better grasp of building the foundation.

Half a month later, Zheng Yuan was still studying the spiritual secrets.

Outside the Yunlong Sect's main gate, the group of treacherous cultivators were like ants on a hot pan, filled with confusion and anxiety. For a full fortnight, the figures that used to appear sporadically were now nowhere to be seen. What had happened within the Yunlong Sect? They waited patiently, but to no avail, their once-confident confidence gradually wavering.

Some people began to suspect that the news had leaked out, or that the people inside had sensed the danger and were therefore temporarily escaping. Others worried that continuing like this would be futile and would miss other great opportunities.

But they were unwilling to leave just like that. After all, before this, this place was an excellent "hunting ground" in their eyes. The inner entanglement and uneasiness were clearly visible on everyone's face, and the atmosphere became increasingly dull and depressing.

At the inner gate of the Yunlong Sect, the atmosphere was tense and solemn. A dozen Qi Refining cultivators from various sects gathered there, pacing back and forth, their eyes revealing hesitation and uneasiness. Their gazes flickered to the wooden signs etched on the roadside, bearing shocking news. No one dared to venture beyond the gate.

At this moment, a young man with a pointed face and monkey-like appearance, dressed in Fire Demon Sect attire, seemed unable to contain himself. He shouted, "Fellow Daoists, are we still afraid of a dozen of us? Even if it's a Foundation Establishment cultivator, if we work together, we may not be powerless!" His voice was filled with a hint of impulsiveness and blind confidence.

However, a cultivator in Tianshui Sect attire calmly retorted, "Fellow Daoist, how can you make such a rash assertion? The wooden sign only states that there are Foundation Establishment cultivators blocking the door, but doesn't specify how many. What if there's more than one Foundation Establishment cultivator outside? If we rush out like this, wouldn't we be walking into a tiger's mouth, courting death? In my opinion, it's best to wait patiently." His words were clear and logical, and his analysis was coherent, prompting many of the surrounding cultivators to nod in agreement.

When asked this question, the Fire Demon Sect monk was immediately speechless, his face flushed red, and he was unable to speak anymore. For a moment, everyone fell silent, and only a solemn atmosphere filled the air.

Meanwhile, deep within the solemn and awe-inspiring hall of the Yunlong Sect, an old man was furtively searching for something. His figure was hunched, his eyes flickering, and his movements were extremely cautious, as if he feared being discovered. He was seen flitting between corners and cabinets, occasionally groping at the walls and tables, as if searching for some extremely secret mechanism or treasure. His mysterious demeanor aroused deep curiosity and doubt about his purpose and identity.

This person was none other than Xiao Yuan. He had followed a map to the depths of the Yunlong Sect, but after searching for a long time, he still couldn't find what he was looking for, which made him puzzled. Xiao Yuan frowned, thinking to himself, "This map clearly indicated that there must be a rare treasure here, so how could it be missing?"

Could it be that the map has become obsolete due to the passage of time?

Or maybe someone got there first and took the treasure away in advance?

He was unwilling to return empty-handed, so he stopped and re-examined his surroundings.

The hall was filled with an air of age and decay. Ancient calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls. Though somewhat damaged, they still revealed their former beauty. Xiao Yuan's gaze slowly swept over the paintings, and suddenly, he noticed a landscape painting in which the contours of the mountains seemed to faintly outline a strange pattern, which bore a striking resemblance to the corner of the map in his hand.

Xiao Yuan's heart moved, and he quickly approached the calligraphy and painting, examining it carefully. He reached out and gently touched the pattern in the painting, but found nothing unusual.

Just as he was feeling somewhat disappointed, a gentle breeze blew by, and the candlelight in the hall flickered and swayed, and the light and shadows swayed on the wall. Xiao Yuan inadvertently caught a glimpse of a faint outline on the wall, which seemed to be the shape of a secret door. Xiao Yuan was overjoyed and hurried towards the wall.

He carefully searched the wall, and finally, in a hidden corner, he found a small protrusion. Xiao Yuan took a deep breath and pressed hard.

With a slight sound of mechanical turning, the secret door slowly opened, and a powerful spiritual energy surged from within. Xiao Yuan walked into the secret door without hesitation, only to find a secret room inside. In the center of the room stood a stone platform, on which sat a box emitting a strange light.

Xiao Yuan's eyes instantly heated up. He quickly walked to the edge of the stone platform and reached for the box. Just as his hand was about to touch the box, a barrier suddenly flashed, repelling his hand. Startled, Xiao Yuan quickly stepped back, warily observing the barrier before him. He knew that obtaining the treasure within the box would require considerable effort.

Xiao Yuan gathered his consciousness and began to carefully examine the restriction. He discovered that it was shimmering with complex runes and faintly flowing with the power of the five elements. It was clearly an extremely sophisticated defensive method. Although Xiao Yuan had some knowledge of the art of restrictions, the complexity of the restriction before him still exceeded his expectations.

He pulled out several magical instruments from his storage bag, all painstakingly acquired over the years in various ruins and dangerous locations. Xiao Yuan first took out a magical instrument called the "Spiritual Needle," which could detect weaknesses in restrictions. He injected spiritual energy into the needle, and it slowly took flight, circling the restriction in mid-air. A gleam of light flickered from its tip, as if testing the restrictive runes.

After a moment, the Lingxi needle suddenly stopped at a certain point and trembled slightly. Xiao Yuan was delighted, knowing that he had found a possible breakthrough point. He put away the Lingxi needle and replaced it with a "Breaking the Forbidden Hammer".

The hammer weighed a thousand pounds, its head engraved with a rune that could break the barrier. It was a treasure he had obtained after enduring great hardships in an ancient cultivator's cave. Xiao Yuan gripped the hammer handle with both hands, mobilized all his spiritual power, shouted loudly, and smashed it towards the weak point of the barrier.