Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

The five members of Qingyun Sect, like reefs, firmly guarded their small corner, trying to keep a low profile as much as possible.

They rarely interacted with other forces. Apart from necessary cultivation and vigilance, they spent most of their time observing the restrictions of the Water Palace and the movements of surrounding forces.

When they get hungry, they eat some dry food they carry with them; when they get thirsty, they drink some water from whatever they can find. In any case, cultivators are not as impatient with these needs as ordinary people, and they have much greater patience.

Even if the dry rations run out, there are still concocted fasting pills to prepare for unforeseen circumstances.

Shen Mo used most of his divine sense to sense the faint, elusive gaze coming from Black Stone Peak.

He discovered that the owner of that gaze was not staring at them continuously, but was taking turns scanning the entire circular water area, especially the camps of major forces such as the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Profound Ice Pavilion, and the Pill Cauldron Pavilion.

Its focus seems to be not on the Water Palace itself, but on... people?

This discovery made Shen Mo even more vigilant. What exactly was the Blazing Sun Sect plotting?

As dusk fell, the setting sun dyed the water a blood-red hue. Zhao Qingyan, who had been quietly recording the changes in the restriction, suddenly let out a soft gasp:

"Sect Leader! Look! That light... seems to be weakening! It's much weaker than any of the previous fluctuations!"

Shen Mo suddenly looked up! He saw that the blue light above the water mansion in the distance was indeed fading rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye!

The originally solid light barrier became much more transparent, and one could even vaguely see more details of the dilapidated palace behind it!

"The restrictions are weakening!" Almost simultaneously, countless suppressed excited whispers rang out around the circular water area!

The once calm water surface instantly boiled!

The cultivators from all factions stood up like sharks smelling blood, their eyes burning as they stared intently at the entrance to the Water Mansion!

In an instant, the calm that had been suppressed for several days along the entire edge of the circular waterway was completely shattered!

"Quick! Prepare to charge!"

"Senior brother! The fluctuations in the restriction have intensified!"

"Everyone, listen up! Form the sword formation! Seize the initiative!"

"Disciples of the Pill Cauldron Pavilion, heed my command! Follow me!"

The shouts, sharp whistles, the buzzing of magic weapons being unsheathed, and the hurried footsteps all blended together, forming a restless wave of sound that swept through the entire entrance area of ​​the Water Palace!

Countless figures burst out from their respective camps, like hyenas that had smelled blood, rushing toward the entrance to the Water Palace where the blue light was gradually dimming!

The spiritual energy permeating the air suddenly became chaotic and violent, as if it would explode at the slightest touch!

"My goodness..." Zhang Daniu's mouth dropped open as he looked at the chaotic and frantic scene before him, which resembled an anthill in disarray. His calves cramped up a little.

He had never seen so many cultivators charging forward with bloodshot eyes in his entire life!

Shi Tie also gasped, instinctively gripping the heavy iron rod in his hand, his dark face tense.

Although he was belligerent, the situation before him was clearly beyond the capabilities of their small force! If they were to get involved, they would probably be crushed into mincemeat in an instant!

Su Xiao's face also turned pale, her breathing became rapid, and she subconsciously moved closer to Shen Mo.

She could clearly feel several powerful divine senses, like searchlights, scanning back and forth above the chaotic crowd. The chilling killing intent contained within them made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave!

Those were elite disciples from major sects clearing the road to deter troublemakers!

Even the usually calm Zhao Qingyan was terrified, her face turning pale. Her hand holding the jade slip trembled slightly, and she involuntarily grabbed the hem of Su Xiao's clothes beside her.

The secluded corner where the five of them were now, ironically, a relatively calm spot in the eye of the storm. But this calm was tinged with a suffocating oppression!

"Stay calm!" Shen Mo's deep voice, like a calming mantra, rang in the ears of the four.

He had stood up at some point, his sharp gaze sweeping over the increasingly chaotic scene in the distance. His face showed no sign of panic, only an almost cold calm.

"Sect Leader...shouldn't we...shouldn't we move forward a bit?" Shi Tie swallowed hard, asking somewhat unwillingly. Seeing the treasure about to be revealed, yet being able to only watch helplessly, was a truly unbearable feeling.

"Move forward?" Shen Mo's lips curled into a cold smile as he pointed to the area ahead where clashing spiritual energy and screams were already beginning to erupt. "Look at that."

Following his pointing finger, everyone looked and saw that in front of the Heavenly Sword Sect's camp, dozens of white-robed disciples had already formed a fierce sword formation. The bright sword light intertwined into a net, instantly shredding several rogue cultivators and members of a small family who tried to rush into the core area from their flanks into a cloud of blood mist! The methods were ruthless and merciless!

"Hiss—!" Zhang Daniu felt a chill run down his spine and quickly shrank his neck.

"This is just the beginning." Shen Mo's voice was low. "The restrictions haven't been fully activated yet, and these major sects have already started clearing the area. Anyone who rushes in now is either cannon fodder or a fool."

"Then we..." Su Xiao looked at Shen Mo with concern.

"Wait." Shen Mo uttered a single word, but his gaze was fixed on the entrance to the water mansion, where the blue light was fluctuating more and more violently.

"The real chaos is yet to come. The most dangerous moment will be when the barrier is fully opened. At that time, it won't just be a battle for the entrance; there will likely be unforeseen changes as well."

He paused, and in his mind, the extremely weak warning function of the system was emitting a barely perceptible stinging sensation.

At the same time, an inexplicable palpitation made him vaguely uneasy. It was an intuition honed from countless brushes with death in his past lives!

He sensed that the opening of the Water Palace this time would not be as simple as it seemed on the surface! The fact that the people from the Blazing Sun Sect had not shown up for so long was itself strange!

"An unexpected turn of events?" Shi Tie was taken aback.

"For example... a larger-scale clearing operation." Shen Mo's gaze was profound. "Or... the killing intent inherent in the restriction itself."

He clearly remembered that in the illusion that A Yuan saw when she came into contact with the Yunmengze ore, there was a "fierce shadow" at the entrance of the Water Mansion!

"From now on, everyone, obey my orders." Shen Mo turned around and faced his four nervous disciples, his tone becoming more serious than ever before. "We need to develop a contingency plan in advance."

"Emergency plan?" Su Xiao and the others looked at each other, the term was somewhat unfamiliar to them, but from the solemn expression of their senior brother, they sensed the seriousness of the situation.

"That's right," Shen Mo said quickly. "First, let's clarify our primary objective: not to seize the treasure, but to survive! And, to return to Qingyun Mountain intact if possible!"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, shattering Shi Tie's unrealistic fantasies. He nodded emphatically, "I understand! Sect Leader! Whatever you say, I'll do!"