Chapter 92: Clam Shell

The Mortal Realm

"Three Golden Core Venerables!"

Everyone was greatly alarmed, but then the Grand Elder delivered even more shocking news. "I just contacted Junior Brother Gu. After emerging from seclusion, he found the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Zone sealed by a peculiar restraining formation. The formation is mysterious and difficult to decipher; it will likely be impossible to break through it and send aid in a short time."

Seeing their panic, the Grand Elder smiled faintly. "There's no need to fear. The sect-protecting grand formation, set up by two Nascent Soul cultivators invited by the Ancestor, cannot be breached by a mere few Golden Core cultivators. You should now strike the Evil-Quelling Bell to summon Foundation Establishment disciples to the mountain. Together, we will activate the grand formation to repel the enemy. I have already sent a distress signal; once our fellow daoists arrive, this crisis will resolve itself."

Once Xuan Chenzi and the others had respectfully and nervously departed the cave dwelling, the smile immediately vanished from the Grand Elder's face. His expression became intensely solemn as his figure gradually faded, disappearing from the cave dwelling and reappearing above the sect-protecting formation.

Demonic flames surged. After the Grand Elder of Yuanzhao Sect appeared, the figure of Yi Tiannie also materialized from within the demonic flames.

At this moment, Zhao Yan led Qin Sang and the other four down from the Sect Master Peak and jumped directly into the lake.

The ground continued to tremble incessantly. Mud and sand rose from the lakebed, and the water rippled, becoming incredibly murky. Under the cover of the chaotic conditions at the lake's bottom, the five swiftly submerged deeper into the lake.

Within their sight, the water remained murky. After submerging to an unknown depth, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared ahead. Zhao Yan immediately ordered them to slow down and approach the light silently.

Finally, they reached the light, and their view revealed an exceptionally beautiful scene.

A clam shell, as large as a house, lay silently on the lakebed with its mouth agape. Around the shell, exotic flowers bloomed competitively, and water grasses swayed gently. The ground was covered with a layer of white sand, dotted with countless sparkling gems, resembling an underwater immortal palace.

An invisible barrier seemed to be present, as the surrounding rising mud and sand were completely unable to penetrate this space, which remained as tranquil as ever.

Zhao Yan signaled them to stop. Under the concealment of the Four Cloud Divine Restraint, the five stood motionless in the murky lake water.

Qin Sang looked at the magnificent scene before him, secretly astonished. When Senior Brother Zhu had introduced the various forbidden areas within Yuanzhao Sect, he had never mentioned such a mysterious place existing at the bottom of the lake.

This giant clam shell clearly wasn't an ordinary object. What exactly was inside it that made it worth Zhao Yan risking his life for a trip?

Before Qin Sang could ponder further, two figures suddenly flashed out from the clam shell. One was tall, the other short, and both were Foundation Establishment cultivators.

After these two appeared, all five, including Zhao Yan, became extremely tense. With both parties so close, they wondered if the Four Cloud Divine Restraint could truly conceal their presence.

As they felt uneasy, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators stood outside the clam shell, gazing upwards.

At that moment, Qin Sang and the others also heard faint bell chimes, realizing that Yuanzhao Sect's Evil-Quelling Bell had been struck again.

The Evil-Quelling Bell rang nine times consecutively, and the expressions of the two cultivators subtly changed.

The shorter cultivator urgently said, "Senior Brother Miao, the Evil-Quelling Bell rang nine times. It seems the enemy is powerful, and the sect intends to gather all Foundation Establishment cultivators to activate the grand formation and repel them. What should we do?"

Senior Brother Miao frowned slightly and hesitated. "Once the Evil-Quelling Bell rings, no disciple may disobey orders, or they will face sect rules. Since we haven't been deliberately notified, we can only obey the command. However, this place cannot be left unattended. Junior Brother, you stay put for now. I will go up and observe, then explain the situation to Senior Brother Sect Master. He will surely understand."

The two exchanged a few more quiet words, then Senior Brother Miao activated his magical artifact, broke through the water's surface, and sped away.

After watching Senior Brother Miao's figure disappear, the shorter cultivator returned to the clam shell, full of worry.

Zhao Yan's brow furrowed. After pondering for a moment, he ordered Qin Sang and the others to remain still. Then, he took out a giant Ghost Banner from his mustard seed pouch. The banner was a full person's height. Qin Sang initially thought it was an oversized King Yama's Banner, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was vastly different. The Ghost Banner was carved with countless ferocious and malevolent evil spirits, appearing vividly alive and exceedingly eerie.

What astonished Qin Sang even more was that this Ghost Banner wasn't a magical artifact; it seemed to be... a magical treasure?

One couldn't use magical treasures without reaching the Golden Core cultivation stage. Qin Sang could only use the Ebony Sword because it was a fragment of a magical treasure that had been re-refined by an artifact craftsman.

Could Zhao Yan truly control a magical treasure?

Qin Sang couldn't help but secretly congratulate himself for not acting rashly. While manipulating the Triangular Cloud Flag, he covertly observed Zhao Yan's actions.

He saw Zhao Yan holding a spiritual jade in one hand and tightly gripping the Ghost Banner magical treasure in the other. He pressed the spiritual jade close to the banner and chanted incantations. Immediately, the evil spirits on the Ghost Banner all came to life, baring fangs and brandishing claws, looking as if they were about to tear through the banner and burst into the real world.

'Whoosh!'

A cold wind suddenly arose, and countless ghostly mists surged from the Ghost Banner. The evil spirits also rushed out of their confines. Zhao Yan was immediately enveloped by a ghostly mist so thick that he became invisible.

Only a muffled grunt was heard from Zhao Yan. It was unclear what he did inside, but the evil spirits gradually calmed down.

Immediately after, Zhao Yan shouted, "Go!"

The Ghost Banner, carrying countless evil spirits, surprisingly flew directly out of the Four Cloud Divine Restraint and shot straight towards the clam shell. The commotion was so significant that the shorter cultivator inside the clam shell detected its appearance instantly.

"Who's there!"

The shorter cultivator instantly flashed in front of the clam shell. Seeing the Ghost Banner flying towards him, he exclaimed, "A magical treasure!"

He naturally understood what a magical treasure signified. A look of deep horror appeared on his face as he hastily conjured a golden alms bowl artifact, activating a layer of golden light to block before him.

At the same time, a flying sword materialized in his palm. Pointing it upwards, he frantically channeled spiritual power into it, about to release it to send a message.

Unexpectedly, as the Ghost Banner reached him, the ghostly mist suddenly expanded several times in size. The golden light from the alms bowl offered no resistance whatsoever, and both it and the shorter cultivator were engulfed within.

The Ghost Banner firmly embedded itself in the ground. Layers of ghostly mist swirled around it, and countless evil spirits continuously rushed out from the banner, instantly forming a demonic domain. The shorter cultivator was trapped within this domain, and no sound emerged from him thereafter.

Zhao Yan gasped for breath and quietly urged, "Let's go!"

As they passed the edge of the ghostly mist, Qin Sang remained utterly stunned. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't break free after being trapped by the Ghost Banner. Even if he activated his sword qi, he wouldn't be able to contend with Zhao Yan.

The space inside the clam shell was not large. It had a water-repelling restraint, making it dry and fresh inside. The furnishings were also very simple, with only two Water Heart Bamboo meditation mats placed there.

Most eye-catching was a cavern deep within the clam shell, with a stone staircase leading into the depths of the earth, profoundly deep and bottomless.

Urged by Zhao Yan, they descended the stone staircase until they finally reached the bottom of the cavern. Ahead, a massive underground chamber appeared, filled with an endless expanse of grayish-white energy.

This grayish-white energy clearly wasn't something to be trifled with; perhaps dangerous formations were hidden within. Qin Sang and the others all looked at Zhao Yan, wondering what other methods he might possess.