Chapter 111: The Portal

"Stop bickering, all of you! Look at the sky! The sky has been sealed off. Did the Grand Elder activate the sect's isolation array? It seems they've cut off the Forging Valley from the rest of the world."

The three who had been chasing each other stopped in their tracks. Everyone looked up at the sky. The formation had completed its cycle; the world seemed to have changed in an instant, and standing there, one could actually see the horizon.

Several elders beamed with joy. This meant Zichen Yu had finally left; otherwise, the Grand Elder would never have activated the array. Now that the Forging Valley was isolated from the outside world, it was their own private domain.

"Then there's no need to block those two fellows anymore. Let's disperse and head to the main plaza to consult with the Sect Master."

Elder Feng flew off first, with the other elders and disciples following close behind. In a heartbeat, the area in front of the cave dwelling was completely deserted.

Li Zihong, who had been sitting before the formation, watched the receding figures with a lingering sense of loss. She turned to look at Chao Xiong, but at that moment, the cave dwelling underwent a earth-shattering transformation.

The cave, which had previously been thin in spiritual energy, was now thick with it—so dense it was almost liquid. It erupted from within like a fountain, though the surge began to slow down after a short while.

Li Zihong walked over slowly to inspect the source of the eruption. If one were to cultivate atop this, the progress would be swift; one might even reach the Golden Core or Nascent Soul stages.

A nine-pointed, earthy-yellow star pattern was revealed. The pattern rhythmically inhaled and exhaled spiritual energy, dissipating it throughout the cave. Although the flow had slowed, the cave was now a true blessed land compared to before.

Chao Xiong woke up, noticed the viscous energy around him, and saw Li Zihong standing by the source. He walked over to join her.

With nowhere left to go, the spiritual energy was absorbed by the formation disk. It seemed to have found an inlet, pouring entirely into the disk. The formation, which had been somewhat withered, expanded to ten times its original size, enveloping half the mountain peak in a shroud of impenetrable white mist.

Neither Chao Xiong nor Li Zihong paid it any mind; their eyes were fixed on the nine-pointed star. The pattern flickered on and off, and their heartbeats began to sync with its pulse. Without realizing it, Chao Xiong placed his hand on Li Zihong’s shoulder.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed? You scared the life out of me! I thought someone from outside had broken in!"

Li Zihong spun around and slapped Chao Xiong, making him wince in pain.

"Do you want to see what this thing is? I'm curious. Why don't you take a look?"

After slapping him, Li Zihong pointed at the nine-pointed star.

*She just hit me and now she wants me to be a lab rat? She thinks she's clever,* Chao Xiong thought to himself, though he didn't say it aloud. "Alright, I'll try..."

Before Chao Xiong could finish, Li Zihong threw him over her shoulder. He landed squarely on the formation. At that moment, the formation emitted a sound, and a voice resonated in both of their ears simultaneously:

"Spatial formation activated. Single use only. Transmission will commence when the countdown ends. Countdown starting now: nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five..."

As the countdown echoed, Chao Xiong tried to scramble away, but he felt as though he were held fast by a powerful suction. He couldn't move an inch. Li Zihong tried to pull her hand back, but it was stuck, feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"Three, two, one. Activation."

As the countdown ended, the formation began to spin. Even Li Zihong, who was holding onto Chao Xiong’s hand, was sucked in. The space around them seemed to shatter as they were forcibly pulled into an endless tunnel that stretched beyond sight.

Chao Xiong and Li Zihong gripped each other's hands even tighter. It felt as though ages had passed; both began to lose consciousness. After what seemed like months, the dizzying sensation finally faded.

They appeared outside a colossal city. The city walls seemed to scrape the sky. As Chao Xiong tried to move his foot, he felt as if a heavy burden were pressing down on him. Every step required a massive expenditure of spiritual energy. He had no idea where they were.

Looking down, he saw tens of thousands of nine-pointed star patterns beneath his feet. Li Zihong looked around in wonder, even reaching down to touch one of the patterns.

"Let’s leave before the transfer cycle ends." Two guards approached. The pair scanned them with their divine sense and were shocked to realize that, despite their own limited cultivation, they could sense the guards were at the Nascent Soul stage.

*The gatekeepers are Nascent Soul experts? I’d better not talk back,* Chao Xiong thought. He grabbed Li Zihong’s arm and struggled to walk away as quickly as possible.

"We’ve been guarding this gate for hundreds of years, but this is the first time we’ve seen people who haven't even awakened their Nascent Souls. The world truly is full of wonders," the two guards remarked. Figures kept appearing on the star patterns and departing in an orderly fashion; no one paid any attention to the two slow-moving outsiders.

***

Duan Xin had rested for over half an hour and finally regained a sliver of spiritual energy. To activate the formation, he had been forced to bite his finger and use his vital blood; furthermore, the activation had drained him completely, leaving his clothes in tatters.

Looking at the rags on his body, Duan Xin offered a helpless smile. The furnace on the altar had stopped shaking and had merged with the formation.

He retrieved a set of robes from his storage ring and fumbled to put them on. Finally, he looked like a Sect Master again, rather than a beggar. "Time to head out. It must be chaotic out there by now," he muttered, glancing at his reflection on the wall to ensure he was presentable.

All the elders and disciples were gathered at the entrance of the main hall. Neither the Sect Master nor the Grand Elder had appeared, and despite multiple sound-transmission talismans being sent, there had been no response. Everyone was growing anxious.

"Elder Feng, do you think something happened to the Sect Master and the Grand Elder? We’ve been here for so long, and it's been nearly half an hour since the last talisman was sent. We're so close, yet there’s no reaction. What should we do?"

Liu Dachui pushed away the junior sister who was pinching his arm and leaned toward Elder Feng. However, Yang Tie'an nudged him aside, and Liu Dachui frantically signaled him with his eyes.

Elder Feng paced back and forth in front of the hall, sighing repeatedly. He looked toward the distant plaza, then stopped and turned around.

"All disciples of the Forging Valley, listen! The sect is in crisis, and the Grand Elder and Sect Master have been missing for some time. Disperse and search for them. If you find any news, send me a sound-transmission talisman immediately. Is that understood?"

With that, he looked up at the sky, his expression unreadable.

A disciple in the crowd hesitantly raised his hand, then lowered it, before stepping forward to stand before Elder Feng. They locked eyes.

"Elder, I have something to report. After Zichen Yu left, I saw the Grand Elder collapse. The Valley Master took him away toward the forbidden grounds. I heard the Valley Master say the Grand Elder is dead."

As he spoke the final two words, he lowered his voice, emphasizing the gravity of the news to Elder Feng.