The rest of the disciples slowly came forward and sat down in their previous locations, choosing to continue their cultivation as well.
…
Deep inside the wall of cultivation, Shen Yuan walked through a narrow tunnel filled with darkness.
“What is this place? A secret realm inside of a secret realm?” He questioned himself in confusion.
[It’s the inner space of that Wall you saw before.]
“No shit, I know I entered the wall, but what is the nature of this place? An inheritance ground? A treasure trove?” He shook his head while unsheathing his sword for any unexpected battle.
[…]
Yue Lan felt a vein bulging on her forehead hearing his words, and she decided to just ignore him and remain silent.
“But I didn’t expect the wall to be so miraculous. It not only helped me to re-master all of my techniques but it also helped to improve my Alchemy and Blacksmithing. Now I also have a little understanding of arrays.” He continued, seeing she had gotten silent.
[That wall is a true treasure, likely one of the best this world has to offer. Since it is formed with a fragment of the core of this world. That’s why it has so many laws integrated.]
She still decided to explain a little of it to him in the end.
Shen Yuan nodded his head, about to ask another question, but his eyes lit up as he saw light at the end of the tunnel. He sped up, sprinting towards the light before stopping just some distance away.
He cautiously took a few steps forward before peeking his head out to observe the place. Inside, there was a lake in the center with a giant altar, all around were Top Tier Spirit Stones lying down.
Shen Yuan quickly gazed at the spirit stones before losing interest; his pagoda treasury had a nearly inexhaustible amount of them. But this was not a small sum for even a Divine Grade Sect, as it would be able to run the sect for a few years without issue.
He quickly scanned the area and realized it was empty besides the altar in the middle, with no formation or treasures anywhere else.
Finally making up his mind, he slowly stepped inside, “What a weird place, it has so many Spirit Stones yet so little Qi.”
[That’s because your knowledge of Arrays and Formations is shallow. There is a huge formation erected beneath the ground, sucking all the Qi from the Spirit Stones and carrying it towards the altar.]
Shen Yuan opened his eyes in amazement, “Oh?” He headed straight towards the altar. The lake wasn’t too big; he could jump to the middle of it in a single leap.
“Let’s see what this altar is hiding.” He made up his mind and gathered strength in his legs before making a jump towards the altar.
Boom!
The impact shook the altar a bit, but nothing major happened. He heaved a sigh of relief; he was just worried that his intrusion might activate some traps.
After taking a closer look, he realized that the altar was more similar to a pyramid. He had to ascend a total of nine steps to reach the top.
He slowly moved forward and took his first step on the stairs. BOOM! A strange pressure enveloped his entire body, making it harder and harder to move.
“Oh? Is it targeting my body? My soul? Or my foundation?” He curiously thought as he continued to take the next step. And the pressure instantly doubled on the next step.
He frowned slightly, feeling that the pressure would become unbearable if it continued increasing by this much.
Boom! On the third step, the pressure doubled again, making him sweat a little. But he didn’t stop and continued, each step turning out to be harder than the last.
By the seventh step, his back was bent while he was panting. “Haa…haa…this shit is so hard to ascend.” He muttered in annoyance before taking the next step.
BOOM!
He nearly dropped on the stair, feeling the pressure increasing countless times more than just doubling. His eyes nearly popped out as he placed his hand on his knees. “What the fu..ck…what is this unreasonable increase?”
His blood began to pump faster while his body dripped with sweat, yet a strange power began growing inside his heart. It started small before erupting and sending a rejuvenating aura all over his body.
The pressure on his body also decreased drastically, “Huh?” He stood up in confusion, feeling the pressure to be nearly non-existent now.
“What was that wave…of energy?” He thought in confusion, placing a hand on his chest. He felt himself being connected to the formation of this altar for a second there. And the pressure nearly vanished after that.
Shaking his head, he decided to first ascend the stairs to the top. BOOM! Just as he took the final step, the entire cave shook, but it stopped as soon as it came.
Shen Yuan didn’t even have time to react before everything calmed down. He heaved a sigh and looked at the center of the altar. His eyes widened in shock as he saw a woman trapped inside a jade stone.
Inside the pristine jade stone, a peerlessly beautiful woman stood frozen in serene stillness, as though eternally suspended in time. Her presence seemed ethereal yet intensely vivid, radiating a faint yet mesmerizing glow that softly illuminated the altar.
She possessed a delicate oval face with smooth, jade-white skin, so flawless it seemed crafted by the heavens themselves. Her eyes were gracefully closed, long eyelashes casting gentle shadows upon her cheeks.
Her lips were tinted with an obsidian sheen, capturing an expression of quiet melancholy as if caught between dreams and reality.
Her silken hair was astonishingly long, cascading like an obsidian waterfall down her slender back. Upon her forehead rested a striking crimson rune, radiating an aura of profound mystery and authority.
“Who… is this woman?” Shen Yuan murmured, utterly stunned by the extraordinary sight. He slowly circled the jade stone, scrutinizing every inch with intense curiosity.
[Oh? Are you captivated?] Yue Lan playfully teased, sensing his astonishment.
“Hardly,” Shen Yuan snorted softly, carefully examining the sealed jade. “I’m just intrigued by this situation. Who would seal someone within such a high-level formation?”
[Perhaps she’s an ancient immortal beauty who offended someone powerful, or a supreme cultivator awaiting her destined savior?]
Yue Lan teased again, amusement dripping from her words.
Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow skeptically, not buying Yue Lan’s playful scenario. He gently placed his hand against the smooth jade, feeling its subtle warmth pulse faintly beneath his fingertips. “Such profound sealing methods. It would require tremendous power to imprison someone so thoroughly.”
[Yuan’er, since fate led you here, don’t you think you should awaken her? Who knows, perhaps she’ll be immensely grateful and pledge herself to you.]
Yue Lan giggled mischievously, clearly enjoying the situation.
Shen Yuan shook his head instantly, his expression firm. “Nope. I’m definitely not touching that mess. A mysterious woman trapped inside a suspicious formation in a hidden realm? Sounds exactly like trouble.”
[Oh come on, where’s your adventurous spirit?]