243: Chapter 242 Is this opportunity something we can simply pass up?

The entire field was silent.

The Huangji Sect Elders and Disciples who had been following Huangfu Qing and clamoring to divide the Ethereal Immortal Mansion's Opportunity were now all pale-faced.

That was their Grand Elder!

An ultimate existence who could summon wind and rain in the Central State, and whose stomp could make the mountains and rivers tremble!

And the result?

He was smashed into the sea with a single punch by that red-robed female Cultivator carrying a black great sword and looking like a petite young girl?

Even his proud Lifebound Treasure, the [Imperial Seal], was easily crushed like a piece of mud!

What kind of monster is this?!

"Gulp..."

Li Qianjue, the Sect Leader of the Blood Skeleton Sect, swallowed hard.

He subconsciously took two steps back and tucked the nine originally menacing Pink Skeletons into his sleeves, for fear of making even a slight sound that would attract the attention of that red-robed star of calamity.

Beside him, the burly ascetic monk from the Vajra Temple also had his eyelids twitching wildly.

He had Cultivated the Buddhist Diamond Indestructible Body for years and was most sensitive to physical strength.

The blood-qi power that Su Hongling erupted with just now was simply like a living Ancient True Dragon!

That kind of Law of power, pure to the extreme and capable of directly crushing space, was absolutely the Physical Body becoming a saint at the Mahayana Stage!

"Amitabha... Goodness, goodness..."

The monk lowered his head and silently recited the Heart Purifying Incantation, no longer daring to mention the bullshit about "everyone gets a share."

"Splash!"

A burst of water suddenly exploded on the sea surface.

Huangfu Qing rushed out of the Black Sea in a wretched state.

At this moment, where was there any trace of his previous immortal-like, high-and-mighty appearance as a leader of the Righteous Path?

His luxurious brocade clothes were torn into strips by the violent power, his hair was disheveled, and his face was covered in blood mixed with Black Sea water.

His nose bridge had completely collapsed, his entire face was distorted beyond recognition, and his chest was even sunken in a large area, clearly with an unknown number of broken ribs.

He gasped heavily, staring fixedly at Su Hongling in mid-air, but he didn't dare to say another word.

He was afraid.

That punch just now—if the other party hadn't held back at the last moment, and if he hadn't been wearing a close-fitting soft armor for protection, his Physical Body would probably have been shattered by now!

"What? Did taking a bath in the sea wake you up a bit?"

Su Hongling hovered in mid-air, shouldering the great sword [no edge].

"Old geezer, do you want to try again? I didn't even use ten percent of my strength just now.

If you think it's not enough, I can loosen your bones some more."

Huangfu Qing trembled all over and quickly lowered his head, no longer even having the courage to look directly at Su Hongling.

"No... I don't dare... It was this old man who failed to recognize Mount Tai and offended the Senior..."

Gritting his teeth and enduring the humiliation and sharp pain, he respectfully held the golden jade talisman in his hands above his head.

"This jade talisman... should rightfully be kept by the Senior."

Seeing that even the most arrogant Huangfu Qing had bowed his head and admitted defeat, how could the leaders of the other factions dare to hesitate for a moment?

"We are also willing to follow the Senior's orders!"

"The jade talisman is here, please accept it, Senior!"

For a time, Li Qianjue, the Vajra Temple monk, the Ice God Palace Saintess, and others all took out the jade talismans in their hands, holding them in front of their chests like an offering, fearing that a step too slow would lead them to follow in Huangfu Qing's footsteps.

As for the thousands of Loose Cultivators in the back who were still clamoring earlier?

By now, they had already retreated ten miles away, each one as quiet as a cicada in winter, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Although the Opportunity is good, one must have a life to take it!

These Female Demon Lords are definitely the type who could poke a hole in the sky!

"Hong Ling, come back."

Just then, Su Lin's calm and indifferent voice slowly rang out in the oppressive air.

"Yes, Revered Master."

Su Hongling, who had been overbearing and looked ready to eat someone just a moment ago, saw her small face full of Evil Qi immediately turn from cloudy to sunny the moment she heard Su Lin's voice.

She obediently responded, her figure flickered, and she instantly returned to Su Lin's side. The great sword thudded onto the ground as she stood straight like an obedient bodyguard.

This scene once again stunned everyone present.

A peerless Body Cultivator of the Mahayana Stage actually followed the orders of a young man with only Soul Transformation Stage fluctuations so submissively? She even called him Revered Master?!

What exactly is the background of this young man?!

Su Lin ignored the suspicious and uncertain gazes around him.

Standing with his hands behind his back, his deep eyes swept across the eight big shots of various factions holding the jade talismans, and he spoke indifferently: "Since you are all willing to cooperate, then the door to this Ethereal Immortal Mansion shall be opened by us together."

The eight Integration Stage Great Powers had cold sweat dripping from their foreheads and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

How could they still have any objections?

Any one of these four Female Demon Lords picked at random could rub them into the ground; what's more, all four together?

Being allowed to follow behind and have a sip of soup was already a great mercy.

"Very good."

Su Lin nodded with satisfaction and took out the Azure Jade Talisman he had obtained from Old Ancestor Cang Ming from his robe.

"In that case, let's open the door."

As his voice fell, Su Lin gently tossed the jade talisman in his hand into the air.

Seeing this, the other eight did not dare to be negligent and threw out their jade talismans one after another.

Nine jade talismans of different colors converged in mid-air, instantly transforming into nine brilliant streaks of light that shot straight towards that ten-thousand-zhang-high [gate of all wonders]!

Piercing light soared into the sky, illuminating this sea area, which was perpetually shrouded in gloom, as bright as day. A vast wave of Immortal Dao surged out from the crack in the gate!

"Such dense immortal spiritual qi!"

"Heavens! I just took one breath, and the Bottleneck that has been stagnant for five hundred years actually loosened!"

"This is a true immortal ruin! It is a supreme Opportunity!"

Feeling the Immortal Qi overflowing from the crack in the door, the Cultivators in the back, who had originally been scared out of their wits, once again had crazy greed and fanaticism ignited in their eyes.

In the face of the temptation of Immortal Ascension, fear was infinitely diminished.

"Creeeak... Creeeak..."

Accompanied by a heavy grinding sound, the two ten-thousand-zhang-high crystal doors finally opened slowly to both sides.

As the doors opened, the scene inside gradually unfolded before everyone's eyes.

Faintly visible were floating immortal mountains and hanging spirit waterfalls; there were even winged immortal birds flying in the clouds, and dense Immortal Qi turned into substantial white mist, slowly flowing behind the gate.

This was the true face of the [Ethereal Immortal Mansion]!

"The door is open! The Ethereal Immortal Mansion has opened!"

An uncontrollable burst of wild cheering erupted from the crowd.

Just as the door opened wide enough for several people to walk side by side.

"Hahahaha! Immortal Dao opportunities belong to those with virtue! This old man has waited for three thousand years, and finally, today has come!"

A burst of crazed laughter suddenly exploded from the very back of the crowd.

Then, a terrifying pressure soared into the sky.

This pressure was so strong that even the eight Integration Stage Great Powers present felt a surge of palpitations.

A grayish-brown figure was seen tearing through space like a phantom.

Dense Death Qi erupted from his body; he was clearly an old monster whose Lifespan was about to run out and who had reached the end of his rope.

"It's... it's [Venerable Ming Gu]! He's actually not dead yet?!"

Li Qianjue looked at the grayish-brown figure and exclaimed in shock, "Rumor has it that he died two thousand years ago due to Qi Deviation while attempting to reach the Mahayana Stage. I didn't expect that not only did he not die, but he actually stepped into the Mahayana Stage through misfortune!"

"A bunch of idiots! Did you really think these few little brats could cover the sky with one hand? The path to immortality is ahead; whoever blocks me dies!"

Venerable Ming Gu laughed wildly as he performed the [Blood Shadow Void Step], which burns one's Origin.

His speed was too fast, so fast that even Su Hongling didn't have time to swing her sword to stop him before he had already turned into a blurred blood line, bypassed everyone, and rushed directly to the open [gate of all wonders]!

"Immortal Pills! Immortal Artifacts! The Great Dao of Longevity! They are all mine!!!"

Venerable Ming Gu's eyes were full of madness and greed; he could even see the glorious scene of himself seizing the immortal fate, gaining a new life, and even Ascending to the Immortal Realm.

Without hesitation, he stepped across the threshold flowing with immortal light.

"He's in! He's in!"

The Cultivators in the back let out a sigh of frustration and jealousy.

Someone had taken the lead in breaking the rules, and it was a Mahayana Stage old monster, which made the greed suppressed in the hearts of those Cultivators who were originally deterred by Su Lin start to stir again.

"We should charge too! The Law doesn't punish the masses! Once we're in, who cares about rules!"

A few bold Loose Cultivators had already begun to circulate their spiritual power, preparing to fish in troubled waters behind Venerable Ming Gu.

However.

Before they could even take a step.

A shrill scream suddenly came from within the [gate of all wonders]!

It caused everyone's movements to freeze instantly, and a chill rushed from the soles of their feet straight to their heads.

Everyone's eyes widened in horror, staring fixedly at the direction of the gate.

They saw Venerable Ming Gu, who had been laughing wildly and rushing into the gate with high spirits just a moment ago, now hovering in mid-air less than three zhang behind the door.

His body was frozen.

A seemingly soft silver ripple rippled out from nowhere, just sweeping across his body.

"No... No! What is this?! My Physical Body! My Primordial Spirit!"

Venerable Ming Gu looked down at his hands in horror.

Under everyone's gaze, this overbearing Mahayana Stage old monster was actually being peeled away.

That silver ripple seemed to represent the most supreme rules of this world, ignoring Venerable Ming Gu's Protective Aura.

"Help... Save me..."

But this plea only lasted for a short half-breath.

The next instant, the silver ripple completely swept across his entire body.

An ultimate powerhouse who had lived for thousands of years and reached the Mahayana Stage disappeared completely behind the immortal gate, turning into a wisp of extremely tiny blue smoke right before everyone's eyes.

Not even a trace of a remnant soul or a drop of essence blood was left behind.

Thousands of Cultivators on the scene, whether Integration Stage Great Powers or Soul Transformation Loose Cultivators, were all frozen in place as if a binding spell had been cast on them.

Only the sound of sharp intakes of breath could be heard one after another on the empty sea.

Those Cultivators who were just about to rush in were now so scared that they retreated repeatedly, and some even had their legs go weak and slumped to the ground, gasping for breath as if they had just returned from the gates of Hell.

"Dead... He's dead? Just like that?!"

"That was the Mahayana Stage! He didn't even make a single move before he... he was gone?!"

"Isn't the door already open?! Why is there still such a terrifying killing Formation inside?!"

They looked at the open [gate of all wonders] and the beautiful scenery filled with Immortal Qi inside, no longer having the previous greed and fanaticism, only deep-seated trembling.

Where was this a portal to the Immortal Realm?

This was clearly a yawning abyss of Hell waiting to swallow all living beings!

"That silver ripple... what a terrifying power of Law."

Luo Ximei stood beside Su Lin, her platinum-gold right eye swirling with solemn light.

At that moment, even she, who had fused with the True Immortal Origin, felt an instinctive fear in the depths of her Divine Soul when facing that silver ripple.

It was a rule of obliteration that was completely unreasonable.

"This is a Fusion of the Time Law and the Destruction Law," Mu Qingxue spoke coldly, her brow furrowed.

"Any living being that steps into it will have their timeline instantly drained, while their Physical Body and Divine Soul are returned to nothingness by the Destruction Law."

"Since this damn door is open, why set a trap? Is the owner of this Ethereal Immortal Mansion crazy?!"

Su Hongling swung her great sword unhappily. Although she liked head-on confrontations, she also had a headache regarding this kind of invisible and intangible eerie Formation.

"The person who set up this Formation isn't crazy; he's just filtering."

Su Lin's voice rang out steadily, breaking his disciples' speculation.

He looked deeply at the gate, a flash of understanding that only he understood appearing in his eyes.

"A key can open the door, but it doesn't mean the path behind the door is smooth."

"The first Formation behind this [gate of all wonders] is called the Great Void Annihilation Formation. It doesn't test cultivation or combat power; it only tests one thing."

Su Lin He paused., his tone carrying a hint of mockery.

"What it tests is the understanding of the Dao."

"That old guy just now was full of greed and slaughter, forcibly crashing into the Formation barrier with brute force. If he didn't die, who would?"

Su Lin did not deliberately lower his voice, and the surrounding Cultivators heard him clearly.

Hearing that a Formation that could instantly kill even a Mahayana Stage old monster actually required an "understanding of the Dao" to be broken, the hearts of these Cultivators went completely cold.

"Even the Mahayana Stage can't do it... then wouldn't we be certain to die if we go in?"

"This Opportunity, might as well not have it! I haven't lived long enough yet!"

"It's over. Although the door is open, we can't get in at all. Everyone should just disperse..."

A mountain of treasure was right in front of them, yet they couldn't enter; this feeling of frustration was simply maddening.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Su is indeed knowledgeable."

Just then, an extremely discordant cold laugh rang out from the crowd of Loose Cultivators not far away.

Everyone looked towards the sound and saw a middle-aged Cultivator wearing a green Daoist robe and sporting a mustache stepping out from the crowd.

This man's name was Li Gou. He was a somewhat famous Loose Cultivator who usually liked to stir up trouble. Seeing everyone intimidated by the Formation and Su Lin talking eloquently, he felt a surge of jealousy.

"Since Senior Su has explained this Formation so thoroughly, I assume you are full of confidence?"