76: Chapter 76 Bamboo Rhyme Courtyard Forbidden Area

Everything was ready, and Liu Tingting called out with a trembling voice, "Let's set off!"

The doors of the Xueyan Cliff main hall swung open with a boom.

Elder Qian Yunchang leaped up from his meditation cushion and walked firmly out of the gate.

Behind Elder Qian, the crowd finally didn't have to pretend anymore, and they all wore expressions of distress in unison.

Everyone knew that Elder Qian Yunchang had gone mad, but even the Sect Head could not stop him, so they could only resign themselves to fate.

Liu Tingting hurried to follow.

The young girl had received the true teachings of Elder Qian Yunchang since childhood, and he was like a father to her.

Wang Xinhao and Deacon Qin Wen also quickly followed, and the others had no choice but to follow along.

Senior Brother Shao Junwei and Senior Brother Liang Ruoran had faces as stiff as statues; the three of them exchanged bitter glances and silently followed behind.

Only after walking out of the main hall did they realize how exaggerated the situation outside was.

More than twenty Elders and two or three hundred Inner Sect Disciples were lined up on both sides to welcome them.

It was less of a welcome and more like guarding against thieves.

It seemed they were afraid that the Disciples of Xueyan Cliff would flee before the battle.

All the Xueyan Cliff Disciples left the main hall, with Sect Leader Wu Yin personally leading the team trailing behind, only a few yards away.

The entire Chiyan Sect was in an uproar.

From Xueyan Cliff to Zhuyun Courtyard, they constantly encountered Utility Disciples along the way, who were stunned to see this group of hundreds of people.

Xia Shaoxin felt inexplicably regretful; if he had started to Cultivate two years later, he wouldn't have had to wade into these muddy waters.

The Inner Sect Disciples were usually so arrogant, yet they were forced to participate in the exploration of a highly dangerous Forbidden Ground.

All just to find poisonous herbs for Elder Qian Yunchang to make a poisonous Medicinal Pill to assist in his Breakthrough.

Senior Brother Shao Junwei whispered, "Is the Sect Head escorting us to our deaths?"

Senior Brother Liang Ruoran jabbed him with an elbow, terrified that he would cause trouble.

After walking more than thirty miles, there was no road ahead, so Deacon Wang and a few others cut a path in front.

Passing through the woods, treading over the grass, and turning past a small hill, they were shocked to see eaves hidden in the dense leaves.

When they were ten yards away, suddenly, the Senior Brother clearing the path shouted, "Who is attacking me?"

There was chaos ahead, with people cursing.

Everyone stopped, and Elder Qian Yunchang went forward to investigate, only to find that one of the Senior Brothers had been cut by some kind of sharp blade.

A willow leaf was picked up from the ground, stained with blood.

The willow leaf shimmered with a metallic light; it wasn't actually iron, but it was both hard and flexible, capable of being used as a hidden weapon.

"Don't panic, no one is attacking you. It is the willow trees outside this Zhuyun Courtyard; having absorbed the poisonous Qi overflowing from the courtyard for years, they have grown as hard as iron, and you shook them down."

Everyone looked up to search, and sure enough, there was a willow tree nearby, growing extremely tall, with hanging branches and leaves that shimmered with a black light.

Elder Qian Yunchang slowly extended his palm and swung it violently, a burst of Qi rushing straight toward the willow tree inside the wall.

Whoosh, countless willow leaves fell, but they stuck into the ground one by one, essentially acting as daggers.

The Disciples picked them up to look, all of them shocked.

Xia Shaoxin stepped forward to pick up a leaf, but he was not as surprised as the others.

After all, this kind of mutated poisonous plant was very common in Dawu Mountain.

He quietly chanted a spell, trying to sacrifice the willow leaf, but there was no reaction.

This meant it was not a medicinal material.

Since it was not a medicinal material, it was useless; it was just strange.

It was the same principle as in Dawu Mountain; these things were originally common items, but after being eroded by poisonous miasma, they turned into something else.

To think that such a place was actually hidden within the Chiyan Sect!

"No one has been to the Zhuyun Courtyard for many years, and the trees outside have turned into this after absorbing the poisonous Qi overflowing from inside," Sect Leader Wu Yin sighed.

Elder Huang asked cautiously, "It hasn't been entered in hundreds of years; surely no one can deal with the monsters inside anymore, right?"

Elder Qian Yunchang said loudly, "Poisonous weeds don't know how to Cultivate. They have life and death; they can't live for hundreds of years. No matter how strong they are, there is a limit."

Elder Huang frowned and stopped talking.

Elder Qian Yunchang suddenly exploded, "I am venturing in on behalf of the Sect. If I succeed, won't you also benefit? If I fail, it will be the failure of Xueyan Cliff. What loss do you have!"

These words made Xia Shaoxin suddenly realize that Sect Leader Wu Yin's opposition was so weak because he actually had selfish motives.

As for the group of Elders following behind, while they appeared to be acting for the benefit of the Sect, they were likely very happy inside.

The Zhuyun Courtyard Forbidden Ground was Sealed by the last Foundation Establishment Sect Head hundreds of years ago. Everyone was only at the Qi Refining Realm and dared not think about this place.

If Elder Qian could prove that those at the Qi Refining Realm could also enter the Forbidden Ground, then this place would be reopened.

If he failed, would it have any substantial impact on everyone else?

Originally, the Sect Head and the Elders should have just tacitly understood these things, but Elder Qian Yunchang had exposed it.

Sect Leader Wu Yin's face was as dark as water, and he did not respond.

The other Elders kept their mouths shut, as if they hadn't heard anything.

The Disciples of Xueyan Cliff had very ugly expressions.

So Elder Qian wanted to gamble with his life, but he was using us as the stake!

The Elders were sitting back to reap the rewards, and they even despised us!

Elder Qian Yunchang ordered Deacon Wang Xinhao to continue clearing the path, and they finally arrived in front of the gate of Zhuyun Courtyard.

Looking at it from the outside, it was an unremarkable courtyard, not even as big as the Nanxiang Courtyard.

But it was extremely quiet, quiet as death.

Elder Qian Yunchang stopped, and everyone else stood still.

Deacon Wang Xinhao stepped forward, "I will open the gate."

"Don't go up there," Elder Qian Yunchang shouted to stop him.

It was too late; as soon as Deacon Wang's hand touched the gate, there was a boom, and he was blasted away a long distance.

He happened to land in front of Xia Shaoxin, who hurriedly reached out to catch him, but he couldn't stand firm, took two steps back, and sat down on the ground with a thud.

Elder Qian Yunchang flew forward and grabbed Deacon Wang Xinhao's shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

Pfft.

Deacon Wang opened his eyes wide and spat out a mouthful of blood, and Elder Qian hurriedly stuffed a Medicinal Pill into his mouth.

Xia Shaoxin was sharp-eyed and saw that the Medicinal Pill looked very much like a qi and blood pill.

His nose caught a scent, exactly the same as the qi and blood pill he had refined himself.

He was immediately shocked; could the Formation on the gate alone give someone at the Third Layer of Qi Refining internal injuries?

Wouldn't the things inside this courtyard be even more terrifying!

He hurriedly helped Deacon Wang Xinhao up, and Deacon Wang, suppressing the feeling of his chest churning like an ocean, used the power of the qi and blood pill to sit and Cultivate.

The crowd was stunned.

The Formation of an ancient great cultivator was so powerful; those merely at the Qi Refining Realm were not qualified to play with this.

Sect Leader Wu Yin watched from afar, staring blankly, and did not speak.

"Everyone, do not move around; listen to my commands," Elder Qian Yunchang said calmly. "The Formation of the Zhuyun Courtyard was set by the Seniors of the Chiyan Sect; it is used to protect us, not to kill us."

Although that was what he said, it was also used to stop low-level Disciples.

Elder Qian Yunchang asked Liu Tingting to come over.

"You have the best talent for Formations; today is a rare opportunity for you to gain experience. Let's see if you can lift the Restriction on the courtyard gate."

He took out the book Chronicles of Zhuyun Courtyard again and let Liu Tingting look through it temporarily.

The scene was silent.

Everyone stared fixedly at Liu Tingting.

In the past, everyone thought that Alchemists, tool makers, and Talisman Makers were very impressive, as they could both Cultivate and earn money.

The Dao of Formations was difficult to learn, didn't make money, and no one knew what it was used for.

Only now did they know that true ancient experts could trap people to death with just a Formation.

Xia Shaoxin's gaze toward Liu Tingting at this moment was very complex.

He both hoped that Liu Tingting could crack the Formation and show her talent.

And also hoped she wouldn't crack it now.

Wouldn't cracking it now be a path to death?

The others' gazes were just as complex.

At this moment, no one was interested in the knowledge of Formations.