Chapter 644: The Bronze Gate in the Grotto_2
Chapter 644 -102: The Bronze Gate in the Grotto_2
It was precisely because he had gleaned this information that Song Changsheng made the impromptu decision: he would join Purple Demon’s group to search for Zhuang Yuechan’s whereabouts.
The reason Song Changsheng was confident Purple Demon would accept them was simple: the man was desperate for people—or more accurately, for cannon fodder.
Otherwise, he would have had no reason to hire the Demon Wind Demon Hunting Team.
They were useless for anything but being cannon fodder.
Since he was willing to hire them, he would naturally be willing to hire Song Changsheng and Niu Dazhuang. Two Purple Mansion Cultivators were surely more useful than a group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
More importantly, their conversation revealed that Purple Demon was an incredibly arrogant man. His cultivation was at the Late-stage Purple Mansion, far surpassing their own. Given his conceited nature, even if he suspected they had ulterior motives, he would be confident in his ability to control the situation completely.
Events unfolded just as Song Changsheng had predicted—in fact, even more smoothly than he’d hoped. It was further proof that his analysis was correct.
Both sides harbored their own ulterior motives, yet on the surface, they maintained a friendly facade. In this strange, tense atmosphere, Song Changsheng and Niu Dazhuang followed Purple Demon deeper into the caves.
After they turned into a branching tunnel, Purple Demon suddenly stopped.
“Senior, what is it?” Heifeng asked, confused.
Purple Demon sneered. “I underestimated them. It seems someone beat us here. Pick up the pace.”
The group’s pace quickened, and in less than an hour, they caught up to the party ahead.
The other party had clearly spotted them long ago and were already waiting, on high alert.
‘Purple Cloud Pavilion.’
Seeing the familiar robes on the group, Song Changsheng breathed a small sigh of relief. ‘Looks like they haven’t found Zhuang Yuechan yet. This is good for us.’
Beside him, Niu Dazhuang also secretly sighed in relief.
“I wondered who it could be. So, it’s the people of Purple Cloud Pavilion,” Purple Demon sneered, stepping forward. He looked disdainfully at an elder in a white, cloud-patterned robe. “For you to find your way here… I’m genuinely surprised.”
“Purple Demon! It’s you!” The moment the elder saw him, the color drained from his face. The other Purple Cloud Pavilion disciples also grew pale.
Song Changsheng and Niu Dazhuang were newcomers and didn’t know of Purple Demon’s fearsome reputation, but the elder knew it all too well. Purple Demon was vicious and unscrupulous, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals. An encounter with him here meant a fight was inevitable.
But he was only a Mid-stage Purple Mansion Cultivator, no match for Purple Demon. Worse still, Purple Demon wasn’t the only Purple Mansion Cultivator on the other side.
Realizing this, he made a quick decision. “Our Purple Cloud Pavilion will no longer contend for the Celestial and Earthly Spiritual Object. We will withdraw immediately. Fellow Daoist Zi, would you be willing to let us go our separate ways?”
Purple Demon crossed his arms, a sinister smile spreading across his face. “Of course… not!”
With that, Purple Demon’s figure flickered, and he charged.
Seeing this, Heifeng and his men also surged forward with savage grins, clashing with the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of Purple Cloud Pavilion.
“Purple Demon, must you slaughter us all!” the Purple Mansion Cultivator from Purple Cloud Pavilion roared.
Hearing this, Purple Demon nearly laughed out loud. “Heh,” he said coldly. “If I let you go, who knows if you’ll leak what you’ve seen. For the sake of my grand plan, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you all to die. And I’ll ask you two Fellow Daoists to lend me a hand.”
Song Changsheng and Niu Dazhuang exchanged a look and stepped forward in unison.
The Purple Cloud Pavilion was a potential threat to Zhuang Yuechan to begin with. Now that they had run into them here, there was no reason to let them go.
Under the combined assault of the three, the Purple Mansion Cultivator leading the Purple Cloud Pavilion had no way to resist and was cut down.
The six Foundation Establishment Cultivators who accompanied him were also slaughtered by Heifeng and his men.
After this battle, Purple Cloud Pavilion was practically crippled. In the current climate of the Gusu Cultivation Realm, its very survival was now in question.
Completely unfazed, Purple Demon collected the spoils of war. He then led the group, now reeking of Evil Qi, to the end of the passage. To their astonishment, a massive Bronze Gate engraved with intricate patterns stood before them.
The moment he neared the Bronze Gate, the Fish-shaped Jade Pendant tucked inside Song Changsheng’s robes grew slightly warm.
‘It’s Yuechan! Yuechan is in there!’ Song Changsheng’s heart pounded with excitement. Zhuang Yuechan had given him this Jade Pendant when they went to Xianxian Valley years ago. It was one of a yin-and-yang pair; they each carried one.
As long as they were within a range of about thirty miles, the pendants would resonate.
Since the Jade Pendant was reacting, it meant Zhuang Yuechan was just beyond this Bronze Gate.
What puzzled Song Changsheng, however, was that the Golden Profound Cave had only been discovered a few months ago. Why, then, was there such an ancient-looking Bronze Gate deep inside it?
Perhaps sensing their confusion, Purple Demon reached out to gently stroke the patterns on the gate. “Five thousand years ago, a meteor from beyond the heavens fell in this very spot. That’s how the Meteorite Mountain Range got its name.
“Several hundred years later, a Golden Core Master happened upon this place and discovered that the meteor contained a Law Origin. He then carved out these caves and established his residence within.
“By cultivating with the Law Origin for many years, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. In the end, he was just one step away from breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm—all he had to do was fully integrate the Law Origin.
“But an accident occurred during the integration. The Golden Core Master succumbed to his inner demons and went berserk. He not only severed the Spiritual Vein here, but also charged out on a killing spree, provoking the combined forces of the entire Gusu Cultivation Realm to hunt him down.
“His cultivation was profound, and he managed to fight his way out of the encirclement, but he was grievously wounded. Not long after, he passed away.
“Through a stroke of luck, my master obtained his legacy and learned of this place from the notes he left behind.
“However, a powerful Restriction had been placed here, and my master spent his entire life trying to open it, to no avail.
“I later discovered that the Restriction would only break during a resurgence of Spiritual Qi. I thought I would never see that day in my lifetime. But thankfully, the Celestial Dao is just, and I have lived to see this day!
“Fellow Daoist Liu, Fellow Daoist Zhu, today is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month—the perfect time to integrate the Law Origin. Help me open this door, and I am willing to share it with you!”
A fanatical gleam appeared in Purple Demon’s eyes, an endless fire of desire that seemed ready to burn everything to ash.
Even though they were prepared for this, Song Changsheng and Niu Dazhuang’s breathing grew ragged. A Law Origin… it was a Supreme Treasure that even Golden Core Masters would go mad for!
“Fellow Daoist Zi, do you speak true?” Song Changsheng asked in a low voice.
“Of course. Even with my cultivation, I cannot integrate the entire Law Origin. I will take only half; the rest is yours!”
Song Changsheng put on a timely display of greed. “Excellent,” he said excitedly. “Tell us what to do!”
“We will combine our strength! Pour your Mana into the Bronze Gate and open it!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the three of them cast their spells in unison. A torrent of Mana surged into the Bronze Gate. The once-dull metal flared with brilliant light and RUMBLED as it slid open to both sides.
‘The process was far easier than I’d imagined,’ Song Changsheng thought with some surprise. ‘It seems Purple Demon could have opened it by himself, even without us.’
When the Bronze Gate was fully open, a wave of scorching heat washed over them. Before them lay a vast chasm filled with magma.
On the far wall of the magma-filled cavern stood another Bronze Gate, as if waiting for someone worthy to open it.
“It’s exactly as the records described! Exactly the same!” Purple Demon’s expression was frenzied, a clear sign of his extreme excitement.
“Fellow Daoist Zi, how are we supposed to get across?” Song Changsheng asked with a frown. “It can’t be as simple as flying, can it?”
“Of course not. There’s a Forbidden Sky Array here. For anyone below the Golden Core realm, Flying is a death sentence!”
At his words, a chill ran down everyone’s spines. If they fell into the magma below, even a Purple Mansion Cultivator would be doomed.
Purple Demon stomped his foot and muttered a few strange words of a Spell. In an instant, a series of stone slabs, each carved with intricate patterns, materialized before them, forming a path to the Bronze Gate on the other side.
Looking at the stone path, Purple Demon showed no intention of stepping onto it himself. Instead, he pointed at one of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the group. “You, go first!”