Ding Fan carried i Zhi into the mountain cave hidden behind the formation.
Before making his move, Ding Fan had already used his Divine Sense to probe the surroundings. After all, Gui Zhen and Feng Shanxing—either of them alone—were top-tier experts. Ding Fan had no choice but to be thorough in his preparations.
The mountain cave was filled with nurous branching paths, and both Divine Sense and Telekinesis were blocked. Ding Fan resolved to rush into the labyrinthine cave with i Zhi. With the complex network of paths as cover, he believed Feng Shanxing and Gui Zhen would be unable to catch him.
Previously, when Ding Fan was fleeing Gui Luo's pursuit, he had escaped through the winding underwater paths beneath a waterfall. This ti, he planned to simply repeat that strategy.
Watching Ding Fan rush into the cave with i Zhi in his arms, Gui Zhen's face turned ashen with rage. "Chase them! We absolutely cannot let them leave alive!"
Tomorrow was a crucial day. If Ding Fan and i Zhi truly escaped, it would definitely affect their major plans.
However, Feng Shanxing showed no intention of pursuing. He rely stared in the direction where Ding Fan and i Zhi had disappeared.
"Aren't you worried they'll expose your secret?" Gui Zhen asked, sowhat surprised, looking at Feng Shanxing.
Feng Shanxing gave him a contemptuous smile. "This is the Spirit Sect Forbidden Land, the ancient resting place for Elders and Sect Masters. There is only an entrance here; there is no exit. If they venture inside, they are destined to perish."
Gui Zhen glanced at Feng Shanxing before turning to leave. Before disappearing, he left behind one final remark.
"You best ensure nothing goes awry. Otherwise, you'll reap eternal damnation."
Feng Shanxing smirked indifferently. "Anyone who enters the Forbidden Land is dood to die…"…
…
Ding Fan carried i Zhi and ran wildly through the maze-like cave for a while. Sensing that no one was pursuing them, Ding Fan finally set i Zhi down.
Huff…
Just as Ding Fan placed i Zhi down, she suddenly struck at his chest with her palm.
Ding Fan hadn't expected that after saving i Zhi, she would not only show no gratitude but would actually try to kill him.
Smack…
As i Zhi's palm was about to hit Ding Fan, he swiftly grabbed her right hand.
i Zhi was montarily stunned. She knew that her palm was imbued with Inner Strength, carrying enough power to split stones and shatter monunts, yet Ding Fan easily caught it with one hand.
i Zhi struggled to pull her hand back, but no matter how much force she used, she couldn't break free. Her hand felt as though it was fused to Ding Fan's palm.
"Let go."
Ding Fan cast a glance at the struggling i Zhi and said coldly, "If you continue your nonsense, I'll take your life."
Ding Fan's icy tone carried no trace of emotion, and his chilling voice sent a shiver through i Zhi's body.
At that mont, i Zhi recalled the twenty-odd dried corpses outside the Spirit Sect's passageway, sucked dry of their flesh and blood. Though she tried to maintain a bold facade, her face had already turned ashen.
Ding Fan had spoken these words intending only to frighten i Zhi.
Upon entering the cave, Ding Fan imdiately sensed the unusual nature of the place. The complex network of paths seed to align with so sort of formation, which made it exceptionally baffling to decipher.
In such a perilous situation, Ding Fan had no ti to deal with i Zhi's antics, so he could only resort to intimidating her.
Ding Fan flung i Zhi's hand away. Given their dangerous predicant and the weight of his earlier warning, i Zhi indeed refrained from causing further trouble.
"What is this place?" Ding Fan asked i Zhi.
i Zhi glanced at Ding Fan with so surprise, wondering how he could not know where they were. Earlier, when Ding Fan had rushed here with her in tow, she had assud this was his intended destination.
When Ding Fan brought i Zhi to this place, her initial attack stemd from her belief that Ding Fan intended to harm the Forbidden Land, prompting her to act with desperation.
Ding Fan looked at i Zhi again, and it was evident she had no intention of answering him.
Ding Fan decided not to ask further. "From now on, follow closely."
The cave's many branching paths made it impossible to find i Zhi again if they beca separated.
Although i Zhi was reluctant to follow Ding Fan, the Spirit Sect Forbidden Land worried her. Fearing any harm might co to it, she obediently kept pace behind him.
The maze of caves was extensive. Ding Fan continuously probed the layout with his Divine Sense. After nearly a full day of exploration, he finally discerned the logic behind the path's design.
The branching paths were arranged according to the interplay of the Eight Trigrams and Five Elents.
Ding Fan couldn't help but admire the ingenuity of the individual who designed the Great Formation. Its brilliance left him deeply impressed. If not for his background in the Cultivation World and his considerable expertise in formations, he likely would never have found his way through in his lifeti.
He then led i Zhi toward the Life Gate. After another quarter-hour of walking, the two finally exited the maze-like paths.
A relatively spacious corridor appeared before them.
At the corridor's entrance, i Zhi spotted a pile of bones—it was impossible to tell how long they'd been there. Beside the skeleton lay a long sword.
Seeing the sword, i Zhi's eyes lit up.
Three Gold Stars were engraved on the hilt of the sword.
The Spirit Sect had a strict hierarchy. The swords used by its disciples were marked accordingly. Generally, ordinary disciples' swords bore a single Gold Star, Elders' swords had two, and swords with three Gold Stars were reserved for Sect Masters.
The three Gold Stars on the sword hilt revealed that this skeleton belonged to a once-prominent Sect Master of the Spirit Sect.
i Zhi imdiately knelt before the remains and solemnly kowtowed twice.
Once i Zhi had finished paying her respects, Ding Fan led her deeper into the cave corridor.
On both sides of the corridor, more skeletons were scattered. Judging by the Magic Artifacts near the remains, these individuals had been highly esteed in life—at least of Elder Level rank.
Ding Fan and i Zhi followed the corridor until they reached a spacious stone chamber.
The chamber was roughly a hundred square ters, and at its center stood an altar-like structure bearing a long sword.
When i Zhi saw the sword, she dropped to her knees and began kowtowing fervently.
The swords scattered outside were marked with Three Gold Stars, but the sword enshrined here bore Five Gold Stars.
Five Stars Longsword!
While i Zhi remained kneeled in reverence, she suddenly felt her neck tighten—she was lifted off the ground.
i Zhi instantly beca infuriated.
She was known for her beauty and celebrated talent within the Sect, often the object of adoration and pampering. Yet Ding Fan had treated her dismissively throughout their journey and now handled her with startling roughness...
Just as i Zhi was about to erupt in anger, a beam of light streaked toward them.
Boom…
The light struck the spot where i Zhi had been kneeling monts earlier, carving out a pit over a ter deep.
Seeing this, i Zhi's face turned pale. The chamber was made of Adamantine Stone, yet the beam had gouged a one-ter-deep crater. If it had struck her, she would surely have perished.
If not for Ding Fan's tily intervention in lifting her up, she might have truly lost her life.
While i Zhi was lost in thought...
Bang… A deafening boom suddenly erupted.
i Zhi looked up to see a massive piece of Adamantine Stone, as tall as a person, hurtling toward them like a bullet shot from a cannon.
The chamber's confined space left little room to evade the incoming rock, and Ding Fan, carrying i Zhi, had virtually no way to maneuver.
Seeing the massive stone barrelling toward them, i Zhi's mind went blank. Though she had a Heavenly Level cultivation, enduring a strike like this stone would surely result in grave injury.
"Halt!" At that mont, Ding Fan unleashed a powerful palm strike.
Boom… Boom… Waves of potent energy surged from Ding Fan's palm, reverberating throughout the chamber. i Zhi felt slightly unstable on her feet behind him.
Boom… Boom… Boom...
Ding Fan's energy collided fiercely with the massive stone.
The stone had incredible montum, forcing Ding Fan to retreat several steps before he could stabilize himself.
When i Zhi looked again, the stone, astonishingly, had been knocked back by Ding Fan.
Seeing this, i Zhi's mouth hung wide open in shock.
She had always known Ding Fan was strong, but she had never imagined he was this powerful.
The strength of that stone would have overwheld most of the Spirit Sect's senior Elders, yet Ding Fan, barely in his twenties, had managed to deflect it.
Spurt… Ding Fan suddenly coughed up fresh blood.
The stone's overwhelming force had still caused him so internal injury.
"Hmm?" Just then, a voice filled with curiosity echoed.
Ding Fan was startled. He hadn't expected anyone else to be present. Imdiately, he drew the Nine Profound Iron.
i Zhi also heard the voice, becoming tense as she drew her sword.
Right then, a dark shadow swept forward and stood before Ding Fan and i Zhi. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was a Soul Body.
"Who are you two?" The Soul Body spoke in an icy tone, addressing Ding Fan and i Zhi.
"Who are you?" Ding Fan replied contemptuously.
"I am Ouyang Shangfang, the first Sect Master of the Spirit Sect. After my death, I refined my main soul to continue guarding the Forbidden Land. And who are you?"
"I am i Zhi, a disciple of the Spirit Sect. Greetings, Patriarch." i Zhi had heard of Ouyang Shangfang's na before. She obediently knelt before him.
Ouyang Shangfang's remnant soul ignored i Zhi and instead turned to Ding Fan. "Who are you?"
"Ding Fan."
The soul appeared montarily surprised. "You are not a disciple of the Spirit Sect?"
Ding Fan nodded. "That's correct."
"What a pity, what a pity…" Ouyang Shangfang shook his head in disappointnt. "I had thought the Spirit Sect had produced another peerless genius in future generations. To think you're not one of ours."
Despite his youth, Ding Fan had already achieved a Profound Level cultivation. Within Hidden Sects, such a feat was unheard of, hence Ouyang Shangfang's lant. If Ding Fan had been a Spirit Sect disciple, Ouyang Shangfang would have been ecstatic.
"Why are you here? This is the Spirit Sect Forbidden Land," Ouyang Shangfang queried.
"The Spirit Sect is in danger, leaving no choice but to co here," Ding Fan replied calmly.
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