The atmosphere in the arena suddenly became as tense as a drawn sword and a cocked crossbow, and the air seemed to cease flowing.

Thunderbolt Ancestor, Su Zimo, and others, upon hearing this, how could they not know that the Black Key was involved in a wide range of matters and might even be the crucial key to unlocking a part of the Immortal Mansion?

However, Chang Chun Temple's influence was overwhelming, and the Guiyuan Sect and the Five Thunder Sect weren't as remotely located as the Black Desert Alliance, so the two did not dare to rashly intervene and snatch it away.

Just at this moment, a colossal roar resembling the cry of a dragon and the roar of a tiger came from afar, causing the ground to shake incessantly.

A thick white Light Pillar suddenly rose up, piercing straight into the sky amidst the deafening uproar, casting the surrounding heaven and earth in immeasurable brightness in an instant.

The clouds hanging midair were also drawn in, slowly revolving around the Light Pillar.

Faced with such an enormous anomaly, Yuan Ming and the others were naturally shocked, and then their faces brightened with delight.

"You two can discuss slowly; this old man will take the lead." Thunderbolt Ancestor gathered Yan Sijing and another Early-stage Core Formation female cultivator with a flick of his sleeve, and shot toward the white Light Pillar.

Su Zimo followed closely behind, leading the remaining blond youth.

Only Wan Qi Hong, the Black Desert Alliance party, Golden Dawn Fairy, and others, as well as Yuan Ming, remained in the arena.

"Golden Dawn Fairy, let's set off too," Wen Zaihou couldn't help but whisper.

"If the two Fellow Daoists continue to argue, the opportunities ahead may be snatched away by others," Golden Dawn Fairy said, her eyes shifting as she let out a light cough.

Wan Qi Hong's gaze swept toward Golden Dawn Fairy. Although she hadn't made her stance clear, she obviously leaned more toward Dugu Feng compared to him.

With his Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivation, dealing with Dugu Feng and his Core Formation Stage cultivators would be more than enough, but adding Jin Xi and her subordinates to the mix changed the situation.

Wan Qi Hong couldn't help but regret his overconfidence, coming here alone. If he had brought a few Core Formation subordinates with him, he wouldn't have been so isolated and helpless.

"I will remember today's events!" Wan Qi Hong's figure shot into the sky, transforming into a golden rainbow charging toward the location of the white Light Pillar.

"Thank you, Golden Dawn Fairy, for speaking out in justice. If there is anything I can help with later on, feel free to say so," Dugu Feng said, his expression softening as he cupped his hands toward Golden Dawn Fairy.

"Fellow Daoist Dugu, you are too courteous. Yuan Ming is from Spirit Wind City, and I have said earlier that I would protect him thoroughly. His matters, naturally, I will help one or two," Golden Dawn Fairy said with a smile.

Pi Xiu gave Yuan Ming a nod and smiled, expressing closeness and kindness.

However, Wen Zaihou frowned slightly, obviously thinking little of Golden Dawn Fairy for making an enemy out of Wan Qi Hong over the trivial matter of Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming also thanked Golden Dawn Fairy, put away the Nine Nether Iron, and then swiftly handed over the Black Key to Dugu Feng.

A flicker of excitement passed through the depths of Dugu Feng's eyes as he received the key, and without a second glance, he tucked it away.

The group immediately set off, flying toward the white Light Pillar.

...

At this very moment, inside the Soul Burying Abyss, more and more Loose Cultivators and cultivators from various sects and sizes had gathered at the entrance of the Immortal Mansion, numbering in the hundreds.

Based on their standing positions and attire, it could be discerned that the people present were divided into three factions, still clustering separately from Zhao Country, Qin Country, and the Northern Desert.

With so many cultivators converging, the nearby demon beasts had all fled. Among the hundreds of people, most were Foundation Establishment cultivators, while only twenty or thirty were at the Core Formation Stage.

The Spirit Light Sky Pillar that Wan Qi Hong and others had broken was mended once again, and the cultivators from the three factions raised their Magic Treasures, attacking the Light Pillar.

Regrettably, everyone present was at the Core Formation Stage without any Nascent Soul existence. Despite their numbers, the attack effect was ordinary. The Spirit Light Sky Pillar trembled incessantly, yet showed no sign of breaking open.

"How infuriating, are the treasures within this Immortal Mansion going to fall into the hands of those Great Sects again!" A host of Core Formation Stage cultivators showed restlessness in their eyes.

They outwardly submitted to the Five Thunder Sect, Guiyuan Sect, and the Black Desert Alliance in daily life, but with the Immortal Mansion at stake, greed began to stir in each of them.

"Fellow Daoists, do not be hasty. I have a Magic Treasure that can harness the strength of everyone here and has a great chance of breaking the Forbidden of the Immortal Mansion. Would you be willing to cooperate?" a young man in gray emerged from the crowd.

The young man appeared to be in his early twenties, dressed like a scholar, with symmetric features and quite handsome. Peculiarly, he had heterochromatic eyes, one blue and one red, giving off an eerie and captivating presence.

Behind the scholar stood two people: one was a stunningly beautiful girl with picturesque brows and eyes, dressed very boldly, with a neckline revealing a tender ravine that distracted the onlookers; a snow-white little beast, which seemed to be a fox, perched on her shoulder.

The other was a man in his thirties wearing a green shirt, of average build, with fine brows and a square face, an ordinary appearance yet an exceptional demeanor, seemingly tranquil as still water, or a gentle moonlight, impossible to overlook.

All three were Core Formation Stage cultivators, with the man in the green shirt having a higher cultivation at the Mid-stage of Core Formation, while the gray-clothed scholar and the gorgeous girl were at the Early-stage of Core Formation.

Upon hearing this, the other Core Formation Stage cultivators displayed joy.

"The three Fellow Daoists look quite unfamiliar. May I know your honorable names and in which city you reside?" A one-eyed man from the Qin Country faction stepped forward, cupping his hands toward the gray-clothed scholar.

"My humble self is Wu Yuezhi, and these two are my sworn siblings. We three have recently arrived at the Black Wind Desert and are currently staying in Linyuan City. Hearing of the emergence of an Immortal Mansion, we came to join the excitement," the gray-clothed scholar said with a smile.

"So you are Fellow Daoist Wu. May I ask what Magic Treasure you speak of and whether it can indeed break the Forbidden of this Immortal Mansion?" the one-eyed man inquired.

"I wouldn't dare to guarantee a perfect certainty, but there's still a sixty to seventy percent chance," said Wu Yuezhi indifferently.

As her words fell, she sacrificed an item—an azure-blue square stone plate, inscribed with nineteen crisscrossing lines, resembling a chessboard.

"This object is a magic treasure I fortuitously acquired, known as the Heavenly Star Chessboard. It can gather the mana of many, and execute an attack. Without any Nascent Soul cultivators among us, only by concentrating the power of everyone to a single point is there a chance to break through the Immortal Mansion's forbidden barriers," Wu Yuezhi pointed at the chessboard after forming a hand seal.

The item began to spin, rapidly enlarging and transforming into a platform several zhang in size.

From the void, starlight cascaded down onto the chessboard, turning into black and white chess pieces, half-hidden and half-visible.

Seeing the imposing Heavenly Star Chessboard, everyone's confidence swelled from within.

"Good, as long as Fellow Daoist Wu can lead us into the Immortal Mansion, we will surely offer a generous reward," said the one-eyed man.

"There's no need for rewards. Our three siblings alone certainly cannot break the Immortal Mansion's restrictions. It's just mutual benefit," replied Wu Yuezhi.

"In that case, we won't stand on ceremony. May I ask how do we use this Heavenly Star Chessboard, Fellow Daoist Wu?" the one-eyed man inquired with a cupped-fist salute.

"The treasure is quite simple to use. Those among you who wish to enter the Immortal Mansion, take your place on the chessboard and do not resist its circulation of spiritual power. Leave the rest to me," said Wu Yuezhi as she waved her sleeve and the grand chessboard floated into midair.

The secret realm of the Immortal Mansion, with its imminent opportunities, was a place no cultivator would want to miss.

One by one, Core Formation Stage cultivators leaped up and landed on it, totaling twenty-one people.

The chessboard emanated a gentle force, transporting the twenty-one cultivators to different positions on the board.

The cultivators heeded Wu Yuezhi's words and offered no resistance.

"Twenty-one fellow daoists, plus the three of us, is just enough to lay out the Scorpion Formation and further our hope of breaking the forbidden spell," Wu Yuezhi's face broke into a smile as she leaped and landed in the central Heavenly Yuan position of the chessboard.

The man in the green robe and the stunningly beautiful young woman also flew up, taking their positions on two stars.

All nineteen paths of the Heavenly Star Chessboard lit up, and the mana of everyone within it was drawn out.

Twenty-four beams of spirit light rose from the chessboard, and with a congealing motion, turned into twenty-four black chess pieces, scattered and arranged to form a sequence of moves that at first glance resembled a scorpion.

With a hand seal and a spell cast by Wu Yuezhi, the Heavenly Star Chessboard soared into the sky, emitting a colossal howling sound as it smashed into the Spirit Light Sky Pillar like a meteorite, producing a tremendous noise.

The Spirit Light Sky Pillar trembled unceasingly, deeply indented by the impact, with much of its spirit light dispersed.

"Everyone, channel all your mana into the chessboard without holding back any longer. Whether we can break the forbidden barrier hinges on this strike!" Wu Yuezhi, with a solemn expression, shouted loudly.

Hearing this, everyone hastened to funnel all their mana into the chessboard beneath them.

Wu Yuezhi's hands continued to form seals, and the light from the chess formation of twenty-four pieces intensified, faintly taking the form of a colossal black scorpion, emitting terrifying mana fluctuations that far surpassed the Core Formation realm, and continued to climb.

The black scorpion gained clarity and took shape; with each movement of its body, the slender stinger on its back thrust forward in a flash, striking the Spirit Light Sky Pillar.

The Pillar shook violently, thinning rapidly, but ultimately, it was not pierced through, leaving only a thin layer.

The stinger of the black scorpion trembled incessantly, as spirit light flashed wildly, straining to continue the thrust forward.

Yet, to everyone's surprise, the most internal part of the Spirit Light Sky Pillar was unusually sturdy, and no matter how hard the scorpion's tail tried, it could not make further progress.

Moreover, the light from other parts of the Pillar swiftly converged, and the punctured areas began to close, appearing to be gradually healing.

"Big brother!" Wu Yuezhi, sweating from her forehead, looked towards the man in the green robe.

With an ever-calm expression, the man merely raised one hand, and a luminous glow emerged before him: a bright and shiny copper mirror, archaic in design, with bronze edges elaborately engraved with lifelike dragons and phoenixes.

The copper mirror spun several times, and when it finally stopped, the black scorpion's reflection appeared on its surface.

"Enlarge!" was all the man in green said in a calm tone, and just like that, the scorpion within the mirror grew to twice its size.

A bizarre scene unfolded!

The black scorpion hanging mid-air also experienced a surge of spirit light, its form instantly doubling, its stinger's might also dramatically increasing. With a lift and a drop, it pierced through the Light Pillar with a "pfft," creating a large hole.

The Core Formation Stage cultivators within the chessboard were dumbfounded, despite being from great sects with broad knowledge and experience, they had never before seen such a magic treasure.

Seeing this, Wu Yuezhi was overjoyed and kept her hands moving swiftly, manipulating the Heavenly Star Chessboard.

The originally large chessboard swiftly shrank, turning into a stream of blue light that flew through the large hole in the Pillar.

The Spirit Light of the Pillar surged, quickly sealing the broken hole, returning to its original state within a few breaths, and also obscuring the situation of the Heavenly Star Chessboard.

The cultivators near the Immortal Mansion only saw the Spirit Light Sky Pillar being breached and did not discern the details, but they all cheered ecstatically.

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