The massive stone gate groaned open, revealing not a path forward, but another wall, this one dark brown and seemingly far thicker than the last. All eyes instinctively turned to Lu Tong. Back in Qianfeng Town, they had heard him explain that this black wall was a mechanism forged by the ancestors of the Lu Clan's Artificer Sect—a Dragon-Sealing Stone so formidable that even Kaga, wielding the power of the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword, could not open it. This alone bespoke its immense durability; opening it would not be a simple task. Under normal circumstances, they might have taken the time to figure out how to destroy the Dragon-Sealing Stone, but with three hostile factions present, no one could afford to divert energy to such an effort.
This was only one reason for their focus on Lu Tong. The other was the implicit belief that since the mechanism was cast by the Lu Clan, its descendant must know how to operate it.
In truth, outsiders were unaware that the mechanism was actually cast by the ancestors of the Yun family, whose mastery of artificing was considered supreme in the realm. This fact had been lost to time, fading over eighty years ago. However, the descendants of the Lu family, who initiated that original plan, still held the key to unlocking the Dragon-Sealing Stone.
"The Dragon-Sealing Stone is incomparably hard; blades and swords cannot harm it," Lu Tong said gravely. "But when our ancestors forged it, they foresaw the necessity of entering the Sacred Domain to destroy the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword, and thus left behind a method for opening it." As he spoke, Lu Tong pointed to a crescent-shaped mark, about the size of a fist, on the left side of the stone. "This is the lock mechanism for the Dragon-Sealing Stone. However, it must be struck with an impact of extreme force, directly destroying it. Doing so will neutralize all supporting mechanisms, causing the Dragon-Sealing Stone to sink into the earth."
"I see!" Nalan Qiushui and the others visibly paled, their expressions a mixture of shock and suspicion as they regarded Lu Tong. The Lu Family's mastery of artificing and casting was renowned across the continent, though few knew their knowledge stemmed from the Yun family.
"If the Dragon-Sealing Stone is so easily destroyed, why was Kaga trapped inside and unable to get out?" Hong Tian asked, perplexed.
"This is a one-way mechanism. It is easy for those outside to enter, but impossible for those inside to exit," Lu Tong continued. "To destroy this Dragon-Sealing Stone from within, even a Demon Warrior clad in Sky Demon Armor could not manage it."
"..." Everyone present was utterly aghast.
"We have long heard of the unparalleled hardness of the Dragon-Sealing Stone; today, it truly opens our eyes," Mo Yin stated solemnly.
"I have told you the method of opening it," Lu Tong said, turning his gaze to Nalan Qiushui and his group. "How do you intend to shatter this crescent mark?" He added, "Although this mark is crafted from Blue Stone, which is also famous for its hardness, destroying it requires truly immense power."
"Immense power," Nalan Qiushui murmured. "Just how immense?"
"It requires the intensity of the combined Child-Mother Lightning spell cast simultaneously by over two thousand Mages from the Brotherhood, all striking the same focal point," Lu Tong replied, his eyes drifting toward Mo Yin and Mo Ling.
"In that case, let us be the ones to destroy it," Mo Yin said, showing no apparent doubt in Lu Tong's assessment.
"Then we thank you for your trouble," Nalan Qiushui and the others consciously stepped back to a respectful distance.
On the open ground before the Dragon-Sealing Stone, two thousand Brotherhood Mages arranged themselves into a vast phalanx, with Mo Yin standing gravely at its head.
"Hah! Lightning Spell!" With a loud shout, Mo Yin launched a bolt of lightning. Though fifty meters away, it struck the fist-sized, crescent-shaped pattern with unerring accuracy.
"Lightning Spell!" Almost simultaneously with Mo Yin's strike, the two thousand Brotherhood Mages unleashed two thousand corresponding Lightning Spells, converging precisely on the Mother Bolt. In the blink of an eye, that primary bolt swelled monstrously, slamming into the crescent mark on the Dragon-Sealing Stone like a colossal drill.
"Rumble." A deep, dull roar suddenly echoed, and everyone felt the very earth tremble. The dark brown Dragon-Sealing Stone lurched downward into the ground, but this was immediately followed by a tempest of swirling dust.
Despite being mentally prepared, everyone flinched at the shocking spectacle.
As the thick dust settled, a dark opening finally lay before them—a cavernous maw, resembling a wide train tunnel, seeming to plunge into endless depths.
"This is the passage to the Sacred Domain," Luo Xiao whispered.
"We have finally reached this point," Nalan Qiushui’s grim expression flickered with an unusual light.
"We can now enter the passage," Lu Tong announced.
"..............." Nalan Qiushui, Luo Xiao, and the others all stared at our group with unconcealed hesitation. Their old habit of suspicion had resurfaced. After all, Lu Tong seemed the most familiar with this place, and he was allied with us—it was only natural for Nalan Qiushui and the rest to be wary.
No one could be certain if further mechanisms lay within the tunnel.
"Heh, perhaps Elder Nalan fears there are more traps inside?" Lu Tong sneered dismissively.
"Indeed," Nalan Qiushui replied candidly, showing no offense at Lu Tong's sarcasm.
"And what about you all?" Lu Tong turned to Luo Xiao, Mo Yin, and the others.
"Naturally, we are unwilling to rush into danger," Mo Ling stated.
"So, you only have the courage to proceed if we send people in first?" Lu Tong challenged.
"..............." Nalan Qiushui and Mo Yin ignored Lu Tong, instead sizing up Jian Li, myself, and Feng Yuanming and the others with shifting expressions.
"In that case, let us take the lead," Jian Li said calmly, as if having anticipated this exact outcome. "Let's go." He stepped forward and entered the passage first, with Feng Yuanming and the rest of our contingent following close behind, all of us maintaining a cautious watch on Nalan Qiushui’s group.
The moment was critical; any lapse in attention could doom our entire operation. This was true for us, and equally true for Nalan Qiushui and Luo Xiao’s factions.
Seeing us enter first, they followed behind, but maintained a deliberate distance. This provided a measure of safety for both sides.
Lu Tong had already informed us that there were no further mechanisms immediately after the Dragon-Sealing Stone. However, what mysteries the Sacred Domain itself held remained entirely unknown to us.
One thing was certain: Nalan Qiushui’s group would not venture blindly into the unknown. The safest choice for them was to let us go first and follow cautiously.
The sides of the tunnel were still adorned with strange, sculpted reliefs of various shapes, but I had no mind to decipher them. Our attention was entirely fixed on Nalan Qiushui and Luo Xiao trailing behind us.
In the world of the Wandering Heroes, exposing one's back to an enemy is the gravest taboo. Yet, at our level of cultivation, our senses and reaction speeds transcended ordinary measurement. Under the state of the Eye of Death Desire, there was effectively no such thing as a surprise attack; we could perceive the movements of everyone around us even without using our eyes.
Of course, not everyone entering the passage had mastered the Eye of Death Desire. Wandering Heroes who grasped this technique but had not become Demon Warriors were termed Grandmaster-level experts—the pinnacle achievable by Wandering Heroes on the continent.
Furthermore, the Eye of Death Desire was not exclusive to the Warrior class; Grandmaster-level experts existed among Daoists and Mages as well. Jian Li and I were firmly in this Grandmaster tier. Nalan Qiushui, Hong Tian, Luo Xiao, and Mo Yin also possessed this level of cultivation.
Below the Grandmasters were the Elder-level experts—what the younger generation called the "monster tier." Feng Yuanming, Bi Yan, Gao Jing, Nalan Qiuyun, Luo Kai, and others belonged to this rank.
Although there was a measurable gap below the Grandmaster tier, this difference was quantified by the standard of the Eye of Death Desire. A single Grandmaster could effortlessly defeat a dozen Elder-level experts, much like the gulf between a Scarlet Moon Warrior and a High-level Warrior.
Therefore, it was certain that if a fight broke out, it would be between the six of us: Jian Li, myself, Nalan Qiushui, Hong Tian, Luo Xiao, and Mo Yin. We kept each other’s auras constantly locked, searching for vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, Feng Yuanming and the others dared not move rashly; a single misstep could lead to instant annihilation by Nalan Qiushui or Luo Xiao. Though the difference in rank seemed small, it was a chasm in reality. Likewise, Nalan Qiuyun and Luo Kai remained close, trying to stay within the protective range of their respective Grandmasters. In this standoff, any loss would be fatal; no one dared to make the first move.
After traversing nearly eight hundred meters, the passage began to narrow significantly, shrinking to only four or five meters wide and about three meters high. After a few bends, those outside could no longer see what was happening within. At this point, Jian Li and I stopped and turned to face Nalan Qiushui’s group. The final confrontation was about to begin.
"You go ahead; I and Xingchen will hold them off," Jian Li stated grimly, his gaze fixed on Nalan Qiushui's faction. I instinctively glanced at Mo Yin and Luo Xiao. We had envisioned countless scenarios before entering the Sacred Domain, but the current situation was overwhelmingly advantageous to us.
Nalan Qiushui and Luo Xiao’s earlier hesitation had now become the key to our victory.
Their greatest error was allowing us to take the lead through this segment of the tunnel, which was deliberately narrow—this was precisely what we relied upon. If we secured this choke point, Nalan Qiushui’s group would be blocked, allowing Feng Yuanming and the others to slip into the Sacred Domain ahead of them and seize the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword first.
"Yes!" Feng Yuanming, Bi Yan, and Gao Jing immediately grasped Jian Li's intent and sprinted toward the end of the passage.
"Damn it!" Luo Xiao and his faction's faces tightened as they realized our plan. Yet, he dared not rush forward, as he still had to guard against Jian Li and Hong Tian. Nalan Qiushui felt the same way; seeing Feng Yuanming’s group flee, he dared not step ahead, equally wary of Luo Xiao beside him.
"As expected of Jian Li," Nalan Qiushui’s face instantly turned ashen with rage. At this moment, their fragile alliance lay completely exposed. While their side boasted four Grandmasters against our two, giving them superior combat strength overall, the alliances—whether between Hong Tian and Nalan Qiushui or Luo Xiao and Mo Yin—were built on absolute distrust. Each of the four coveted the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword for themselves but dared not betray their partners. Anyone who struck first would momentarily expose a weakness to the others—a risk these old foxes would not easily take.
Although Grandmasters possessed reaction speeds beyond human comprehension, making surprise attacks almost impossible under normal circumstances, once two Grandmasters clashed, they could not possibly account for a third party. This was their fundamental concern.
"We attack Jian Li; you two handle that brat," Nalan Qiushui decided within moments. "Otherwise, none of us will get the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword."
"Agreed," Luo Xiao and Mo Yin nodded simultaneously.
That they reached an agreement so quickly was somewhat unexpected. However, their previous hesitation might have already cost them, allowing Feng Yuanming’s group to reach the sword first.
Trapped in this narrow passage, even with superior numbers, they could not easily leverage their advantage. Moreover, only they knew the true depth of their forced cooperation.
Despite reaching an accord, no one charged forward immediately. Instead, their gazes converged on Mo Yin, whose long-range magical attacks were clearly the best option in this confined space.
"Ice Roar!" Mo Yin immediately unleashed his spell; silver-white shards of ice pierced the air. A Grandmaster Mage’s attack, even from one person, was terrifying, especially a large-area spell in such a constricted tunnel, which only amplified its destructive power.
Boom! Countless shards of profound ice enveloped the cave walls, instantly turning the narrow passage into a world of blinding white.
However, this magical assault was utterly ineffective against me, who possessed the Demon Devourer physique. I instantly projected my protective battle aura, standing squarely in front of Master Jian Li, allowing the terrifying cold of the Ice Roar to engulf me completely.
As if expecting this outcome, Mo Yin quickly ceased his attack, looking toward Nalan Qiushui and the others with a resigned expression.
Everyone present had witnessed my ability; even the lightning from the Woma Patriarch could not harm me, let alone a solo attack from Mo Yin.
"Damn it, this guy is truly troublesome," Hong Tian fumed, his nose practically twitching. On the continent, no one could withstand such an intense magical barrage simply by standing still and taking it head-on. Yet, fate had placed a freak like me in their path—one immune to magical attacks.
Mo Yin’s role in this confrontation was effectively neutralized.
But Jian Li and I knew things would not remain simple. At this juncture, Nalan Qiushui and Luo Xiao cast aside all restraint, roaring in unison as they charged forward.