Upon hearing the booming sound emanating from the black gate, the Heavenly Spiritual Masters from the various Great Sects and Noble Clans felt a sharp jolt in their hearts, with traces of frustration coloring their faces.

Originally, they had intended to follow in the wake of the powerhouses from Lingyu City and the Mòxuě Sect, hoping to fish in troubled waters. However, unexpectedly, as soon as the six women of the Yin Ruins appeared, those two figures from the Holy Lands of Spirit Mastery quieted down, and there had been no further movement for such a long time.

It was a joyous anticipation that had come to nothing.

Now that the gate was on the verge of opening, if they didn't act soon, there would be no hope once the Spirit Mansion gate was completely blasted open. If the strong individuals from the Spirit God Hall simply stood guard at the entrance, it would be nearly impossible to slip inside to snatch any benefits—unless they forcibly eliminated those guarding the gate.

With their current strength, if they joined forces, eliminating Kouxilai and the Heavenly Spiritual Masters accompanying the two High Gods wouldn't be difficult. The crux of the matter was that no one wanted to make the first move.

The one who struck first would undoubtedly become the primary target for the Spirit God Hall's retaliation later on; this was beyond question.

"Hurry and gather! The gate is about to open!"

Just as they were sighing inwardly, Kouxilai could no longer restrain the excitement surging in his chest. His long hair whipped around as he shouted aloud, the residual divine power within his body surging out like rolling tides, pouring entirely into the torrent woven from the interwoven threads of divine judgment.

The man in black and the youth in the blue robe also felt their spirits lift, sending scorching flames and sharp wind blades raging forth.

"Whoosh!"

The integration of the divine powers from Kouxilai and the two High Gods instantly nearly doubled the divine power accumulated by the six "Spirit Intent Deification Diagrams," slamming toward the gates with the force of an overwhelming flood. In that instant, the very void before the two massive gates seemed to shatter into countless fragments.

Witnessing the might of this strike, the Spirit God Hall powerhouses waiting eagerly behind them all broke into smiles, practically bubbling over with excitement.

"Bang!"

The divine power struck the seam of the gate.

Force erupted in all directions, neon light shattered, and a violent aura exploded outward. Immediately afterward, surging, tumultuous streams of shadowy light violently churned out from the wide gap, roiling wantonly in the void. In mere moments, they engulfed both the black gates and the narrow opening between them.

"Hum!"

The resonant tremor sounded again, growing increasingly violent with each iteration.

Seeing the effect of this blow, Kouxilai’s face, bristling with stubble, broke into a satisfied smile. With a slight wave of his hand, the six Spirit God Hall powerhouses seated cross-legged in the void relaxed their legs, gathered the six "Spirit Intent Deification Diagrams," and let them drift to the ground. He stood there smiling broadly, waiting for the black mist to dissipate.

It was no wonder they were pleased. Based on their prior experience breaking through eight layers of Spirit Mansion gates, they knew that once the black mist cleared, the Spirit Mansion gate would surely greet them.

After all this effort, the time to reap the rewards had finally arrived!

For some reason, looking at the joyful faces surrounding him, the man in black and the youth in the blue robe found their brows furrowing tighter and tighter, harboring a faint, ominous premonition.

"Two High Gods, what are you thinking?" Noticing the oddity in their expressions, Kouxilai felt a flicker of confusion and couldn't help but turn and ask with a smile.

"Look quickly!"

The man in black and the youth in the blue robe looked ahead in astonishment at almost the same moment as a chorus of surprised gasps arose around the Spirit Sealing Stele.

Only then did Kouxilai realize that the intense humming sound had abruptly ceased. His heart trembled slightly, and he hastily turned back to look. The next moment, his two eyes, wide as bronze bells, nearly popped from their sockets. His face instantly flushed deep red, then bloated from red to a bruised purple.

"How can this be?"

Kouxilai roared, like a wounded beast, his breathing heavy. The buzzing sound in his ears vanished, the black mist dispersed—but the two gates had not opened completely. Instead, they had "...suddenly closed, leaving not the slightest sliver of a crack inside."

This scene was utterly bizarre!

After all their toil, not only had they lost the lives of a day's worth of powerful Spiritualists, but even the Second Elder had lost an arm. Yet, just when the fruit of victory looked ripe and ready to be plucked, it had reverted to a state of green immaturity. Biting into it now might only yield bitter dregs.

Faced with this outcome, the dozen or so Heavenly Spiritual Masters of the Spirit God Hall were nearly driven insane.

"Two High Gods, the Spirit Mansion was clearly about to open—why did it suddenly seal itself?" Kouxilai’s face contorted into a grimace, purple lightning flashing in his eyes, his anger capable of burning everything obstructing him to ash.

With the Spirit Mansion gate sealed, not only would he fail to capture the Essence Spirits that could help him cross the Third Spiritual Tribulation, but he would also become a laughingstock across the entire Heavenly Spirit Continent.

A powerhouse who had successfully passed the Second Spiritual Tribulation reduced to fodder for casual gossip—how could he endure this? At this moment, he even had the urge to kill every powerhouse present besides the Master of the Spirit God Hall. Of course, he only let this thought pass through his mind.

No matter how enraged Kouxilai became, he wouldn't commit such an irrational act. Moreover, they were heavily outnumbered, and his and the two High Gods’ divine power was almost completely depleted. If they truly started fighting, not only would they fail to eliminate others, but the Spirit God Hall would suffer the heaviest casualties.

The man in black pondered, "The fact that we managed to smash through eight barriers consecutively before proves this Spirit Mansion is ownerless. Furthermore, breaking those eight barriers has caused tremendous damage to the Spirit Mansion’s Illusion Array. Even if someone manages to reactivate the Illusion Array later, the damage will be difficult to fully mend."

Kouxilai gritted his teeth and said heavily, "Precisely. Once we blast open this final barrier, the opening of the Spirit Mansion will be a settled fact. So why did the situation suddenly reverse?"

The two High Gods exchanged a look. The youth in the blue robe sighed slightly, his smile turning somewhat bitter. "There might only be one possibility for this: a highly skilled Illusion Talisman Master is repairing the Illusion Array, and just as the ninth barrier of the array was about to break, they repaired the corresponding illusion talisman."

"Illusion Talisman Master?"

Kouxilai found this hard to believe. "Where would an Illusion Talisman Master come from on the Heavenly Spirit Continent? And a highly skilled one at that?" Yet, he couldn't dismiss the words of the youth in the blue robe; after all, the youth had been a Spirit God in the 'Grand Venerable Spirit Realm' for many years and certainly possessed far greater experience than he did.

However, this explanation was incredibly difficult for him to accept.

"That is precisely what puzzles us. To repair the Illusion Array, one needs at least the capability of an Eighth-Rank Illusion Talisman Master. Such individuals are few and far between, even in the former Illusion Spirit Continent or the current Divine Void Realm," the man in black sighed softly, a trace of doubt flashing in his eyes.

"Eighth-Rank Illusion Talisman Master?" Kouxilai frowned.

Seeing Kouxilai’s confusion, the youth in the blue robe explained calmly, "The status of an Eighth-Rank Illusion Talisman Master in the Illusion Spirit Continent and the Divine Void Realm is equivalent to, or even surpasses, that of the Medicine Kings on the Heavenly Spirit Continent! Kouxilai, with such a Talisman Master involved, they could likely repair the previous eight barriers quickly. Our six 'Spirit Intent Deification Diagrams' are not authentic; their effectiveness is insufficient. The speed at which they strike the barriers absolutely cannot match the speed of the Talisman Master's repair. Once that Talisman Master finishes repairing the illusion talismans around the Spirit Sealing Stele as well, we will be utterly powerless against this Spirit Mansion."

"What are you two High Gods suggesting?"

"Give up!"

"Give up? After such a hard-won opportunity, how could this old man be content to abandon it just like this? An Eighth-Rank Illusion Talisman Master... Hmph, so what if they are an Eighth-Rank Illusion Talisman Master?"

"..."