Chapter 427: Undying Altar (2)
Chapter 427: Undying Altar (2)
Translator: Swammped Editor: Hitesh_
"No need to make a commotion. Let's move quietly." Ye Chen looked around and discovered that a couple dozen li around the statue array, the Yin Qi and Earth Qi wasn't forming the black mist, and seemed exceptionally tranquil.
Not long after the trio entered the Stoneman Array, Yin Demon Master arrived.
"Stoneman Array, it's actually here? This is gonna be troublesome." Yin Demon Master's brows creased. Although he was a Sea of Soul Master, he wouldn't dare be certain that he would be unrivaled here. Stoneman Array had always been a den of crouching tigers and hidden dragons.
His palm clenched, a black air surging around it as he swept his eyes around, "What belongs to me will be mine no matter what."
Soon after, Daoist Iron Wood, Yuan Gold Spirit Warrior, and Rock Spirit Warrior appeared one after another. They had always been mindful of Ye Chen, and had been trailing from far behind.
High in the sky, an eagle was soaring.
The eagle was not real, but was condensed from Zhen Yuan. Inside it, an indistinct figure of an old man could be seen. The old man had bulky bones, his arms dangling down to his knees, and his hawk-like gaze could pierce through one's soul. He was none other the Daoist-ranked Old Man Sky Eagle. His Zhen Yuan conversion seemed perfect. If one didn't carefully observe, it would be extremely hard to see through the Zhen Yuan eagle.
"I'm already over two hundred and seventy years old. In another thirty years or so, I'll be lying on my deathbed as nothing more than a pile of bones. I must obtain this undying body. Even if I have to face a Sea of Soul Master, I can't back down. As long as I have the undying body, I'll be able to head into dangerous forbidden zones and ancient remains to search for methods of increasing life expectancy and cultivation."
Flap!
The eagle spread its wings and shot toward the Stoneman Array through the clouds.
…
Half a month passed in a blink of an eye, and the trio didn't manage to gain anything. Stoneman Array wasn't like other regions. The high number of Sea of Soul experts here prohibited them from exploring rampantly.
Moreover, even if they were allowed to explore unbridled, they might not necessarily obtain the clues to the altar. After all, Stoneman Array was so vast, and protected by a secret power on top. Ye Chen couldn't use his soul power to cover large distances.
Ten thousand meters underground…
"Haha, heaven's really like me, the Yin Demon Master. Previously, I didn't know the use of this rock, but now I know. This stone can not only faintly perceive the existence of the altar, but is also the crux of opening the altar. Hard work and bitterness of fifty years is finally going to pay off. Everything was worth it."
Yin Demon Master was holding a six-colored star gem. The gem sparkled without any impurities, and from therein, bright light rays shone out like threads. Moreover, near the Yin Demon Master was a hexagonal altar. At its every edge was a stone pillar, and in its center was a groove with the exact same dimensions as that of the star gem.
He had obtained this gem along with the undying body map. Previously, he didn't know the use of this stone, but as soon as he arrived at Stoneman Array, the gem immediately began flickering, faintly connecting with then altar. Sensing the connection, the Yin Demon Master was able to locate the altar about ten thousand meters deep underground.
His eyes fell on the edge of altar. On the surface were written two words- Undying Altar.
"Undying Altar… It has to be related to the undying body. There is no other option, this has to be it." Yin Demon Master's whole body trembled with excitement. As a Sea of Soul Master, the number of things that could make him excited were too rare. Creating a profound martial skill was one of them, but undying body was even more so.
With a nervous mind, Yin Demon Master carefully placed the gem inside the groove.
Crunch!
The groove lit up, firmly locking around the gem. Immediately afterward, the six stone pillars burst forth with a dazzling radiance. The radiance condensed into a beam and shot upward at an unimaginable speed. The thick soil posing no obstruction to it.
"This is bad!"
He was hoping to obtain the secrets of undying body in secret. But now, the light beam going above the surface would certainly let others know.
"Earth as Heavens, suppress!"
Yin Demon Master roared. Inside his body, Zhen Yuan that was as vigorous as sea surged before his right hand stretched out, seemingly slow but fast. His wrist flipped, making a suppressing gesture, causing Yin and Yang to turn. It was as if the pillars supporting the sky crumbled, bringing down the firmament and sealing the altar, trying to suppress the light beam.
Kacha!
Ripping the lid-like Zhen Yuan firmament, the light beam continued without the slightest decrease in its speed. In a blink of an eye, it shot through the surface, soaring in the sky and welcoming the heaven and earth.
"What happened?"
"Why would a six-colored light shot from underneath the Stoneman Array?"
"This is definitely strange. This might even be a treasure's birth."
The people beside the statues awakened one by one and charged toward the light.
"Let's head over there as well." Ye Chen glanced at that almost substantial light beam. His figure flickered, charging through the stone statues.
Underground, Yin Demon Master's face flickered several times but had to ultimately accept the current situation. His face suddenly turned sinister, "Whoever dares to stop me better be ready for a massacre. Only I, the Yin Demon Master, can obtain the undying body."
Rumble!
Suddenly...
Following the trajectory of the light beam, the altar lifted up like an elevator, breaking out of the soil and floating in the air.
"It's an altar!" Murong Qingcheng blurted out.
Ye Chen exclaimed in astonishment, "There is someone underneath!"
With a bang, the surface split opened and Yin Demon Master, cladded in black, appeared in everybody's vision. With the aura of his Sea of Soul Master rank was rampantly spreading out as he said, "Those who have no business here, get lost! Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."
As soon as he came up, Yin Demon Master threatened everybody.
"Yin Demon Master, aren't you being too arrogant? Isn't everyone here who has seen the treasure's birth involved? You don't have the qualifications of making us all leave."
The one who spoke these words was Daoist Black Snake, who had participated in the auction before.
"Daoist Black Snake, do you want to become a dead snake?" Yin Demon Master's wrist flicked and a black-colored energy fiercely swirled, converting into numerous sawteeth which shot towards Daoist Black Snake.
"Sky Snake Transformation!"
Daoist Black Snake didn't expect Yin Demon Master to immediately attack. After all, even if his strength was inferior to Master grade, he was a high-level character in the Daoist rank. Settling him wasn't a matter of two or three moves. However, from such a behavior, it seemed like this altar was quite likely connected to the undying body. As he thought up to this point, his heart blazed and he immediately executed his profound martial skill, facing the incoming sawteeth.
Rumble!
The sky fiercely shook. Within a perimeter of several li, many Astral Reaching experts who were lacking in strength were blasted away.
"Careful." Ye Chen circulated his Zhen Yuan, protecting Wang Tong.
At this moment, Wang Tong suddenly said, "Young master Ye, Miss Murong, the altar has already appeared. From now, everything will depend on you. May fortune be with you." After saying these words, he lightly skimmed over the ground, flying away from the vision in a few moments.
Ye Chen and Murong Qingcheng exchanged a glance and nodded.
Daoist Black Snake was lacking compared to Yin Demon Master in the end. Thus, he flew back with a pale face, having suffered some light injuries.
Yin Demon Master swept his gaze around, "I'll say it again… Get lost from here! I, Yin Demon Master, won't warn you again."
Hearing these words, nobody responded.
The strength of a Sea of Soul Master was too high. Even three Daoists together were not his match, not to mention that Yin Demon Master was a top-notch expert even among the ranks of Masters. Provoking him wouldn't allow one to have a good ending.
However, they were also unresigned on giving up like this, especially those who had also participated in the Three Yin City auction.
"Daoist Black Snake, Old Man Sky Eagle, I believe you two also aren't willing to let Yin Demon Master do as he pleases. Why don't we join hands?" Daoist Iron Wood spoke through Zhen Yuan transmission, contacting Rock Spirit Warrior and Yuan Gold Spirit Warrior at the same time as well.
Daoist Black Snake shot a glance towards Daoist Iron Wood, "That's fine. We'll stand together. Let's see who treats us as cannon fodder. I'll give him a nameless death."
"Hehe, now's not the time for that. You don't need to worry about that."
Shua Shua Shua…
Almost at the same time, seven Sea of Soul realm experts walked out before the three, directly facing the Yin Demon Master.
Old man Sky Eagle gloomily said, "Yin Demon Master, your strength is indeed higher than ours, but don't imagine you can have us all return empty handed."
"If I haven't guessed wrong, you were the one to auction the map. Since you have done so, don't blame us to get involved in your affairs." Daoist Iron Wood carefully glanced at Yin Demon Master.
Yin Demon Master laughed furiously, "Alright! Seems like you lot are thinking about joining hands against me. It's been too long since I've acted, huh? You no longer put me in your eyes."
Seeing the swords drawn and bows taut, many Astral Reaching experts retreated out of Stoneman Array. Just the aftermath of Sea of Soul level battles could easily kill them.
"Haha, no need to have a war amongst ourselves. Why don't we sit down and have a nice chat? No need to sow discord amongst ourselves." The Sea of Soul realm experts who had been meditating before the statues could no longer do so. Although they didn't know what the altar represented, judging from the attitudes of Yin Demon Master and the rest, it must be something extraordinary. To not claim the share of the soup for themselves when the jug was already out would be simply letting oneself down.
One individual!
Two individuals!
…
Five Sea of Soul realm experts walked out, and the one who spoke had an aura not below Yin Demon Master's, evidently a Sea of Soul Master. Out of the remaining four, one was Daoist grade and three were of the spiritualist grade.
"Master Jade Water!"
Yin Demon Master's eyes shrunk. This person was similarly a Sea of Soul Master, and had high attainments in the water profound. He didn't care much about Daoist grade ones, but he couldn't afford to ignore a Master grade warrior. Which Master hadn't created two to three profound martial skills? In case of a full-out battle, nobody could predict who would turn out to be stronger.
Moreover, even taking the Master out of the equation, the strength of the remaining people wasn't that much below his. At this moment, Yin Demon Master could no longer suppress the situation.