Chapter 588

Chapter 588: The Golden Passage

"Du Jianyin!"

Master Hei Xu had never heard that name, nor had those around him, yet the young man’s display of power shocked them all.

Though appearing only at the Fifth Level of the Golden Core stage, Du Jianyin’s finger strike carried profound sword intent. Under its blazing sword arc, even Yu Changfeng—Misty Sect’s peak Golden Core genius disciple—fell instantly, unable to resist.

“Du Jianyin? Which sect claims you? No major sect boasts a junior of such strength,” growled an elder beside Master Hei Xu, brow furrowed.

The Golden Core disciples shared his confusion. As elites of their sects, they knew most notable talents among their peers. Yet this white sword-robed youth seemed to have sprung from nowhere, his cultivation defying belief.

“My origin? A tiny eastern land called Jin Kingdom. What business is it of yours?” Du Jianyin’s voice chilled the air.

Jin Kingdom?

Blank stares answered him. Only Master Hei Xu twitched an eyebrow, the name faintly familiar yet elusive.

“No ordinary sect forged your skills,” pressed the black-robed Ancestor. “Name your master. Truth might spare your life. Did you think slaying Misty Sect’s genius would go unanswered?”

Du Jianyin’s gaze froze the speaker. “I revere Heaven’s Dao and walk the Sword Path. Since childhood, I’ve sought the blade’s mysteries. What mortal could teach me? Heaven and earth are my masters.”

“Insolence!” The black-robed elder recoiled before roaring.

To claim Heaven as teacher? Such arrogance!

The stronger one grew, the deeper awe of Heaven’s Dao took root. Countless Ancestors like Master Hei Xu—pinnacle Nascent Soul experts—remained trapped below the Earth Immortal realm for millennia. Heaven’s restrictions barred even Fourth Level Nascent Souls from advancing, save rare exceptions.

Heavenly tribulations scour the ambitious. These trials judge and punish. What fool would mock Heaven’s majesty? Saints of the Earth Immortal realm dared not such disrespect.

Du Jianyin ignored their outrage. “You Nascent Soul Ancestors recognize spatial laws. Why linger instead of activating this spatial magical array?”

Master Hei Xu’s group exchanged uneasy glances.

“Since you’re useless,” Du Jianyin sneered, “I’ll slash open this array myself.”

“Show us this boastful strength,” Master Hei Xu challenged coldly.

“Had you admitted incompetence earlier, that fool might’ve lived.”

Du Jianyin raised a finger. The white sword at his back leapt skyward—translucent yet clouded, like ice veiled in mist.

The blade trembled midair, swelling to ten zhang length. Crushing pressure buckled half the Golden Core disciples’ knees.

“All demons, every restriction—One Sword shatters them.”

His finger stabbed forward. The colossal sword tore through emptiness, howling winds laced with murderous intent.

*Crack!*

A soft sound echoed as a glimmer of excitement suddenly appeared in the empty third layer. The glimmer exploded outward, radiating brilliance that illuminated every corner of the space, revealing even the tiniest details.

Countless strands of light and shadow emerged, intertwining in midair until they formed millions of interlocking beams.

The spatial magical array had reappeared!

Master Hei Xu and the others stared in shock. None had expected Du Jianyin’s One Sword strike would expose the hidden spatial array.

They couldn’t fathom how Du Jianyin had detected the array’s presence, nor why his sword had forced it to manifest. What mattered was that destroying this third-layer array might grant them its treasures—and access to the fourth layer.

Yet the spatial array’s chaotic dance of light and shadow offered no visible path or pattern. Even Master Hei Xu, at the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul stage, found himself baffled by its workings.

This was a Saint’s creation. Who knew what deadly mechanisms lurked within? Charging in blindly risked annihilation by unseen forces.

All eyes turned to Master Hei Xu, awaiting the highest-ranking Ancestor’s decision.

The black-bearded cultivator stood motionless before the array, his spirit perception probing its secrets. But before he could withdraw his consciousness, the connection snapped—his perception severed and scattered.

Spirit perception couldn’t penetrate it.

Every Ancestor reaching the Nascent Soul pinnacle was an outstanding genius blessed with fortune, their grasp of spatial laws surpassing ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators. Yet even Master Hei Xu couldn’t unravel this puzzle.

“This array is unusual,” Master Hei Xu finally said, brow furrowed. “Perhaps we should enter single-file. Inside, we might find the array’s core to dismantle it. Then the third layer’s treasures will be ours.”

The group exchanged uneasy glances. If even Master Hei Xu couldn’t decipher the array, how could they dare enter? Memories of the first layer’s ink-dark void and terrifying beasts still haunted them.

Courage alone wasn’t enough. They’d all braved the Saint’s Secret Vault and survived the first layer, but charging blindly into this unknown array? None moved first.

As the old saying went: The longer you walk the rivers and lakes, the smaller your courage grows. Master Hei Xu, newly ascended to Nascent Soul’s peak and yearning for the Earth Immortal realm, would rather cultivate slowly than risk a Saint’s lethal trap.

With their leader hesitating, the others held back.

Then Du Jianyin sneered, his voice dripping scorn. “With such cowardice, you think to claim the Saint’s treasures? Know your place—ants.”

Master Hei Xu’s face darkened, but Golden Core disciples erupted first:

“Who are you calling ants, brat?”

“Country bumpkin! You dare insult Great Qin Empire’s elites?”

“Killing Yu Changfeng by luck doesn’t make you our equal! Fifth Level Golden Core versus Nascent Soul—heaven and earth apart!”

“Teach this mountain rat a lesson! Show him Great Qin’s might!”

“If not for the vault’s priority, we’d crush you to dust!”

“After this, I’ll make you bark like a dog!”

These sect elites, accustomed to respect, burned with rage.

Du Jianyin’s sword flickered. A sword arc like a divine rainbow sliced through the crowd, razor-edged sword intent gleaming.

In the next moment, three Golden Core disciples clutched their throats, unable to speak as blood streamed between their fingers, growing heavier with each heartbeat.

Three heads thudded to the ground, eyes frozen wide in shock – none could believe Du Jianyin had slain them with one sword strike.

Silence fell.

The crowd stood paralyzed. None expected Du Jianyin to slaughter the three frontmost challengers so ruthlessly. Two had been peak Golden Core cultivators, the other at the sixth level of the Golden Core stage.

That a single sword slash from Du Jianyin – merely at the Fifth Level of the Golden Core stage – could kill them all revealed his terrifying true power. What nightmares would he unleash upon reaching Golden Core’s pinnacle?

Master Hei Xu’s eyes narrowed. Though the strike posed no threat to him, its ability to slay peak Golden Core cultivators unsettled him. What chilled his bones was the sword intent behind it – ruthless determination to annihilate all obstacles, sharp enough to make even a Nascent Soul Ancestor shiver.

Where had this Du Jianyin come from, wielding such cultivation and lethal sword intent?

"Since you fear entering," Du Jianyin’s calm voice broke the silence as his sword slid home with a hiss, "stand here while I shatter the array. Perhaps I’ll share scraps from the treasures within." He strode toward the spatial array without glancing at its entry points.

He stepped through without hesitation.

Master Hei Xu watched Du Jianyin vanish into the shimmering light and shadows, then turned to nearby Golden Core disciples. "You three – investigate."

The chosen men gaped, fingers trembling as they pointed at themselves.

"Enter." Master Hei Xu’s sleeve flicked, his peak Nascent Soul power hurling the screaming trio into the array. When his gaze shifted to others, they scrambled backward in panic.

"Five more scouts." Another wave sent victims flying. The remaining disciples fled down icy stairs as Master Hei Xu waited with fellow Ancestors, observing the unchanged flickering lights.

After thirty minutes, the black-robed Ancestor murmured, "We should follow your lead."

Nodding, Master Hei Xu led three sub-Fifth Level Nascent Soul Ancestors into the swallowing radiance. Ripples faded, leaving calm.

One hour later, the light show vanished completely. The Ice Tower’s third floor lay still once more.

Ye Yun remained motionless for half a day as space power currents flowed around him, never touching him. His lips curved. If the energies avoided him, only two explanations existed…

One possibility was that the space power didn’t recognize him and thus avoided him. The other was that it feared him and retreated to prevent harm.

Either way, Ye Yun didn’t care. He’d already decided.

Since he couldn’t find an exit from this array, he’d stay. The spatial array brimmed with space power and laws – perfect for comprehending spatial laws with greater efficiency.

Ye Yun sat cross-legged, eyes closing gently.

"Boy, you’d truly cultivate here?" The Ancestor of the Sword Path’s voice trembled with urgency. "This Sage-crafted spatial array shifts between Deceptive Array and killing formation. At your cultivation level, you’ll perish if it changes!"

Ye Yun smiled. "Perhaps. But since I can’t find the exit or array eye, my grasp of spatial laws remains lacking. I’ll keep comprehending until breakthroughs come."

"Lacking?" The ancestor scoffed. "Your spatial understanding surpasses most at the Nascent Soul stage’s pinnacle! Sage arrays cycle formations – when this Deceptive Array becomes killing formation, we’ll face death and spirit’s end!"

Ye Yun remained calm. "Two laws in the Minor Cosmic Light Array elude me. Their absence likely blocks our path. I’ll master them first."

The ancestor seethed. Bound to Ye Yun’s soul, their fates intertwined. If the array shifted too soon… He pushed the thought away.

Ye Yun silenced external chatter, entering deep meditation instantly. The last two spatial laws materialized in his mind – glowing threads resisting scrutiny.

Time flowed. The ancestor’s one-third spirit fragment could only wait helplessly.

In Ye Yun’s trance, light and shadow coalesced into the Minor Cosmic Light Array. Piece by piece, it dissolved until only two radiant threads remained – immutable, eternal.

His mental intent brushed them, sensing nothing. Only spirit perception confirmed their existence. Heart steady as an ancient well, forged by the Heart of Immortals and Demons, he persisted.

The threads flickered. Thinned. Became golden filaments drilling into his soul’s depths, merging with his spatial comprehension.

Boom!

Clarity erupted. His spirit perception expanded freely now, space power strands dancing in welcome.

Opening eyes, Ye Yun saw anew – countless golden points wove serpentine paths through the luminous web. Exit routes.

"Brother Jian, your thoughts?" Ye Yun grinned.

"Thoughts?!" The ancestor snapped. "Did you grasp the laws? We must flee before the killing formation activates!"

"I’d rather observe the formation shift," Ye Yun mused. "Earth Immortal realm arrays could teach much."

"Madness!" The ancestor nearly wept. "This isn’t some Golden Core novice’s work! Even Nascent Soul experts die here! Move!"

Ye Yun sighed. "Who knew the Immortal Sword Sect’s Supreme Elder cowered so? We’ll depart." Disappointment tinged his gentle tone.

Stepping onto a golden point, protective radiance enveloped him.

Ye Yun felt immense pressure surging from all directions. If not for his powerful physique, he would’ve been crushed into fragments by the golden light.

"Is this not the exit?" Ye Yun wondered, struggling against the surrounding pressure.

When he released his true qi and merged it with his body, he suddenly found the resistance significantly reduced.

Without hesitation, Ye Yun stepped onto another golden point. No golden light flashed this time, but the pressure slightly intensified – barely noticeable yet perceptible.

He quickened his pace, crossing golden points rapidly. Within moments, he’d traversed a hundred zhang as the pressure steadily grew. Had he not achieved the Great Demon Body and reached the second layer of Golden Core stage, he couldn’t have endured.

Growing more adept, Ye Yun moved swiftly like the wind. In half an incense stick’s time, he reached the final golden glimmer.

Suddenly, the pressure spiked violently. Without constant vigilance, this abrupt surge alone would’ve shattered his body.

Veins bulged on Ye Yun’s forehead as he strained. Even slightly weaker cultivation or physique would’ve meant destruction under this crushing force.

Gathering his true qi, Ye Yun stepped over the golden point.

The pressure vanished instantly, leaving him light as a feather. His bones crackled as compressed joints relaxed, bringing indescribable relief.

Looking back, the winding golden path stretched over a hundred zhang. Only his robust physique and abundant true qi had carried him through.

He couldn’t help but feel a hint of lingering fear.

Yet moments later, an astonished smile surfaced.

"My body’s truly grown stronger – not just seemingly, but genuinely more resilient!"

Ye Yun marveled. Merely walking this golden path had enhanced his physique under tremendous pressure, breaking through to the second Golden Core layer.

The Cleansing Immortal Heart Technique’s true challenge lay in physical enhancement. While his true qi rivaled peak Golden Core experts in purity and volume, bodily improvement demanded endless resources and grueling training. Even with the Heart of Immortals and Demons’ constant tempering, Golden Core breakthroughs remained extraordinarily difficult.

But this golden path had shattered his current limits.

Though elated, Ye Yun didn’t meditate immediately. He looked ahead – what treasures awaited beyond the spatial array? The Ancestor of the Sword Path’s mentioned relic should lie here.

An ice chamber appeared, two zhang square. A rectangular opening permitted single-person entry.

Without hesitation, Ye Yun entered the chamber cleared by the spatial array’s trial.

No ice platform greeted him, nor any darkness. A crystalline ice orb hovered center-stage, egg-sized and radiating soft blue light.

Ye Yun’s eyebrow twitched. His Ice Spirit Qi training let him sense the orb’s astonishing purity and density – comparable to what Shu Anshi obtained from the Xuan Ice House in northern seas.

As Ye Yun reached for it, he recalled the Ancestor’s words about an item rightfully his beyond the array.

"Brother Jian, is this the orb?"

The watching Ancestor of the Sword Path hesitated. "No. The true treasure remains clearly present before you, but isn’t this orb."

Baffled, Ye Yun scanned the empty chamber. Nothing else existed within.

Ye Yun raised his hand to collect the ice orb. As soon as he touched it, an icy chill surged into his body. Had he not prepared beforehand, even his robust physique would’ve frozen instantly.

After storing the ice orb in his Thunder Sound Metamorphosis ring, Ye Yun stepped out of the ice house and growled, "Anything else left? Don’t tell me it’s this entire ice house. It’s too huge to carry."

The Ancestor of the Sword Path snorted. "With my cultivation level, you think a treasure lasting millennia would be this ice shack? That sensation remains strong after you took the orb. It’s definitely right here nearby."

Ye Yun frowned and spread his spirit perception. Freed from the great formation’s constraints, his awareness now blanketed a hundred zhang radius.

He paced slowly, scrutinizing every inch for the Ancestor’s promised treasure.

Half an hour later, Ye Yun halted empty-handed. Only the ice house stood in this barren space. "Brother Jian," he called calmly, "check again. Is it truly here or on the fourth layer?"

"The fourth layer?" The Ancestor sounded puzzled. "You’ve left the spatial array – why haven’t the stairs appeared?"

Ye Yun froze. Normally, fourth layer access should’ve manifested by now. Remembering Ling Tianyu’s warning that his cultivation only permitted reaching the fourth layer, curiosity burned hotter. What treasures awaited there?

He moved faster, slamming force into walls and floor seeking hidden mechanisms. "Where’s the damned passage?" he muttered after fruitlessly searching for an incense stick’s burning time.

SMACK!

An uncontrolled strike hit the ice house. CRACK!

Web-like fractures spread across the structure. Ye Yun stared. This ice house surpassed even Shu Anshi’s Xuan Ice House in durability. How had he shattered it?

BOOM!

The ice house exploded into glittering shards. Among the debris lay a gleaming silver arrow.

Ye Yun snatched it up. The arrow twitched like a living thing, struggling against his grip. He channeled true qi to subdue it.

"Wait! It’s actually this…" The Ancestor’s voice trembled with exhilaration before erupting into wild laughter.

What manner of treasure was this silver arrow?