Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

"That was close!"

Li Xiaoyao, panting heavily, pointed at the light barrier and quickly explained to Li Mutian:

"Just as you were about to go in, I scanned the interior of the porch with my divine sense and discovered that the walls on both sides were covered with extremely ancient and concealed trigger-type warning runes!"

"The runes were cleverly hidden beneath the broken decorative patterns and piled-up rubble and debris, almost blending into the environment!"

"Moreover, those seemingly randomly piled-up miscellaneous items are arranged in extremely cunning positions."

"This forms a hidden node in the array, connected to the entire sanctuary's leyline energy!"

"Once any unauthorized creature enters the trigger area, this sealing array will be activated instantly!"

"This arrangement is both insidious and ingenious!"

Li Mutian's expression turned stern upon hearing this.

If Li Xiaoyao hadn't possessed keen senses and been proficient in formations, he wouldn't have been able to detect the almost imperceptible trap in time.

The two are probably trapped inside that blood-red light barrier right now, their fate uncertain!

Just as the two were still in shock, the surface of the blood-red light shield rippled slightly.

Immediately afterwards, three figures slowly emerged from the depths of the dark doorway.

All three were dressed in simple, wide, and worn-out dark red cloaks, with hoods covering most of their faces.

On their faces were three masks of different colors and with grotesque, bizarre designs—

One was indigo like a ghost, one was crimson like blood, and one was deathly white like bone.

Three mysterious figures stood silently in front of the porch inside the light shield.

Through the flowing blood-red barrier, all eyes (through the eye holes of the mask) were turned to Li Xiaoyao and Li Mutian outside the light shield.

There were no words, no actions, only a silent gaze between them.

The air seemed to freeze, with only a chilling aura flowing silently.

A moment later, the mysterious man wearing the indigo demon mask seemed to move slightly.

Immediately, the three of them turned around at the same time and walked back into the bottomless, dark corridor in unison.

Immediately afterwards, the massive, collapsed and twisted stone door frame slowly closed with a low, grinding sound of rocks grinding together!

"Boom—"

With a muffled thud, the stone door closed completely, isolating the inside from the outside.

Only the crimson light barrier remained, standing silently, radiating an ancient and dangerous aura, as if silently warning all outsiders.

Li Xiaoyao and Li Mutian stood there, speechless for a long time.

That brief eye contact just now.

Those three eerie masks, and their silent entrance and exit, all exuded an indescribable eeriness and unfathomable depth.

"That's... the gatekeeper priest?"

Li Xiaoyao stared at the tightly closed, pitch-black stone door, his eyes sharp as knives.

"Indigo, crimson, and pale white masks... could they correspond to the use of malevolent energy based on the three elements of water, fire, and metal? No, it might be something deeper."

"That indigo mask gave me a chilling and eerie feeling, definitely not something from ordinary rivers like the Lushui or Fushui."

"It's more like a more extreme form of 'female water,' even mixed with the malevolent energy of 'Taiyin.'"

"The crimson mask is intensely violent, surpassing ordinary Yin Fire and Li Fire. It's likely based on 'Ox Fire' but incorporates the domineering style of the 'Sun.' As for that pale white mask..."

He paused, his brow furrowed.

"Dead silence, sharpness, and a sense of the end of all things, much like the product of the combination of 'Dui Jin' and 'Jue Yin,' specializing in killing and erosion."

Li Mutian listened silently to his younger brother's analysis and nodded slowly.

Sensing the lingering aura, he said in a deep voice:

"The three of them are all at least at the Foundation Establishment stage. The one with the indigo mask, who is the leader, has the most obscure and profound aura, and is probably at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage or even higher."

"The cultivation techniques they practice are of the same origin as the evil energy here, and their power is probably even greater than that of cultivators of the same level. Moreover, they are like fish in water in this sacred environment."

"Three of them are at least at the Foundation Establishment stage, fighting on home turf, and they also have the authority to activate and deactivate this abnormal defensive formation..."

Li Xiaoyao rubbed his temples.

"The boss guarding this dungeon is pretty strong. We can't just brute force it; our health and mana bars aren't enough."

"They did not launch a direct attack just now."

Li Mutian pondered for a moment and said:

"They merely activated the formation, sealed the portal, and then retreated after making eye contact with us. Was it a warning? Or... something more significant?"

"There was definitely a warning in it; I felt a chill even through the mask in those eyes."

Li Xiaoyao curled his lip.

"However, it's also possible they're not at their peak right now?"

"The sanctuary incident just now, those out-of-control monsters might have caused them trouble, or perhaps they were too busy maintaining something to deal with anything else?"

"In short, it seems that they also adhere to some kind of 'gatekeeper' rule. As long as we don't cross the line, they won't take the initiative to attack."

Both brothers were decisive men. Since they judged that they could not defeat the enemy at present and it was not advisable to go deeper, they immediately gave up the idea of ​​continuing to test the waters.

"This place is not safe to stay for long."

Li Mutian looked around.

"The commotion just now was quite significant. Although it temporarily frightened the locals, there's no guarantee that other unforeseen events won't occur."

"We've gained something this time. At least we've confirmed the existence and approximate strength of the gatekeeper priests, and we've also witnessed the dangers surrounding this sanctuary. It's time to head back."

Li Xiaoyao nodded in agreement:

"Okay, let's retreat first. We can explore the secrets of this sanctuary when we're at a higher level... cough, when our cultivation is higher, or when we find other clues."

"Right now, the priority is to focus on construction, accumulate resources, and repay the loan."

Without further hesitation, the two took one last deep look at the eerie doorway shrouded in a blood-red light.

They turned into two streaks of light and sped off towards the direction where the flying boat was docked.

On the way back, the two did not fly at full speed, but remained vigilant, while exchanging their observations and insights.

"Brother, what do you think of the cultivation methods used by those gatekeeper priests?"

Li Xiaoyao asked:

"I feel that what they cultivate is not purely the five elements."

"Instead, it is based on the special turbid and evil energy of this place, and combines the extreme attributes of yin and yang to form a kind of 'different evil' way."

"For example, the chilling aura of that indigo mask is like a 'cold evil' formed by the fusion of 'female water' and 'yin'."

"The intense heat of the crimson mask resembles the 'Fire of the Peony' fused with the 'Sun' to form 'Fire of the Sun' or 'Yang'."

"The sharp, deathly stillness of the pale mask is like the 'killing force' or 'yin metal force' formed by the fusion of 'Dui metal' and 'Jueyin'."

Li Mutian pondered his younger brother's words and slowly said:

What you say resonates with my own feelings.

"It is only natural that the land left behind by the ancient demonic calamity has distorted the laws of heaven and earth and is filled with turbid evil, which has given rise to cultivation paths that are different from those in the outside world."

"The so-called 'sacred power' of the local indigenous people is probably just this crude method of using evil energy."

"The lineage of the gatekeeper priests has a more complete heritage and may have mastered a more profound method of cultivating 'extraordinary evil'."

"This is both a threat and a lesson for us."