Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

The stalemate lasted for two more days.

Just when many people were about to lose patience, and even a small group of people began to try to forcefully attack the stone gate's restrictions, only to be thrown back and cough up blood, a turning point appeared.

At noon that day, the sun was blazing overhead, and the yellow sand was baked so hard that it emitted wisps of distorted heat.

The massive stone gate, which had been silent for many days, suddenly began to shake violently without any warning!

The four ancient seal characters "Xuanji Dongtian" on the lintel burst forth with dazzling golden light, soaring straight into the sky!

A surge of spiritual energy, ten times more concentrated than before, burst forth from the crack in the door like a river bursting its banks!

At the same time, the hazy luster on the surface of the stone gate rippled out like water, gradually becoming thinner and more transparent.

"The restrictions have been loosened!"

"The time has come!"

"Quick! Get ready to go in!"

The entire camp erupted in chaos!

Everyone surged toward the stone gate with bloodshot eyes, as if they had been injected with adrenaline!

The fragile peace that had been barely maintained vanished in an instant!

"The Bad Guys, assemble!"

Shangguan Yunque's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every member of the Bad Guys.

He had somehow appeared in front of the camp, still wearing that bright silver soft armor, and even had some rouge on his face. Against the backdrop of golden light and surging crowds, he looked exceptionally... dazzling and alluring.

Fifteen elite members of the Bad Guys lined up instantly, their auras flowing seamlessly together, like swords drawn from their sheaths.

Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight quickly joined the end of the line, their hearts pounding with a mixture of nervousness and excitement.

Listen,

Shangguan Yunque gripped the silk handkerchief, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, finally lingering for a moment on the faces of Ying Qi and Ying Ba, a strange smile playing on his lips.

"Once inside, follow me. Our goal is clear—find anything valuable, take what's usable, and kick away anything blocking the way. Understand?"

"clear!"

The crowd murmured.

"As for those blind rats..."

Shangguan Yunque's gaze seemed to drift intentionally or unintentionally towards the direction of the Shadow Pavilion's camp.

"If you dare to extend your claws, chop them off and feed them to the sand scorpions!"

"yes!"

"Walk!"

With a flick of her silk handkerchief, Shangguan Yunque transformed into a streak of silver light and shot towards the stone gate!

Fifteen scoundrels followed closely behind, like a black arrow piercing the chaotic crowd.

Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight gritted their teeth, channeled all their inner strength, and desperately tried to keep up.

All around were cultivators running wildly, their shouts, curses, the sound of weapons being drawn, and the sound of spells cutting through the air all blended together.

People frequently fought each other over right-of-way, their blood instantly staining the yellow sand red.

The situation is completely out of control!

"Stay close! Don't fall behind!"

Shadow Seven roared and grabbed Shadow Eight, who was almost swept away by the crowd.

The two brothers followed closely behind the scoundrels ahead, struggling through the chaotic and crowded throng.

They saw the monks of Dalun Temple roar as they smashed through those blocking their path; they saw the Taoists of Qingyun Temple take flight on their swords only to be disrupted by the chaotic air currents; they saw the warriors of Zhenbei Marquis's mansion advance in formation, ruthlessly pushing aside all obstacles...

As you can see, from the side and rear, dozens of dark figures darted out of those gray tents like ghosts. The leader was tall and thin, like a shadow without substance, and moved with incredible speed. He was none other than the third master of the Shadow Pavilion, "Ghost Shadow" Li Kun!

His cold gaze, like the forked tongue of a venomous snake, swept over the group of Bad Guys, lingering for a moment on Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight, filled with undisguised killing intent.

Yingqi felt a chill run down her spine, knowing that trouble was brewing.

Just then, the top experts from the major forces who were at the forefront arrived at the stone gate.

That thin layer of light, like a film of water, rippled constantly.

"Join forces to break the seal! Any further delay might cause the seal to be restored!"

The long-bearded old Taoist priest of Qingyun Temple shouted.

"good!"

The leading warrior monk of Dalun Temple responded in a deep voice.

An elderly man in brocade robes from the Zhenbei Marquis's residence nodded in agreement.

Several Grandmaster-level experts, even those at the peak of their cultivation or half-step Celestial Realm, attacked simultaneously!

The immense true power transformed into various colored rays of light, bombarding the same point on the light screen!

"boom--!!!"

A deafening roar!

The light curtain twisted violently, making a "crack" sound as it could no longer bear the weight, and finally shattered like glass, turning into countless points of light that dissipated!

The stone gate is wide open!

A purer, more ancient aroma, mixed with the scent of medicinal pills and a faint smell of decay, wafted towards us!

"Charge!"

Someone shouted, and the people at the front rushed into the dark doorway as if they had gone mad, only to be swallowed up by darkness in an instant.

"Walk!"

Shangguan Yunque gave a soft shout, and led the Bad Guys team to increase their speed again, rushing into the stone gate ahead of many others.

The interplay of light and shadow creates a sense of spatial transformation.

The moment Ying Qi entered the stone gate, he felt dizzy, as if he had been thrown into a high-speed spinning vortex.

He gripped Shadow Eight's hand tightly, the whistling wind and faint screams filling his ears, as if someone had failed to withstand this spatial teleportation.

I don't know how much time passed, maybe just a moment, but then my feet felt solid.

As the dizziness subsided, Yingqi opened her eyes and found herself standing in a wide passageway paved entirely with bluish-gray boulders.

The passageway was about five zhang high, and the stone walls on both sides were inlaid with pearls that emitted a soft white light, illuminating the deep and mysterious road ahead.

The air was humid and cool, a stark contrast to the dry heat of the desert outside; the rich spiritual energy almost condensed into mist.

The only people who appeared with him in this passageway were Shadow Eight, and three other elite members of the Bad Guys: two Grandmasters and one Great Grandmaster.

Shangguan Yunque and the others have disappeared without a trace.

"It's a random teleportation!"

The Grandmaster-level member of the Bad Guys said in a deep voice. He looked to be in his forties, with a cold and stern face. He was a squad leader in the team and his surname was Zhao.

"Everyone be careful, stay together, don't scatter!"

Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight nodded hurriedly and moved closer together.

The other two grandmasters also cautiously surveyed their surroundings.

They weren't the only ones in the passageway; footsteps and voices could be faintly heard from both the front and back, and people from other factions were also randomly teleported nearby.

"Let's move forward first, assess the situation, and try to reunite with the others."

Captain Zhao made a decision and took the lead in walking forward.

The others followed.

The passageway stretched straight ahead. After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a fork in the road appeared ahead, one to the left and one to the right.

"What should we do?"

Shadow asked in a low voice.

Captain Zhao crouched down, carefully examining the marks on the ground and walls. He then sensed the flow of spiritual energy in the passageways on both sides and pointed to the left: "The marks here are more recent, and the spiritual energy fluctuations are slightly stronger. It might lead to an important area. But the danger might also be greater."

He looked at Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight: "You two are the weakest, so stick close to me. Remember, in any situation, survival comes first, seizing the treasure second. This is what Lord Shangguan instructed."

"yes!"

Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight felt a warmth in their hearts.

Choose the left path and continue forward.

The passageway began to twist and turn, with occasional tightly closed stone chamber doors appearing on both sides. Some of these doors had been violently broken open, revealing a scene of utter chaos, clearly indicating that others had already been taken there.

They also encountered a few scattered cultivators from other forces. The two sides exchanged wary glances before quickly parting ways to explore on their own.

After turning another corner, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a small stone hall.

In the center of the stone hall, there is a stone platform about half a person's height. Floating on the platform are three orbs of light of different colors, emitting alluring spiritual energy fluctuations.

Meanwhile, a group of people had already gathered in the stone hall—five cultivators dressed in gray, with sinister eyes, were surrounding the stone platform, trying to break through the protective barrier around the light sphere.

Judging from their attire, they are indeed members of the Shadow Pavilion!

One of them was none other than the butler who had heard the sound outside the pile of rocks that day!

The two met face to face at the entrance of the stone hall and were both stunned.

The five members of the Shadow Pavilion changed their expressions and instantly assumed a fighting stance, their cold gazes fixed on Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight.

"It's you two traitors!"

The deacon gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

Captain Zhao and two other elite members of the Bad Guys immediately stepped forward, protecting Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight behind them, their auras rising.

"Those scum from the Shadow Pavilion, trying to mess with my Bad People?"

Captain Zhao's voice was icy, and he released his Grandmaster-level aura without reservation.

Of the five members of the Shadow Pavilion, only one is at the early stage of Grandmaster; the rest are all at the Grandmaster level.

Sensing Captain Zhao's imposing aura, their faces paled, but they did not back down.

The deacon sneered, "Bad Guys? What a show of power! In this secret realm, who knows how someone dies if a man or two dies? Hand over these two traitors, and we'll let you go!"

"dream!"

Captain Zhao snorted coldly.

"If you're going to fight, then fight! Enough with the nonsense!"

The atmosphere instantly became tense!

Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight's palms were sweating, knowing that this battle was probably unavoidable.

They gripped the short blades at their waists, silently circulating the "Shadow Twin Technique" within their bodies. Although the difference in strength was vast, there was absolutely no way they would be captured without resistance!

Just as both sides were about to clash, their true strength surging—

"Wow, it's so lively here!"

A languid, charming voice, with a long, drawn-out tone, suddenly rang out from the corner of the stone hall.

Everyone was startled and turned to look.

In a corner of the stone hall, in the shadows that were originally empty, a bright silver figure slowly emerged like a ghost.

Shangguan Yunque held the pink silk handkerchief, gently fanning himself, a harmless smile on his face, his peach blossom eyes curving into crescents.

"Those little rats from Li Kun's family, they've got some nerve—daring to gang up on my people?"

He walked over step by step, his footsteps so light they were almost inaudible, but with each step he took, the oppressive aura emanating from him, belonging to the Celestial Realm and though deliberately restrained, was still suffocating, grew stronger!

The five members of the Shadow Pavilion turned deathly pale instantly, especially the Grandmaster, whose body began to tremble slightly.

They never expected that the leader of this gang of scoundrels would appear here!

And in such a bizarre way!

"Shang...Shangguan Yunque!"

The deacon's voice trembled.

"Hmm~ You recognize this star lord?"

Shangguan Yunque walked to the stone platform, looked curiously at the three orbs of light, stretched out her slender finger as if to poke them, but then withdrew it in disgust.

"You think you can kill my people for this piece of junk?"

He turned around and looked at the five members of the Shadow Pavilion, his smile growing even brighter, but his eyes were as cold as ice.

"Normally, when searching for treasure in a secret realm, everyone relies on their own abilities, and it's normal for there to be fighting and killing."

He spoke slowly and deliberately.

"But didn't your sect leader teach you that there are some people you can't touch?"

Before he finished speaking, he gently trembled the pink silk handkerchief in his hand.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three faint, almost invisible beams of dark light shot out from the edge of the handkerchief, moving at a speed that exceeded the limits of visual perception!

The Grandmaster of the Shadow Pavilion only had time to let out a short cry of surprise before he felt a chill on his brow, throat, and chest at the same time!

He stared in disbelief, slowly looking down to see three tiny blood spots rapidly expanding, black blood gushing out and instantly staining his clothes red.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. His body swayed, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, lifeless!

The other four Shadow Pavilion Grandmasters didn't even see what happened before they felt a sharp pain in their limbs and collapsed weakly. Their tendons had been severed at the same time!

The entire stone hall was deathly silent.

Only Shangguan Yunque flicked his silk handkerchief in disgust, as if it had gotten dirty.

"Oops, my hand slipped."

He blinked, glanced at the terrified Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight, and the equally shocked Captain Zhao and the others, and gave a charming smile.

"What are you all standing there for? Take their storage bags and see if there's anything valuable. Oh, and those three orbs of light, open them and take a look too, even a fly's leg is meat."

He walked up to the Shadow Pavilion deacon, squatted down, used a silk handkerchief to pad his hands, and patted the man's face, which was contorted with fear.

"Go back and tell Li Kun."

Shangguan Yunque's voice was as soft as a lover's whisper, yet its contents were chilling.

"I killed his men. If you want revenge, I'll be waiting for you in the secret realm. If you dare to lay your claws on my people again... I don't mind going to your Shadow Pavilion headquarters and having a good chat with him."

After saying that, he stood up, as if he had just casually swatted a few flies.

Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight looked at the Shadow Pavilion members lying on the ground, their lives hanging in the balance, and then at the bright silver figure who was studying the light sphere on the stone platform, muttering that the restriction was really crude. A chill ran from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads, but then, an indescribable sense of security and... awe welled up in their hearts.

This Lord Shangguan... is truly fierce, and also truly... protective of his own.

Captain Zhao took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and began to direct his men to collect the spoils of war.

He knew that after this incident, there probably wouldn't be many people in this secret realm who would dare to openly provoke their gang of scoundrels.

Outside the stone hall, in the deep passageway, faint sounds of more clamor, fighting, and screams could be heard.

The scroll of the Mysterious Cave Heaven has only just begun to unfold.

The struggle on the yellow sands has already been stained with the first trace of blood.

In a small courtyard in Hexi Town, Lin Tian sneezed, rubbed his nose, and muttered, "Who's thinking about me?"

He looked up at the sky and thought, "Hmm, time to prepare dinner."