"Thank you, Master."
Ying Huanhuan bowed respectfully to Ye Feng.
"Be bolder next time," Ye Feng said with a teasing smile.
"Master, don't joke like that," she replied playfully, but her gaze was soon drawn to the Great Desolate Ancient Monument. Her expression shifted. "Huh..."
"You sensed something?" Ye Feng asked, his tone turning curious.
Ying Huanhuan nodded slowly. "I feel a familiar aura... It's faint, like a remnant—but I'm almost certain. It's the aura of the Devouring Ancestral Talisman."
As the former Ice Lord, Ying Huanhuan once wielded the Ice Ancestral Talisman, and the eight ancient masters—each tied to an ancestral talisman—were once like siblings. Now that her memories had returned, her senses were sharper than ever.
"The Devouring Ancestral Talisman?" Lin Langtian's eyes lit up, staring intently at the monument. To him, such a talisman was the ultimate opportunity. "Master…"
Ye Feng could see the anticipation in Lin Langtian's eyes.
"There is indeed a Devouring Ancestral Talisman inside," Ye Feng confirmed. "As for who obtains it... that depends on fate."
He had no intention of intervening. After all the timeline distortions he had caused, he was curious to see who destiny would favor now. Would it still be Lin Dong?
"I abstain," Ying Huanhuan said calmly.
"Senior Sister?" Wang Yan asked in surprise. "You don't need to step aside for us."
To Wang Yan, it felt like Ying Huanhuan's decision was a way of yielding, especially since she had sensed the talisman's aura before anyone else.
"Yeah, don't back out. This is a game after all," Huang Pujing said with a grin. "The Devouring Ancestral Talisman is the prey. We're the hunters. Let's see who catches it first."
"Exactly! Let's have some fun," Qin Shi added.
Ying Huanhuan hesitated. A warmth bloomed in her heart.
In her previous life, war had consumed the world. The eight disciples of Fu Zu fought to the death and were forced into reincarnation. Now, in this second life, she once again felt the camaraderie of discipleship—and it warmed even the Ice Lord's cold heart.
"Alright." She nodded. "Let's play. But I can still sense the talisman's presence… it wouldn't be fair. I'll stay by Master's side for now. After an hour, I'll join you in the search."
…
The ancient runes covering the Great Desolation Monument slowly dimmed. At the same time, the oppressive no-fly barrier that engulfed the area weakened.
Buzz!
As the final rune faded, the stone tablet trembled violently. A cloudy mist seeped from its surface, eventually coalescing into a massive vortex of swirling energy, hundreds of meters wide.
The vortex spun ominously, absorbing the vitality of the world itself. Nothing could be seen beyond its blackened swirl—only an icy, ancient darkness.
"The monument has opened!"
A chorus of ecstatic voices echoed across the plain. Thousands of cultivators, who had been waiting for days, surged forward with blazing eyes.
"Go!"
No one knew who shouted it first, but it triggered a stampede. People rushed the vortex like a tidal wave, determined not to fall behind. Even elite cultivators joined the charge.
Ah!
Cries of pain rang out as chaos erupted. The crowd moved like a swarm of locusts, blotting out the sun as they charged forward in a frenzy.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Collisions broke out almost immediately.
The first wave of people hit the energy vortex and were repelled like pebbles striking steel. Those behind crashed into them, unable to stop. The rebound force was terrifying.
Crash!
Thud!
Cries of agony.
It was a disaster. Those too weak to resist were crushed underfoot. The seal had only just been lifted, and already, lives were being lost.
"What's happening?" Chi Hao asked, stunned by the carnage.
"Not everyone can enter the vortex," Ling Qingzhu explained calmly. "It's a defense mechanism. Only those whose strength reaches Great Perfection of the Yuan Dan Realm can pass through."
She glanced at Ye Feng. "Master, am I correct?"
"You are." Ye Feng nodded.
With a wave of his hand, a silver light burst forth, enveloping everyone around him.
In the blink of an eye, Ye Feng, Lin Qingtan, Ying Huanhuan, Ling Qingzhu, Chi Hao, Lin Langtian, and the others vanished from the outer plain—transported directly into the space behind the monument.
"Not entirely," Ye Feng added as they arrived. "Those who've cultivated space-based powers can ignore the level restriction and enter freely."
…
They arrived in a barren, desolate world.
The land stretched endlessly, filled with nothing but silence and a lingering aura of ancient desolation. The sky above was bleak, and a chilling wind swept the ground.
Lin Langtian looked around, frowning. "There aren't many people nearby… It seems we were all scattered randomly."
He barely finished his sentence when the ground cracked open.
Boom!
A thunderous rumble shook the earth. A giant scorpion, over ten feet long, burst from beneath the ground and lunged.
Its monstrous jaws opened wide—and in a flash, it swallowed a nearby cultivator whole.
"Ahhh!"
The scream barely echoed before the scorpion turned to its next victim.
"Damn…" Lin Langtian grimaced. "Guess I spoke too soon."
He stepped forward, prepared to engage.
But before he could act, the scorpion paused. Its eyes—large, glossy, and intelligent—locked onto Ye Feng. After a moment of hesitation, it dug its pincers into the ground and burrowed back into the earth, disappearing into the dark.
"…Did it just retreat?" Lin Langtian blinked. "Is it intelligent?"
"Looks like it," Wang Yan muttered. "That thing judged our strength and ran."
The others—Qin Shi, Wu Yun, Huang Pujing, Chi Hao—were all shaken. These ancient beasts not only possessed immense power, but intelligence as well.
A terrifying combination.
"It's not unusual," Ye Feng said with a faint smile. "Ancient monsters from the primordial era have long developed awareness. Don't let your guard down."
He looked at his disciples. "Alright. You wanted a game? Let it begin. I want to see which of you will claim the Devouring Ancestral Talisman."
Ye Feng had already gifted Lin Dong the Wind Fury Dragon Flame, meaning he was no longer a contender in this event.
That left the others.
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