Not long after, everyone arrived at the foot of the giant peak.
Their expressions grew even more astonished. Compared to this colossal peak, they were as insignificant as dust.
Even stranger was that on the surface of this water-formed giant peak, at intervals of several hundred zhang, there were rapidly rotating water vortexes from which a misty aura flowed.
Looking around, there were as many as a thousand such vortexes on this peculiar giant peak.
They appeared like countless eyes on the giant peak, and a strange power blocked them, preventing everyone's divine sense from penetrating.
At this moment, a faint, hollow voice suddenly echoed in everyone's ears.
"Welcome, trial-takers, to Thousand Vortex Spirit Mountain. Each spirit vortex on this mountain is a small spirit realm. By passing the trials within these spirit realms, you can obtain Vortex Spirit Pearls. Once you have enough Vortex Spirit Pearls, you can proceed to the next level of the spirit mountain. The condition for reaching the second level of the spirit mountain is to obtain ten Vortex Spirit Pearls, and the time limit is ten days; otherwise, you will be deemed to have failed."
After this statement, the voice vanished.
All the Nascent Soul cultivators were shaken.
This brief statement conveyed a great deal of information. This water-formed giant peak, named Thousand Vortex Spirit Mountain, seemed to be a trial ground, which was truly unexpected for everyone.
Ning Fa, in particular, was more surprised, as he possessed much more information than the others.
According to the information left by Bing Chen, the ancient ancestor of the Ice Phoenix Clan, this Abyssal Heavenly Pool was clearly an artifact left by a True Spirit. How could it be a trial secret realm? This seemed rather inconsistent with an artifact of a True Spirit.
Ning Fa then looked up towards the top of the mountain, where swirling mist obscured the view.
Judging by the mysterious voice's announcement, it seemed that one had to ascend by obtaining the Vortex Spirit Pearls left within those vortexes. The secret of this place was likely at the summit of Thousand Vortex Spirit Mountain.
Just then, a strange humming sound emanated.
The numerous vortexes on the surface of Thousand Vortex Spirit Mountain began to spin rapidly. Simultaneously, the strange power that had been obscuring their surfaces was suddenly withdrawn.
Everyone's expressions shifted, and they immediately probed with their divine senses, quickly showing signs of shock and excitement.
This was because as their divine senses entered these vortexes, profound information appeared in their minds.
"Spirit Realm No. 1, contains two Vortex Spirit Pearls, and spiritual materials include the Five-Colored Golden Lotus and Heavenly Flame Flower."
Spirit Realm No. 2 contains two Vortex Spirit Pearls, and spiritual materials include the Mysterious Female Pearl and Creation Ganoderma.
"Spirit Realm No. 3, contains three Vortex Spirit Pearls, and spiritual materials include Dragon Pattern Black Gold and Nether Crystal Cold Iron."
Even Ning Fa was filled with shock.
These vortex spirit realms were very peculiar, actually revealing the number of Vortex Spirit Pearls and spiritual materials they contained in advance.
What shocked the Nascent Soul powerhouses was that these spiritual materials were all extremely rare in the outside world, or many were simply no longer found anywhere.
Almost every item had immense value to Nascent Soul cultivators, and many were things they had dreamed of obtaining but never could.
Now, it appeared they were all within these vortex spirit realms, which naturally made them incredibly excited.
At this point, everyone understood that these vortex spirit realms, as trial grounds, would undoubtedly pose significant dangers.
Furthermore, the level of danger was likely directly proportional to the number of Vortex Spirit Pearls and the quality of the spiritual materials they contained.
However, if one passed the trial, they would not only gain Vortex Spirit Pearls but also obtain these extremely precious spiritual materials.
But the problem now was that these two types of items were openly displayed. As soon as everyone scanned them with their divine senses, they would naturally compete for them.
If too many people headed to the same vortex secret realm, the Vortex Spirit Pearls there would certainly not be enough to go around.
If time was wasted like this, they would definitely not be able to collect ten Vortex Spirit Pearls within ten days, and thus would not be able to reach the next level of Thousand Vortex Spirit Mountain. Therefore, how to choose these vortex spirit realms required great caution.
All the Nascent Soul cultivators were seasoned individuals who had lived for hundreds of years. The key points naturally occurred to them in an instant.
Everyone immediately began to thoroughly examine the information provided by these vortex spirit realms with their divine senses, weighing their options.
At the same time, their lips moved, transmitting messages non-stop, clearly discussing forming alliances with those they were friendly with.
Because it now seemed that it was more suitable for multiple people to team up and enter a vortex secret realm to pass the trial quickly. Moreover, the number of people should not be too large, otherwise, efficiency might decrease, as no one knew how long it would take to complete a spirit realm trial.
At this moment, Yuan Gang of the Demon Race's eyes flashed, and he secretly rejoiced.
Because this special spirit realm trial method of Thousand Vortex Spirit Mountain was perfect for him, who wanted to kill Ning Fa.
After all, even he had to admit that Ning Fa's strength was extremely formidable, and he was no match for him.
Originally, Yuan Gang had wanted to enlist the help of an ancestor from his clan to kill Ning Fa, but Yuan Ming had refused for two reasons.
The first was that the founding ancestor of the Spiritual Pivot Pavilion had forced their Cloud Break Demon Clan to sign a high-level Spirit Contract, prohibiting them from infringing upon the Cangyuan human race thereafter.
Although more than a hundred thousand years had passed, and the power of that high-level Spirit Contract had been severely weakened, allowing one to resist its power by paying a certain price.
However, Yuan Ming did not want to take the risk, especially since his lifespan was nearing its end, and he did not want to expend his already limited vital energy to kill Ning Fa.
The second reason was that Yuan Ming was wary of other human Spirit Transformation cultivators, such as Venerable Ling Jun.
If he were to act and kill Ning Fa, it was likely to anger Venerable Ling Jun. He alone was not frightening, but the Qianyuan Merchant Alliance behind him was.
Therefore, if Yuan Gang wanted to kill Ning Fa, he could only rely on himself.
And to kill a powerful expert like Ning Fa, not only would it require several times the strength, but also the right timing and favorable conditions.
Otherwise, Ning Fa could completely escape, especially since Ning Fa possessed the extremely rare Lightning Escape technique.
As for manpower, Yuan Gang had already made arrangements, and there were definitely enough people. Now, the right timing and favorable conditions had arrived.
For example, if Ning Fa were trapped in one of the Vortex Spirit Realms, wouldn't he be unable to escape?
With this thought, Yuan Gang suppressed the excitement in his heart, his lips moved, and he sent a sound transmission. Then, a cold smile appeared on his face as he continued to survey the Thousand Vortex Spirit Mountain.
At this moment, Ning Fa seemed to sense something. He glanced towards Yuan Gang and the direction of the Sea Race, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Just then, a hearty laugh echoed, "This Abyssal Heavenly Pool is truly extraordinary. I, Ying Zhen, want to see what the higher-level Spirit Realms hold!"
Everyone turned to look and saw a young man at the forefront of the cultivators from the Tianwu Cultivation World laughing loudly.
He had a heroic posture, wore a dark gold robe, and possessed a very rare shade of dark green hair.
After laughing, he turned to the cultivator beside him and said with a sneer, "I want to see which of you dares to choose the same Spirit Realm as me, Ying Zhen!"
With that, he transformed into a dark green streak of light, flying at incredible speed towards one of the vortices. Simultaneously, the cultivators behind him immediately took flight, following closely like guards.
Even the proud Nascent Soul powerhouses from the Great Qin Cultivation World.
Although they frowned and showed displeasure, a flicker of apprehension flashed in their eyes.
This was because the cultivator with the dark green hair was no ordinary person; he was the direct grandson of the Nine Immortals Association's president!
Not only did he have a distinguished background, but it was also said that his talent was exceptionally high, possessing a rare Innate Dao Body.
At just over three hundred years old, he had almost cultivated to the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, making him an absolute standout among the current Nascent Soul powerhouses.
The other cultivators exchanged glances, and soon, the sound of tearing wind erupted one after another.
The others, eager to choose, also flew towards their selected vortices. Spiritual lights flashed consecutively, and these individuals disappeared into the vortices, their divine senses unable to track their movements.
"Fellow Daoist Ning, how about we join forces to explore these Spirit Realms? I believe it would speed things up."
A sound transmission reached Ning Fa's ears. He immediately turned to look and saw Hermit Xuyuan smiling at him.
Ning Fa's expression shifted. After a moment of thought, he transmitted back, "Fellow Daoist Xuyuan, perhaps not. You know I have many enemies and am currently a target of public criticism. Therefore, I cannot choose carelessly. Following me would likely bring you trouble."
Upon hearing this, Hermit Xuyuan immediately understood but quickly replied, "Then Fellow Daoist Ning, you must join forces with us even more. This way, we can look out for each other."
But Ning Fa still shook his head and refused, "No need. I have my own means of self-preservation. If you follow me, it will only make it inconvenient for me to use them."
Hermit Xuyuan frowned slightly and tried to persuade him a few more times. Seeing Ning Fa's firm stance, he could only sigh.
He then discussed with Lin Qingyi beside him before heading towards one of the vortex secret realms.
Xu Yi and Fairy Biyou first glanced at Ning Fa, then followed suit towards another Vortex Spirit Realm.
Yu Chan and the Sect Master of Jingming Sect, Chu Yanzhou, also joined forces and flew towards another vortex.
Ning Fa still hadn't moved, quietly observing the many Vortex Spirit Realms on the Thousand Vortex Spirit Mountain.
His eyes flickered, and he thought to himself.
He suspected that the special place containing the Soul Nurturing Divine Spring was likely within one of the Vortex Spirit Realms on this Thousand Vortex Spirit Mountain.
He had already scanned the first layer of Vortex Spirit Realms with his divine sense, and from the information provided, he hadn't found any trace of the Soul Nurturing Divine Spring.
But it made sense; after all, the Soul Nurturing Divine Spring was a fifth-tier Spiritual Material and should be found in the higher-level Vortex Spirit Realms.
At the same time, Yuan Gang, Feng Zhao, Jin Yao, and several other high-ranking demon experts from Cloud Break, as well as those Sea Race cultivators, also remained still.
Seeing this, Ning Fa sneered inwardly, further confirming his suspicions.
However, he also remained secretly vigilant, because in such a special place, if he were trapped in a particular Vortex Spirit Realm, it could indeed be very dangerous.
But thinking of the trump cards he had prepared, he felt much more at ease.
Seeing Ning Fa's inaction, Yuan Gang and the other demons, as well as the Sea Race cultivators, couldn't help but frown.
On the Sea Race side, their leader was a person clad in deep blue crystalline armor, with even the upper half of their face covered by the armor, revealing only a pair of rosy, alluring lips.
And judging from her voluptuous figure, she was clearly a woman.
The Spiritual Pressure she emitted was also extremely powerful, already approaching the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, comparable to Ying Zhen of the Nine Immortals Association. She was clearly the leader of the Sea Race cultivators this time.
And she was Freya, another senior member of the Sea Race's Tidal Council, and her rank was much higher than Hathaway's.