Amidst the intense trembling of the earth beneath their feet, a small rocky mountain split open from the peak to the base, revealing a slender crack emitting a soft white light.
It seemed as if the mountain was truly splitting in half from the middle.
Han Li and the others couldn't help but gasp in awe at the sight of Nanlong Marquis and the White-robed Elder's incredible ability to split mountains and rocks.
But despite their shock, they maintained calm exteriors, calmly observing the scene before them. However, their true thoughts remained known only to themselves.
Wang Chan and Yan Ruyan, the two with the lowest cultivation level among them, stood pale-faced behind Wang Tiangu, silent.
After casting a cold glance at these two, Han Li withdrew his gaze.
It seemed that there would be no opportunity to deal with Wang Chan until the treasure was obtained.
The incantations of Nanlong Marquis and the White-robed Elder continued without pause.
After a short while, the rocky mountain finally split in two, revealing a huge crack about ten yards wide.
Within the crack, a staircase leading straight underground appeared before everyone.
"Let's go." The White-robed Elder's face flashed with excitement as he gave a brief command and took the lead to enter.
The initiator, Nanlong Marquis, smiled slightly and followed behind.
Seeing this, Han Li felt a stir in his heart.
It seemed that this White-robed Elder was not simple at all. Here, it appeared that even Nanlong Marquis deferred to him.
The others seemed to have noticed something as well. After exchanging a few glances, they all cunningly refrained from mentioning it and followed suit with unchanged expressions.
The staircase was long, with white moonstone embedded on both sides. However, as they descended, it grew increasingly chilly.
After some time, the group delved deep into the depths of the mountain, about a hundred feet below the surface.
The moonstones no longer emitted a faint white light. Instead, they inexplicably turned into a ghostly green, casting an eerie and ominous atmosphere in the passage.
Seeing this scene, Han Li frowned slightly and instinctively distanced himself from the black-faced cultivator in front, ensuring that he had time to react in case of any accidents.
In fact, not only Han Li but also the other cultivators, except for Nanlong Marquis and the White-robed Elder, wisely made the same move, maintaining a distance of more than ten yards between them.
Nanlong Marquis and the Elder, despite knowing that the others were wary of them, pretended not to notice and continued to walk forward without any dissatisfaction.
After walking for a meal's worth of time, Han Li and the others finally entered a mysterious hall one by one.
Calling it mysterious because the walls of the hall were shimmering with blue light, crystal clear as if crafted from giant jade, dazzling and magnificent.
Now standing in this hall, tens of yards wide, everyone's faces revealed astonishment.
Of course, these things couldn't possibly be made of jade!
The moment Han Li stepped into the hall, he scanned one of the walls with his spiritual sense. However, upon contact, his spiritual sense was immediately bounced back, unable to penetrate even the slightest bit.
Han Li was not surprised and continued to scan other places in the hall. Each corner yielded the same result.
Muttering a few words in his heart, Han Li's gaze fell on the others.
Wang Tiangu, the cultivator with the highest cultivation level, and others also frowned, seemingly finding the situation somewhat tricky.
"Could this be the location of the 'Divine Mystery Prohibition'?" Han Li pondered to himself. It seemed that Nanlong Marquis hadn't exaggerated.
Just as Han Li was silently contemplating, the entire hall suddenly shook violently, followed by a series of loud noises behind him.
Startled, the old woman and the others quickly turned around, only to find that the entrance passage had disappeared at some point, replaced by the same blue-glowing wall.
The entire hall had become a dead end.
"Nanlong Fellow Daoist, what does this mean?" The black-faced man's complexion darkened at the sight, questioning with a heavy tone.
Wang Tiangu and the others also showed vigilance, staring at Nanlong Marquis and the White-robed Elder, their gazes flickering.
"Please don't be alarmed, fellow Daoists! This is the outer prohibition activating on its own, sealing the mountain once again. My companion and I experienced this last time we came here. As long as we stay in the hall for three days, my companion and I will wait for the prohibition to weaken to its weakest point and split the mountain again. We won't be trapped here. Moreover, once the outer prohibition is closed, we don't have to worry about those Daoists outside discovering us," Nanlong Marquis explained calmly, without any surprise.
Hearing this, the black-faced man and the others were somewhat skeptical, but their expressions softened.
As long as Nanlong Marquis and the others were inside the hall, they didn't have to worry about traps or malicious intentions.
"In that case, I was too rash just now," the black-faced man apologized with clasped fists.
"That's nothing to worry about! My companion and I should quickly break the prohibition. This is where my companion and I were defeated last time. The Divine Mystery Prohibition is not easy to break," Nanlong Marquis said with a chuckle, seemingly unconcerned.
"Is this prohibition really so difficult to break? I obtained a treasure some time ago specifically for breaking various prohibitions and shields. Perhaps there's no need for such trouble. As long as I use this treasure, I can break the prohibition," the old woman suddenly smiled, surprising everyone with her unexpected statement.
"Ah! If Madam Tai has such a treasure, it's worth a try. Even though my companion and I can unravel the prohibition with our spiritual senses, it's not a hundred percent guaranteed," the White-robed Elder said with a flash of joy, without hesitation.
"Indeed, Fellow Daoist Yun, please proceed with your spell. My companion and I won't interfere," Nanlong Marquis also agreed.
"Since both Daoists agree, I'll give it a try. However, if I'm fortunate enough to break the prohibition with this treasure, can I and the two Daoists prioritize selecting a treasure?" the old woman smirked, revealing her true intentions.
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the black-faced cultivator and Wang Tiangu changed slightly, but they waited to see how Nanlong Marquis and the White-robed Elder would respond.
Nanlong Marquis showed a hint of surprise on his face, but after glancing at the old woman, he suddenly addressed everyone in the hall:
"Regardless of whether it's Madam Tai or other Daoists, as long as they can break the prohibition here, they can choose a treasure before my companion and me. What do you think, fellow Daoists?"
After saying this, Nanlong Marquis deliberately glanced at Han Li and the others to gauge their reactions.
As a result, Han Li and Wang Tiangu both appeared indifferent, while the black-faced man and the other cultivator, although wearing displeased expressions, did not oppose the matter and tacitly agreed.
So Nanlong Marquis smiled and decisively said to the old woman, "Since all the fellow Daoists have no objections, Madam Tai, you may proceed."
