Chapter 155: Merely a Treasure

“What do you know I saw?” Chen Sang was trembling with excitement.

At that moment, he could not even speak coherently. Panic alone drove him to force these words from his mouth.

“An old man with a terrifying aura actually emerged from that forbidden village in the forbidden land. He spotted my presence immediately!”

Chen Sang’s voice shook as he patted his chest, his words filled with the relief of one who had narrowly escaped death.

He had survived by the skin of his teeth, barely managing to flee that forbidden place.

It was a blessing that came once in a thousand years!

Chen Sang’s account immediately left everyone present looking grim.

An old man who had emerged from a forbidden land…

What sort of terrifying existence could he be?

Even in the Immortal Realm, if there were a forbidden land and an old man walked out of it, the entire realm would likely be thrown into turmoil!

Chen Sang took a breath and carefully composed himself.

Then he recounted everything that had happened.

As Elder Chen Sang spoke, everyone in the hall remained utterly silent.

“Helmsman, according to what Chen Sang has said, there may truly be a forbidden land in the Heavenly Martial Realm!”

“I now suspect that the Heavenly Martial Realm may really be connected to the First World!”

“Exactly! Perhaps this forbidden land is connected to an Immortal Lord from the First World!”

The elders present began speaking one after another.

At the thought of the legendary First World, they could not help but draw their conclusions in that direction.

Yang Dingyan, however, did not respond to the elders. He fell into thought.

“Elder Chen Sang, you are saying that the old man who emerged from the forbidden land… had already discovered you?”

“Yet he did not attack you, and even allowed you to escape the Heavenly Martial Realm alive?”

“That is correct!” Chen Sang nodded gravely.

“If that is truly the case, then I believe that place is probably not a genuine forbidden land,” Yang Dingyan said at once.

“Since ancient times, aside from a handful of extraordinary figures, almost no one who dared to enter a forbidden land ever survived. They all met their end within it.”

“Furthermore, that old man from the forbidden land had already discovered you.”

“By all accounts, you should have had no chance of returning alive to the Earth-Pattern Realm Branch!”

Yang Dingyan’s words left everyone else confused as well.

The helmsman was absolutely right.

All legends concerning forbidden lands were terrifying.

Yet Chen Sang had approached the place and returned alive—even after being discovered by the old man.

That was indeed difficult to understand.

Chen Sang himself grew uncertain after hearing the helmsman’s reasoning.

Could he have seen it wrong?

“I find this Heavenly Martial Realm more and more intriguing,” Yang Dingyan said.

“Perhaps that place is not a forbidden land at all. What if it contains a forbidden treasure?”

He smiled.

“I suspect that the village was relying on that treasure to make you suffer such a severe hallucination, Chen Sang.”

“Besides, forbidden treasures cannot be used casually. That is probably why you were able to survive unharmed.”

Yang Dingyan’s analysis convinced everyone present that his reasoning was sound.

“If that is the case, then the Heavenly Martial Realm may not contain anything particularly frightening. On the contrary, there may well be a great opportunity waiting there!”

“Very likely!”

Everyone nodded in agreement, their eyes blazing with enthusiasm.

They were all filled with longing.

This was a forbidden treasure!

A treasure on the level of an Immortal Lord. If they could obtain it…

For a moment, none of them dared imagine what that would mean.

“No! Impossible! That place is truly terrifying!” Chen Sang’s expression was extremely ugly.

Yang Dingyan patted him on the shoulder.

“Of course it is. A place concealing a forbidden treasure could hardly be ordinary.”

“However, we must obtain the forbidden treasure of the Heavenly Martial Realm. And the entire Heavenly Martial Realm must belong to us as well!”

Yang Dingyan suddenly rose to his feet, his sleeves billowing.

“Everyone, heed my orders!”

“The Earth-Pattern Realm Branch already controls ninety-nine lower realms. Move at once and complete the White-Realm Fusion Formation. Hurry and begin merging all the lower realms!”

“Heh heh. The energy produced by merging ninety-nine lower realms would be enough to annihilate even a Golden Immortal. We will set the formation around the Heavenly Martial Realm. When the time comes, the force of the fusion will destroy the Heavenly Martial Realm directly!”

“Everything in the Heavenly Martial Realm will be obliterated. When that happens, only the forbidden treasure will be able to survive intact. Would it not then fall effortlessly into our hands?”

As he spoke, Yang Dingyan’s face twisted with sinister satisfaction.

“All we need to do is take the treasure for ourselves.”

“Move now! The fusion of a hundred realms cannot wait!”

In the Immortal Realm.

Northern Immortal Realm, Cloudreach City.

By now, the news from the Soul-Seeking Sect had spread throughout every faction in Cloudreach City.

The Moon-Worshiping Sect.

“宗主, the people we sent out have completed their investigation. The Soul-Seeking Sect was indeed injured by a single melody. By now, many Profound Immortals have already died!”

A highly agitated elder stepped forward to report in the main hall.

“This must be the result of Immortal Lord Wondermelody’s Formation-Breaking Melody!”

After hearing the elder’s report, everyone’s eyes gleamed.

They all seemed prepared to act.

“宗主, we cannot let this opportunity pass!”

“This is an opportunity that comes only once in a lifetime. As long as we obtain the Formation-Breaking Melody, our sect’s strength will soar! We may even become an unrivaled great power!”

“Exactly, Sect Master. You must think this through!”

They spoke with fervor.

Everyone knew that only Immortal Lords were undying existences in the Immortal Realm.

Only a force founded by an Immortal Lord could be called an undying power.

Now that they had Immortal Lord Wondermelody’s Formation-Breaking Melody to support them, would becoming an undying power not be merely a matter of time?

The thought alone filled them with indescribable excitement.

The Sect Master of the Moon-Worshiping Sect sat at the head of the hall.

She wore a spotless white gown, and a veil concealed both sides of her face.

She was a woman of breathtaking beauty.

At the center of the only part of her face left uncovered—her forehead—rested a small crescent moon, lending her an even more mysterious air.

“Do you realize that the Soul-Seeking Sect is no weaker than our own? Yet they suffered such a惨烈 defeat. If we took action instead, would the outcome truly be any different?”

She had no desire to act.

…

The Radiant Splendor Sect!

Within the main hall!

Upon hearing the news, Sect Master Daoist Cold Fir was overcome with delight.

He threw back his head and let out a long peal of laughter.

“I never imagined that such wonderful news would truly appear. Immortal Lord Wondermelody’s Formation-Breaking Melody… Tsk, tsk. Magnificent!”