Fallen Immortal Sect

On a certain mountain inside Chaotic Forest

All the big shots were waiting for the news from Formation masters of the Fleeting Cloud Sect. They were waiting patiently and didn't talk to the other group. Each second was passing very slowly. They felt each second equivalent to a year. After all, their future depended on what was inside that array.

Inside the cave, all the four Formation masters were in a state of total exhaustion. Drops of sweat formed on their forehead. All their efforts were about to give them the final result. If there was even a small mistake, not only will they waste their previous efforts but also lose their lives. A backlash from a grade-6 array was not something even the cultivators above the Divine Tribulation Realm could escape from.

The array was now rotating in a very slowly, it almost stood still. More and more small-thin threads were now clearly visible. They were arranged in very delicate patterns. They had so minute details that even with the perception of a grade-5 Formation master it was not possible to grasp it completely.

Although the array was completely visible to them, still they couldn't understand even the basic principle behind it. But on the bright side, they gained huge benefits this time. Their understanding of array was more profound now.

Soon the array stopped revolving completely. All the small threads were starting to dissolve into thin air. Like they were never there, to begin with. All the formation masters marveled at this sight.

This was the beauty of a grade-6 array. It didn't need spiritual stones to form such a profound array. It worked on just the natural spiritual energy.

Harnessing the spiritual energy in nature was nearly an impossible task. There was no container that could hold spiritual energy.

Thus the spirit stones were the hard currency used in the cultivation world. It was formed with concentrated spiritual energy deep underground. It was mined like any other ore.

The array completely dissolved and became one with nature. This sudden change was also felt by the people outside the cave. They suddenly perceived the change in the aura between heaven and earth.

"It seems that the array is solved. You have got some good men under you, Master Zou." Duan Li spoke in her usual flirtatious tone.

"Yes of course." Zou Yan didn't pay her any attention. He was very happy at the moment and was only waiting for the signal from the elders inside. Now that the array is resolved, the thing inside the array should be revealed. He was looking forward to knowing what that thing was that deserved to be hidden by a grade-6 array.

After a few more minutes of wait, the formation masters recovered from their exhausted state. They took out the communication jade and notified Zou Yan through it. With this, their task was now complete. They needed rest to recover their exhausted state of mind.

Zou Yan took out the communication jade from his ring and scanned it with his divine consciousness. Soon, a bright smile appeared on his face. The task was successful.

He immediately pressed the communication jade and sent the information to the Ancestor who was waiting at the bottom of the mountain.

Looking at the actions of Zou Yan, everyone could understand what happened. The smile on his face indicated everything.

So they too took out their communication jade and passed on the information to their Ancestors.

After Zou Yan was done, he looked at everyone's action but he didn't stop them. He knew that the old-undead of their clan were present here along with the Ancestor of their sect. There was no point in stopping them.

"All Right. I have received the signal and we can go in now. As the cave is very small, it certainly cannot fit this many people at a time. So only a selected few people shall follow me." Zou Yan spoke in a loud voice filled with power. He wasn't going to hear a negative answer on this matter.

The three patriarchs looked at each other. They were communicating with divine consciousness. After coming to a decision they simultaneously nodded.

"Okay, we three will follow you along with Master Lin." Duàn Li spoke in a serious tone for a change. Master Lin was the middle-aged man that followed her to the top of th mountain instead of the grand elder of her clan.

Zou Yan looked at Master Lin deeply for a few seconds and then looked back at Duàn Li. Then gave her a slight nod.

'This cunning fox. I have to let it slide for now...'

Zou Yan entered inside the cave with only one grand elder behind him. The three heads of the clans soon followed along with Master Yan. The cave had a narrow entrance and a long path was ahead of them. After a few twists and turns, they reached an open area inside the cave.

The four formation masters were standing there, looking pale and exhausted. Behind them was a pitch-black rectangular platform that had enough room for 50 people to stand at a time. It was floating a foot above the ground.

Everyone was mesmerized not only with how it looked but also the pressure it was radiating. They could feel that this was a profound tool, far more powerful than anything they have encountered so far. Even their ancestors' strength felt weak in front of it.

This kind of pressure was not an oppressive one. But an inherent one. Something felt directly with the soul rather than feeling it physically.

As everyone looked at the platform in awe, only one person was looking at it objectively. He was Master Lin. He looked at the platform and there was a strange glow in his eyes.

Zou Yan greeted the elders and said, "Masters, you have worked hard. I am deeply grateful for your efforts and your merits will be rewarded accordingly."

"This is what we should so. Please, this way." They thanked Zou Yan and made a gesture to walk towards the platform.

Everyone got closer to the platform to observe it more carefully. They could see that it had nothing on it, it was smooth as a mirror. Plain as a blank sheet of paper. They thought there must be some array runes or other patterns on it by which it could be identified.

Zou Yan was the first one to step on it and others followed him soon. The platform was very solid and the material didn't even make a sound as they walked over it.

"I can't even identify a single material on this thing. They are blended so perfectly that they have become a whole." Spoke Master Lin in an astonished tone.

Others were also equally astonished. They tried to scan it with divine consciousness but couldn't even penetrate the surface. It acted like a mirror and reflected everything upon contact with it.

They tried every way but couldn't discover anything from it.

As they were in deep thought, Master Lin took out a spirit stone from his storage ring. As soon as it appeared, a huge suction was created on the platform and all the spiritual energy was sucked inside it in the blink of an eye.

Only dust remained in Master Lin's hand. He looked at the platform and eyes became sharp and focused.

"As I thought. It needs a huge amount of spiritual energy to activate." He muttered while taking a huge number of spirit stones from his storage ring.

Everyone quickly vacated the platform so as to avoid any mishap. The suction that appeared briefly really scared them.

Master Lin put all the spirit stones on the platform and just the same way all of them were turned into dust right away. He pondered for a moment and spoke, "It looks like the spiritual energy needed is so large that these low-grade spirit stones can't satisfy its need. We need middle-grade or even high-grade spirit stones." He looked at everybody.

Everyone listened to what he said and nodded. He was after all the only Level-9 Refining Master present there and they also saw the instant disappearance of spiritual energy from spirit stones.

Refining masters had different classifications than Array masters. It was true that they weren't as noble as a Formation master. Because becoming a Formation master needed extremely harsh conditions and a prerequisite of having a strong spiritual as well as mental strength.

While becoming a Refining master needed just talent in refining. There were many refining masters but only a handful of array masters. Even Red stone city only had a few Grade-4 and below, level of formation masters.

It didn't mean that a Grade-5 formation master was weaker than the Level-9 refining master. It was the opposite.

A Grade-5 Formation master could create an array that could easily trap a Divine Tribulation expert easily and even kill him. While a Level-9 array master can only make a Level-9 weapon.

A level-9 weapon was not necessarily able to kill a Divine Tribulation Realm expert but its strength was equivalent to a Divine Tribulation expert.

"But we don't have much high-grade spirit stones with us and even the middle-grade spirit stones are too little." Zou Yan spoke in an embarrassed tone. He clearly didn't want to use any spirit stones until it was absolutely necessary.

Spirit stones were divided into low-grade, middle-grade, high-grade, and top-grade. Not to mention top-grade, even high-grade spirit stones were not something to be taken out casually.

High-grade spirit stones had an extremely pure and condensed amount of spiritual energy that was very helpful for the Divine Tribulation experts. So they saved it at all costs.

The general conversion ratio was-

1 Mid-grade = 1000 low-grade

1 High-grade =1000 Mid-grade

1 Top-grade=1000 High-grade

So a single High-grade spirit stone was equal to 1 million Low-grade spirit stones! It was difficult to amass this much wealth and even after that, they might not necessarily get a high-grade spirit stone in exchange. Only a fool would exchange a high-grade spirit stone to a low-grade.

"At least show some dignity of a Sect Master! What's the point in being so stingy." Duàn Li spoke with disdain. She took out 1000 Mid-grade spirit stone in a single go.

'If I also had a backing of a Refining Master, I would first kill you then also take out these many mid-grade spirit stones casually.' Zou Yan thought viciously. But he didn't show anything on his face.

"I was not being stingy, I just didn't bring that many spirit stones with me and a huge sect needs more spirit stones to run too." He said with a smile.

Still, he had to take out spirit stones to save some face. So he too took out 1 high-grade spirit stone and 1000 mid-grade spirit stone.

"Now that's the spirit! A high-grade spirit stone. As expected of the sect master of a prestigious sect." Duàn Li smirked mischievously.

Zou Yan ignored her and spoke to everyone else, "Please, take them out as soon as possible. We need to unravel this mystery quickly."

Everyone nodded and took out their stash of spirit stones.

As everyone put them on the platform, the suction again appeared. Now they felt it more clearly and thus backed away in horror. They could faintly feel their cultivation being suppressed.

Just as they were backing away a huge pressure suddenly enveloped them and they were blasted away from the cave.

"Everyone, be careful!!!"

*Boom*

The platform started spinning rapidly and suddenly the cave was blasted open. The platform came out from the top of the cave and was now floating there.

Some characters were now visible on top of the platform. They were fixed in air and looked as if they were written by nature itself. The characters were too smooth but also had a sharp edge to them.

Everybody stabilized their body and looked at those characters in the air.

'Fallen Immortal Sect.'

Zou Yan's expression suddenly changed. He has heard this name somewhere but couldn't remember where.

Everyone else also looked at the name and tried to recall but there were sure that there was no sect by this name.

As everyone reminded silent, Duàn Li spoke in a calm voice, "Master Lin, where is this Fallen Immortal Sect? How come I have never heard of it."

Everyone looked at Master Lin, waiting for his response. They were also troubled with the same question.

He just smiled and replied, "I don't know much about the Fallen Immortal Sect. I just know that it was a sect that existed more than 2000 years ago."

"Two thousand years!" Everyone took a deep breath upon hearing that the platform was 2000 years old.

Even a grade-9 profound tool could not survive the passage of time for that long.

"The Fallen Immortal Sect! I remember now... I read about it in an ancient record. It was founded by Fallen Immortal about 2100 years ago. But somehow it got destroyed in just 500 years." Zou Yan exclaimed. This was huge news.

Zou Yan immediately took out communication jade and passed on this information to the ancestor. Everyone else did the same.

Zou Yan waited for a while but instead of a reply, four figures suddenly appeared in the sky. They were standing on the air as if it was solid ground. Each one looked very ancient and skinny. Their aura was completely reserved and gave a sense of harmony with nature.

They were the ancestors of the Fleeting Cloud Sect and the three clans of Red stone city.