Chapter 80: Dragon's Eye

Within the Second Renyi Formation, where the Gate of Wounds and Princess Qianyou were located, the scene was intense. Princess Qianyou, Ah Da, Ah Er, and Gu Lin were protected in the center by eight formidable guards. Meanwhile, Yinglan and Tian Ling'er were surrounded by Zhong Shan and Bei Qingsi.

The disparity in the enemies they faced was striking. Yinglan and Tian Ling'er watched in amazement as the eight guards battled fiercely against grass soldiers that seemed as powerful as celestial beings. In stark contrast, the grass soldiers confronting Zhong Shan were laughably feeble, each falling with a single strike from him.

Half an hour had passed, and the situation remained unchanged. Three of the eight guards were seriously injured, while Zhong Shan appeared barely challenged.

"Qianyou, how much longer do we have to wait? Are you sure Shuijing won't fail?" Gu Lin asked, his brows furrowed with worry.

"He won't. The master is handling it personally. There shouldn't be any mistakes. We just need to wait a bit longer," Princess Qianyou replied, also frowning.

"Shuijing might not be as capable as you think. Otherwise, my father wouldn't rely on him so heavily at the palace," Gu Lin remarked with a hint of jealousy.

"I told you before to ask your father to give Mr. Shuijing to you, and then you could give him to me. Did you ask him?" Princess Qianyou asked, her brow furrowing deeper as she looked at Gu Lin.

Gu Lin wore a pained expression as he replied, "I did, but Shuijing refused to leave the palace, and my father wouldn't let him go either. What could I do? Do you want me to go back and try asking again?"

Princess Qianyou sighed softly, "Forget it. If your father won't agree, there's no point in asking again. We won't get him anyway."

Suddenly, the ground trembled, and the entire formation became alarmingly unstable. The earth beneath them shook violently.

"Shuijing has succeeded," Gu Lin exclaimed with excitement.

In the center of the grassland, the ground cracked open, revealing a massive gate that slowly rose from the earth. The towering gate, standing three hundred meters tall, seemed to beckon the warriors to enter.

Upon seeing the enormous gate, everyone in the formation sprang into action, fighting off the grass soldiers and making their way towards it. Though they encountered resistance along the way, the promise of treasures beyond the gate spurred them on.

"Eight guards, clear the path," Princess Qianyou commanded.

"Yes, Princess," the eight guards responded, swiftly cutting down the grass soldiers and paving a way towards the giant gate.

With four guards leading the charge and the remaining four, along with Zhong Shan and Bei Qingsi, guarding the flanks, they advanced smoothly towards their goal.

As they approached, those near the gate had already arrived and were about to step through.

A sudden, thunderous crash echoed through the air.

Before the massive crystal gate, a barrier materialized out of thin air, halting everyone in their tracks.

The first person, charging too hastily, slammed into the barrier with a thunderous crash. He was sent flying backward, his head cracked open and bleeding profusely. Tragically, he landed right in front of several grass soldiers.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss."

The grass soldiers dismembered him into ten pieces. He was dead!

Witnessing the gruesome fate of the first person, those behind became more cautious. Some started to fend off the surrounding grass soldiers, while others began to strike at the crystal gate with their long swords.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

Flying swords, wielded by cultivators at the Golden Core stage, unleashed powerful sword auras. Yet, despite these fierce attacks, the crystal gate remained unscathed. The immense sword energy, even from Golden Core cultivators, failed to leave a single mark.

Perhaps it was because not all the Golden Core cultivators could attack simultaneously, or maybe if everyone attacked at once, they could break through the crystal gate. However, the interference from the grass soldiers made it impossible to concentrate their efforts fully.

At this moment, Princess Qianyou and her entourage slowly approached the gate. The strength of Princess Qianyou's group was undeniable. Flying through the air, they had been noticed by everyone even before entering the formation. Yet, no one dared to approach them.

As they arrived before the massive crystal gate, everyone seemed to share a tacit understanding. They stepped aside and cleared the surrounding grass soldiers, giving Princess Qianyou and her group the opportunity to break through the gate.

Everyone knew that Princess Qianyou, along with her two guards, were at the Nascent Soul stage, far surpassing the capabilities of their sect leaders.

Princess Qianyou, noticing the crowd's deference, smiled slightly, a hint of disdain in her eyes as she looked at the massive crystal gate ahead.

"A-Da, Tiger Roar Fist," commanded Princess Qianyou.

"Yes," A-Da responded immediately, stepping forward and sheathing his long sword.

Everyone moved aside as A-Da faced the gigantic crystal gate. His eyes turned cold, and a pair of gauntlets suddenly appeared in his hands, which he carefully put on.

Taking a forward stance, A-Da planted one foot firmly behind the other, crossing his arms over his chest. As he did, it seemed as if a whirlwind of energy began to gather from that very center.

In an instant, he assumed a bow stance, drawing power into his fists. A powerful stream of energy started to converge around A-Da.

"Whooosh～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～"

The gathering energy was so rapid it seemed to disrupt the surrounding space. A-Da clenched his fists, and with the amassed power, he launched a powerful double-fisted strike towards the crystal gate.

From his fists emanated a formidable aura, propelling the accumulated energy towards the gate.

"Roar～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～"

A-Da's fists shot forward, emitting a roar that resembled a tiger's growl. The roar was so powerful it felt as if a colossal tiger was bellowing in rage. The force of the air, accompanied by a golden halo from A-Da's strike, transformed into a formidable power aimed at the crystal gate. The immense energy coalesced into a distinct shape.

A tiger, fierce and majestic, pounced forward in a hunger-driven attack. This golden tiger, entirely formed of energy, charged towards the crystal gate, enveloped by the swirling air currents.

"Roar～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～"

The tiger's roar lingered, trailing the winds as it sped towards the crystal gate.

"Boom～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～"

The tiger collided with the crystal gate, producing an earth-shattering sound. The immense impact generated a tremendous effect.

"Crash～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～"

The massive crystal gate shattered into countless fragments, which scattered in all directions. In mid-air, the crystal shards vanished as if they had never existed.

The gate was broken.

A-Da's strike was powerful and domineering, his double fists capable of shattering such a formidable gate. Everyone looked at A-Da with a mixture of awe and fear. His punch was overwhelmingly dominant!

Zhong Shan, although shocked, maintained a calm and composed exterior, showing no hint of fear.

With the gate broken, A-Da quickly moved to stand behind Princess Qianyou. Ignoring the reactions of the onlookers, Princess Qianyou stepped forward through the broken gate. Her group followed closely, and only after they entered did the others cautiously proceed.

Inside, Zhong Shan furrowed his brow. He had expected this to be the dragon's eye, but the interior revealed another vast expanse.

No, it wasn't exactly a vast expanse; it was an area surrounded by mountains, and below, there were countless small gates, each about three meters high. These gates stood upright in the space below, each shrouded in a layer of white mist, obscuring what lay beyond them.

Estimating the number of gates using a method for counting armies, Zhong Shan calculated that there were more than eighty thousand gates.

"Why are there so many gates? Isn't this supposed to be the dragon's eye?" Gu Lin immediately exclaimed, frowning.

"This is indeed the dragon's eye. Taixuzi is within one of these gates," Princess Qianyou replied, her eyes narrowing as she gazed at the multitude of gates below.

"How are we supposed to find it?" Gu Lin exclaimed again, his frustration evident. Finding Taixuzi among more than eighty thousand gates seemed an impossible task.

Princess Qianyou glanced at Gu Lin with a hint of disappointment. Clearly, she had little regard for his lack of insight. She then turned to look at the roughly four hundred people who had followed them in.

"Everyone, there are eighty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight gates below. The spiritual stones that erupted recently should be scattered among them, and within one of these gates lies Taixuzi's array spirit, waiting for someone to inherit it. Enter the gates and rely on your luck," Princess Qianyou addressed the crowd.

"Thank you, Senior," the crowd responded in unison. They were surprised that such a powerful figure would share this opportunity with them. Although some were skeptical, they knew enough to believe that the gates below likely held either the array spirit or spiritual stones, as the princess had said.