Deep within Falling Emperor Mountain, in a certain valley between peaks, Yang Kai and his group of five had been flying for three days before finally stopping at this location.
This was already the interior of Falling Emperor Mountain. Before the Emperor's Court emerged, no living creature had been able to set foot here — the dense Emperor's Might was more than enough to grind any who dared challenge it to dust.
However, once the Emperor's Court appeared, the Emperor's Might of Falling Emperor Mountain dissipated into nothingness, leaving this place completely unguarded.
The five of them had arrived without the slightest difficulty, encountering not a single obstacle along the way.
"So this is the place?" The old man surnamed He turned to look around, his brow furrowed deeply. The others wore equally bewildered expressions.
Though the spiritual energy of heaven and earth here was by no means poor, under their spiritual senses, they couldn't detect the slightest trace of any array formation or restriction — let alone the cave dwelling of an ancient warrior.
"That's right, this is the place." The old man surnamed Jiang, however, was brimming with confidence. A smile played on his lips as he said, "If it weren't for my fortunate coincidence of fighting someone here back in the day, I never would have discovered the secrets of this place. It was nothing but luck that I noticed anything at all."
"Elder Jiang, stop keeping us in suspense — where exactly is that ancient dwelling hidden?" The burly man surnamed Chen was the most impatient of the lot, and he pressed eagerly.
"It's as far as the horizon, yet as close as right before your eyes." Elder Jiang smiled faintly. "Brother Chen, why don't you launch a casual attack in that direction? Then you'll see what's going on."
"Oh?" The burly man raised a thick brow and looked toward where Elder Jiang was pointing, only to find what appeared to be nothing more than a smooth rock wall. Even under the sweep of his Return Void Stage, second-level spiritual sense, he couldn't discern anything unusual.
But since the other had said as much, there was clearly something behind it. So without further hesitation, the burly man gave a low shout and threw a punch.
Saint Power surged and erupted, the fist wind nearly solidifying into substance. Visible to the naked eye, a gleaming golden fist projection shot from his hand and blasted straight toward the rock wall.
The Saint Power within this man's body was unmistakably of the gold attribute — fierce and unstoppable.
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow at the sight. He gave a slight nod. Though he had no idea which force this burly man surnamed Chen hailed from, judging by the refinement and density of his Saint Power, he seemed to be a cut above the typical second-level Return Void cultivator.
Madam Yi stood to the side with a pleased smile, clearly quite satisfied with her husband's strength and the imposing aura he projected with every gesture.
Then something unexpected happened. Just as the golden fist projection was about to strike the rock wall, a ripple suddenly spread through the air, as though an invisible energy membrane had materialized before it. The mighty fist projection plunged into it like a bull into the sea, utterly vanishing without a trace — not even the faintest disturbance.
And in the very next instant, an identical attack to the golden fist projection earlier materialized from the space ahead with eerie suddenness, hurtling straight toward the burly man's face.
The abrupt turn of events made the burly man cry out in alarm as he scrambled to dodge.
Boom!
The golden fist projection shot off over a hundred zhang, smashing into the rocks and trees on the far side and sending them scattering like rain.
"It actually reflects attacks back?" The old man surnamed Chen, far from being alarmed, was delighted. His eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Indeed. That is why the Five Elements Calamity Spirit Array grows stronger against the strong and weaker against the weak — it's precisely why I've been utterly powerless against it." Elder Jiang nodded gently.
Though the burly man had been caught in rather an undignified state just a moment ago, he showed no anger. Instead he remarked from the side, "This array is actually quite interesting. Elder Jiang, tell us — what do we need to do to break through it?"
Elder Jiang chuckled. "This old man is no great talent, but I have indeed figured out a method to break it. As long as everyone works together, it can be done. Please, come closer, everyone."
Hearing this, the group quickly gathered around him.
The leisurely expression on Elder Jiang's face turned serious in an instant, and he began explaining how they would need to cooperate to break the array.
Every person present was a Return Void realm warrior. Though none were the absolute peak of cultivation, having cultivated for so many years they had naturally encountered their fair share of array formations. After listening to Elder Jiang's explanation, each of them nodded slightly, indicating they understood.
"Good. Since everyone has grasped the method, let us take some time to recover first and bring ourselves into optimal condition."
No one raised any objections. They immediately sat cross-legged and began circulating their techniques, gripping Saint Crystals to replenish the Saint Power expended during their journey here.
Roughly half a day later, the group opened their eyes one after another, each looking refreshed and brimming with anticipation.
"Ah, Young Friend Yang — did you happen to bring spirit pills that can rapidly replenish Saint Power?" Elder Jiang asked once more, unable to rest easy. Though he vaguely suspected that Yang Kai's background was far from ordinary, the stakes were too high for him to be careless.
"I did. Don't worry, Elder Jiang," Yang Kai replied evenly.
With the vast reserves of Saint Power stored within his body, he had no need whatsoever for any recovery pills. Even if his Saint Power were completely depleted, detonating a single drop of Golden Blood would restore him to full vigor in an instant. In all his years of adventuring, Yang Kai had rarely ever faced the problem of running dry on Saint Power.
"That's good. Everyone, make sure your recovery pills are kept somewhere easily accessible. The Five Elements Calamity Spirit Array may not be difficult to break, but it places very high demands on sustained Saint Power output. If we want to enter that ancient dwelling, none of us can afford to slack off."
"We're well aware of all that. Stop wasting time, Elder Jiang — let's begin," the burly man urged.