The moment Zong Qing spoke those words, every face in the crowd tightened. Several people even looked visibly sheepish, because as Zong Qing had pointed out, none of the cultivators cooperating with the two Dao Source Realm experts had actually exerted their full strength. Each had been counting on the others to put in more effort so they could coast along.
If the third layer of restrictions had been shattered in one fell swoop, that would have been fine—no one would have blamed anyone. But now that the process had stalled into a stalemate, some people found themselves in a rather embarrassing position.
Zong Qing spoke again. "I don't know what the rest of you are thinking, but I for one want to see what kind of treasure lies inside!"
With that, he surged the power within his body and drove an even fiercer torrent of energy into the dagger.
In the crowd, someone caught sight of this and let out a resonant shout. "Since Vice Hall Master Zong is being this open and honest, what reason do we have to hold back? If not now, when?!"
As he spoke, the man stopped concealing his strength as well and pushed his entire stock of Sacred Yuan to its limit.
The remaining cultivators exchanged glances, determination hardening in their eyes, and one after another channeled their power forward.
In an instant, the already enormous dagger swelled even larger, clearly swollen by the added influx of energy.
The sudden surge was so great that even Lian Yuming could barely maintain control. His expression shifted and he bellowed, "Good! With all your assistance, I will break this restriction even if it costs me my life!"
He opened his mouth and spat a mist of scarlet essence blood forward, which enveloped the dagger in a crimson cloud. The blood mist was absorbed almost at once, and a layer of deep red luminescence spread across the multicolored blade. The dagger, which moments ago had been trembling violently, steadied once more.
Accompanied by a furious roar from Lian Yuming, the dagger collided with the third layer of restrictions in a cataclysmic grinding clash that sent the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into sudden chaos.
*Crack...*
At last, a soft cracking sound rang out, and every gaze turned toward it with undisguised delight on their faces.
The third layer of restrictions, which had been as impregnable as an iron fortress, had finally split open a seam.
Lian Yuming changed hand seals again, rallying his strength like a charging tiger. He drove his mid-grade Dao Source Artifact forward in a devastating slash.
With a deafening shatter, the third layer of restrictions disintegrated in an instant, breaking apart like a mirror struck by a hammer—scattered to nothing.
The very moment the third layer fell, the first and second layers popped away like pierced bubbles, vanishing without a trace.
"Done!" someone cried in elation.
Others had already begun to surge forward, ready to rush inside.
But in that same instant, Lian Yuming and Zong Qing suddenly shot backward by more than a dozen zhang. At the same time, every disciple of the Blazing Fire Hall mirrored the motion, retreating in unison.
Yang Kai's heart clenched when he saw this. Without a word, he seized Kang Siran, who had been about to charge forward, and swept backward dozens of zhang through the air.
The next moment, a shrill *whoosh-whoosh-whoosh* erupted from the stone walls ahead.
Brilliant beams of light shot out from within the rock face, dense as a downpour, and slammed into the crowd below.
"What is that?!"
"Look out—dodge!"
Screams and shouts of alarm erupted. The scattered, unprepared cultivators scrambled to evade as soon as they realized something was wrong.
But the attacks lancing from the stone walls were simply too fast. Before anyone could mount a defense, they had already arrived at point-blank range.
In the next heartbeat, screams rang out one after another.
The cultivators suspended in midair were drenched in their own blood as they plummeted from the sky like dumplings tossed into a pot. Those with slightly weaker cultivation simply exploded into mists of crimson, leaving not even a corpse behind.
In the blink of an eye, more than half of the several dozen cultivators had perished. Not a single one at the Return Void Stage survived. Of those at the Void King Realm who did manage to live, every last one bore grievous injuries—the worst missing limbs entirely, a truly ghastly sight.
From a great distance, Yang Kai's face darkened. Kang Siran was even paler, his expression one of lingering terror.
If Yang Kai hadn't read the situation quickly and pulled him back, he would likely be dead or crippled himself.
"As expected, there were more traps hidden beyond the restrictions," Zong Qing's voice came from nearby.
Lian Yuming gave a slight nod beside him. "Thank goodness we were prepared. Otherwise..."
As he spoke, he turned to survey the surroundings. The surviving cultivators who met his gaze were all brimming with righteous fury, their faces twisted with anger.
But not one of them dared say a word.
Because everyone knew that anything said now would be useless. The Blazing Fire Hall's actions this time had certainly been underhanded, but out in the world, when was treachery ever absent? When were there never schemes behind scheming? They had failed to guard themselves—how could they blame anyone else? They had only themselves to blame for not having kept one more eye open.