Yang Kai and Lan Xun landed together, and Xiao Chen and Lei Ting immediately came forward to greet them.
"Your Highness!" Xiao Chen greeted her with a bright smile, though Lei Ting, who had followed him over, looked rather ill at ease, glancing around as if extremely uncomfortable.
"Senior Brother Xiao, Senior Brother Lei!" Lan Xun returned the greeting with a smile, glancing at both of them.
"Mm..." Lei Ting mumbled, his face suddenly flushing red. He didn't even dare to meet Lan Xun's eyes directly.
A flicker of surprise crossed Yang Kai's eyes. He glanced at Lei Ting, then at Lan Xun, and broke into an amused grin.
"Brother Yang!" Xiao Chen cupped his fists toward Yang Kai, his manner warm and amiable—a complete departure from the overbearing attitude he had shown during their previous encounters, as if he were an entirely different person.
"Brother Xiao, Brother Lei. We meet again." Yang Kai returned the courtesy.
Lei Ting let out a soft snort and turned his head away.
Yang Kai paid it no mind and spoke up. "Are we the only four Emperor Realm cultivators entering the Five-Colored Treasure Pagoda this time?"
Although many warriors had gathered here, the Emperor Realm cultivators seemed to number only the four of them. The four Grand Elder-level experts at Emperor Realm Stage Three were present as well, but they certainly wouldn't be going inside.
Lan Xun nodded. "That's right, just the four of us. The cost for Emperor Realm cultivators to enter the Five-Colored Treasure Pagoda is substantial, and they occupy more slots, so there can never be too many Emperor Realm cultivators going in each time."
Yang Kai let out an "oh."
Lan Xun continued, "Senior Brother Yang, even though you've trained inside the Five-Colored Treasure Pagoda once before, the situation then was different from now. The Pagoda has five levels, and each level contains many fractured spaces. Some of these fractured spaces are connected to one another and can be entered and exited freely, while others are completely sealed off. The higher the level, the more pronounced this becomes. The spaces on the first level are suited to Return Void Realm warriors, the second to Void King Realm, the third to Dao Source Realm, and the fourth to Emperor Realm cultivators. As for the topmost fifth level, only the strongest among the Emperor Realm may enter."
"Are there some kind of seals?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
Lan Xun nodded. "Yes. If your strength isn't sufficient, you won't be able to enter the next level. Of course, the higher the level, the more dangerous it becomes. When the Five-Colored Treasure Pagoda was opened over a decade ago, an ancient wooden demon appeared on the second level and caused many deaths in Maple Forest City. Senior Brother Yang, you experienced it firsthand—you must still remember it vividly?"
Yang Kai's expression turned grave. "How could I forget?"
The disaster caused by that wooden demon had killed tens of thousands in Maple Forest City. Yang Kai had been there for the entire ordeal, so he remembered it all too clearly.
Lan Xun said solemnly, "Though training within the Five-Colored Treasure Pagoda provides tremendous benefits to warriors, it is also fraught with danger. Every time the Pagoda opens, some of our Star God Palace disciples fall within it."
"There's no way to fully guarantee their safety?" Yang Kai frowned slightly.
Lan Xun replied, "There isn't. It's said that the fractured spaces sealed within the Five-Colored Treasure Pagoda are all ancient battlefields—worlds from various realms that were shattered to pieces. Though these worlds were broken apart, they still retain fragments of heavenly laws, and many ancient remnant species with tenacious vitality have found ways to survive within them. Later, a powerful being collected those shattered worlds through extraordinary means and refined them into the Five-Colored Treasure Pagoda. The Pagoda has weathered the ages and changed hands many times before coming to my father. But even my father cannot fully control those countless fractured spaces."
After a pause, Lan Xun smiled. "Of course, even if he could, Father probably wouldn't interfere. If training carried no danger, what kind of training would it be!"
Yang Kai nodded in wholehearted agreement. "Junior Sister Lan is quite right."
Lan Xun smiled. "So when you enter the Pagoda later, Senior Brother Yang, you must be extra careful. Don't let your guard down."
"I'll remember that." Yang Kai nodded with a serious expression.
Meanwhile, the Star God Palace disciples participating in the Five-Colored Treasure Pagoda training had largely assembled.
Grand Elder Lei Hong cleared his throat with a light cough, and the noisy chatter below fell silent instantly. Over a thousand pairs of eyes turned to focus on him.
"The Five-Colored Treasure Pagoda opens today. All of you are the elite of our God Palace, the future pillars of the Palace. This old man and the elders hope that you will reap gains within the Pagoda. Of course, the prerequisite is that you preserve your own lives. As fellow disciples, you should help and support one another within the Pagoda..."
Taking advantage of this moment, Lan Xun secretly transmitted her voice to Yang Kai again, telling him more about the Five-Colored Treasure Pagoda, and Yang Kai committed everything to memory.
Lei Hong didn't say much. After just a few sentences, he waved his hand broadly and declared, "If you've understood, then prepare to enter!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he exchanged a glance with the other three elders. Each of them shifted their bodies, taking positions at the four corners of the Five-Colored Treasure Pagoda. They activated their profound cultivation and formed hand seals.
As their Emperor Yuan surged, the four of them reached out and pointed downward.
With a thunderous rumble, the great doors of the Five-Colored Treasure Pagoda—which had remained sealed all this time—suddenly swung open.
Though the motion was swift, the four Grand Elders were now suddenly drenched in sweat as if wringing it from their very pores—clearly, the act of opening the Pagoda placed considerable strain on them.
And as the great doors opened, a slowly rotating vortex of pitch-black darkness revealed itself from within, resembling the gaping maw of some savage beast, poised to devour whoever entered.
When the vortex first appeared, it was unstable, constantly twisting and shifting, emitting waves of power that sent chills of unease through one's heart.
But as the four Grand Elders continued pouring their energy into it, the vortex gradually stabilized, and the unsettling waves of power slowly dissipated.
This situation persisted for roughly the time it takes an incense stick to burn before the four Grand Elders simultaneously withdrew their power. Each one was pale-faced and gasping for breath, their auras weakened to the extreme.
At this moment, if any ordinary Emperor Realm Stage Two cultivator came along, they likely wouldn't stand a chance.
"If not now, then when?" Grand Elder Lei Hong suddenly roared.