Just when everyone believed those two would follow the path of the previous three—utterly exhausted and inevitably plummeting into the lava below—the scene suddenly took a dramatic turn.
Those seven colossal pillars of light simultaneously shot out streams of radiance like meteors. The terrifying beams tore through the void like blades, slashing across the voidal restrictions.
The restrictions, which had been as hard as solid rock, were forcibly carved open by the blinding light, crack after crack splitting across their surface.
The moment those cracks appeared, the restrictions seemed to fall into a brief state of collapse.
The two Imperial Realm cultivators instantly felt their entire bodies loosen, as if a bird with bound wings had suddenly discovered its restraints were gone. They shot forward with blinding speed, streaking toward the opposite bank.
This bizarre turn of events left every person on-site dumbstruck.
By the time they came to their senses, the two Imperial Realm powerhouses had already landed on the far side, roaring with laughter, their faces twisted with wild excitement: "We made it through! Ha ha ha—I actually made it!"
Long Baxiang's expression shifted. He called out, "Heavenly Dragon Sect—all of you, follow me!"
Long Baxiang charged forward first, intending to seize this opportunity and blast through the restriction.
But in the next instant, the situation changed once more. The barrier stretching across the path ahead suddenly surged with another violent ripple.
After the ripple subsided, the restriction settled like the surface of water after a stone's cast—perfectly calm once again. It stood before them, completely intact, as if it had never been damaged.
If the previous scene had left everyone slack-jawed, then this development was enough to make their minds utterly short-circuit.
How was this possible?
The restriction had been torn open by those pillars of light, yet it had healed itself this quickly?
How many bizarre secrets did the secret realm of Chenxiang Valley actually conceal? A single restriction could toy with people like this?
One moment it cracked open, the next it mended itself—this rhythm was like a schizophrenic patient, utterly impossible to predict or follow.
Jiang Chen's gaze deepened, contemplative.
He had watched the entire sequence of events unfold. If he had harbored some vague suspicions before, then now, a rough framework had already taken shape in his mind.
He believed that the secret realm of Chenxiang Valley was being manipulated by more than one force.
Yes—Jiang Chen was certain there were two forces at work within Chenxiang Valley, and these two forces held diametrically opposed stances.
One force was doing everything in its power to prevent anyone from entering the secret realm.
The other force was doing everything it could to lure people in.
This situation could absolutely not originate from a single source. Otherwise, it was simply unexplainable.
"What exactly is the secret behind Chenxiang Valley's restrictions? Why are there two completely opposite forces, two completely opposite attitudes?"
Jiang Chen turned the question over in his mind, searching for every detail that might confirm his deductions.
He was nearly certain his theory was correct. The restrictions they had encountered along the way, the searing heat waves, and the lava before them—all belonged to one force, the one that was trying to keep these cultivators out.
The other force was embodied by those seven pillars of light and the glassy curtain of water. This force was clearly desperate to have human cultivators enter.
Which of these two forces was righteous and which was wicked, Jiang Chen could not say. He couldn't even determine whether either side had justice on its side at all.
After all, at this stage, beyond these restrictions and phenomena, they had yet to encounter a single clue that would reveal either force's true intentions or alignment.
The restrictions had closed again, but those two Imperial Realm powerhouses were already on the other side—free as fish in water, exhilarated, and vanishing from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.
Clearly, having broken through the restriction by sheer luck, they had completely shed their earlier despair and terror. The thought that some extraordinary opportunity might be waiting for them ahead filled both men with fanatical excitement. Why would they care about how Long Baxiang had shoved them in against their will?
They were almost inclined to thank him.
If Long Baxiang hadn't been so forceful, the standoff might have dragged on indefinitely.
Long Baxiang had nearly crossed the threshold himself, but had pulled back at the last second, saving himself and the Heavenly Dragon Sect from being trapped within the restriction.
With lingering dread, Long Baxiang stared at the turbulent flow of the restrictions, his expression complicated. After a moment, fury consumed him—his face turned ashen, radiating killing intent.
He could see that the two men he had thrown in unwillingly had successfully passed through the restriction and entered the ancient secret realm, vanishing from sight entirely.
The thought that those two could now roam freely within the secret realm, gathering whatever treasures they pleased, ignited an indescribable rage in Long Baxiang's chest.
He did not believe his earlier actions had been wrong, but this outcome was undoubtedly the last thing he wanted to see. His own move had benefited others—just thinking about it made his blood boil.
Suddenly, Long Baxiang's gaze turned icy. He whipped his head around, his frigid eyes sweeping toward the crowd behind him.
Under that terrifying stare, the martial artists in the rear went pale and instinctively stepped back.
It was clear that everyone feared Long Baxiang's tyrannical behavior.
Long Baxiang let out a strange laugh: "What are all of you so worried about? This Emperor just sent two men in, and they arrived safely. Fortune lies right before your eyes—have you lost the nerve for it?"