By now, even Jiang Chen was sighing inwardly. This pace, it was obvious, had fallen entirely under the other party's control.
Even those emperor-realm powerhouses, faced with this web of schemes, were now moving entirely at the other party's pace.
To put it bluntly, they were being led by the nose.
If this place truly was the ancient Holy One Sect's sacred inheritance ground, being led by the nose and going with the flow might not necessarily be a bad thing.
But from beginning to end, Jiang Chen never believed this was truly some ancient Holy One Sect sacred ground.
Still, Jiang Chen had no intention of speaking up. His principle remained as steadfast as ever: take one step at a time and see what came next.
Whether or not this place was the real Holy One Sect sacred ground, Jiang Chen's objective was crystal clear — to unearth every secret of this secret realm and reap every benefit he could.
Jiang Chen's motivations weren't all that different from anyone else's.
What set him apart from the rest was that his mind hadn't been swept up in the fervor — he wasn't following the other party's train of thought, being manipulated step by step like a puppet.
"Juniors, don't celebrate too soon. Having reached this point, perhaps you've taken ninety-nine steps — but it's equally possible you've only taken one. Until you've completed the hundredth step, none of you have the right to be smug! Because at any moment, you could fall at the very next trial."
That voice seemed to pick up on the whispered chatter in the crowd, dousing them with a bucket of cold water.
"Every single one of you — open your eyes and look carefully. Surrounding this palace are seven pillars, arranged according to the positions of the Big Dipper. This is a sealing formation. If you wish to enter this palace, you must break through this seal. Only by doing so can you enter this palace and claim its inheritance. If you lack that ability, it means you are ultimately fated to have no connection with the ancient Holy One Sect!"
The voice was lofty and indifferent in tone, yet it carried a kind of mesmerizing magic that compelled one to kneel in reverence. That air of authority was unmistakably that of a true superior.
"The south-facing direction is the main gate. If you break through the seal from the main gate, the entire formation will collapse. The whole Holy One Sect sacred ground will open up completely. And you — you will become the inheritors of the ancient Holy One Sect, heralding a great new era!"
That voice possessed a unique quality of its own — capable of ensnaring hearts and stirring passions, leaving every martial artist present, whether young or old, boiling with fervor.
To become the inheritors of an ancient supreme sect. To herald a great new era.
How many could resist such a temptation?
What sect obligations, what loyal devotion — in the face of such irresistible allure, most people's defenses crumbled in an instant.
The crowd surged forward almost as one, swarming toward the main gate in the south.
At the main gate, an enormous plaque bore three characters inscribed in archaic seal script — Holy One Sect!
Those three characters possessed an extraordinary bearing, carrying a sovereign's aura that looked down upon all under heaven, radiating a thousand majestic impressions. Those three characters alone conveyed a sense of boundless authority.
"Holy One Sect?" Jiang Chen was momentarily startled when he saw those three characters. He had never expected that this place was truly the sacred ground of the Holy One Sect?
"Not necessarily, not necessarily! What the eye sees may not be real! This place oozes strangeness from every corner, reeks of traps at every turn. Those illusory visions we saw earlier — could this Holy One Sect palace be any different?" Jiang Chen had already formed a preconceived notion, and his heart remained resistant the entire time.
Even upon seeing the three characters of Holy One Sect, he remained unmoved.
However, at this moment, he was clearly one of very few who stood apart like this.
Nearly every powerhouse had surged to the front of the south gate. They gazed upon the colossal pillar before the gate, which stood like an ancient giant rooted in place, guarding the palace's main entrance.
A golden pillar of light revolved around the enormous column, suspending layers of resplendent golden halos that shot straight into the sky.
It was the same great pillar of light they had seen from the perimeter earlier.
Jiang Chen stood at the back of the crowd, his expression impassive. He had a powerful premonition that now, at the threshold of this palace, they were close to the truth being revealed.
However, would this so-called "Holy One Sect" really bring these people any surprises?
From the bottom of his heart, Jiang Chen still didn't believe it.
His intuition in his divine sense remained steadfast as ever.
Up ahead, Long Baxiang chuckled eerily. "Emperor Yunlan, at the Gate of All Beings before, I was the first to charge in. This time, I trust you won't try to beat me to it?"
Emperor Yunlan snorted coldly, "Long Baxiang, if you want to go first, this emperor will let you. I'm only afraid you're not strong enough to break this seal, and that would be a public humiliation."
Long Baxiang cackled, "If I can't break it, even if you, Emperor Yunlan, took my place, you certainly wouldn't be able to either. What's so humiliating about that?"
After speaking, Long Baxiang gave a shout, and all the elites of the Heavenly Dragon Sect gathered together.
"On my command, attack this seal!"
Long Baxiang issued the order, building up his aura, clearly preparing to launch a full-force attack.
In the Heavenly Dragon Sect, Long Baxiang was not the top figure, but he was ranked second or third. Moreover, the Heavenly Dragon Sect's martial techniques were domineering, and their bloodline powers were extraordinary. In terms of individual combat strength, Long Baxiang's power was definitely not inferior to Emperor Yunlan's.