The frenzied atmosphere in the crowd left little room for anyone to dwell on that question. Most people had indeed entertained the same thought at some point, but they instinctively assumed those two had simply gone the wrong way, stumbled into some unknown region — whether they'd become trapped or perished, either outcome was plausible.
"Is everyone ready? Heed my command! To break this seal, every last one of you must give your all! Remember — this sacred ground of the Holy One Sect is our chance to change our destinies. Anyone who holds back has no right to claim the legacy of this holy ground!"
"One, two, three — attack!"
The moment Emperor Yunlan gave the order, every cultivator on the field surged with power. Wave after wave of frenzied attacks hammered toward the great seal pillar like a violent tempest.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The combined assault of several hundred cultivators was nothing short of terrifying. Earlier, when Long Baxiang had struck that seal pillar alone, it hadn't budged an inch, and he himself had been sent flying.
But now, under the onslaught of hundreds, the golden ripples undulating around the outer surface of the seal pillar began to shudder violently, emitting piercing cracks like the sound of space itself being torn apart.
"Again!"
Seeing that the first volley hadn't broken through, Emperor Yunlan immediately commanded the second wave.
Then a third…
Each attack was staggering in its power. Jiang Chen stood toward the rear of the crowd, putting in virtually no effort at all — merely going through the motions with convincing feints.
Of course, with his level of cultivation and his position at the back, no one could tell he was half-hearting it.
In truth, Jiang Chen had been harboring suspicions about this whole endeavor from the start. He couldn't shake the feeling that the seal on the Holy One Sect's grand hall wasn't merely a trial for intruders — there had to be deeper factors at play. The more he pondered those factors, the more a quiet unease settled in his chest.
If breaking this seal really did open some terrible Pandora's box, it could very well mark the beginning of catastrophe for the human domain.
This frightening possibility couldn't be entirely ruled out.
Of course, Jiang Chen had no intention of standing up to object. Setting aside the fact that he'd be a lone voice against the crowd, even if he had brought Emperor Wushuang and the others in with him, he still wouldn't have spoken up.
To object now would be to paint a target on his own back. Those fanatics would turn their fury on him without a second thought.
Jiang Chen was not fool enough to make that mistake.
Besides, this was nothing more than a guess on his part. Whether opening the Holy One Sect's seal would bring fortune or disaster, he couldn't say for certain.
The chain-like seal in his mind had remained in a heightened state of vigilance. But exactly what was triggering that wariness, Jiang Chen couldn't pinpoint either.
Perhaps it was the surrounding seals and restrictions? Perhaps there was some hidden danger lurking within the Holy One Sect itself?
Anything was possible!
So the only thing Jiang Chen could do now was play it by ear.
Several hundred cultivators — including more than ten Emperors and two to three hundred Kings — unleashed everything they had. Under their full-power assault, the seal pillar still stood resolute, but the brilliant golden ripples across its surface were growing fainter and fainter.
The tadpole-shaped seal characters etched across the pillar's surface blurred and cracked in succession. Clearly, the relentless barrage was inflicting serious damage to the seal.
After all, countless ages had passed since the ancient era. With the passage of time, even the mightiest seal was bound to weaken.
No seal, no matter how formidable, could withstand the erosion of eternity forever.
This grand hall of the ancient Holy One Sect — its seal had looked invincible. Yet under the siege of hundreds, it was slowly peeling away, slowly beginning to crumble.
Jiang Chen continued his pretense of contributing without actually exerting himself. He watched as wave after wave of attacks struck, and the seal pillar visibly disintegrated at a pace the naked eye could follow.
But even so, a vague sense of unease gnawed at him. He noticed that although the crowd's attacks were powerful, the speed at which the pillar was breaking apart exceeded what their combined force should have been capable of achieving.
In other words, something unseen seemed to be working in tandem with their assault, gradually dismantling the seal pillar from within — as if the seal's own power was unraveling of its own accord.
Emperor Yunlan watched the pillar growing ever more unstable, delight spreading across his face. He rallied the crowd: "Keep at it, everyone! Victory is within reach!"
They could all see it now — under their coordinated assault, the destruction of the seal pillar was simply a matter of time.
"The final three strikes and this seal is guaranteed to break!"
"Attack!"
Watching the seal crumble before their eyes and imagining the Holy One Sect's sacred ground about to be revealed, their excitement reached a fever pitch.
And then—
*Keew!*
A piercing, mournful cry tore through the void. The sound seemed to drift from the far shore of the ancient era itself, piercing through the tunnels of time and space to reverberate against their eardrums.
"What was that?"
"Hmm? It sounded like a bird's cry?"
"Where? Where is it coming from?"
Everyone was stunned, eyes darting in every direction. The cry had been so shrill, so eerie, it sent chills down their spines.
*Keew! Keew!*