A Name Shakes the Region – The Thunderfire Cone

Chapter 706: A Name Shakes the Region – The Thunderfire Cone

A violent tremor shook the ground beneath their feet. A thin, vertical crack split the small stone mountain, running from its peak to its base. A soft, white light bled from the fissure.

The mountain truly seemed to be splitting in two, cleaving open from the middle.

Han Li and the others drew in a sharp breath, their wariness of Nan Longhou and his companion's ability to part mountains and crack stone deepening considerably.

Yet, despite their shock, none of them let it show on their faces. They watched the scene unfold with practiced composure. What they truly thought in their hearts was known only to Heaven.

Wang Chan and Yan Ruyan, the two with the lowest cultivation among the group, stood pale-faced behind Wang Tiangu, silent and unmoving.

Han Li cast a cold glance at the two of them, then looked away.

It seemed there would be no chance to make a move on Wang Chan before the treasure was retrieved.

Nan Longhou and the white-robed elder's incantations did not cease for a moment.

After a short while, the stone mountain finally split in two, opening into a massive fissure over ten zhang wide.

Within the fissure, a set of green stone steps leading deep underground appeared before them.

“Let’s go,” the white-robed elder said, a flicker of excitement in his voice. He gave the briefest of greetings and strode in first.

Nan Longhou, the expedition’s initiator, merely smiled faintly and fell into step behind him.

Seeing this, Han Li’s mind stirred.

This white-robed elder is not simple, he mused. Even at this point, it seems Nan Longhou is deferring to him.

The others seemed to have noticed it too. They exchanged a few glances, but each was far too old and crafty to mention it. Instead, they followed without changing expression.

The stairway was long. Both sides were embedded with white Moonlight Stones, but the deeper they descended, the more chilling the air grew.

Before long, the group had traveled a hundred zhang beneath the mountain.

The Moonlight Stones no longer emitted a faint white glow. For some unknown reason, their light had shifted to a ghostly green, casting the passage in an ominous, murky gloom.

Frowning slightly, Han Li subconsciously widened the distance between himself and the dark-faced cultivator ahead of him, ensuring he would have time to react should any unforeseen danger arise.

In truth, he was not alone. Except for Nan Longhou and the white-robed elder, every other old monster present had wisely made the same move. The group’s formation had stretched out to a span of over ten zhang.

Nan Longhou and Elder Yun were fully aware of the others’ wariness. They pretended not to notice, continuing to stride forward without the slightest hint of displeasure.

After what felt like the time it took to eat a full meal, Han Li and the others filed, one by one, into a mysterious great hall.

It was mysterious because its four walls shimmered with a brilliant blue light, as if the entire chamber had been hollowed out from a single giant piece of glowing jade. The sight was dazzling.

Standing in this vast hall, several dozen zhang wide, even the veterans among them showed surprise on their faces.

Of course, this was not truly jade.

The moment Han Li entered the hall, he swept his spiritual sense across one wall. The moment it made contact, it was repelled, unable to penetrate even a fraction of an inch.

Undeterred, he extended his divine sense to every corner of the hall.

The result was the same.

A silent curse echoed in Han Li’s mind. He shifted his gaze to the others.

Wang Tiangu, the You surname cultivator, and the rest had their brows furrowed. They were clearly encountering the same difficulty.

“Could this be the place where that ‘Supreme Miao Divine Restriction’ is set up?” Han Li wondered. “It seems Nan Longhou was not exaggerating.”

As he was lost in thought, the entire hall suddenly shook violently. A series of booming crashes rang out from behind them.

The old woman and several others were startled. They turned around quickly, only to find that the entrance passage had vanished without a trace. In its place was the same blue-glowing wall as the rest of the chamber.

The entire hall had become a death trap.

“Fellow Daoist Nan, what is the meaning of this?” the dark-faced man asked, his face darkening as he demanded an explanation.

Wang Tiangu and the others also looked wary, their eyes fixed on Nan Longhou and the white-robed elder.

“You are all overthinking it! This is simply the outer restriction activating on its own, sealing the mountain shut again. This happened the last time the two of us came as well. We must remain in this hall for three full days. At that point, the restriction’s power will be at its weakest, and we will be able to split the mountain once more. There is no danger of being trapped here. Furthermore, with the outer seal closed, we need not fear those Dharma Warriors discovering us from the outside.” Nan Longhou’s tone was calm and collected, betraying no surprise.

Hearing this, the dark-faced man and the others grew less suspicious, though they were not entirely convinced.

As long as Nan Longhou and the white-robed elder remained in the hall with them, however, they had no fear of a trap.

“My apologies. I spoke rashly,” the dark-faced man said, offering a cupped-fist salute.

“Think nothing of it! Let us focus on breaking this restriction. This is the very place where Elder Yun and I were forced to retreat last time. The Supreme Miao Divine Restriction is no easy task to crack.” Nan Longhou waved off the apology, feigning indifference.

“Is it truly that difficult to break? This old woman recently acquired a treasure that specializes in cracking all manner of restrictions and barriers. Perhaps there is no need for such protracted trouble. I could simply sacrifice this treasure and be done with it,” the old woman suddenly said, a strange smile creasing her wrinkled face, catching everyone off guard.

“Oh? If Madam Tai truly possesses such an extraordinary treasure, then by all means, give it a try. The method we were planning to use—cracking the restriction with our divine sense—is hardly foolproof,” the white-robed elder replied without hesitation, a flash of joy in his eyes.

“Indeed. Fellow Daoist Yun, please proceed. We will not hinder you,” Nan Longhou said, equally pleased.

“Since you two agree, this old woman will not be shy about it. However… if I do manage to break this restriction with this treasure, will I be permitted to choose a treasure alongside you two, before the others?” the old woman said with a dry chuckle, her formerly murky eyes gleaming with a sharp light as she revealed her true motive.

At this, the cold-faced cultivator, Wang Tiangu, and the others all shifted slightly, but they waited to see how Nan Longhou would respond.

A flicker of surprise crossed Nan Longhou’s face, but after exchanging a glance with the white-robed elder, he addressed the entire hall.

“Whether it is Madam Tai or any other Fellow Daoist present, whoever can break this restriction will be permitted to choose one treasure first, after the two of us have made our selections. What say you all?”

As he spoke, Nan Longhou deliberately studied the expressions of Han Li and the others.

Han Li and Wang Tiangu both showed an air of indifference. The dark-faced man and the You surname cultivator, though clearly displeased, did not voice any objection. Their silence served as tacit agreement.

Nan Longhou nodded with a smile before turning decisively back to the old woman.

“Since no one objects, Madam Tai, you may proceed.”

“Very well. This old woman will give it a try.” The old woman was secretly pleased. She had great confidence in this particular treasure of hers.

As long as it was not an intangible restriction like an illusion array, she felt her chances were high. Otherwise, she would not have risked angering her companions by making such a bold proposal.

The woman known as Madam Tai reached into her wide sleeve and drew out a small object, no more than a few inches in size.

It was narrow at the back and wide at the front, completely crimson, and shaped like an awl.

Paying no attention to the others, she opened her mouth and spat a ball of dazzling light directly onto the awl.

In an instant, the object flashed with red light as a scorching wave of fire spread from the treasure, filling the entire hall.

Even Nan Longhou and the white-robed elder, for all their experience, recognized at once that this was no ordinary item. They took a few steps back to examine the old woman’s awl more closely.

Wang Chan and Yan Ruyan, upon contact with the fiery wave, changed expression drastically. They quickly raised a blood-colored barrier around themselves, their faces filled with alarm.

Even with their late Core Formation cultivation, the wave of fire left them parched and burning. They could not have endured being in it for long.

A flash of white light, followed by a faint “crackling” sound from the awl.

Han Li and the others, startled, focused their attention.

They noticed that within the crimson flame enveloping the awl, several faint strands of white electric arcs were dancing and leaping.

This treasure is a Thunderfire-type ancient treasure, with both fire and lightning attributes!

Several gazes of varied nature immediately fell upon the old woman.

She ignored them completely, fixing her eyes on the blue-glowing wall before her. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the Thunderfire Cone.

A burst of brilliant light. A low, rumbling roar.

The awl began to spin rapidly above the woman’s head. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a streak of refined light, moving so fast it became all but invisible.

All anyone could see was a faint, blurred shadow of red and white light, racing through the hall at a speed that made it seem both present and not. Every person in the room was stunned by the sheer velocity.

Han Li was especially alarmed. I have never seen an ancient treasure with such inherent speed. If this were used in battle, even a Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to dodge.

If it were aimed at me, aside from using the Wind Lightning Wings, I would have no real defense.