Five Immortal Sects
Chapter 140: The Secret Within the Wheel of Life and Death

As Wang Lang spoke, his offensive strikes surged like a tide. Though calm on the surface, a trace of disdain stirred within his heart. While Quan Jiuxing was indeed a standout among the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Grand Profound Sect, Wang Lang believed his offensive strength to be far too weak.

In the previous stage, had he himself led the Qi Condensation cultivators into the sphere, there would never have been a loss of eleven men. He alone could have slain the enemy cleanly but not a flicker of this thought showed on his face…

Just as Wang Lang’s party pressed forward, no one noticed that a faint thread of divine sense had already seeped silently into this space.

At this moment, Li Yan had chosen one of the gates upon the ribbon of pure white light. This time, he had selected one that radiated intense brilliance, meaning he was very close to the cultivators within. If he stepped through now, he would emerge directly beneath their noses. However, right now, Li Yan’s body pulsed with surging spiritual power, his hands continuously channeling energy into the blue prism crystal. The azure glow on its surface flickered erratically, extremely unstable.

The protective spiritual light around Li Yan’s body had already been deformed by the immense pressure from the outside. Even the outer “Ghost Chariot Talisman” had begun to dim, and would soon collapse entirely.

This predicament stemmed from his failure to fully pass through the membrane of the light ribbon. His body was now like one stuck inside a wall, and only by pushing with all his strength could he break through.

Through repeated attempts of entering the light ribbon, Li Yan discovered that it was actually possible to linger briefly within the membrane layer, though doing so caused the spiritual energy within the blue prism to deplete rapidly.

He had to constantly infuse the prism with his own spiritual power to maintain a single-element spiritual state inside it. Otherwise, he risked becoming permanently lodged in this limbo.

At the same time, the interior of the wall exerted tremendous pressure. Even with his protective light and the Ghost Chariot Talisman, he felt as though a crushing force was converging from all directions, trying to squeeze him into a pulp.

The benefit of this method, however, was that it allowed him to approach the enemy at an extremely close range with minimal risk of triggering the restriction’s attacks. A thin crack of light could be forced open in the gate through the glow emitted by the prism.

Through that narrow crack, Li Yan’s divine sense could stealthily seep into the passageway. He wasn’t worried about being attacked by the enemy; he was confident in the integrity of the membrane. If the other side had the capability to strike through it, they wouldn’t be stuck advancing linearly through each trial in the first place.

There was only one possible way they could strike him, by channeling an attack precisely through the thin slit he had forced open with the blue prism’s glow. But the chances of that were so low as to be negligible. Besides, every move here carried risk.

“So it’s Wang Lang and Quan Jiuxing after all. As expected, the two sects have joined forces. Senior Brother once mentioned their strength. No matter which team runs into these two together, the odds of victory are minuscule. I’ll need to come up with a plan…

This Ghost Chariot Talisman won’t last much longer either, and this isn’t the best angle for an ambush. I’ll have to find another position after getting out.”

Watching the dozens of figures ahead vanish into the distance, Li Yan’s divine sense advanced slightly once more.

He had chosen this brightly glowing door for two reasons: first, to test whether his method of wedging himself into the membrane was viable; second, because if he’d chosen one of the dark arched gates ahead, he feared that his physical body or even his divine sense, might instantly trigger a deadly restriction the moment he entered.

In this area, however, the restrictions had already been triggered by the cultivators inside the passage. His divine sense, mingling amid the chaos of battle, would go unnoticed.

Quan Jiuxing slapped out with both palms, summoning two illusory palm shadows. With a flicker of light, they grasped several golden thread-like serpents.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

With a few shrill cries, bursts of golden light erupted between his fingers, the serpents had been crushed into sparks.

“Brother Wang, how about we make a wager for the remaining stretch? Let our sects race once more to see who reaches the ten-li mark first?”

Wang Lang’s expression turned darker. He had full confidence in claiming victory over the final few li, but it was clear the other side had already figured out the sword cultivators’ weakness. Even if they made it to the yellow sphere, the Qi Condensation disciples under him would likely have no more than half their spiritual power left.

If he led them into the sphere then, though he trusted himself to slaughter the opposition, those disciples would need at least some time to hold the line. Under a desperate clash, they might not even last a single round of frenzied attacks.

“Brother Quan, are you saying that senior of your Grand Profound Sect only discovered this secret? Isn’t it possible for two Foundation Establishment cultivators to enter the sphere simultaneously?”

Wang Lang struck down several black demonic birds and gave Quan Jiuxing a glance as he continued.

“Brother Wang, haven’t you and the Pure Land Sect’s upper echelon asked this question for decades now? Why won’t you believe it? This secret was discovered purely by accident, thousands of years ago, by a Core Formation senior of my sect.

That senior had mixed spiritual roots, and during childhood, he inadvertently swallowed a strange crimson pill. By some miracle, it propelled him all the way to the Core Formation stage, causing quite a stir at the time.

Unfortunately, that crimson pill was unique and there was only one, so no one could study it further.

Later, this senior became a team captain in the Wheel of Life and Death trials, where he unintentionally observed the five-elemental distribution of the spiritual energy within the blue prism crystal. Over the next few centuries of trial participation, he experimented repeatedly and eventually made a discovery.

When the blue prism crystal contained a perfectly balanced five-element spiritual energy, he could carry it into a yellow sphere that already had another cultivator inside. Strangely, the platform would not rise, and the trial’s rules would not register both participants as being present.

Only when the Foundation Establishment cultivators following behind him entered would the sphere’s rules recognize the presence of both sides and then the death match would begin.

He used this secret method to seize the advantage in dozens of trials, yet never revealed it to anyone. It wasn’t until he failed to form a Nascent Soul, was disheartened, and turned to focus on alchemy, that he left behind a jade slip detailing everything.

Only a thousand years ago was that jade slip discovered by one of our sect’s elders by pure chance.

At first, the discovery was deemed useless. In those ancient times, it was always Core Formation cultivators who led their teams into the Wheel. How would one even find someone like that senior again?

But three hundred years ago, when the threat of the Wraith Sect against our three sects grew too great, we sought to use the Wheel of Life and Death to cripple them, if only to break their generational line for a few decades. Brother Wang, surely you’re no less informed on this than I?”

Quan Jiuxing shot Wang Lang a sidelong glance.

Wang Lang nodded slowly.

“Our sect spent over two hundred and sixty years searching for mixed-root cultivators. We exhausted every resource, yet only found one hundred and eighty. Of those, fewer than seventy survived.

Most died from exploding after taking the pill, or perished during training. Wasn’t your sect the same? Don’t tell me the two of us truly have no way to enter the sphere together?”

Wang Lang sighed deeply but still pressed the question, unwilling to let it go.

With a flourish, Quan Jiuxing spun and released a cascade of multicolored radiance that swept up four or five of the golden thread-snakes. The rainbow glow emanated a celestial resonance, echoing with the chanting of Daoist hymns. The serpents struggled frantically to escape, but under the sound of the Dao, their eyes dimmed. In an instant, all life had fled from them.

“Brother Wang, if I had a method, would I withhold it?”

Quan Jiuxing’s hands never ceased attacking.

“Still, whether we annihilate the Wraith Sect entirely, or if some of them escape, I’m certain they’ve already taken notice.

But as for the idea of having three Foundation Establishment cultivators inside the sphere at once, Brother Wang, you must never entertain that thought again. If you do, both of us will be doomed beyond salvation.”

Quan Jiuxing turned to look at Wang Lang, his tone grave and resolute.

As they spoke, they advanced rapidly by several dozen more zhang. Yet not far behind them, on one of the iron chains, a wisp of divine sense swayed along with the bridge railing, drifting, silent, and unseen amid the river's raging fury.

(Chapter End)