"Arrest them?"

Wu Luo glanced at him and waved his hand, saying:

"Don’t bring this up again, and don’t think about targeting them anymore."

"Many secrets are known only to me and the elders; you aren’t aware of them yet."

"But as for that one called Nether Abyss, even though the remnants of the Black Tide were removed from his body, he still holds considerable value for us."

"Even if he misses the opportunity and cannot return to the Surface World, as long as he survives peacefully for one more day, he has value for one more day, understand?"

Upon hearing this, Wuhe felt a stir within his heart:

"So that’s how it is..."

"No wonder Father was so courteous to the two Golden Core Cultivators; there is indeed another reason behind it."

After calming his mind, he asked aloud:

"Then father, what should I do next? I can’t just wait around, can I?"

Having learned this highly confidential information, he was filled with enthusiasm and his spirit was entirely different.

His life, which originally seemed like a road leading directly to the end, flat and dull, had now stirred up countless waves.

Wu Luo smiled, speaking:

"Your urgent task is to cultivate well."

"Reach the level of the Fifth Heaven of Qi Soul early on, gain the recognition of many elders, and only then are you qualified to truly participate in the tribe’s plans."

Upon hearing this, Wuhe nodded vigorously, saying:

"I understand, Father, I won’t let you down!"

"Good!"

Wu Luo nodded in relief, patting him on the shoulder:

"Then let’s go back."

"Remember everything from today, engrave this secret in your heart, and do not mention it to others."

With these words:

Their bodies suddenly twisted, turning into deep black lines and vanishing without a trace in an instant.

And shortly after they left——

"Creak, creak, creak..."

On the vast, endless golden wall that sealed the world, inexplicable wisps of black mist emerged, like layers of coal dust, quickly sedimenting and piling together.

Before long:

The huge gap blasted by Wu Luo’s thousand-foot-tall demon figure was suddenly covered with a thin layer of black rock, and it continued to grow.

......

Wujin Tribe.

In a pavilion-like building near the core area.

Zhang Yao sat cross-legged, eyes closed, nurturing his spirit, deducing and contemplating the Divine Skill Technique to prepare for subsequent cultivation.

And opposite him:

"Huff, huff..."

The Nether Abyss Ancestor, also sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes, breathing heavily, with a hint of frustration in his gaze.

Knowing he might be confined underground for a long time, the Nether Abyss Ancestor tried a bit of breathing——even though he knew it was futile, he still wanted to try.

The final result was as expected:

The underworld’s Dark Attribute Spiritual Qi was extremely abundant, but mixed with stronger Muddy Qi, it was completely suppressed by it.

Under such conditions, to draw even a trace of Spiritual Qi, one must withstand all surrounding Muddy Qi, making Breathing Spiritual Qi and refining Magical Power hundreds or even thousands of times more difficult.

In the underworld, cultivating Immortal Dao turned into sheer torment.

"Alas!"

The Nether Abyss Ancestor sighed, unable to calm his mind.

As an Immortal Dao Cultivator, everything was difficult and inconvenient in the underworld, constrained everywhere.

Originally, staying one or two days, gaining ample benefits and then leaving naturally felt fine, but now that circumstances changed, his feelings were very different.

"Fellow Daoist Mingyuan."

Zhang Yao opened his eyes, an eyebrow raised:

"Why is your Heart Fire restless and uncontrolled?"

The Nether Abyss Ancestor took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and then spoke:

"Being here is almost like being in prison, and the surrounding Spiritual Qi becomes shackles and a cage, unbearably uncomfortable."

"This was initially a minor issue; my real worry is about external circumstances."

"Earlier, we reaped a lot at Black Abyss and even obtained Supreme Treasures like the Sun Burning Celestial Sunflower, and countless people are envious."

"If we were to leave smoothly, they naturally wouldn’t dare to try anything, but now that we are trapped here, with no word from outside, they might be planning something..."

Zhang Yao, hearing this, shook his head and said:

"Things have come to this; thinking too much is useless."

"Fortunately, before we left, we anticipated unexpected situations and reforged the Li Yuan Sect’s Mountain Gate Array."

"With Jiuhua Ancestor, Ying Mo Sect Leader, and your disciple there, unless the worst happens, they should be able to get through this tribulation."

The Nether Abyss Ancestor sighed upon hearing this:

"That’s all we can hope for; may fortune favor them."

A moment later.

"Mr. Mingyuan, Mr. Qingxu."

Wuhe came to visit, still with a bright smile and an attitude that made people feel like they were in a refreshing spring breeze.

Zhang Yao and the Nether Abyss Ancestor didn’t notice anything unusual, and after exchanging a few polite words with him, Wuhe took the initiative to bring up his purpose:

"The information provided by the two of you is extremely important to our Wujin Tribe, and I am here to formally express my gratitude."

He carefully considered his tone and words, then spoke:

"At present, the Magnetic Barrier is closed, the passage to the Surface World is severed, and we can only temporarily accommodate the two of you within our tribe."

"I have already arranged accommodation for both of you. If there’s any additional need, don’t hesitate to let me know..."

Zhang Yao and the others discussed and then presented the terms they had prepared earlier.

Wuhe thought briefly and readily agreed, stating that they could seek him out anytime they needed.

...

Half an hour later.

In a vast and luxurious underground residence at the periphery of the core area.

Zhang Yao sat cross-legged in a Quiet Chamber specially isolated, with a sufficient amount of Endless Yin Earth placed in front of him.

In the first and second districts of Mo Yuan, he had obtained a large amount of Endless Yin Earth. Although some had been consumed earlier, the remaining was still plentiful.

"The plan now is to aim for the early Perfection of the Five Elements Divine Techniques and to refine the Five Elements Divine Wheel as soon as possible."

Zhang Yao’s eyes were determined, his heart calm and focused as he started operating the Profound Mysterious Technique from the Scripture of All Transformations and True Nature.

"Swoosh!"

As the Golden Core subtly rotated and the Magical Power circulated, a cluster of bright light blossomed behind Zhang Yao’s head.

Under the illumination of the bright light, the previously dark Quiet Chamber lit up like daylight, and Zhang Yao’s shadow appeared on the ground, enveloping the Endless Yin Earth.

"Buzz..."

The Profound Mysterious Technique continued to operate, and Zhang Yao’s shadow kept trembling and distorting, undergoing changes indiscernible to the naked eye.

The shadow changes between reality and illusion, causing the Endless Yin Earth piled on the ground to seem slightly diminished, something only detectable with constant vigilance through Divine Thought.

The Infinite Shadow Walking Technique is the most peculiar among the Five Elements Divine Techniques.

At the initial stage of cultivating this Divine Technique, all the intricate and incredible changes occur within one’s own shadow, not affecting the cultivator directly.

Only upon true initiation can it merge with the shadow, restoring oneself, instantly enhancing the spleen and Array, thereby obtaining a series of wondrous methods based on transforming into shadow.

"Hoo..."

With eyes tightly closed, Zhang Yao’s breathing was long and steady, while the shadow cast on the ground kept trembling, clearly on the right path of cultivation.

Meanwhile, next door:

Due to being unable to breathe Spiritual Qi, the Nether Abyss Ancestor could not consolidate Merit or refine Magical Power, so he could only comprehend and train in some Daoist Skills.

His Divine Techniques had long reached Perfection, and no more Divine Techniques could be inscribed on his Golden Core, but he wouldn’t waste time. Although some auxiliary Daoist Skills had limited effects, they still supplemented him.

"As you wish, phantom changes..."

The Nether Abyss Ancestor held a Jade Scroll, studying and pondering the mysteries of the ’Phantom Wishing Technique’.

The cultivation method of this Daoist Skill was also one of the legacies left by Ascendant Tianying after his death, and among numerous Divine Communication Skills, it was undoubtedly one of the top Daoist Skills.

"What a pity."

The Nether Abyss Ancestor shook his head, feeling a bit regretful.

He could cultivate this Daoist Skill too, but its power would be far less than it was for Ascendant Tianying. Even if he were to discard one of his Divine Techniques to inscribe the ’Phantom Wishing Technique’ on the Golden Core, the enhancement would be limited.

"Ascendant Tianying’s ’Fierce Spring Divine Palm’, ’Phantom Wishing Technique’ and other Divine Techniques, though powerful, were scattered Daoist Skills, likely not included in his set of Cultivation Techniques."

"But the foundation of the White Jade Celestial Palace was deep; even with the scattered ’Phantom Wishing Technique’ as the foundation, it could still constitute a powerful battle Divine Technique, not to be underestimated..."

The Nether Abyss Ancestor’s thoughts flickered, falling into contemplation.

He vaguely felt that Ascendant Tianying’s elaborate hunting actions and deep infiltration targets might be related to the Wujin Tribe.

But now that Ascendant Tianying was already dead, with both body and soul destroyed, even trying to explore would be in vain.

...

On the Surface World at Da Mo, within the Li Yuan Sect.

"..."

The Black Abyss Ascendant, Jiuhua Ancestor, Ying Mo Sect Leader, and others sat together, the atmosphere very tense.

Two days ago:

They had been in high spirits, eagerly anticipating the return of Zhang Yao and the Nether Abyss Ancestor.

But unexpectedly, they missed the deadline for the Magnetic Barrier’s closure and hadn’t seen any sign of the two, which dealt a heavy blow to the group.

"...Current information has been confirmed."

The Black Abyss Ascendant spoke first, breaking the silence with a heavy tone:

"The sudden early closure of the Magnetic Barrier was an unforeseeable change."

"If the strength of the Magnetic Barrier hadn’t greatly diminished compared to before, even the foreign Golden Core Cultivators would have been trapped in the deep layers of Mo Yuan."

"But they blasted through the barrier and came out, while my master and Fellow Daoist Qingxu were trapped in the deep layers..."

The changes in Mo Yuan caught everyone off guard.

Many foreign Golden Core Cultivators escaped unscathed, but Zhang Yao and the Nether Abyss Ancestor were nowhere to be seen.

More importantly:

The drastic lowering of the Magnetic Barrier’s strength meant all previous rules were no longer applicable.

Even outside a Black Tide outbreak, numerous Golden Core Cultivators could forcibly breach the Magnetic Barrier together, so they were daring and surely wouldn’t leave without looting; why would they choose to leave?

And without the renowned Qingxu and the Nether Abyss, the Golden Core Ancestors holding the fort, the Da Mo Native Sect, previously harvesting rich treasures, naturally became prey in others’ eyes.

"The current situation is already very dire."

The expression on Jiuhua Ancestor’s face was grave as he spoke:

"And even more worrisome is that this may be just the beginning..."