Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi-Chapter 238 - 184: Waiting for the Prey (Part 2)

"It should be about time."

Zhang Yao estimated the time, then maintained his protective Daoist technique and spiritual artifact, and flew along the flow of magma.

A moment later, he returned to the bronze gate and saw that the hazy gray sheen had vanished.

The surrounding repulsive area was still there, but the bronze gate had lost its spiritual light, leaving only its original ancient bronze color, looking like an ordinary antique.

"Success!"

Zhang Yao smiled slightly, flew forward slowly, and arrived before the bronze gate.

His figure did not stop, continued flying forward, and thus disappeared within the bronze gate.

...

In an instant, the world spun around.

Zhang Yao felt a bit dizzy, instinctively closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he found himself in a different small world.

Looking around, the sky was a yellow, resembling a land permanently engulfed by sandstorms; there was no sun or moon, yet the world was not dark.

All around were scenes resembling a desert wasteland, with no trace of greenery, an overwhelming sense of desolation and loneliness hitting him.

"A small world of the earth element, luck isn't too bad..."

Zhang Yao raised an eyebrow, surveying the small world before him.

He had already thoroughly studied the Five Elements Secret Realm, coming here felt like returning home, familiar beyond words.

The structure of the entire Five Elements Secret Realm was actually simple, divided into two layers—the outer layer and the core area.

Originally, this was a natural spatial secret realm, discovered by Liu Cang, the Five Elements Wanderer, who used it as a hidden retreat until modifying it extensively before his death.

The entire outer layer was divided by arrays into a total of 1,200 different small worlds, each only several miles in size, visible at a glance.

The 1,200 small worlds were categorized according to the Five Elements.

These small worlds generally contained various trials and rewards, with the worst rewards being second-grade spirit pills and spiritual artifacts, showing the luxury of the Five Elements Wanderer of that time.

"Originally, there should be sand beasts or array puppets here for testing entrants."

"But the trial here has been beaten, the original rewards taken, and the array detected this, so sand beasts won't appear again."

With just a glance, Zhang Yao assessed the state of this earth-element small world.

Before and after the Five Sects' war, exploration teams sent by various Golden Core influences explored here for decades, almost emptying most of the small worlds.

It was precisely through repeated exploration and wealth accumulation that several Golden Core Ancestors felt satisfied yet increasingly greedy, yearning for the precious inheritance of the core area to the extreme.

And disputes and battles during exploration further deepened the conflicts among the families, eventually burying everything, awaiting an eruption someday.

"This is an already prepared web, not using it would be such a waste."

Thinking of this, Zhang Yao's lips curled slightly.

The entire outer layer's 1,200 small worlds seemed like care for the juniors, meant to select heirs, but in reality, it was merely a means of deception.

The true Five Elements Wanderer Liu Cang was a ruthless, assertive Southwest Overlord, how could he be so kind and noble?

In fact, illusion arrays based on the 'Three Illusion Array' recorded in the Scripture of All Transformations and True Nature covered the outer layer, entering here subjected one to subtle influence from the enchanting soul formations.

The top-tier third-grade enchanting soul formation couldn't even be detected, let alone resisted by a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator.

Under the enchanting soul formation, even the slightest negative thoughts would be amplified—anger, frustration, resentment, hatred... the power of negative emotions exceeded the original level bit by bit.

Simply put:

What should have been an argument turned into an intense magical battle; what was originally meant to decide victory ended up unknowingly turning into a life-and-death fight.

Because the entire process was extremely subtle, coupled with the heart-stirring treasures in the secret realm and the inherent dangers of each small world, the existence of the enchanting soul formation remained undiscovered.

But now—

Yu Wen Tai was dead, Zhang Yao inherited his legacy and was about to become the new master of this secret realm.

And Zhang Yao's plan was simple—wait for prey to come to him, cast the net for fish.

He didn't need to worry, just wait for the realm breaker to break through to Foundation Establishment Perfection, greed would prompt Foundation Establishment cultivators outside to swarm in, ultimately becoming his sustenance.

"Let's go."

Zhang Yao soared, arriving at the edge of the small world.

Under the powerful segregation of arrays, outsiders only needed to touch the world's edge to be transported to a new small world.

Normally, it required long exploration through one small world after another to grasp the pattern and gradually approach the core area.

But for Zhang Yao, no such trouble was needed.

"Whoosh..."

Zhang Yao's entire body surged with magical power, instantly casting a dozen spells onto the spatial barrier at the edge of the small world.

As the spells hit:

Spirit Pattern Array Veins, like golden threads, gently surfaced from the air, eventually spreading across the vast sky.

Everywhere in sight, the entire small world was wrapped in endless Spirit Pattern Array Veins, like a massive embryo bound by layers of webs, exceedingly awe-inspiring.

"Come on."

Zhang Yao slowly reached out, infusing his own magical power.

The moment it touched the pure Five Elements magical power, the entire space seemed to tremble, countless golden threads simultaneously radiating brilliance.

After the brilliance fell, Zhang Yao's figure directly vanished from this small world.

In the next instant:

Zhang Yao's vision blurred, and as he cleared the surroundings, he had arrived at a grand palace complex spanning dozens of miles, magnificent in its scenery.

"Really luxurious!"

Zhang Yao exclaimed in admiration and flew forward.

He was currently in the core area of the Five Elements Secret Realm, also where the Five Elements Wanderer's cave mansion was located back in the day.

The Five Elements Wanderer Liu Cang, although he founded no sect, had many relatives and disciples under him, living together, hence the cave mansion's vastness and its comprehensive facilities.

This was also where the Five Elements Wanderer had dispersed all relatives and disciples and literally moved his cave mansion before his death.

Two thousand years ago:

Liu Cang, seeking opportunities for breakthrough, encountered a mysterious Nascent Soul Old Monster, who attacked without provocation, forcing Liu Cang to retaliate.

But that Nascent Soul Lord didn't expect Liu Cang to already be at Golden Core Perfection Realm and had cultivated the strongest divine technique recorded in the Scripture of All Transformations and True Nature, 'Nine Colored Celestial Wheel,' his power was terrifyingly strong.

After an intense battle, they ended up both gravely injured.

Liu Cang was severely wounded, and not long after returning to Da Li, he died. The Five Elements Secret Realm and memory replication were measures hastily arranged before his death.

"Boom..."

The grand palace door, sealed for two thousand years, slowly opened.

After two thousand long years, this cave mansion of the Five Elements Wanderer welcomed its second visitor.

Familiar with the path, Zhang Yao flew into it, passing through various buildings like the Scripture Hall, Pill Furnace Hall, Medicinal Garden, Zangjing Pavilion... and reached the deepest part of the cave mansion.

Here, it was the Five Elements Wanderer's training life area back then.

"Squeak," Zhang Yao pushed open the door to a hall and stepped into the interior paved with White Jade Bricks.

This place was filled with forbidden techniques once, but they had long been unraveled by Yu Wen Tai, providing convenience for Zhang Yao without extra effort.

Inside the hall: In front of a meditation mat stood a transparent jade pillar, emitting a faint glow.

Zhang Yao stepped forward a few steps, arriving before the crystalline jade pillar, solemnly reached out and placed his hand on it, infusing Divine Thought Magical Power.

"Crunch!"

Yu Wen Tai's remaining imprint was easily shattered by him.

Zhang Yao spent several hours before finally refining and controlling this extremely complex array core, leaving his own magical power and Divine Thought imprint.

"Finally done!"

He smiled sincerely:

"Food and drink are ready, now just waiting for guests..."