Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

Crimson light blazed across the land, and the ancient, silent remnant of the Heaven-Sealing Array was fully awakened.

Invisible blade energy crisscrossed, tearing through the thick fog. The heroes who had been so arrogant and aggressive just moments before were now all locked down by the killing intent beneath their own feet. The array's power roared and shook the ancient plain, every inch of the stone resonating with the Emperor Ruins Origin within Lin Yan's body, granting him the power of life and death at his whim.

The few Hao clan members who had narrowly escaped the first round of attacks were ashen-faced, their fierce and ruthless spirit completely replaced by bone-chilling fear.

They had cultivated for generations, conquered countless secret realms, and broken through numerous ancient killing formations, yet they had never witnessed such a bizarre sight. The remnant formation of the Eternal Imperial Ruins was infamous, the most inescapable death trap in this ancient plain. For thousands of years, no one could control it, and no one could avoid it, indiscriminately slaughtering all intruders.

But at this moment, this peerless and deadly formation obeys only the young cultivator before him.

"The formation follows his will... How is that possible!"

Hao Lie's pupils trembled violently as he stared intently at the tall figure in the arena. His throat tightened, and an unprecedented sense of dread rose in his heart.

He had just been confident that with the physical strength of the Hao family, crushing the juniors of the sect would be a piece of cake, and that he could seize the altar's opportunity by simply breaking through the defenses. But in an instant, the situation was completely reversed. Their pride in their numbers and strength proved to be utterly vulnerable in the face of the ancient array's power.

Lin Yan stood in the center of the array of light, his body radiating a pure imperial aura that flowed slowly, untouched by any murderous intent, yet suppressing everyone present to the point that no one dared to move.

He calmly surveyed the terrified crowd around him, his clear voice piercing through the ringing bells: "You relied on your numbers to ambush and follow us, hoping to reap the benefits. Do you know that the reason you were able to get here safely was never because you were strong enough, but because I deliberately spared your lives?"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent.

Everyone suddenly realized what was happening, and their backs were instantly soaked with cold sweat.

From the moment they stepped into the bewitching fog, the dense fog devoured their spirits, the array's core concealed deadly dangers, and the remnant souls disturbed their minds—three deadly traps nested within each other, causing countless cultivators to perish. The Wang and Hao families proceeded with extreme caution, yet still faced near-death experiences several times, only surviving to this day by following the Laoshan group and using Lin Yan to clear a path and avoid danger.

They thought they were being patient and waiting for the right moment, but little did they know that the other side had been showing them mercy from beginning to end.

Wang Yashi's face turned completely gloomy, her warm and gentle mask shattered, and her eyes were filled with disbelief and deep fear.

Born into the core of the Wang clan, her vision far surpasses that of ordinary cultivators, and she is well aware of the level of the Emperor Ruins Grand Array. This is a sealing array left behind by the ancient Emperor Shaohao, carrying the Daoist essence of eternity. Even if a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection expert or a half-step Golden Core expert were to descend, they could only passively avoid it and would have no chance of controlling it.

Lin Yan had already reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, making him invincible among his peers. However, the degree of compatibility between the array authority he displayed and the origin of the secret realm had already surpassed the combat power level of the entire secret realm.

"You possess the original imprint of the Imperial Ruins?" Wang Yashi asked through gritted teeth, her voice filled with utter shock. "What is your connection to the Shaohao Imperial Ruins?"

This was the only explanation she could think of.

Without the approval of the secret realm's origin, it would be impossible to control the ancient remnant array, isolate the soul from the miasma, and decipher all the array's mysteries.

Lin Yan did not answer, but his gaze turned slightly cold as he swept across the surroundings.

Silence is the most powerful response.

Chen Dagang, Yun Xi, and Qing Yao, who were standing to the side, breathed a sigh of relief, their tense bodies slowly relaxing.

The crisis of being surrounded and facing defeat vanished the moment Lin Yan made his move.

A gentle light welled up in Yunxi's eyes as she quietly gazed at the figure standing in front of everyone. From their first meeting in the East Sea, to their time side by side at Laoshan, and then to the perilous Imperial Ruins, in every life-or-death crisis, it was always he who defied the odds and stabilized the situation. This composure and strength far surpassed that of his peers, unmatched by anyone.

Qingyao frowned slightly, her heart filled with admiration. People in the world fight for the opportunities in secret realms and seek breakthroughs in the Great Dao, all struggling against the odds. Only Lin Yan, being in the Imperial Ruins, controls the Imperial Ruins. He is uniquely favored and no one can compete with him.

Chen Dagang took a deep breath, slowly loosening his clenched fists, his eyes filled with utter submission.

A deathly silence spread through the arena, and the balance of power completely tipped.

In the distance, the lone cultivators who had trespassed into the secret realm were already terrified and retreated into the depths of the thick fog, no longer daring to harbor any covetous thoughts.

They had originally relied on the ancient jade fragment to break through the barrier of the secret realm, operating outside the rules, hoping to take advantage of the chaos and seize the opportunity. However, after witnessing Lin Yan's terrifying ability to control the Eternal Killing Array, all their greed vanished.

This level of competition is simply beyond the reach of these rogue cultivators.

"Retreat! Retreat immediately!"

Many wild cultivators hissed and fled towards the edge of the misty sea, desperate to escape this terrifying and dangerous place.

Seeing this, Wang Yashi's expression grew even more unpleasant.

The Wang clan disciples under his command halted their formation, their morale collapsed, and their encirclement completely crumbled; the Hao clan on the right side suffered heavy casualties, and the survivors were terrified, no longer having the confidence to fight.

In the blink of an eye, the encirclement that had previously dominated the battle completely collapsed.

Hao Lie gritted his teeth, his chest surging with murderous intent, but he dared not make a move rashly. His physical body was strong, but in the face of the Eternal Array Killing Technique, his mortal body was as fragile as paper and utterly vulnerable.

"Lin Yan, you don't need to bully others with your superior strength!" Wang Yashi suppressed her shock, forced herself to remain calm, and spoke coldly, "The Imperial Ruins Secret Realm is a training ground open to all in the Qi-Lu Grand Competition. Opportunities here are contested by all heroes and obtained through their own abilities. Your ability to control the grand formation is your opportunity, but to use it to suppress other heroes and monopolize the altar is far too domineering!"

She tried to use reason to persuade the crowd, reverse the decline, and leverage public opinion to check and balance Lin Yan.

The remaining Wang and Hao family disciples around them echoed each other, their eyes filled with resentment and fear.

"Excellent! The secret realm is unclaimed; let us all share this opportunity!"

"You possess innate advantages and are naturally gifted, already having a significant edge. Why go to such lengths to wipe you out!"

Fragmented doubts arose one after another, attempting to distort Lin Yan's forceful breakthrough into a domineering monopoly.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yan's lips curled slightly, revealing a cold and indifferent smile.

"A battle among many heroes?"

He took a light step forward, his body enveloped in a crimson aura, his killing intent rising in waves.

"The secret realm is open, and entry is by jade token. Only the winner of the grand competition may enter for training. The rules are clear to all."

"The hidden assassins of the Wang clan's collateral lineage and the elite troops of the Hao clan, instead of following the proper path of the Grand Competition, secretly plotted to infiltrate the secret realm; a group of rogue cultivators used the ancient broken jade to break through the boundary and trespass, overstepping the rules and taking shortcuts."

"You are not qualified to set foot in the Imperial Ruins. Today, you rely on this place to steal opportunities and ambush your fellow cultivators. Do you even deserve to talk about heroes fighting together?"

Each word was powerful and resounding, its chilling force reverberating through the sea of ​​fog.

In short, it completely shattered everyone's wishful thinking and sophistry.

The entire room fell silent instantly, and no one dared to utter a single word of rebuttal.

Everyone knew perfectly well that they were intruders outside the rules, their actions illegitimate and unjust, and their coveting of the secret realm opportunities of orthodox cultivators was inherently unjust.

Wang Yashi's face turned pale and then red, and she could no longer utter a single word in rebuttal.

Born into a prestigious family, she understood the rules and their advantages and disadvantages best. At this moment, Lin Yan exposed her true nature, and all her calculations to control public opinion instantly failed.

"I abide by the rules, protect my fellow travelers, and move forward steadily."

Lin Yan's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he swept over the group of powerful enemies before him. His voice was not loud, but it carried an absolute sense of control: "You have been opportunistic and overstepped your bounds, followed and attacked, and bullied the weak. I spared your lives today to allow you to reflect on your actions. If you dare to covet the altar again or harm my companions in the slightest, the formation will be activated again, and there will be no mercy."

Om-!

As soon as the words were spoken, the underground array light trembled slightly, and countless hidden array eyes lit up with a faint crimson light once more, their killing intent lurking above the heads of the heroes.

This is both a warning and a deterrent.

With just a thought, the deadly array power of this ancient plain would erupt once more, annihilating all those who had crossed the boundary.

The Wang and Hao families all froze, a chill running down their spines.

Hao Lie's face was filled with violent frustration, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood, yet he dared not move an inch. He knew perfectly well that if he dared to make even the slightest movement at this moment, it would mean certain death.

The ambition in Wang Yashi's eyes has been extinguished, replaced by deep fear and powerlessness.

She originally thought that her clan's foundation, numbers, and combat strength would be enough to crush the juniors of the sects and easily seize the Shaohao Origin Creation from the ancient altar. But she never expected that the biggest variable would be this young man from Laoshan who was completely beyond common sense.

With control of the Imperial Ruins Formation and the essence of the secret realm in his hands, he stands invincible on this ancient plain.

"withdraw."

After a long silence, Wang Yashi uttered a single word with difficulty, her tone filled with resentment and helplessness.

Continuing the standoff will only increase casualties and yield no results.

Upon hearing this, the Wang disciples felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They quickly withdrew their formations and silently retreated to the side of the misty sea, not daring to take another step forward. They could only stare at the golden imperial light descending in front of them from afar, their eyes filled with resentment and greed, but they no longer had the courage to start a battle.

Hao Lie gritted his teeth, but in the end he could only suppress his anger and wave his hand to signal everyone to retreat.

The seemingly insurmountable encirclement and annihilation strategy has now been completely broken.

The wind in the fog gradually subsided, and the murderous aura that filled the sky slowly dissipated.

The ground was covered with mottled blood foam and broken remnants of magic, bearing witness to the battle that had just been reversed in an instant.

Lin Yan withdrew his gaze, no longer paying attention to the heroes who had retreated and were lying in wait.

He raised his hand and waved it lightly. The crimson array light that surrounded the entire area slowly disappeared into the ground. The ancient Heaven-Sealing Array fell silent again, returning to its original state, without revealing any sharpness.

After doing all this, he turned around and looked back at the crowd behind him, his expression returning to calm.

"The crisis is temporarily over. Let's get back on track and move forward."

After being cleansed by the pure energy of the Three Treasures and protected by the residual power of the array, the stagnation of the souls of all the disciples of Laoshan, Shuiyue Pavilion, and Qingyun Sect was completely eliminated, their spiritual energy flowed smoothly, and their spirit and energy were completely restored to their peak state.

Everyone nodded, their eyes no longer filled with panic and fear, but with complete trust and peace.

With Lin Yan here, they have nothing to fear, even if danger lurks ahead and heroes surround them.

Chen Dagang grinned, wiping the blood from his face, his arrogance returning: "With Junior Brother Lin in charge, these rats can't cause any trouble! The altar's opportunities should rightfully belong to us orthodox cultivators."

Yunxi sheathed her Water Cloud Sword, a faint warmth spreading across her cool and aloof eyes. She said softly, "The imperial light ahead grows ever brighter, and the core of the altar is within reach. The true secret realm's wonders must lie ahead."

Qingyao nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on the dazzling, boundless golden imperial light deep within the misty sea, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Lin Yan nodded slightly, raising his eyes to gaze into the depths.

Through the layers of swirling gray-white mist, the outline of a magnificent and ancient white jade altar has clearly emerged.

The ancient Daoist aura flowed continuously from the altar, vast, ancient, and noble, lingering with the primordial energy left behind by Emperor Shaohao, remaining as powerful as ever through countless ages.

The fragment of the Imperial Heart Jade Disc in his sleeve burned even hotter, resonating with the source of the altar from afar. Waves of warmth flowed through his body, as if returning to its rightful place, as if tracing back to its origin.

Lin Yan understood.

The encirclement and killing in the fog was merely the final preliminary test in the Imperial Ruins Secret Realm.

The true secrets of time, the remnants of Shao Hao, and the ultimate foundation of the Imperial Ruins are all hidden within that ancient altar.

The Wang and Hao families, who had been lying in wait nearby, watched the gradually emerging outline of the altar from afar, and their greed rekindled.

Although they dared not confront them directly, they did not completely retreat.

Everyone was waiting for the moment when Lin Yan stepped into the core of the altar and fought with all his might for the creation, so that they could seize the opportunity and reap the benefits.

The lingering mist surged, heroes lay in wait, their murderous intent still burning.

The real battle for the altars has only just begun.

Lin Yan took a step forward and walked steadily toward the ancient altar that had been sealed for thousands of years deep within the eternal imperial light.

His back was straight and resolute, shattering the remaining mist and moving forward without hesitation.