Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

The next morning.

The golden light deep within the endless mountains suddenly surged, followed by a deafening roar.

The stone gate opened.

Instead of opening slowly, it collapsed with a roar—the restriction completely dissipated, the power supporting the stone gate vanished, and the hundred-foot-tall black stone gate shattered into countless pieces, crashing to the ground with a thunderous crash.

Beyond the stone gate lies a deep, dark passageway leading deep underground.

The spiritual energy surged out of the passageway, so dense it was suffocating.

"It's open! The ruins have been opened!"

"Charge!"

The independent cultivators were the first to be unable to contain themselves and swarmed in.

However, the major powers remained inactive—letting independent cultivators scout ahead, step on traps, and only enter after people had died; this was the most basic rule of the martial arts world.

Screams soon came from the passageway.

Although most of the restrictions had dissipated, the mechanisms, puppets, and formations inside the ruins remained. At least a third of the first group of rogue cultivators who rushed in died at the first checkpoint.

Fresh blood flowed out of the tunnel, a shocking sight.

"That's about enough," Ling Yunzi said calmly. "Let's go."

The members of the Antarctic Sword Sect filed in.

Iron Blood Hall, Chaotian Palace, Blood Nether Sect, Skynet... various forces entered one after another.

Li Chenzhou glanced at the Azure Dragon Society experts behind him: "Go in."

Dongfang Weiwo, mingling among the rogue cultivators, also entered the passageway.

Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng stood guard on either side of him, providing covert protection. Fu Hongxue had already gone to the Azure Dragon Society's camp to join Li Chenzhou as one of the Seven Dragon Leaders.

The passageway is long and widens as you go down.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the passageway suddenly opened up, and a huge underground palace appeared before them.

The underground palace spans several miles in circumference and is about tens of feet high. Its top is inlaid with a luminous pearl, illuminating the entire space.

The ground was paved with neat bluestones, and unknown spiritual herbs grew in the cracks between the stones, emitting a faint light.

There are more than a dozen branching passages around the underground palace, leading to deeper parts.

In the very center stands a huge stone tablet, inscribed with ancient characters:

"First Layer: The Path of Trials"

Those who pass the three tests may enter the second level.

"The greedy die, the content live."

Below the stone tablet, several skeletons lay scattered—the remains of intruders from millions of years ago. Their clothes had long since decayed, but their bones remained translucent, indicating that these people were at least Grandmaster-level experts in life.

Even grandmasters died here...

A chill ran through everyone.

"Gentlemen," Liao Chen of Qinglong Temple spoke, his voice calm yet resonant throughout the area, "this is Qinglong Temple territory. I propose that all parties explore peacefully, relying on their own abilities, and refrain from attacking others. What do you think?"

Master Chaotian's eldest disciple, Daoist Qingfeng, nodded: "Chaotian Palace agrees."

Iron Blade King nodded: "Iron Blood Hall agrees."

Ling Yunzi glanced at Li Chenzhou and said calmly, "The Antarctic Sword Sect agrees."

Li Chenzhou said expressionlessly, "The Azure Dragon Society agrees."

All parties made statements. But everyone knew it was just for show—when faced with something truly valuable, who cared about peace agreements?

"In that case, let each of us choose a different path," Liao Chen said.

The underground palace is surrounded by more than a dozen branching paths, each leading in a different direction. Some may lead to the entrance to the second level, some may be dead ends, and some may be full of traps.

Nobody knows which path is right.

The various factions began to make their choices.

The Antarctic Sword Sect chose the leftmost path.

Ironblood Hall chose the second one from the left.

Chaotian Palace chose the middle route.

Qinglong Temple chose the one on the right.

The Blood Demon Sect, the Heavenly Net, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Garrison Command each chose one.

The Azure Dragon Society chose the one on the far right.

The independent cultivators, on the other hand, followed the major powers like headless flies, or simply chose one path at random.

The fork in the road chosen by the Azure Dragon Society was about three zhang wide, with the walls on both sides covered with reliefs—scenes of ancient battles, immortals, demons, and divine beasts... all lifelike, as if they were about to step out of the walls at any moment.

Li Chenzhou walked at the front, Fu Hongxue half a step behind him, Gongzi Yu and Zhuo Donglai on his left and right respectively, followed by dozens of elites.

After walking about a hundred feet, the first checkpoint appeared ahead.

It was a huge iron gate with seven grooves, each with a different shape.

"We need seven different keys," Zhuo Donglai said after observing.

"try to find."

The members of the Azure Dragon Society began searching the surrounding area. Soon, they found seven hidden stone keys embedded in grooves within the reliefs on the wall.

The iron gate opened with a loud rumble.

Behind the door was a spacious hall, in the center of which were a dozen stone platforms, each with a jade box on it.

"A treasure!" someone exclaimed excitedly.

But Li Chenzhou did not move.

He stared at the patterns on the hall floor—the patterns were not decorations, but formations.

"There's a formation." Fu Hongxue also noticed it, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Once it's triggered, the entire hall will be attacked."

"Can it be broken?" Li Chenzhou asked.

Fu Hongxue was silent for a moment: "Yes. It will take time."

"how long?"

"A stick of incense."

"Let's begin."

Fu Hongxue walked to the edge of the hall and drew the black knife from his waist.

The moment the sword was drawn, the temperature in the entire hall dropped several degrees. The black sword was completely black, without any reflection, as if it could absorb all light.

Fu Hongxue closed his eyes and gently touched the array patterns with his knife.

Where the blade tip struck, the array patterns began to dim.

He moved step by step along the patterns, and with each step, the formation weakened a little.

After an incense stick had burned, the formation completely failed.

Li Chenzhou waved his hand: "Take the treasure."

The members of the Azure Dragon Society quickly stepped forward and opened the jade box—

Spirit stones, elixirs, cultivation manuals on jade slips, spirit herbs... Although not priceless treasures, each item is quite valuable.

"Put it away and move on."

At the same time, other factions were also trying to pass the test.

In a side passage of the Antarctic Sword Sect, Ling Yunzi cleaved a stone golem in two with a single sword strike—the golem possessed the combat power of an early-stage Grandmaster, but it couldn't withstand more than three moves from Ling Yunzi.

"If there are Grandmaster-level puppets on the first floor, what will the next two floors be like?" Ling Xiaozi frowned.

"That's why we need to be even more careful," Ling Yunzi said. "However, the stronger the puppet, the more precious the treasure."

In a side passage of the Iron Blood Hall, Iron Blade King encountered a poisonous fog trap. Three of his disciples were poisoned and had to stop to detoxify.

In a side passage of Chaotian Palace, Qingfeng Daoren encountered a maze and was slowly exploring it.

Master Liaochen of Qinglong Temple was the most composed. Holding prayer beads, he walked with lotus blossoms in his step, and the mechanisms in his path automatically dissipated—Qinglong Temple clearly knew more about this ruin than other forces.

The Blood Demon Cult members were unlucky; they chose a dead end, only to find a wall at the end, leaving them no choice but to turn back.

The people of Skynet are the most deeply hidden; they do not show off, but advance silently.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Garrison Command fought their own battles without interfering with each other.