After several quick maneuvers, they reached the location Wandering Man had indicated. A strike of sword qi shattered one of the glowing points. Countless fragments of light scattered, illuminating a rift in the darkness. Wandering Man gave a low shout. Qin Sang immediately wrapped them both in sword light and charged into the crack. In the next instant, an overwhelming pressure bore down on them, but before they could resist, it abruptly vanished. Light drove away the darkness, revealing a ruined landscape before their eyes. Though it lasted only a moment, the sensation of nearly being crushed into a pulp was vividly clear and utterly terrifying. Cold sweat broke out across Qin Sang’s body. In his field of vision lay the remains of a palace, half-collapsed, along with the desolate ruins of what had once been a grand place. There had undoubtedly been more than one palace here in the past. This must have been part of a magnificent celestial palace complex. Now, only this single fragment remained. The rest had scattered to unknown places. In front of the palace stood a wide open area where parts of pavilions still lingered. But the pools had dried up, the roads lay in ruin, and tufts of wild grass had burst through the cracks in the stone slabs. The wild grass here was more robust than even the vegetation back in the valley. Within the ancient hall, a few broken walls still stood, stubbornly upright among piles of shattered tiles and weathered stones. The scene was one of utter decay. Follow current novels on novel-fire.net Even so, from the ruins and remnants, one could still glimpse a trace of its former grandeur. At the very front of the ruined palace stood a broken wall. One corner of the wall bore a shattered plaque, dangling and ready to fall. The plaque had long since lost its luster and turned into blackened, rotting wood. The characters on it were barely legible, but Wandering Man had recognized the word "Gathering" carved upon it. This area wasn’t large; a sweep of spiritual consciousness was enough to take it all in. It was indeed nothing but ruins. Even within the Spirit-Gathering Hall itself, there appeared to be nothing unusual. Those who had discovered this place before had wasted effort and time breaking the array, searched it thoroughly more than once, and left in frustration when they found no treasure at all. "This is indeed part of the Spirit-Gathering Hall, and more specifically, it’s the main hall where the Spirit-Gathering Bowl was once stored," Wandering Man said in a low voice. "Most of the hall fell into the Hanging Garden Palace during the collapse, and whatever treasures were inside were picked clean by those Spiritual Infant cultivators. I didn’t expect the most important section to survive and land here. There should be a celestial platform within the hall, where the Spirit-Gathering Bowl was once placed. It would have been protected by celestial barriers. With those barriers now broken, the platform must be hidden." Qin Sang exchanged a look with Wandering Man, then both of them moved toward the crumbling wall. They glanced up at the ruined plaque, then began searching through the debris. Qin Sang swept his hand, sending out a gust of force that cleared away the rubble, revealing cracked stone tiles beneath. Some of the marks on the ground were clearly not from ancient times but left by treasure seekers who had entered afterward and found nothing in the end. According to what Yi Tianye had read from an ancient scroll, a special chant and footwork had to be used within the hall to activate the hidden barrier and reveal the treasure. They located the central position of the Spirit-Gathering Hall. The floor tiles there were already broken, crisscrossed with dozens of sword marks, the earth beneath turned up, chaos all around. On the surface, everything appeared perfectly normal. Fortunately, the general layout of the hall remained intact. Qin Sang stepped to the center, planted both feet, and began forming hand seals. He felt a touch of anxiety. He wasn’t sure whether the scroll’s method was reliable. Wandering Man only knew that this was the true main hall, and that the Spirit-Gathering Bowl was indeed hidden here, but he wasn’t certain whether this method would work. Given the abnormal vegetation surrounding them, the possibility that the Jade Liquid of Three Radiances was hidden here was extremely high. If they failed to open it and returned empty-handed, it would be a devastating loss. With one final seal formed, Qin Sang struck his palm against the ground. The force sank into the soil but nothing changed. Qin Sang kept his eyes fixed on his hands, focused entirely on the incantation, ignoring what lay beneath his feet. He quickly completed dozens of complex hand seals. Then, without warning, he lifted his foot and stepped outward. In a fluid motion, he shifted his stance, altering position in an instant. Still, the ground showed no reaction. He continued stepping in the pattern of the Big Dipper, circling the center of the Spirit-Gathering Hall. His movements shifted rapidly, as graceful as a butterfly flitting through flowers. Simultaneously, countless seals were thrust into the earth in a dazzling display. In the blink of an eye, the secret art was nearly complete, but nothing had changed. Even Wandering Man couldn’t help showing a hint of concern on his face. The Jade Liquid of Three Radiances was tied to his very life. Even with his cultivation of mind, it was difficult to remain calm. Finally, Qin Sang took another step, spun lightly, and landed once more in the center of the Spirit-Gathering Hall. The final hand seal slammed into the earth. Qin Sang lowered his head and stared at the ground, only to find that nothing had changed. Unwilling to accept it, he released the full extent of his spiritual consciousness and swept through the depths beneath his feet. "Perhaps the celestial barrier has changed, and this method can no longer summon the celestial platform." Wandering Man sighed. "Forget it. This is my fate. I have no fate with the Jade Liquid of Three Radiances. Brother Qin, you can try to gather more ancient texts taken from Ziwei Palace. Study the nature of celestial barriers. When you come in again, you might yet find the Jade Liquid. It is a divine treasure, a great boon. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by..." Though clearly disappointed, Wandering Man remained composed and untroubled. Had he clung too tightly to hope, his state of mind would have become chaotic, and he might have lost even the slimmest chance. When something could not be done, one had to let go and move on. Just as he took a step to leave, Wandering Man suddenly froze, his figure stiffened. He turned sharply, eyes fixed on a point above Qin Sang’s head, where a look of pure astonishment quickly emerged. Qin Sang also sensed the anomaly and swiftly leapt backward. In the next instant, a radiant beam of multicolored light descended from the sky. It appeared magnificent and breathtaking. The rainbow light poured down and began to gather at the center of the Spirit-Gathering Hall, merging without dispersing. There, within the shimmering light, a square outline took form. It was the shadow of a celestial platform! The platform was enormous, occupying the majority of the hall’s space. Its surface was flat and elevated several zhang above the broken walls. The outline grew clearer, gradually materializing out of the void. Before the appearance of the rainbow light, there had not been the slightest hint of its presence. No wonder they couldn’t find it even after digging up the ground. Qin Sang clenched his fists tightly. Just when all hope seemed lost, light had returned. At last, they had summoned the celestial platform. The phenomenon changed rapidly. In the blink of an eye, a towering platform stood proudly in the center of the hall. They suppressed their excitement and, after confirming there were no dangerous restrictions around the platform, flew to hover above it. At the top was a broad square terrace, with jade pillars standing tall, adorned with dragons and phoenixes. It was ornate and grand. At the center of the terrace lay a small depression. By sight, the depression was quite shallow. It was about the size of a monk’s alms bowl in the mortal world. Qin Sang landed at the edge of the platform, curiously examining the hollow. This was most likely where the Spirit-Gathering Bowl had once been placed. He hadn’t expected the bowl to be so small, yet it was said to gather the forces of the sun, the moon, and the cosmic orbit of stars. The methods of ancient cultivators were truly profound and awe-inspiring. At the moment, the hollow was empty. Wandering Man spoke with clear disappointment in his tone. "As expected, the Spirit-Gathering Bowl is gone. Either it was stolen or destroyed during the chaos. What a pity... What a pity!" Qin Sang also found it a great loss. His gaze swept across the empty platform. With a puzzled expression, he asked, "Senior, where do you think the Jade Liquid of Three Radiances might be hidden?"