Qin Sang couldn’t understand the barrier on the gate, but through the beast soul, he could vaguely sense that changes were taking place inside. This beast soul seemed to have been specifically refined to break the barrier on the gate of the black tower. The effect was immediate; as soon as it entered the wall, a vigorous reaction was triggered. The beast soul let out a roar, disrupting the barrier. Suddenly, countless streams of black qi surged out from within the wall, like chains twisting and entangling in all directions. As the black qi took form, Dongyang Bo and Chenyan took action. The Vajra Bangle and the Phoenix Sword slashed down, severing layer upon layer of the black qi chains. Gradually, a door hidden beneath the black mist began to emerge. Even with two Spiritual Infant cultivators working together, breaking the barrier remained a strenuous effort. As the beast soul's roar grew fainter and fainter, each strand of black qi they severed required immense energy. At last, the final strand of black qi shattered, and the door was revealed in full. What lay beyond the door came as a surprise. It was not the same expansive terrain as the seven layers below. The ground was neatly paved with tiles, suggesting that this was the true interior of the black tower. A faint black mist hung in the air, similar in nature to the black chains on the door. It not only obscured vision but also greatly limited the reach of spiritual consciousness. "You all stay here," Dongyang Bo instructed, then ventured into the mist with Chenyan. Qiu Mubai was in terrible shape. He had overdrawn his potential, and his aura was feeble. Supported by the others, he sat down to recuperate. Qin Sang and the rest fared much better. They gathered protectively around Qiu Mubai, not daring to move about recklessly. The black tower was a cursed place. Its lower seven levels were littered with bones. Who knew what lay on this level? They feared some ominous entity might appear. The two ventured deep into the mist. After walking for some distance, a bronze door blocked their path. The ancient bronze door was shut tight, emanating an austere and commanding aura. Dongyang Bo looked at Chenyan expectantly and asked in a low voice, "Lady Chenyan, have you sensed anything?" He kept his voice soft, wary of disturbing her concentration. Chenyan gazed at the bronze door for a long while. Then, without warning, she drew the Phoenix Sword and cut her wrist. Her blood spattered onto the bronze surface. Rather than dripping down, the blood began to wriggle across the door, as if it had come alive. It became like bloodworms crawling along its surface. Chenyan activated a secret art, forcing more blood from her body. The blood gathered on the door, forming a massive blood array. The array shimmered with a strange, demonic red light. Moments later, a crimson radiance surged from within the bronze door and fused with the blood array. Seeing this, both Chenyan and Dongyang Bo brightened with excitement. "Your master is truly remarkable!" Dongyang Bo exclaimed admiringly, "As expected of an advanced cultivator from one of the top forces. This bronze door in the Small Cold Domain, which no one has ever managed to open, was unlocked by him alone. Even the contingency he left behind still works after two hundred years! I must admit, I had my doubts at first..." The bloodlight grew more intense, dyeing the surrounding black mist a deep red. When it reached its peak, the bronze door trembled violently, then slowly began to open. The massive door scraped against the floor, letting out an unpleasant screech. The sound echoed through the entire space. Qin Sang and the others heard it clearly from the entrance. An inexplicable sense of unease rose in Qin Sang’s heart, flashing by in an instant. It was likely due to how strange this place was. Everything was unknown, and everything was unsettling. He glanced at the others and saw they were equally distracted, their minds elsewhere. Everyone just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. At the bronze door, the two paused briefly. Seeing nothing unusual beyond the threshold, they stepped eagerly inside. Behind the bronze door was a vast bronze hall, cast from a single piece of metal. The walls were coated in a mottled layer of green rust. Though it had endured the passage of time, even this hall could not escape decay. The hall was vast and empty. At its center stood a towering sacrificial altar, upon which a glowing barrier still flickered. What stunned them most was that the entire hall was covered in fine strands of blood, like an endless web of crimson threads blanketing everything. Even the sacrificial altar in the center was not spared; its protective barrier was also wrapped in blood threads. Upon entering, Chenyan’s eyes were instantly drawn to the altar and the light barrier. Unconsciously, she walked toward it. At the center of the altar was a gaping hole shrouded in black qi, bottomless and ominous. The black qi resembled devilish qi. It seemed capable of devouring a person’s mind and soul. This was a devilish hole. The light barrier happened to cover the mouth of the abyss perfectly, sealing the black qi firmly within. Chenyan lowered her head and gazed into the devilish hole. Her eyes reflected a complex mix of emotions—excitement tangled with deep concern. Latest content published on NoveI(F)ire.net She gently raised her right hand, and as if summoned by some unseen force, the blood threads throughout the bronze hall began to recede, surging instead toward the center of her palm. They gathered into a single drop of blood on her hand. As more and more threads converged, the drop of blood grew increasingly luminous and translucent, gradually forming into a blood-red pearl. At last, all the blood threads withdrew and fused completely into the drop. Holding the blood pearl in her hand, Chenyan was just about to hurl it at the light barrier— When suddenly, Dongyang Bo, who had been silently observing all this time, stepped forward and blocked her path. Under Chenyan’s furious gaze, he pointed at the blood pearl and said, "Lady Chenyan, before you rescue your master, allow me to borrow this item. I only need it to retrieve something, how's that?" "Dongyang Bo, you're breaking your oath!" Chenyan flew into a rage. Dongyang Bo had harbored treacherous intentions all along, hiding them until now, only to strike at the most critical moment. Dongyang Bo shook his head. "I’m not breaking my oath, merely altering the sequence. You help me retrieve the treasure first, then I’ll help you save your master. Though it will consume part of the pearl’s power, I assure you, once I have the item, saving your master will be a simple task." He sighed and continued, "You were sent out just in time back then and never saw how terrifying this devilish hole truly is. Even if your master still lives, his condition may be dire. And what happens once the barrier is broken is beyond our control. Better safe than sorry. I don’t want to risk being forced out by the abyss and returning empty-handed..." "You vile scoundrel! You think I’d still trust you?" Chenyan was seething, her silver teeth clenched in fury. She pointed her sword at Dongyang Bo. "If you want the blood pearl, you’ll have to kill me first!" Dongyang Bo gave a helpless shake of the head. "I know you carry your master’s defensive treasure. Though you’ve only just reached the Spiritual Infant Realm, your strength is formidable. And I’m still bound by the blood pact left behind by your master, so I can’t take your life. But..." He paused, and a trace of mockery flickered across his face. Then, without warning, he reached a hand toward the entrance of the bronze hall and made a grasping motion. With a sharp whoosh, the Vajra Bangle flew out. Seeing this seemingly inexplicable move, Chenyan suddenly felt a strong sense of foreboding. Outside the bronze hall... Qin Sang was meditating when, without warning, the Vajra Bangle shot toward him and encased his entire body. He felt an abrupt tightness. His limbs were frozen under overwhelming force. Unable to resist at all, he was dragged into the darkness. There had been no warning whatsoever. Mu Yifeng and the others watched in stunned disbelief as Qin Sang vanished into the black qi. They sprang up in shock, only to hear Dongyang Bo’s voice in their minds, telling them to stay put. They looked at each other in alarm, all uncertain and deeply uneasy about what had just happened. But none was more bewildered and horrified than Qin Sang himself. He had instantly recognized the object that had bound him. It was Dongyang Bo’s life-bound astra, the Vajra Bangle. What in the world is happening inside? Why would my own grandmaster strike against me?