Chapter 1719: The Altar in Motion

"It seems I should speed up too..."

Spinning through three worlds had already delayed him by four or five hours. If someone had actually entered the branch hall, the treasures would likely have been snatched clean by now.

He had to speed up and stop wasting effort searching for exits and entrances.

Looking up at the many Spirit Race members, he saw them arranging various treasures in a special formation, nearing completion. Knowing he couldn't delay, he touched his finger to the thin thread binding his pulse gate.

Hum!

With a violent tremor, a book suddenly appeared in the library.

He quickly opened it, and knowledge flowed into his mind.

"Soul-Locking Chain, capable of locking soul and true qi. A Saint Lord treasure, refined from the tendons of the Hongyuan Nether Fish, a peak Immortal Realm sacred beast. Those trapped cannot escape even at the peak Immortal Realm. Flaw: ..."

After reading the contents, Zhang Xuan understood.

As he had guessed earlier, what trapped them was indeed a Saint Lord treasure. If he hadn't been caught and had directly attacked the black-armored man, the latter could have killed Hu Yaoyao and the others with a single thought before dying, leaving no one alive!

"First, deal with this thing..."

Taking a deep breath, patterns appeared in his eyes as he silently calculated using the known flaws.

Swish!

With a mental command, his soul lightly flicked the thin thread, and his true qi broke the treasure's seal, flowing freely again.

However, he didn't show it. Instead, he looked at the old man nearby and sent a voice transmission: "Senior, do you want to escape and kill these Spirit Race members?"

The old man was startled.

Being able to transmit voice meant his cultivation wasn't sealed!

"Don't speak. Just follow my instructions. I have a strand of true qi. Later, at my command, release it at the position of the thin thread on your wrist!" Afraid the old man might speak and be heard by the Spirit Race, Zhang Xuan continued.

Understanding this, the old man nodded quietly.

"To break this rope binding us, ten people need to work together. Later, pass your true qi in that direction!"

Gently touching the old man's finger, he transferred several strands of true qi.

To break this Saint Lord treasure, he had to refine it for his own use. The method required simultaneously striking ten flaws. Since everyone was trapped, he couldn't act yet and had to use their hands to channel his true qi.

"Alright!"

The old man agreed and, using himself as a bridge, passed the true qi forward.

Those who received the true qi were initially startled but then heard Zhang Xuan's voice transmission.

Knowing this was their only chance to survive, no one wasted words. Soon, the true qi had traveled most of the circle and reached Hu Yaoyao.

"It's you..."

Hearing the voice transmission and feeling the true qi flowing through her body, Hu Yaoyao's mind immediately conjured a young face. Her body trembled as she couldn't help looking over.

"Xuanzhang... Zhang Xuan! It really is this guy..."

Recalling the name he had given, she smiled slightly.

If it was him, they should be safe.

Although she had left Hongyuan Academy and gone to the Jinghong Master Association, she still knew many of his deeds.

In just a few months, he had made such a name and status on the continent. With him personally taking action, how could anything happen to them?

"Alright, everyone, listen to my command. Act together and release the true qi exactly at the positions I indicated, without the slightest error!"

Unaware that someone had already recognized him, Zhang Xuan transmitted his voice and raised his brows: "Begin!"

As he spoke, he lightly tapped the thin thread on his palm.

The others who had received the true qi also tapped down in unison.

Hum!

The thin thread trembled, its spirituality wavered, and a thought came through.

Submit!

"Protect everyone. If anyone attacks, help block it..."

After sending his command, Zhang Xuan looked again at the Spirit Race members before him.

They continued their arrangement and stopped after about ten minutes.

Though their faces showed fatigue, their eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Reporting to the lord, the altar is ready and can be activated at any time..." A Spirit Race member clasped his fists.

"Good, let's begin!"

Nodding, the black-armored man flicked his wrist, and a crystal as cold as ice fell into the center of the altar. With a hum, light gradually enveloped the altar, and a majestic power slowly spread, covering the surroundings.

"Could this be the treasure guarding the ice world?"

Zhang Xuan's eyes showed doubt.

The jungle world was guarded by the Five Kings, and the desert world by the Mad Sand Tree.

In this ice world, he hadn't yet found the exit, but... this cold crystal perfectly matched the environment and could even mobilize the world's power. It should have the same effect as the Five Kings and the Mad Sand Tree.

Since in previous worlds, the guardians could be sacred beasts or plants, they could naturally also be ores.

Buzz buzz buzz!

The altar was activated, and the crystal's power grew stronger. A beam of light shot into the sky, tearing the space above.

This world had a no-fly zone about thirty meters high. The light stopped at that height, struggling in vain to move further.

"Burn!"

His expression turning serious, the black-armored man tapped again. The altar slowly rotated, and the treasures on it began to melt like ice on a hot pan, releasing even greater power.

Empowered by this force, the light seemed to break through some special barrier, emitting a roar as it slowly rose.

Under the light's impact, the space showed dark,狰狞 cracks. The entire ice world shook violently, as if about to be pierced.

"Is it... breaking the spatial restriction?"

Zhang Xuan was shocked.

He had been wondering how to break through space to find the Confucius Temple's location, never dreaming this method would be used.

So the no-fly zone was actually a more stable spatial law. Breaking it would allow entry into the so-called branch hall.

Swish!

As the treasures on the platform were consumed, the light pillar rose higher and higher, soon exceeding fifty meters!

Sixty meters!

Seventy meters!

Eighty meters!

...

Ninety-nine meters!

At this point, it seemed to reach the sky's end. A thin seal appeared in sight, flowing like water, its light dazzling.

The light struck the water-like seal but could break it no further.

A massive temple loomed faintly, seemingly hidden behind it.

"It really is the Confucius Temple..."

Zhang Xuan understood and looked again at the altar.

By now, all the treasures were completely consumed, and the light's power began to wane.

"Prepare to release these people's true qi as a sacrifice to the Spirit God..."

As if expecting this, the black-armored man shouted coldly.

Clatter!

A tall Spirit Race member came behind the group, and a strange weapon hovered in the air.