The people of Xuandan Gate, led by Xuan Feng, quickly arrived before the barrier.
Below, the Demon Soul was already trembling with excitement. His eyes gleamed as if piercing through time itself, seeing the scene where all these cultivators were devoured by him, making him invincible across the world.
"They're all here," he murmured, a cold smile tugging at his lips.
The "Ancient Pill Furnace" was finally about to make its grand appearance.
However, even though his prey had gathered, he couldn't act rashly. To make them step into his trap willingly, he needed patience.
The barrier might've been crafted with secret techniques from the Outer Demon Realm, but if these people joined forces, they could still break it.
Something gained too easily always invited suspicion. He wanted them to struggle, to bleed, to claw their way to the furnace so that when they finally reached it, they'd believe it was all real.
The Demon Soul steadied his breathing.
Almost there.
Just a little longer, and every last one of them would become nourishment for his power.
When Xuandan Gate arrived, the other sects immediately calmed down, looking to them for leadership.
Xuan Feng acted as though he knew nothing, going through the motions of examining the runes and searching for weak spots in the barrier.
After three days and nights of effort, they finally found the weakest point.
Xuan Feng gave the order to concentrate all their power on that single spot.
The cultivators obeyed.
Under their combined assault, cracks began to spread across the barrier. After another full day and night of bombardment, it finally shattered with a thunderous bang.
The moment it broke, the already strong medicinal fragrance exploded outward, growing so thick and overbearing it felt almost tangible.
The pill furnace pulsed with terrifying pressure.
Some of the lower-ranked cultivators could barely stand, crushed beneath the invisible force radiating from the furnace. The closer they got, the heavier the pressure became. Those too weak to withstand it had no choice but to stop miles away, watching from a distance.
Yun Jin blended into the crowd, concealing her cultivation at the Unity stage. Unity cultivators could still approach, but every step was a struggle. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she pressed forward with the others.
Her act was so convincing that a voice called out beside her. "Daoyou, you're trying your luck too, right? It's too hard to go alone. Why don't you join us?"
She turned toward the voice with a curious look.
A dozen Unity-stage cultivators stood before her, holding hands to merge their spiritual energy and resist the pressure together.
The method seemed to work. They looked far more relaxed than Yun Jin's "struggling" self.
One of them reached out his hand with a friendly smile. "An individual's power is limited, but united, we might just reach that furnace. Sure, that kind of supreme treasure's probably not for us, but we might still get a few leftover pills or formulas. Join us, and whatever we gain, we'll split evenly."
He looked perfectly sincere.
Yun Jin blinked, then smiled gratefully. "You'd really let me join?"
The man's lips curved into a subtle grin. "Of course. We welcome anyone willing to work together."
Without hesitation, she took his hand.
She released a trace of her water-element spiritual power, merging it with theirs to share the burden.
A faint glimmer flashed in her eyes.
Interesting.
These so-called cultivators were hiding quite well.
Just by appearance alone, even she hadn't sensed anything amiss.
But once their energies touched, they were like open books to her.
Out of the thirteen cultivators, she detected three with demonic aura. They were puppets planted by the Demon Soul, no doubt meant to lure more Unity cultivators closer for easy devouring.
After all, to him, only Unity cultivators were barely worth consuming. Anything weaker was trash.
Thanks to these hidden pawns, more and more Unity-stage cultivators joined the group, swelling their number to nearly a hundred.
Together, they finally reached within a hundred meters of the pill furnace. By now, the area around it had been completely claimed by high-level experts. The rest could only stop where they were.
One of the disguised demons encouraged them, "Don't rush. Treasures choose their owners. Just because they're stronger doesn't mean the furnace will accept them. Maybe one of us is the true fated one! Remember, no jealousy when that happens!"
Everyone nodded, finding him rather likable.
Yun Jin agreed along with them, her expression perfectly calm and convincing.
Meanwhile, the members of Xuandan Gate had also reached the furnace.
Xuan Feng exchanged glances with his companions. They all knew the furnace was a trap waiting for them to spring. By now, Yun Jin should've already infiltrated the gathered cultivators, but with so many people here, which one was her?
Since she'd left Xuandan Gate, they'd lost all contact.
She could be anyone in this crowd.
Their task now was simple: force the Demon Soul to reveal himself.
"Sect Master," Qing Yun called out, his voice ringing loud and clear. "The might of this furnace surpasses any ninth-grade artifact. It's likely a legendary Saint-grade Pill Furnace! The pills inside must be Saint-grade as well! Xuandan Gate must take it!"
Xuan Feng's tone turned sharp. "Everyone, listen well! This ancient site holds immense research value. The pills and formulas of that era should rightfully belong to Xuandan Gate! Only in our hands can this furnace reach its full potential! The rest of you, back off and stop dreaming of things beyond your reach!"
His arrogance made everyone bristle.
None dared speak up, but resentment flickered in their eyes. They might not be Xuandan Gate, but they weren't about to be bullied either. Xuandan Gate was strong, sure, but they couldn't take on the entire crowd.
"So, you're all set on opposing us?" Xuan Feng snapped furiously.
"Sect Master, there's no need to bother with them," Feng Yu said calmly. "None of them have the guts to steal it. Let's just focus on subduing the furnace first."
The others echoed his words in agreement.
Xuan Feng finally let out a reluctant sigh, suppressing his anger as he and his team began the process of subduing the pill furnace.