At this moment, the Blue Robe Youth seemed to recall something, and suddenly looked up at the sky above the great hall, shouting, "Si Chenxing, was it you who did this?! Get out here!"
The cultivators exchanged glances, their expressions solemn. They all felt that something was amiss, as if they had been drawn into some conspiracy.
Ning Fa also furrowed his brow. This Blue Robe Youth shouldn't be the same entity that had spied on him before. Could it be this Si Chenxing the youth mentioned?
Just then, Ling Yuqing's eyes flashed, and she suddenly called out, "Fellow Daoists, this person is merely the Artifact Spirit of that Broken Blade!
And this Broken Blade is no simple item; it's a fragment of a nascent Profound Heaven Spirit Treasure!
Once it's obtained, one can break the shackles of our world and ascend to the Spirit Realm. This is also the greatest secret of the Abyssal Heavenly Pool!
As long as we join forces to defeat it and share the treasure, we will all have the chance to ascend to the upper realm in the future."
As soon as she said this, the crowd erupted in shock and disbelief.
Lu Caifu's beautiful eyes widened, and she murmured, "It's actually a nascent Profound Heaven Spirit Treasure!
No wonder it felt so much more powerful than the two Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasures in the alliance. Even if it's just a nascent form... I never expected such a treasure to exist within the Abyssal Heavenly Pool..."
Ning Fa's heart was also stirred. He stared intently at the Blue Robe Youth.
He believed her to some extent. After all, he had previously witnessed the projection of another Profound Heaven Spirit Treasure, the Profound Heaven Moon-Mirror, and this Broken Blade gave him a similar feeling.
Could it be that the two True Spirits from before were fighting over this nascent Profound Heaven Spirit Treasure?
He then looked at Ling Yuqing again, his brow furrowing.
Why would this woman know such things?
After their initial shock, the expressions of the others became incredibly excited.
Given their status, most of them had elders in the Spirit Transformation realm. They naturally knew that the path to ascension in this world was broken.
The sudden appearance of such hope naturally made them ecstatic!
But soon, they calmed down, their faces filled with dread and even unease.
After all, such a treasure, even just a fragment of a nascent form, was not something they, as cultivators, could contend with.
Even cultivators in the Spirit Transformation realm would likely not be enough.
Just then, a burst of wild laughter echoed. The Blue Robe Youth sneered, "It's been a long time since I've heard such a joke. You mere ants in the Nascent Soul realm dare to plot against me? All of you shall die!"
As soon as his voice fell, he violently swung his right hand. Instantly, an incredibly sharp blue energy blade shot out, slashing towards Ling Yuqing at the forefront.
Sensing the terrifying power emanating from the energy blade, the Nascent Soul cultivators' faces changed drastically. Such an attack was definitely not something a Nascent Soul cultivator could withstand.
Ling Yuqing, however, remained unfazed and did not even attempt to resist.
But just as the blue energy blade was about to strike her, a mysterious blue water-patterned mark suddenly appeared above her head, shaped like countless overlapping water droplets.
This mark suddenly emitted spiritual light, forming a blue energy shield that enveloped her.
With a loud bang, Ling Yuqing was sent flying backward by the attack of the blue energy blade.
However, the special blue energy shield around her was not destroyed. She only turned pale, appearing to have not sustained significant injuries.
"How is that possible?" The Blue Robe Youth's face was filled with disbelief.
Even though he was severely damaged now, the power of this strike was not something a Nascent Soul cultivator could withstand.
Then, as if he had discovered something, he stared intently at the special blue water-patterned mark above Ling Yuqing's head, his expression changing drastically.
At that moment, an invisible surge of energy suddenly struck him.
With a dull thud, the Blue Robe Youth staggered back several steps, his face turning slightly pale.
He gritted his teeth, his face contorted in rage, "This is the Ancestor Yuan Seal! Damn you, Si Chenxing, it really was you! I will never let you off!"
At this moment, similar water-patterned marks began to appear above the heads of the other Nascent Soul cultivators, a thin blue energy shield protecting them within.
The Nascent Soul cultivators couldn't help but show surprise.
Being shrewd individuals, they now understood that besides the nascent Profound Heaven Spirit Treasure, there was another figure named Si Chenxing within the Abyssal Heavenly Pool.
Their ability to enter the Thousand Vortex Spirit Mountain trial and eventually arrive at this place.
It seemed that Si Chenxing had orchestrated everything from behind the scenes, with the intention of having them deal with this Blue Robe Youth.
Furthermore, their trial seemed to have the ultimate goal of them obtaining the Ancestor Yuan Seal above their heads.
Not only could it withstand the power of the nascent Profound Heaven Spirit Treasure, but it could even reflect damage.
Ning Fa's expression shifted again. He felt the Source-Crossing Heavenly Book stirring in his sea of consciousness, its surface even displaying the pattern of the Ancestor Yuan Seal.
Ning Fa's eyes flashed. It seemed the Heavenly Book could absorb this Ancestor Yuan Seal, and it provided quite a few Source Points.
Moreover, as Ning Fa's divine sense probed the Ancestor Yuan Seals above the heads of others, the Heavenly Book also reacted, indicating that it could absorb their Ancestor Yuan Seals as well.
However, Ning Fa was too wise to do such a thing at this moment. After all, the Ancestor Yuan Seal now seemed to be their protective charm.
The other Nascent Soul cultivators' eyes flickered. It seemed that joining forces to deal with this Blue Robe Youth was not impossible.
Even if it was orchestrated by Si Chenxing hiding in the shadows, it didn't deter them. The allure of the Profound Heaven Spirit Treasure and the chance to ascend to the upper realm was simply too great to resist.
However, not everyone was blinded by greed. Hermit Xuyuan shouted loudly:
"Fellow Daoists, please calm down. Even with the Ancestor Yuan Seal protecting us, it's wishful thinking to believe we can defeat this senior.
Not only will we suffer heavy casualties, but the person lurking in the shadows will ultimately benefit from our struggle."
Upon hearing this, the others immediately calmed down, agreeing with the sentiment.
After all, they had already gained considerable benefits from the trials they had undergone so far.
It was better not to risk their lives, which were hanging by a thread, to contend with this terrifying existence.
Even if they were to miraculously obtain it in the end, there were several Spirit Transformation cultivators waiting outside. How could they possibly allow them to obtain the supreme treasure safely?
At this moment, Hermit Xuyuan looked at the Blue Robe Youth again and said loudly, "Esteemed senior, since this is all a conspiracy, why don't we temporarily cease our conflict?
Please use your divine ability to send us out of the Heavenly Pool, to avoid a mutual destruction and falling into someone else's scheme!"
After he finished speaking, Cang He of the Taiqing Sect immediately added, "Yes, senior. This is all a misunderstanding. We have no disrespect towards you."
Although some of the other cultivators looked unwilling, none of them voiced any objections.
Ning Fa, however, looked towards Ling Yuqing.
This woman was definitely not simple; she clearly knew many things.
A thought flashed through Ning Fa's mind: could this woman have already met that Si Chenxing, or even pledged allegiance to him?
This was highly probable.
After all, judging from what had happened before, Ling Yuqing had disregarded the frontline war effort and instead presided over array formations in the Cloud Wasteland Great Marsh, attempting to open the Abyssal Heavenly Pool in advance.
Therefore, it seemed very likely that Si Chenxing had contacted her beforehand.
Ling Yuqing remained unfazed, a hint of a mocking smile even playing on her lips.
The Blue Robe Youth, hearing everyone's words, burst into laughter.
"How dare you ants like yourselves try to fight me to a mutual destruction?
Even if you possess the Ancestor Yuan Seal, it will merely cause me to expend a little more energy… All of you, die!"
With that, a brilliant blue light erupted from his body, and he thrust his palms forward forcefully.
Instantly, countless points of light appeared before him, transforming into hundreds of ice-blue blade lights that slashed towards the Nascent Soul powerhouses.
Everyone's expressions changed.
Ling Yuqing let out a clear cry, "Fellow Daoists, since it has come to this, let us abandon any lingering hope and join forces to fight. Only then will we have a chance to survive, and perhaps even obtain this heaven-defying treasure in the end."
The others wore extremely solemn expressions, inwardly lamenting their predicament.
After all, they didn't believe their magic treasures could inflict any damage on such a being.
At this moment, Ling Yuqing suddenly clapped her hands, and a plain jade flying sword magic treasure flew out before her.
The Ancestor Yuan Seal above her head shot a beam of spiritual light into it, and the treasure was immediately covered in a layer of azure radiance.
Then, as this treasure clashed with those terrifying blue blade lights, it remained undamaged, even holding its own.
The others' expressions shifted, and they quickly summoned their respective magic treasures. Each of them was also covered in a layer of azure radiance by their own Ancestor Yuan Seals, and they began to resist the fearsome blade lights.
For a time, the great hall was filled with ear-piercing roars.
Although the gap in their cultivation realms was vast, the Nascent Soul cultivators, empowered by the Ancestor Yuan Seal, could barely hold their ground.
Furthermore, everyone discovered that once they sustained damage, the Blue Robe Youth would inevitably suffer a backlash, clearly not faring well either.
After the time it took for roughly one stick of incense to burn, the Blue Robe Youth's offensive suddenly halted.
His expression was extremely grim, and his clothes were in disarray.
Despite his complete suppression of the cultivators, he had sustained some damage from the continuous backlash.
At this moment, he suddenly looked towards an empty corner, formed his right hand into a blade, and slashed it fiercely.
A streak of brilliant light streaked across, followed by a loud bang. The corner shimmered with spiritual light, revealing two figures.
It was the mysterious woman and the azure-blue spirit beast.
The cultivators, who had been holding their breath, immediately looked over, their expressions filled with shock.
Ning Fa stared intently at the woman, his heart stirred.
He recognized this woman's aura; it was the presence that had been coveting him before.
It seemed to be her who had arranged for him to experience the three special spiritual realm trials in the second level. Clearly, she was very likely the Si Chenxing mentioned by the Blue Robe Youth.
Ning Fa then looked at the azure-blue spirit beast, his eyes filled with astonishment.
This beast's appearance was identical to the legendary True Spirit – the Water Qilin.
However, its cultivation level did not seem high, only barely reaching the Spirit Transformation stage.
At this moment, Ning Fa suddenly felt a trembling voice transmitted through his mental connection from Blue Lightning.
"Master, I feel a sense of bloodline origin from it…"