Chapter 70: The Opening of the Ancient Relic

The palm print and the giant wave collided in midair, exploding with a powerful burst of soul force that rippled outward in all directions. The impact generated gusts of force, one of which spiraled toward Lin Qian.

"Hmph!" Seeing the incoming force, Lin Qian snorted coldly, clenched his fist, and struck out with it.

Boom!

The force collided with Lin Qian's bare fist and disintegrated, dissipating into the air.

Everyone on the plaza looked up, their gazes fixed on the sky.

Above them hovered a cloud ship, similar in size and appearance to the one owned by Qin Wushuang. Standing at the bow of the ship was a middle-aged man with a cold expression, his hands behind his back, and faint traces of soul force still lingering around him.

It was clear that the person who had attacked Lin Qian and Ye Xin just moments ago was this man standing at the bow.

Qin Wushuang looked up at the man and shouted coldly, "Zhang Dingyun, what do you mean by this?"

"The Divine Sword Sect also requires an explanation," Mei Yuexia, the silver-haired woman, stepped forward and demanded.

"Nothing much. I noticed some people on the slope, rather than on the plaza, and thought it might be some small fry trespassing in the area of the ancient relic. I intended to eliminate them," the man at the bow of the cloud ship explained indifferently. "Now that I look closely, it seems they are disciples of your sects. It appears to be a misunderstanding."

Upon hearing his words, Qin Wushuang and Mei Yuexia both frowned.

A misunderstanding? Mistaking them for trespassers?

In their eyes, how could the dignified sect master of the Shengtian Sect fail to recognize the disciples of Wanxiang Sect and Divine Sword Sect? Clearly, Zhang Dingyun's actions were intentional.

As the cloud ship descended slowly, Lin Qian kept his eyes on it, recognizing that the newcomers were indeed from the Shengtian Sect. The man who had attacked earlier was undoubtedly Zhang Dingyun, the sect master of Shengtian Sect.

Ye Xin withdrew the dazzling starlight of her Starlight White Dress, her heart still pounding as she looked warily at the man at the bow of the cloud ship, her brows furrowed.

"A misunderstanding? That sect master of Shengtian Sect clearly intended to kill you," Lin Qian said coldly to Ye Xin, his voice low.

The direction of that massive palm strike had been aimed directly at Ye Xin, with Lin Qian only being incidentally caught in its path.

"My talent poses a threat to the Shengtian Sect. They fear that if another Sword Saint were to rise from the Divine Sword Sect, it would jeopardize their position as the strongest force in Linhai Prefecture," Ye Xin said, her voice filled with anger. "The incident in Bashan City was orchestrated by Shengtian Sect, with orders given to Ba Dao Sect."

"Hmph, Ba Dao Sect!" Lin Qian snorted at the mention of them.

For among the figures descending from the cloud ship was not only Zhang Dingyun but also a man clad in a blood-red robe, his beard neatly trimmed.

This man was none other than Xue Liushang, the sect master of Ba Dao Sect.

Following behind Zhang Dingyun and Xue Liushang were disciples of both Shengtian Sect and Ba Dao Sect, all emerging from the cloud ship. The fact that Shengtian Sect's ship had carried Ba Dao Sect with it was more than telling.

The disciples of Shengtian Sect wore bright yellow robes, their expressions haughty and disdainful. Meanwhile, the disciples of Ba Dao Sect gazed ominously at the members of Divine Sword Sect and Wanxiang Sect, their intentions unclear.

"Look at those Shengtian Sect disciples, acting like they're the best in the world," Li Letian from Wanxiang Sect muttered disdainfully as he observed them from behind Qin Wushuang.

Yawning, Zhao Haiming replied nonchalantly, "We've got a monster on our side, and the four of us have been reborn. Who cares about them?"

"Ba Dao Sect might also get involved," Ding Zhirong warned, eyeing the blood-robed disciples.

"No matter. If they seek death, they're welcome to come after us," Lei Qian said, his eyes briefly flashing with purple lightning.

After storing away the cloud ship, Zhang Dingyun sneered at Qin Wushuang and turned to chat with Xue Liushang, completely ignoring everyone else.

Though Qin Wushuang was furious at Shengtian Sect's attitude, he managed to restrain himself. Mei Yuexia, too, wore a grim expression but remained silent.

Seeing the restraint from both sect leaders, it was clear that they were paying close attention despite outwardly appearing indifferent.

"It seems that Wei Wushuang must truly be dead; otherwise, why would they tolerate this?" Lin Qian muttered quietly as he and Ye Xin returned to the plaza.

Once they rejoined the group, Lei Qian and the others quickly gathered around, and Lin Qian introduced them to one another.

The two female disciples from Divine Sword Sect also joined in, laughing and chatting with the others. Being of similar age, it didn't take long for everyone to become acquainted.

At that moment, the remaining three sects of Linhai Prefecture arrived as well.

Yushou Sect arrived riding soul beasts.

Huichun Sect, clad in green robes, exuded a strong medicinal scent.

With the three sects and five factions all present, it was time to open the ancient relic.

The eight sect leaders gathered in front of the massive stone gate, each holding a simple token in their hands. Channeling their soul power into the tokens, they directed it toward the gate.

As the soul power from the eight leaders surged into the gate, the barrier that had enveloped it shattered with a loud crash.

A powerful and ancient aura instantly emanated from the gate, even though its massive stone doors remained tightly closed.

"The ancient relic has been opened. You may now enter," Qin Wushuang said as he returned to Lin Qian and the others. "Once inside, you won't all appear in the same location."

"Not in the same location?" Lin Qian repeated, glancing at Ye Xin.

Though he wasn't too concerned about what might happen after they were separated, he still felt a twinge of worry.

The Starlight White Dress, designed with the combined wisdom of the Heavenly Craftsmen Division and crafted from the finest materials, would allow Ye Xin to unleash its full power and protect herself.

"Therefore, I recommend that you try to regroup as quickly as possible after entering," Qin Wushuang advised.

After a moment of thought, Lin Qian turned to the group and said, "Once inside, stay where you are and don't move. I have a way to find you."

"A way? What way?" The others looked at him curiously, puzzled by his confidence.

"Each of you, give me a token. You'll see how it works later," Lin Qian replied, holding out his hand with a mysterious smile.

Though still unsure of what to expect, the group members exchanged glances before obediently handing over various items to serve as tokens.

The two female disciples from Divine Sword Sect also joined in, giving Lin Qian their tokens with playful smiles.

After storing the tokens, Lin Qian gestured toward the gate. "Let's go and see what this ancient relic is all about."

With that, he turned and walked toward the entrance.