Chapter 1046: Taking the Lead

"Everyone, regardless of whether there is a Gold Force Field inside, we should proceed with caution. So, how about we split into two groups and enter the hall one after the other?" Jin Liu said after a moment's deliberation.

"May I ask, what is the order of entry?" Yu Kuohai raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Among you, those who cultivate metal-attribute techniques and those skilled in禁制 formations will form an advance team and enter the door first. If there is indeed a formation enhancing the Gold Force Field, those adept at breaking禁制 will remove it, and the rear team will follow," Jin Liu explained.

"Friend Jin, this method is good but unfair. My Wangyou Pavilion primarily cultivates metal-attribute techniques. Wouldn't that mean we have to scout ahead and take the risks?" Vice Pavilion Master Zhao stepped forward and said.

"Friend Zhao, don't worry. Whatever the advance team obtains, whether there are禁制 inside the door or not, will belong to them. How about that? The rear team, acting as support, is not idle either; they must be ready outside to assist you if anything goes wrong," Jin Liu said, waving his hand.

"If that's the case, it's reasonable," Vice Pavilion Master Zhao said after a moment's thought.

"This time, the advance team will consist of those who practice metal-attribute techniques from Lieguang City, Wangyou Pavilion, and our Tianshui Sect. As for Lingxiao Sect, Moxiang Tower, and Qingsuo Valley, please select a few friends skilled in breaking禁制 to join as well. How about that?" Jin Liu said after pondering for a moment.

The others found it a reasonable plan and nodded in agreement.

Han Li watched Yu Kuohai approach him, knowing he would again drag him along to fill the ranks, and felt somewhat speechless.

However, he had intended to enter the door first anyway, so when Yu Kuohai spoke, he did not refuse and agreed. But to his surprise, Yu Kuohai himself also wanted to join the advance team.

After each side selected their candidates for the advance team, a group of fewer than a hundred people was formed.

"I had been wondering who to choose as the leader of the advance team, but I didn't expect that Friends Yu, Yang, and Zhao would all volunteer to join. This is an unexpected delight," Jin Liu said with a smile.

"Heh, not at all. Since most of my Wangyou Pavilion members are entering, how could I, as their leader, wait outside?" Vice Pavilion Master Zhao said with an air of righteousness.

The members of his sect looked at him with varying degrees of admiration in their eyes.

"Many from my Lieguang City are also joining the advance team, so naturally I must enter and share their fortunes," Elder Yang also stepped forward and said.

"Our Lingxiao Sect does not primarily cultivate metal-attribute techniques, but I, Yu Kuohai, am an exception. This time, I will join the advance team with Friend Shi," Yu Kuohai continued.

Han Li listened to these impassioned words, sneering inwardly.

After all, what these people were after was merely to enter first and seize the treasures ahead of others. As for whether there was a Gold Force Field inside, they either thought they had a way to deal with it or were simply taking their chances.

Han Li paid no attention to any of this. What truly caught his notice were the 'Lan siblings,' who were also in the vanguard.

Earlier, when breaking the formation, they had not revealed any flaws, but he wondered what would happen once they entered the gate.

Lan Yuanzi had been talking with Lan Yan when he suddenly seemed to sense a gaze fixed on him. He frowned slightly.

He turned his head sharply, only to find that the gaze had already shifted away, with no one looking in his direction.

"What's wrong, brother...?" Lan Yan asked, puzzled.

"Nothing, probably just my imagination," Lan Yuanzi said with a smile.

"Once we're inside, what if there really are treasures?" Lan Yan suddenly switched to voice transmission.

"If there are treasures, your brother will naturally seize them and give them to you," Lan Yuanzi replied with a smile.

"Then you handle the treasure hunting, brother, and leave these annoying people to me. I'll kill them all, leaving not a single one alive," Lan Yan said, her face full of innocent smiles, transmitting her voice.

"These people are suitable as cannon fodder for now. No need to kill them in a hurry," Lan Yuanzi transmitted.

Hearing this, Lan Yan's face scrunched up, full of reluctance. She transmitted, "But if I don't kill them all, I'll have to keep pretending to be this ugly girl. I don't want that."

"If you kill them all, even if you return to your original form, who will be there to see it?" Lan Yuanzi laughed.

"Naturally, for you to see, brother, and only you. Those filthy wretches aren't worthy," Lan Yan said with a giggle.

"Besides, in your brother's eyes, you will always be the most beautiful woman in the world. Whether you change your appearance or not makes no difference," Lan Yuanzi said, his eyes tender as he looked at the woman beside him, transmitting his voice.

Hearing this, the latter blushed, her bright eyes turning seductive as silk.

After a brief adjustment, the two groups proceeded one after the other to the doorway overflowing with golden light.

"Fellow Daoists, rest assured and go ahead. We'll cover the rear, so there won't be any problems," Jin Liu said with a nod.

Su Quanxi's gaze was cold, her face expressionless, revealing nothing of her thoughts.

Yu Kuohai exchanged a glance with Elder Yang, and they both nodded before leading Han Li and the others through the door.

The members of Wangyou Pavilion followed closely behind and entered as well.

As soon as they passed through the doorway, they were swallowed by the blinding golden light, their figures vanishing instantly, and even the aura they emitted became difficult to detect.

Walking behind Yu Kuohai and the other, Han Li felt his body tighten the moment he stepped into the space beyond the door, as a powerful binding force pressed in from all directions.

This binding force was unlike the heavy pressure of earth attribute or the viscous drag of water attribute; it was a golden binding force that felt like being entangled and pulled by countless strands of extremely tough yet omnipresent metallic threads.

Accompanying it were bone-carving golden winds that blew against the face, cutting like willow-leaf knives and causing sharp pain on the cheeks.

The pervasive golden light around them constantly irritated everyone's eyes, obstructing their vision, making everything beyond a few dozen zhang blurry, as if shrouded in a hazy golden mist.

"What's going on? This feeling, could it be..." Vice Pavilion Master Zhao exclaimed in alarm, sensing the abnormality around them.

"It seems that Fairy Su was right; this place really is a golden force field," Elder Yang said with a bitter smile, showing some regret.

With that, he turned his wrist and produced a golden orb, placing it inside his chest garment, whereupon a golden arc of light burst forth, barely shielding his entire body.

Even with his level of cultivation, he still needed a protective treasure to withstand the influence of the golden force field here, let alone the others, who showed pained expressions and released protective spiritual light to resist the erosion of this power.

Yu Kuohai formed hand seals and activated some technique, causing golden patterns to emerge on his body, also blocking the effect of the golden force field, though his consumption of immortal spiritual power increased severalfold.

"Have you ever seen such a powerful golden force field before? It must be enhanced by a formation. You few, go quickly and find the formation's eyes and feet, and destroy them," Yu Kuohai said with a slight change in expression, pointing at Han Li and the others.

Although Han Li was also affected by the golden force field, his physique was far superior to theirs, so he naturally did not find it too agonizing. However, to maintain his current identity, he bent over and frowned, feigning a pained expression.

"In this golden force field, it's impossible to move even an inch. Fellow Daoist Yu, it's not that I'm unwilling to exert myself, but I simply lack the strength..." Before Han Li could finish, Yu Kuohai interrupted him rudely.

"Stop the nonsense and go quickly. If we don't deactivate this formation soon, forget about seizing any treasures—we'll all be trapped here and die," Yu Kuohai said angrily.

"This... alas..." Han Li sighed in feigned helplessness, picked a direction, and went to investigate.

In this golden force field, although divine sense was not entirely useless, it was also greatly restricted. Even with Han Li's powerful divine sense, he could only detect a radius of about a hundred zhang.

Moreover, his Nine Nether Demon Eyes were also limited, so he could not get a full view of the space behind the door.

After advancing over a hundred paces, he saw a thick golden stone pillar ahead, engraved with countless dense runic patterns that were still flashing with golden light, emitting waves of strange fluctuations.

"Could this be one of the formation feet of the golden force field?" Han Li murmured to himself.

He walked up to the pillar and gently rubbed its surface with his hand, feeling a sharp force penetrating his fingertips.

Han Li looked up along the golden stone pillar and saw that its top was buried in the golden light, making it impossible to see the whole, but he could vaguely make out a strange beast with wings carved on it, with spikes under its wings protruding through the golden light.

Just as he was about to examine the meaning of the runes, a whistling sound suddenly came from above, and the winged beast turned out not to be a statue but a living creature, diving straight at him.

Han Li immediately flashed backward, retreating swiftly, and the diving beast brushed past him as it swooped down, the edges of its two wings gleaming with golden light, carrying a fierce aura that directly tore a rift in the surrounding void.

As he turned sideways, he saw the beast's form: it resembled a golden eagle, not large in size, but the metal-attribute power it contained was formidable—it was clearly another metal beast.

However, this metal beast's metal-attribute aura was even stronger than that of the two tiger metal beasts he had encountered earlier. When it had been still, it had blended perfectly with the environment, so much so that even he had not noticed anything unusual.

The golden eagle missed its strike, then tapped the ground with its wings, flipped up, and swept its wing horizontally toward Han Li. A dazzling golden light shot out from it, tearing through the void and flying toward him.

Han Li turned his wrist, and with a flash of golden lightning, a Green Bamboo Swallow Cloud Sword appeared, blocking the golden light.

"Zheng"

The Green Bamboo Swallow Cloud Sword trembled with a clang, and the golden electric threads缠绕 on it were reduced by half.