Chapter 491: A Hidden World

"These attendants... they all seem to be puppets." Han Li watched for a moment, raised an eyebrow, and said in surprise.

"Indeed, they are all puppets." Hu Yan, after carefully examining them for a moment, also nodded.

As the two were speaking, golden light condensed in the void above their heads, and a thick golden cloud slowly formed. The tribulation of the pill, which had already shown signs outside, was delayed for a long time and now appeared in this secret realm.

Han Li's gaze followed the center of the golden cloud downward, and he saw that at the highest peak of the floating land stood a magnificent golden dome-topped palace.

On the square outside the golden dome palace, two figures were radiating azure light, surrounded by water-blue flower shadows, and were striking various colored lights at the palace gate.

"Luo Qinghai is already breaking the palace's restrictions. We should go over as well." Han Li said solemnly.

"Alright." Hu Yan responded.

Before his voice faded, the void over a hundred zhang to the side of the mountain twisted, and two figures flashed out—Feng Tiandu and Qi Tianxiao.

Feng Tiandu, whose face was as withered as a zombie's, first glanced at Han Li, then looked toward the golden dome palace, let out a low shout, and together with Qi Tianxiao, rushed straight toward the square.

"What's going on... How did they find this place? Could it be that one of them also has a Void Spirit Eye?" Luo Qinghai turned back to glance at the approaching Feng Tiandu and the other, full of doubt.

"Great Palace Master, the restriction is about to be broken. What should we do now..." Nan Ke Meng, forming hand seals, asked.

"Never mind, let's enter the golden palace first." Luo Qinghai shouted in a low voice, and with both hands, he heavily slapped the palace gate.

A water-blue leaf covered with silver patterns shot out from his palm and stuck directly onto the gate.

The gate immediately blazed with blue light, and the leaf melted like ice and snow, dissolving into the golden gate and disappearing, leaving only strands of silver patterns intertwining into a complex rune that spread across the gate.

Following the pattern of that rune, silver cracks appeared on the golden gate, and then with a crisp sound, it shattered, clattering to the ground.

Just as Luo Qinghai and the other were about to rush into the palace, Feng Tiandu's voice came from behind:

"Daoist Luo, we all worked together to break the restriction and get here. You're not thinking of enjoying the fruits alone, are you?"

"Hehe, Daoist Feng, you're mistaken. I just happened to arrive here first. Time is pressing, so I'm opening the gate for all of you to save you some trouble." Luo Qinghai stopped and said with a chuckle.

At that moment, Han Li and Hu Yan also flew down from the sky and landed outside the gate.

Luo Qinghai and Feng Tiandu both looked at Han Li and Hu Yan—one with a smile, the other expressionless—their expressions differing.

Before anyone could speak, a sound of tearing air came from above, and four beams of light flashed one after another, as the two Golden Immortals from the Nanli Tribe and Ouyang Kuishan also flew down from both sides.

"Hmph..." After landing, the crane-haired old woman struck the ground with her golden staff and snorted coldly.

Ouyang Kuishan subtly nodded at Hu Yan; they had been able to enter this place because Hu Yan had secretly contacted him and informed him of the entrance's location.

For a moment, the various parties that had parted ways at the entrance were reunited.

Just then, the golden cloud in the sky churned violently, and within a few breaths, it completely covered the sky above everyone's heads, casting golden light that made their faces shine brilliantly.

The immense and powerful fluctuations emanating from the golden cloud made all the Golden Immortals present feel a tremor in their hearts.

The golden cloud rolled, making the entire sky radiate golden light, as if it had completely merged into a single entity, giving a very oppressive and heavy feeling, as if the entire sky was pressing down.

Then, continuous rumbling sounds came from within the cloud. Amidst the wind and clouds, a huge golden vortex suddenly appeared in the center, howling and spinning like a storm.

A dazzling silver light slowly emerged from the center of the vortex, condensed like a huge silver droplet, with electric threads缠绕 around it, constantly making a "sizzling" sound.

With the formation of this silver droplet, a terrifyingly powerful spiritual energy fluctuation descended, enveloping the entire golden dome palace.

Han Li's gaze swept over the golden palace, and he saw that on the pillars, eaves, windows, and lintels, there were densely carved runes, now flickering with dim light like stars at night.

On the floor inside the palace, circles of circular patterns were densely engraved, like layers of guards surrounding the massive jade-green cauldron in the center.

The cauldron was over seven feet tall, almost as tall as an adult man, with two ears and three legs, in the common style of alchemy cauldrons.

However, its material seemed like jade but was not actually jade. Inside, flames were clearly rising, yet outside, not a trace of heat could be felt, showing how tightly it sealed the power of fire.

Moreover, on the body of the cauldron, amidst the dense spiritual patterns, nine pure white chi dragons coiled, heads up and tails down, mouths wide open, lifelike, all pointing toward a three-legged golden crow statue on the cauldron's lid, which was raising its head and spreading its wings as if to fly.

Han Li narrowed his eyes, and with a flash of blue light, he saw that within the golden crow statue, a white blazing light seemed to ignite, and from its three claws gripping the lid, wisps of white light flowed into the cauldron.

"Ding dong"

A soft sound came from the void. The golden vortex in the sky suddenly brightened, and the huge silver droplet fell from the sky, splashing onto the top of the golden palace's spire.

The silver bottle shattered, and the liquid splashed!

A dazzling silver light suddenly blazed, and countless silver electric threads erupted wildly, engulfing the entire golden palace in a deafening roar.

Seeing this, Han Li and the others changed expression and flew backward to avoid it.

The golden palace, as if struck by a mountain, sank heavily, seeming to sink into the ground.

But immediately after, the runes covering the entire palace lit up one after another, and golden light surged back like a tidal wave, rushing toward the sky and intertwining with the silver electric threads.

The entire golden dome palace, like a blazing golden sun, radiated brilliant light in that instant.

At the same time, the ceiling inside the palace shone with golden light, spreading from the center toward the eaves like a tide, continuously deflecting the terrifying force from outside.

Yet even so, a silver beam of light projected from the center of the ceiling, striking the alchemy cauldron.

With a muffled "bang."

The runes engraved on the floor lit up one circle after another, and layers of golden light screens rose from the ground, channeling wisps of golden light into the cauldron.

The eyes of the nine chi dragons on the cauldron's body lit up with golden light, and from their mouths, streams of white flame shot out, converging from all directions to collide with the silver beam, locked in a stalemate.

Watching this from outside the palace, Han Li was full of admiration.

He thought to himself that this old Daoist, the Cold Abyss Immortal Lord, really had something. By creating this Taiyi Hall and having a group of puppets manage it, he could plant and harvest herbs, raise materials, and even refine pills, continuing to this day.

Most incredibly, this golden dome palace could even withstand the pill tribulation. It was truly astonishing. Could it be that, as the old Daoist boasted, he was an unparalleled genius?

Before leaving that time secret realm, Han Li had completely sealed the remnant soul of the old Daoist calling himself the "Cold Abyss Immortal Lord" inside the Soul Nurturing Furnace, cutting off all contact with the outside world. Now he hesitated whether to open the restriction and communicate with the old Daoist.

"The pill tribulation is about to end. Get ready..." While Han Li was hesitating, Hu Yan suddenly reminded him.

Sure enough, after stirring for dozens of breaths, the silver lightning on the palace roof finally exhausted its residual power and gradually dissipated.

Thin smoke rose from the golden palace, and the air was filled with a burning smell. Yet the entire palace seemed washed clean, shining even more brightly than before the tribulation.

"Let's go."

No one knew who said it, but in an instant, all the figures outside the palace flashed and appeared inside.

The silver beam inside the palace had also dissipated, but the golden circles on the ground had not disappeared, still surrounding the cauldron in layers.

Han Li scanned the interior of the palace and saw on both sides stood gray stone statues as tall as ordinary people, holding various weapons. Although motionless, waves of spiritual energy emanated from them, clearly indicating they were puppets.

Behind the cauldron was a platform slightly higher than the ground by three feet, on which was placed a wide golden throne, carved with dragons and phoenixes, looking quite imposing.

On the golden throne sat a middle-aged man in a dark green Daoist robe.

His hands rested on the armrests, his eyes slightly closed, legs crossed, leaning slightly back against the chair. His posture was somewhat absurd, contrasting with his handsome, sword-browed face, giving a somewhat incongruous impression.

When everyone saw this person, they were all startled. Each person's aura surged briefly, but quickly retracted.

They were surprised to find that the middle-aged man had no trace of life, seeming to be just a corpse.

But calling him a corpse was not entirely accurate, as his chest was still rising and falling slightly, as if breathing. He was actually a living corpse.

Just as they were hesitating in doubt, a small five-colored cloud rose from the top of the cauldron. The chi dragon facing the gate suddenly emitted silver light from its mouth, and a silver pill the size of a dragon's eye flew out.

With the appearance of this pill, a rich medicinal fragrance filled the entire hall.

"Taiyi Pill..."

Everyone's eyes grew hot, all fixated on that pill.

"Everyone, don't rush. Those golden rings are the protective array for the cauldron. Do not charge in recklessly, lest you trigger the mechanisms and ruin this batch of pills." Luo Qinghai suddenly called out loudly.

"The pill is already formed. Even if the cauldron is destroyed, it's fine." The crane-haired old woman of the Nanli tribe shouted, about to step forward.

A blue water screen suddenly rose at her feet, blocking her.

"Time to act? Hehe, just the right moment..." The dark-skinned septuagenarian grinned.

Han Li exchanged a glance with Hu Yan, and as they circulated their immortal spiritual power, they were about to act.

The atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense, on the verge of conflict.