Thunderbolt Ancestor, who had just turned around upon hearing the noise, witnessed the killing of his subordinate and was immediately infuriated.

He clapped his hands together and a Thunder Light Seal appeared in front of him, from which countless dazzling bolts of lightning surged forth, striking head-on at the emaciated figure attacking the Core Formation female cultivator.

At almost the same time, Dugu Feng's eyes flashed coldly, and he spat out a Black Sword Magic Treasure from his mouth that howled as it charged toward another emaciated figure.

Simultaneously, Su Zimo quickly formed hand seals and sacrificed two talismans that transformed into two Light Shields, protecting his only subordinate.

However, both the Thunder Light and the Black Sword hit nothing, and after draining the blood of two Core Formation cultivators, the two emaciated figures disappeared instantly just like before, leaving no trace behind.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming felt a sinking feeling in his heart and immediately started fiddling with the ring in his hand, his Divine Sense locking onto Yan Sijing and Xi Ying, ready to assist at any moment.

Wan Qi Hong, walking at the front of the staircase, also turned his head back now, his face solemn, his gaze sweeping across the main hall on the ground floor.

It was clear he too sensed the strangeness of the situation, and reckoned that recklessly heading to the second floor might not be a wise choice.

The atmosphere immediately became heavy. For a while, no one dared to move or speak, plunging the scene into total silence.

Just as everyone was guessing where the emaciated figures might appear next, Wan Qi Hong suddenly raised his hand and ruthlessly made a move; three sword lights howled from his hand, each targeting Xi Ying, Yuan Ming, and the man with blue eyes.

Yuan Ming was caught off guard but quickly suppressed the urge to defend, letting the sword light pass by him.

Three screams rang out simultaneously, but this time the injured were not the Core Formation cultivators present, but rather the emaciated figures that had appeared behind the three.

The sword lights unleashed by Wan Qi Hong were immensely powerful, slicing the three emaciated figures diagonally in two with a single strike. However, despite such severe injuries, the figures still seemed to be alive, disappearing just like before with a scream, leaving no bodies or debris behind.

"How did Fellow Daoist Wan Qi spot them?" Golden Dawn Fairy immediately asked.

"They cause slight spatial fluctuations when they appear and disappear. You just have to find the location of these fluctuations in advance," explained Wan Qi Hong.

Golden Dawn Fairy nodded, appearing enlightened, while the others remained silent, though their expressions were not good.

The cultivation of each Core Formation Cultivator requires the Sect to pour in countless resources and over a hundred years of time, combined with various opportunities and transformations, making them the central force of a Sect. Having entered the Immortal Mansion in search of treasures, they have yet to obtain anything substantial but have already suffered losses, naturally making it hard for them to accept.

Although Wan Qi Hong had severely damaged the three emaciated figures, each time they appeared, their number increased. The group did not take things lightly and remained alert, preparing to continue exploring the tower.

Golden Dawn Fairy quickly stepped forward to collect Wen Zaihou's corpse, her face full of sorrow.

"Hmph, such a waste, after I spent so many Spirit Stones on her cultivation," Thunderbolt Ancestor walked over to the Core Formation female cultivator's body, his face displaying dissatisfaction.

He did not intend to collect the corpse but took the Storage Bag from the body and picked up the female cultivator's Magic Treasure, handing it to Yan Sijing.

"Her Magic Treasure is now yours. Make sure you don't die before I need you, as I can't guarantee your sister's safety," he said.

Yan Sijing bowed her head and whispered an affirmative, yet her eyes flickered with intense killing intent.

However, when she raised her head, that killing intent had vanished, leaving only fear and confusion.

On the side of the Black Desert Alliance, Dugu Feng glanced at the corpse of the burly man by the iron tower, but just as he was about to step forward, another Black Robed Cultivator by Xi Ying's side took the initiative to collect the body.

Dugu Feng paused, a trace of inexplicable meaning flickering in his eyes, then silently acknowledged the Black Robed Cultivator's action.

Next, the Black Robed Cultivator also collected the Core Formation female cultivator's body.

"Boy, what are you trying to do?" Thunderbolt Ancestor immediately expressed his displeasure.

"Reporting to senior, I simply cannot bear to see a Fellow Daoist's body abandoned in the wilderness. If senior dislikes this, I will immediately return the corpse." the Black Robed Cultivator explained anxiously.

Thunderbolt Ancestor snorted coldly, but chose not to voice any inhumane remarks, thus tacitly permitting the Black Robed Cultivator's action.

After waiting for about half an hour, the previous emaciated figures did not reappear.

Given the earlier incident, the group lost the motivation to clean up the battlefield and gathered near their respective Sect's Nascent Soul Ancestors, taking a break before continuing upwards.

The second floor of the tower was much smaller than the first and lacked any stone statues or eerie shadows, housing only a statue of the Shura Master, standing desolately in the center of the hall.

The statue looked much younger than the one outside the tower, with an unshed youthful aura on its face marked by a touch of melancholy.

When Wan Qi Hong and the others all set foot in this place, the statue's eyes suddenly lit up with a red glow, and an Array of Silver Light appeared in front of it.

Immediately after, a voice filled with vicissitudes emanated from the statue:

"Flowers may bloom again, but youth will never return. I have cultivated for hundreds of years, glimpsing the eternal Dao. Looking back, often due to insufficient strength, I have left many regrets."

"After stepping into the Refining Void Realm, I created the Illusion Array Divine Ability that allows one to revisit the past. Yet, revisiting old matters never yielded superior solutions, leaving the regrets intact. Therefore, I set up this trial here. If you can fulfill my unachieved desires, you will be worthy of inheriting my treasure."

The crowd reacted differently upon hearing the recorded message of the Shura Master, and a few Nascent Soul cultivators exchanged glances, seemingly reluctant to take the lead in exploring.

At that moment, Su Zimo scanned the remaining Core Formation cultivators and suddenly smiled, "Brother Dugu, among those present, you have suffered the least loss under your command. Why not let your two subordinates give it a try in this trial?"

"Those were your own useless people who couldn't make it until now. In my opinion, since they are all useless, why should Fellow Daoist Su cherish them? Better to use them sooner to prevent them from becoming burdens later on," Dugu Feng retorted with a sneer.

"Brother Dugu speaks the truth, but I also worry about my disciples' incompetence, which might waste everyone's time. As it happens, your subordinates are quite capable, like that one who broke the illusion earlier. Maybe taking the lead this time could also be effective," Su Zimo said with unchanged expression, sneaking a glance in Xi Ying's direction.

"Su Zimo, you're right, but you picked the wrong person. It should have been that one who gathered the corpses just now. Since he has such a compassionate heart, he would probably be willing to make sacrifices for others," Thunderbolt Ancestor laughed heartily.

Dugu Feng's expression turned cold, and he was about to retort when he suddenly heard Wan Qi Hong also speaking up in agreement.

"They are right, Dugu Feng, it's time for you to exert some effort," Wan Qi Hong added.

Seeing the three of them appearing to reach a consensus on this matter, Dugu Feng's expression chilled further, and noticing that Golden Dawn Fairy remained silent beside him, he knew she wouldn't help him in this matter, so he finally said:

"Since that is the case, Xiao Ying, go on and give it a try for these seniors," Dugu Feng ordered.

"Wait, seniors, let me go instead," Yuan Ming suddenly stepped forward and said.

As soon as he spoke, the gaze of several Nascent Soul cultivators instantly focused on him, and all the Core Formation cultivators in the area also turned their eyes towards him, their expressions varied, especially Xi Ying, whose look at Yuan Ming was tinged with complex emotions.

However, at that moment, Yuan Ming, faced with everyone's gaze, showed a look of shame and did not glance at Xi Ying.

"The seniors assisted me in escaping from a predicament, which was a great favor. I previously missed a heavy treasure because of my mistakes and truly feel guilty. Now, I only wish to offer a meager effort on behalf of the seniors to probe the reality of the trial and thus atone for my wrongdoing," Yuan Ming spoke convincingly, his attitude extremely sincere.

"Good! You are a grateful young man, how could we disregard your intention," Thunderbolt Ancestor immediately laughed heartily, eager to decide on this matter.

Su Zimo also nodded with a smile, but his gaze still flitted between Yuan Ming and Dugu Feng.

Golden Dawn Fairy looked at Yuan Ming with a complex expression, seemingly hesitating to speak.

Meanwhile, Dugu Feng, unabashedly, waved his hand grandly and said, "It's rare for you to have such intention. Once we leave here, you may come to my Black Desert Alliance to claim a reward anytime, and if you're interested in joining, I can even appoint you as a Squad Leader to wield some authority."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming thanked Dugu Feng, prepared to step forward into the Silver Light Array when suddenly, Wan Qi Hong stopped him.

Wan Qi Hong flipped his hand and took out two talismans, handing one of them to Yuan Ming.

"This item is called the Unity Talisman, a special product of the East Sea. Once used, it lasts for a day. During this period, if you die, the other talisman will also burn up spontaneously," Wan Qi Hong explained the effects of the talisman and then signaled Yuan Ming to activate it by casting.

Yuan Ming looked at the talisman in his hand, hesitated, unsure whether its use would reveal anything else.

"I wonder if Fellow Daoist Wan Qi would allow me to take a look at that talisman?" Golden Dawn Fairy suddenly asked.

After receiving Wan Qi Hong's permission, Golden Dawn Fairy took the talisman, circulated her Mana, and after a brief touch to her eyes, her black pupils suddenly turned golden, resembling the eyes of a dragon.

She looked down at the talisman in her hand, her eyebrows furrowed, and then she suddenly revealed a look of epiphany.

"So that's how it is, this Core Rune can only be engraved with special spiritual materials. No wonder those sects in the East Sea always mystify, aiming to conceal this rune, probably for fear that we would target this spiritual material to produce the Life Talisman," Golden Dawn Fairy revealed a look of joy.

Upon hearing this, the Nascent Souls were somewhat curious and wanted to ask precisely which spiritual material it was, but Golden Dawn Fairy turned to look at Yuan Ming and shifted the topic, revealing nothing further.

"Yuan Ming, you can be assured in using this talisman; it only serves as a marker and has no other side effects," she said.

Yuan Ming nodded. Having no other choice and reassured by Golden Dawn Fairy, he promptly activated the talisman and placed it on himself.

As a flash of blue light passed, Yuan Ming immediately sensed a mysterious connection forming between himself and the talisman in Golden Dawn Fairy's hand.

Seeing that the talisman indeed had no other reaction, Yuan Ming let go of his concerns, stepped forward quickly, and stepped into the Array in front of the statue.

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