Chapter 117: The Mysterious Stone Gate

As the old man spoke, the three factions fell silent.

"Who is this damned old man?" Lin Yanghao asked Zeng Quan, who stood beside him.

"That is Daoist Changchun. He is a Soul Formation stage cultivator with quite a reputation in the cultivation world," Zeng Quan whispered into Lin Yanghao’s ear. "It would be disastrous if we alerted those people."

Lin Yanghao curled his lip in disdain. He had thought the old man was someone formidable, but it turned out he was merely a Soul Formation cultivator. If he ever caught him in a vulnerable spot, he would beat him into a pulp for ruining his plans.

This realization also made Lin Yanghao aware that it wasn't just the three major sects present; there were several other Soul Formation cultivators from various schools.

"Zeng Quan, why is the highest level of cultivation here only at the Soul Formation stage?" Lin Yanghao pondered. If a Void Refinement stage expert came, wouldn't they easily seize the treasure? Why bother with so many Soul Formation cultivators? Even if no Void Refinement experts were around, what about those at the Returning Void stage?

"I don't know why, but since ancient times, the Thousand Saint Marsh has only allowed entry to those below the Returning Void stage. Anyone above that level is blocked from entering," Zeng Quan explained.

"Why is that?" Lin Yanghao was even more puzzled.

"It is speculated that the Thousand Saint Marsh might have been sealed by ancient arrays or restrictions, which caused this current situation."

Lin Yanghao nodded, his mind racing. A theory began to form: was it possible that someone had set these restrictions specifically to prevent others from stealing the treasures behind this stone gate? And since anyone below the Returning Void stage couldn't open the gate, it created a stalemate. He felt his guess was likely spot on.

Although staying here carried the risk of being discovered at any moment, Lin Yanghao was in no hurry to leave. Perhaps an opportunity would arise. He began eavesdropping on their conversation.

"This gate must be sealed by a restriction; otherwise, given our combined strength, it would have opened by now."

"You're right. So, what should we do next? We can't just stand here waiting forever."

As they reached an impasse, Lin Yanghao’s eyes suddenly lit up. Why did this stone gate look so familiar? Good heavens! Whoever built this gate was incredibly extravagant.

The entire gate was crafted from Star-Emperor Purple Iron. No wonder they couldn't open it! Star-Emperor Purple Iron was inherently indestructible, capable of withstanding the full-force strike of a Soul Formation cultivator. His suspicions were confirmed: the treasure inside must be extraordinary if even the gate was made of such rare material.

"Ling'er, just wait a little longer. I will make sure you recover soon," he whispered. For Ling'er’s sake, and to obtain this Star-Emperor Purple Iron, Lin Yanghao decided to take the risk.

Meanwhile, all the Soul Formation cultivators were relentlessly bombarding the gate, yet it remained completely unscathed. Feeling a surge of nervous adrenaline, Lin Yanghao stepped forward. Zeng Quan stared at him in disbelief, wondering if the boy was trying to commit suicide.

"Kid, who are you? Do you intend to meddle in our affairs?" Lin Yanghao was immediately spotted. The others turned to look at him, baffled by the sudden appearance of a mere Golden Core stage boy. They figured he must have a death wish to challenge them for treasure.

"I have a way to open this gate, but I have a condition," Lin Yanghao bargained. If they agreed, he could secretly allow Ling'er to absorb the massive supply of Star-Emperor Purple Iron. If he was lucky, he might even snag a few items from inside.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course. Why would I come out here otherwise?"

"Fine. We all agree. If you can open the gate, you can name your price," one of them replied readily. They reasoned that once the gate was open, the treasure would be theirs for the taking. As for the boy's condition, if it proved troublesome, they could simply kill him afterward.

Lin Yanghao was well aware of their schemes, but he didn't care. His goal was the Star-Emperor Purple Iron; the condition was just a pretext. With his "Mystical Ghost Step" technique, he was confident he could escape once his plan succeeded.

"Can you speak for all of them?" Lin Yanghao asked.

"Rest assured, as long as you open it, you can name any condition you want." The others nodded in agreement.

"Very well. This involves my unique secret technique, so I must ask you all to step back for a moment," Lin Yanghao said. He couldn't let these old monsters see him absorbing the extreme cold energy from the iron, as it might expose Ling'er.

"Fine, hurry up," they replied, indifferent to his methods as long as the gate opened. They found his request for privacy reasonable.

Once they had moved away, Lin Yanghao began. As soon as his hand touched the gate, the immense, frigid energy within the Star-Emperor Purple Iron surged into the Floating Cloud Pendant, where Ling'er began to absorb it.

"Lin Yanghao? Where are we? How is there so much Star-Emperor Purple Iron here?" Ling'er’s voice sounded weak but clearly recovering.

"Ling'er, you're awake! How are you feeling?" Lin Yanghao was overjoyed. He quickly gave her a brief account of the situation. As she listened, her eyes welled up with tears. She was deeply moved that he would risk his life—everything—just for her.