Senior Jin led the two into a vast inner hall bathed in muted golden light. The walls were inlaid with pure gold runes, ancient and dignified, each line pulsing faintly as if breathing. Suspended above the polished floor floated an enormous teleportation formation, layers upon layers of rotating sigils interlocking like celestial gears. A deep, rhythmic hum filled the hall, vibrating through bone and marrow alike.

Wang Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

There are already people waiting…

Other than him and Yang Kai, three figures were already present.

Two men stood apart, their postures relaxed yet domineering, while a veiled woman sat calmly between them, her presence quiet but oppressive. Even without deliberately releasing their auras, the pressure leaking from their bodies was enough to make the surrounding space feel heavy.

At a glance, Wang Chen could tell—both men were at least at the Deity Transformation Realm. As for the veiled woman…

His instincts warned him not to probe further.

She's stronger, he concluded silently.

The way Senior Jin behaved confirmed it.

Gone was the cold impatience he had shown outside. Here, his back was slightly bent, his smile wide and practiced, every word measured. He greeted the trio with the respect one reserved not merely for powerful cultivators—but for people whose backgrounds carried weight.

It became obvious these were not ordinary experts.

In fact, Wang Chen calmly deduced that their origins were likely no weaker than Yang Kai's—perhaps even stronger.

As Wang Chen observed them, the trio also cast their gazes his way. Their eyes lingered for only a brief moment before sliding away, interest evaporating once they sensed his Golden Core cultivation and noticed his simple, unadorned robes.

To them, he was irrelevant.

They nodded politely toward Yang Kai instead. Yang Kai returned the gesture lazily, without enthusiasm, as if such acknowledgment were routine.

Wang Chen didn't mind.

If anything, he preferred it this way.

While Wang Chen was still taking in the hall, Senior Jin clapped his hands softly.

From the shadows, three men emerged, each holding a thick metallic rod etched with dense spatial inscriptions. They moved with precise coordination, positioning themselves at the three cardinal points of the formation.

The formation trembled faintly in response.

Seeing the slight curiosity flicker across Wang Chen's eyes, Senior Jin cleared his throat and spoke in a lowered voice.

"Troubled times are approaching," he said. "To prevent… undesirable elements from entering the Soaring Dragon Continent, the ancient space-blocking formation has been fully activated."

He gestured toward the floating array.

"These rods act as anchors. They allow us to bypass the sealed spatial layers without triggering defensive countermeasures."

Senior Jin seemed unusually talkative, perhaps buoyed by the presence of distinguished guests. He continued explaining the mechanisms, even touching on details that most outsiders would never be told.

Halfway through, he abruptly realized himself.

An awkward smile appeared on his face as he stopped.

"Apologies," he said lightly. "I spoke too much."

"So that's the reason," Wang Chen replied with a nod, his expression calm and unbothered.

Inwardly, his thoughts had already moved on.

Ancient space-blocking formation… bypass routes… Upper Realm techniques leaking downward.

He had gotten what he wanted.

The reason no longer mattered.

Now, things were starting to make a little more sense.

Over the past few days, Wang Chen had clearly sensed a subtle but undeniable change in the Seven Cloud Convergence World. The world's fortune was shrinking—no, not vanishing, but concentrating. Vast swathes of luck were being siphoned away from the periphery and pooled into several key regions, as if the world itself were instinctively drawing in its breath, bracing for impact.

It was the kind of phenomenon that only occurred when catastrophe loomed.

What could force a world to react like this…?

His thoughts immediately drifted toward a single possibility.

The Dragon Race Inheritance Ground.

Other than that, Wang Chen could find no reasonable explanation. Anything capable of threatening the stability of an entire world had to be connected to the Upper Realm. And the Dragon Race—an existence that even immortals treated with caution—was more than enough to attract the greedy gaze of Upper Realm overlords.

If news of such an inheritance had truly leaked…

Then this chaos was only the beginning.

While Wang Chen was still piecing together these thoughts, Yang Kai casually flicked his wrist and tossed a golden storage pouch toward Senior Jin. Almost simultaneously, the remaining three cultivators did the same. Preferential treatment or not, rules were rules—nothing in this world was truly free.

Senior Jin caught the pouches midair, weighing each one carefully with his spiritual sense. His smile widened once he confirmed their contents.

"Good, good," he chuckled softly. "Doing business with the rich and powerful really is the most pleasant thing in the world…"

As his voice faded, the formation beneath their feet began to hum more violently. The intricate runes rotated faster, grinding against each other like massive celestial gears. The surrounding space trembled, rippling as if reality itself were being kneaded by invisible hands.

Wang Chen's eyes brightened slightly as dense spatial energy wrapped around his body.

The sensation came abruptly.

Before he could fully process it, his vision warped, colors smearing together. His sense of direction shattered, up and down losing all meaning. Then—

The golden hall vanished.

In its place was a vast expanse of brilliant blue sky. Thick, pure air rushed into his lungs, cool and invigorating, carrying a richness of qi that made his skin tingle. Just breathing felt like a form of cultivation.

"Whew…" one of the men muttered, clutching his stomach with a grimace. "No matter how many times I use this formation, the disorientation never gets better. If they could fix that, this would be the greatest traveling method in existence."

The other man glanced at him sideways and snorted, his disdain obvious, before turning away.

The veiled woman didn't spare them even a glance. The moment her feet touched solid ground, she moved, her figure blurring as she departed without a word—clearly in a hurry.

Watching her leave snapped Wang Chen out of his thoughts.

Right… Lin Huang.

Several hours had already passed since he received the notification. If anything, the danger his disciple was facing had only escalated.

Moments later, the area fell quiet.

Only Wang Chen and Yang Kai remained.

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