My Celestial Ascension Chapter 887: A Massive Steel Door

While Yuan and his wives made their way to the Medicine Pavilion, an unsettling chill hung in the air around them, for the whole sect lay deserted, cluttered with aged and crumbling edifices.

"This spot gives off such a spooky vibe with nobody in sight... it’s tough to imagine folks just ditching all their stuff here," Nyx whispered, her face blank with shock as she scanned the unusual edifices nearby.

The arrangement of these structures differed vastly from what they’d encountered previously, featuring intricate designs that were stunningly attractive.

"Maybe some huge catastrophe struck long ago. That might explain why every cultivator chose to abandon this location," Vanessa declared in a grave tone.

"But what sort of catastrophe would force people to leave their riches behind and run? It just doesn’t add up," Leah questioned, her thoughts swirling with bewilderment.

"Or maybe every cultivator perished in a flash, with no opportunity to escape or fight back," Fang Xiaoyan stated coldly while pressing onward.

"That idea makes zero sense... what force could wipe out all cultivators instantly? It sounds utterly ridiculous," Julie responded, finding Fang Xiaoyan’s suggestion preposterous.

"It might seem ridiculous to you, but my statement holds truth. Certain deadly curses can slay tens of thousands in mere moments," Fang Xiaoyan countered with a stern look.

"You could be onto something, Xiaoyan. The cultivators here might have fallen victim to a curse that claimed their lives," Yuan remarked following a short pause for thought.

He went on, "Otherwise, there’d be no explanation for cultivation vanishing entirely from this realm."

"Sadly, we lack any means to uncover the real events of history. No survivors from that time linger in this world."

"That’s truly a shame. I really wish I could learn what occurred back then and why cultivators vanished from this realm," Ava said quietly before letting out a dejected breath.

Before long, they reached a grand and imposing structure that stood apart from the Weapon Pavilion in every way.

Over the doorway, a large plaque dangled, inscribed with the bold black characters spelling ’Medicine Pavilion’.

In contrast to the Weapon Pavilion, this entrance remained unlocked. Yet Yuan and his wives detected a formidable array formation safeguarding the interior.

Since the array persisted in operation after countless millennia, the structure seemed as if it were under ongoing care.

"The array remains active... it looks like the Earth Immortal Sect held this site in high regard. They installed a formidable barrier to secure it," Yuan murmured softly while sensing the impeccable formation humming steadily.

Xi Meili and Fang Xiaoyan promptly scanned the array using their Divine Sense, since it blended seamlessly with the surroundings to the bare eye.

Moments afterward, Xi Meili faced Yuan with a grin and explained, "This array poses no challenge for us. It solely identifies those harboring ill intent."

"Got it... then let’s enter and check out what’s inside for anything worthwhile," Yuan suggested prior to crossing the threshold into the pavilion.

Inside, his gaze fell on a vacant counter backed by lines of racks, each marked with evident pricing.

Numerous racks stood bare, though others retained pill vials without any herbs. The majority of these were standard types, like Qi Refining Pills and Qi Recovery Pills.

Such pills served as staples in every sect, aiding cultivators in building up Qi and restoring depleted stamina effortlessly.

Yuan grabbed a vial and inspected it, only to experience swift letdown since the contents had lost all efficacy.

"These pills hold no value now... every trace of medicinal essence has faded away," Yuan noted after scrutinizing the items on display.

"What a waste of so many valuable pills..." Fang Xiaoyan lamented while eyeing the myriad of containers.

Upon further exploration of the racks, Yuan spotted some ordinary herbs, including ginseng aged a thousand years.

These plants suited refinement for pills no higher than Tier Three, and ingesting them raw offered scant advantages to Yuan and his wives due to their advanced cultivation.

Still, that didn’t imply they’d discard the herbs simply because they no longer served personal gain.

Acting without delay, Yuan and his wives swiftly gathered every herb available from the racks.

The Medicine Pavilion spanned six levels, each brimming with scarce and invaluable herbs alongside pills.

Yuan and his wives seized all viable goods from the Medicine Pavilion. They abandoned only those pills that had deteriorated or turned useless.

Among their haul were exotic herbs of immense rarity, deemed invaluable even in the Nine Heavens, boasting singular and wondrous properties.

’Our journey to the Demonic Continent has proven fruitful with these invaluable finds so far,’ Yuan reflected while departing the Medicine Pavilion.

Casting a final glance at the Medicine Pavilion, Yuan and his wives set off for their subsequent stop—the Earth Immortal Sect’s treasury.

The Medicine Pavilion supplied a wealth of alchemy ingredients that shone as treasures even in the Nine Heavens, scarce beyond measure.

At present, they approached the prime highlight of the Earth Immortal Sect—the treasury. Surely, an ancient sect’s vault brimmed with boundless treasures of supreme worth.

Items of otherworldly potency, and possibly the very objects they’d sought throughout. Beyond mere riches, the treasury promised knowledge equally invaluable.

Consulting the map, Yuan and his wives learned the treasury nestled far inside the peaks. Furthermore, a guardian beast of the Earth Immortal Sect—a Flood Dragon—watched over it.

The map described the Flood Dragon as the sect’s protector, a sentinel that had shielded the sect across millennia.

Upon reaching the spot, they beheld a colossal portal sunk into the cliffside, adorned with a sculpted dragon on its face.

"Looks like we require a key to unlock this portal... short of brute force, we’ve got no alternatives," Yuan observed while assessing the enormous barrier ahead.

Crafted from dense metal of exceptional durability, breaching the gate demanded tremendous effort, given its role as a safeguard for precious contents.

"Should I attempt to melt it with my fire?" Fang Xiaoyan inquired, flames dancing in her gaze.

"Go ahead. Though I doubt fire by itself will suffice against this gate," Yuan answered with a quiet exhale.

"Hmph! No barrier in this world can withstand my flames!" Fang Xiaoyan huffed sharply and advanced, ready to launch a fierce assault on the giant entrance.

"Looks like someone’s doubting her own strength..." Xi Meili teased Fang Xiaoyan with a light laugh.

"Keep your mouth shut, you oversized reptile! Let me handle this!" Fang Xiaoyan barked, her brows furrowing as she gritted her teeth in annoyance.

"What was that...!" Xi Meili flared up immediately and fixed a piercing stare on Fang Xiaoyan.

As Xi Meili moved to advance, Yuan swiftly drew her into his arms, halting her advance.

"Meili, settle down. Now’s not the moment to clash with your sister," Yuan murmured soothingly in her ear, easing her temper at once.

"What sister..." Xi Meili grumbled faintly, pressing her face to Yuan’s chest while a subtle flush colored her face.

Whoosh! In Fang Xiaoyan’s palm, a huge fireball materialized, causing the nearby heat to spike dramatically.

"Phoenix Descends..." Fang Xiaoyan whispered as the fireball morphed into a fiery phoenix and hurtled toward the enormous gate.

Boom!!!

The collision triggered a colossal blast, unleashing a fierce shockwave that rattled the sect and scattered dust and rubble far and wide.

Once the haze cleared, Fang Xiaoyan’s eyes bulged in shock upon realizing her strike hadn’t scratched the gate even slightly.

"T-This can’t be...!" she uttered softly, her voice laced with incredulity.

Anna Grace and the rest stood stunned by the gate’s unyielding resilience. Nyx felt particularly awed, encountering such a spectacle for the first time ever.

’That blast could obliterate a whole city... but it failed to mark the gate at all...’ Nyx gulped anxiously, staring at Fang Xiaoyan in utter amazement.

The surroundings near the gate lay ravaged by Fang Xiaoyan’s inferno, but the gate itself gleamed pristine, an unbreakable bastion.

Yuan approached the gate gradually and touched it with his palm before facing his wives again.

"I suggest you all retreat a bit... this gate won’t shatter without effort. I’ll need my mightiest move to crack it," Yuan cautioned his wives prior to summoning his sword from nowhere.

’Prior to deploying my Empyreal Severing Sword Strike... I ought to probe if this gate resists my Sword Aura,’ Yuan pondered inwardly.

With a solid hold on his sword, Sword Aura surged from him, enveloping the edge and projecting a frosty aura that chilled spines all around.

Slash! Dang! A resounding clang rang out as his blade struck the steel barrier, and remarkably, it etched a gash five inches deep.

"Sword Aura can indeed pierce this metal... regrettably, my mastery of it remains limited," Yuan said to himself while inspecting the outcome.

Without pause, he readied his follow-up strike. This round, he’d unleash full power to demolish the gate.

His cultivation flared wildly alongside his Sword Aura. The weapon blazed with intense light as tremors pulsed through the atmosphere, signaling an impending disaster.

"Empyreal Severing Sword Strike..." Yuan intoned quietly while gearing up to release his ultimate sword art on the gate.

As he lifted his sword skyward, a vast beam of luminescence formed, and with his downward swing, it raced at blinding velocity toward the towering entrance.

Booommm!!!

The instant the beam met the immense gate, a thunderous detonation rocked the Earth Immortal Sect, propelling a ruinous shockwave outward in every direction.