120: Demons have gathered, and the gate to the secret realm has opened.

The discovery of the underwater stone room and the warning from the Shamanic Carvings were like two precise puzzle pieces, completing Li Muchen's final understanding of the origins of the "Centennial Covenant."

The once mutually beneficial contract had long since devolved, under the erosion of time and greed, into a malevolent ritual that used living people as sacrifices to nourish evil entities.

For the next two days, the Tianchi Lake area was strangely calm. The wind and snow gradually stopped, but the clouds remained thick, blanketing the sky so tightly that neither sun, moon, nor stars could be seen.

Cold winds howled through the valleys, whipping up ice crystals and snow that struck the face like grit. A stifling silence, like the lull before a storm, filled the air between heaven and earth.

Li Muchen and Chen Feng did not return to Xitou Village, nor did they venture deeper into the core area of Tianchi Lake. Instead, they chose another, more secluded cave with a broader view as their temporary base. This location was higher than the last, allowing them to overlook most of the lake's surface and the Rocky Beach area on the southern shore.

Li Muchen set up layers of concealment and protective Restrictions at the cave entrance to ensure their presence didn't leak out, while simultaneously expanding the alert range of his Divine Sense to its limit.

Wait and observe.

He needed to confirm exactly what arrangements the Five Immortals Alliance would make for the Grand Sacrifice on the night of the full moon, how their forces would be deployed, and which key figures would appear. Only by knowing himself and his enemy could he maintain control.

On the first day, there were no abnormalities on the lake or along the shore. Only near the entrance to the Rocky Beach could Li Muchen faintly sense extremely weak but steady pulses of energy continuously scanning the area, like invisible tentacles repeatedly brushing over that zone. This was a pre-set warning Formation running automatically, confirming that it was indeed an important passage.

On the second day, the day before the full moon, the peace was broken.

In the afternoon, the sky remained gloomy. Dozens of figures, some strong and some weak, but all carrying a distinct aura of sinister and Demonic Qi, quietly converged on the southern shore of Tianchi Lake from different directions like ghosts!

They did not arrive with great fanfare; instead, they came in batches at staggered times, moving with a high degree of discipline and stealth. Most wore clothing similar to the previous Grey-robed figures, but with slightly different patterns and colors, seemingly representing different Ranks or affiliations.

A few individuals with particularly deep and obscure auras wore dark purple, forest green, or grey-white robes. They used special hoods or masks to conceal their faces, and the air around them distorted slightly as they moved—clearly, they possessed extraordinary techniques.

Li Muchen refined his Divine Sense into thin threads, carefully avoiding any potential counter-detection methods the other party might have, as he observed from a distance.

These people gathered in a leeward clearing near the entrance to the Rocky Beach. He estimated there were about forty to fifty of them. Among them, seven or eight had auras close to the Foundation Establishment Stage and were likely middle-level leaders. There were three whose auras were the deepest, causing even Li Muchen to take notice.

One wore a dark purple robe with gold trim. He was tall and thin, his face covered by an expressionless bronze mask that revealed only a pair of eyes as deep as pools, occasionally flashing with purple light.

He stood with his hands behind his back, and the wind and snow within several yards seemed to actively avoid him. His aura was cold and violent, faintly matching the description of "Elder Purple Fiend" from Black Water Ridge.

Another wore a skin-tight, forest-green robe that seemed woven from some kind of snake skin. He was hunched over, his face covered in fine, snake-like scales, and his vertical pupils flickered with a cold yellow light. He toyed with a pale white vertebra of some unknown animal, and a nauseating, damp poisonous gas emanated from him. This should be "Elder Black Wind."

The third wore a voluminous, grey-white robe full of holes, resembling rotting tree bark. He was short and stout, his face hidden deep in the shadows of his hood. Only numerous small, writhing tentacles could be seen near his chin. He was silent, yet gave off an extremely dangerous feeling, as if he could crawl into any crack. He was likely "Elder Bone Phosphorus."

"Purple Fiend," "Black Wind," and "Bone Phosphorus"—the three most powerful Protector Elders of the Five Immortals Alliance had actually all arrived! Clearly, they placed great importance on this Grand Sacrifice.

Besides these human evil cultivators, there were over a dozen figures emitting pure and intense Demonic Qi—clearly Essence Spirits who had successfully Cultivated! Most retained some of their original physical traits, such as fox ears and long tails, rat heads on human bodies, bodies covered in sharp quills, or faintly visible scales. They stood quietly behind the three Elders with fierce gazes, showing little respect to the human evil cultivators and instead looking down on them with a hint of scrutiny.

These must be the representatives sent by each of the five immortals to participate in or oversee the Grand Sacrifice—or rather, "Overseers."

Elder Purple Fiend stepped forward toward the Rocky Beach entrance and performed a series of complex hand seals while chanting a strange, difficult incantation that was neither Daoist nor Buddhist.

He seemed to hold a "Secret Key" token similar to the one Li Muchen had obtained, which emitted fluctuations that resonated with the grooves at the entrance.

A moment later, the rocks at the entrance of the Rocky Beach vibrated slightly. The hidden miniature Spirit-Guiding Talisman array was activated, projecting a flickering, pale blue phantom of a light gate in the air above the clearing! Light and shadow flowed within the gate, and the scene on the other side was faintly visible—it appeared to be a dim underground space filled with stalactites!

A teleportation gate! They had actually opened a stable teleportation passage to the Secret Realm in advance! It wasn't just a "manifestation" like the Spiritual Energy Vortex from the previous night, but a real, traversable portal!

"Everyone, enter in batches according to the plan!" Elder Purple Fiend's voice came through the mask, cold and authoritative. "Once inside, proceed immediately to the 'Outpost Camp' to set up the final arrangements! Hu San, Huang Wu, Bai Qi, Liu Jiu, and Hui Shiyi—each of you restrain your subordinates. No one is to move without orders!"

"Yes!" the evil cultivators answered in unison. Though they kept their voices low, they carried a fanatical, murderous intent. The Essence Spirit representatives also nodded slightly, their eyes gleaming.

Subsequently, the group began to pass through the pale blue light gate in an orderly fashion. Amidst the flickering light, figures vanished one by one. The three Elders and the dozen or so Essence Spirit representatives did not enter with the first batch; they remained where they were, seemingly waiting for something, or... guarding against something.

Thoughts raced through Li Muchen's mind. The fact that the enemy had opened a stable entrance early and entered the Secret Realm in force suggested that the core ritual of the full moon sacrifice would likely be held deep within the Secret Realm, right next to the "covenant stone"! And the "Outpost Camp" they mentioned was probably a temporary base inside the Secret Realm near the stone.

This was an opportunity, but also a massive risk. If he could follow them and slip inside, he could reach the heart of the enemy's territory, get first-hand information, and perhaps even sabotage things in advance. However, the enemy had many experts gathered, strict security, and three unfathomable Elders and numerous Essence Spirits standing guard. One wrong move would be walking straight into a trap.

Time waited for no one. Seeing that most of the evil cultivators had already entered, the three Elders also seemed to be preparing to leave.

Li Muchen hesitated no longer. He quickly gave Chen Feng a few instructions, telling him to stay in the cave and not show himself no matter what happened, and left him several powerful protective Talismans and a Jade Slip for emergency contact.

"Muchen, you..." Chen Feng's face was full of worry.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon. I'll act as the situation dictates," Li Muchen said in a steady voice. "Your task here is also vital. If things take a turn for the worse, activate the Jade Slip using the method I taught you, then immediately evacuate along our pre-planned retreat route. Go to Xitou Village and meet up with Daoist Master Xuangu."

Having finished his instructions, Li Muchen's figure flickered, and like green smoke blending into the wind, he silently left the cave and sped toward the Rocky Beach.

He didn't approach the entrance directly but took a long detour to an ice fissure about a hundred yards away. This location was secluded, and due to the terrain and ice reflections, both light and energy fluctuations were quite chaotic here, making it difficult to be detected.

Li Muchen suppressed his entire aura, slowing the rotation of his Golden Core to its absolute limit, as if he had turned into a lifeless rock. He employed the "Turtle Crane Respiration," the most sophisticated concealment technique from the Yellow Court Scripture, while keeping his Divine Sense extremely restrained, covering his body with only a very thin energy film that mimicked the surrounding environment.

Then, he waited patiently.