The thunder roared and lightning flashed; Sword Light filled the sky.
Finally, Ye Lanfeng delivered the final strike, shattering all the Thunder Pillars with his sword, yet he still stood in place, unable to advance even a step.
Ye Lanfeng frowned and sheathed the Thousand-breaking Sword. Clearly, even with his strength and the Divine Power of the Thousand-breaking Sword, he couldnât break through the defense of the Ancient Mirror.
"How could this be? Didnât Han Yan say the ancestors of the Han and Tang Families once came here? How did they leave alive?" Jiang Yuzhe exclaimed, a face full of confusion.
"If Iâm not mistaken, they didnât trigger the seal of the Ancient Mirror back then. Perhaps due to limited strength, they didnât dare act recklessly or out of greed; earlier on Zhao Lingxian and others attempted to make a contract with this Ancient Mirror, hence activating the Barrier." Mu Hanyan explained.
She had pondered this question before and easily found the answer.
"What should we do then?" Jiang Yuzhe asked, at a loss.
Like Jiang Yuzhe, Huayue, Zirong, and the others were equally clueless. Initially, they thought of attacking simultaneously from different directions, but Ye Lanfeng had already tried that. His speed was unmatched, yet he returned without success, making further attempts unnecessary.
"I think Master Qu might have a solution," Mu Hanyan suggested, turning to Qu Shanling.
Huayue and the others also turned their gaze to Qu Shanling. Along the journey, Qu Shanling had astonished them repeatedly. No one expected that this seemingly trickster God-man possessed such profound mastery over strange and mysterious arts.
They felt that just as their encounter with Mu Hanyan was no coincidence, Qu Shanling meeting Mu Hanyan and staying by her side seemed destined, or rather, arranged by someone a long time ago. And that person was his Master, Lu Guankong.
Whether it was the Divine Summoning Technique he used earlier or the Heavenly Seal Divine Power Divine Prohibition Technique that followed, it all seemed precisely prepared for Mu Hanyan.
Every previous challenge was resolved with the Hand Formation taught by Lu Guankong, so he should have a way this time too.
"I remember when my Master taught me the Heavenly Seal Divine Power Divine Prohibition Technique, he mentioned something, but Iâm not sure if itâs related to this Ancient Mirror," Qu Shanling said awkwardly, seeing all eyes on him.
"What did he say? Why didnât you mention it earlier?" Ye Yanran complained.
"My Master said, âHeavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures are for those destined. The more exceptional the Divine Artifact, the more spiritual it is. If one lacks the destiny, they shouldnât greedily force it. Forcing it could bring calamity from Heavenly Thunder, and even if one is strong enough to withstand the Heavenly Thunderâs Might, the Divine Artifact itself will explode.
However, if destined, even the destructive Heavenly Thunderâs Might wonât harm a bit, and one can safely obtain it,â" Qu Shanling explained.
"What does that mean?" Jiang Yuzhe asked, half-understanding.
"It means if youâre not destined, even if you arenât killed by the Thunder Pillars, the Ancient Mirror will self-destruct in your hands.
If destined, the Thunder Pillars wonât kill you; just reach out and take it," Zirong explained.
"How do we know if weâre destined or not?" Jiang Yuzhe asked persistently.
"Itâs simple, go and try. If youâre killed by the Thunder Pillars, youâre not destined. If not, then you are," Zirong replied.
"Uh..." Jiang Yuzheâs throat bobbed, and his mouth twitched. This method, forget it.
Everyone now understood why Qu Shanling hadnât mentioned it earlier; this was clearly a gamble with oneâs life.
"Actually, I donât know if my Masterâs words relate to this Ancient Mirror; perhaps it was just spoken casually," Qu Shanling added.
Though he said so, from the current situation, it seemed like he was indeed referring to this Ancient Mirror, and the destined person he spoke of should be Mu Hanyan.
But as plausible as it seemed, it remained speculative. The Thunderâs power grew stronger, making even Ye Lanfeng struggle. Who would dare to let Mu Hanyan take such a risk?
"Letâs forget about it; itâs just a broken mirror. Even if we get it, there might be no use. Whoever wants to gamble can go ahead," Ye Yanran suggested.
"Yanran is right. Though the Ancient Mirrorâs Barrier is formidable, it seems ordinary in itself. Letâs not try for it," Xia Youchen agreed.
Huayue and the others remained silent, but their silence conveyed their mindset: they didnât want Mu Hanyan to take the risk.
"I think Iâll give it a try," Mu Hanyan decided.
Unlike Huayue and the others, she knew the Ancient Mirrorâs origins. A treasure worn by such a mysterious and powerful woman surely wasnât just an ordinary Divine Artifact; how could she easily give up?
Moreover, from previous indications, the destined person mentioned by Lu Guankong should be herself. If she dared not try even then, sheâd look down on herself.
What! Huayue and the others were astonished, worriedly looking at Mu Hanyan, wanting to dissuade her.
"Donât worry; I know my limits. By forcefully raising my strength to the Sword Saint Realm, I should have some means to protect myself. With Yanran here, even if I get injured, it wouldnât be a big deal," Mu Hanyan saw their worries and explained further.
"Iâm here too; I canât just watch Han Yan take such a risk," Ye Lanfeng stated. He had no doubts about Mu Hanyanâs decision and supported her as much as he could.
Only then did Huayue and the others relax. With Ye Lanfengâs protection and raising her strength to the Sword Saint Realm, even if the Thunder Pillarsâ power increased, it would be unlikely to threaten Mu Hanyanâs life. At most, sheâd get injured, but with Ye Yanran around, injuries wouldnât matter, not even needing Elixir.
Huayue and the others focused their minds, simultaneously forming Hand Formations. Their cooperation was flawless, and now their concentration was at its peak, fearing any mistake that might endanger Mu Hanyanâs life.
Ye Yanran softly chanted, gathering the vibrant energies of heaven and earth around her. Should anything happen to Mu Hanyan, she could intervene at a momentâs notice.
Mu Hanyan formed Hand Formations too, rapidly enhancing her strength: Middle Stage Great Sword Master... Late Stage... Peak... Sword Saint! Soon, her power reached the Sword Saint Realm.
With firm steps, Mu Hanyan walked towards the Ancient Mirror.