Chapter 80: Manifestation of the Ancient Ruins

The more the man in the green robe spoke, the more intriguing he became.

Cao Chengyu clasped his hands in a courteous salute.
“I humbly ask for your guidance, Senior Brother.”

This gesture seemed to stir some emotion in the man in the green robe, a touch of sorrow flickering across his face, but he continued nonetheless.

“It’s the manifestation of an ancient ruin, right near the old Phoenix City in Jiannan Circuit of the Martial Kingdom. It’s unimaginably dangerous; even several cultivators at the Purple Mansion level have perished inside.”

“An ancient ruin manifesting?”

Cao Chengyu’s puzzled expression made it clear this was the first he’d heard of such a thing.

“That’s right,” the man in green explained.
“Ancient ruins are the cities and settlements established by cultivators of old. In the Hundred Kingdoms Domain, much heritage was lost in the great calamities of demons; these ruins are the backup plans left by those ancient cultivators. They’re similar to inheritance cave-dwellings, but not just a single one—rather, a whole cluster of group dwellings scattered throughout a city, filled with mechanisms and arrays designed especially to guard against demonic cultivators. Such ruins are typically refined into mustard-seed spaces by powerful cultivators, hidden away, to be revealed automatically after many years.”

“I see.”

Cao Chengyu now understood; whether it was the so-called inheritance caves or these ruin manifestations, they were all left behind by those people from three millennia past. They were the architects of these contingencies. It was a unique feature of the Hundred Kingdoms Domain and the nearby regions—a place like a vast tomb, filled with treasures long buried and forgotten.

“Thank you for enlightening me, Senior Brother.”

“It’s nothing. You remind me greatly of my late younger brother. Just remember—Phoenix City’s ruin is exceedingly perilous. Know your limits.”

“I understand.”

As the man in green walked away, Cao Chengyu felt a surge of emotion. Brother Li, unlucky as he was, had shown him the dangers of the world; now the green-robed “one-against-seven” had shown him its warmth. Truly, the world could not be judged with a single glance.

As for the ruins, Cao Chengyu considered and decided he would go. Even if he didn’t venture inside, just scouring the outskirts might yield a worthwhile haul. Of course, his true targets were those fellow cultivators with the same idea—competition among peers was no place for hesitation.

His purse was crying out for coin, and his little spirit cat needed nourishment. If this trip did not yield great rewards, he would not return.

Besides, from experience, where such grand ruins appeared, there would be no shortage of would-be looters—targets would be plentiful.

With a short-term plan in mind, Cao Chengyu set out that very afternoon. Xiao Yan’s matter could be left to develop naturally, and within the Dayue realm, the influence of the Scarlet Dragon was easy to leverage. As long as he had a need, he could remain beyond their control without worry.

Everything seemed to be moving in a favorable direction.

…

Three days later, Jiannan Circuit.

Inside Phoenix City.

This city dated back over a thousand years, and several centuries ago, a Jindan Immortal had laid down roots here, establishing an immortal clan with the surname Wan. They had since become the city’s absolute rulers.

Centuries passed, and now the old Jindan Immortal was at the end of his life. At this critical moment, the ancient ruin manifested, filled with treasures and inheritances. The Wan clan dispatched countless family cultivators into the ruin, hoping to find life-extending elixirs for their patriarch.

The ruin itself descended in the form of a city, causing a great stir upon its appearance. Rogue cultivators from all around flocked to it like cats drawn by the scent of fish.

The Five Elements Sect held absolute authority in the Martial Kingdom. In the days before the ruin’s manifestation, the Wan clan and nearby rogue cultivators got first pickings. When the sect learned of this, they sent three Jindan branch leaders and three hundred disciples from every peak to claim the territory.

The rogues were driven out. Even the Wan clan now had to pay a “toll” to enter.

By the time Cao Chengyu heard the news from Qiming Tower, some time had already passed. The area had become a temporary market for cultivators.

The Five Elements Sect presided, providing disciples and Wan clan members to barter for treasures near the ruin. The initial frenzy for treasure had subsided, and most of the outskirts had been picked clean; now, rogue cultivators were allowed entry once again.

Cultivators from other affiliated forces and immortal clans had also arrived in great numbers, seeking their own fortunes.

After all, the Martial Kingdom was the base of the Five Elements Sect. Most of its vassals could at least get a share of the spoils. According to the latest rumors, sect members had already penetrated deep into the ruin and carved out a section of the inner city for themselves.

That area was now off-limits to all but the sect.

After gathering intelligence from the local information brokers, Cao Chengyu felt he had a good grasp of the situation.

Something felt off.

“Why didn’t anyone notify me when the first wave went in?” he muttered inwardly. With his age and cultivation, he was certainly considered a prodigy. The sect might overlook him, but for even Elder Yin-Yang not to inform him—now that was suspicious.

He had suspected as much ever since he was forcibly taken as a disciple, preparing himself for the possibility that his talents would not be reported up the chain. Otherwise, after so long in the hidden branch, he should have enjoyed greater sect benefits, or at least met the chief elders. But none of that had happened.

Consider Luo Yuzhu, who broke into the Purple Mansion before a hundred years of age, and was taken as a personal disciple by Immortal Miaodan. By comparison, he himself had reached the early Dao Body stage at fifteen and was certain to reach its peak before a hundred—surely a future Jindan candidate, and deserving of the sect’s attention.

Yet not only was he left uninformed, even Elder Yin-Yang had said nothing. It made no sense.

Unless his master wanted to keep him from danger, fearing he might perish in the outside world.

There were two possible explanations: either he was truly valued as a successor, or his master harbored ill intentions, coveting his body.

Having read too many novels in his past life, Cao Chengyu couldn’t help but suspect conspiracies everywhere. His own smooth progress only made him more wary and vigilant.

“Little kitty, your daddy might be in trouble.”

“Meow~”

He stroked the chin of the little spirit cat curled inside his robe and braced himself for the worst.

Elder Yin-Yang was a Purple Mansion cultivator, and for now, Cao Chengyu could not hope to match him. But he could prepare some treasures to guard against soul possession, and make sure to master the arcane arts of soul defense!

He still had a mid-tier treasure chest left on the mysterious ranking list. He’d originally meant to open it after breaking through to the Purple Mansion, to gain a cultivation technique, but now that sense of crisis had come so suddenly.

If he gained no soul-protecting techniques or treasures on this expedition, he would open the chest—according to past patterns, it would likely grant him just what he needed.

Having made up his mind, he purchased some essential pills for exploration and the latest map of the ruins from the temporary market.

At last he arrived at the entrance to the ancient ruin.

The entire ruin covered nearly a hundred thousand square kilometers, and so far only a large area near the eastern city had been thoroughly explored.

Other gates had also been investigated, but none yet penetrated into the inner city.

If the whole ruin were likened to a square, then it would appear as if four spikes were driven into its sides, with the east gate’s “spike” extending the furthest, closest to the central district.