NABC Chapter 2148 Core Opportunity
Chapter 2148 Core Opportunity
As Zhu Xingyan scanned the area, the gray mist in the air seemed to become transparent, and the faint traces of residual energy on the ground, as well as the subtle folds and fluctuations in the space itself, were magnified and analyzed, appearing in his field of vision.
He observed with extreme care, scanning the area inch by inch, not missing a single abnormality, and the flames burning in his vertical eyes grew ever stronger.
Wu Jianghan stood by, holding his breath and not daring to disturb him in the slightest. He concealed his sword aura, ready to deal with any unexpected events at any time.
Time passed slowly, and the vertical eye between Zhu Xingyan's brows began to tremble slightly, as if it were about to give way. Just as Wu Jianghan's heart sank, thinking his judgment might be wrong...
Zhu Xingyan's tightly pursed lips suddenly curved upwards, revealing a relieved yet delighted smile.
"Found it! It's right here!"
As he finished speaking, his third eye between his eyebrows suddenly burst forth with an unprecedentedly intense light, locking onto a certain point in the void ahead.
Within the vision of the Crimson Sun's Eye of Illusion, the spatial structure of that point exhibited extremely subtle distortions and overlaps that were incongruous with the surrounding environment, as if a membrane perfectly integrated with the space was covering an invisible opening.
"Open it for me!"
Zhu Xingyan's spirits lifted. He withdrew his right hand seal, spread his five fingers, and grabbed at the spatial anomaly locked by the vertical eye. Then, as if tearing open a scroll, he suddenly pulled it to both sides.
His grab and pull were not purely physical forces, but rather contained his understanding of the laws and spatial power. Furthermore, it activated the power of the Crimson Sun's Eye of Truth, precisely targeting the hidden spatial membrane node.
"laugh!"
A sound like cloth being torn rang out.
Under the watchful eyes of Zhu Xingyan and Wu Jianghan, the void that was originally empty began to ripple violently like water. Then, a spatial portal with twisted and undulating edges was forcibly torn open and revealed.
Within the doorway, the first thing to emerge was an incredibly dense, pitch-black demonic energy. This churning and surging energy was more than ten times purer and more concentrated than the demonic energy in the gray fog outside, emanating a chilling, malevolent, and deathly aura.
However, through the surging demonic energy, deep within the doorway, Zhu Xingyan and Wu Jianghan suddenly saw the outline of a majestic and ancient palace.
"This is it." Zhu Xingyan's eyes blazed with excitement, his face beaming. Wu Jianghan's spirits also lifted, his longsword humming softly as he eagerly prepared to fight.
Zhu Xingyan took the lead, his body surrounded by crimson flames that formed a solid protective aura, keeping out the surging, dense demonic energy and emitting a hissing sound.
The interior of the hall appeared even more magnificent and spacious than when viewed from the outside. The towering dome was inlaid with dozens of pearls, most of which had dimmed, with only a few emitting a faint, cold light that barely illuminated the space.
The walls and floor are paved with a strange stone that is dark blue and has a metallic sheen. It is carved with indistinct ancient patterns that seem to record some kind of sacrificial or ritual scene, but the erosion of time has made it difficult to discern the whole thing.
The air was filled with a unique aura that mixed dust, the coolness of stone, and pure primordial energy, which contrasted sharply with the sticky and filthy demonic energy outside the door.
However, the expected mountain of Dao Crystals did not appear.
However, the faint outlines of the indentations left by the long-term heavy loads on the stone slab silently tell us that a large number of items were indeed stored here, and that they were taken away not long ago.
Apart from that, the entire hall was empty and somewhat deathly silent, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing.
"This……"
Wu Jianghan followed Zhu Xingyan in, his body surrounded by azure sword energy. He also scanned his surroundings warily. When his gaze fell on the empty ground, the expectation and vigilance on his face instantly turned into astonishment and confusion. He subconsciously looked at Zhu Xingyan.
Zhu Xingyan's brows furrowed tightly, and a faint golden light flickered in the still-open Crimson Sun Eyes between his brows as he carefully scanned every corner of the hall, especially the area with the indentation.
“It shouldn’t be like this…” Zhu Xingyan muttered to himself.
He carefully sensed the residual spiritual energy in the air. Indeed, the spiritual energy here was much purer and more active than elsewhere, with a faint trace of profound fluctuations remaining, very similar to the aura dissipated by spiritual materials of a certain rank, but it was rapidly dissipating.
This further confirms that a large number of Dao Crystals and at least one piece of Rank Spiritual Material did exist here not long ago.
Where is it? Could it be that the vengeful demon's memory is faulty? Or... has someone else gotten there first?
This thought flashed into Zhu Xingyan's mind, making his already unpleasant expression even more gloomy.
He suddenly looked up, activating his Crimson Sun Eye of Illusion at full power. His dark golden gaze swept over the walls, dome, and pillars of the hall with even greater detail, like a searchlight, leaving no stone slab unexamined.
"Senior brother, could it be that the vengeful demon's memory is wrong? Or have the treasures here already been taken by those who came before?"
Wu Jianghan also realized the problem. He walked to the open space with the indentation, squatted down, and ran his fingers across the cool bluestone ground, feeling the barely perceptible remnants of vital energy.
Zhu Xingyan slowly shook his head and said, word by word, "The memory may be vague, but the scene that my obsession is attached to is definitely correct. This place must have once sealed away a great treasure. Look at the age of the marks on the ground and the almost completely dissipated spiritual material in the air... the item could not have been taken away in more than half a day."
Suddenly, Zhu Xingyan's heart skipped a beat.
He recalled that not long ago, in this vicinity, when they killed the mid-stage Tai Cang Realm Wraith Demon, the two Dan Chen Sect disciples who had been watching from afar and then quickly left.
Is it...
A surge of anger burned within Zhu Xingyan's chest. As a disciple of the Taiheng Sect, how could he have ever suffered such a loss? The opportunity he had painstakingly sought seemed to have been used to benefit someone else.
Zhu Xingyan's expression was cold, and out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed something different on the wall deep inside the hall, directly opposite the entrance.
Zhu Xingyan moved swiftly, instantly appearing before the niche, his gaze fixed intently on the corner of the mural. The space there was exhibiting an abnormal, distorted fluctuation; this place had previously been a spatial teleportation portal.
Zhu Xingyan flipped his right hand, drawing a wisp of vital energy into it. He stared at the wisp of energy with his vertical eye between his brows, and could vaguely see two figures with their backs to him.
A man and a woman, the man tall and straight, the woman slender and graceful, their clothing... were exactly the same as the attire of the two Dan Chen Sect disciples they had glimpsed from afar earlier.
"It really is you guys!"
It was as if a thunderclap exploded in Zhu Xingyan's mind, instantly connecting all the clues.
Everything became clear: it wasn't that the vengeful demon's memory was faulty, nor that the treasure had been lost long ago, but rather that someone else had gotten there first.
Two seemingly unintentional Danchen Sect disciples snatched away the opportunity that should have belonged to Zhu Xingyan.
Boundless rage erupted like a volcano, instantly engulfing Zhu Xingyan.
On the other side of the portal, Chen Fei felt a slight sense of unease, a feeling of being watched coming from behind him. Cao Feiyu sensed it almost simultaneously, and the two of them abruptly turned around, looking back at the portal they had come from.
Because the teleportation portal had been closed, Cao Feiyu couldn't see who was spying, but Chen Fei, through the Undying True Light Mirror, quickly caught a fleeting aura. It was one of the two Tai Cang Realm cultivators from the Tai Heng Sect whom he had seen from afar before.
A hint of surprise flashed in Chen Fei's eyes. He really hadn't expected that these two disciples of the Taiheng Sect would not only return but also find this hidden secret hall.
Chen Fei's mind raced, and he instantly thought of the vengeful demon that had been slain.
By refining the essence of the vengeful demon, they obtained clues about this place? Yes, as one of the nine upper sects, the Taiheng Sect has a long history and countless extraordinary skills and secret techniques. It is not surprising that they have such a means to extract memory fragments from the remnants of a soul's obsession.
"You all deserve to die!" Zhu Xingyan's roar from across the door was like a thunderclap, filled with violence.
"boom!"
A deafeningly loud bang.
Zhu Xingyan pointed a single finger at the closed teleportation portal, but the teleportation was not reopened. Instead, even the last ripple in space subsided, as if it had never existed.
Zhu Xingyan's fingers went numb. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the smooth stone wall with a gloomy expression.
Wu Jianghan also arrived in front of the stone wall at this time. Although he was not as furious and out of control as Zhu Xingyan, his face was so gloomy that it was almost dripping water.
He reached out and touched the cool wall, feeling its ancient and hard texture.
"Senior brother, who is it?" Wu Jianghan's voice was icy cold, carrying a chilling aura.
"Those two Dan Chen Sect disciples I glimpsed earlier!" Zhu Xingyan said, taking a deep breath.
"It was them? Could it be that they already knew about this hidden world nearby, or even the existence of this secret palace?"
"That must be it!"
Zhu Xingyan gritted his teeth, "After slaying that vengeful demon, the items sealed in this hall should rightfully belong to our Taiheng Sect. These two disciples of the Danchen Sect dared to lay a finger on them; they deserve to die!"
A surge of violent rage raged within Zhu Xingyan, who desperately wanted to tear open the teleportation portal immediately. However, reason told him that reckless action could backfire and even destroy any potential clues.
Zhu Xingyan stared at the stone wall, especially the ancient mural on it, trying to find a way to open the teleportation portal.
However, the mural had simple, ancient lines and no obvious array runes or traces of energy flow, which was completely different from the various teleportation array diagrams he knew.
Wu Jianghan also studied it carefully, even trying to inject his Yuan energy into the mural, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea—there was no reaction whatsoever. At this moment, the mural truly appeared to be just an ordinary stone carving from a long time ago.
"Senior brother, this stone tablet mural is a bit strange. I can't sense any residual fluctuations from the teleportation restriction."
Wu Jianghan withdrew his hand, his face grim. "But ironically, a portal to another place was opened right here. How did those two scoundrels from the Danchen Sect manage to do that?"
"call……"
Zhu Xingyan let out a long breath, as if to release all the pent-up frustration and anger in his heart, and said in a hoarse voice:
“This mural is definitely the key, but we don’t know how to open it. The two people from Danchen Sect were able to open it either by chance or because they have mastered some kind of method or key to break this ancient restriction.”
Zhu Xingyan turned away, no longer facing the stone wall that fueled his anger, but instead cast his gloomy gaze toward the empty hall, seemingly pondering a solution.
Although the theft of the treasure enraged him, Zhu Xingyan was not a complete brute. He knew that impotent rage would not solve the problem.
Wu Jianghan's gaze swept across the main hall, then he looked at the strange mural. Suddenly, his eyes flickered, and he said:
“Senior brother, we sensed the fluctuations of Senior Brother Jiang Mushan's communication talisman earlier. He may still be active in this area. Senior Brother Jiang is well-read, especially in ancient runes and restrictions. Many ancient jade slips in the sect were translated by him.”
"How about... we send a message to Senior Brother Jiang and ask him to come over? Perhaps he can recognize the origin of this mural, or find a way to open this teleportation portal?"
Upon hearing this, a slight change appeared on Zhu Xingyan's gloomy face.
Jiang Mushan is a well-known senior brother in the inner sect of Taiheng Sect. His cultivation has reached the late stage of Tai Cang Realm. Although his combat strength is not top-notch among his peers, his extensive knowledge and wide range of interests make him a leader among the younger generation of the sect.
He is particularly skilled in textual research, classical Chinese, and the deduction of battle formations. When entering the ancient Heavenly Court ruins, the sect hoped that Jiang Mushan could use his knowledge to discover some unique opportunities.
They had indeed sensed the fluctuations of Jiang Mushan's communication talisman before, and the distance didn't seem to be too far.
Given the current situation, the two of them are helpless against this strange mural. Perhaps inviting the knowledgeable Senior Brother Jiang might bring about a change in the situation.
At least it's better than them just standing here staring blankly.
"it is good!"
Zhu Xingyan made a quick decision and said in a deep voice, "Immediately send a message to Senior Brother Jiang, explaining the situation here and asking him to come quickly."
Upon hearing this, Wu Jianghan no longer hesitated. He raised his right hand, joined his index and middle fingers together, and gathered spiritual light at his fingertips, quickly outlining several runes in the void.
After the rune took shape, Wu Jianghan chanted a few incantations in a low voice. The rune suddenly lit up, turning into a pale golden stream of light. With a "whoosh," it flew out of the main hall and disappeared into the surging demonic energy outside.
This is an emergency communication talisman used exclusively by inner disciples of the Taiheng Sect. Within a certain distance, it can quickly lock onto the aura of fellow disciples and transmit brief information.
After doing all this, the two waited patiently in the empty hall, their eyes occasionally glancing at the mural.
Zhu Xingyan would occasionally scan the various parts of the hall with his divine sense, and even once again activated the Crimson Sun Illusion-Breaking Eye to carefully observe the murals, trying to find any clues, but still found nothing.
Time passed slowly, and the main hall was silent except for the occasional faint sound of demonic energy surging outside the door. About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed.
At the entrance of the main hall, the churning demonic energy was suddenly separated by a gentle yet powerful force.
A middle-aged man dressed in a moon-white robe and with three long wisps of beard on his chin slowly emerged from the demonic aura as if taking a leisurely stroll.
He walked slowly, but with each step he took, it was as if a gentle breeze accompanied him, naturally dispersing the surrounding demonic energy. His aura was harmonious and restrained, yet it gave people a sense of unfathomable depth.
After entering the main hall, the visitor first casually glanced around the empty space, his gaze lingering briefly on the ground with the marks left on it, before being firmly drawn to the mural.
The newcomer was none other than Jiang Mushan, an inner disciple of the Taiheng Sect.
"Senior Brother Jiang!"
Upon seeing Jiang Mushan appear, Zhu Xingyan and Wu Jianghan both showed joy on their faces and quickly stepped forward to bow respectfully.
Even though Zhu Xingyan was usually arrogant, he dared not be the slightest bit negligent in front of Jiang Mushan, whose cultivation, experience, and knowledge were all superior to his own.
Jiang Mushan nodded slightly in return, his gaze still fixed on the mural, and said gently, "Junior Brother Xingyan, Junior Brother Jianghan, there's no need for such formalities. It's quite an opportunity that you were able to discover such a hidden palace here."
His voice was calm and soothing, with a rhythm that soothed the soul.
As they spoke, Jiang Mushan appeared before the mural and began to examine it closely. He seemed unsurprised by the emptiness of the main hall, clearly having already grasped the general situation from Wu Jianghan's message.
Zhu Xingyan and Wu Jianghan quickly followed. Zhu Xingyan organized his thoughts and reported in as concise and clear a language as possible: "Senior Brother Jiang, this is what happened..."
He quickly recounted how he encountered and killed the mid-stage Tai Cang Realm vengeful demon here, and how, while refining its essence and extracting the Illusion-Breaking Spirit Guide, he unexpectedly glimpsed the hidden palace in this place from its remaining memory fragments.
"Oh? A disciple of the Danchen Sect?" Jiang Mushan listened to Zhu Xingyan's narration, his gaze still lingering on the murals, his fingers gently brushing over the ancient carvings, as if sensing their age and charm.
When Zhu Xingyan mentioned that the Danchen Sect disciples had deciphered the mural on the stone tablet, were able to open the teleportation portal, and had taken the treasures from the hall before them, even traveling to the next location through the teleportation portal, his gentle and peaceful eyes suddenly lit up.
That wasn't the light of greed, but rather the focused and excited light of a researcher encountering a difficult problem or discovering something new.
"Are you sure they deciphered the mural, rather than relying on some kind of token or trick?" Jiang Mushan turned his head, shifting his gaze completely away from the mural for the first time, and looked at Zhu Xingyan with a probing look in his eyes.
Zhu Xingyan paused for a moment, recalling the previous situation, and said somewhat uncertainly, "This... Junior Brother did not witness the process of them opening the portal."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Mushan nodded. He then turned his gaze back to the ancient stone tablet mural, as if admiring a priceless treasure, and murmured to himself:
"Interesting... truly interesting. If this ancient teleportation array can be activated without relying on external objects... when did the Danchen Sect produce such a talent who is proficient in ancient restrictions?"
He stretched out his slender fingers and gently touched the seemingly chaotic lines on the mural again. A faint, almost imperceptible light flowed from his fingertips, as if he were sensing them in some special way.
After a moment, a thoughtful look appeared on Jiang Mushan's face, followed by a confident smile that seemed to indicate he had everything under control.
"This mural should be a diagram of a series of key locks."
Jiang Mushan said slowly, "Or rather, it is a guide map, and also a key. Each of these murals may correspond to a node in a secret temple."
If one can decipher its mysteries and activate its formation, one can open the portal to the next node. Those two from Dan Chen Sect must have mastered the method to activate this diagram, which is why they were able to get ahead of us.”
He turned around to face Zhu Xingyan and Wu Jianghan, his eyes gleaming: "Junior Brother Xingyan, Junior Brother Jianghan, your discovery this time may be more than just two hidden treasure halls."
This chain of mural teleportations likely points to a more crucial area within these ancient celestial ruins, a region brimming with opportunity. Those Dan Chen Sect disciples have certainly paved the way for us. (End of Chapter)