Ruins Unlocked

Seven hundred li outside Ningzhou City, the Youjin Mountain Valley.

This was the site of the Spirit Sealing Grotto-Heaven Ruins, and the spiritual energy fluctuations from the sealed ruins could already be clearly sensed.

A great many cultivators had already gathered here—whether from sects and academies or rogue cultivators and fringe schools, all wanted a share of the spoils. After all, rumor had it that this Grotto-Heaven Ruins held endless treasures.

Though it was a Grotto-Heaven Ruins left behind by a Golden Core Cultivator, it failed to attract the attention of the major sects and clans. For that very reason, the number of cultivators who had come this time was exceptionally large.

Feng Yang descended from his flying battle beast with Shen Yi and the other four, instantly drawing the crowd's gaze. The reputation of Ningzhou Immortal Academy was not to be underestimated here. What was more, the two stunning female disciples behind Feng Yang drew many sidelong glances and admiring looks.

"Feng Yang, your Ningzhou Immortal Academy is the closest, yet you're the last to arrive."

The speaker's voice boomed like a great bell. In a few strides he was before Feng Yang, sizing up Shen Yi and the others without restraint.

"Old ghost Hong, your Ningxian Sect only just got here too."

Feng Yang replied flatly, also taking note of the several disciples behind that man.

"Every single one is at Qi Refining Seventh Layer or so." Shen Yi marveled inwardly. He hadn't expected that the five disciples of Ningxian Sect would be stronger than their own group.

"These youngsters aren't bad. They have a future ahead of them."

"Your disciples are no ordinary lot either."

"Hahaha..."

The two exchanged pleasantries as they walked toward the ruins, cultivators parting way before them. In no time, they reached the entrance.

"Great Elder Wang, you're looking well."

Feng Yang spotted that the one leading the Qingxuan Sect was none other than Wang Shangren. A flicker of ruthlessness passed through his eyes before he greeted him with a full smile.

"Dean Feng, Sect Leader Hong, you're both well."

Wang Shangren returned an equally genial smile, giving off a spring-breeze warmth as the three began conversing. The disciples behind each of them sized one another up in turn.

Among the Qingxuan Sect group, Shen Yi saw Wang Mingxuan and felt as though he were looking at a reborn Wang Minghui. Could this be the enemy I'm fated to encounter inside the ruins? he wondered.

Wang Mingxuan happened to meet Shen Yi's gaze. Their eyes locked, and Shen Yi caught a flash of cold malice.

"Just a Qi Refining Third Layer brat. Nothing worth noticing."

With that thought passing through his mind, Wang Mingxuan dismissed Shen Yi and instead turned his attention to Jiang Miaoyi and Yuwen Yue beside him, his eyes roving between them with undisguised greed.

Feng Yang took it all in without any change in expression. Instead, he put on a look of deep sympathy as he consoled Wang Shangren:

"I heard you lost your beloved son, Fellow Daoist Wang. My condolences."

Wang Shangren's face instantly darkened. His second son had been dead for a year now. Was Feng Yang bringing this up now to mock him or to warn him?

Following Feng Yang's gaze, Wang Shangren finally noticed his eldest son's lecherous stare. He gave a cold snort, and Wang Mingxuan, as if facing a great enemy, snapped back to his senses.

"My son Minghui's death—I will not let it rest! If I catch the murderer, I'll grind his bones to dust!"

With that harsh declaration, he led the Qingxuan Sect disciples away to their own camp.

"Old bastard. You killed my disciple. I'll make you pay for that sooner or later."

Feng Yang cursed inwardly, his face betraying neither joy nor anger. Some things couldn't be done openly, but they could be done in the shadows. He gave Shen Yi a meaningful look, and Shen Yi understood at once.

More sects arrived in succession. It wasn't until deep into the night that the Youjin Mountain Valley finally fell quiet, with no one else coming.

Judging the time was right, the leaders of each group gathered together and confirmed repeatedly that no more than five disciples from each sect would enter the Grotto-Heaven Ruins. As for cultivation levels, no one much cared—the ruins had their own rules, allowing only cultivators below Foundation Establishment to enter. Once everything was settled, they struck together, bombarding the spiritual seal at the entrance.

With the combined spiritual force of a crowd of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core Cultivators, the seal at the entrance was finally broken. The thousands of cultivators who had been waiting surged in all at once, vanishing from sight.

"If you encounter any disciples of Ninghai Immortal Academy, eliminate them without fail!"

Wang Shangren sent a secret transmission to his disciples just before they entered the ruins. Whoever had provoked his Qingxuan Sect would make Feng Yang pay the price!

Inside the ruins, the moment everyone entered, they were wrapped in strands of Space Turbulence and scattered in all directions. By the time they landed and looked around, they had no idea where they were.

The surroundings were littered with withered spirit herbs and ancient weapons. The moment the crowd came to their senses, almost instantly, spiritual power clashed.

Chaos erupted. Flesh and blood flew in all directions. One second, people were smiling and promising to help each other; the next, they had drawn their swords.

Shen Yi, too, had been separated from Jiang Miaoyi and the others. Fortunately, he reacted in time and took cover on higher ground, watching the life-and-death struggle below. He couldn't help but sigh at how treacherous the hearts of cultivators could be.

More and more cultivators joined the fray, the chaos escalating. Multicolored spiritual power collided and exploded, blooming into gorgeous flowers of flesh and blood within the ruins.

Shen Yi opened the map in his hand. It took him a good while to determine that they were still only at the outer edge of the ruins. Whatever they gained here probably wouldn't be worth even a fraction of what lay deeper inside.

Countless streams of blood converged in one place, soaking the surrounding vegetation. The withered plants instantly turned a crystalline blood-red, emitting a strange, alluring fragrance.

The crowd grew even more frenzied, trying to claim those plants for themselves. But the moment anyone touched them, they dissolved into a pool of blood.

Shen Yi watched in shock, and at the same time noticed something off. Every one of those who went for the blood-red plants had eyes glazed with a bloody light, as if they had lost their minds.

The fragrance drifted over, and Shen Yi's vision blurred. He felt his mind slipping out of control, an uncontrollable craving for those blood-colored plants rising within him.

"Not good!"

Shen Yi's heart clenched. He bit his tongue hard, the sharp pain snapping him back to clarity. He scrambled to his feet and fled into the distance. Seeing his move, the remaining cultivators also gave chase, escaping the range of that strange scent.

Just then, the blood-soaked plants suddenly burst with brilliant light. Each one bore a humanoid creature, which grabbed the weapons scattered on the ground and staggered toward the crowd, swinging wildly.

"What the hell are these things!"

Shen Yi dodged an attack, staring at the ever-increasing number of humanoid creatures, barely holding back a curse.

With a bang, his fist struck one of the creatures, and it exploded instantly. Droplets of blood splattered onto his hand, and even with his Undying Skin at the Great Perfection stage, he felt a sharp sting. For ordinary cultivators, it was even worse—under the monsters' assault, they fell back step by step, and even if they managed to kill one, the monster's blood would wound them.

"There has to be a pattern to this."

Shen Yi muttered to himself, trying to find the source of these monsters. Then he noticed that their movements seemed to be controlled by something. Looking more carefully, he saw that all the blood-red plants had already given birth to humanoid monsters—except for one deep in the center, which was still devouring flesh and blood.

Without hesitation, he used the Dragon Elephant Fist to carve a path and charged straight toward it.