Main Hall
Leaving the Pill Hall, which was filled with the Medicinal Fragrance but was now in a state of chaos, Lin Ming and his group did not linger at all. Following the general directions of the ruins map they had obtained by chance, they hurried towards the area that was considered to be the core of the ruins.
As the group walked, the surrounding architecture became increasingly magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters, and towering pillars. The ancient runes and patterns carved on them became more complex and mysterious, seemingly telling the story of the glory and power of an ancient sect.
However, the complexity of these Ancient Ruins far exceeded everyone's expectations.
The passageway is not straight and unobstructed; instead, it is crisscrossed with numerous forks, sometimes spiraling upwards, sometimes extending downwards, and sometimes presenting several seemingly identical forks, making it difficult to choose.
The winding, seemingly endless corridors, combined with the ancient, oppressive atmosphere and dim lighting, created a dizzying and restless feeling, as if one were trapped in a giant maze.
Even with Lin Ming's powerful Soul Power as a guide, he still needed to stop from time to time to discern the direction and confirm the location of the energy source emanating from the core area.
"This godforsaken place is built like an anthill, will it ever end?"
Zi Yan kicked a pebble at her feet with some impatience. The sound of the pebble rolling away echoed clearly in the deep passage.
"Don't be impatient, the core area shouldn't be far away, the energy resonance is becoming clearer and clearer." Lin Ming, who already had a general understanding of this, closed his eyes again to sense for a moment, and then opened them again, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, as he reassured him.
Sure enough, as Lin Ming finished speaking and pointed out the direction again, after they had been wandering around in this seemingly endless way for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the end of the passage ahead suddenly opened up into a bright and clear space.
The previously oppressive view suddenly became incredibly wide, and an even more ancient and magnificent aura surged forth from the front like a tide.
"Have we arrived?"
Upon seeing the scene ahead, everyone's spirits lifted, and joy appeared on their faces. They quickened their pace and hurried towards the light.
After passing through the last, somewhat narrow passage, the sight before him caused even the well-traveled Lin Ming to show a hint of amazement in his eyes.
At this moment, a colossal palace, whose magnificence and antiquity defied description, finally came into clear view of everyone ahead.
The entire hall is a deep bronze color, as if it were cast from some huge bronze vessel. Countless years of erosion have not caused it to decay, but instead have made the bronze color appear even deeper and more profound, as if it has been deposited for thousands of years.
An ancient and weathered aura emanates from beneath every massive stone slab and every towering pillar, permeating every molecule of the air, inspiring awe and a sense of the wildness and mystery that has been dormant for countless years.
The vastness of the main hall is beyond imagination. Standing inside, one feels as insignificant as a tiny ant gazing up at the sky.
The roof of the palace hangs high, hidden in a thin mist of energy, making its exact shape indistinct. Only a few scattered points of light twinkle like stars, providing a faint light source.
The most eye-catching feature is located in the center of the main hall.
There, ten incredibly dazzling orbs of light, like ten miniature suns, floated in mid-air, slowly rotating and emitting blinding light, illuminating the central area of the entire hall as bright as day.
Even from a considerable distance, one could still feel the powerful energy fluctuations emanating from that ball of light.
And within that blinding light, those with keen eyesight seem to be able to faintly see a scroll-like, illusory object floating and drifting within it.
"That is...?"
Among Lin Ming's group, apart from Lin Ming himself who was able to remain calm, the others, such as Zi Yan, Qing Lin, Xiong Zhan, and even Di Kong, several elders of the Five Elements Sect, felt their hearts pound violently and their breathing become somewhat rapid when they saw these light orbs that emitted astonishing energy and allure.
"These orbs of light... could they be the legendary... Heaven Tier Dou Technique from this ancient Secret Realm?!" A member of the Five Elements Sect couldn't help but murmur, his voice filled with disbelief, excitement, and longing.
Heaven Tier Dou Technique are legendary artifacts that exist only in legends for most people. They possess earth-shattering power and are supreme Treasure Hoard that can drive any force crazy!
Immediately, their gazes, burning with fervor and greed, swept over the ten orbs of light emanating a strange pressure, trying to discern whether the scrolls encased within the light were identical in shape, and speculating whether all ten were Heaven Tier Dou Technique, or if only some of them were, while the rest might be slightly Earth Tier High-grade Dou Skill or other treasures.
However, Lin Ming's gaze did not linger on the ten orbs of light that were enough to unleash a bloodbath on the outside world. His gaze pierced through the blinding light, passing directly over the ten floating orbs, and settled on the center they surrounded.
There, on slightly higher ground, lies a rustic stone seat.
The stone seat may look ordinary, but it exudes an indescribable sense of majesty.
On that stone seat, a skeleton, entirely white in color, sat Cross-legged, its hands forming mysterious hand seals!
The skeleton was as clear and lustrous as jade, as if it were not bones but carved from the finest mutton-fat jade. After thousands of years, it remained smooth and new, without the slightest trace of decay.
This jade-like skeleton, though devoid of any Life Aura, exuded an immense pressure that seemed to originate from the Soul Origin and had settled deep within the bones.
This oppressive aura, like an invisible mountain, slowly spread out from the skeleton, enveloping the entire hall and causing everyone who entered to feel an involuntary sense of awe and oppression.
"As expected of the remains of Dou Sheng Expert! Compared to the remains of Half Sage expert, the pressure is many times greater..."
Gazing at the jade-white skeleton that maintained such a dignified posture even in death, Lin Ming's mouth suddenly felt dry, and his heart began to beat faster uncontrollably.
This was the first time he had ever seen the remains of a true Dou Sheng Expert since he set foot on the Dou Qi Continent!
Although he had previously seen and obtained the skeleton of a Half Sage in the ancient Altar Space deep within the Barbarian Race Land, and it was now being used by Elder Yao as the body he had resurrected, it was still only a "Half Sage," not a complete Dou Sheng.
Although there is only a one-word difference between Half Sage and Dou Sheng, the gap between them is as vast as heaven and earth, a world apart!
That was a supreme being who truly stood at the pinnacle of the continent, capable of creating a powerful force that could last for ten thousand years!
Now, the immense pressure emanating from the true Dou Saint remains before him, even after countless years of decline, still settled deep within the bones, felt like a heavy burden. Even though Lin Ming's cultivation was many times stronger than it had been in the Barbarian Race Land, he could still clearly feel a heart-palpitating sense of oppression, as if he were facing a sleeping ancient divine mountain.
"This... is the main hall of this Ancient Ruins, the very heart of the entire site..."
Beside him, Qing Lin whispered, his voice carrying an undisguised shock.
The Pill Beast in her arms seemed to sense the immense pressure and shifted uneasily, burying its head even deeper into Qing Lin's embrace.
Lin Ming nodded slightly, shifting his gaze from the alluring orbs of light and the awe-inspiring Dou Saint remains to the vast center of the main hall.
At this moment, the once empty and desolate hall is no longer peaceful.
There, many figures already stood, in twos and threes, or alone in a corner, all exuding an extremely powerful aura. Clearly, they were all strong individuals and forces who had successfully passed various tests and finally arrived here.
Apart from a few lone wolves or small teams, the majority of the rest were powerful forces with considerable reputations in the Middle Continent. Lin Ming's gaze swept across the area and he saw many familiar or well-known symbols of these forces.
The Nether Python Clan, with their imposing physiques and chilling aura; the Profound Nether Sect, with their uniform attire and mostly sinister expressions; and the Blazing Flame Valley, one of the Three Valleys, renowned for its Fire Attribute Dou Qi, whose disciples' robes are embroidered with flame patterns;
In the Four Directions Pavilion, apart from the Wind and Starfall Pavilion, which was wiped out by Lin Ming in the Ancient Forest the Wind Thunder Pavilion along with the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan and could not possibly be present at this moment, and the Starfall Pavilion, which was still scavenging in the Pill Hall and probably had not yet arrived, the forces of the other two pavilions— the Myriad Sword Pavilion and the Yellow Springs Pavilion —had also arrived, each occupying a section of the area, their eyes warily surveying their surroundings.
Of course, what Lin Ming cared about most were the people from the Soul Hall. However, they had obviously not arrived yet. But Lin Ming, who had the Original Work Memory, knew that they would not be absent.
At this moment, many of the newcomers formed their own formations from their positions. Judging from their clear objectives and seemingly indifferent attitude towards the surrounding light clusters, they were probably forces that had used some special method to directly reach the main hall after entering the ruins, and their ambitions must be considerable.
As Lin Ming led the Five Elements Sect members through the main hall, their powerful aura immediately attracted the attention of almost all the forces within the hall.
At that moment, a barrage of gazes, each brimming with a different emotion, were cast upon them.
Among these gazes were curiosity and scrutiny towards an unfamiliar powerhouse, surprise at how quickly a newly emerging force like the Five Elements Sect could arrive here, a faint wariness from forces like the Myriad Sword Pavilion and the Yellow Springs Pavilion, and undisguised hostility from forces that had grudges against Lin Ming.
Lin Ming remained unmoved by these various gazes, simply smiling as if a gentle breeze had swept over him. With his current strength and composure, he was no longer affected by such external attention.
However, while Lin Ming remained unconcerned, some people were unable to remain calm.
From the direction of the Profound Nether Sect, Chen Tiannan, the leader, turned extremely gloomy and ugly the moment he saw Lin Ming's figure appear. His eyes were filled with Killing Intent and resentment that almost materialized.
He clearly remembered that before they even entered the ruins, Lin Ming had suddenly attacked without warning, killing their Profound Nether Sect's Great Elder on the spot because of the matter at their base!
He had kept this deep-seated hatred in his heart, and he thought about revenge every moment!
Lin Ming naturally felt the hatred in Chen Tiannan's eyes, which was almost spitting fire.
However, Lin Ming merely smiled coldly, his expression filled with undisguised sarcasm and cold laughter.
Then, under the watchful eyes of many in the hall, he led the Five Elements Sect group into the hall slowly but firmly. They then chose a relatively open spot with a good view, stopped, and quietly waited for the storm that was about to break.