Fang Han frowned slightly, his gaze falling on the cluster of buildings, and asked:
Where is this?
Han Lin and the others followed his gaze, their faces showing a hint of confusion, clearly unaware of the answer as well.
The old man, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them, his gaze sweeping over the cluster of buildings, and his aged voice rang out:
"This is the former site of the Longevity Sect."
Fang Han was slightly taken aback and looked at the old man.
The old man didn't continue speaking, so Bai Yan picked up the conversation, looking at the silent, lifeless cluster of buildings under the sunlight, his voice tinged with a sigh.
" The Longevity Sect was a Overlord-Level Faction two hundred years ago."
Fang Han's heart skipped a beat.
My guess was correct; this place was indeed once the stronghold of an extremely powerful force.
I just don't know why they abandoned us. Could it be that they were destroyed by other forces?
Bai Yan continued:
"According to the sect's records, the Longevity Sect was extremely powerful in its heyday, possessing more than ten Great Grandmaster experts, and its influence spread throughout the surrounding ten prefectures, ranking among the Overlord-Level Faction."
"More than ten Great Grandmaster?"
Fang Han's pupils contracted slightly.
Grandmasters are already so powerful that they can only be looked up to, while Great Grandmaster are beings that cannot even be looked up to.
A faction possessing more than ten Great Grandmaster is unimaginably powerful.
"How could such a force...?"
He didn't finish speaking, but the meaning was already quite clear.
Bai Yan remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head:
"No one knows that two hundred years ago, the Longevity Sect was completely deserted overnight."
"The entire sect, numbering over ten thousand people, including more than ten Great Grandmaster, hundreds of other grandmasters, and tens of thousands of disciples and Deacon, have all vanished."
"No signs of a struggle?"
Fang Han's brows furrowed even more.
"No."
Bai Yan's voice was deep.
"Later, some forces discovered that the Longevity Sect's mountain gate was empty and sent people in to investigate. They found that all the buildings in the sect were intact, but the people were all gone."
He paused, a rare hint of seriousness flashing in his calm eyes.
"It was as if everyone had received some kind of order and was forced to evacuate immediately."
Fang Han remained silent.
His gaze returned to the cluster of buildings that lay silent in the sunlight.
The towering towers still stand majestically, and the sprawling palaces still exude grandeur, yet they also possess an indescribable eeriness and desolation.
More than a dozen Great Grandmaster, hundreds of grandmasters, and tens of thousands of disciples—such a massive force, if it were to be annihilated, would certainly leave no trace of the battle.
But if they voluntarily withdrew, where did they go?
"And then what?"
Fang Han withdrew his gaze and looked at Bai Yan.
"Later, many forces wanted to track down the whereabouts of the Longevity Sect."
Bai Yan said.
"After all, the disappearance of such a powerful sect without a trace is truly terrifying, but no matter how hard we investigate, we haven't found anything."
"The people of the Longevity Sect seem to have vanished from the face of the earth, leaving no trace whatsoever."
Such a behemoth, capable of intimidating ten surrounding counties, could not possibly remain unknown no matter where it was relocated, yet it indeed vanished mysteriously.
"This matter caused quite a stir back then, with various parties speculating, but there were always different opinions and no conclusion. As time went by, it gradually became an unsolved mystery."
The old man continued, "..."
"When I was young, I also came here to investigate, and indeed there were no signs of a fight. The tens of thousands of people in the Longevity Sect seemed to have vanished into thin air."
A brief silence fell over the carriage.
Fang Han gazed at the receding buildings, his heart far from calm.
A Overlord-Level Faction with more than ten Great Grandmaster vanished without a trace overnight.
No matter how you look at it, this matter has an inexplicable eeriness about it.
What force could possibly cause a Overlord-Level Faction to withdraw its entire force?
Or perhaps, what power could prevent more than ten Great Grandmaster from even having a chance to resist?
Either way, it's enough to send chills down your spine.
The elephant procession continued onward, the silent cluster of buildings gradually receding into the distance, eventually disappearing at the horizon.
Fang Han withdrew his gaze, temporarily burying his doubts in his heart.
Several days later, the elephant caravan crossed a range of hills, and the outline of a majestic city appeared on the horizon ahead.
The city wall stands tall, constructed entirely of a bluish-gray stone that gleams with a somber luster in the morning light.
Banners fluttered atop the city walls, and the figures of armored soldiers patrolling could be vaguely seen.
"We've arrived at Heavenly Origin City."
Bai Yan's voice rang out in the carriage.
Fang Han looked out the car window, his gaze lingering on the city for a moment.
Heavenly Origin City, the Prefecture City of Heavenly Origin Prefecture, is a megacity that developed around the Overlord-Level Faction, Heavenly Origin Sect.
The procession of giant elephants passed through the city gate and proceeded along the wide main road.
Shops lined both sides of the street, and pedestrians thronged the area, with a cacophony of noise hitting you in the face.
Fang Han withdrew his gaze, looked at Bai Yan and the old man, and cupped his hands in greeting:
"I am deeply grateful for the many days of trouble I have caused you all, and I take my leave today."
Bai Yan was slightly taken aback:
"Brother Fang, won't you come with me to visit Heavenly Origin Sect for a few days?"
Thank you for your kindness.
Fang Han shook his head slightly.
"I have some personal matters to attend to, so I can't delay any longer."
Seeing that he was determined to leave, Bai Yan did not try to stop him. A hint of regret appeared in his clear, cold eyes, and then he nodded.
"In that case, Brother Fang, please take good care of yourself."
Fang Han bowed to the old man and the three First Grade Elder again, and nodded slightly to Han Lin, Xu Qing and the others. Then, with a sway of his body, he lightly touched the back of the giant elephant with his toes, and his whole body floated down like a willow catkin swept by the wind.
When they landed on the street, the soles of their boots remained completely unperturbed by the dust.
He discerned the direction, turned and walked away, his moon-white robe fluttering slightly in the morning breeze, and soon disappeared into the crowd on the street.
After leaving Heavenly Origin City, Fang Han activated the Wind God Step, his figure transforming into a pale blue streak of light as he sped towards Westview Prefecture.
The fields and trees on both sides of the official road rushed past, and the wind whistled in our ears.
Heavenly Origin Prefecture is adjacent to Westview Prefecture. At his current speed, Fang Han will enter Westview Prefecture in just two days.
Having been here once before, Fang Han knew the way well and found the treasure in just one day.
This is a valley located on the north shore of a natural lake.
Ancient trees in the valley reach for the sky, their branches and leaves blocking out the sun.
Walk straight in until you reach the innermost part, where you'll find a cliff face covered in vines and moss.
It looked no different from any other cliff, but Fang Han, who had been there before, knew that this cliff was a trap, and behind it lay a treasure trove.
Fang Han approached the cliff face, reached out and pushed aside the hanging vines to reveal the stone wall behind it.
He searched carefully on the rock face and soon found an inconspicuous depression near the lower right corner of the cliff.
The indentation is just a slight inward curve; you would never notice it unless you were specifically looking for it.
He pressed his finger against the indentation and gently pressed down.
"Buzz--"
The cliff face trembled slightly, emitting a low rumbling sound.
The moss and vines clinging to it rustled off, and spiderweb-like cracks spread along the stone surface.
That massive cliff face, like a giant door pushed by an invisible hand, began to sink downwards.
When the rumbling stopped and the dust settled, a wide passage appeared before us.
Fang Han stepped inside, and the cliff behind him rose up again, sealing the cave entrance tightly.
Fang Han remained calm and continued forward.
The passage was long, winding downwards, with Night-Luminescent Pearl embedded in its walls emitting a cool and enduring glow.
The soles of the boots landed on the stone slabs, making a low, resonant sound that echoed softly in the empty passageway.
After walking for a while, Fang Han's gaze suddenly sharpened.
He stopped and squatted down.
Footprints, which had not been seen before, appeared on the dusty ground of the passageway.
"Those left behind in the last month or two..."
Fang Han frowned slightly.
These footprints are not from the same batch found when I first came here last year.
The previous footprints had been covered with a thin layer of ash, but these ones in front of us had clear edges and distinct outlines.
That person came again.
Or rather, another person entered this place a month or two ago.
Fang Han stood up, his expression slightly serious.
He already knew that there was more than one copy of the same map.
Last year, he discovered a skeleton in the secret realm, along with a Treasure Map.
There wasn't anything valuable in the treasure trove itself; only that secret realm held enough allure.
The fact that the person visited this place again a month or two ago means that he, like him, likely possessed the map to the secret realm.
Fang Han remained silent for a moment, suppressed his thoughts, and quickened his pace to continue forward.
A moment later, the passage suddenly widened, and he re-entered the enormous underground palace.
The main hall was spacious, with walls made of Gray-White stone. The dome was inlaid with Night-Luminescent Pearl larger than the one in the passageway, and its cool light illuminated the entire hall.
Without lingering, Fang Han headed straight for the innermost wall of the main hall.
The Treasure Map in his arms began to emit a warm and bright golden light, and the golden runes on the wall lit up one after another, like long-dormant stars being awakened one by one.
The walls rippled like water, and a gentle yet powerful suction force surged forth, pulling his body forward.
A feeling of dizziness or disorientation arose.
"Not good!"
When Fang Han opened his eyes again, the hairs on the back of his head suddenly stood on end.
A terrifying aura, deep as an abyss and vast as the sea, reaching the level of a grandmaster, was right at hand!
"Whoosh!"
Without a second thought, he instantly pushed the Perfection Realm Wind God Step to its limit.
Like a willow catkin swept up by a gale, he retreated sharply to the side and backward in the nick of time.
"Boom--!"
A Juzhua covered in jet-black scales, carrying terrifying, destructive power, slammed down on the Fang Han had just stood.
The ground exploded with a deafening roar, sending dirt and debris flying in all directions, and spiderweb-like cracks spread wildly.
The shockwave swept across Fang Han's chest, and he groaned as his body flew backward uncontrollably.
He twisted his body in mid-air, stomped hard on the trunk of an ancient tree, and used the force to propel himself to the side.