The Wonders of the Devouring Ancestral Symbol

The following afternoon, the Bone Mountains.

After a moment of spatial distortion, several figures appeared without warning.

It was Xiao Yan and his group who set off from East Dragon Island.

"This is the Bone Mountains. This place has quite a reputation in the Beast Domain. For some reason, since thousands of years ago, countless skeletons of magical beasts have been dumped here. Over time, the entire mountain range has been covered with skeletons, and some of the main peaks are entirely made up of animal bones."

As time passed, the energy contained within these bones dissipated. While this energy had little effect on humans, it served as a valuable tonic for magical beasts. Consequently, the Bone Mountains became a favorite gathering place for many magical beasts.

If you were to enter this place openly, you would likely attract a lot of attention immediately. Even if you were to find a way to bring the Ancient Ruins to light, you would face considerable trouble.

However, I have already concealed your auras, so there is no need to worry."

After Zhu Li smiled faintly and said.

With his abilities, even an ordinary Half-Saint wouldn't be able to detect it, let alone the fact that he had just probed the area and found that the strongest creatures here were only some Eighth-Rank Magical Beast, and even the strongest among them was only Five-Star Dou Zun.

However, among the magical beast families they represented, there were quite a few elders who had reached the Eighth-Rank Magical Beast. If they were to get entangled with Xiao Yan and the others, it would indeed be quite troublesome.

However, once he arrived here and carefully sensed the surroundings, he did indeed notice some clues.

He had actually been here several times.

However, he had only passed through this area before and hadn't explored it thoroughly. Besides, he wasn't this strong back then.

Now that Xiao Yan has given his assurance, and Zhu Li's strength has reached the level of High-Rank Half-Saint, he is naturally able to discover some of the methods left behind by Dou Sheng powerhouses.

Looking at the endless mountain ranges, devoid of any greenery and filled with stark white skeletons, Xiao Yan and the others felt a sense of excitement.

After all, the destination of this trip is the Dou Saint Ruins!

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and swept his gaze across the desolate yet magnificent Bone Mountains. He could feel a faint, ancient pressure permeating the air, which originated from the countless magical beast skeletons scattered everywhere.

He seemed lost in thought.

The skeletons of magical beasts here are of many kinds, making it a burial ground for all kinds of beasts. If one could refine them here with the Myriad Beast Spirit Fire, the harvest would surely be considerable!

However, for now, we should prioritize the matter of the ruins. After all, the Bone Mountains is right here, and it can't be moved.

After pondering for a moment, Xiao Yan said, "Elder Zhu Li, the question of how to find and enter the Dou Saint Ruins is now up to you!"

"Leave this matter to me."

Zhu Li nodded slightly, a deep purple light flashing in his cloudy eyes.

He slowly closed his eyes, his palms outstretched, and subtle ripples spread across them, like pebbles thrown into a calm lake. The invisible waves spread silently outwards from him.

Xiao Yan and the others could all see that this was precisely the use of Spatial Strength for detection.

They held their breath, not daring to make the slightest disturbance.

Time passed slowly. After about an incense stick's Elder Zhu Li's tightly closed eyelids trembled slightly, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, a solemn look appearing deep within his purple pupils.

"How is it, Elder Zhu Li? Have you discovered anything?"

Upon seeing this, Xiao Yan immediately stepped forward and asked in a deep voice.

But then he suddenly realized something and frowned.

Elder Zhu Li exhaled a long breath, his gaze fixed on the depths of the Bone Mountains, and said in a deep voice:

"Elder Xiao is right. There is indeed an extremely hidden and powerful Space Seal here. Its aura is ancient and obscure, and it is definitely the work of Dou Sheng Expert."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed deep into the Bone Mountains, which was the center of the entire Bone Mountains, where there stood a towering mountain peak that seemed to pierce the clouds.

Everyone's spirits lifted, and their eyes all turned to the highest peak.

"However," Zhu Li's tone shifted, becoming serious, "The seal on this ruin is still quite strong. If a powerhouse above the Dou Zun were to enter, it would likely trigger the seal's counterattack mechanism immediately. With my current level, I am not afraid of that counterattack, but you..."

Zhu Li didn't finish his sentence, but Xiao Yan and the others already understood what he meant.

But he absolutely had to go into these Dou Saint Ruins!

"I can roughly sense that this seal will last for about ten more years before it completely dissipates. However, with Elder Xiao's talent, he will probably reach the Dou Sheng realm in less than ten years. At that time, entering this place will be a piece of cake."

Zhu Li Xiao Yan had no intention of giving up and even intended to force his way in, Zhu Li quickly tried to dissuade him.

"Elder Zhu Li, time waits for no one. Now that I've come, I don't intend to leave empty-handed. Just find a way to clear a path for us. As for how to deal with the seal's counterattack, I have my own methods."

Xiao Yan shook his head after hearing this and said with a serious expression.

Originally, he thought that as long as he bypassed the barrier of the sealed ruins, he wouldn't be affected by the seal that targeted his cultivation level. But now it seems that the Dou Qi mechanism of these ruins clearly doesn't allow experts who have reached the Dou Zun realm to enter.

But it's not a big problem; he already has a way to make everyone undetectable by the sealing mechanism.

Seeing Xiao Yan's resolute expression, Elder Zhu Li pondered for a moment before slowly saying:

"Since Elder Xiao is so confident, I will give it my best. However, the counterattack from the seal is no small matter. Even if I protect you with all my might, I can only weaken part of the impact. You will have to withstand the rest on your own."

Xiao Yan nodded, then turned to the crowd and said:

"You should all conceal your auras and refrain from using your Dou Qi for now. I will cover your presence to avoid detection by the seal."

Everyone present had enough trust in Xiao Yan, so they all held back their auras as soon as Xiao Yan spoke.

As for Mu Qingluan and Zi Yan, neither of them is at the Dou Zun level, so they don't need to worry about revealing their aura and cultivation level when using Dou Qi.

However, to ensure safety, Elder Zhu Li still used his own Dou Qi to envelop everyone, to avoid trouble from encountering Spatial Turbulence or similar issues.

Seeing this, Zhu Li said no more. He formed a hand seal, and purple light flowed around his body. A vast Spatial Strength emanated from him, enveloping everyone.

He gave a low shout, and with a flick of his sleeve, the void in front of him instantly distorted, tearing open a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

"Walk!"

Xiao Yan stepped in first, and a dark luster spread from between his eyebrows, turning into a thin film that enveloped everyone behind him, including Elder Zhu Li. As the dark film emerged, everyone's aura completely disappeared without a trace!

This is precisely the power of the Devouring Ancestral Symbol!

With the power of the Ancestor Symbol, it can not only devour the aura of everyone, but also absorb the seal's detection of everyone.

In this way, in the seal's perception, Xiao Yan and the others were not powerful figures who entered from the outside, but rather an undetectable void.

This method was naturally taught to him by the Master of Devouring.

It was precisely because the Master of Devouring was still relatively weak that Xiao Yan did not want to waste his power. Otherwise, the Master of Devouring could have led them into the ruins without disturbing the seal.

With the Devouring Ancestral Symbol providing cover, the group entered the ruins without incident.

Even after entering, the swallowing membrane cannot be removed, otherwise the sealing detection mechanism will still be triggered, expelling them.

Therefore, their group could not stray too far from Xiao Yan.

"This looks like a passageway in an ancient ruin?"

Xiao Yan glanced around and found that it was pitch black all around, with only the faint black luster of the Devouring Membrane visible.

"Well, I just bypassed the main gate of the ruins. That way, it's no different from entering the ruins normally, and it will be relatively easier to explore. I won't get confused about the paths and the internal structure of the ruins."

Zhu Li smiled and nodded.

"Sigh, well..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan felt somewhat helpless. Before he could finish explaining, a crimson flame suddenly appeared inside the dark passage, and the ground cracked open, spewing out scalding crimson magma!

At the same time, beams of dazzling blue fire began to shoot out from the surrounding and overhead walls.

The terrifyingly high temperature was something even ordinary Dou Zong experts would find difficult to withstand; in terms of temperature alone, it was almost comparable to the Fallen Heart Flame that erupted in the Inner Academy back then.

Xiao Yan and his group were all incredibly strong, with only Zi Yan and Mu Qingluan being slightly weaker. However, Zi Yan was the purest royal descendant among the Ancient Void Dragon, and her physical strength was arguably the strongest among those of the same rank in the Ancient Void Dragon Clan.

Therefore, she wasn't very afraid of the flames.

Only Mu Qingluan, whose strength is currently insufficient, would find it difficult to endure in such a fiery environment for long even if she truly reached the Seventh Tier.

Even knowing this, Mu Qingluan remained completely calm.

Being trapped in the passage by extremely hot flames is terrifying, but with Senior Brother Xiao around, it's not scary at all.

But Xiao Yan didn't make any move.

After all, what was currently enveloping them was a devouring membrane formed by the power of the Devouring Ancestral Symbol. This small amount of flame was simply not enough for the devouring membrane to absorb. By devouring these flames and refining the energy within them, Xiao Yan could directly replenish the energy he had consumed when using the Devouring Ancestral Symbol.

What an amazing method!

Could this Devouring Power be the legendary Nihility Devouring Flame?

Elder Zhu Li was secretly amazed.

Upon closer inspection, however, this light black, engulfing membrane clearly did not possess any heat or the unique fluctuations characteristic of Heavenly Flames.

This is rather intriguing.

With Elder Zhu Li's insight, it's not hard to see that the Devouring Power contained within this devouring membrane is quite formidable.

At least in terms of its strangeness and uniqueness, it is absolutely no less than Heavenly Flames.

Moreover, it seems Xiao Yan anticipated the appearance of such a fiery trap in this passage. How did he know?

Could it be that this was also discovered during the investigation?

That's impossible!

Elder Zhu Li was puzzled, but seeing that Xiao Yan had no intention of explaining and was only flying towards the lava below, he had no choice but to follow the others.

"It's hollow down there."

Xiao Yan released a small amount of his soul power to indicate that he had detected it.

In reality, he simply remembered how the mechanisms here worked; releasing his soul power was more about verifying that his memories matched the situation here.

After all, apart from his girlfriends being a little different, this Dou Qi Continent is no different from what he remembers.

Zhu Li had no doubts, and everyone trusted Xiao Yan completely, so they passed directly through the thick, hot magma and landed on the cold ground.

Looking up, they discovered that dozens of feet above their heads, the crimson lava resembled giant, winding pythons, forming a complex ring structure, hanging there in mid-air.

Obviously, if you follow the fire path, no matter how you go around it, it's just going in circles and wasting time.

"As expected of Dou Sheng Expert, to create such a mechanism with Spatial Strength, and for it to still function normally after so many years, that truly represents another realm!"

Venerable Skyfire couldn't help but sigh.

Elder Zhu Li to the side, nodded in deep agreement.

Clearly, even as Ancient Void Dragon was born with the ability to manipulate Spatial Strength and is now High-Rank Half-Saint, he still held this method in great awe.

After all, once you reach the level of Dou Sheng, you can create your own space. This kind of use of Spatial Strength is unimaginable to those below the Dou Sheng.

Xiao Yan glanced around and realized that his group had entered a proper passage leading into the ruins.

There was no road behind this passage; in front of it, it led directly to a huge plaza.

"Let's go. Besides the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit, I also need to obtain the Soul Infant Fruit on this trip. Zi Yan, I'll have to entrust this matter to you."

Xiao Yan said to her solemnly.

This Soul Infant Fruit was meant for Queen Medusa, Xiao Yan naturally kept it in mind, having also discussed it with Zi Yan in private.

"Don't worry, this is something I'm an expert at!"

Zi Yan smiled and nodded upon hearing this. She was very enthusiastic about searching for rare and precious materials, especially for her sister Cailin!

"Walk!"

With a wave of his hand, Xiao Yan led everyone towards the plaza. After flying for less than five minutes, they entered the ancient plaza, which was constructed of massive stones and exuded a magnificent aura.

Xiao Yan's gaze was fixed on the end of the plaza, where there was a stone door that looked quite heavy.

In front of the stone gate, ten figures stood as straight as javelins.

Their bodies radiated a dazzling silver light, but their eyes were utterly empty, their faces expressionless, like corpses.

"Earth Demon Puppet!"

Looking at the ten dazzling silver figures, Xiao Yan's lips curled into a satisfied smile.

He doesn't really need this, but it would be great if it were sent back to the Yan Alliance and the Xiao Family!