Ancestor Feng Luan pursed her alluring lips, then asked softly, "What would you like me to help you with?"
"My two disciples have just reached the peak of Late Foundation Establishment Realm. I've heard the War God Hall's Divine Dao Technique has endless variations. How about letting them observe and study it?"
At these words, the War God Hall's Progenitor, Zhou Jin, turned ashen. He immediately cupped his hands and bowed. "Senior, the Divine Dao Technique is the War God Hall's secret art, never passed on to outsiders. These two aren't disciples of the War God Hall..."
Luo Chuan turned away coldly. A bone-chilling cold swept over Zhou Jin in an instant, as if one more word would make his soul scatter and leave him unable to be reborn for all eternity.
Feeling that frigid killing intent, Zhou Jin trembled in fear. He could only kneel on the ground and kowtow repeatedly, begging for his life.
Feng Luan smiled. "Xiao Chuan, you're making too much of it. You were once an honorary disciple of the War God Hall yourself. It's only reasonable for these two to observe our secret art."
Seeing that Feng Luan had given him an out, Luo Chuan didn't continue to make things difficult for Zhou Jin.
"In that case, may I observe it as well?"
Ancestor Feng Luan smiled warmly. "Of course. Please, follow me."
With that, Ancestor Feng Luan gestured for them to come along, then glanced at her Dao companion, Yang Sen. She led the group straight toward the War God Hall.
Ma Liang narrowed his eyes and thought, It seems my identity hasn't been exposed. I can't believe he broke through to the Mid Spirit Severing Realm in just a few years.
Senior Situ, it seems everything you said back then was right. Since time immemorial, Luo Chuan may be the only one who can reach this level.
Led by Feng Luan, Luo Chuan and the others soon arrived at a secret chamber in the War God Hall.
Feng Luan raised her jade-like hand and pressed a deep-blue jade talisman against the stone wall. A flash of white light immediately spread from the talisman, quickly covering the entire wall.
A layer of crystalline light appeared on the stone wall. It grew brighter and brighter until the wall suddenly transformed into something like a mirror.
Feng Luan looked at Luo Chuan beside her and said gently, "Little Brother Luo Chuan, now that you've reached Spirit Severing, in theory, I should address you as Senior."
"Could you, for old times' sake, refrain from making trouble for the disciples of my War God Hall?"
Luo Chuan kept one hand behind his back and turned his gaze slightly. "I don't want to hurt anyone. I only want to learn the Divine Dao Technique. Sister Feng Luan, don't you trust me?"
Ancestor Feng Luan said nothing.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Luo Chuan. She was simply afraid he might tamper with the Divine Dao Technique.
After all, the disciples would need to comprehend the technique to improve their strength in the future. Even the slightest mishap could cause their souls to scatter.
"This is the Water Mirror Gate, made by the War God Hall's Artifact Refining Hall. Without a jade talisman to open it, no one can enter this stone cavern unless they have reached Spirit Severing Realm."
Ancestor Feng Luan held her hands in front of her abdomen and continued, "Most cultivators who can enter this place are at Core Formation Stage. Only a few Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators get the chance to set foot here."
"Please, follow me."
The stone cavern was vast. Apart from the main hall in the center, there were hundreds of stone chambers densely packed around it. Outside each chamber was a stone wall. As Wang Lin looked around, he saw that every wall seemed just like the Water Mirror Gate.
"There are three hundred and sixty-five stone chambers here. Every stone door is a Water Mirror Gate. In fact, these Water Mirror Gates are a symbol that a disciple of the Artifact Refining Hall has completed their training."
Ancestor Feng Luan turned around. Seeing A-Dai and Liu Mei staring at the stone doors, she explained.
With one hand behind his back, Luo Chuan fixed his gaze straight ahead. There was a long rack in front of him, divided into four tiers, each holding spirit tablets.
There was only one spirit tablet on the top tier, while the others held quite a few.
Luo Chuan's gaze settled on the tablet at the very top. It read: "Founding Progenitor of the War God Hall, Gong Mo!"
"Progenitor Gong was the founder of our War God Hall. He was also the one who discovered the Divine Dao Technique." Ancestor Feng Luan bowed before the tablet, then turned to look at Wang Lin.
After hearing this, A-Dai and Liu Mei fell silent for a moment before bowing in respect. Luo Chuan, however, made no move.
Ancestor Feng Luan turned and walked forward. Behind the spirit tablets stood a wall paved with green jade, densely carved with countless small characters.
Looking up, they saw three words written at the very top: Divine Dao Technique.
But as they read further, their hearts sank. Beneath it were the words: "Disciple Chen Chong carved this from memory. Future cultivators must proceed with caution."
"Disappointed?"
Ancestor Feng Luan looked at Luo Chuan and sighed. "In the second year after Progenitor Gong discovered the Divine Dao Technique, a traitor appeared in our War God Hall. Before long, rumors about the technique spread far and wide."
"Not long afterward, the Level 4 Cultivation Country, Tiangang Kingdom, paid us a visit. After a private discussion with Progenitor Gong, they took away the original Divine Dao Technique. Three days after they left, Progenitor Gong departed on a journey. He never returned."
"This Divine Dao Technique is the strangest art I've ever seen. Anyone who sees it can comprehend it, but no one can put it into words, as if some invisible force is holding them back."
"Progenitor Chen Chong had no remarkable talent. Among Progenitor Gong's disciples, he was the least gifted. Yet he managed, through memory, to do what no one else could: carve the Divine Dao Technique into the wall."
"However... after finishing the carving, Progenitor Chen Chong breathed his last. Before he died, he warned those who came after him that this art was a divine ability of immense power. His lifespan wasn't enough to carve more than one-tenth of it. Future cultivators must proceed with caution, and then with even greater caution!"
Luo Chuan looked at the wall before him, a faint smile appearing on his face. "So this is the Divine Dao Technique. It truly is profound and unfathomable."
Ancestor Feng Luan glanced at Luo Chuan and said softly, "You may look for yourselves. I'll wait outside. Don't trespass into the sealed area behind the Water Mirror Gate!"
After saying this, Ancestor Feng Luan gave Luo Chuan a meaningful look, then turned and left, leaving the place to Luo Chuan and his three disciples.
A-Dai and Liu Mei sat cross-legged and began comprehending the Divine Dao Technique on the wall. They didn't know whether they would succeed, but learning even a little would increase their chances of breaking through to Nascent Soul Realm several times over.
Luo Chuan looked at the golden runes before him and furrowed his brows. "This Divine Dao Technique really is interesting to cultivators below Spirit Severing Realm."
"No wonder even the protagonist, Wang Lin, couldn't record the complete Divine Dao Technique."
Luo Chuan shrugged, then moved his finger slightly. A ball of golden light shot into the space between his brows.
Vast energy surged outward in waves like a raging sea. Wherever it passed, the void on either side instantly blossomed and transformed.