On the outskirts of the Kunlun Ruins, clouds and mist curled and coiled. Chaos currents intertwined with innate spiritual energy, forming a natural barrier that blocked the prying eyes of the outside world. The mountain ranges were majestic and perilous, soaring into the clouds, their slopes covered in strange patterns that radiated an ancient, sacred aura. It truly deserved its reputation as one of the Primordial World's three great ancestral vein lands.
Xuan Chen led Nüwa into hiding within a dense forest, his gaze warily assessing the Kunlun Ruins ahead. He could clearly sense the exceedingly dense innate spiritual energy within the ruins, where Spirit Veins crisscrossed in every direction, several degrees purer than those of Mount Buzhou. Yet at the same time, a powerful aura of a Primordial Divine Being blanketed the core region of the Kunlun Ruins like invisible pressure, inspiring awe in all who sensed it.
"Master, this aura is so powerful!" Nüwa said softly, a trace of gravity flashing through her eyes. She could feel that the owner of this aura was far stronger than both her and her master, having reached at least the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm, perhaps even higher.
Xuan Chen nodded, his expression grave. "This is the Queen Mother of the West's aura. Legend says that the Queen Mother of the West was formed from Primordial Metal Essence. She cultivates the Dao of Su Nu and commands the core region of the Kunlun Ruins, making her the local overlord here. Her strength is unfathomable. We are not her match yet, so we absolutely cannot come into conflict with her."
The reason he was so wary of the Queen Mother of the West was not merely her tremendous strength. She had already gained a preliminary foothold in the core region of the Kunlun Ruins, her foundations deep and solid, and she might have many followers under her command. Master and disciple had only just arrived and had yet to stabilize their own foundation. To clash with the Queen Mother of the West too soon would be no different from throwing eggs against a stone.
"Then what should we do? The Kunlun Snow Lotus is deep within the Kunlun Ruins, near the core region," Nüwa asked with some concern. She knew that the Kunlun Snow Lotus was the main reason her master had brought her here. If they could not approach the core region, obtaining the snow lotus would be harder than climbing to the heavens.
Xuan Chen pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the terrain of the Kunlun Ruins as an idea formed in his heart. "The Kunlun Ruins cover a vast territory. The core region is not the only place with opportunities. Though the Queen Mother of the West occupies the core, there must still be many hidden valleys and Spirit Veins in the outer regions. We can avoid the core region, infiltrate from the outskirts, and search for other Innate Spiritual Roots."
He paused before continuing, "Besides, the system mission only requires us to find three mid-grade Innate Spiritual Roots or one top-grade Innate Spiritual Root. We do not have to fix our eyes solely on the Kunlun Snow Lotus. As a land of ancestral veins, the Kunlun Ruins must contain other Innate Spiritual Roots. This is a good chance to seek out more opportunities."
Upon hearing this, understanding flashed in Nüwa's eyes. "Master intends for us to explore the outskirts first, build up our strength, and only then seek the opportunities in the core region?"
"Exactly." Xuan Chen nodded approvingly. "Our foremost goal now is to complete the system mission and improve your foundation. As for the Kunlun Snow Lotus, it will not be too late to seize it once we are strong enough or find the right opportunity. Clashing with the Queen Mother of the West too early offers us no benefit whatsoever."
After saying that, Xuan Chen released his divine sense once more, carefully probing the outskirts of the Kunlun Ruins. His divine sense was like invisible threads, avoiding the area shrouded by the Queen Mother of the West's aura as it slowly extended through the outer regions. Before long, he discovered a hidden path in a valley on the western side of the Kunlun Ruins. It was concealed by dense chaos currents and lush vegetation, making it difficult to notice, and it led deep into the ruins, perfectly bypassing the core region.
"Follow me," Xuan Chen said softly to Nüwa. Then his figure flashed, and he swept toward the hidden path like a ghost.
Nüwa followed closely behind. The two used the Chaos Breath Concealment Art, hiding their auras to the utmost limit as they silently slipped into the outskirts of the Kunlun Ruins like two shadows.
Along the way, they encountered quite a few patrolling minor demons and low-level cultivators. These were all followers under the Queen Mother of the West, tasked with guarding the outskirts of the Kunlun Ruins. Xuan Chen led Nüwa around the patrols with great skill, drawing no attention whatsoever.
Following behind Xuan Chen, Nüwa's admiration for her master deepened further. She could tell that not only was her master powerful, but his thoughts were meticulous as well. His grasp of timing and avoidance of danger were both perfectly measured. She learned many survival skills that she could never have learned within the cave abode.
"Master, how extensive is the Queen Mother of the West's sphere of influence?" Nüwa asked softly, her eyes vigilantly examining the surroundings.
"The Queen Mother of the West's core territory is mainly concentrated in the central and eastern parts of the Kunlun Ruins, where she occupies the most fertile Spirit Veins and the most precious secret realms," Xuan Chen explained as they traveled. "The western and northern outskirts are also under her control, but their defenses are comparatively weak. There are also many natural perilous lands and forbidden zones there, places her influence has difficulty covering. Those are precisely where we should focus our exploration." He paused briefly, then continued, "However, we still cannot let down our guard. Though these perilous lands and forbidden zones are not directly controlled by the Queen Mother of the West, they may conceal powerful ferocious beasts or other innate beings. They are equally dangerous."
Nüwa nodded, engraving Xuan Chen's words in her heart. She understood that the more hidden a place was, the greater the opportunities it might contain—but at the same time, the greater the risks that accompanied them.
The two advanced cautiously, avoiding several powerful patrols as they ventured dozens of li into the outskirts of the Kunlun Ruins. By then, the surrounding chaos currents had grown denser, the spiritual energy purer, and the vegetation stranger. Many plants contained faint spiritual energy, and some were even spirit herbs more than a hundred years old.
Xuan Chen stopped from time to time to gather precious spirit herbs. Though these herbs were not Innate Spiritual Roots, they still contained considerable spiritual energy and would greatly benefit Nüwa's cultivation, as well as future artifact refining and pill refining. Nüwa assisted at his side, carefully storing the harvested spirit herbs within the Primal Chaos Pearl.
Just as the two were gathering spirit herbs, a faint sound of footsteps suddenly came from ahead, accompanied by several voices in conversation.
"Captain, what do you think His Majesty is searching for this time, sending us to inspect West Foothill Valley?" a coarse, hoarse voice asked.
"Who knows? How could we possibly fathom His Majesty's thoughts?" another steady voice replied. "But I heard that some foreign cultivators recently infiltrated the Kunlun Ruins. His Majesty fears they covet Kunlun's opportunities, so she has ordered us to strengthen our patrols. If we find any foreign cultivators, we are to report it immediately and must not act on our own."
"Foreign cultivators? Hmph, in these Kunlun Ruins, who would dare refuse to give His Majesty face? If I run into them, I'll make sure they come but never return!" The coarse voice was filled with arrogance.
"Do not spout nonsense!" the steady voice rebuked. "His Majesty has ordered that we must not clash with foreign cultivators without permission. We only need to report them. Since those foreign cultivators dared to infiltrate the Kunlun Ruins, they must possess some strength. Let us not bring suffering upon ourselves."
Xuan Chen and Nüwa exchanged a glance, wariness flashing through their eyes. They had not expected the Queen Mother of the West's patrols to have already extended this far. Xuan Chen immediately pulled Nüwa behind an enormous ancient tree while pushing the Chaos Breath Concealment Art to its utmost limit, completely hiding their auras.
Soon, several figures entered their field of view. At the head was a tall middle-aged cultivator with Mid-Stage Golden Immortal cultivation and a steady aura. He was likely the captain who had spoken earlier. Four cultivators followed behind him, all at the Early-Stage Golden Immortal realm. They were the patrol members who had been conversing.
These cultivators were all followers of the Queen Mother of the West. They wore uniform garments embroidered with her emblem—a holy snow lotus. Holding magical artifacts in their hands, they swept their alert gazes over the surroundings as they walked step by step toward where Xuan Chen and Nüwa were hiding.
Nüwa felt somewhat tense. She could sense that none of these cultivators was weak, especially the captain at the front, whose cultivation was even slightly higher than hers. She instinctively tightened her grip on Xuan Chen's hand, her body tensing slightly.
Xuan Chen patted the back of her hand, signaling for her not to be nervous, while his sharp gaze fixed on the cultivators. He had already prepared for battle. The moment they were discovered, he would strike immediately and eliminate them as quickly as possible, preventing more patrols from being drawn here.
Fortunately, Xuan Chen's Chaos Breath Concealment Art was incomparably exquisite. Combined with the aid of the Chaos Veil, those cultivators did not detect their presence. The patrol searched around the ancient tree once without finding anything unusual. The captain frowned and said, "Strange. I clearly sensed a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy here. Why is there nothing?"
"Captain, could we have been mistaken? This is only an ordinary valley. Foreign cultivators should not have infiltrated here, right?" one team member said.
The captain pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Only caution brings lasting peace. His Majesty has ordered that there can be no negligence. Search carefully once more. If we find nothing, we will leave."
After saying that, the cultivators began searching again. They even approached the ancient tree where Xuan Chen and Nüwa were hiding. Nüwa's heartbeat involuntarily quickened, and she did not dare breathe loudly. Xuan Chen, however, remained calm, his eyes tightly locked on the captain. So long as the other man noticed the slightest thing, he would attack at once.
Luckily, the cultivators still did not discover them. After searching in vain, the captain said helplessly, "It seems my senses were mistaken. Let's go and take a look at the valley ahead."
With that, the cultivators turned and departed, heading toward the depths of the valley.
Only after the patrol's figures had completely vanished from sight did Nüwa let out a breath of relief and say softly, "That was close!"
Xuan Chen also let out a breath. He nodded lightly and said, "The Queen Mother of the West's forces truly cannot be underestimated. Even the patrols in the outer regions possess such strength. We must be even more cautious from here on and avoid conflict with them whenever possible."
With that, he led Nüwa onward, silently slipping deeper into the Kunlun Ruins. After bypassing the valley, the path ahead became increasingly concealed and the spiritual energy even denser. They had clearly drawn close to the deeper regions of the Kunlun Ruins. Xuan Chen understood that the true opportunities and dangers were both waiting for them ahead.
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