Imperial Grade Cultivation Technique! The Ancient Ruin Sinks!

Watching this scene, many people could not help laughing. So Liu Ruying had truly been played for a fool. Though being played like that had been rather worth it. It seemed he really was a bona fide idiot—just an idiot blessed with idiot's luck.

"Uncle Lin, I finally remember why I felt like I'd seen them somewhere before," Jing Yu said excitedly to Uncle Lin, a faint mist of tears rising in her eyes.

"My lady, this old servant remembers too. They must be her children. They look as though they were cast from the same mold," Uncle Lin said, equally excited as he looked at the two brothers.

"Hm?"

Taishu Jing turned and glanced at them. This woman and old man had likely arrived by carriage, and they seemed to have some connection to Cloud Dream Ancient City. But why were they looking at him with such familiar eyes, as if they had seen an old acquaintance?

"Young man, was it you who said that the last two items would be gladly accepted by the two of you?"

Carefree Daoist looked at them with interest.

"That's right, I said it. Fat old man, we're taking these two things. Whoever objects, I'll beat them flat," Taishu Jing said with a smile as he looked around at the crowd.

Upon hearing Taishu Jing's words, some of those who knew how formidable he was quietly took a step back, leaving those who did not know bewildered as to why they feared a child.

"Hahaha, you little fellow are quite interesting. Since you're so confident, let this old man see what skills you two truly possess."

Carefree Daoist stroked his beard as he spoke.

"No problem. Brother, let's go show them what we're made of," Taishu Jing said, flicking his hand as he climbed the steps with Taishu Yun.

The second... the twentieth... the fortieth... the forty-ninth step. The two brothers stepped onto the high platform together and arrived before Carefree Daoist.

"Fat old man, what do you think? Didn't I say these last two items would be ours?"

Taishu Jing raised a brow at Carefree Daoist.

"Monsters—truly monsters. I, Carefree Daoist, lived for nearly ten thousand years, yet I cannot see through you two children. In my eyes, you are not inferior in the slightest to those Imperial Sons and Imperial Daughters. Your true stage should be at the Center of the Continent. I never expected that this last sliver of my will would get to witness such peerless geniuses. This old man has no regrets."

Carefree Daoist's words brimmed with admiration.

"Enough with all that nonsense. We haven't even left the Great Marsh of Cloud Dream yet, so it's far too early to talk about going to the Center of the Continent. The last two items are ours, right?" Taishu Jing asked, looking at the booklet and the Stone Key.

"Of course. These final two items belong to you. This booklet contains an Imperial Grade Cultivation Technique. As for this Stone Key, even this old man does not know what it is. Obtaining it was merely a fortunate coincidence. You will have to discover its use yourselves."

Carefree Daoist handed the booklet and Stone Key to the two brothers.

Taking the booklet and Stone Key, Taishu Yun bowed to Carefree Daoist. "Many thanks, Senior."

"Thanks, fat old man," Taishu Jing said, waving the Stone Key in his hand.

"Jing, be more polite to Senior," Taishu Yun said helplessly, glancing at his younger brother.

"It's fine. The fat old man didn't mind," Taishu Jing said with a wave of his hand.

"What an interesting pair of brothers. Now that these items have all found their respective owners, this old man's time has come."

As he spoke, the light of Carefree Daoist's will blazed brilliantly. It no longer maintained its human shape and instead merged entirely into the skeleton. The corpse bones trembled, and a heavy pressure instantly flooded the entire great hall. The whole ruin began to quake.

"All of you, leave this place. This ruin will soon sink to the bottom of the lake along with this old man. Several tens of thousands of years... it has truly been so, so long..."

A majestic voice rang through the entire ruin. Whether they were in the central hall or still searching the ruin for fortuitous opportunities, everyone heard it and immediately began moving toward the exit, not daring to linger for even a moment.

"Get out of here!"

Everyone surged toward the outside of the ruin.

"Brother, then we should leave too," Taishu Jing said.

Taishu Yun nodded. "Little Fire!"

Shriek!

Little Fire flew out from behind the high platform. Taishu Yun and Taishu Jing leaped onto its back, and Little Fire swiftly carried them away.

"Wait..."

Jing Yu looked at Taishu Yun and Taishu Jing's departing figures, wanting to call out to them, but she was too late.

"My lady, we should get out first. There will be another chance," Uncle Lin said.

Jing Yu nodded and withdrew her gaze, leaving the great hall with Uncle Lin. In less than a quarter of an hour, the entire hall was empty.

Shriek!

Little Fire carried Taishu Yun and Taishu Jing out of the ruin first. Close behind them were Steward Mu and Liu Ruying, as well as Uncle Lin and Jing Yu.

"Brother, that woman looked at us strangely just now, as if she knew us," Taishu Jing said.

"Is that so? Now that you mention it, I felt it too. But we have never met anyone like her."

Taishu Yun had noticed it as well. Back in the ruin's great hall, that woman's gaze had changed when she looked at them—or rather, when she saw Taishu Jing. Yet before entering the ruin, she had not looked at him that way at all.

"Forget it, who cares? Maybe she thought I was handsome and wanted to get to know me. Brother, that woman was quite pretty. I already checked, hehe."

As he spoke, Taishu Jing pointed at his eyes, where a flash of divine light flickered.

"Jing, you really are..." Taishu Yun shook his head helplessly.

"What the... cough, cough! Little White, what are you doing?"

Taishu Jing had barely begun speaking when his throat was constricted, nearly leaving him unable to breathe.

Roar!

Little White lifted its head, its golden Dragon Eye fixed on Taishu Jing with clear displeasure. Taishu Jing was utterly baffled, having no idea what he had done to anger it.

"Little Fire, what's wrong with Little White?" Taishu Yun asked Little Fire.

Shriek!

Little Fire tilted its head as it flew, saying something to Taishu Yun. After hearing it, Taishu Yun's face filled with surprise.

"Little Fire, you mean..."

Little Fire nodded slightly.

"All right. It seems life will become even more interesting from now on. Hahaha," Taishu Yun said, laughing happily.

Meeting Little White's gaze, Taishu Jing threatened, "Little White, if you dare treat me like that again, believe it or not, I won't let you stay around my neck anymore."

Roar!

Little White paid no heed to his threat. Its dragon body tightened slightly, and Taishu Jing felt himself nearly unable to breathe again.

"Stop, Little White, I surrender. I was wrong. Loosen up..."

Taishu Jing could only yield. He felt that Little White must have taken the wrong medicine today. This was the first time it had ever acted like this; Little White had never behaved this way before.

Only then did Little White loosen its hold, allowing Taishu Jing to catch his breath.

"Brother, did I do something? Little White actually choked me," Taishu Jing said, looking at Taishu Yun.

"From a certain perspective, Little White was not entirely wrong to do that. You should understand."

Having learned the reason from Little Fire, Taishu Yun found it quite amusing. Though Taishu Jing loved putting on airs before others and saying baffling things, his heart was actually quite pure.

"Brother, do you know something?"

Taishu Jing looked at him suspiciously. He could hear a trace of amusement in his brother's tone. He must know something, or he would not have said that.

"Mm... this is your own problem. Think it through yourself," Taishu Yun said with a smile, shaking his head.

"Fine, don't tell me. And Little White, I'm warning you, don't do that again," Taishu Jing said as he sat cross-legged. Turning his head toward Little White, he rested his chin on one hand with an unhurried air.

Snort!

Little White snorted through its nostrils and gave him a somewhat haughty look. That expression was just like a little girl throwing a tantrum.

"Hehe, this feels like it will be very interesting," Taishu Yun said with a quiet chuckle as he watched them.

Boom!

The Cloud Dream Marsh surged with enormous waves as the Ancient Ruin sank. Some cultivators who had not managed to get far enough away were sent flying by the huge waves, receiving a thorough washing from head to toe in the Cloud Dream Marsh. The only flaw was that they ended up no different from drowned chickens.

"Brother, do you remember what that fat old man said at the end?"

Watching the ruin sink inch by inch, Taishu Jing spoke lazily.

"Mm. It is a place we will go to sooner or later, but not now. We are still too young, and the time for leaving the Great Marsh of Cloud Dream has not yet come. What do you think, Jing?"

Taishu Yun asked.

"Of course. Being young is a real handicap. But if we first conquer the Cloud Dream Mountain Range, then the time should come. What do you think, Brother?"

Taishu Jing thought for a moment, then smiled.

"Hahaha, Jing, that's not a bad idea," Taishu Yun said with a hearty laugh.

Splash!

The ruin completely sank beneath the lake waters, churning up the entire surface. Its shadow grew ever blurrier, until even the shadow vanished from sight. Only countless bubbles rose from the lakebed, growing fewer and fewer, until the lake surface returned completely to calm, as though that Ancient Ruin had never existed at all.