12: Chapter 12 Ancient Ruins

In the early morning, the first rays of sunlight pierced through the dense leaves above the Monster Beast Mountain Range, dappling the camp. No one had slept a wink all night. Everyone stayed awake until dawn, fearing the Shadow Leopard pack might return. Fortunately, after the beasts retreated, they did not reappear. Only occasional low beast roars from the distance reminded everyone that this was still Yao Beast territory. Tie Yue took a headcount: three were dead and seven were injured. The wounds of the injured had been torn open by the Shadow Leopard's sharp claws, and some had already turned black, clearly infected by toxins. The accompanying physician had been busy all night, using Detoxification Pills and Yuan Power to suppress the toxins, barely managing to save their lives, but these people could no longer continue forward.

"Lao Zhou, take five injured men and three guards and return to Qingzhou City immediately," Tie Yue said to the old Enshrined Master. "Report last night's events truthfully to the Marquis, especially..." He glanced in Chen Yuanji's direction, "especially the matter regarding Young Master Yuanji."

The old Enshrined Master nodded, looking as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent and left the camp with the injured. Fewer than thirty people remained to continue heading deeper into the mountain range. The atmosphere of the group had changed significantly. Everyone's gaze would unconsciously drift toward the youth in green robes at the end of the line, their eyes holding awe, curiosity, and a trace of inexplicable fear. Two breaths to kill two second-rank Yao Beasts. What did that mean? All thirty people present combined weren't enough for those two Yao Beasts to kill, yet Chen Yuanji had dealt with them alone. Chen Yuanlang walked at the front of the group, his face as gloomy as the sky before a storm. He hadn't closed his eyes all night, and the scene of Chen Yuanji slaying the Shadow Leopards replayed repeatedly in his mind. That movement technique, that strike, that claw... he hadn't even seen it clearly before the Shadow Leopards were dead.

"Senior Brother Chen, Young Master Yuanji... just what is his strength?" a Disciple couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"I don't know," Chen Yuanlang gritted his teeth, "and I don't want to know."

The Disciple tactfully shut his mouth.

Tie Yue rode his horse up to Chen Yuanji and lowered his voice: "Yuanji, you said yesterday that you have no rivals below the Middle Stage of the Guiyuan Realm. Is that true?"

"More or less," Chen Yuanji said flatly.

"What if you face someone at the Late Stage of the Guiyuan Realm?"

"Hard to say. I haven't fought one, so I don't know."

Tie Yue was silent for a moment: "The Marquis is at the Peak of the Guiyuan Realm. If you were to exchange blows with him..."

"I am not yet my father's match," Chen Yuanji spoke truthfully. "The Yuan Power of the Peak Guiyuan Realm is too massive; my Jin is difficult to penetrate through it. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless I can take another step forward." Chen Yuanji did not elaborate.

Tie Yue did not press further. He vaguely felt that the secrets this youth carried were far deeper than he had imagined. The group continued forward; the deeper they went, the denser the trees became and the dimmer the light grew. A scent of decay permeated the air, and footprints of large Yao Beasts could be seen everywhere on the ground, some larger than a human head.

"Enshrined Master Tie, an anomaly has been discovered ahead!" a scouting Disciple ran back, his face pale.

"What anomaly?"

"Ahead... there's a building. It looks like an ancient ruin."

Tie Yue frowned. Everyone in Qingzhou City knew there were ancient ruins deep within the Monster Beast Mountain Range. However, most of those ruins were occupied by Yao Beasts and were exceptionally dangerous; ordinary people wouldn't dare approach them. "Lead the way."

The group passed through a dense forest, and the view suddenly opened up. A dilapidated stone hall appeared before them. The stone hall occupied several acres, and its main structure was still relatively intact, though the walls were covered in cracks and vines. Above the main entrance of the stone hall, several ancient characters were carved, blurred by the erosion of time.

The moment Chen Yuanji saw those characters, his pupils constricted slightly. Those weren't characters from this world, but the Seal Script of his previous life! The two characters for "Martial Dao." This was a ruin of the Martial Dao Divine Court!

"Enshrined Master Tie, shall we go in and take a look?" a Disciple asked eagerly. "There might be good things in an ancient ruin!"

Tie Yue hesitated. There might be treasures in the ruins, but there could also be traps, Restrictions, or even sleeping Yao Beasts. With the strength of their group, entering the ruins rashly was too risky.

"I'll go in and take a look," Chen Yuanji spoke up.

Everyone looked at him.

"Yuanji, you alone?" Tie Yue frowned.

"Too many people will only be a burden," Chen Yuanji said flatly. "Wait outside. If I don't come out in half an hour, you withdraw."

Having said that, he didn't wait for Tie Yue's response and walked straight toward the stone hall. Tie Yue opened his mouth but ultimately didn't stop him. This youth's strength was above his own; if even Chen Yuanji couldn't handle it, their entering would be certain death. The doors of the stone hall were wide open, and the interior was pitch black. Chen Yuanji lit a fire starter and stepped inside. The interior of the hall was even grander than it appeared from the outside. The vaulted ceiling, several zhang high, was painted with mottled murals depicting scenes of ancient Martial Artists fighting with Yao Beasts. Several stone statues stood on either side, all in the image of Martial Artists—some holding swords, others with clenched fists, all lifelike. Chen Yuanji's gaze fell straight ahead. There was a stone platform with a stone box resting on it. The surface of the stone box was covered in dust and looked as if it hadn't been moved in a long time. He walked slowly toward it, and the ancient jade in his bosom suddenly vibrated violently, its temperature rising sharply until it was hot enough to make his chest ache. Chen Yuanji stopped and looked around warily. There was no movement in the stone hall; it was eerily quiet. He took a deep breath and continued toward the stone platform.

Just as he was three steps away from the stone platform, a soft "click" sounded beneath his feet. A trap had been triggered. The stone statues on both sides of the hall suddenly snapped their eyes open, shooting out two red lights as they crashed toward Chen Yuanji! The statues' speed was startling, each possessing at least the strength of the Early Stage of the Guiyuan Realm. The four stone statues attacked simultaneously from four directions, sealing off all paths of retreat. Chen Yuanji's gaze narrowed. He didn't retreat but instead charged toward the foremost sword-wielding statue. Bagua Zhang: Footwork, Turning Palm. His figure glided past like a swimming fish, evading the statue's blade. His left fingers hooked like talons, gripping the statue's wrist. Hidden Force erupted, and a vibrating power spread along the statue's arm to its shoulder joint.

"Crack!" The statue's shoulder joint shattered, and its sword-wielding arm went limp. But the statue felt no pain, and its other hand formed a fist to smash into Chen Yuanji's chest. Chen Yuanji sidestepped to avoid it, his short knife piercing the statue's chest as Hidden Force erupted again. Fine cracks appeared on the statue's body, and it shattered into a pile of stones with a crash.

One dealt with, three to go. Chen Yuanji didn't stop, weaving through the gaps in the statues' attacks. He pushed the footwork of Bagua Zhang to its limit, each step landing in the blind spot of a statue's attack. Every time his short knife thrust out, it precisely hit a statue's joint or core, followed by an eruption of Hidden Force that shattered the statue's internal structure. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, all four stone statues were shattered. Chen Yuanji sheathed his knife, breathing slightly. Although these statues only had the strength of the Early Stage of the Guiyuan Realm, they were tireless and felt no pain; the four of them working together were more difficult to deal with than a single Martial Artist at the Late Stage of the Guiyuan Realm.

He walked to the stone platform and opened the stone box. Inside lay a scroll of Silk Book and a black stone the size of a fist. The material of the Silk Book was neither silk nor cloth, feeling warm to the touch and remaining undecayed after a thousand years. Chen Yuanji unfurled the Silk Book, which was covered in dense characters written in Seal Script. "Martial Dao Divine Court: Membrane Refining Chapter." Chen Yuanji's heart jolted. Although the martial gods remains contained the Cultivation method for Hidden Force, it was mostly principles and general outlines; the specific details required his own exploration. This Silk Book recorded the complete Cultivation Technique for the "Membrane Refining" stage of Hidden Force, far more detailed and System-atic than the Legacy in the remains.

"Good stuff." Chen Yuanji tucked the Silk Book into his bosom and picked up the black stone. The stone was heavy in his hand, its surface smooth as a mirror with a faint flowing luster. The ancient jade's reaction to it was even stronger than to the martial gods remains, nearly jumping out of his bosom.

"This is..." Chen Yuanji sensed carefully and found that the stone contained an extremely rich energy—not Yuan Power, nor blood vitality, but something existing between the two. He couldn't figure out what it was for now, but the ancient jade's reaction told him it was very important. Tucking the stone into his bosom as well, Chen Yuanji took one last look at the stone hall. Confirming there was nothing else of value, he turned to leave. Stepping out of the stone hall, the sunlight was blinding.

"Young Master Yuanji is out!" Qian Duo was the first to shout. Everyone swarmed around him, asking all at once what was inside.

Chen Yuanji waved his hand: "Nothing much, just a few stone statues, which I've already shattered." He did not mention the Silk Book or the stone. Tie Yue glanced at him but did not press further. "Continue forward," Tie Yue ordered. "We must reach the second camp deep in the mountain range before dark."

The group continued on. But after less than half an hour, a powerful Yuan Power fluctuation suddenly came from ahead. Chen Yuanji stopped abruptly and looked up at the sky. A streamer of light streaked across the horizon at extreme speed, landing a hundred zhang in front of the group in the blink of an eye. The light dissipated, revealing a figure. It was a man in his thirties, wearing a black robe with a golden character for "Tian" embroidered on the chest. His face was cold and his gaze sharp, and his entire body emitted a suffocating pressure.

Someone from the Tiandao Sect!

Tie Yue's expression changed drastically. He quickly dismounted and bowed respectfully: "Tie Yue, an Enshrined Master of the Marquis of Zhenguos Estate from Qingzhou City, greets the Lord of the Tiandao Sect."

The black-robed man didn't even look at Tie Yue. His gaze passed over the crowd and landed directly on Chen Yuanji. "You are Chen Yuanji?" His voice was cold, devoid of any emotion.

Chen Yuanji met his gaze calmly: "I am."

The black-robed man's lips curled slightly into a meaningful smile: "Very well. This seat is Han Qianqiu, an Outer Gate Deacon of the Tiandao Sect. Someone reported to this seat that you possess the Legacy of the ancient Martial Dao Divine Court." He paused and took a step forward, his Peak Guiyuan Realm Yuan Power pressure weighing down like a mountain.

"Hand over the Legacy, and this seat can spare your life."