36: Chapter 36 Crack

The Middle-layer Ruins were even more hidden than Chen Yuanji had anticipated. They were tucked away at the base of a steep cliff, covered by dense vines and moss. If Bai Xue hadn't led the way, it would have been impossible to find.

The cliff was about a hundred zhang high, as steep as if it had been sliced by a blade, its surface covered in cracks formed by weathering. The main entrance to the ruins was a massive stone gate, about three zhang high and two zhang wide. Two ancient seal script characters, "Martial Court," were carved onto the lintel. The stone gate was tightly shut, its seams overgrown with moss; it clearly hadn't been opened in a very long time.

Fifty zhang above the stone gate, there was a massive nest on the cliff face, constructed from withered branches and Yao Beast fur. A giant golden bird could be faintly seen within the nest, its size staggering, with a wingspan of at least thirty to forty zhang. A Golden-Winged Peng, a Tier 4 Peak Yao Beast!

"That's it," Bai Xue whispered, her golden eyes filled with hatred. "Twenty years ago, it tore open my mother's belly with one claw."

Shen Wuchang looked up at the Golden-Winged Peng in the nest, his expression solemn. "Tier 4 Peak. In his prime, this old man could have handled it, but I can't beat it now."

"That's why we're not taking the main gate," Chen Yuanji looked toward the side of the cliff. "Where is the crack?"

Bai Xue gestured with her chin toward the right side of the cliff. There was a vertical crack there, extending from the base of the cliff all the way to the top. It was about three feet wide, barely enough for a person to pass through sideways. The surface of the crack was covered in vines; it would be easily overlooked if one didn't look closely.

"It's right there," Bai Xue said. "There's a passage inside the crack that leads directly into the ruins, but there are Restrictions within it. My mother was severely injured by a Restriction here back then."

Chen Yuanji walked to the crack and peered inside. The crack was deep, with no end in sight, and pitch black within. He could feel a chilly aura surging out from the depths. He reached out into the crack, his fingertips touching an invisible barrier. It was a Restriction; the fluctuations of Yuan Power were weak but steady, like an invisible net.

"Can it be broken?" he asked Shen Wuchang.

Shen Wuchang walked to the crack and closed his eyes, using his Divine Sense to examine the Restriction.

"An ancient Restriction, very complex," he opened his eyes. "But it's quite old, and its power has weakened significantly. If this old man gives it his all, I should be able to tear an opening, but it will only last for three to five breaths. You must take that time to get inside."

"What about you?"

"This old man will provide backup outside," Shen Wuchang said. "The Golden-Winged Peng isn't to be trifled with. Once it discovers someone has entered the ruins, it will definitely attack. I have to hold it off out here."

Chen Yuanji was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Bai Xue, come in with me."

Bai Xue hesitated, glancing up at the Golden-Winged Peng's nest before finally nodding.

"Alright."

Shen Wuchang took a deep breath and formed hand seals. Gray Yuan Power condensed in his palms, transforming into two sharp gray blades. He thrust both palms out, driving the blades into the Restriction within the crack, and then tore them apart. The Restriction emitted a piercing hum, and a three-foot-square gap appeared.

"Quick!"

Chen Yuanji slipped sideways into the crack, with Bai Xue following close behind. Just as the man and the wolf entered, the gap in the Restriction snapped shut. Shen Wuchang was thrown back, retreating three steps.

The interior of the crack was even narrower than it appeared from the outside. The rock walls on both sides were slick and covered in moss, with water droplets occasionally falling from above, making a crisp dripping sound. Chen Yuanji moved forward step by step, turned sideways. Bai Xue was much larger than him and could only crawl forward on her belly. After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the crack gradually widened from three feet to five feet, allowing for normal walking. There were some skeletal remains on the floor of the passage—both from the Human Race and the Yao Race—scattered on either side.

"These are all people who tried to enter the ruins back then," Bai Xue whispered. "They died within the Restriction."

Chen Yuanji crouched down and examined a skeleton. There were no wounds on the bones, but they were black, as if the person had died from poisoning. "Is the Restriction poisonous?"

"It's not poison; it's a curse," Bai Xue said. "Most Restrictions of the ancient Martial Dao Divine Court carry the power of a curse. If you're cursed, your Yuan Power will be corroded, and your Physical Body will rot until only bones remain."

Chen Yuanji stood up and continued forward. He didn't cultivate Yuan Power, so he didn't know if the curse would affect him. But since he had come this far, there was no turning back. The passage grew wider, and murals began to appear on the rock walls. The murals depicted scenes of ancient Martial Artists battling Yao Beasts, with bold lines and vibrant colors that looked lifelike. Some murals also had characters carved on them, squiggly and unfamiliar to Chen Yuanji.

"These are ancient Yao Race characters," Bai Xue said. "They say 'Seventh Branch of the Martial Dao Divine Court'."

The Seventh Branch.

Chen Yuanji recalled the Legacy within the martial gods remains. Back then, the Martial Dao Divine Court was spread across the world with countless branches. After the Tiandao Sect annihilated the Martial Dao Divine Court, most branches were destroyed, and only a few hidden in Secret Realms survived.

"The core of the ruins is just ahead," Bai Xue stopped and pricked up her ears. "Listen."

Chen Yuanji listened intently. From deep within the passage, a low humming sound faintly echoed, like machinery running or a heart beating. The martial gods heart? He quickened his pace toward the sound. At the end of the passage was a half-open stone door. Behind it was a massive stone chamber, about ten zhang high and a hundred zhang across. In the center of the chamber was a stone platform with a stone box on it. The box was surrounded by runes, emitting a faint golden light. Something was thumping inside the box.

"Thump, thump, thump—" low and rhythmic, like a heartbeat.

Chen Yuanji entered the stone chamber and walked toward the platform. After just three steps, countless runes suddenly lit up on the surrounding walls, forming a massive formation. In the center of the formation, a pillar of golden light descended from above, enveloping Chen Yuanji. Immense pressure surged from all directions, pressing down so hard he could barely breathe. A curse!

Chen Yuanji gritted his teeth and activated the inner core within his Dantian. Golden blood-qi power surged from the inner core, forming a thin protective layer on his body's surface. The curse's power collided with the blood-qi shield, producing a piercing grinding sound. Bai Xue stood at the entrance of the chamber, not entering.

"Chen Yuanji, this is a trial of the Martial Dao Divine Court. Only by passing the trial can you obtain the martial gods heart. I can't go in; you're on your own."

Chen Yuanji didn't answer. He focused all his attention on resisting the curse, walking toward the stone platform step by step. With every step, the pressure increased. Chen Yuanji's legs began to tremble, his knees buckling, nearly forcing him to kneel. He couldn't kneel! He gritted his teeth and channeled all the blood-qi from his inner core, thickening the shield.

One step! Two steps! Three steps! His hand finally touched the stone box. The moment his fingertips made contact, the curse's power suddenly vanished, and the golden pillar of light dissipated. The stone chamber returned to tranquility, as if nothing had happened.

Chen Yuanji panted heavily, propping himself up against the stone platform to keep from collapsing. The lid of the stone box opened automatically, revealing what was inside. It was a heart the size of a fist, entirely golden and covered in fine patterns. The heart beat rhythmically, each beat emitting a golden halo that was warm and soft. The martial gods heart.

Chen Yuanji reached out and cradled the heart in his hands. The moment it touched him, a vast amount of information flooded his mind—the martial god's lifelong memories and insights, from Body Refining to Creation, every detail of every Realm was crystal clear. More importantly, the heart contained a pure blood-qi power that was ten, even a hundred times stronger than the inner core in his Dantian.

"So this is... the power of a martial god."

Chen Yuanji closed his eyes, feeling that power flow through him. The inner core in his Dantian seemed to be summoned, spinning frantically as it absorbed the blood-qi power from the martial gods heart bit by bit. The inner core expanded rapidly—the size of a large bowl, then a washbasin, then a water vat. Late Stage Dan Power, Peak Dan Power, Half-step Gang Energy.

*Boom!* A loud explosion echoed in Chen Yuanji's mind, and his consciousness went momentarily blank. When he opened his eyes again, everything in the stone chamber had changed. He could see the Yuan Power particles flowing in the air, every stroke of the runes on the stone walls, and even the texture of the rock layers three feet beneath his feet.

Gang Energy—not half-step, but true Gang Energy. The fifth stage of Internal Family Boxing: the entire body protected by a Protective Aura, impervious to all techniques. Chen Yuanji looked down at his hands; a faint golden light circulated in his palms. That was the Protective Aura flowing.

He lightly clenched his fist. *Crack!* The air exploded in his palm with a deafening blast. The entire stone chamber trembled, and the runes on the walls flickered violently, seemingly unable to withstand this power.

Bai Xue stood at the chamber entrance, her golden eyes wide. "You... you had a Breakthrough?"

Chen Yuanji nodded and tucked the martial gods heart into his robes. "Let's go. It's time to leave."

He turned and walked toward the chamber entrance. With every step, a shallow footprint appeared on the ground—not because he was using force, but because the Protective Aura was too strong for the stone slabs beneath his feet to bear. Chen Yuanji walked out of the stone chamber and along the passage toward the crack. Behind him, the runes in the chamber gradually dimmed, as if they had fulfilled their mission.

In the passage, the low humming sound had vanished, replaced by Chen Yuanji's own heartbeat. "Thump, thump, thump—" steady and powerful, like a war drum.