Chapter 74: The False Entrance to the Ruins

Within the ancient ruins, the hundreds of disciples from various sects who had been pursuing Shen Wan and his companions had, for the most part, already dispersed, each returning to their own path in search of fortune. Yet there were still a stubborn few who lingered at the edge of the forbidden zone, unwilling to give up. Once Wu Xi and the others exited the ruins, they could not re-enter. Those who had been chasing them, seeing this, had no choice but to curse in frustration before departing in different directions. The fragile alliance, formed only for mutual benefit, disintegrated in an instant.

In the resting hall of the Valley of Shadows Sect, Wu Xi bowed his head and whispered something into Wei Zhen’s ear. At his words, Wei Zhen shot to his feet in shock. "Is what you say true?!" His reaction was abrupt in the otherwise quiet hall, drawing the attention of many. Forcing himself to regain composure, he sat down again as if nothing had happened. "Send me the details through mind transmission. There are too many eyes and ears here—no word of this must slip out." Wu Xi nodded, closed his eyes, and began to transmit his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Lin Bufan and his three companions had all disguised themselves. They moved cautiously through the forest, heading in the very direction their little uncle had taken before parting ways with them. "Zhao Dongsheng, why are you following us?" Lin Bufan asked, not breaking his stride but glancing over with clear displeasure.

Zhao Dongsheng was the direct disciple of the Second Elder, Master Zhang. Though the Inscription Pavilion and the Divine Pill Pavilion were often at odds, neither had much to do with the Arcane Pavilion, to which Lin Bufan belonged. Yet Zhao Dongsheng was a schemer, and Lin Bufan disliked him for it.

"Mind your own business. I want to rescue the Ninth Elder. Are you going to stop me?" Zhao Dongsheng retorted. Lin Bufan had no good answer to that—indeed, he could not refute it. He wondered what schemes Zhao might be hatching; after all, he had been the most opposed when their little uncle set out to cultivate in the Cloud Listening Ravine. With a snort, Lin Bufan ignored him, quickened his pace, and remained vigilant.

They moved carefully, evading disciples of all factions along the way. From the snippets of conversation they overheard, they learned that their little uncle had entered the forbidden zone alone, which only heightened Lin Bufan’s anxiety. Zhu Qianqing and Han Yuechan felt the same. Though their acquaintance with Shen Wan was brief, they had come to appreciate the Ninth Elder’s kindness—he always shared whatever treasures he found. Admittedly, he seemed a bit eccentric, but upon hearing he had ventured alone into the forbidden zone, neither Zhu nor Han’s brows had relaxed since.

Zhao Dongsheng’s motives were simpler; two incidents had convinced him that this unassuming elder was far from ordinary—cleverer by far than Gu Zhiping, who was just as greedy but less subtle about it. To draw closer to Shen Wan, Zhao saw this as the perfect chance: to brave danger and help him.

As for Shen Wan, the three of them crossed the valley pit, entering a fissure at its deepest point—there was no other path. Fortunately, the way ahead had no forks; winding through the narrow crevice, they suddenly emerged into a wide canyon. At last, the stifling sense of oppression eased.

Above, a slender crack revealed a slice of blue sky; a fresh breeze swept through, cool and invigorating. "Strange," Yun Yi murmured, frowning. "Our Valley of Shadows Sect has entered these ruins countless times over the millennia, yet I’ve never heard of this canyon. Elders always said there was only one path at the heart of the ruins—how can this be?"

Gu Zhiping, unconcerned, joked, "These are the relics of the ancient gods. How long have we humans been enlightened? The mysteries of the God-giant Clan are far beyond our reckoning." The method of refining one’s physical foundation alone had already opened his eyes—something no human, not even the most powerful on the verge of ascension, could accomplish.

Yun Yi nodded; it made sense. The burial grounds of the God-giant Clan were riddled with restrictions. Even the Valley of Shadows Sect, with its best restriction-breakers, had found no way in. So how had they managed to stumble upon a place that had eluded all for so many years? Yun Yi was increasingly perplexed.

Shen Wan, meanwhile, listened to their musings without understanding a word. In truth, as Yun Yi had surmised, the central valley of the ruins had eight entrances, all concealed by restrictions—only a single false entrance was visible. Their entry was made possible solely by Shen Wan’s unique spiritless constitution, which nullified the restrictions, allowing them to slip through. Elder Yun Tian, by chance, had followed the trio and entered the spirit spring pool’s valley before the restrictions reformed.

The spirit spring formed over centuries, drop by drop, as spiritual energy condensed—a treasure impossible to find if discovered early. Yun Tian, terrified by Shen Wan’s sudden appearance, had fled the valley, marking his path as he hurried back to the false entrance to rendezvous with Yun Tianchen.

Now, more than a dozen of the Valley of Shadows Sect’s elite had fanned out in search of the ruins’ true gate. Hours passed with no sign of it, and Yun Tianchen grew impatient. "There’s only one entrance to the ancient ruins. Now that all eight towers are lit, the gate should be visible—so why can’t we find it?" In frustration, he smashed a giant rock beside him, his eyes dark with irritation.

Just then, another black-clad subordinate returned to report: the entire entrance area had been thoroughly searched, but still no trace of the gate could be found. Coincidentally, Yun Tian arrived with two others and quickly reported the discovery of the valley pit to Yun Tianchen—though he said nothing of being beaten by Shen Wan. Such humiliation was best kept secret.

Delighted, Yun Tianchen immediately called everyone to prepare to move, only to find, once all were assembled, that his fiancée was missing. "What? Mia is missing?" he demanded, frowning deeply. But with no way of knowing how long the gate would stay open, he could not afford delay. "Elder Ke, take a few men and wait here for Mia. If she returns, rejoin us at once." A tall, black-robed elder stepped forward to receive the order, choosing three men to remain.

Yun Tianchen could not spare another thought for his bride. With a wave of his sleeve, he followed Yun Tian, tracking the marks toward the valley pit. But by then, the entrance had vanished—the restrictions had returned, and their group could find no trace.

Meanwhile, Shen Wan and his two companions, oblivious to the desperate search outside, pressed on. The ground rose steadily, and along the cliff walls appeared numerous bas-reliefs depicting the lives of the God-giant Clan—diving, chopping wood, the smoke of a farmer’s kitchen, scenes of daily life no different from those of humankind, save for the figures’ enormous size.

The lifelike carvings amazed Shen Wan. "These are remarkable. My elder sister studied sculpture at the City Academy of Arts, and I’ve seen their work—nothing like this." He remembered those pieces cobbled together from soda cans or scraps of paper, and their astronomical price tags—things he could never afford in a lifetime of labor. Truly, he thought, he was far too ordinary to grasp the mystery of modern performance art.

The three followed the slope upward and, before they knew it, had left the canyon behind. Beyond, a dense forest stretched before them, shrouded in mist deeper within. Through the drifting clouds, a dark silhouette appeared faintly in the distance. Peering closer, they realized it was a colossal structure, standing alone amid the mists and reaching toward the sky.

"That…" Yun Yi gasped, covering her mouth in disbelief, while Gu Zhiping’s eyes gleamed with golden light. "This… this is the true ancient ruin!" His voice trembled, both of them too overwhelmed for words.

Shen Wan, for his part, was unimpressed. Aside from the fantastical spectacle before them, the more he looked, the less extraordinary it seemed.

Then, a faint clicking sound reached his ears. Yun Yi and Gu Zhiping, too excited, failed to notice. Shen Wan, eyes darting, sensed movement behind them. When he turned to look, his mind went blank, his pupils dilated, and his jaw began to tremble.

"Run… run!" he shouted instinctively, grabbing his companions’ sleeves and bolting. The two, startled and still reeling from excitement, were suddenly seized by a wave of confusion.

Behind them, the clicking grew louder. The enormous villagers carved into the cliff—one after another—were pressing their hands against the rock, and slowly… stepping down from the cliff face…