Free Web NovelChapter 44: Chapter 44: Ruins
「Three days later.」
「In the Canglan Sea Region.」
Gu Yun flew over an extremely remote region, wreathed in lightning.
For hundreds of li in every direction, the area was shrouded in gales and downpours. It was a land where dark clouds blotted out the sky.
The world was dim and gloomy, battered by fierce winds and sudden squalls.
The Spiritual Qi in the air was also extremely thin.
Even the poorest of Cultivators would never set foot in such a godforsaken corner of the sea.
But on this very day, several figures streaked across the dim sky.
They passed overhead at extreme speed,
plunging straight into this storm-wracked ocean.
Fierce, churning waves surged upward, forming a tsunami that blotted out the sky.
Its momentum was overwhelming, as if trying to put the figures speeding overhead in their place!
But alas,
the astonishingly powerful wave had no effect on them.
A mere tremor of their True Yuan caused the tsunami to dissipate in an instant.
The figures then vanished in a flash, leaving behind only the vain fury of the sea.
「A short while later.」
After flying for a hundred kilometers, the figures arrived on a large, remote island.
"If I’m not mistaken, this is the place."
A middle-aged Cultivator in the group, clad in a white Profound Robe and with a plain face, took out a Compass.
The needle on the Compass spun wildly as he compared it to a Map Scroll in his other hand. Then, he spoke in a low voice.
"Back then, the Profound Celestial Sect slaughtered the Black Flame Sword Sect, creating rivers of blood. The survivors could only flee the Eastern Profound Domain and escape to the Chaotic Star Sea to hide from their pursuers."
"They put down roots here in the Canglan Sea Region, licking their wounds and slowly rebuilding their strength."
"Later, they were crushed by Xingluo Palace of the Chaotic Star Sea. Almost every disciple of the Black Flame Sword Sect was massacred, leaving only a handful of stragglers to hide in the shadows and eke out a miserable existence."
"In his despair, the Sect Leader of the Black Flame Sword Sect sank his entire Sect to the bottom of the sea."
"The violent storms and scarce Spiritual Qi here in the Canglan Sea Region are all said to be the result of a battle with a Tongxuan True Monarch from Xingluo Palace."
"The aftershocks of that battle thinned the Spiritual Qi throughout the Canglan Sea Region, caused the frequent storms, and nearly eradicated the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in this specific area."
"The effects have lasted for more than a hundred years."
The calm voice of the middle-aged man in the white robe sent a profound shock through the hearts of the others present.
Everyone present gasped.
"The aftershocks of a battle were enough to shatter the world, deplete the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi of the entire Canglan Sea Region, and create constant storms... to the point that this place is a dead zone for Spiritual Qi, with effects that haven’t faded in over a century. What in the world happened here back then?"
’A Tongxuan True Monarch-level expert capable of causing this kind of devastation must be an exceptionally powerful one, even among their peers.’
’For a Cultivator, a hundred-odd years isn’t an eternity, but it’s not a short time either.’
’After all, someone in the True Martial Realm has a lifespan of three hundred years,’
’and a Tongxuan True Monarch has a lifespan of eight hundred years.’
’As for those above the Tongxuan True Monarch level...’
’Who’s there?!’
In the distance, lightning flickered as a figure approached them at extreme speed.
’Gu Yun hadn’t expected the Map Scroll to lead him here.’
’It’s the backwater of all backwaters.’
’As for that black, sword-shaped Token...’
’...if I’m not mistaken, it’s likely the key to some Sect’s ruins.’
「A few breaths later.」
Gu Yun arrived before the other Cultivators.
"Who are you, friend? Are you also here for the ruins of the Black Flame Sword Sect?" the middle-aged Cultivator, Chen Daoming, asked in a low voice.
Seeing Gu Yun’s formidable and dangerous aura, the others did not attack immediately.
"I am Xiao Chen, an Inner Sect Disciple of the Profound Celestial Sect," Gu Yun said, cupping his fists toward them.
As expected, the moment he announced his identity as an Inner Sect Disciple of the Profound Celestial Sect, the expressions on their faces changed.
’An Inner Sect Disciple from the Profound Celestial Sect?!’
"Ah, so you’re a disciple of the Profound Celestial Sect. Forgive my earlier rudeness. I presume you also have a Black Brilliance Sword Order?" Chen Daoming said in a low voice.
"Naturally," Gu Yun said. With a wave of his hand, the mysterious, black, sword-shaped Token appeared in his grasp.
Seeing the Black Profound Sword Order, Chen Daoming nodded.
"Since you’re a friend from the Profound Celestial Sect, let’s explore the hundred-year-old ruins of the Black Flame Sword Sect together," said an elderly-looking man after a moment.
No one present objected. There was no need to antagonize a disciple from the Profound Celestial Sect, a titan of the Eastern Profound Domain, over something so trivial.
Besides, their little group had only formed because of the Black Profound Sword Order. There were no other bonds between them.
At that moment, Chen Daoming, the middle-aged Cultivator in the white robe, stepped forward. "Everyone," he said in a low voice, "please infuse your True Yuan into your Black Profound Sword Orders. We will activate the Array together."
And so the group, including Gu Yun, now totaled six people.
Following the guidance of the man in the white robe, the six of them took up positions across the massive island and began to activate their Black Brilliance Sword Orders.
HUMMM...
As Gu Yun and the five others took their positions and simultaneously infused their True Yuan, the Black Brilliance Sword Orders began to tremble violently, emitting a dazzling light.
They created visible ripples in the air that spread outward in waves.
「A moment later.」
RUMBLE!
A violent tremor emanated from the depths of the sea, as if the very ley lines of the earth had snapped.
The entire island began to shake, as if an Earth Dragon were stirring on the seabed below.
A look of delight appeared on the faces of everyone present, Gu Yun included.
Through their Spiritual Sense, they could perceive a colossal black shadow rising from the bottomless depths, approaching them at great speed.
These were the ruins of the Black Flame Sword Sect, a Major Sect that once boasted several Tongxuan True Monarchs!
The enormous shadow displaced the immense weight of the sea,
...rising continuously from the abyssal depths, drawn by the Array the six had formed.
Dense, intricate array patterns instantly spread out, covering an area hundreds of meters across.
The six Black Profound Sword Orders erupted with a blinding light as a powerful energy surged from the Array, gathering in the empty space above.
A massive vortex appeared,
the space at its center seemingly torn open.
It formed a massive void portal.
Through the shimmering spatial ripples,
it was as if one could see another world on the other side of the passage.
Just then, Chen Daoming let out a joyful cry:
"Daoist Master! I did it!"
"Everyone, once we’re inside, we’ll split up to search. If you come across any Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, divine weapons, or Cultivation Technique Manuals..."
"...it will all belong to,"
"whoever is worthy."
With that, Chen Daoming dove headfirst into the spatial portal.
The others immediately swarmed in after him.
Gu Yun followed the group and vanished into the spatial passage as well.
The ruins of the Black Flame Sword Sect spanned several thousand li—not too big, and not too small.
It was easily comparable in size to some of the larger islands in the Chaotic Star Sea.
Inside the ruins of the Black Flame Sword Sect,
endless mountain ranges rose and fell, stretching beyond the horizon and impressing upon the group the sheer vastness of this place.
One could only wonder at how terrible their luck was.
Unlike the protagonists of stories, who enter ruins and effortlessly stumble upon all sorts of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, technique inheritances, and the like.
The moment the group entered the ruins,
they heard a howl from the distance.
"AWOOOO!"
The very air seemed to tremble from the force of it.
Not far away,
a pack of Demon Wolves, exuding a terrifying aura, was surging toward them, already fanning out to encircle and kill!
