Chapter 31: The Ancient Ruin

Ten days flew by. During this time, Yang Lingchen had been cultivating intensely, successfully breaking through to the ninth layer of the Profound Illumination Realm. That day, Yang Lingchen was practicing the Heavenly Origin Sword Canon. Suddenly, a breathtaking figure appeared in the Jade Cloud Pavilion. Clad in a pure white, form-fitting gown that accentuated her alluring figure, she possessed a pair of cold, beautiful eyes that seemed to look down on all beings, like an untainted snow lotus from an icy mountain. "Disciple Yang Lingchen greets Master." Yang Lingchen quickly bowed. "Not bad. To have mastered the Heavenly Origin Sword Canon in just over ten days... you truly are the male... disciple this Palace has chosen." Oriental Cloud Ice said coolly. "It's all thanks to Master's excellent guidance that this disciple has progressed so rapidly." Yang Lingchen flattered her. Oriental Cloud Ice, with her ethereal grace, walked over and reclined on a long chaise lounge. "Chen'er, this Palace is weary." "Would this disciple perhaps give you a massage?" Yang Lingchen asked, his heart pounding, already bracing himself for a reprimand. "Mm." Oriental Cloud Ice hummed softly, then closed her exquisite eyes, resting quietly on the chaise. Thump, thump, thump... Yang Lingchen's heart was racing. He slowly walked behind Oriental Cloud Ice, then, with trembling hands, gently placed them on her smooth, delicate shoulders. In that moment, Yang Lingchen felt as if he could barely breathe. This was the renowned woman of the entire Northern Profound Domain! Her every command could determine the life and death of countless individuals. Oriental Cloud Ice's physique was incredibly soft and graceful; even her shoulders were breathtakingly beautiful. Yang Lingchen gently massaged Oriental Cloud Ice's shoulders and arms. Her exquisitely smooth, jade-like hands made him almost reluctant to let go. "You're nervous," Oriental Cloud Ice said softly, her eyes still closed. "A little," Yang Lingchen replied, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Am I really that terrifying?" Oriental Cloud Ice's voice suddenly softened, becoming a little more tender. "It's because Master is simply too beautiful that this disciple feels a bit nervous," Yang Lingchen whispered. "And how do I compare to Ling Yan'er and Feng Xueqing?" Oriental Cloud Ice chuckled. "Cough, cough... Of course, Master is the most beautiful," Yang Lingchen coughed lightly. "Your technique is good. Where did you learn it?" Oriental Cloud Ice asked. "The Imperial Grand Club," Yang Lingchen replied. "What kind of place is the Imperial Grand Club?" Oriental Cloud Ice inquired. "It's a place specializing in massage and therapeutic bodywork," Yang Lingchen said softly. "Mm." Oriental Cloud Ice said no more, quietly enjoying Yang Lingchen's massage. Two hours passed in a blink. "Chen'er, your massage was excellent. This Palace will come often from now on." With that, Oriental Cloud Ice's figure instantly vanished from the Jade Cloud Pavilion. At this, Yang Lingchen finally let out a sigh of relief. Those two hours had been an ordeal. Massaging such an unparalleled beauty would be overwhelming for anyone, let alone when that person was the most powerful ruler of this region. Another seven days passed. In these seven days, his cultivation had again broken through, reaching the peak of the ninth layer of the Profound Illumination Realm. After reaching the peak of the ninth layer of the Profound Illumination Realm, Yang Lingchen planned to venture out for some practical experience and complete a few tasks. He left the Jade Cloud Pavilion. Yang Lingchen arrived at the Heavenly Origin Palace's Inner Sect Mission Hall. Just then, Yang Lingchen's gaze was drawn to a mission poster at the entrance of the Mission Hall. He walked over curiously. It turned out that the four major sects had discovered a newly unearthed ancient ruin deep within the Northern Desolate Mountains. Due to the ruin's ancient age, only cultivators below the Void Inquiry Realm could enter. Therefore, the higher echelons of the Heavenly Origin Palace had posted the notice, inviting adventurous young disciples to explore. Yang Lingchen carefully noted the ruin's location, then turned and left the Heavenly Origin Palace. However, what Yang Lingchen didn't know was that as he left the Heavenly Origin Palace, a figure flashed past, quietly following behind him. This person was Wang Yuan, one of the top ten disciples of the Inner Sect. After leaving the Heavenly Origin Palace, Yang Lingchen continuously employed the Phantom Step, activating his full-speed travel mode. However, because Yang Lingchen was constantly using his movement technique, Wang Yuan, who was following behind, eventually lost track of him. At this moment, Wang Yuan was incredibly shocked. He was one of the top ten disciples of the Inner Sect, yet he had lost track of someone in the Profound Illumination Realm. But he wasn't anxious; he knew that Yang Lingchen's destination was the ancient ruin. Three days passed in a flash. Under Yang Lingchen's full-speed travel, he finally reached the depths of the Northern Desolate Mountains. He was now very close to the ancient ruin. At this point, Yang Lingchen also noticed many people nearby, including disciples from the Heavenly Origin Palace and also disciples from other sects. The Northern Desolate Mountains were a vast mountain range, and the four major powers of the Southern Continent were located around its perimeter. Therefore, the unearthing of this ancient ruin also attracted young disciples from the other three major sects to explore. Yang Lingchen walked towards the entrance of the ancient ruin. At the entrance, he found many powerful middle-aged individuals. From their attire, they appeared to be elder-level figures from the four major sects. With the unearthing of an ancient ruin, conflicts between sects were inevitable. Therefore, each sect, to protect its disciples, would dispatch powerful elders to oversee the situation. Yang Lingchen joined the Heavenly Origin Palace's contingent. Just then, a middle-aged man of about forty years old stepped forward. This person was Sun Tiancheng, an elder of the Heavenly Origin Palace's Inner Sect. "Everyone, pay attention. After the ruin opens, once you enter, you must be careful of people from other sects. Do not lose your lives due to carelessness," Sun Tiancheng instructed. "Understood, Elder," many disciples responded. Just then, the true form of the ancient ruin gradually emerged. "Good, the ruin has opened. Everyone, enter!" Sun Tiancheng announced. As the ancient ruin opened, disciples from the four major sects streamed in one after another. The four major sects of the Southern Continent were: Heavenly Origin Palace, Earth Yin Gate, Rakshasa Palace, and Sword Origin Pavilion. Among them, Sword Origin Pavilion was the strongest, while the other three sects were of comparable strength. Yang Lingchen also entered the ancient ruin with the crowd. Suddenly, Yang Lingchen sensed a cold glint. He quickly turned his head to look but saw nothing. At this moment, Yang Lingchen secretly became vigilant. He had a strong feeling of being targeted by a predator, a feeling that was incredibly intense. When everyone had entered the ruin, the entrance behind them suddenly closed. At this moment, tens of thousands of people on site fell into a panic. One by one, they frantically searched for an exit. However, to everyone's disappointment, the entrance they had just come through seemed to have never existed. After a long while, with no one able to find an exit, many began to explore the vast ruin. Since they couldn't leave anytime soon, they might as well search inside; perhaps they could find many treasures.

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