The stone platform before him was suspended amidst the clouds and mist.
Atop the platform, several prayer mats, an alchemy furnace, and a writing desk were vaguely visible.
The brush and ink still rested on the desk, though the ink in the inkstone had dried over countless seasons. The entire layout remained exactly as it had been left!
It was as if someone had been sitting here just yesterday, meditating on the Dao and cultivating their techniques.
And on the topmost prayer mat... sat a skeleton.
This skeleton had been dead in meditation for an unknown number of years. Its bones gleamed with a translucent, jade-like luster, as if carved from the finest mutton-fat white jade, completely untouched by dust.
A luxurious golden robe was draped over the skeleton. Though it had lost its former luster, the exquisite weaving and lavish material were still evident—this was definitely not something an ordinary cultivator could wear.
The skeleton's skull drooped slightly, its right hand clutching its chest. At its chest, a hole was gouged into the ribcage, the surrounding bones shattered into a web of cracks, as if pierced by some sharp weapon.
Meanwhile, its left hand was pinched in a hand seal, its fingertips pointing upward, as if it had still been circulating its cultivation technique in its final moments of life, trying to suppress the fatal wound.
The result... went without saying.
There was no storage bag at the skeleton's waist. Only a palm-sized, ochre-red wine gourd of ancient and simple design hung quietly there.
Even from several paces away, Shen Xiuhan could still feel a scorching heat radiating from the gourd.
“Martial bones turning to jade, untouched by the dust of time...”
Shen Xiuhan walked closer, murmuring in slight astonishment, “This was a Heavenly Gang Rank expert!”
The Heavenly Gang Rank! The three barriers of Gangjin were Outer Gang, Inner Gang, and Heavenly Gang!
For a martial artist to reach the Heavenly Gang Rank, they had to condense at least seven divine ability seeds!
Martial artists of this caliber were individuals who had truly mastered their path of martial arts!
In any nation of the present world, they would be generals guarding a region or high-level cultivators leading a sect!
Yet the one before him had fallen here in complete silence...
What on earth happened to Diaohai Blessed Land back then? Even an expert of this caliber was killed in a single strike!
Indeed! To Shen Xiuhan's eyes, this nameless Heavenly Gang expert's wound was clean and decisive. The bones were shattered with absolutely no signs of healing, meaning his chest had been blown through in a single blow, instantly extinguishing his life force!
To kill a Heavenly Gang Rank expert in a single move... The one who did this must have already stepped into that legendary realm!
“Divine Ability...”
Shen Xiuhan took a deep breath, pushing the shock deep into his heart and putting it out of his mind.
Now was not the time to ponder ancient history.
His time was limited. It wouldn't be long before the crowd below surged up the mountain. He had to pocket the most valuable treasures on this peak before anyone else arrived.
Swoosh...
Shen Xiuhan reached out and took down the wine gourd.
The gourd felt heavy in his hand. Though only palm-sized and ochre-red, it was warm to the touch, as if a flame of unknown centuries was sealed inside.
Shen Xiuhan held it to his ear and gave it a gentle shake.
Slosh...
The sound of sloshing liquid came from within, and a fragrance of wine so rich it was almost tangible wafted from the mouth of the gourd.
The aroma was as fierce as fire. The moment it entered his nose, it turned into a warm current that surged into his lungs.
Shen Xiuhan's entire body warmed up, and his blood qi actually showed signs of boiling!
Just this single sniff of the aroma was worth several days of bitter cultivation for an ordinary martial artist.
This was impressively a Tier Four spiritual wine—『Elixir Fire Wine』!
“That's one!”
Shen Xiuhan had no time to examine it closely. With a flick of his wrist, he stored the wine gourd into his storage bag and cast a glance back down toward the foot of the mountain.
At the base of the mountain, the collapsing seven-colored barrier had completely torn open, and two figures were the first to step onto the mountain path.
The one in the lead walked with a powerful, commanding stride, clad in dark armor—it was Wang Xuanliang. Half a step behind him, a longsword hanging at his waist and eyes flashing like lightning, was Wang Xuanmin.
Behind them, dozens of armored, spear-wielding Longxiang soldiers poured in like a tide.
Further away, the blue robes of the Raging Sea Sect and the various garments of the Four Sects of Nanxiang were also converging on the mountain path from all directions.
Shen Xiuhan withdrew his gaze. Delaying no further, his figure transformed into a streak of gray smoke skimming the ground as he continued rushing toward the summit.
On the mountainside, clouds and mist swirled, and the spiritual fog grew increasingly dense.
Palaces and pavilions were scattered amidst the mist, and several white ribbon-like waterfalls cascaded down the cliffs. Upturned eaves and carved pillars loomed indistinctly, making the place look like the abode of immortals.
Shen Xiuhan kept his eyes fixed ahead, heading straight for the summit.
A moment later, he stepped onto the final stone stair, and his vision suddenly opened up.
A lustrous palace stood majestically atop the peak.
Before the hall stood nine jade pillars carved with coiling dragons. The scales of the jade dragons were intricately detailed, and their heads were raised high, presenting an incredibly grand spectacle.
On either side of the palace doors, a couplet was carved:
“Muxu pierces through three thousand laws,”
“A single thought gathers all ten thousand sects.”
For some reason, the plaque of the hall had fallen to the ground, but the three sharp, ancient characters on it were still clearly legible: 『Dao-Observing Hall』!
What immense boldness!
Shen Xiuhan praised silently in his heart, but his gaze was immediately captured by a specifically cordoned-off spirit field in front of the hall.
The spirit field was about a zhang square, surrounded by white jade railings. The soil was a rare, deep purple, with faint spiritual light swirling within.
Planted inside were three brilliant white flowers.
The three white flowers swayed gently even without any wind. White mist billowed over their petals, condensing without dispersing as it swirled around the pistils.
One could tell at a glance that these were no ordinary treasures!
Among them, the one in the very middle was the most flourishing, its eight petals fully unfurled.
The one on the left had opened six petals.
The one on the right was slightly inferior, having only opened five petals, but it was still full of vitality, shrouded in a dense white mist.
This was impressively a Tier Four precious herb—『Wanling Flower』!
Shen Xiuhan took a deep breath, stepped forward quickly, and pulled out a jade box from his storage bag.
Tier Four precious herbs were delicate.
Once removed from the soil, they could not touch stone, wood, or water, or else they would wither or rot, losing all their medicinal properties.
They had to be sealed in a jade box and then replanted in a spirit field after exiting the Blessed Land to preserve their medicinal properties.
Fortunately, Shen Xiuhan was well-prepared for this.
He first dug up the eight-petaled Wanling Flower along with its soil and placed it inside the box.
Then, he did the same to safely store the six-petaled one.
When he reached the third one, Shen Xiuhan paused. After a brief hesitation, he chose to leave this one behind.
Storing the jade boxes into his storage bag, he didn't spare another glance at the spirit field and turned to stride into the hall.
The doors to the hall were slightly ajar.
Shen Xiuhan slipped inside.
The moment he stepped inside, he witnessed an incredibly terrifying sight, causing him to freeze completely in his tracks.
In the deep, dim shadows of the hall, a figure was standing!
The person had their back to the doors, motionless, as if staring at something on the wall, or quietly waiting for someone to arrive.
Swoosh!
Every hair on Shen Xiuhan's body stood on end. A chill shot up from his spine straight to his skull, and cold sweat instantly drenched his back.
He almost instinctively pressed his hand against the hilt of his sword, a theory rising in his mind!
Is there... still someone alive in this Blessed Land?!
Yet just a breath later, he noticed something was off.
The figure made absolutely no movement.
There was no rise and fall of breath, no fluctuation of aura, and not even a trace of life force to be felt.
He stood there silently, his luxurious golden robe covered in thick dust. He had clearly been standing there for a very, very long time.
“Whew...”
Shen Xiuhan let out a breath and released his grip on the sword hilt.
Steadying himself, he walked around the figure. Approaching him, he turned his gaze to look at the face.
With just a single glance!
Shen Xiuhan's pupils contracted violently, and his heart leaped as he thought,
“This is...”
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