Chapter 343 ·Ancient Ruins
Chapter 343: Ancient Ruins
The conflict between the Clear Sky Sect and the Myriad Yin Sect entered a stalemate. Both sides employed various methods, trading blows back and forth. On the battlefield, Clear Sky Sect disciples also seized many resources—spells, formations, and secret techniques continuously flowed into the Scripture Repository.
Late April.
Li Qingqiu sat in the Lingxiao Courtyard, listening to Xiao Wuqing report on the battle situation.
Upon hearing that Wei Tianxiong had mobilized a group of zombies to attack the Myriad Yin Sect, Li Qingqiu’s expression turned strange.
“Those zombies are far from ordinary. They can spew poisonous mist, and wherever they pass, not a blade of grass survives. Moreover, they are impervious to blades and spears,” Xiao Wuqing said, his expression equally peculiar.
Although Li Qingqiu had always said that the Clear Sky Sect was not strictly of the righteous path, the disciples still regarded themselves as such. Wei Tianxiong’s methods were indeed somewhat incompatible with that identity.
Li Qingqiu asked, “Do those zombies have a clear origin?”
Xiao Wuqing replied, “It’s said that there are warring dynasties to the west. Hall Master Wei picked them up from the battlefield.”
Hearing this, Li Qingqiu felt relieved. As long as it did not harm the Clear Sky Sect, he did not care to interfere.
“Go and continue monitoring.”
“Yes!”
Xiao Wuqing bowed and withdrew.
Li Qingqiu was about to return to his cave dwelling to cultivate when a prompt suddenly appeared before his eyes:
【Due to a disciple of the Clear Sky Sect triggering an ancient formation for the first time and being transported to an unknown location, you have obtained one Fortuitous Fate Opportunity】
Ancient formation?
Teleportation?
Li Qingqiu’s expression grew strange. Who could it be?
Such a prompt gave no clear indication—there were simply too many disciples outside.
However, no matter who it was, triggering a Fortuitous Fate Opportunity for him was a good thing.
Li Qingqiu walked toward his cave dwelling while activating the opportunity.
【Claim Fortuitous Fate Reward】
【Activating Fortuitous Fate】
【Detecting Fortuitous Fate】
【Fortuitous Fate detected. An ancient ruin has been discovered. Do you accept the guidance of this Fortuitous Fate?】
Ancient ruins?
Not bad!
Li Qingqiu quite liked such opportunities. They often contained inheritances, resources, and even ready-made magic implements. He decided to accept the guidance once he returned to his cave dwelling.
…
Splash—
The sound of waves crashing against the shore reached his ears as Qin Ye’s consciousness slowly awakened. His eyelids trembled slightly.
Sunlight shone upon him. His robes were tattered, his body covered in blood, and the right side of his abdomen was a mangled mess of flesh. He began to breathe heavily.
He opened his eyes. The sunlight made him uncomfortable. After a long while, his vision gradually cleared.
“I… am still alive?”
Qin Ye murmured, feeling as if his head were splitting apart.
He began recalling what had happened earlier. The Qin Clan’s fleet had finally established contact with a cultivation island in the Heavenly Nether Sea. After barely gaining a foothold for half a year, they were attacked while returning to the Nine Provinces.
He had jumped into the sea and narrowly escaped death. If not for a certain woman, he would have already perished in the ocean. Afterward, he followed that woman to another island—only for her family to be slaughtered. The two were forced to flee once again.
This time, however, their enemies pursued relentlessly, driving them into a cave on an island. By sheer coincidence, they triggered a mechanism within the cave—and after that, he lost consciousness.
Everything had happened too quickly. In just a few days, Qin Ye had fallen into such a state.
Struggling to his feet, he looked around and saw the woman who had saved him lying on the distant shore, unconscious.
He staggered toward her.
At this moment, he still had not realized that he was already far from the Nine Provinces—and that for a long time to come, he would be unable to return to the Clear Sky Sect.
…
At dusk, Li Qingqiu arrived at the Lingxiao Courtyard, frowning slightly in hesitation.
The ancient ruin was located west of the Western Region Perilous Land, far from the Nine Provinces. This was the farthest Fortuitous Fate he had encountered from Clear Sky Mountain. He was considering whom to send.
Ancient ruins certainly contained restrictions and formations—great trials even for Spirit Perception Realm disciples.
After some thought, Li Qingqiu decided to go personally. It would also give him a chance to observe the western battlefield.
After sitting down, he used the Sect Master Token to summon Zhang Yuchun and Yun Cai, informing them that he would be leaving the mountain. This matter was not to be told to others—they were to keep watch over the sect.
“Senior Brother, which direction are you heading?” Zhang Yuchun asked.
“To the west.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yuchun let out a sigh of relief. He had feared Li Qingqiu might go elsewhere—if both the battlefield and the Taikun Mountain Range encountered trouble simultaneously, the pressure on him would be immense.
Since Li Qingqiu was heading west, it was clearly aimed at the Myriad Yin Sect.
It must be a secret operation.
“Prepare several high-grade Storage Pouches for me,” Li Qingqiu instructed.
Zhang Yuchun did not ask further. He agreed immediately and went to prepare them.
Yun Cai looked at Li Qingqiu and said, “I will guard the sect well for you.”
This time, she did not cling to him. She also assumed he had a secret mission.
Li Qingqiu nodded without saying more.
After Yun Cai left, he remained in the Lingxiao Courtyard, waiting.
After the time it takes to burn one incense stick, Zhang Yuchun returned with six high-grade Storage Pouches. Li Qingqiu hung them all at his waist before returning to his cave dwelling and taking the Supreme Sword.
He had specially commissioned the Heavenly Works Hall to forge a scabbard for the Supreme Sword. Hanging at his waist, the scabbard nearly touched the ground.
After making preparations, Li Qingqiu set off westward under the cover of night.
With the memory from the Fortuitous Fate guidance, he locked onto a direction and flew straight ahead. After entering the Western Region Perilous Land, he did not stop, pressing forward through the thick mist.
From Clear Sky Mountain to the Western Region Perilous Land, it did not take him long. However, once inside, he slowed down, observing the condition of disciples along the way.
Standing upon the Clear Sky Sword, Li Qingqiu advanced against the wind.
Understanding the battle situation through reports and witnessing it personally were completely different experiences. He saw many disciples resting within the mountains—some injured, some cultivating.
These disciples had been fighting for months, exhausted both physically and mentally.
Li Qingqiu felt some sympathy, but there was nothing he could do. The Myriad Yin Sect was not easy to deal with.
That night, he merely observed in secret and did not reveal himself. None of the disciples knew he had arrived.
Only at dawn did Li Qingqiu leave the Western Region Perilous Land and continue toward the ancient ruins.
Even then, he had only traveled half the distance, showing just how far the ruins were.
With abundant Vital Energy, Li Qingqiu flew at great speed, accelerating fully toward his destination.
Half a day later, after crossing vast plains, he arrived within a mountain range. The peaks here were majestic and continuous, free of the miasma of the Western Region Perilous Land—like a paradise in the mortal world.
The ancient ruin was located within a mountain ravine. Entering through a ground fissure would lead to another world.
By the time Li Qingqiu arrived, it was already dusk.
He found the fissure and flew directly inside.
Passing through a pitch-black region, Li Qingqiu landed on the ground. It was still dark all around, though the walls on both sides were not too narrow. He began walking forward.
Even in such darkness, he could clearly see everything along the way.
But after only a few steps, he sensed another person’s presence.
“What’s going on? Isn’t this Fortuitous Fate supposed to pose no threat to me?”
Li Qingqiu frowned. Had something changed in just a single day?
After a moment of thought, he decided to approach the person and see what was happening.
He already regarded this ancient ruin as a treasure of the Clear Sky Sect—he would not allow others to interfere.
Passing through winding tunnels and walking for several li, an exit finally appeared ahead.
Stepping out, a vast underground space opened before him. At its center lay a large Spiritual Lake, and around it stood massive crystals of varying sizes. Dense Spiritual Energy surged toward him.
Li Qingqiu’s gaze locked onto a giant crystal across the lake. Inside, a woman in purple robes was sealed. Her eyes were open, staring directly at him.
He sensed her cultivation—it was around the ninth layer of the Spirit Perception Realm.
He walked toward her, curious why she had been sealed here and for how long.
After some time, he leisurely arrived before her.
The purple-robed woman had delicate features, appearing only sixteen or seventeen years old. Her long hair reached her waist, adorned with an exquisite crown. Combined with her elegant purple robes, she exuded a noble and refined aura—clearly not from an ordinary background. A sword behind her was also sealed within the crystal.
In terms of appearance, she ranked among the top three women Li Qingqiu had seen. In terms of temperament, she possessed a unique nobility—not overbearing, yet impossible to ignore.
The woman blinked rapidly at him, seemingly begging for rescue.
Li Qingqiu placed his palm on the crystal. After a moment’s hesitation, he used his own Vital Energy to disperse the invisible restriction within. Soon, the crystal dissolved into Spiritual Energy, and the woman fell out, stumbling and collapsing onto the ground.
She looked up at Li Qingqiu with gratitude. Rubbing her head, she said, “Thank you, fellow Daoist, for saving me!”
Sitting on the ground and looking up at him made Li Qingqiu feel slightly uncomfortable.
“Stand up before speaking,” Li Qingqiu said.
“Wait—I’ve been sealed for years. My body is still numb.”
Her tone carried a trace of helplessness.
Li Qingqiu continued, “What is your name? Where are you from? Why were you sealed here?”
“My name is Zhou Linghuan. I come from the Heavenly Clear Immortal Sect. A few years ago, I was hunted down and fled here. But I was attacked by a monster in this place—it released poisonous mist and sealed me inside.”
As she spoke, she quickly turned her head, scanning the surroundings warily, afraid the monster might appear again.
Li Qingqiu had already probed the area with his Spiritual Sense—there were no demonic creatures nearby.
Heavenly Clear Immortal Sect?
It was Li Qingqiu’s first time hearing this sect. Any sect that dared to call itself an Immortal Sect was surely extraordinary.
Now he found himself in a dilemma—he did not know how to handle this woman.
He was not some vicious killer who would casually slaughter someone without enmity.
Zhou Linghuan, unaware of his thoughts, looked at him curiously and asked, “What is your name? Why did you come here?”
Li Qingqiu replied, “My name is Li Bai, a wandering cultivator traveling the world in search of opportunities. I entered this place by chance.”
“A wandering cultivator? Why not join a sect?” Zhou Linghuan continued to ask, supporting herself on the ground as she tried to stand—but failed.