Such a scene would shock anyone!
No one would have expected that the many layers of magical formations hid such a well preserved ancient palace.
This was extremely magnificent!
The structures that Chu Yu had saw previously paled in comparison to this palace.
This was akin to comparing the light from a firefly to that of the bright moon.
The two of them appeared on top of a mountain, and the palace lay below, in the vast valley.
A huge river, over several hundred meters long, surrounded the palace.
Chu Yu opened up his vertical eye, and looked towards the highest tower in the palace.
However, he was blocked when he attempted to gain vision of what lay behind those ancient walls.
He could not see through them!
This was the first time Chu Yu met with such a scenario and he could not believe what was happening. He refocused and looked to the palace again.
This time, he managed to elicit a reaction, and the walls of the giant palace radiated a strong wave of invisible power. It followed Chu Yu’s line of sight and headed straight for Chu Yu... almost like an arrow!
Chu Yu reacted quickly and closed his vertical eye instantly.
That wave of energy disappeared in front of Chu Yu’s eyes.
Even Lin Shimeng who was standing beside him felt it .
Chu Yu’s heart broke out in cold sweat, knowing that he was careless and was nearly attacked.
The wall actually had a defensive magical formation that his vertical eye could not see through.
When he tried, he was actually rebuffed and countered.
"Brother Song, what happened?" Lin Shimeng looked at Chu Yu with doubt.
Chu Yu shook his head as he attempted to use his vertical eye to look at the river surrounding the palace.
He raised his alert, this place was not as accessible as he had imagined!
Since the palace walls have been inscribed with a magical formation that prevented spying, this seemingly ordinary river, may... not be that simple.
Indeed, under the scrutiny from Chu Yu’s vertical eye, he found the floating on its surface was a strong invisible energy.
The energy was like a spider web, criss crossing throughout the entire surface. They remained completely still.
Chu Yu lowered his head and picked up a palm sized rock at his feet. He felt it's weight and decided it was about right.
Lin Shimeng stood at the side and looked at "Brother Song" with confusion, not understanding what he was doing.
Chu Yu twirled his arm and threw the rock in his hand at the river below ferociously.
Zoom!
A shrieking sound pierced through the air.
The rock sailed towards the river.
Lin Shimeng was shocked. She had no way of finding out what brother Song’s actual cultivation level was, but she could guess that he had not attained the Invigorated Meridian Stage.
However, the combat power that he displayed was surprising.
However, Lin Shimeng did not have time to guess brother Song’s origins.
As the rock sailed over the river, it was hit by a ray of light.
The rock shattered instantly.
The appearance of the ray of light was fleeting and it disappeared without a trace in a flash.
And then the rock also disappeared!
Lin Shimeng had thought that based on the rock’s speed, it could have caused a tidal wave.
She did not expect such an outcome.
The solid rock was shattered in an instant, what if that was a human?
"The river... has a magical formation?"
Lin Shimeng was a little terrified after finding out. It was a good thing she did not just barge in, else she would not even know what hit her.
In actual fact, when Chu Yu observed the river with his vertical eye, in the moment the rock approached the river, the dormant power was activated in an instant.
It impacted the rock in an extremely aggressive manner, shattering the rock.
Chu Yu could not help but take a deep breath and laugh bitterly, "even though we managed to break through the magical formations outside, it will be a tall order to enter the palace.
Lin Shimeng nodded as she looked at the river, her heart full of reservations.
Afterwhich, Chu Yu brought Lin Shimeng on a walk around the river, trying to look for a way in.
Chu Yu felt that there must be a path that would lead to the palace interior.
Lin Shimeng said "brother Song, do you think that the sects who had gained entry before used some form of secret technique to gain entry?"
"Secret technique?"
Chu Yu frowned. As a member of an underworld clan, he had a good idea what a secret technique was.
One would utilize special characters and recite a special tune that would tap on the powers between heaven and earth.
Those of high cultivation did not even need to recite, they could use their brain waves to manipulate the forces between heaven and earth.
"If we need a secret technique to gain entry, that could cause us some trouble."
Chu Yu was slightly troubled, having come so far, he was reluctant to leave empty handed.
At this moment, on a hilltop about 20 miles away, a few silhouettes appeared.
Those were the people traveling with Qi Heng.
When they arrived, they too were awed by the grandeur and magnificence of the tower. In that moment, they did not notice Chu Yu and Lin Shimeng on the peak of another mountain 10+ miles away.
Both Chu Yu and Lin Shimeng proceeded to hide behind a rock.
Lin Shimeng took a peak and used the Voice Transmission Technique to speak to Chu Yu, "The men with Qi Heng are the Invigorated Meridian realm experts from Jiu Xiao and Han Xiao."
"The square faced middle aged individual is Sun Wei, the curly haired middle aged one is Wang Nan, the elderly one is Zhou Changzhen and the one in his mid forties who looks rather imposing is Xiao Zhangqing. The four of them are my brothers from Han Xiao."
"The other three middle aged guys are strong individuals in the Invigorated Meridian realm, from Jiu Xiao..."
As Lin Shimeng introduced them to Chu Yu, she felt slightly uncomfortable. These brothers in arms have always treated her relatively well, and she respected them a lot.
However, after hearing what Qi Heng had to say, seeing them again made her feel conflicted.
She did not suspect that Qi Heng was lying because she had felt that way herself too.
For example, when she was first accepted, many of the elders in the Han Xiao ancient sect looked at her with much affection and many of her peers looked at her with much envy. She could still remember the looks on their faces.
However, one day, those people stopped showing warmth to her, and many of the influential elders looked at her with regret.
At that time, Lin Shimeng was still young and did not understand many things, thus, she never thought much about it.
Not long after, she was sent back to be on Earth, never to return to the sect’s homeground.
Only after hearing from Qi Heng did Lin Shimeng finally understand the reason.
They had given up on her because she wasn't talented enough!
She did not want to accept such a fate! Lin Shimeng swore to herself that This time, she would find her own fate here.
The group of men with Qi Heng began doing their mental calculations, their eyes gleaming in the face of the gigantic palace in the middle of the valley.
Sun Wei looked down at the valley, "We had faced many challenges in our attempt to enter this place. We have already lost six magical equipments to this place. Now that the prize for victory is right in front of you, what plans do you have?"
One of the Invigorated Meridian realm experts from the Jiu Xiao sect suggested, "As two large ancient sects, let us not split the loot. I suggest that whoever finds it, keeps it. Exploring such an ancient ruin has its own element of fate, whoever is more lucky will be able to get the better treasure."
Wang Nan blinked his eyes and nodded, "Those are my sentiments as well."
The others quickly expressed their consent.
At this point, Lin Shimeng as well as the Liu Clan of Shi were tossed out of their minds.
They would simply compensate the Liu Clan of Shi with some symbolic remuneration.
After all, in order to give them 20% of the loot, they needed to have the ability to receive it.
Until now, not a single person from the Liu Clan of Shi was able to make it out, showing they ineptness!
Xiao Zhangqing squinted and looked to the valley below, "Let's us all depend on our own abilities, however, why do I get the feeling that gaining entry into the palace would not be that easy?"
Qi Heng’s injuries were suppressed for the moment, but he could not bring his full power to bear. His doll face had been washed clean but the mark of his broken nose bridge remained. His nose was still bent out of shape.
He said solemnly, "Shouldn't we find Lin Shimeng and the sneak attacker first? Else, that man could very well attack us from the shadows again."
The elderly Zhou Changzhen replied dismissively, "He's just an Acupoint Charging realm individual, there's nothing to worry about."
Qi Heng was slightly embarrassed and did not reply.
Even though he was influential, he did not dare throw his weight about in the face of the Invigorated Meridian realm elders.
Xiao Zhangqing tried to defend him, "Junior Qi is just worried about his fiancee, but I feel that at the current moment, we should be more focused at the task at hand."
"Exactly."
"Exploring the ruins is more important."
"Finding someone in this place would be extremely difficult."
"Sister Lin will receive help from above is she is lucky."
Qi Heng remained silent. What more could he say when even his brothers in arms agreed to explore the ruins first.
He was the only one who had an interest in Lin Shimeng and the attacker. The others were more concerned with what was hidden within the pristine palace... treasure!
One of the Invigorated Meridian realm martial artists from Jiu Xiao looked at everyone and said, "I will take point!"
As he spoke, he disappeared in a flash, raising his speed to his limits and rushed towards the bottom.
The river, which was several hundred meters wide, would have been astronomically difficult to cross for an ordinary human. However, for these men, it was simply a light leap.
As they saw the Jiu Xiao Invigorated Meridian realm martial artist spring into the action, the rest were not willing to be left behind.
From the Han Xiao sect, Zhou Changzhen and Xiao Zhangqing followed closely behind and they rushed towards that side.
Zhou Changzhen took point and Xiao Zhangqing followed behind.
The others trailed behind, slightly apprehensive.
The river looked calm, but who knew if there was any danger?
At this point, the martial artist who had taken point, had already arrived at the river bank. In the blink of an eye, he had reached the middle of the river.
The speed that the individuals in the Invigorated Meridian realm were capable of were too fast. Even the river which was hundreds of meters wide posed no challenge to them.
Zhou Changzhen followed closely behind and had was also in midair above the river.
Chu Yu and Lin Shimeng watched from afar, even if Lin Shimeng wanted to warn them, there was no time to.
These men were too fast!
They rushed forward, afraid that they would be beaten to the treasure by the others.
At this point, a strange phenomenon occurred!
A ray of light shone from the river!
The Jiu Xiao Invigorated Meridian realm martial artist’s body exploded.
He disappeared from the air above the river in an instant.
Such a scene would shock anyone!
No one would have expected that the many layers of magical formations hid such a well preserved ancient palace.
This was extremely magnificent!
The structures that Chu Yu had saw previously paled in comparison to this palace.
This was akin to comparing the light from a firefly to that of the bright moon.
The two of them appeared on top of a mountain, and the palace lay below, in the vast valley.
A huge river, over several hundred meters long, surrounded the palace.
Chu Yu opened up his vertical eye, and looked towards the highest tower in the palace.
However, he was blocked when he attempted to gain vision of what lay behind those ancient walls.
He could not see through them!
This was the first time Chu Yu met with such a scenario and he could not believe what was happening. He refocused and looked to the palace again.
This time, he managed to elicit a reaction, and the walls of the giant palace radiated a strong wave of invisible power. It followed Chu Yu’s line of sight and headed straight for Chu Yu... almost like an arrow!
Chu Yu reacted quickly and closed his vertical eye instantly.
That wave of energy disappeared in front of Chu Yu’s eyes.
Even Lin Shimeng who was standing beside him felt it .
Chu Yu’s heart broke out in cold sweat, knowing that he was careless and was nearly attacked.
The wall actually had a defensive magical formation that his vertical eye could not see through.
When he tried, he was actually rebuffed and countered.
"Brother Song, what happened?" Lin Shimeng looked at Chu Yu with doubt.
Chu Yu shook his head as he attempted to use his vertical eye to look at the river surrounding the palace.
He raised his alert, this place was not as accessible as he had imagined!
Since the palace walls have been inscribed with a magical formation that prevented spying, this seemingly ordinary river, may... not be that simple.
Indeed, under the scrutiny from Chu Yu’s vertical eye, he found the floating on its surface was a strong invisible energy.
The energy was like a spider web, criss crossing throughout the entire surface. They remained completely still.
Chu Yu lowered his head and picked up a palm sized rock at his feet. He felt it's weight and decided it was about right.
Lin Shimeng stood at the side and looked at "Brother Song" with confusion, not understanding what he was doing.
Chu Yu twirled his arm and threw the rock in his hand at the river below ferociously.
Zoom!
A shrieking sound pierced through the air.
The rock sailed towards the river.
Lin Shimeng was shocked. She had no way of finding out what brother Song’s actual cultivation level was, but she could guess that he had not attained the Invigorated Meridian Stage.
However, the combat power that he displayed was surprising.
However, Lin Shimeng did not have time to guess brother Song’s origins.
As the rock sailed over the river, it was hit by a ray of light.
The rock shattered instantly.
The appearance of the ray of light was fleeting and it disappeared without a trace in a flash.
And then the rock also disappeared!
Lin Shimeng had thought that based on the rock’s speed, it could have caused a tidal wave.
She did not expect such an outcome.
The solid rock was shattered in an instant, what if that was a human?
"The river... has a magical formation?"
Lin Shimeng was a little terrified after finding out. It was a good thing she did not just barge in, else she would not even know what hit her.
In actual fact, when Chu Yu observed the river with his vertical eye, in the moment the rock approached the river, the dormant power was activated in an instant.
It impacted the rock in an extremely aggressive manner, shattering the rock.
Chu Yu could not help but take a deep breath and laugh bitterly, "even though we managed to break through the magical formations outside, it will be a tall order to enter the palace.
Lin Shimeng nodded as she looked at the river, her heart full of reservations.
Afterwhich, Chu Yu brought Lin Shimeng on a walk around the river, trying to look for a way in.
Chu Yu felt that there must be a path that would lead to the palace interior.
Lin Shimeng said "brother Song, do you think that the sects who had gained entry before used some form of secret technique to gain entry?"
"Secret technique?"
Chu Yu frowned. As a member of an underworld clan, he had a good idea what a secret technique was.
One would utilize special characters and recite a special tune that would tap on the powers between heaven and earth.
Those of high cultivation did not even need to recite, they could use their brain waves to manipulate the forces between heaven and earth.
"If we need a secret technique to gain entry, that could cause us some trouble."
Chu Yu was slightly troubled, having come so far, he was reluctant to leave empty handed.
At this moment, on a hilltop about 20 miles away, a few silhouettes appeared.
Those were the people traveling with Qi Heng.
When they arrived, they too were awed by the grandeur and magnificence of the tower. In that moment, they did not notice Chu Yu and Lin Shimeng on the peak of another mountain 10+ miles away.
Both Chu Yu and Lin Shimeng proceeded to hide behind a rock.
Lin Shimeng took a peak and used the Voice Transmission Technique to speak to Chu Yu, "The men with Qi Heng are the Invigorated Meridian realm experts from Jiu Xiao and Han Xiao."
"The square faced middle aged individual is Sun Wei, the curly haired middle aged one is Wang Nan, the elderly one is Zhou Changzhen and the one in his mid forties who looks rather imposing is Xiao Zhangqing. The four of them are my brothers from Han Xiao."
"The other three middle aged guys are strong individuals in the Invigorated Meridian realm, from Jiu Xiao..."
As Lin Shimeng introduced them to Chu Yu, she felt slightly uncomfortable. These brothers in arms have always treated her relatively well, and she respected them a lot.
However, after hearing what Qi Heng had to say, seeing them again made her feel conflicted.
She did not suspect that Qi Heng was lying because she had felt that way herself too.
For example, when she was first accepted, many of the elders in the Han Xiao ancient sect looked at her with much affection and many of her peers looked at her with much envy. She could still remember the looks on their faces.
However, one day, those people stopped showing warmth to her, and many of the influential elders looked at her with regret.
At that time, Lin Shimeng was still young and did not understand many things, thus, she never thought much about it.
Not long after, she was sent back to be on Earth, never to return to the sect’s homeground.
Only after hearing from Qi Heng did Lin Shimeng finally understand the reason.
They had given up on her because she wasn't talented enough!
She did not want to accept such a fate! Lin Shimeng swore to herself that This time, she would find her own fate here.
The group of men with Qi Heng began doing their mental calculations, their eyes gleaming in the face of the gigantic palace in the middle of the valley.
Sun Wei looked down at the valley, "We had faced many challenges in our attempt to enter this place. We have already lost six magical equipments to this place. Now that the prize for victory is right in front of you, what plans do you have?"
One of the Invigorated Meridian realm experts from the Jiu Xiao sect suggested, "As two large ancient sects, let us not split the loot. I suggest that whoever finds it, keeps it. Exploring such an ancient ruin has its own element of fate, whoever is more lucky will be able to get the better treasure."
Wang Nan blinked his eyes and nodded, "Those are my sentiments as well."
The others quickly expressed their consent.
At this point, Lin Shimeng as well as the Liu Clan of Shi were tossed out of their minds.
They would simply compensate the Liu Clan of Shi with some symbolic remuneration.
After all, in order to give them 20% of the loot, they needed to have the ability to receive it.
Until now, not a single person from the Liu Clan of Shi was able to make it out, showing they ineptness!
Xiao Zhangqing squinted and looked to the valley below, "Let's us all depend on our own abilities, however, why do I get the feeling that gaining entry into the palace would not be that easy?"
Qi Heng’s injuries were suppressed for the moment, but he could not bring his full power to bear. His doll face had been washed clean but the mark of his broken nose bridge remained. His nose was still bent out of shape.
He said solemnly, "Shouldn't we find Lin Shimeng and the sneak attacker first? Else, that man could very well attack us from the shadows again."
The elderly Zhou Changzhen replied dismissively, "He's just an Acupoint Charging realm individual, there's nothing to worry about."
Qi Heng was slightly embarrassed and did not reply.
Even though he was influential, he did not dare throw his weight about in the face of the Invigorated Meridian realm elders.
Xiao Zhangqing tried to defend him, "Junior Qi is just worried about his fiancee, but I feel that at the current moment, we should be more focused at the task at hand."
"Exactly."
"Exploring the ruins is more important."
"Finding someone in this place would be extremely difficult."
"Sister Lin will receive help from above is she is lucky."
Qi Heng remained silent. What more could he say when even his brothers in arms agreed to explore the ruins first.
He was the only one who had an interest in Lin Shimeng and the attacker. The others were more concerned with what was hidden within the pristine palace... treasure!
One of the Invigorated Meridian realm martial artists from Jiu Xiao looked at everyone and said, "I will take point!"
As he spoke, he disappeared in a flash, raising his speed to his limits and rushed towards the bottom.
The river, which was several hundred meters wide, would have been astronomically difficult to cross for an ordinary human. However, for these men, it was simply a light leap.
As they saw the Jiu Xiao Invigorated Meridian realm martial artist spring into the action, the rest were not willing to be left behind.
From the Han Xiao sect, Zhou Changzhen and Xiao Zhangqing followed closely behind and they rushed towards that side.
Zhou Changzhen took point and Xiao Zhangqing followed behind.
The others trailed behind, slightly apprehensive.
The river looked calm, but who knew if there was any danger?
At this point, the martial artist who had taken point, had already arrived at the river bank. In the blink of an eye, he had reached the middle of the river.
The speed that the individuals in the Invigorated Meridian realm were capable of were too fast. Even the river which was hundreds of meters wide posed no challenge to them.
Zhou Changzhen followed closely behind and had was also in midair above the river.
Chu Yu and Lin Shimeng watched from afar, even if Lin Shimeng wanted to warn them, there was no time to.
These men were too fast!
They rushed forward, afraid that they would be beaten to the treasure by the others.
At this point, a strange phenomenon occurred!
A ray of light shone from the river!
The Jiu Xiao Invigorated Meridian realm martial artist’s body exploded.
He disappeared from the air above the river in an instant.
