Chapter 241 - 164: Ruins
Chapter 241: Chapter 164: Ruins
Renowned Generals are the foundation of an Imperial Dynasty’s confidence.
That was why the Great Yu dared to brazenly intimidate other dynasties and profit from it.
The most important reason was that they had two Renowned Generals in their service.
Of course, no one knew how many they truly had hidden away.
After all, anyone would keep such assets concealed if possible, never revealing them easily.
With one or two serving as a public deterrent, they were certainly cultivating more in secret.
After returning to his mansion, Lu Yuan went straight to his courtyard. The moment he sat down, a system notification popped up.
[Cultivation Technique: Sixth-Grade Cultivation Skill, Celestial Spirit Fierce Sun Saber (60372/50000 Entering the Stance). Use 10,000 Skill Level to break through?]
A smile touched Lu Yuan’s lips as he looked at the data.
’So, the Celestial Spirit Fierce Sun Saber can finally break through.’
This was good news for him.
Once it became a Seventh-Grade Cultivation Skill, his combat prowess would rise to another level.
He chose to break through without hesitation.
Instantly, a massive influx of memories concerning the Sword Skill flooded his mind.
Lu Yuan’s hands began to change.
They became more agile and powerful.
[Cultivation Technique: Seventh-Grade Cultivation Skill, Celestial Spirit and Earthly Fiend Saber (372/1000 Minor Achievement)]
BUZZ!
Following the advancement of this Cultivation Technique,
Lu Yuan could clearly sense the fiendish qi stirring from the ground and the endless flow of Gang Qi in the sky.
When the Cyan Dragon Crescent Saber appeared in his palm, these currents of qi clung to it with incredible speed.
A brilliant luster spread across the blade.
A gentle swing was enough to produce an astonishing hum.
"It really is smoother than before. When I wield it, it can absorb the Celestial Spirit and Earthly Fiend Qi, influencing the earth’s veins and the weather. Truly extraordinary," Lu Yuan murmured.
The corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curve upward.
’Next, I need to reach the Divine Origin Realm as quickly as possible. Once I break through to that realm, I’ll have a fighting chance even against a Dharma Aspect.’
’My cultivation is still too weak.’
At this thought, Lu Yuan took out a Palace Building Pill and consumed it.
This was an Elixir used by experts of the Divine Palace Realm.
The moment the Elixir entered his mouth, a powerful energy spread throughout his body.
It brought him a feeling of unprecedented comfort.
In a single night, Lu Yuan consumed five Elixirs.
His Skill Level increased rapidly.
"Whew! In another two days, I should be able to reach Perfection," Lu Yuan said softly.
Seeing that the sky outside had already brightened, he stood up.
He didn’t plan on attending court today.
Having just returned, he would rest for a couple of days first.
Besides, the imperial court was stable at the moment, so no major issues were likely to arise.
As for the morning court session, his attendance didn’t really matter.
Thus, after eating something early in the morning, he began cultivating once more.
He didn’t dare to slack off when it came to breaking through to the next level of his cultivation.
’Time is just too tight.’
’If I had a few more years, I wouldn’t care how many Renowned Generals Dayong has. I’d be confident I could crush them all.’
In the days that followed, Lu Yuan’s schedule was packed.
In the mornings, he focused on his Cultivation Skill and practiced his Sword Skill; in the afternoons, he studied Military Arrays, Arrow Skill, and more.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed.
Lu Yuan successfully stepped into the Perfection level of the Divine Palace Realm.
His strength had advanced rapidly.
As for Great Qin, it used this period to cultivate talent on a grand scale and develop the nation’s strength.
City construction began in the territories of the Shengman and the Ancient Barbarians.
Many commoners migrated there, and trade caravans established regular routes.
In these matters, court ministers like Li Qing were far more adept than Lu Yuan.
Plus, with plenty of silver to spend, they had now established a complete, self-sustaining system.
At the very least, they would not be short on silver if a war were to break out.
On this day, just as Lu Yuan had finished a meal and was about to start cultivating, Cai Chong hurried over cautiously.
"Prince, Her Majesty urgently summons you to the palace."
Lu Yuan put down his wine cup. "Has something major happened?"
"Ruins have appeared in the Wasteland. Judging by the scale, they were likely left by an Ascender. There should be a lot of things inside. The restrictive barriers have weakened, attracting experts from all over the world."
Lu Yuan’s brow twitched. ’Ruins left by a powerful Ascender? I’m quite looking forward to this. There are bound to be resources inside. If they can help me reach the Divine Origin Realm faster, that would be for the best.’
He then stood up and said, "In that case, I will go to the palace."
As he spoke, he headed out of the mansion.
Meanwhile, in the Great Qin Imperial Palace, inside Xiao Shi’s study...
Li Qing and the others had already arrived. Xiao Hua sipped her tea, her gaze drifting toward the outside, clearly waiting for Lu Yuan.
TAP, TAP!
A moment later, the sound of footsteps approached.
Lu Yuan walked in.
He first addressed Xiao Shi, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
"No need for formalities. Sit and speak," Xiao Shi said calmly.
Once Lu Yuan was seated,
Xiao Shi spoke, "Everyone is here. Let’s begin."
As she spoke, her gaze turned to Li Qing.
He cleared his throat and said, "Your Majesty, the ruins this time appeared on the Divine Eagle Plain. According to ancient records, they should belong to an Emperor Realm expert who lived as a hermit during the Great Zhou period."
"He was also a Renowned General. Because his ideals clashed with the imperial court, he went into seclusion on the plain."
"During his time as a general for the Great Zhou, he annihilated countless nations. He must have controlled vast resources."
"After the world was at peace, he lived in seclusion for several years before he ascended. He had no descendants, so he certainly couldn’t have used up all those things."
"There are definitely top-tier Heavenly and Earthly Treasures within the restrictive barriers."
After clearing his throat again, he continued, "Among the nations he destroyed back then was one called Nanze Country. This country had a Divine Tree that produced the Daoist Palace Fruit. A single fruit is enough to forge the strongest Divine Palace and allow a direct breakthrough to the Divine Origin Realm."
"After Nanze Country was destroyed, all legends of the Divine Tree vanished. It must have been hidden away by this person."
"Therefore, if we can secure this Secret Realm, the benefits for our Great Qin will be immense."
"Have Zhou Xiong’s men arrived?"
"They are already there and have surrounded the ruins. We’ve also received word that many experts from across the world have rushed over. According to tests, in five days, experts at the Divine Power Realm and below will be able to enter," Li Qing said softly.
"It seems our people will be under a great deal of pressure this time," Xiao Shi said slowly.
This was because, for ruins like these, it was an unspoken rule that once discovered, any Imperial Dynasty could send people to explore them.
Of course, there would be restrictions on the number of people, and those entering would have to give the Imperial Dynasty controlling the ruins’ location sufficient benefits as an entry fee.
As for blocking entry, not even two nations at war would do such a thing.
In the past, there had been incidents where an Imperial Dynasty refused to open access to discovered ruins, which led to a joint punitive expedition by several other dynasties, resulting in a mutually destructive outcome.
Moreover, the treasures within such ruins were said to go to those destined to have them.
Besides, it wasn’t as if only one Imperial Dynasty ever found ruins; they had appeared in all of them. Generally speaking, keeping them open was not a loss.
Thus, in the end, it became a tacit agreement among the Imperial Dynasties.
Once the ruins were opened, anyone who wished to enter would be allowed in after paying the fee.
It was just like when the Celestial Ladder Cliff appeared in the Eastern Barbarians’ territory. Many Imperial Dynasties went, and even the Southern Border, which was constantly at odds and frequently at war with the Eastern Barbarians, sent disciples. Yet the Eastern Barbarians did nothing to stop them.
In the end, after Lu Yuan reached the summit and obtained the benefits, the Eastern Barbarians could only watch.
These ruins were the same. Great Qin still needed to send its own experts inside to compete for the treasures. At most, they could send an army to maintain order.
Completely sealing it off was impossible.
Lu Yuan would naturally not miss this opportunity. He needed to grow stronger, needed to become a Renowned General, so entering the ruins this time was a certainty.
Therefore, he immediately stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead a team into the Secret Realm for this exploration."
"Mm, of course you must go. The imperial clan has some experts at the Divine Power Realm who will accompany you. If possible, do your utmost to break through in your cultivation. Our Great Qin is in dire need of a Renowned General." Xiao Shi looked at Lu Yuan, her eyes filled with gravity.
He nodded.
’If this Ascender was once a Renowned General, he must have left behind insights on Military Arrays. If I can obtain them, it will be immensely beneficial for increasing my Skill Level.’
"The ruins will officially open in five days. Time is a bit tight. When does the Prince plan to depart?" Li Qing asked, his gaze shifting to Lu Yuan.
"Tomorrow. I will leave for the Divine Eagle Plain first thing tomorrow morning," Lu Yuan said calmly.
Just then, Xiao Hua also stood up and said, "I’m going too."
At her words, Xiao Shi looked at her daughter and shook her head helplessly. "Fine, then you may go. But once you’re there, remember to listen to Yuan. And be extremely careful."
After all, it was within Great Qin’s borders. This was their home ground.
Xiao Shi was still quite relieved.
Xiao Hua nodded, the corners of her mouth turning up in a smile.
After the matter was settled, Lu Yuan returned to his Prince’s Mansion and began to pack.
Experts of the Divine Power Realm could enter, so the competition this time was bound to be fierce.
Lu Yuan packed plenty of Elixirs for restoring energy and healing injuries.
Then, he went to bed early.
The next morning, when he walked out of his mansion, he saw Xiao Hua and a dozen or so figures already waiting outside the palace gates.
Every one of them was an expert from the imperial clan.
Xiao Hua said with a chuckle, "These are the strongest Divine Power Realm experts of our imperial clan. Each one is extremely powerful within their realm, and some have even mastered Secret Techniques. Once we’re in the Secret Realm, they will be our greatest asset."
Lu Yuan looked at the group, and the imperial clan experts immediately bowed. "Greetings, Prince."
Although they were powerful and held high status in the imperial court, they didn’t dare to be presumptuous in front of Lu Yuan.
Firstly, Lu Yuan was a Prince. But more importantly, he was the one who had made the Shengman and the Northern Barbarians submit, leading to the unification of Great Qin. This achievement alone was enough to place Lu Yuan at the very pinnacle of Great Qin society.
Who would dare to be disrespectful to him?
"Mm. Since everyone is here, let’s depart," Lu Yuan said softly.
He then mounted his warhorse and headed for the city gates, with the others following close behind.
When the group had completely disappeared from the city,
Xiao Shi appeared on the city wall at some point, murmuring to herself, "These ruins... can they really obtain anything? The Great Yu, Dayong, the Eastern Barbarians, the Xirong, the Southern Border... they’ve all sent experts this time, not to mention all the Jianghu Wanderers from across the world."
"Yuan is only at the Divine Palace Realm. Isn’t this a bit cruel to him?"
"Your Majesty, true experts are forged on the razor’s edge. Prince Qin has that potential. Furthermore, His Highness Prince Qin volunteered for this mission. It’s clear that His Highness also hopes to temper and improve himself through this trial," Li Qing advised.
Xiao Shi didn’t speak. After a moment of contemplation, she sighed. "I hope they can return safely."
With that said, she vanished from the spot.