I am a full-level celestial master, you let me enter the strange talk of rules?

On the altar, the eyelids of the blurry figure seemed to twitch very slightly.

hum!
An indescribable, subtle fluctuation, seemingly originating from the very depths of the world's origin, silently spread out from the center of the secret room.

This fluctuation was not an energy surge, but rather more like the will of some being that had been dormant for countless years, touched by a strong anomaly in the outside world, and began to slowly awaken.

Outside the secret chamber, the sky remained overcast, but if a powerful being were to observe carefully, they would discover that high above, the ever-changing gray clouds seemed to have a very subtle, fleeting ripple, like waves on water.

All the strange creatures within a radius of hundreds of miles, regardless of their strength, felt a sudden, inexplicable tremor at that moment, as if they were being swept by some incomprehensible, ancient gaze.

Inside the secret chamber, the figure on the altar gradually became clearer in outline.

It appeared to be an extremely thin, almost skeletal old man, his body shrouded in a shadow that seemed to slowly writhe like a living thing, obscuring his face.

Outside the secret chamber, Tong Xu, still recovering from his injuries and meditating, seemed to sense something and suddenly opened his eyes, a complex expression of horror and ecstasy flashing across them.

He forced himself to crawl to the door of the secret chamber, where he knelt respectfully on the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold floor.

"Ancestor, you're awake?"

Tongxu's voice trembled uncontrollably, a mixture of awe and excitement.

The sealed room was deathly silent.

After a long while, a dry, hoarse voice, like two pieces of rusty iron rubbing against each other, slowly rang out, entering Tong Xu's mind directly, rather than traveling through the air:

"What happened outside? I sensed an unfamiliar aura, and what are these fresh injuries on you?"

Tong Xu dared not conceal anything and hurriedly recounted everything that happened at the dock, including Zhang Yangqing's appearance, strength, methods, and the final "mutual destruction and escape," in great detail, his tone filled with lingering fear and humiliation.

He had thought that his ancestor would be furious at his incompetence, which had led to the destruction of the dock and the deaths and injuries of his clansmen.

However, after hearing this, the dry, hoarse voice showed no anger whatsoever. Instead, it emitted a low, strange "hoarse" laugh, as if countless insects were crawling, full of interest and greed.

"Interesting. An outsider who could injure you so badly, whose physical strength is beyond your comprehension. Copper Void, my child, you don't need to blame yourself. Not only are you innocent, but you have actually done a great service."

Don't let Tong Xu's appearance fool you; in front of this man, he's just a child.

Upon hearing this, Tong Xu looked up in astonishment, completely bewildered.

The voice continued, with a burning intensity as if looking at a rare treasure: "A true dragon, its scales, claws, horns, blood, bones, marrow, and even its soul, are all treasures that cultivators dream of, containing its life essence and the rules of the Great Dao."

"And if a human cultivator can cultivate to a level comparable to or even surpassing a true dragon, then isn't his body a mobile, unparalleled treasure trove?"

"A bloodline origin of unparalleled rarity, a divine eye technique that can see through illusions, bones forged through countless trials and tribulations and engraved with Dao patterns, essence blood containing boundless vitality and fragments of rules, even the memories of his cultivation techniques and fragments of his understanding of the Great Dao."

"All of this is an immeasurable tonic for my clan and for me, an excellent resource for breaking through shackles and prolonging life!"

"Take me to see the direction he fled in. It's been a long time since I've been so interested in something new."

This guy, faced with the sudden appearance of the extraterrestrial demon, felt as greedy as a drunkard encountering fine wine.

Tong Xu felt a chill run down his spine, but what surged within him was a complex mix of fear, excitement, and cruelty. The Ancestor was going to take action personally! That damned extraterrestrial demon, no matter how strong, was destined to become nothing more than "food" before the Ancestor, who had truly slumbered for countless years and had long surpassed the realm of ordinary saints!
"Yes, Ancestor! I will lead the way immediately!" Tong Xu suppressed his excitement and replied respectfully.

The door to the secret room slid open silently, revealing an impenetrable shadow that flowed out as if it were alive.

A terrifying aura, far more ancient, profound, and filled with deathly stillness and greed than that of the peak of the Copper Void era, began to quietly spread throughout this world, like a primordial beast awakening.

The real hunters may have only just entered the fray.

At this moment, Zhang Yangqing was unaware that a large group of people were about to arrive.

He and the beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes were following the hidden marks left by the chairman, tracking down the team of laborers transporting the Yinming Iron Ore.

The markings were very clear; they were subtle imprints left by some special energy, perceptible only to them, and they would appear at intervals.

The two traveled about two hundred miles downstream against the current, and in a more desolate area with jagged rocks along the riverbank, they spotted their target in the distance.

A group of about twenty laborers were slowly making their way along a worn, gravelly path.

They carried heavy, dark-colored ore blocks on their shoulders or in pairs, their steps heavy.

Among the group of ragged, hardworking laborers, Zhang Yangqing spotted the chairman mixed in with them at a glance.

At this moment, he was just like the other laborers, dressed in tattered clothes, his face smeared with mud and ash, carrying a rather large piece of ore, his head down, and his steps "laboriously" following the group. He was so well disguised that it would be almost impossible to recognize him if one did not know beforehand.

The journey was indeed very long. Starting from the dock, we trekked all the way, crossing barren hills and dry riverbeds, and it took more than two hours before we finally arrived near our destination.

Ahead lay a relatively open area, the ground still cracked and hard, with a few twisted, charred dead trees growing here and there.

A warehouse, crudely built but exceptionally sturdy, consisting of massive animal bones, black rocks, and some kind of adhesive, stood there all alone.

The warehouse was surrounded by a simple warning array, which emitted faint energy fluctuations.

Under the leader's command, the laborers began moving the ore into the warehouse.

Zhang Yangqing and the beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes hid behind a huge weathered rock in the distance, observing quietly.

While waiting for the chairman to finish moving things and find a chance to slip away, the two also began to survey their surroundings, trying to find any clues about the Forgotten River Lake.

The beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes gazed into the distance, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

She lowered her voice, her voice filled with doubt, and said, "Brother, there's not a lake around here, not even a small puddle or stream. It's all cracked earth and dead trees, and the air is very dry. Is there really a lake in this place?"

This scene is far removed from the concept of a "lake".

Zhang Yangqing was also carefully sensing and observing his surroundings, but all he could see was a desolate and lifeless landscape, with no sign of any large water source.

He pondered for a moment and analyzed, "Perhaps, Wangchuan Lake is just a place name, or a symbolic name, just like there may not be a wife in a wife cake."

"What is 'wife cake'?" the beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes asked curiously, the name unfamiliar to her. (End of Chapter)