Misty Rain of the Old Times

'What a huge pig... oops, I mean, a spider!'

Chen Xuan paused, his gaze sharpening slightly as he looked up at the distant main hall. He couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Beneath the starry dome etched with countless luminous pearls, above the magnificent palace complex, an enormous spiderweb spread out, almost completely covering the space above the palace complex.

At the center of the spider web lay a colossal creature, the source of the faint sense of danger that Chen Xuan sensed.

It was a snow-white spider. Its eight long legs, covered with foot-long, glistening white bristles, were not fully extended, yet its body already covered a spider web with a diameter of over ten feet.

Its belly is teardrop-shaped and more than twice the size of its body. Its eight spider legs have sharp spikes several feet long at their joints, resembling sharp blades. Compared to its enormous size, its body does not appear bulky but rather slender, giving it an incredibly agile and nimble feel. Under the pearly light, its white jade-like body reflects light without appearing rough at all, and its body surface is clearly a tough exoskeleton.

Surprisingly, if you disregard its enormous size and people's instinctive aversion to insects, this spider doesn't seem too ferocious or terrifying; instead, it has a strange kind of beauty to it.

The spider silk that formed that large web was so fine that each strand was as thin as a hair. If it weren't for the pearly light reflecting off it, it would be almost invisible to the naked eye. So, it seemed to be hovering in the void, just sitting there motionless. Its very existence was a symbol of power, making people feel a sense of danger when they looked at it.

But it only made Chen Xuan feel the danger. Just like an ordinary person sees a sword and knows it can hurt them, it doesn't make him feel fear or even dread. In fact, this thing is less dangerous than the dragon corpse whose body he cut off back then.

As Chen Xuan observed the snow-white spider from afar, he suddenly recalled the thin threads that had bound Liu Yuyuan and the others. This made sense; it seemed that the person behind the scenes truly controlled a spider beast with the combat power of a Grandmaster. The spider's appearance here was no coincidence, and those thin threads came from the spider in his line of sight.

As Chen Xuan observed the spider from afar, it immediately noticed his arrival. Perched motionless on its web, it suddenly opened its eight eyes, each as large as a millstone and as black as ink, seemingly intent on devouring one's soul. Its legs extended slightly, emitting a clanging sound, and it emitted a chilling hissing sound, as if issuing a warning. Strangely, however, it did not launch a direct attack, but merely watched Chen Xuan from a distance.

'What kind of spider is this? I've never even heard of it, let alone seen it before. Growing so deep underground, I wonder what it eats to grow up like this. The aura emanating from it, which I senses is dangerous, undoubtedly indicates it possesses the strength of a Grandmaster. Such a being possesses extremely high intelligence, no less than that of a human. Logically, as a creature, it should immediately attack anything that intrudes on its territory, but it hasn't. Is it contemplating, or, as I suspect, is it being controlled and holding back because it hasn't received orders?'

Looking at the enormous spider, Chen Xuan still had time to mentally analyze it. If it were an ordinary person, the sheer size of the creature would be enough to terrify them, especially given its terrifying aura, which would probably leave them without the strength to even stand. However, Chen Xuan had seen many strange beasts with the combat power of a Grandmaster, and had even killed some. He could remain calm and composed in the face of endless beast tides in the underground cave. This spider, at most, only surprised him at first.

Not to brag, but among the master-level beasts he had seen and killed, this spider was nothing special. Compared to that dragon corpse, it might have lost only a tenth of its strength when it escaped, but it was still a genuine dragon corpse, one of the top beings at the same level. If it hadn't run fast, it would have been chopped into mincemeat by Chen Xuan long ago. So, this spider was at most a large insect. In fact, it really was just an insect.

After pausing for a moment to examine it closely, Chen Xuan saw that it had only moved slightly without any other reaction. Nevertheless, he remained vigilant and continued to walk forward. It remained motionless, just staring at him. If it hadn't moved slightly just now, he would have thought it was just a decoration.

Since that's the case, Chen Xuan decided to ignore it for the time being and began to carefully observe the underground space.

At first, he was drawn to the giant spider, but upon closer inspection, he realized that it was just like a palace that had been moved underground. The pavilions and towers were carved and painted, majestic and magnificent, but lacking vitality. Many of the courtyards were originally planted with flowers, trees and shrubs, but the underground was clearly not suitable for plant growth. Over countless years, they had long since withered, decayed and turned to ashes, although some plants with tenacious vitality could still be seen growing there.

What surprised Chen Xuan even more was that there were 'people' everywhere in the palace complex. There were guards, palace maids and eunuchs everywhere, just like a normally functioning imperial palace. However, those 'people' were all still, as if time had been frozen, maintaining different postures and movements.

While keeping an eye on the giant spider lurking in the distance and watching him, Chen Xuan strode towards the palace and came to a person dressed in armor, frozen in place, to examine him closely. It was indeed a person, not a sculpture, but one that had long since died and was lifeless. Its body was sealed with a layer of wax, which was why it remained in the same position and did not decay.

He initially thought it was an imperial tomb, and now it seems that it really did take countless people with it, bringing everything they owned in life to the underworld!

However, due to the passage of time and the fact that the place had long been visited and even secretly occupied, many of the wax figures had been damaged.

In such an underground palace, countless 'people' remain motionless and lifeless. Such an environment is truly terrifying, and those with a weak heart would probably be scared to death.

After scanning the surroundings, Chen Xuan continued walking towards the palace, raising an eyebrow slightly. In the silent, empty, and eerie environment, he suddenly spoke with a laugh: "What are you all hiding for? Shouldn't you give me, an outsider, a proper welcome?"

After he finished speaking, no one answered; only Chen Xuan's own voice echoed in the empty underground space.

With his senses, how could he not detect that there were people here, quite a few, perhaps a hundred or so. The weakest among them were at the level of opening up the eight extraordinary meridians in the acquired realm, and there were no fewer than ten innate masters. They were just hiding themselves. If we're talking about hiding oneself, Chen Xuan is the real expert. Their little tricks are completely exposed.

No one answered, and no one came out to greet him, but he didn't care. He took a step and lightly leaped up, arriving at the top of the towering first palace gate.

Standing high above the dome, Chen Xuan looked around. Similar to the passage he had just walked out of, there were eighty-one passages all around him. He couldn't help but wonder if the owner of this imperial tomb was still playing the game of "returning to oneness and supreme supremacy".

'Based on my observations from walking through the passages, these numerous passages are almost all scattered burial chambers. I imagine very few actually lead to other places. But imagine how many items must have been buried with them!'

Thinking about this, Chen Xuan felt a little nauseous. To fill those tombs with burial goods, especially imperial tombs, you can't just use some junk to make do. What an astronomical amount of wealth that would be!
It's probably been emptied out long ago, who knows who benefited. Putting aside these meaningless thoughts, Chen Xuan's gaze returned to the large spider coiled above the palace in the distance, or more precisely, to the area beneath its web.

Hanging from the spider web are strands of silk, indistinguishable to the naked eye, of varying heights, with cocoon-like objects suspended at their ends. These cocoons, formed by the intertwining of the silk, each have a human-shaped outline, numbering two or three hundred. The commotion caused by the large spider's earlier movements has caused these cocoons, suspended by the silk, to sway in mid-air.

Inside, there were clearly people, but they were already lifeless. If Chen Xuan was right, those young and beautiful women who had disappeared due to the impact on most of Yuhua Kingdom were inside!

They were in the prime of their lives, with bright futures ahead of them, but now their lives are cut short, entangled in spider silk and hanging on a spider web. They probably haven't had time to be taken away yet, otherwise their bodies would have become fertilizer for the flowers.

That giant spider couldn't possibly have gone to all corners of the world to catch people on its own, and it doesn't seem to be storing people wrapped in its silk as food. So what was the real purpose of bringing those women here? Why would the person behind this do this?
With a flicker of thought, Chen Xuan put aside his indifference and spoke again in a calm tone: "It seems you recognize me, which is why you dare not come out to face me? Or perhaps my arrival was too unexpected, and you haven't received the next instructions and are at a loss? Why don't you come out on your own, or do I have to drag you out myself?"

The sound was not loud, but it spread and echoed for a long time under the dome.

Having no interest in wasting time with them, just as Chen Xuan was about to grab someone, a figure appeared on the roof of a building dozens of feet in front of him.

The other person was shrouded in a black robe, making it impossible to discern their appearance or age. Facing Chen Xuan, they were clearly under immense pressure. Their powerful true energy flowed freely, revealing their upper-middle level innate cultivation. Their black robe fluttered even without wind, and they said in a low voice, "You shouldn't have come here!"

Should I reply with "I'm here"?
Chen Xuan had no interest in arguing with him and chuckled, saying, "You're so insecure even with that giant spider behind you. It seems you can't command it. If you really try to boss it around, you'll probably end up as food. In that case, the real boss isn't here, and everything here is probably shady."

At this point, Chen Xuan paused for a moment and continued with great interest: "If I see something I shouldn't have seen, I will definitely not let it go easily. But you don't have the confidence to face me, so you are delaying and waiting for someone with the strength to deal with me to arrive, right?"

The other party did not answer, but his internal energy was running at its maximum, as if he was ready to fight to the death at any moment.

Nodding, Chen Xuan continued, "It seems I guessed right. To have the ability to control such a powerful spider and dare to commit such heinous crimes, the person behind you must be quite powerful and influential. I'd like to meet them myself. Although I have a rough idea of ​​who it is, I can't be completely sure until I actually see them. Before they arrive, why don't you tell me who it is so I can verify if it's the person I'm thinking of? You're here, so you must know, right?"

After a few words, the other party still did not answer, but stood at a distance, facing Chen Xuan with great fear and vigilance.

This is pointless. It makes me feel like I'm talking to myself. If you won't tell me, then I can just ask you myself.

Impatient Chen Xuan reached out and grabbed at the black-robed man, but not towards him. A black-robed man dressed in the same style flew uncontrollably from the corner and landed next to Chen Xuan, unable to move.

With a gentle wave of his hand, the black robe concealing the face of the person Chen Xuan had grabbed from afar was lifted, revealing a thin, middle-aged man with an early-stage Innate Realm cultivation level, his eyes filled with terror.

Looking at the other person, a purple glint flashed in Chen Xuan's eyes. He activated his Purple Mystic Illusionary Eyes, and the other person's expression instantly became numb and blank. He asked, "Tell me, who is behind you? Why did you capture so many women? Tell me everything you know."

Those who are here must know a lot. Chen Xuan also understands that the people here must be as determined as death warriors. It would not be easy to control them with the Purple Mystic Illusion Eye. His powerful senses had already locked onto the people hiding here. He exchanged a few words with the black-robed man opposite him to observe the reactions of those who were hiding. He seized the opportunity when the man lost his composure and decisively took control of him for questioning.

Faced with Chen Xuan's question, even those under his control, though mentally clear and extremely terrified, couldn't help but instinctively answer, "My lord is... pfft..."

Just as he was about to utter that name, even though he was controlled by Chen Xuanzi's Mystic Eyes, his pupils contracted, and he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. Almost at the same time, he bled from all seven orifices and died instantly, without actually uttering that name.

"You won't get anything out of him, not even if you use some kind of mental magic to control him," the voice of the man in black robes said, his tone trembling slightly. He wasn't surprised that his companion had died under Chen Xuan's questioning, but he clearly didn't want to die himself.

Chen Xuan was not surprised by this. He ignored the dead man and let his body roll down. This reminded him of the time in Quanzhou City when he captured a member of the Black Diagram Society and wanted to question him about the mastermind. The man died as soon as he opened his mouth, as if some kind of restriction had been triggered. The current situation was exactly the same. The brain of the person he was controlling to ask questions had been tampered with.

Whether this is the work of a black-hat troll is unknown.

Chen Xuan also knew how to manipulate people's brains, just like when he sent several innate masters from the Wu family to hunt down the remaining rebels, and then they committed suicide afterward. Cultivating spiritual techniques at the Grandmaster level was not difficult; at most, different people would use them with slight differences.

Chen Xuan hadn't had high hopes to begin with; he was just giving it a try, so he wasn't disappointed.

Just then, Chen Xuan's powerful senses detected that someone had entered the underground palace, not through the passage he had come in through. The newcomer was very strong; the aura emanating from them made Chen Xuan's heart tighten... (End of Chapter)