Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

"Is that the entrance to the ruins?"

"What a huge stone gate... How big must it be inside?"

"Stop talking nonsense and get over there!"

The crowd stirred.

Several impatient rogue cultivators could no longer contain themselves and rushed towards the stone gate. Their cultivation levels were not high, but they were quite daring—everyone understands the principle that fortune favors the bold.

"Wait!" someone shouted.

But those people had already rushed dozens of feet away.

Then—they fell.

"ah--!"

Screams echoed throughout the room.

The ground in front of the stone gate was covered with remnants of restrictions invisible to the naked eye. Although most of the restrictions had dissipated, the remaining fragments were still as sharp as knives and incredibly powerful.

Those rogue cultivators who rushed out, some at the Body Refinement Realm and some at the Acquired Realm, were simply no match for the crushing force of the restriction fragments.

The first person rushed in, his body suddenly froze, and then, as if cut by an invisible blade, he was torn to pieces, and blood mist exploded.

The second person tried to retreat, but stepped on another piece of debris, his entire leg was shredded into a bloody pulp, he screamed and fell down, torn apart by the subsequent fragments.

The third person, the fourth person, the fifth person—

Without exception.

He died on the spot.

Blood mist filled the open space in front of the stone gate, appearing particularly dazzling when illuminated by the golden light.

The scene fell silent instantly.

Everyone stopped in their tracks.

Some people turned pale, some gasped, and some instinctively took two steps back.

"The restriction hasn't completely dissipated yet," Ling Yunzi said in a deep voice. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "Going in now is suicide."

"When will we have to wait?" someone in the crowd asked.

Ling Yunzi glanced at the man and uttered a single word indifferently:

"wait."

Various forces set up camps in front of the stone gate.

No one dared to rush forward anymore.

The fragments of the barrier won't disappear just because you're impatient; they'll dissipate slowly at their own pace.

All we can do now is wait.

Dongfang Weiye found an inconspicuous corner to sit down, leaned against a big tree, and closed his eyes to rest.

His divine sense—although he hadn't truly cultivated divine sense, his perception far surpassed that of his peers after practicing the Dragon Body Refining Technique—secretly swept across the crowd, searching for suspicious targets.

The chosen one.

They usually have some unusual characteristics.

Either their cultivation level is seriously inconsistent with their age—a teenager with innate talent or a master in their twenties are both prodigies.

Either he has a unique charisma—standing in a crowd, you can spot him at a glance, you can't explain why, you just can't take your eyes off him.

Either you're extremely lucky—you might find treasure while walking down the street, or have a miraculous encounter after falling off a cliff.

However, no such person has been found so far.

"No rush," Dongfang Weiwo thought to himself. "The ruins haven't opened yet, and the chosen one may not have arrived yet."

Unbeknownst to him, a young man carrying an iron sword was traveling day and night towards the Endless Mountains.

Ye Xingchen has been gone for three days and three nights.

He set off from the Ye family in the south and headed north.

His cultivation level was only at the Innate Profound Realm, which wasn't much in the south, but among ordinary people, he was already considered a master. Therefore, he traveled quite fast—in three days and three nights, he covered nearly eight hundred li.

"We're almost there."

Ye Xingchen looked up at the golden light on the distant horizon.

The golden light rose from the horizon, dyeing half the sky gold. The closer one got, the more dazzling the light became, and the richer the spiritual energy.

"Grandpa," Ye Xingchen asked in his heart, "is there really a miraculous medicine in the ruins that can heal my meridians?"

"When have I ever lied to you?"

The old man's voice echoed in his mind, tinged with displeasure, "Boy, are you questioning this old man?"

"No, no..." Ye Xingchen quickly shook his head, "I was just asking to confirm."

"Hmph." The old man snorted, then his tone softened. "Don't worry. I can smell the scent of immortal herbs, at least three of them. They're behind that stone door."

Ye Xingchen gripped the iron sword tightly.

"Three plants... is that enough?"

"One is enough," the old man said. "You can keep the two extra for later use, or sell them and exchange them for some pills, cultivation techniques, or something like that."

Ye Xingchen nodded.

He didn't say anything more and quickened his pace.

The iron sword swayed gently on his back, making a soft "ding-ding" sound.

Somewhere on the outskirts of the Endless Mountains.

The white-robed Dharma King mingled among the independent practitioners.

He crouched in an inconspicuous corner, leaning against a large rock, head down, seemingly dozing. But his gaze was fixed on the Azure Dragon Society's camp through his disheveled hair.

Li Chenzhou sat by the campfire, talking to Gongzi Yu.

The white-robed Dharma King narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold glint flashing deep within his pupils.

Grandmaster Level 4.

He can kill.

But Gongzi Yu is also there—a Grandmaster at the first level. If the two of them join forces, it will be a bit troublesome.

And then there's the one in purple—Zhuo Donglai, a peak Grandmaster. Although he's not a big threat, those kinds of people are often the most difficult to deal with.

"No rush," the white-robed Dharma King said to himself.

The relics are the primary objective.

Once you're inside the ruins, there will be plenty of opportunities.

He looked away and closed his eyes.

His breathing became long and even, like that of a real old beggar sleeping.

The highest point of the Embroidered Uniform Guard camp.

Yan Jingchen stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the stone gate.

The mountain wind was strong, making his robes flutter loudly, but he remained motionless, like a pine tree rooted in the rocks.

"My lord, how long will it take for the barrier to dissipate?" The centurion behind him stepped forward and asked in a low voice.

Yan Jingchen did not answer immediately.

His gaze lingered on the stone gate, watching the frequency of the flashing runes and listening to the sound of the restrictions shattering in the air.

"It will take anywhere from three to seven days."

His voice was soft, but every word was as clear as if it were carved in stone.

"Let the brothers rest and recuperate so they'll have the strength to rob things later."

"Yes."

Baihu turned and left.

Yan Jingchen remained standing there, motionless.

His gaze pierced through the stone gate, as if trying to see the world from millions of years ago.

"Ancient ruins..." he murmured, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Interesting."

The camp of the Zhenfu Division.

Xuanpan sat on the stone, his bronze mask gleaming coldly in the afterglow of the setting sun.

He also heard Yan Jingchen's words.

It takes anywhere from three to seven days.

He nodded and said to those around him, "Do not act rashly within three days. After three days, be prepared at any time."

"Yes."

Xuanpan closed his eyes.

But his fingers kept tapping lightly on his knee.

One, two, three...

This is his habit.

He would do this before every major battle.

nine

No one slept that night.

Everyone stared at the stone door.

The stone gate remained tightly closed.

But the golden light from the crack in the door grew brighter and brighter, the spiritual energy grew stronger and stronger, and the sounds of the restrictions shattering became more and more frequent.

Everyone knows—it's coming soon.

almost.

Dongfang Weiwo sat cross-legged under the tree, slowly circulating the "Dragon Body Refining Technique" within his body, his true energy flowing through his meridians. Unlike the others who stared intently at the stone gate, he closed his eyes, conserving his energy.

In his experience, the first people to enter these ancient ruins are often the ones who die the fastest.

The best strategy is to strike after the opponent has acted.