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

"That's enough!"

With a sharp shout, Master Liaochen's voice, like a resounding bell, echoed through the empty hall. Before his words had even finished, a dazzling Buddhist light suddenly burst forth behind him, its golden radiance shining like the sun in the sky. A gentle yet irresistible force descended from the heavens, forcefully separating the four locked in fierce combat, each retreating several feet.

"Among the ruins, the treasures belong to the virtuous." Zen Master Liaochen clasped his hands together, his appearance solemn. "But if you want to kill someone in front of this old monk, don't blame this old monk for being impolite." His voice was not loud, but it seemed to ring out in everyone's ears, clearly spreading to every corner of the hall, and even the rogue cultivators who were still watching from a distance heard every word.

Qing Yuanzi sheathed his sword and glanced coldly at Li Chenzhou. That glance contained resentment, apprehension, and even a hidden killing intent. But he ultimately said nothing, turned and left, his robes fluttering in the wind, yet his steps were as steady as a rock.

Ling Yunzi also withdrew his hand and stepped back several paces. His expression was calm, but his mind was rapidly calculating the gains and losses of the battle just now.

Li Chenzhou stood there expressionless, as if the life-or-death battle that had just taken place had never happened. He didn't even glance in the direction Qing Yuanzi had left, simply uttering two words: "Continue."

Upon hearing the commotion, the members of the Azure Dragon Society sprang into action, continuing their methodical looting of the hall's treasures. Their movements were swift and orderly, clearly the result of countless rehearsals and a perfect understanding between them.

The melee lasted for about half an hour.

When the last jade box was snatched from a hidden compartment in the corner, the hall finally fell silent. Only the sounds of panting and the faint stench of blood lingering among the ruins remained.

Each faction retreated to a corner to tally their gains and recuperate.

The Azure Dragon Society: They seized twelve jade boxes, including the one in the very center of the hall that shone the brightest and was of the highest quality. Losses: Two people sustained minor injuries; it was a resounding victory.

Antarctic Sword Sect: Acquired eight jade boxes. Losses: Three seriously injured, one dead. Qing Yuanzi's face was ashen as he looked at his disciple lying in a pool of blood, his sword creaking in his grip.

Iron Blood Hall: Six jade boxes seized. Losses: Five seriously injured, two dead. Iron Knife King's face was ashen, yet he remained silent—today's losses far exceeded expectations.

Chaotian Palace: Five jade boxes. Losses: One person slightly injured. Daoist Qingfeng remained calm, seemingly having anticipated this outcome.

Qinglong Temple: Seven jade boxes. Loss: None. Zen Master Liaochen remained seated cross-legged, his face calm, as if the chaotic battle was nothing more than a gentle breeze.

The Blood Demon Cult: They had initially managed to seize a jade box of decent quality, but it was forcibly taken away by the Imperial Guards. Even worse, most of the cult members were killed, and Elder Blood Shadow was seriously injured, with half of his body pierced by sword energy. If he hadn't escaped quickly using the Blood Escape Technique, he would probably have died on the spot.

Embroidered Uniform Guard: Four jade boxes. Losses: Two people slightly injured. Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Yan Jingchen remained calm, even showing some satisfaction—it was no easy feat to ensure the four of them escaped unscathed amidst such chaotic fighting.

The Garrison Command: Three jade boxes. Loss: None. Iron Face remained silent throughout, merely observing everything with cold indifference.

As for the rogue cultivators, they managed to snatch a few jade boxes from the edges, but most of them were intercepted by larger forces along the way. Some were resentful, some were helpless, and some were secretly glad to have survived this hellish battlefield.

"The treasures of the first and second levels have already been returned to their respective owners." Zen Master Liaochen looked around at everyone and spoke slowly, "The third level is the true core of this ruin. I propose that everyone rest for the night and then enter the third level tomorrow."

No one objected.

After the chaotic battle, all sides needed to rest and recuperate. Moreover, the seal on the third level was no ordinary barrier—the runes on that stone door were layered upon each other, radiating a chilling pressure that could not be broken by a single person. It required the combined efforts of Grandmaster-level experts to break; whoever entered first would not gain the upper hand.

That night, all parties set up camp in the second-floor hall.

The hall was spacious, with a dome dozens of feet high. The night wind blew in through the broken windows, causing the campfire to flicker. Each faction occupied its own area, maintaining a delicate distance from one another—neither too close to provoke conflict, nor too far to be unable to see each other's movements.

Dongfang Weiwo found a corner to sit down, leaned against a stone pillar, and closed his eyes to rest.

Today's harvest was quite substantial.

The medicinal power of the Nine-Turn Purple Spirit Pill had been fully refined, allowing him to break through from the mid-stage of the Innate Divine Vein to the peak in one fell swoop. His combat strength surged, his Qi Sea churned like a tide, and the speed of true essence circulation in his meridians was nearly twice as fast as before. Furthermore, although the jet-black short sword wasn't of the highest grade, it was a genuine spiritual weapon—its blade was entirely black, without any luster, seemingly capable of swallowing up surrounding vision. He had tested it; under the influence of true essence, the short sword could silently pierce through refined steel within three feet. For him now, it was perfect.

Not far away, Ye Xingchen also found a corner to sit down.

During the daytime melee, he followed the old man's instructions and stayed far away, not participating in any direct combat. He knew that his strength was insufficient to protect himself in such a chaotic battle, so from the beginning he remained hidden in the shadows, coldly observing the fight between those important figures.

But he didn't come away empty-handed.

In the chaos, he spotted a small jade bottle left behind in a crevice in the rocks and quietly picked it up when no one was looking. Opening it, he found three Qi-Nourishing Pills inside, their fragrance filling the air, the pill patterns clear – a pleasant surprise for him. These three pills would greatly benefit his cultivation, enough to save him months of arduous work in the days to come.

"Grandpa, can I go into the third level tomorrow?" Ye Xingchen asked in a low voice, his gaze fixed on the huge stone door in the distance. The seal on the stone door had been broken, but the aura emanating from behind it was even more profound and unfathomable.

"The third seal is very strong, requiring the combined efforts of Grandmasters to break. But once the seal is broken, even those at the Innate Realm can enter." The old man's voice echoed in his mind, aged yet steady. "However, it will definitely be more dangerous inside than the first and second layers. Be prepared."

"I know." Ye Xingchen gripped the iron sword in his arms tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force, but his eyes were full of determination. "Fortune favors the bold. If I keep hiding in the back, I'll never catch up with those people."

The old man remained silent for a moment, as if examining his resolve, before finally sighing softly, "Very well. Stay close to me tomorrow, and don't be greedy for credit."

The next morning.

Before dawn, the hall was already brightly lit. All the factions had prepared themselves and gathered at the entrance to the third floor.

A massive stone gate stood before them, ten zhang high and five zhang wide, its surface covered with layers upon layers of sealing runes. These runes were ancient and intricate, each line seemingly containing some profound truth of heaven and earth, radiating a powerful pressure. Even a Grandmaster-level expert standing before this gate felt a tremor originating from the depths of their soul.

"Such a powerful seal." Ling Yunzi looked up at the stone gate, his brows furrowed. He had cultivated for hundreds of years and had seen countless restrictions, but this was the first time he had ever seen a sealing rune of this scale.

"We need to work together to solve this." Zen Master Liaochen stepped forward, clasped his hands together, and said, "Everyone, let's join forces."

No one declined.

Li Chenzhou, Ling Yunzi, Zen Master Liaochen, Iron Knife King, Taoist Qingfeng, Yan Jingchen, Iron Face... all the grandmaster-level experts attacked simultaneously, each displaying their unique skills to bombard the sealing runes on the stone gate.

Palm winds, sword energy, blade light, fist intent, finger strength, Buddhist seals… dozens of earth-shattering attacks simultaneously struck the stone door, producing deafening roars. The entire hall trembled, and dust fell from the dome.

The sealing runes flickered violently, their light fading unpredictably, yet they did not shatter.

"Not enough!" Zen Master Liaochen shouted, his voice tinged with anxiety. "Again!"

The second wave of attacks landed.

The third wave.

The fourth wave...

Cracks finally appeared in the runes on the stone gate. The cracks were as thin as hair, yet clearly visible to everyone—the seal was beginning to loosen.

"continue!"

The fifth wave of attacks crashed down, and a blinding light erupted from the stone gate before it exploded—

"boom--!"

The stone door slowly opened, revealing the true face of the third level.

The third floor is more magnificent and awe-inspiring than the first two.

This was a colossal circular hall, over a thousand feet in diameter, with a dome hundreds of feet high, making one feel as insignificant as an ant within. The dome was inlaid with tens of thousands of luminous pearls, each the size of a fist, emitting a soft glow. These pearls were arranged to form a vast star map—the positions, brightness, and distances of the stars were exactly the same as the actual constellations in the heavens, as if the entire starry sky had been brought underground.

In the very center of the hall stands a huge stone tablet.

The stone tablet, about ten zhang tall, was entirely black, its surface smooth as a mirror, yet it exuded an ancient and mysterious aura. It was covered with ancient characters, each one seemingly carved from some peerless divine weapon, the strokes containing profound martial arts principles. Anyone who merely glanced at those characters would feel their mind reeling, as if an endless stream of martial arts insights were flooding their heart—yet it was too complex and overwhelming to process.

Five stone platforms surround the stone tablet.

On each stone platform lay a jade box. The jade boxes were entirely white, yet faintly emitted a five-colored spiritual light. That spiritual light was more than ten times stronger than any treasure on the previous two levels; even through the jade boxes, one could feel the immense energy contained within.

Everyone's breathing became heavy.

Ling Yunzi stared intently at one of the jade boxes, his pupils shrinking, his voice trembling slightly: "That's... a Breakthrough Pill?"

The Breakthrough Pill—legend has it that it can help a peak Grandmaster take that half-step, truly entering the realm of a half-step Celestial Giant. That's a level beyond the mortal realm, many times stronger than an ordinary Grandmaster. The Underworld Emperor of a hundred years ago, the former Emperor Qin Batian, was a peerless figure at this level, once suppressing an entire era single-handedly. As for what realm that Demon God Lü was, no one knows—but his terror needs no further explanation; suppressing the world alone, he was undoubtedly the strongest under heaven.

And here, there are actually two Breakthrough Pills.

Ling Yunzi's gaze trembled as he swept over the other four jade boxes, his breathing becoming completely disordered.

Beside the first jade box was an ancient ginseng, entirely crimson and shaped like a real dragon—the Dragon Blood Ginseng King. The dragon scales on its body were clearly visible, and even the faint sound of a dragon's roar could be heard. It was said that this item could transform a person, multiplying their lifespan; for martial artists who cultivated the unity of flesh and blood, it was a priceless treasure.

Inside the second jade box, a fist-sized crystal floated silently, its interior faintly swirling with chaotic mist—a Chaos Origin Crystal. This item could be used to forge sacred weapons or to allow a Grandmaster to comprehend a trace of the true meaning of chaos. If successful, it would undoubtedly result in a qualitative leap in combat power.

Inside the third jade box, a drop of spiritual liquid, suspended in mid-air and radiating the dual energies of life and death, slowly rotated—the Yin-Yang Life-Dew. The two energies of life and death intertwined and swirled, resembling a Tai Chi symbol. Legend has it that as long as the physical body retains even a sliver of life, this substance can revive the dead, truly a second life.

The fourth jade box contained an ancient book woven with gold thread. The cover was inscribed with the four large characters "Wan Dao Tian Zhang" in ancient seal script, each character resembling a coiled dragon or snake. It was said that the book contained the supreme method that led directly to the ultimate path of heaven and man, and that if one could comprehend it, one could transcend the mortal realm and enter the legendary realm of heaven and man.

Each one is a divine object that has long since disappeared from the world.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze to an extreme.

No one spoke, but all eyes were fixed on the five jade boxes. A suffocating killing intent filled the air—everyone knew that what followed would be a bloody struggle.