Chapter 1105
Ancient Ruins
"Linglong, watch out!" Shiji shouted, then drew her weapon, ready to fight.
Just then, a mysterious figure dressed in black robes emerged from the shadows and looked at them coldly: "If you want to enter the ruins, you must first get past me."
Shiji and Linglong exchanged a glance, realizing that the challenge before them was no small matter. But they did not back down, because they knew that only by overcoming this obstacle could they uncover the ancient secrets hidden in the immortal mountain.
The battle was about to begin, and Shiji and Linglong worked together to engage in a fierce duel with the man in black robes. Amidst the flashing blades, Shiji gradually discovered that the man in black robes' moves contained a peculiar power, which seemed to resonate with his special martial arts techniques.
Shi Ji pondered to herself, "Could this man in black robes also cultivate the same technique? What is his connection to the secrets of the Immortal Mountain?"
Just as Shi Ji was pondering, the man in black robes suddenly let out a low shout, and the weapon in his hand suddenly burst forth with a dazzling light, heading straight for Shi Ji. Shi Ji reacted quickly, using her internal energy to deflect the attack.
The battle intensified, and Shiji and Linglong, fighting with all their might, finally forced the black-robed man back. Seeing this, the black-robed man coldly snorted, "Do you think victory is just around the corner? The real test has only just begun." With that, he vanished into the thick fog.
Shiji and Linglong continued forward, the surrounding air growing increasingly heavy, as if each step treaded on the edge of an abyss. After overcoming several obstacles, they finally arrived at a massive stone gate. The gate was covered in ancient runes, emitting a faint glow.
“This is the entrance to the ancient ruins,” Linglong said softly. “But to open this stone door, we need to decipher the secrets of the runes.”
Shi Ji carefully observed the runes and discovered that they seemed to contain some kind of special energy. He used his special technique to try to sense the mysteries of these runes. Gradually, he felt a familiar aura that resonated with his own technique.
“Linglong, I feel that these runes are somehow connected to my cultivation technique,” Shiji said. “Let me try to see if I can unravel them.”
Linglong nodded, stepped back a few paces, and gave Shiji space. Shiji closed her eyes, concentrated her mind, and guided the energy within her body to her hands, gently touching the runes. As the energy flowed, the runes began to emit a brighter light, and the stone door trembled in response.
Suddenly, the stone door slowly opened, and a strong light shone from the crack, illuminating the entire valley. Shi Ji and Linglong held their breath and cautiously entered the ruins.
Upon entering the ruins, they discovered a vast underground palace, its walls inlaid with countless precious gems that shone brilliantly. In the center of the palace stood a tall stone statue, seemingly the image of an ancient cultivator. In front of the statue was a massive stone platform, upon which rested several glittering magical artifacts and a few precious spiritual herbs.
"The things here are truly precious," Linglong exclaimed. "These magical artifacts and elixirs are enough to drive any cultivator mad."
Shi Ji nodded, but he knew in his heart that these treasures were not their ultimate goal. He walked towards the stone statue and carefully examined the engravings on it, discovering that these engravings were remarkably similar to the runes on the stone gate.
“Linglong, look at these engravings, they seem to be guiding us in some way,” Shiji said.
Linglong walked over and examined the engravings carefully. Suddenly, her eyes lit up: "These engravings seem to be some kind of map. Perhaps they are guiding us to a certain place."
Shi Ji's heart stirred: "Could there be a deeper secret in these ruins? We should follow the guidance of these engravings and continue to explore."
So, Shiji and Linglong decided to follow the engravings and continue deeper into the ruins. They followed the path of the engravings, passing through hidden passages and dodging hidden traps, and finally arrived at a secret chamber.
The door to the secret chamber was tightly shut, and a complex array of runes was inscribed on it. Shi Ji used her cultivation techniques to carefully decipher these runes and finally succeeded in opening the door.
Upon entering the secret room, they discovered it was an ancient study, with bookshelves filled with ancient books and scrolls. In the center of the study stood an old desk, upon which rested a beautifully covered ancient book.
Shi Ji carefully opened the ancient book and found that it contained an ancient legend. The legend said that there was once a powerful cultivator in the immortal mountain who possessed incomparably great power, but in order to protect some ancient secret, he sealed his power in this ruin.
“This cultivator’s power is the secret of the immortal mountain,” Shi Ji said in a low voice. “If we can break his seal, we can obtain this powerful force.”
Shiji and Linglong continued reading the ancient book and discovered that the cultivator's seal was not merely a symbol of power, but also the key to protecting the entire immortal mountain from external threats. The book also mentioned that to break the seal, three legendary treasures needed to be found—the Qiankun Ring, the Taixu Mirror, and the Xuanming Pearl. These treasures were hidden in different places within the ruins; only by collecting them could the final seal be broken.
Shi Ji and Linglong exchanged a glance, both seeing the determination in each other's eyes.
“It seems our adventure is far from over,” Shi Ji said with a smile.
Linglong nodded. "Yes, we need to find these three treasures to break the seal."
"Where should we start our search?" Shi Ji asked.
Linglong opened the ancient book, pointed to a page, and said, "The ancient book records that the Qiankun Ring last appeared in the ruins city in the east. We can start our search from there."
“Alright, then let’s go to the City of Ruins,” Shi Ji decided.
The two packed their bags and immediately set off for the city of ruins. After several days of trekking, they finally arrived at this ancient and mysterious city.
"This is the city of ruins; it looks to have a very long history," Shi Ji remarked, looking around.
Linglong had already begun searching the city. "We need to find the Qiankun Ring quickly. I wonder how many cultivators are also looking for these treasures."
They searched the city of ruins meticulously, questioned the local residents, and even ventured into some ancient underground tombs. However, after several days, they found no trace of the Qiankun Ring.
Shi Ji was somewhat frustrated. "Did we come to the wrong place?"
Linglong remained optimistic, "No, the ancient books clearly record that the Qiankun Ring was last seen here. We just haven't found the right method yet."
Just as the two were deep in thought, a mysterious old man appeared before them. "Are you looking for the Qiankun Ring?"
Shiji and Linglong looked at the old man who had suddenly appeared in surprise, their hearts filled with vigilance yet also with a hint of anticipation.
Shi Ji stepped forward and politely inquired, "Yes, sir, we are indeed looking for the Qiankun Ring. Do you know its whereabouts?" The old man stroked his beard, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. "The Qiankun Ring is an extraordinary treasure, not something that can be found easily. But I can give you a hint."
Linglong asked eagerly, "What hint? Please enlighten me, sir."
The old man said slowly, "The Qiankun Ring is not something you can see with your eyes. It is hidden in some mysterious corner of this city. You need to feel it with your heart and find the opportunity to connect with it."
Shi Ji and Linglong exchanged a glance, a flash of understanding in their eyes. Shi Ji bowed and thanked them, "Thank you for your guidance, elder. We will search diligently."
The old man smiled and nodded, then turned and slowly left, leaving the two of them lost in thought.
Linglong watched the old man's retreating figure and said thoughtfully, "Telepathic connection... does this mean we need to sense the existence of the Qiankun Ring in some special way?"
Shi Ji nodded. "That should be it. We've been searching using conventional methods, but we've overlooked the unique nature of the Qiankun Ring itself. Perhaps we need to calm down and try to feel it with our hearts."
The two found a quiet place, sat down to meditate, and tried to establish a spiritual connection with the Qiankun Ring. As time passed, Shiji felt the surrounding atmosphere gradually becoming clearer, and his consciousness seemed to traverse layers of time and space, arriving at a dark underground cave.
Deep within the cave, a faint light caught his attention. Shi Ji approached and saw it was an ancient ring, radiating a soft glow. He reached out and touched the ring, instantly feeling a powerful surge of energy flow into his body.
At the same time, Linglong opened her eyes, a hint of surprise on her face. "Shiji, I also sensed the location of the Qiankun Ring. It's in an underground cave."
Shi Ji exclaimed excitedly, "We sensed the same place! It seems that's where the Qiankun Ring is hiding!"
The two quickly got up and, following their senses, found a hidden underground passage. The passage was winding and mysterious, fraught with danger, but they ventured deeper without hesitation.
After a difficult trek, they finally arrived at the dark underground cave. Deep within the cave, just as they had seen in their meditation, the ancient Qiankun Ring lay quietly, radiating a mysterious light.
Shi Ji and Linglong approached cautiously. Shi Ji reached out and took off the Qiankun Ring, immediately feeling a powerful force filling his body. He knew that this was not just a ring, but one of the keys to breaking the seal.
Linglong looked at the Qiankun Ring with hope in her eyes. "We've found the first treasure. Next, we need to find the Taixu Mirror and the Xuanming Pearl."
Shi Ji gently stroked the Qiankun Ring in her hand, feeling the powerful energy contained within, then looked up at Linglong, "Yes, we have taken the first step. Next, we need to find the Taixu Mirror and the Xuanming Pearl. Do you have any ideas?"
Linglong pondered for a moment before speaking, "I've seen some clues about the Taixu Mirror in ancient books before, but they weren't very clear. It's said that the last time the Taixu Mirror appeared was in a mysterious place called 'Phantom Island.' However, that island is elusive and difficult to find."
Shi Ji frowned. "Phantom Island? That sounds like a legendary place. How are we going to find it?"
Linglong sighed. "That's the problem. Phantom Island seems to appear only at specific times and places, and the pattern of its appearance is hard to predict. We might need more information or some special guidance to find it."
Just as the two were deep in thought, Shi Ji suddenly remembered something. "Wait a minute, I saw a treasure called 'Phantom Stone' in an ancient book from the Immortal Mountain. It's said to be able to guide people to Phantom Island. Do you think this could be a clue?"
Linglong's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "The Phantom Stone? This is indeed an important clue! If we can find the Phantom Stone, we might be able to find Phantom Island, and then the Mirror of Emptiness!"
Shi Ji nodded. "Then let's go find the Illusion Stone first. Hopefully, we can find the Mirror of Emptiness this time."
However, things didn't go as smoothly as they had imagined. The two spent the following days searching everywhere for the whereabouts of the Illusion Stone, but to no avail. The trail seemed to have gone cold, and the whereabouts of the Mirror of Illusion once again became elusive.
Shi Ji and Linglong did not give up. They decided to expand their search area and continue to look for clues related to the Illusion Stone and the Mirror of Emptiness.
As they expanded their search, Shiji and Linglong gradually realized that they were not the only group looking for the Illusion Stone and the Void Mirror. Some highly skilled cultivators, and even certain mysterious forces, seemed to be secretly watching the whereabouts of these treasures.
……
One day, while the two were inquiring about information in a remote ancient town, they overheard a conversation.
"I heard that two young men have been inquiring about the Illusion Stone and the Mirror of Emptiness recently," a deep voice said.
"Oh? What's their purpose?" another voice asked curiously.
"I don't know, but these two treasures are extraordinary. If they could fall into our hands..." The deep voice revealed greed and ambition.
Shi Ji and Linglong exchanged a glance, their hearts tightening. They realized that their actions might have been noticed by someone with ulterior motives, and they might even be used against them.
Linglong whispered to Shiji, "We need to be careful; these people might be a threat to us."
Shi Ji nodded: "Yes, we need to be more cautious. However, this also shows that we are on the right track; the Illusion Stone and the Void Mirror are indeed related to breaking the seal."
The two decided to change their strategy, ceasing their overt probing and instead observing covertly for possible clues. At the same time, they intensified their training in preparation for any eventuality.
However, just as they were carefully searching for clues, an unexpected opportunity arose. One day, Shiji accidentally discovered a peculiar stone in an ancient market. This stone emitted a faint light and seemed to have some connection with the Phantom Stone.
Shi Ji's heart stirred, and she stepped forward to ask the stall owner about the origin of the stone. The stall owner told her that he had found the stone in a remote mountain cave, and he didn't know what it was used for, but he thought it was pretty, so he put it up for sale.
Shi Ji was secretly excited, guessing that this stone was very likely the Phantom Stone they had been searching for. (End of Chapter)