Countless auras ascended into the sky after exiting the city gates, converging and exuding a chilling might.
Many common folk looked up at the heavens, feeling the passage of terrifying energies that brought about a profound sense of suppression, akin to ants facing a colossal tiger.
At the very heart of Tian'an City, atop a magnificently constructed pavilion, two figures stood.
One, clad in a golden dragon robe, gazed in the direction of the city gates. Within his perception, hundreds of potent auras were rising, heading towards a location a hundred miles away, an area brimming with formidable energy.
The Emperor of Zhou turned his head to the person standing beside him.
With a hint of helplessness, he inquired, "National Teacher, why does this ruin possess such immense power? And with so many cultivators gathered in the imperial city, is there truly no cause for concern?"
The figure addressed as the National Teacher was of ordinary appearance, sporting a long beard beneath his chin, yet he exuded an aura of calm and serenity.
Hearing the Emperor's voice, he responded with a gentle smile, "Your Majesty need not worry. I have already established a grand array around the imperial city. The battles of these cultivators will not spill over to the common people. As for the villages and towns near the ruins, they have been systematically evacuated."
The Emperor of Zhou nodded, his worries easing slightly. He held no particular sentiment towards these cultivators, as they had not interfered with the lives of his subjects, nor had they caused them any harm.
As long as they posed no threat to his people, it was acceptable.
The Emperor of Zhou then inquired, "National Teacher, what is the origin of this ruin?"
The National Teacher smiled. "This ruin, it is said, belongs to the sole Body Cultivation sect from the era of ancient Spiritual Cultivation. In those days, their physical bodies could battle both heaven and earth, suppressing all spiritual cultivators, leaving them unable to lift their heads."
"Then why has it become a ruin and not been passed down?" the Emperor posed his question. Logically, a sect that could suppress an entire era should not simply vanish into ruin without leaving any legacy.
The National Teacher chuckled. "Your Majesty, please do not be impatient. Allow this old minister to explain."
The Emperor of Zhou nodded, waiting patiently for the National Teacher's explanation.
The National Teacher gathered his thoughts and slowly began to speak. "In that era, Body Cultivation reigned supreme. Due to the abundant power of heaven and earth, and the fact that Body Cultivation did not emphasize innate talent, a vast number of foundational cultivation techniques flowed into the mortal realm. This sect discovered many Body Cultivation prodigies. Through this model, a multitude of geniuses joined the sect. As time passed, their strength grew, like a snowball rolling downhill, ever larger."
"Finally, when the Spiritual Cultivators discovered this sect, they realized that even with the combined might of all spiritual cultivators, they could not suppress it. At that moment, a supreme genius emerged, leading the sect to an unprecedented height, ultimately dominating the entire spiritual cultivation world."
"Subsequently, under the guidance of this supreme genius, the sect entered a period of rapid development, its influence spreading throughout the world."
"But in the end, for reasons unknown, according to ancient records, countless heavenly tribulations descended, striking directly at the sect. For a thousand miles around, the area was engulfed by a sea of lightning. Some witnessed colossal giants, thousands of feet tall, continuously attacking within the lightning sea, as if battling something. This celestial tribulation lasted for seven days, turning a thousand-mile radius into a vast pit filled with molten glass formed by the extreme heat."
"Hiss!" The Emperor of Zhou gasped, drawing a sharp breath. A thousand-mile radius, what a concept! Entirely transformed into a sea of lightning, this was the majesty of heaven itself. How could mortals possibly contend with the heavens?
"Afterward, some ventured into the center of the lightning pit to search. What they found at the original location of the sect was merely a smaller crater. It had vanished, leaving not a trace behind."
"Due to the sect's overwhelming power, the high-ranking figures among the Spiritual Cultivators deliberated and decided to destroy all the legacies and techniques of this sect that had spread throughout the land. Those who practiced these techniques were all executed. That year became a year of great chaos across the realm. This slaughter took a hundred years for the mortal world to recover its vitality."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," the Emperor of Zhou exclaimed, marveling. He then asked the National Teacher, "What was the name of this sect?"
The National Teacher's eyes, deep and placid like a lake, held a hint of unexplainable emotion. He looked towards the distant city gates, where the surging auras were still awakening, and slowly spoke, "Its name was Town Heaven!"
...
Meanwhile, Gu Yuan was leisurely walking towards the outskirts of the city. As for legacies, what a joke! Whoever dared to seize one would be beaten to death, and their gains would be taken to increase his own fortune. This was a matter directly concerning his path of cultivation, so why not be ruthless? When else should he be ruthless? Besides, no one would know if he killed anyone here, and even if they did, so what? He had the Martial Ancestor backing him!
At worst, he could cultivate to the Ascension Realm before leaving. Who could do anything to him then?
Hmm?
Gu Yuan's footsteps halted. He slowly turned around, his astonishing eyesight allowing him to clearly perceive the pavilion. His divine soul silently emanated outward.
He observed the two extraordinary figures conversing on the pavilion. One was clad in a golden-yellow dragon robe. Gu Yuan had seen his face in the city; he was none other than the actual ruler of this human dynasty.
Gu Yuan smiled. His body flickered, and he appeared in a nearby alley, eavesdropping on their conversation. A look of surprise spread across his face. He hadn't expected this ruin to be a Body Cultivation sect. This was useful to him!
Gu Yuan was several hundred meters away from them. Since opening his spiritual aperture in his brow, his divine soul had been nurtured day and night. Coupled with completing system tasks and splitting his divine soul to merge with another complete divine soul, his divine soul power had greatly increased. He could easily reach out and touch their conversation even from several hundred meters away.
He hadn't expected the seemingly unremarkable person beside the Emperor of Zhou to be the renowned National Teacher of Great Zhou. Their conversation was further layered with some kind of array formation, but he had silently, and with great ease, broken through it.
Gu Yuan took a deep look at the two figures descending the pavilion, then turned and left. The conversation he had overheard was extremely valuable to him. He had initially thought it was a Spiritual Cultivation sect, but it turned out to be a Body Cultivation sect that had managed to preserve itself through a thousand-mile lightning sea. It went without saying that there must be a great opportunity there.
Gu Yuan had a premonition that it would be of immense use to him.
A sudden flicker of being spied upon flashed through the National Teacher's mind. He turned and looked towards the distant street, but after a prolonged search, he found no results. The Emperor of Zhou, noticing the National Teacher's actions, also stopped.
He asked with confusion, "What is it, National Teacher?"
"Nothing," the National Teacher smiled. The Emperor of Zhou nodded and continued down the stairs.
The National Teacher skillfully concealed the coldness in his eyes. His feeling was not mistaken; there was a master of great skill present this time.