Chapter 288: Ancient Ruins
Finally the time had come for the Ancient Ruins to open once more. Every year, all the outer disciples who had just become third-years were gathered to prepare for the occasion. Although many rumors had spread throughout the disciples, no one really knew what those Ancient Ruins were. However, they were all aware that those would give great benefits to them if they were able to catch them. It wasn't rare for a disciple to go up an entire grade in his cultivation. At this moment, the lowest cultivation of the third-years was late 5th-grade Mortal.
Unfortunately, that cultivator was Ren Chao. Apart from him everyone had put at least one foot in the 6th-grade Mortal stage. That being said, now that he had awakened his Golden Silk Body, Ren Chao had sought advice from his master. And he was certain that his cultivation would finally be able to keep up with the others. For a cultivator, he wasn't late. But the Wubei Sect was home to many talented young cultivators, nobles and commoners alike.
Indeed, the average cultivator would become a 5th-grade Mortal at around twenty-two. And Ren Chao was soon to be twenty-one. Hopefully, he would be able to break through two grades while inside those famous Ancient Ruins. In fact, if he could reach the 8th-grade Mortal stage, he might be able to ask Mei Hua for her Transparent Celestial Key pill. As of now, Sun Liao had still refused the pill. And Mei Hua knew that it was pointless to propose him again. His pride just wouldn't let him use that pill, unless he had obtained it himself. But he wouldn't take it as a gift.
Deep down, Sun Liao knew that he was being a bit ridiculous. He had sworn to share life and death with Mei Hua as a sister. Yet, he couldn't accept her generosity. However, despite the evolution of his character, he still had a great sense of pride. Unlike before joining the sect though, he knew that his sister had only good intentions and that he was being too stubborn. Still, he would try to achieve his goals through his own efforts. Compared with Ren Chao, he was only one grade higher.
Apart from alchemy, array formations could also help a cultivator progress very fast. After talking with Chief Elder Suxian for some time, Sun Liao was confident. During those Ancient Ruins, he would push himself to the limit. His brother Cao Yun was ready to cross into the Mortal Warrior realm and Mei Hua would at least be a 9th-grade Mortal or even a Mortal Warrior before leaving the Ancient Ruins. Although he wasn't confident in imitating their speed, he was still their senior. As such, he couldn't lose to the both of them and had to at least equal them.
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Elder Tang sent orders to the servants to gather all the second-years in the courtyard of their residence. Immediately, the four sworn brothers and sister met. In the short time they had been back to the Wubei Sect, they had all been too busy with their respective cultivation and training to see each other. But they had spent a very good time while traveling with Xiao Xuefeng.
"Silence! This year, I will be in charge of explaining the Ancient Ruins you have probably all heard about. But first, I need you to make an oath. Those so-called Ancient Ruins are one of the greatest treasures of the Wubei Sect. As such, they are shrouded in absolute secrecy. Thus, you all have to swear to never divulge anything about what I'm about to tell as well as anything that you will see within those ruins. You have to swear on your Dao Heart."
Hearing the last sentence, a small uproar spread through the crowd. Swearing on one's Dao Heart was extremely strong for a cultivator. In short terms, the Dao Heart was the pride and will of the cultivator. It wasn't a physical object, but an abstract concept. However, if someone were to break such an oath, it would always leave traces in his soul and mind. Sometimes, it could even create an inner demon. Not only were orthodox cultivators subject to those risks, even the demonic cultivators could not escape from them.
Of course, in theory, it was always possible to renege on such an oath. But almost no human had ever been able to survive it. The trauma was too great, even though it was self-inflicted. Someone who had broken this oath just wasn't the same anymore. And he lacked the determination to further his cultivation or even to resist his inner demons.
Considering how binding this kind of oath was, it wasn't surprising that the disciples were a bit hesitant about it. That being said, it was the Wubei Sect they were talking about. Many cultivators of the Hongchen Kingdom, often the most talented ones, had gone through the training of the Wubei Sect. And not one had a single bad word to speak about their practices. Instead, it had an impeccable reputation. And now, the disciples fully understood why no one had ever spoken about those Ancient Ruins prior to their arrival inside the sect. Apart from the name, they knew nothing. And in fact, they didn't really know the name. Ancient Ruins was not a real name, right?
Amongst the crowd, several disciples had no hesitation whatsoever though. They were Cao Yun and his brothers of course, but also a few of the highest disciples, like Zhao Qing, Tian Lan, Xin Chen and others. In all, thirteen disciples had immediately knelt on the ground and made the vow without thinking twice about it. Seeing that the most powerful among the second-years had shown no hesitation, all the others followed. And before long, all fifty-seven outer disciples had sworn on their Dao Heart.
"Good. Stand up, now. I will explain all that you need to know.
"First off, remember that those Ancient Ruins are the greatest opportunity you will get in our Wubei Sect. But it is for you to seize this chance, no one can do it for you. And no one will hold your hand to help you. Once you are inside, you will be entirely alone. So listen and listen close!"
After those words, there was absolute silence among the outer disciples. They would not miss a single word of what Elder Tang was about to say. Any insignificant detail might prove useful since they knew nothing at all.
Before continuing his explanations, Elder Tang spread his spiritual senses. All around the disciples, an array formation got activated. In the middle of the courtyard, the big bodhi tree, similar to the one that was in the first-years residence, began to grow. In a few seconds, its branches formed a giant dome around the disciples and Elder Tang. Then, they all felt as though the world outside was moving. A powerful sense of disorientation overtook them completely. Some of the weakest disciples were even victims to vertigo and fell to the ground.
Finally, the sensation stopped, but some of the symptoms endured. Then the dome of branches gradually dispersed as the bodhi tree was shrinking back to its original size.
When the disciples saw the outside world, they could see the Heidai Peak in the distance. They were still in the mountains, but on a nearby peak. Since they could see the sect from here, it wasn't that far, but still, they shouldn't have been able to cross such a distance in an instant.
Among the disciples, the ones who were the most shocked were Sun Liao and the other array formation masters. This array formation had to at least be Heaven rank. Although they had lived in that particular residence for an entire year, they had not even noticed it. The only reason why they didn't think about a Spirit array formation was that not a single expert would pretend being able to set one up in this era. There was no equivalent to Spirit Master Xiao and Spirit Master Hua for array formation masters.
When finally they had regained their composure, the outer disciples saw that they were in front of a small building. There was nothing impressive about it and it almost looked like the hut of some vagrant hunter. Despite its humble appearance, all the disciples could tell that it wasn't that simple. Sun Liao, Cao Yun and Mei Hua with their mind cultivation were able to soon detect what was wrong with this picture. Clearly, this was an illusion. This hut was not a simple hut at all, it was hiding the real thing. And even space seemed to be distorted around this hut.
Considering his experience this year, Cao Yun was also convinced that this was yet another entrance to a different world. Of course, there was nothing as ominous as with the Yellow Death World, but the feeling that this was foreign to this world was the same.
"What you see before your eyes is just the projection of what our disciples call the Ancient Ruins. To tell you the truth, we don't know what this place is exactly either. Apparently, that place has been built by the humans during the Legendary Era, before the demons came and enslaved our kind. Even they were not able to pervert and destroy this place. In fact, according to the records, the demons themselves decided to use it as a training ground.
"This modest hut hides a gigantic palace, the Palace of Supreme Wisdom. As I said, no one remembers who built it, but it contains a 5-Spirit array formation. We do believe that at some point in time, it used to be a 1-God array formation or higher. But unfortunately, the spirit within has faded with the past eras. Despite its lack of consciousness, it remains aware of its surrounding and keeps on doing its task. And its task is to train the younger generation.
"That is why our Wubei Sect has a limit on the age of the recruits. Because this array formation has been created with a limit on the age of the people it accepts within. No one over twenty-two can enter this array formation. This was probably some significant age during the Legendary Era. Many have speculated on it, but no one knows anything about that time. What's important is that this Palace of Supreme Wisdom has been built to train humans.
"When you enter, you will be stuck inside for an entire year. No one can get you out or get in to help you. Thankfully, the array formation itself will give you water and food if you need it."
Immediately, Elder Tang sent small emblems with the character for supreme on them. Each disciple received one. Since he was a Mortal Warrior, Cao Yun was the only one who understood what they were. Deep within the emblem, there was a small array formation.
"If you need to eat or drink, just tighten your grip around those and think about it. They are connected with the main array formation. Not only will they allow you to get what you need, they will also be used by the array formation to transport you inside.
"And once inside, the Palace of Supreme Wisdom will create unique worlds for each one of you. Every single world will contain a particular test specifically designed for you and what you need. It will be up to you to understand what is expected of you though. But if you're able to complete the test, this emblem will activate and send you to the next world tailored for another one of your needs. As I said, no world will be identical. In the past, people have tried to guess which worlds would appear but although some may have some similarities, they are always different because they depend on you, your body, your mind, your soul, your martial arts, your cultivation, everything that makes you a cultivator.
"Each test can be passed through various means. And the array formation will adapt to your performances. Some disciples have even obtained various treasures while passing the tests of the Palace of Supreme Wisdom. It is very rare, but some of you might be able to get a weapon or an ancient art of some kind. As I said, always remember that those tests have been designed for you in particular. All the answers will lie in you, you can't count on external help."
In Elder Tang's eyes, Cao Yun saw something. He wanted to add some more words but stopped himself. Sensing the fear and doubt in Elder Tang's gaze, Cao Yun knew. He had been informed about the demonic cultivators preparing something in the Ancient Ruins this year. But he had also probably been told to keep quiet about it. After all, it was highly probable that some of the disciples around the small hut had been converted. Xiao Xuefeng had felt nothing unusual but she was not omniscient. In fact, now that he was able to feel the Qi in his environment, Cao Yun did not feel anything unusual either, and he was very sensitive to Evil Qi thanks to the Drop of Wrath.
Unfortunately, that only meant that no one had practiced a demonic cultivation method long enough to develop signs of it. That didn't mean that they had not joined their ranks. Maybe they were just waiting for truly practicing those techniques. But the higher-ups probably didn't want the disciples to doubt each other, especially not during such an important moment. And after all, each one would be sent to a different world, so they were not at risk.
"Although the benefits are great, there are still some dangers. If your life were to be threatened by a test, the Palace of Supreme Wisdom will automatically send you to another world. There will be less danger but you will also get fewer benefits. But I remind you, those emblems are the way by which the array formation is able to transport you. If you lose them, we will lose you as well. In our more than ten thousand years of history, we only lost three disciples, I do not wish to be the idiot who loses a fourth one. Keep your emblems with you at all times. And only take them out when you need to drink or eat, and not in the middle of a fight or above a giant hole.
"Do you have any question?"
All the disciples answered Elder Tang at once. No one had anything more to ask.
"Good. Soon your fellow outer disciples will exit the Palace of Supreme Wisdom."
What no one saw was that all the chief elders of the outer sect were floating above the clouds, watching every detail of what was happening. It was rare for them all to be reunited. But they were afraid of what the demonic cultivators might do.