6 Chapter 6.
The St. Ancestral Mountain Range sprawls across the northern side of Glory City, its terrain characterised by extreme cold and perpetual snow, even in summer.
Populated by myriad demon beasts, it poses a constant danger to travellers, requiring utmost vigilance to avoid peril.
"Where in the world are those ancient city ruins?" Ye Han grumbled, frustration evident as he scanned the landscape with his microscopic vision.
It had been two relentless days since his departure from Glory City in search of the elusive Orchid City ruins. He hadn't paused for a moment, driven by a combination of boundless stamina and a strategic desire to lure his pursuers to a distant location.
Though unsure how his whereabouts had been leaked, he suspected the dark guild's involvement. Nonetheless, he eschewed flight for the sake of exploration.
'Experiencing new sights firsthand beats viewing them from above any day.'
Continuing his journey, he finally caught sight of structures in the distance.
"At last," He muttered, his relief tainted by the realisation of the remaining distance. "Still another day's journey…"
Resolving to deal with his stalkers first, he beckoned them forth.
"Come out, you cowards!" He called out, brandishing his sword. Yet, no response came.
"Do they take me for a fool?" He muttered irritably, employing heat vision to dispatch one hidden assailant.
A cry rang out, unnoticed by nearby demon beasts who paid no heed.
"Ye Han, I hadn't anticipated your demonic abilities," remarked an elderly figure, Shen Ming, flanked by accomplices. "No wonder the younger generation struggles against you."
"And can you defeat me, Shen Ming?" Ye Han asked, a smirk playing on his lips. "You, a mere 2-star Silver rank who manages the Sacred Family's affairs?"
"Alone, perhaps not," Shen Ming conceded with a chuckle. "But I'm not alone."
"Then let's find out, shall we?" Ye Han grinned, vanishing before their eyes.
"Where did he go?" the leader of the group exclaimed, scanning the surroundings in vain.
Before they could react, another assailant fell swiftly, dwindling their numbers. Bewildered, they attempted to retaliate, but Ye Han's speed proved insurmountable.
As casualties mounted, panic seized the remaining two. But their attempts to flee proved futile as Ye Han dispatched them effortlessly.
"And thus, the fate of the Sacred Family is sealed," Ye Han remarked with satisfaction, disposing of the bodies.
Unperturbed by the watching demon beasts, he meditated, absorbing the energy of slain foes—a power he could utilise through his sword.
Aware of its impurity, he opted to refine it through his cultivation method, gradually advancing to a 5-star Gold Rank expert.
Though tempted to push for a breakthrough, he restrained himself, instead focusing on tempering his body with the remaining energy.
"My physical and soul power have once again doubled in strength," Ye Han murmured, sensing the changes that had occurred in his body and soul.
By attaining the Gold rank, he had once again formed a miniature sun inside his dantian and acquired another useful ability which he named the Aura of Restoration—an ability that envelops him and nearby allies in a healing aura, hastening recovery from injuries, illnesses, and fatigue.
Getting to his feet, he briefly admired the sun before resuming his journey toward the ruined city.
"Despite my swift pace, it still took me three restless days to reach this place," Ye Han muttered to himself. "No wonder it took the protagonist group about a week for the round trip."
Luckily, with his X-ray vision, he wouldn't have to physically search for treasures like they did. A single glance would suffice to discern whether a treasure was hidden.
The weaker demon beasts scattered upon sensing his presence, but those in his realm or part of a group persisted in attacking him.
With summer upon them, the fox bears had emerged from hibernation and, upon spotting him in their territory, swiftly attacked.
As they attacked, Ye Han whistled a tune from his previous world, relishing in the free spirit energy they provided.
To him, no matter how formidable his enemies were, a single sword strike was all it took to end their lives.
In the afternoon, he rested under a tree and indulged in the fruits he had brought with him. With no one following him, he savoured the solitude.
After his meal, he took a brief nap before continuing his journey.
Soon, he reached a mountainous area where the path became treacherously narrow and rugged, making progress difficult.
Nevertheless, he steadily pressed on through the arduous path, which lasted for hours, until he reached a canyon passage.
Swiftly traversing it, he finally arrived at the dense woods concealing the ancient city. It was already noon.
"These woods completely conceal the city," Ye Han remarked as he surveyed the towering trees around him.
Had he not been aware of this place, he too would have left, believing there was nothing but dense forest here.
Shaking his head, he soared above the tall trees and landed amidst the ruins of the ancient city.
"This place is quite intriguing," Ye Han observed, taking in the circular buildings, many of which lay in ruins.
Despite the round structures, he couldn't help but notice the square layout of the entire city.
His gaze lingered on a large, beautiful lotus mural, evoking a sense of familiarity.
"If I recall correctly, the protagonist learned about this city's era by studying this mural," he mused, once again piqued by the knowledge the protagonist possessed.
Despite having perused the entire library of Glory City and gaining knowledge from two significant individuals, Ye Han still felt unfamiliar with the various eras.
He possessed only rudimentary knowledge of the different epochs, with much left to learn.
"These small houses nearby must have been where the commoners lived," Ye Han observed.
Activating his X-ray vision, he systematically entered each house, though he didn't expect to find anything valuable in the dwellings of common folk.
In some houses, he discovered jewels and gold coins, likely the life savings of impoverished families.
"Perhaps these were intended as betrothal gifts," he pondered aloud, noting the universal presence of dowries in various cultures.
By nightfall, he had completed his search of every commoner's abode.
Next, he ventured into the central area of the city, reserved for the nobility of the era.
The grandeur of the noble houses and their sprawling courtyards dwarfed those of the commoners.
"What if I come up empty-handed again?" Ye Han worried, considering the time it would take to search each mansion individually.
Deciding to expedite the process, he flew above the mansions, allowing his X-ray vision to scan them all at once.
In less than three hours, he had amassed a trove of treasures hidden within vaults adorned with inscriptions—books, currency, jewels, forbidden scrolls, and precious weapons.
Storing his findings in a ring, he proceeded to the central area where the king's mansion stood.
Hovering over a familiar statue, he scanned the king's mansion, yet found nothing—a surprise.
"They must have placed valuable items in the king's tomb," he speculated, heading toward the broken statue.
Reading the inscriptions beneath it, a hidden passage opened beneath him, leading him into an underground maze.
Navigating the maze with his X-ray vision, Ye Han soon found himself in the Tomb of Emperor Kong Ming.
Realising there was nothing of interest except treasure, he avoided traps and collected valuables from refugee corpses scattered throughout.
Arriving at the great hall, he beheld a stone coffin adorned with mysterious inscriptions.
"I can't decipher these patterns," He admitted, considering the possibility that they were beyond Grandmaster level.
"Could the creator be at King level, or even an Inscription God?" He speculated.
Despite his weak detection ability pointing out the flaws, he remained powerless due to his lack of knowledge.
Disabling his X-ray vision, he approached the stone coffin, undeterred by the rotating white light surrounding it.
As the light attempted to harm him, Ye Han absorbed it using his cultivation method, causing the coffin to open, revealing a pendant with an abstruse gemstone and a page.
He placed the pendant in the storage ring and stared at the page.
Although it appeared ordinary, it was a page from the Temporal Demon Spirit book, the most powerful and mysterious tome known.
"Will something happen if I touch it?" Ye Han murmured curiously, then picked up the page, only for it to disappear.
"Where did it go?" Ye Han searched his surroundings, activating his X-ray vision, but found nothing.
Soon, his soul realm surged, as if on the verge of a breakthrough.
Ye Han hastily sat in a meditative position, closing his eyes and activating his cultivation method.
Utilising the stored spirit energy inside his sword, he ascended from the 5 Star Gold rank to the 3 Star Black Gold rank.
Upon opening his eyes, a smirk played on his lips.
Though unsure of the page's role, it seemed to have merged with his soul realm, nourishing it, especially the three mini suns.
"Is it because of my cultivation method? Or perhaps the sword?"
Pushing his questions aside, he focused on his newfound ability.
Previously able to treat minor injuries, he now possessed an upgraded ability to heal even the gravely wounded, barring death.
Leaving the great hall, he headed for the treasure room, where the spiritual lamp containing one of the rarest demon spirits was housed.
After collecting the treasures in his storage ring, he unsheathed his sword and approached the lamp.
"I hope it won't go to waste…" Ye Han muttered, swinging his sword and cleaving the lamp in two, along with the demon spirit.
"Did it work…?" Ye Han closed his eyes, sensing the demon spirit's power within the sword.
The spiritual lamp contained the spirit of a Shadow Devil, nearly extinct during the Snow Wind Empire.
"Success." Ye Han smiled, observing the powers bestowed upon him by the demon spirit: the Void Form ability and shadow claws.
Without hesitation, he assimilated the Void Form ability while discarding the shadow claw ability as it was useless to him.
Entering the Void Form, he explored his surroundings and confirmed many details.
True to his understanding, while in the Void Form, physical contact was impossible, and neither could others detect his presence.
Utilising the Void Form ability, he exited the underground palace and then deactivated the ability.
With morning already upon him and the sun shining brightly, Ye Han pondered if there was anything left for him to do.
Reflecting on the events of the protagonist group's visit, he realised he had already claimed all the treasures and the demon spirit he needed.
"I doubt the protagonist group had any other tasks here," Ye Han concluded, satisfied that he hadn't overlooked anything. Floating in the sky, he set his course for Glory City.
Mid-flight, a crucial detail suddenly struck him, halting his progress.
"The novel mentioned three Legend-rank demon beasts hibernating in the St. Ancestral Mountain range," He recalled, regretting that he had overlooked this detail earlier.
Though he had no personal use for demon beasts, he recognized their value to his father, uncle, and aunt, all on the brink of reaching the Legend realm.
"Since I lack precise locations, I must search each mountain to locate them," He murmured, redirecting his flight back toward the mountains, activating his X-ray vision to aid in his search.
"It would be advantageous to find a suitable demon spirit for my cousin as well," He added, determined to maximise his family's strength.
Sooner or later he will leave the Glory City for a very long time, however before that happens, he plans to make the city so strong that no one will be able to do anything.
Unlike the protagonist who only thought about himself and his friends throughout his journey, he will help everyone who could be useful whether directly or indirectly.
"After all, the future city lord needs to look after his city and his people, right?"
