Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 141 - 118: Immortal Mansion Ruins

Ling Changqing surveyed his surroundings with a grave expression, but found nothing else of note.

These pitch-black stone pillars stood alone in the center of the island, unchanging for thousands upon thousands of years.

’Wait, something seems off?’

Ling Changqing stared at the cluster of pitch-black stone pillars for a long time, a clear look of doubt in his eyes.

"Did you notice something?"

Ling Qiyue, standing beside him, asked with a radiant smile.

"The real entrance... it isn’t here, is it?"

Ling Changqing mused. He had a gut feeling that something was wrong with those pillars. There was no telling what would happen if he approached them directly.

A look of admiration appeared in Ling Qiyue’s beautiful eyes. "To notice a problem on your very first visit... Little Junior Brother, you really are different. When Sister Qiuyao and I came here for the first time, we were so reckless we nearly paid a heavy price!"

"Then... where is the real entrance?"

Ling Changqing asked. For the two of them to have escaped unscathed back then, they clearly had some tricks up their sleeves.

"The pillars outside are a deadly Array trap. The real entrance to the Immortal Mansion Ruins is underwater. Follow me!"

As she spoke, Ling Qiyue summoned her Magical Treasure, the Fenghuo Panyun Bell. A bright, crimson light surged forth, instantly forming a thick curtain of light that shielded them both.

Taking Ling Changqing’s arm, she cautiously descended to the sea’s surface. Without a moment’s pause, Ling Qiyue pulled him down into the icy water.

The seawater was exceptionally clear. The fine, white sand and stones that glowed with a faint blue light covered the seabed, illuminating the area as brightly as day.

Just as Ling Changqing had expected, there were no signs of life here either—not even the faintest trace of algae or plankton. As far as the eye could see, everything was deathly still.

"Tens of thousands of years ago, some unknown cataclysm must have occurred here, wiping out all living things!"

Ling Qiyue said in a low voice, leading him as she swam off to the side.

"What kind of disaster could kill all living things indiscriminately? And over such a vast area?"

Ling Changqing asked with a frown. ’Could it have been the work of a Divinity Transformation Level Great Power, or someone even stronger?’

"Perhaps. They might have even used some forbidden Divine Techniques or an Ancient Spiritual Treasure. In any case, it’s beyond what we can possibly imagine right now!"

Ling Qiyue explained. Compared to beings of that level, a mere Golden Core Master was far too insignificant.

If, one day, she and her Little Junior Brother could also reach the realm of a Great Power, only then would they have a chance to uncover the truth of that ancient disaster.

As they spoke, the two had already swum to the side of an unremarkable reef over a hundred feet across.

"We’re here. This is the place!"

Ling Qiyue said softly, taking a mottled, ancient-looking Bronze Array Plate and nine fan-sized Array Banners from her Storage Pouch and beginning to set up the Array.

It was only then that Ling Changqing noticed a faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation of Spiritual Power around the reef. Even the concentration of Spiritual Qi in the surrounding seawater seemed a bit unusual.

"The water here is different from other parts of the sea. Whether you use an Array, a Magical Treasure, or Divine Techniques, they all leave indelible traces in the water."

Ling Qiyue spoke as she saw that the Array was in place. She pulled him into the center of the formation and, with practiced ease, formed a Spirit Technique to activate the Array Map.

A soft, clear glow emerged from the Array Map, its brightness increasing dramatically. Soon, it illuminated a radius of several hundred yards, revealing every minute detail.

An invisible pressure filled the space. As the Array operated, the faint, semi-circular silhouette of a gateway appeared on the reef and slowly solidified.

After fifteen breaths, the luminous gateway stabilized completely.

"Alright, let’s go in!"

Ling Qiyue put away the Bronze Array Plate and Array Banners, then led Ling Changqing through the gateway.

’This ancient Array Map was the key to the Immortal Mansion Ruins. I have no idea where Ling Qiyue originally obtained it.’

Inside the luminous gateway was an unusually wide Black Stone Passage, constructed from perfectly cut stone slabs, each about ten feet square, that had been pieced and fused together.

The seams between these thick slabs were flawless. They were engraved with countless archaic, abstruse, and cryptic Array Patterns that emanated a faint hint of Dao Rhyme, forming a seamless whole.

Ling Changqing looked down at the black floor tiles, which also bore intricate and cryptic vein-like patterns. ’I wonder if this is some kind of long-lost ancient Array,’ he thought.

"Don’t worry, just follow me. It’s not dangerous here."

Ling Qiyue said, taking Ling Changqing’s arm. She carefully avoided floor tiles with certain patterns as they proceeded deeper into the passage.

"Can’t we use Magic to fly?"

Ling Changqing asked. ’The Black Stone Passage seems quite long; how long would it take to walk the entire way?’

"No, you really can’t. Don’t even try it, or you’ll attract unknown trouble."

Ling Qiyue warned him with a solemn expression. She and Tang Qiuyao had been here more than once and were quite familiar with the outer area of these ruins.

Ling Changqing abandoned the idea and obediently followed beside Ling Qiyue, walking step by step deeper into the passage.

After walking only a short distance, Ling Changqing found that the end of the passage was already in sight. It seemed it wasn’t that far to begin with.

’Looks like the effect of some unknown spatial Restriction?’

Ling Changqing was lost in thought. He checked his own Luck and Fortune and saw no obvious change.

"The dangers in this outer area are actually limited. Qiuyao and I have come here three times in total. The first two times, we didn’t find anything decent, just some minor benefits. But on the third trip, she found a Spirit Pill that can cleanse the marrow and improve one’s innate talent. I got a Pill Scripture and a Pill Furnace! Little Junior Brother, your Luck and Fortune is extraordinary. I hope we can find something different this time!" Ling Qiyue said with a smile.

Of course, she had later returned once more on her own for Cultivation in Seclusion within these Immortal Mansion Ruins, successfully breaking through to the Golden Core Master Realm.

This was because the Spiritual Qi Environment in the Immortal Mansion Ruins was equivalent to a Grade Three Spirit Vein Cave Mansion Hall, making it the perfect place to attempt a breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Based on this, Tang Qiuyao had reasonably speculated that the core area of the Immortal Mansion Ruins should have a Spiritual Qi Environment equivalent to a Grade Four Spirit Vein, and perhaps even a Rank Five was not out of the question.

As they talked, they reached the end of the Black Stone Passage, where a massive Bronze Giant Gate, about a hundred feet in height and width, stood silently.

"It seems no one else has broken in. All the details are just as they were when I left!"

Ling Qiyue carefully scanned the area with her Divine Sense. Finding nothing amiss, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The Bronze Gate was currently half-open and appeared to have no other Array Restrictions on it, so the two passed through with ease.

Behind the gate was a space nearly a thousand feet across, filled with a considerable number of Daoist Soldier Puppets. They were sitting or standing, and many were already in a state of disrepair.

There seemed to be many different types: some held Long Halberds, some wielded Dual Handed War Axes, some were Wielding Sword and Shield, and others held Crossbows...

The most numerous, of course, were the Rank One Daoist Soldier Puppets, though a few second rank ones could be seen occasionally.

Many of the Puppets inside looked identical to the guard puppets that had appeared on the Ling Family’s territory.

Ling Changqing paused in thought. "The Daoist Soldier Puppets in the family headquarters and the Marketplace... some of them must have come from here, right?"

"Mhm. A certain area in these Immortal Mansion Ruins specializes in producing these tough-skinned things. Many of them are just empty shells with their spiritual energy depleted. Qiuyao and I collected a batch, replaced their central Restrictions, refilled them with Spirit Stones, and brought them back to be used."

Ling Qiyue didn’t hide anything. It was precisely because the family headquarters and the Marketplace had this decent fighting force protecting them that the Ling Family’s territory was far safer than that of other factions.

"There are still some Daoist Soldier Puppets in here that aren’t too badly damaged. They can be repaired and used again. Little Junior Brother, you should pick out a batch to take back with you this time."

Ling Qiyue added that some of the second rank Daoist Soldier Puppets had considerable combat power and were quite useful for Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

"Okay."

Ling Changqing did not refuse.