Human Clan Defender-Chapter 691 - s 53 to 57: Time Decay, Divine Ability Scroll (Four-in-One, thanks to the "Colorless Void" Silver League)

"The left side?"

Shen Changqing looked towards the passage on the left side of the hall. Although there was a faint glow there, it was impossible to see the specific scene inside.

"A Puppet that possesses strength no weaker than a general Heaven Being; this place is indeed extraordinary. Last time Pavilion Master Yi entered, did he encounter anything other than the Puppet?"

By that, he meant treasures.

Yi Ning understood the other party's implication and self-mockingly smiled. "Pavilion Master Shen might laugh, but I didn't even get a chance to see anything clearly before I was chased by that Puppet. If I hadn't run, I would have been dead for sure."

Having said that, he shifted the subject. "However, this time is different. With Pavilion Master Shen here, I expect that Puppet won't have the chance to run rampant."

"Let's go take a look first." Shen Changqing shook his head. With that, he took the lead towards the corridor on the left, with Yi Ning following closely behind.

The hall was very large. The patterns on the surrounding murals were extremely exquisite, almost as if they were alive. However, Shen Changqing wasn't too concerned about these things; he simply glanced at them before entering the passageway.

The long corridor twisted and turned. At first glance, one simply couldn't see the end. Neither of them spoke as they moved forward at a leisurely pace.

It might have been a quarter of an hour, or perhaps one hour. Since entering the hall, they had lost all sense of the passage of time.

Afterward, the two stopped in their tracks. At the end of the corridor, at a bend, stood a tightly closed hall door.

"Beyond this hall door is where I encountered the Puppet," Yi Ning said, his expression grave. "I had to leave in a hurry last time, so I didn't explore much. Be careful, Pavilion Master Shen."

Even though Shen Changqing was by his side, he dared not let his guard down. It may have seemed that he spoke with ease earlier, but in reality, Yi Ning had been on high alert from beginning to end. Those who weren't vigilant would eventually perish within the Ancient Ruins.

Upon hearing this, Shen Changqing's gaze fell on the bronze hall door, which was significantly smaller compared to the main hall doors. His Divine Sense probed but detected nothing. Clearly, the hall door was made of some special material capable of blocking Divine Sense.

Retracting his Divine Sense, he thrust out his palm, and a terrifying force acted upon the door.

HUM—

The heavy door trembled lightly and then began to open slowly under their watchful eyes.

The next instant, a great amount of nature's spiritual energy surged out. At the same time, a figure charged out from within, releasing a powerful burst of force that made the space itself slightly distort.

"Be careful!" Yi Ning's face changed.

As he shouted, Shen Changqing had already launched an attack with a single finger. The two forces collided, and the figure was instantly sent flying back.

In one stride, Shen Changqing stepped directly into the side hall.

The view opened up. Before them was a Puppet, dressed in a Taoist robe and looking no different from an ordinary person, now lying powerlessly on the ground. It was trying to struggle to its feet, but to no avail. The force of that one finger had destroyed its Flesh, leaving it in a near-death state.

"HISS!" Yi Ning, who had followed him into the side hall, couldn't help but draw a sharp breath seeing the dying Puppet lying on the ground. He had a deep understanding of the Puppet's strength. Such a strong Puppet, yet it was almost destroyed by the other party's single finger. The disparity was utterly despairing.

"It seems this must be the Alchemy Room!" Smelling the faint fragrance and looking at the jade bottles stored on the shelves, as well as the Pill Furnace in the center of the side hall, Shen Changqing immediately recognized the place. In ancient times, this must have been where that Ancient Powerhouse practiced Alchemy. The Pill Furnace in the middle said it all. Despite countless years, there wasn't a speck of dust on the Pill Furnace, although its fire had long been extinguished.

"Good stuff!" Yi Ning's eyes lit up as he caught sight of the jade bottles on the shelves. The Elixirs produced by an Ancient Powerhouse were the ultimate treasures. If he were lucky enough to find some that could enhance his strength, it would be of endless benefit to him. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

With this thought, he rushed towards one of the shelves and picked up a jade bottle from the top. Upon removing the stopper, a weak fragrance wafted out. He looked inside the bottle, but instead of Elixirs, there was nothing but black ash.

Instantly, Yi Ning picked up another jade bottle, only to find the same scene upon opening it.

One. Two. Before long, he had opened all the jade bottles in the side hall. Without exception, there weren't any Elixirs remaining inside, only black ash.

"It seems this Ancient Ruin has existed for too long. The Elixirs that were stored here have all turned to ash over the passage of years," Yi Ning said, his face showing regret.

Such a pity. Truly a pity. If the Elixirs in such a large side hall had been preserved intact, it would have been an immense treasure. However, they were all gone. Under the erosion of time, almost nothing can exist forever. The Elixirs stored here, after thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of years, had lost all their effectiveness.

"Time has indeed been long. It's normal for the Elixirs to lose their effect. Considering the lengthy span from ancient times to the present, there probably isn't much left that's preserved!" Shen Changqing wasn't surprised at all.

If the Elixirs were gone, they were gone. To him, the Elixirs of ancient times, while precious, were not indispensable.

Instead, what Shen Changqing truly cared about was something else.