The day reset itself again as the red summer sun rose to suffuse the sky above the capital with a bright pink. Tian Gong's inn was situated in the very east of capital. From there, one could look far into the distance and see the epic ridges of Mountains.
Tian Gong packed up his items and prepared for his long journey that he will do to find this artifact the Emperor wanted.
Tian Gong left the capital and started his arduous journey. He exerted a strength to his lower body and started to run along the praire.
He arrived at the orchid forest fast, nimble, gliding on the grasses beneath. At last, he arrived at an clearer area, leaving the orchid forest behind.
In front of him, there was a small hill. It lay right in his way and emitted plumes of white fog as the red sun rose from the east. He had never seen this hill before. In contrast to the rest of the mountains he had seen before, this two hundred meter hill could be considered a dwarf in comparison.
There were neither strange grasses nor ancient trees on the hill. There were neither beasts nor birds of prey either. This hill was perhaps the most ordinary and the most inconspicuous amongst all. But there was one thing that caught his eyes, and that was the plumes of white smoke that effused from the tip of the hill.
Despite his curiosity, Tian Gong did not open his mouth. Instead, he calmly let his feet move forward to see what it is.
The rising sun looked especially blaring and red. Tian Gong was not certain if it was just his imagination, but there was an unspeakable feeling of comfort and vivacity as the morning glow casted on his body.
Tian Gong also realized that the whole world seemed to have had a boost in vigor and vitality. Suddenly, the morning glow ruptured in a gushing manner. It seemed much holier and much more sacred all of a sudden. It illuminated every corner of the land.
"I could feel a rich lease of life suddenly suffusing me and the world around me", Tian Gong mumbled.
Suddenly, the hill trembled. The tremor was soon followed by an outburst of a chromatic plume of fog which rendered it ever so dazzling yet mystifying at the same time.
Soon buildings rose to the ground and an alliance name appeared in his mind from seeing the ancient city.
The Ancient Sucrose Alliance. It was said that in the past this alliance was the hegemon of Earth Realm. They ruled the world for millennium. The reason why they were nowhere to be seen anymore was because they all ascended to Heaven realm to save their members. It was much to his surprise that he found their Alliance land.
The path within the gates was scrawling with axe marks. It was maybe from the battles they had or a person had also found his way in before him. Someone from that ancient era had forcefully entered.
The land was steaming with clouds of transpirations. Rays of the morning sunlight illuminated the misty fog, making this a rather surreal scene to behold. If this had only been a naturally occurred result from war, why would the path within it seem so mysterious and so mystical?
In this environment, Tian Gong felt that the vitality and vigor within his body were somehow augmented. He felt as if his body had been nurtured by some sort of strange substances from within the cave.
What was that?
Suddenly, he caught a good sight of the source. It was an altar with a incomprehensible artifact and a woman statue. It was attached to the rock walls artificially.
Tian Gong realized that what he was seeing was not an ordinary sacristy. There was a faint smell of soothing fragrance in the room. He started walking and soon standing in front of the artifact. He reached out his hand and tried to touch it. But when he finally managed to touched it, it soon dissipated into thin air like an illusion.
As if a trigger, a passage opened below it. The whole passage way was flat and straight. It didn't involved numerous turns or ups and downs at all.
At last, the path reached an end after walking endlessly in the long corridor for four hours. Vaguely, there seemed to be an obscure cloud of dim light blocking and covering something mysterious and something unknown. At the end of the road behind this obscure screen of light, a wind breeze past his cheek.
There, in front of him, was an entire new land he haven't seen before. Before him was the hole where he came from but the hill was nowhere to be seen. It was as if he was teleported. Nothing here could be explained. Everything seemed so random and so abrupt. Who would have anticipated that entering a passage way from that hill could lead to a place like this?
Tian Gong roamed the unknown land for 5 years. He found that it is not unknown but was really a teleportation of some sort. in that time, he joined many alliance in hope of finding the artifact first. This time, he has joined another alliance called Raging Fire. The one who greeted him was the vice leader.
Contrast to their alliance name, they are all very kind and welcoming. Tian Gong joined their alliance and as very straightforward as he is, he presented an artifact illustration and asked the Vice Leader if they have seen this artifact before.
They all went silence and then drew their weapons. They tensed as they all wear grim expression on their face.
They didn't really want to drew weapons and bring out the suspicion but since they found that this man has no cultivation base at all.
Only the vice leader kept silence with a dark face. Obviously, they don't the sense unordinary he emits. It was heavy and suffocating.
"Stop.", the trembling voice of vice leader could be heard loudly.
"We are not his opponent at all. Withdraw all your weapon back at this instance! You all are honestly stupid. You all must be blind to see Mt. Tai. and saw the afterlife instead."
What?, was all their reaction with their brow up. They all withdrew their weapon and apologize immediately.
If what the vice leader said was true, they are all indeed stupid and a chill ran down their backs. They even brought a flag instead.
"I apologize Gong Ge. Please forgive them!", he deeply bowed while sweating buckets in fear he will flatten the alliance to the ground.
"hhmmm. No problem. But you better discipline your members more.", Tian Gong nodded carelessly and beckon him to go on.
"Let's go Gong Ge. I'll let you see the artifact. To see if that's what you are searching.", he said to Tian Gong and walked through the path the members made.