Chapter 46: "Entering the Ashen Soul Ruins."

An suffocating silence descended over the crowd as the eight cultivators staggered forward from the massive crimson gateway. Their once pure robes were now torn and stained with dried blood and faces ashen in fatigue with a look of horror in their eyes. Some clutched their wounds and barely able to stand while others collapsed on the ground, their trembling hands reaching for the dirt as if to confirm that they had truly escaped the hell.

The cultivators surrounding the monolith watched in tense anticipation.

"They actually made it out?" someone whispered, breaking the eerie silence.

"Only eight, but had not over six hundred entered the ruin last week. What happened to the rest?" one of the rogue cultivators said holding his breath.

A low murmur spread through the crowd after hearing this as their expression became grave and filled with dread.

Elder Liu and the other elders of the Vermillion Flame Sect exchanged concerned glances with each other. Ye Xiaotian stood at the center of their formation, observed the battered survivors with his sharp golden eyes.

Just what had happened within the Ashen Soul Ruins?

Among the survivors, a man with a half-broken sword strapped on his back forced himself as he stood up. His breathing was ragged but his gaze was still filled with determination.

A disciple from the surrounding sects who knows one of the survivors stepped forward. "Brother Li! What happened inside the ruins? Where are the rest who had entered with you?"

Brother Li, whose body is covered in cuts and bruises, looked at the disciple with his hollow eyes. The moment he met the expectant gazes around him, a bitter smile of melancholy appeared on his pale face. "What did we see?" His voice was hoarse as he said. "We saw hell."

His words sent a chill through the crowd, some of the weak-minded disciples started trembling.

A rogue cultivator stepped forward and asked with an impatient voice. "Speak clearly! What exactly had happened inside?"

Brother Li exhaled heavily, as if recalling something too horrifying to put into words. "When we entered the ruins it seemed normal at first. We looted some ancient palaces, broken temples, and visited some remnants of a battlefield from an era long forgotten. At first everything was going well when it was still day. But..."

He paused for some time, his fingers unconsciously curling into a fist as he continued. "But everything changed when night fell."

A collective shudder ran through the crowd.

"What do you mean?" one of the disciples asked.

Brother Li's eyes darkened, recalling the nightmare he had gone through to be alive today. "The ruins became alive as night fell."

His words sent ripples of chill through the cultivators. Even some of the most experienced veterans furrowed their brows, sensing the dangers inside from his words.

"At first, we only encountered minor threats like some lingering spirits, a few phantoms and a horde of zombies. But then… the real nightmare began."

He took a deep breath, steadying himself before continuing.

"The moment the sun settled in the horizon the dead woke up from their graves."

A sharp intake of breath swept through the onlookers.

"Undead?" a voice asked, barely above a whisper.

Brother Li nodded gravely. "Yes. Spectral warriors, decayed monsters, vengeful spirits all emerged from the shadows as night fell. They were stronger than anything we expected. Our companions… were torn apart one by one. Some vanished into the darkness without a sound. Others… were dragged screaming into the depth, never to be seen again."

The cultivators gathered at the entrance exchanged uneasy glances.

Gu Tianheng, who was standing among the Azure Flame Sect's disciples, scoffed. "Pathetic. They were just too weak to survive."

One of the injured survivors lifted his bloodshot eyes toward Gu Tianheng, an unsettling smile forming on his lips. "Oh? Then why don't you go in first, young master? I'd love to see how long your arrogance lasts when you hear the voices whispering in your ear… when you see the hands reaching for you from the shadows… when you realize that even your strongest attacks pass through them like mist, yet their claws can still tear through your flesh."

For a brief moment, a flicker of uncertainty passed through Gu Tianheng's eyes, but he quickly masked it with an arrogant smirk. "Hmph. Ghost stories meant to scare children."

Elder Liu, who had remained silent, finally spoke. "Did you find anything valuable?"

Brother Li hesitated before slowly nodding. "Yes. There are still great treasures hidden inside. We found ancient weapons, rare herbs, and even relics from the past civilizations that once thrived in the ruins."

A greedy glint flashed in the eyes of many cultivators upon hearing his words.

"But…" Brother Li's voice turned grim, his gaze sweeping over the eager faces around him. "You have to be alive to take them, and even if a powerful expert finds any great treasures, he will not be able to take that treasure."

The greed in many eyes dimmed slightly, replaced by caution.

"What do you mean."One of the disciples asked curiously.

Brother Li pondered for some time then answered. "Even though there are many great treasures in just the outer region of the ruins, there were many great treasures like high-grade spiritual herbs, some powerful cultivation techniques and weapons, but we could only watch them from afar, we were not even able to go near them." 

"Why" a sudden question emerged in the mind of those who were present here.

Brother Li continue. "Because all great treasures inside are protected by some powerful beings who have consciousness, they can think even though they are not able to talk, but still they can fight like an experienced warrior, even the lowest grade treasure was protected by beings at the Soul Awakening Realm."

"What, how is this possible?" Every cultivator, whether they were veterans or novice, cried after hearing him.

As they all know that Ashen Soul Ruins was a battlefield of ancient times and there are only dead warriors present here, so how can they have consciousness even now after so long time.

"Yes! It's true, after so many years, many of them had formed their own consciousness," Brother Li said.

"Redeclious, absolutely redeclious" hearing such an absurd matter, Gu tianheng shouted.

"He is surely lying, how can the dead form their own consciousness, he just didn't want us to enter, meaning he is surely hiding something from us or some great treasures and lying to us so that he can enter and take it after some time", he continued.

"Just shut up if you don't know anything. Even if it's a dead so what? Even a tree can form its own consciousness after thousands of years, not even mentioning the dead or ghosts that have some spirituality left even after dying. When some powerful experts at the top of the cultivation world die, their bodies remain intact for a long time, and if they die somewhere, where the spiritual energy is very dense, they can definitely form their own consciousness." Ye Xiaotian, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, finally spoke.

"You!" Gu tianheng's expression darkened. It was the first time that a nobody had told him to shut up.

"Where did your group travel?" Ye Xiaotian ignored him and turned toward Brother Li and asked.

Brother Li turned his gaze toward Ye Xiaotian. The moment their eyes met there was something about Ye Xiaotian's calm and unwavering expression that made him pause. Unlike the others who were either excited or fearful, Ye Xiaotian's gaze was calm.

"We only explored the outer regions," Brother Li admitted. "We never went deeper than five miles beyond the entrance. Anything beyond that… is unknown territory."

Ye Xiaotian nodded, committing the information in his memory. So even the strongest of those who entered only dared to explore the outer layers. That means the true dangers and the true opportunities lie deeper within.

As Brother Li and the other survivors were taken away by their respective sects for treatment, the atmosphere among the cultivators grew increasingly tense.

"The ruins are open. There's no point hesitating."

"The risk is high, but so are the rewards."

"What's the worst that could happen?"

One by one, cultivators began stepping toward the crimson gate, their figures disappearing into the swirling mist.

Elder Liu turned to Ye Xiaotian. "It's time."

"You all can go back to the sect now, thank you for accompanying me," Without hesitation, Ye Xiaotian stepped forward, he turned toward Elder Liu's group and bowed. Then he turned back and walked toward the crimson monolith without looking back.

"Return alive Xiaotian," just as he was about to enter the gateway, he heard Elder Liu's voice. He just waved his hands and entered the red mist.

Elder Liu and the other elders waited for a while, looking at his back and turned back as they sighed. "Fate is something that pushes us even toward the death", Elder Liu muttered. "Sigh,"

He turned and took a last look at the massive doorway as he walked back toward the Eboncrest city, 'Scarlet Moon Pavilion. '

Their duties are fulfilled. Now it's time to return back to the sect.

Far away...

Deep within the shadows of Eboncrest City, a pair of glowing violet eyes observed the unfolding scene with quiet intrigue. Hidden beneath the cover of darkness, the figure remained still, exuding an aura of mystery and power.

A soft, amused chuckle escaped her lips, echoing faintly in the silence.

"So it really is you…" she murmured, her voice laced with curiosity and fascination. Her slender fingers traced the rim of a delicate jade cup as she continued watching. "How interesting… Your spiritual root was supposed to be crippled, yet here you are, stronger than ever."

Her eyes shimmered with an unknown emotion, a sly smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Let's see, Ye Xiaotian… What secrets are you hiding?"

End of Chapter 46