Chapter 285: There May Not Be Treasure in the Ruins, But There Are Always Legends

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Following the faint glow of their torches, they soon encountered a massive stone resembling a door that blocked their path.

"Is this it?" Ning Tianchen asked.

Qi Hua stepped forward to confirm the situation with the stone and nodded. "Yes, this is Ancient Ruins No. 18."

"How do we get in?" Ning Tianchen asked again.

Qi Hua explained, "There's a vessel nearby. Soul masters under thirty years old with soul power above the Soul King level must drip their blood into it, and the gate will automatically open. Only those who have dripped their blood can enter. If someone exceeds the age or strength requirements, an invisible barrier will block their way."

Tian Guozhen added, "Don't rush in just yet. There are some things we need to discuss beforehand."

This was primarily directed at Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong.

"There are unknown dangers inside the ruins. Back when our sect opened Ancient Ruins No. 7, there was a ten-thousand-year spirit beast inside, which caused our sect heavy losses."

"If you find any traces of spirit beasts inside the ruins, collect samples first, then immediately retreat. You can only proceed after accurately assessing the spirit beast's strength; otherwise, you must withdraw. This is an ironclad rule of the sect for everyone's safety."

Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong nodded in agreement.

As part of a team, prioritizing the group's interests was essential.

"As for the treasures inside, we can discuss how to divide them. In this icy wilderness, any greed could lead to everyone's death."

Ning Rongrong retorted, "We lack nothing in the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. How could we possibly be greedy?"

"All the better," Tian Guozhen replied.

After going over the precautions, the next step was to enter.

Tian Guozhen removed his gloves, preparing to cut his palm to drip blood into the vessel.

"Wait," Ning Tianchen interrupted. "Don't cut your palm. In this icy wilderness, your body's metabolism slows down significantly, making it hard for wounds on the palm to heal. Moreover, the palm is the least insulated part of the body. If cold seeps in, the entire hand could freeze and become permanently damaged."

With that, he lifted his tiger pelt and coat, making a small incision on his arm. The blood that flowed out instantly froze. Ning Tianchen used a small knife to scrape the frozen blood into the vessel. Immediately, the massive stone gate began to slowly shift, revealing a passage before them.

Air rushed in, and candles along the sides of the passage lit up.

After finishing, Ning Tianchen quickly put his clothes back on. The others followed his method one by one.

They then entered the passage together.

The passage was unusually narrow and long, but Ning Tianchen didn't discard his torch.

"There are lamps here. Why are you still holding onto the torch?" Tian Guocheng asked, puzzled.

Tian Guozhen and Tian Chao thought his actions made sense but didn't understand the reasoning behind it.

"Damn, you guys are so primitive. These oil lamps might not need air to burn, but a torch definitely does. If the torch goes out, we must retreat immediately, or we risk suffocation."

Carbon dioxide is denser than air and would accumulate at the bottom of the cave.

Since they had descended deeper into the cave, they were now at its lowest point, where carbon dioxide could easily accumulate in large quantities.

Ning Rongrong didn't know what carbon dioxide was, but she understood the principle behind Ning Tianchen's actions.

She laughed, "You all should learn more. Knowledge helps avoid unnecessary casualties."

Tian Guozhen and the others awkwardly scratched their heads.

Indeed, the Snow Mountain Sect lacked sufficient education on these topics. Even the sect's library was pitifully small.

Not long after, they reached a corner of the passage. Turning the corner, they were greeted by a sealed chamber.

At first glance, the chamber contained only a fragile-looking meditation cushion in the center and nothing else.

After searching carefully, they found no trace of any treasure.

However, Ning Tianchen noticed the murals on the walls of the chamber and began examining them closely.

"Damn it, this place is empty. Did someone get here before us?" Tian Guozhen cursed.

Ning Tianchen continued studying the murals without turning around. "If there were any treasures, leaving them in one place for a long time would leave traces on the ground within a hundred years. Even if they were moved, the traces would remain visible for tens of thousands of years."

"Therefore, there was never any treasure here. Even if we weren't the first to arrive, the result would have been the same."

As he suggested, the group searched the chamber thoroughly and indeed found no evidence of treasure.

Tian Guozhen analyzed solemnly, "No treasure but such powerful soul tools guarding the ruins—it doesn't make sense."

Ning Tianchen pointed to the wall. "Treasure doesn't have to be gold, silver, or rare materials. It could also be these murals and inscriptions."

"The murals?" Everyone gathered around.

The chamber had three walls covered with murals, totaling eight panels. Ancient inscriptions flanked each mural.

From the style of the writing, Ning Tianchen estimated that the ruins dated back between 40,000 to 60,000 years.

The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect offered courses in ancient scripts. Learning them wasn't just about understanding past cultures—it was also crucial for recognizing ancient ruins and uncovering opportunities.

Tian Guozhen and the others recognized the script as well.

"There may not be treasure in the ruins, but there are always legends. Friends from the future, listen to my story."

"So there really isn't any treasure," Tian Chao said with a bitter smile.

He didn't doubt the statement since there were no bodies in the chamber. Whoever left this message clearly had no reservations.

Powerful soul masters often left their life's treasures in plain sight, hoping successors would take only the riches and leave their remains undisturbed.

"I don't know how the script of later generations will evolve, but through these murals, friends from the future can understand the story of my life."

After reading the inscription, Ning Tianchen turned his attention to the first mural.

It depicted the person's birthplace—a small fishing village by the sea.

In the second mural, the figure wore ancient attire, suggesting he was likely a wandering adventurer or explorer. Before him surged fierce waves, and a squid-like spirit beast emerged, ready to attack.

"What is this? There aren't spirit beasts like this in rivers—are they extinct?" Tian Guocheng wondered.

Ning Tianchen interpreted, "This is the ocean. I think he was trying to express that even on a calm sea, violent waves could arise. For him, this was likely a pursuit of excitement and thrill."

The third mural also depicted the ocean, but this time it was the deep sea. A massive whale with a gaping maw devoured everything in its path.

Ning Tianchen recognized the spirit beast immediately—it was undoubtedly the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.

The Sea God ascended to godhood over 30,000 years ago, but these ruins predated that era by far.

This meant the mural's creator had encountered the Deep Sea Demon Whale King before the Sea God.

The Sea God had blinded the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's eyes, so the depiction of the whale with two eyes was entirely logical.

The subsequent murals chronicled the adventurer's journeys to perilous places.

By the sixth mural, Ning Tianchen concluded, "Clearly, from the second mural onward, this person's strength had at least reached the level of a Super Douluo—one of the strongest—and possibly even attained Level 99."

After all, only an exceptionally powerful Limit Douluo could escape the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's jaws.

Tian Guozhen speculated, "For someone of such strength to still explore the continent, there's only one possibility—his lifespan was nearing its end. He sought to extend his life or achieve further breakthroughs by exploring the unknown."

Ning Rongrong disagreed. "Limit Douluos theoretically live for a thousand years, which is already the limit for soul masters. Even if he was unwilling to accept it, he could only wait for death. After all, no one can reach Level 100."

Tian Guozhen and the others couldn't come up with a better explanation.

Northerners were straightforward by nature and didn't dwell on guessing others' thoughts.

As for reaching Level 100 and ascending to godhood, Ning Tianchen didn't mention it outright. The existence of gods was the continent's greatest secret and not something to discuss casually.

"Let's keep looking. Maybe we can uncover the purpose of this person's exploration from the murals."

With that, Ning Tianchen focused on the seventh mural.

This time, the protagonist was no longer a youthful figure but an elderly man with white hair and a hunched back. The cave depicted in the mural likely referred to their current location.

"At his age, he should have reached the end of his life," Ning Rongrong remarked. "But why isn't his body here?"

Ning Tianchen pointed to the wall behind them. "There's still the eighth mural. Let's see it first. This mural represents his state of mind—he prepared to die here, but for some reason, he didn't and instead left the eighth mural."

All mysteries would only be revealed after viewing the eighth mural.

Turning around, Ning Tianchen raised his torch and carefully examined the eighth mural.

The eighth mural contained a wealth of information—or rather, it could be divided into three separate murals.

The first segment showed that, as his life neared its end, strange symbols appeared in his mind.

"What are these symbols? They seem meaningless," Tian Guozhen muttered.

But Ning Tianchen wasn't unfamiliar with them.

The mural's depiction indicated that the protagonist didn't know where the voice came from, and the message it conveyed was highly confidential—he couldn't record it freely.

To evade the perception of a Limit Douluo, the source of the voice could only be a god. Moreover, the voice in his mind was likely related to a deity.

His gaze shifted to the second section of the divided mural.

The door of the sealed chamber opened, and a graceful female figure walked in, bathed in light.

Ning Tianchen said, "I think this represents moving toward the light and stepping into rebirth."

Tian Guozhen, however, looked solemn.

Noticing his expression, Ning Tianchen asked, "Do you have any unique insights?"

"The silhouette is that of the Snow Maiden, the most terrifying existence in the Extreme North," Tian Guozhen said gravely. "Her strength is unfathomable. Anyone who challenges her will never survive under her hands."

"Last time—during the Soul Master Tournament—I failed to leave in time and encountered the Snow Maiden along the way. Though I only caught a glimpse of her from afar, my body froze completely, unable to move."

"Elder Tian Qing and I hid nearby for half a year before we finally escaped the Extreme North Ice Plains."

The legend of the Snow Maiden was no stranger to those who frequented the Extreme North.

The reason her story spread so widely was rooted in her overwhelming power and beauty, which left an indelible mark on everyone who had seen her.

"The Snow Fairy of Ice and Snow—the Snow Empress," Ning Tianchen thought to himself.

The Extreme North had its three great rulers, and even in the rankings of ferocious beasts thousands of years later, the Snow Maiden's strength placed her among the top tier.

But what did her appearance in this mural signify?

With this question in mind, Ning Tianchen examined the final part of this mural.

There were no figures in this section—only a hidden chamber buried beneath the snow and a map showing the route to this location.

"There's another new ruin," Tian Guozhen said excitedly, seemingly eager to visit this ancient site and learn about the person's life.

Ning Tianchen agreed, "The ruins depicted in the mural should contain records of this person's final days. It's even possible that his remains and treasures are hidden there."

More importantly, he wanted to uncover what kind of divine inheritance this person had received.

The Extreme North was dominated by ice attributes, making it highly likely that this person had become the Ice God. However, other divine possibilities couldn't be ruled out either.

In short, until they saw it with their own eyes, everything was mere speculation.

Tian Guozhen didn't rush to conclusions and made a tracing of the map from the mural. Ning Tianchen did the same.

Tian Guocheng suggested, "Is it possible that the treasure was hidden within the walls of this chamber? Perhaps knowing he was about to die, he didn't want his remains or treasure taken by others and used the murals to mislead us?"

After some thought, Tian Chao agreed with his hypothesis.

Ning Rongrong also found it plausible, but Tian Guozhen hesitated.

Ning Tianchen firmly stated, "It's absolutely impossible."

If this person had received divine inheritance, he would have died during his trials and wouldn't have had time to leave behind these murals.

The fact that he left behind another set of ruins proved that he likely completed the divine trial and ascended to the divine realm.

However, Ning Tianchen refrained from discussing divine matters openly and instead explained, "Most people who explore ancient ruins don't want to leave empty-handed."

"Had I not pointed it out earlier, you might not have paid attention to these murals. A typical explorer, seeing no treasure here, would smash every wall and floor in frustration. Therefore, his actions here would have been meaningless."

Tian Chao said, "Since we're already here, let's smash things and see. If there's nothing, we'll leave."

Ning Tianchen stopped them. "Have you forgotten the first line?"

"There may not be treasure in the ruins, but there are always legends."

They already knew the legend here. Smashing the walls might reveal nothing.

"Since this elder clearly stated there's no treasure here, any unnecessary action could lead to our demise. The soul tools at the entrance were incredibly powerful. It's possible there are self-destruct mechanisms inside, triggered by damaging anything here."

"Moreover, we haven't left empty-handed. Perhaps all the treasures are hidden in the next ancient ruin."

Everyone nodded thoughtfully.

…

After withdrawing from Ancient Ruins No. 18, Qi Hua urgently inquired about the group's exploration findings.

Upon learning the details, he fully supported Ning Tianchen's cautious approach.

Without confirming whether there were traps, doing nothing was indeed the wisest choice.

"Elder Three, shall we proceed to Ancient Ruins No. 29?" Tian Guozhen asked.

Qi Hua smiled. "Of course we shall. Otherwise, wouldn't it betray the goodwill of this elder?"

They couldn't set off immediately, though. They needed to examine the map Tian Guozhen had traced and determine their route.

The Extreme North Ice Plains stretched endlessly. Once lost, there was no escape.

After a long while, Qi Hua pointed to the map and sighed, "Guozhen, look here. Doesn't this terrain resemble the farthest point currently mapped by our sect?"

Tian Guozhen nodded.

The mural's map lacked a scale, so they didn't know the exact distance.

Based on their current understanding, the route depicted on this map far exceeded the limits of the Snow Mountain Sect's explored territory.

Following this map, they would have to travel for at least half a year.

Ning Tianchen said gravely, "This ancient ruin dates back tens of thousands of years. Over such a span of time, who can guarantee that the landscape hasn't changed?"

"If we follow this blindly, we might get lost."

They could reach the limits of their currently mapped area, but what about the path beyond?

It wasn't guaranteed that walking and mapping continuously would prevent them from getting lost.

Remember, without clear direction or reference points, humans cannot walk in a straight line. If they tried, they'd only circle around endlessly until they starved to death on the icy plains.

Whether to proceed or not now became a dilemma facing the group.

To avoid getting lost, they shouldn't go. But if they didn't, the thought of the treasures in the ruins would continue to tempt them.

After a long silence, Ning Tianchen spoke, "I think we should proceed. But once we pass the limits of our known maps, we must slow down and meticulously chart the terrain. Even if changes in the landscape prevent us from finding this ruin, at the very least, we'll gain a more detailed map of the deeper regions."

Qi Hua sighed bitterly. "Your idea is sound, but human nature is greedy. The closer we get to the ruins, the faster we'll unconsciously move, gradually forgetting to map the terrain. In the end, even if we obtain the treasures of the ruins, we might not be able to leave the Extreme North Ice Plains."

"Guozhen and the other two, as well as you two, are pillars of your respective sects. I can't risk taking you on such a dangerous journey. Since we've already explored Ancient Ruins No. 18, our mission is complete. Let's return to the sect."

Returning to the Snow Mountain Sect and planning carefully would undoubtedly be the best choice.

However, if this ruin truly was a site of divine inheritance, fewer people entering would be better. If the entire Snow Mountain Sect mobilized to enter, who would ultimately succeed in the divine trial remained uncertain.

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