Chapter 288: Ancient Ruins No. 29, the Palace Buried in Ice and Snow

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After walking in the snow for a long time, Ning Rongrong gradually adapted to the climate here.

Even as an auxiliary soul master, she no longer felt the biting cold from the general storms.

After resting by the hot spring for half an hour, the ground suddenly began to tremble violently.

The group immediately became alert and gathered closer together.

"The spirit beasts that appear here are all of considerable age, and when facing human soul masters, spirit beasts tend to unite. We need to leave quickly to avoid encountering them," Qi Hua urged anxiously.

He was only a low-level Title Douluo. Encountering high-age spirit beasts would put him at a disadvantage.

At this point, avoiding encounters was the best strategy.

Ning Tianchen said, "Our presence is small. If we put on white cloaks and suppress our aura, the spirit beasts won't detect us."

Everyone followed his advice.

Under the sunlight reflecting off the snow, the group blended seamlessly into their surroundings with their white cloaks, becoming indistinguishable.

The spirit beast seemed to have come for the hot spring. After the group left the area, there was no further movement behind them.

Over the next few days, the group increased their pace.

They encountered and killed some low-age spirit beasts along the way, continuously collecting food.

…

"According to the map, the location of Ancient Ruins No. 29 should be ahead," Ning Tianchen said, standing on a hilltop and comparing it with the terrain map in his hand.

The mural hadn't explicitly stated whether the ruins were above ground or underground, nor had it explained how to find or open them.

In the group's eyes, the distant expanse was a vast, flat icy plain.

Tian Guozhen analyzed, "After so many years, if the ruins were originally built on land, they might now be buried under layers of accumulated ice and snow."

The map didn't provide a scale, so no one knew the extent of the ancient ruins. Based on the map, the ruins likely covered the endless snowy plain before them.

"We can't split up. The deeper we go, the more high-age spirit beasts we'll encounter. If something happens, we won't be able to support each other in time," Tian Chao reasoned.

But if they didn't split up, how could they search such a vast icy plain for a single ruin?

Moreover, if the ruins were buried underground, it would greatly increase the difficulty of finding them.

"Let's look around first. Everyone stay hidden. I have a feeling there are powerful spirit beasts nearby."

With that, Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong slid down the slope first.

Tian Guozhen and the others had no choice but to take out their skis and follow down the mountain.

The icy plain they were currently on was covered with only a thin layer of snow. Brushing away the snow revealed a thick layer of solid ice beneath.

"This place was probably a lake long ago," Ning Tianchen deduced. "If there's a palace, it couldn't possibly have been built in the middle of a lake. Let's keep looking. If the ground isn't ice, we'll search carefully."

The ice was pale yellow, and cutting through it revealed a faint sulfur smell. This place had likely once been a hot spring too, but as geological activity ceased, the water gradually froze.

For the next ten days, the group searched the icy plain but found nothing.

Gathering together, they sighed. "Let's keep looking. If we still can't find anything, we'll have to retreat."

After all, the ruins were only recorded in the mural—whether they existed or not was uncertain. Or perhaps, over tens of thousands of years, someone else might have explored them before, or the ruins had collapsed under the weight of ice and snow.

Tian Guocheng stood up. "You guys rest for a bit while I go relieve myself."

With that, he walked toward a large rock behind him.

As soon as he loosened his belt, he felt the ground beneath him begin to sink.

Before he could react, the entire ground collapsed, and Tian Guocheng was swept into the abyss below by the falling snow and ice.

The collapse caused a loud noise, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

"Guocheng!"

Ning Tianchen stepped onto the Seven Kill Sword, and alongside Qi Hua, rushed to investigate.

Below, a massive pit had formed where the ground had collapsed.

Peering into the pit, as the snow and ice slowly slid away, the silhouette of a golden palace gradually emerged before their eyes.

"This might be the ancient ruins we're looking for!" Ning Tianchen exclaimed joyfully.

Regardless of any dangers inside, they had to descend and rescue Tian Guocheng.

Ning Tianchen carried Ning Rongrong, while Qi Hua used his soul power to lift Tian Guozhen and Tian Chao.

Reaching the bottom of the pit, the first thing they saw was Tian Guocheng buried in the snow and ice.

The fall had been cushioned by the snow, so he wasn't injured, though he was momentarily stunned.

Qi Hua coughed lightly and said, "Guocheng, pull your pants back up."

…

Looking at the towering palace before them, the group couldn't help but gasp.

"A palace this large must have taken countless people and decades to build!"

After all, working in such freezing conditions consumed energy quickly. With the palace standing fifty meters tall, it would have taken at least a decade to construct. Moreover, after the collapse of the icy plain, only a small part of the palace was visible. They had no idea how vast it truly was.

Ning Tianchen grew increasingly suspicious that this was a divine temple.

To construct a palace this deep in the Extreme North Ice Plains, the logistics and cost would have been astronomical.

Thus, it was highly unlikely to have been man-made. If a deity had constructed it using divine power, however, it would make sense.

"The entrance to the main hall is ahead. Should we go in?" Tian Chao asked.

Of course, everyone wanted to enter, but who knew if there were traps or if the gates could even be opened?

With the ancient ruins right before their eyes, leaving without investigating would be a betrayal of their arduous journey.

Qi Hua volunteered, "Here's what we'll do. I'll push the door open, and you all stay back. If there are traps, my strength will ensure I'm not killed outright."

With no better plan, the group tacitly agreed.

As Qi Hua approached the door, the others stayed far back, fearing injury from potential traps.

Standing before the massive stone gate, which was twenty meters tall, Qi Hua took several deep breaths.

The moment his palm touched the stone door, the entire palace flashed with a bright white light. Then, the sound of mechanisms being triggered echoed, and the long-sealed stone doors slowly opened.

Without hesitation, Qi Hua immediately flew into the air to avoid any hidden traps behind the door.

However, once the doors opened, no traps or projectiles emerged. Looking inside, the dim interior of the hall suddenly lit up with glowing light.

"Shall we go in?"

The group hesitated for a moment.

Tian Guozhen didn't hesitate and charged in first.

Seeing that he encountered no danger, the others quickly followed.

Inside, two statues stood in the center of the main hall. One was a golden female statue with a graceful figure, and the other was a male statue dressed in wanderer attire.

"Doesn't this man look familiar? Doesn't he resemble the man in the mural?" Ning Rongrong pointed to the male statue.

The mural hadn't detailed the man's face, but judging by his figure, this statue bore a resemblance to the protagonist in the murals of Ancient Ruins No. 18.

Aside from the statues, the hall was quite empty, with no other decorations.

In the distance, there was a stone pillar and a waist-high stone platform.

"Is this really Ancient Ruins No. 29? How can a palace this large have no treasures hidden inside? It doesn't make sense," Tian Guocheng complained.

Ning Tianchen pointed to the male statue. "This statue proves that the protagonist from the mural in Ancient Ruins No. 18 didn't die from old age. Instead, after obtaining some kind of opportunity, he underwent rebirth."

"Everyone look around. There might be murals here. If there are treasures hidden, the murals will surely mention them. Also, don't touch anything here to avoid unforeseen accidents."

Finding his reasoning sound, the group immediately sprang into action.

Ning Tianchen remained standing in front of the two statues. He sensed a unique fluctuation of power emanating from them. It wasn't soul power or any known force from the continent, yet it excited the Asura Demon Sword within him.

From this, he deduced that the power was most likely divine, and these statues were likely divine effigies.

However, the divine power emanating from the male statue was particularly strong, while the female statue only retained traces of divine energy.

Ning Tianchen formed a hypothesis.

The woman depicted in the statue was likely the previous holder of a certain godhood, while the man—the protagonist from Ancient Ruins No. 18—was the current holder.

Pausing for a moment, he pushed aside his bangs and placed a finger on the Asura mark between his eyebrows.

After waiting for a moment, he received no divine trial message.

This left him feeling lost.

This was clearly a place of divinity, so why did the Asura God mark not react?

Could it be that the Asura God wanted him to inherit two godhoods, like in the original timeline?

While possessing two godhoods was impressive, this unknown deity had no followers on the continent, proving it wasn't a god powered by faith.

Unlike the Sea God, this deity's potential was capped. Even if he inherited this godhood, there would be no future growth.

Confused, his gaze fell upon the base of the statues.

Suddenly, he noticed a fist-sized gap beneath the right leg of the male statue. Inside lay several yellowed scrolls made of sheepskin.

The scrolls were placed in such an obvious position that they were clearly meant to be discovered, and it was unlikely there were traps.

With this in mind, Ning Tianchen drew the scrolls without hesitation.

Seeing no reaction, he called the others back.

In front of everyone, he unrolled the scrolls.

Instead of text, the scrolls contained a series of paintings.

After a quick glance at the paintings, Ning Tianchen arranged them in order.

In the first painting, an elderly man with white hair followed a golden-haired maiden into the palace. The girl's body was semi-transparent, resembling some kind of spirit.

"This painting should connect to the eighth mural from Ancient Ruins No. 18. This woman's figure is similar to the one in the previous murals, but she's wearing a flowing golden gown, so she isn't the Snow Maiden," Tian Guozhen remarked.

The Snow Maiden's attire was predominantly blue, not gold. Based on her figure alone, it wasn't surprising that he might have mistaken her for the Snow Maiden.

Ning Tianchen pointed to the nearby female divine statue. "It must be her."

By now, he had already figured out what was going on.

This maiden was the avatar of a former deity's power, left behind in the temple. Sensing the man's talent, she personally guided him to this place of inheritance.

However, those unfamiliar with deities found the whole thing perplexing.

Setting aside the first painting, the second depicted the white-haired elder standing before the stone pillar, seemingly completing some kind of ritual. Immediately afterward, the pillar emitted a strong golden glow. Bathed in its light, the elder's white hair slowly began to recede.

"It doesn't seem like he's reversing aging. It's more likely that the sheepskin scroll has been stored for so long that the paint has chipped away, making it look like black hair," Tian Guocheng analyzed.

Flipping to the third painting confirmed his guess.

The elder still had white hair, but his body was no longer hunched, appearing much younger. Before him stretched an endless staircase, glowing with dazzling golden light.

"It looks similar to the Angel God. Could it be a deity associated with light?" Ning Tianchen wondered internally.

In the subsequent paintings, the man was seen adventuring in various places or undergoing trials.

In the final painting, a door opened in the sky, revealing the faint silhouette of the maiden. Meanwhile, the man's body radiated waves of golden light.

At this point, the man had successfully inherited the godhood.

Ning Tianchen reasoned to himself.

Since he had become a deity, this elder must have long since ascended to the divine realm and would no longer return to the Douluo Continent.

…

In the Divine Realm, within the palace of the God of Light

When Ning Tianchen and the others entered the main hall, the God of Light, far away in the divine realm, sensed their presence.

His divine power resided within that palace, allowing him to investigate Ning Tianchen and the others.

"Never would I have thought that nearly fifty thousand years have passed on the Douluo Continent. Soul masters—what a nostalgic profession."

Murmuring softly, his gaze turned toward the direction of the Douluo Continent.

Among Ning Tianchen's group, each person possessed a high level of innate soul power. Though Qi Hua was only a low-level Title Douluo, decades ago he had also been a prodigy.

Of course, there were differences even among geniuses.

In the God of Light's mind, Ning Tianchen's talent matched his expectations for a successor.

Fifty thousand years had passed on the Douluo Continent, which equated to fifty thousand days—or about 136 years—in the divine realm.

After such a long time, he had grown weary of the divine realm. Passing on his godhood would allow him to venture into the vast cosmos and continue exploring the unknown.

Moments later, he observed Ning Tianchen and the others examining the scrolls he had left behind.

"How serendipitous. This young man must have discovered the murals I left in the previous ruin. Calm and composed—he's quite impressive."

In Ancient Ruins No. 18, he had intentionally left no treasures behind. If anyone had destroyed the walls or any of the facilities inside the chamber, they would have been crushed by the collapsing mountain.

The fact that Ning Tianchen's group had made it out alive proved they weren't greedy individuals.

And the greatest treasure in the palace was the divine trial itself. After all, nothing was more enticing than breaking through to Level 100.

Pushing these thoughts aside, his gaze fixed intently on Ning Tianchen. Then, he abruptly stood up.

"This is the mark of the Asura God. Is he the successor of Asura?"

After carefully examining the divine fluctuations emanating from Ning Tianchen, he immediately understood.

The Asura Trial within Ning Tianchen had not yet been activated, meaning there was still a chance.

After some thought, he decided to visit the residence of the Asura God.

After all, the Asura God employed a broad approach in searching for successors. The Asura mark on Ning Tianchen's forehead indicated that he had completed the first trial of the Asura God. However, he was still far from the full divine trial.

…

Within the Residence of the Asura God

Upon seeing the arrival of the God of Light, the Asura God, seated high above, greeted him indifferently. "God of Light, what a rare visitor."

As the enforcer of the divine realm and one of the five Great God Kings, the God of Light slightly bowed to show respect.

Then, cutting straight to the point, he said, "On the Douluo Continent, there's a young man named Ning Tianchen who bears your Asura mark, yet he is in my inheritance hall. Since you have no intention of giving him a divine trial, why not remove your mark and let him undergo my trial instead? What do you say?"

The Asura God was well aware of Ning Tianchen's situation. Smiling, he replied, "God of Light, your calculations are shrewd indeed. However, he is my personally chosen successor. The divine trial has yet to begin simply because I haven't decided on it yet."

As he spoke, his gaze turned toward the Douluo Continent.

After a moment, he chuckled. "The others around him aren't bad either. They're worthy of inheriting the trials of a First-Rank Deity. Rest assured, I won't compete with you for the others."

The God of Light felt a wave of helplessness.

Among the others, Tian Guozhen and the four others were ice-attribute soul masters, completely incompatible with light attributes.

The God of Light represented warmth and hope. If Tian Guozhen and the others were to inherit his godhood, their ice-attribute soul power would be utterly useless. Even during the fusion of divine power, failure would almost certainly follow.

The Asura God laughed. "What about the other one? The Nine-Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, glowing with nine-colored light. Your godhood could suit her, albeit barely."

After some thought, the God of Light agreed.

He could easily see the relationship between Ning Rongrong and Ning Tianchen.

If Ning Rongrong inherited the God of Light's godhood, she would stand on equal footing with the Asura God in the future.

"Haha." With a hearty laugh, the God of Light left the Asura God's residence, satisfied.

…

Inside the God of Light's Temple

Through the paintings on the sheepskin scrolls, Ning Tianchen and the others learned about the temple's situation.

They needed to place a drop of their blood on the stone platform. The stone pillar would then emit a corresponding glow, after which they would receive certain trials. Completing the trials would grant them special rewards.

This method of obtaining a divine trial was very similar to that of the Sea God Island. The central stone pillar was akin to the Holy Pillar on the Sea God Island.

However, this temple had no divine servants or guides; everything depended on their own exploration.

"Should we try activating the trial?" Tian Guozhen asked uncertainly.

The paintings didn't mention whether the trials were dangerous, and after so many years, it was uncertain if the stone pillar was still functional.

Ning Tianchen said, "One thing is certain—the trial will definitely carry risks. The protagonist in the paintings faced danger multiple times, which proves how perilous the trials can be."

"Damn it, the timid starve while the bold feast. I'll go first and see what kind of trial I get," Tian Guocheng declared as he stepped forward. Taking a small knife, he cut open a wound on his arm, letting the blood drip onto the stone platform.

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