novelraw Chapter 923: The Strange Ancient Relics
Chapter 923: The Strange Ancient Relics
"Brother Zhang, where exactly is Feiyun Peak?" Han Yan asked curiously."It’s just seven or eight thousand miles ahead. Strictly speaking, it should be considered one of the branches of the Longyan Mountain Range." Zhang Chihua replied.
"So close?" Han Yan said in surprise.
The Holy Court Continent is vast, spanning tens of millions of miles in all directions. A mere journey of seven or eight thousand miles could be considered a trip to the outskirts of the Capital. Not to mention those swift horses or exotic beasts known for their footwork, even cultivators with slightly deeper cultivation wouldn’t take much time to get there.
According to Han Yan’s experience, Ancient Relics containing strange treasures are usually hidden in remote and rugged mountains. However, she hadn’t expected that the Flying Peak discovered by Zhang Chihua would be so close to the Capital.
Bear in mind that these Ancient Relics have histories spanning tens of thousands or even millions of years. It’s practically a miracle that one so close to the Capital could remain undiscovered.
"When I first discovered this Ancient Relic, I found it strange too, but later I learned that the entire Feiyun Peak is sealed with dozens of powerful seals. Over tens of thousands of years, it remained undiscovered." Zhang Chihua noticed Han Yan’s curiosity and explained.
"How did you discover it then?" Mu Zexian, who was riding in Han Yan’s carriage, hadn’t initially understood what was going on. Once he caught on, he asked curiously.
"After tens or nearly a million years, the sealing power in those seals had greatly weakened, revealing some clues, which is how I discovered it easily." Zhang Chihua explained.
This is common knowledge on the Holy Court Continent. No matter how powerful a seal is, with the passage of time, its sealing power will gradually weaken, exposing the hidden Ancient Relics within.
"No, no." After hearing Zhang Chihua’s explanation, Mu Zexian shook his head vigorously and said, "Usually, there’s only one or a few seals, which is why the sealing power might deplete significantly. However, you said that the Ancient Relic was guarded by dozens of seals. One layer of seals upon another means the deeper you go, the more slowly the sealing power diminishes. How could it be possible for the sealing power to deplete so easily, revealing the Ancient Relic within?"
"Is there really such a theory? I thought no matter how many seals there were, the sealing power weakened simultaneously." Zhang Chihua said in surprise.
"Brother Zhang, don’t look down on my cultivation; when it comes to Sealing Techniques, you might not be better than me. To be honest, I’ve read every ancient book related to seals in the Mu Family’s Scripture Pavilion. Even though I lack the power to use many of these techniques, my understanding of them might rival even those Array Masters in the Holy Court." Mu Zexian said confidently.
"That’s true; I’ve heard similar things as well." Han Yan nodded and said.
Her understanding came from having previously befriended a reclusive master skilled in Sealing Techniques in a past life. She hadn’t expected Mu Zexian to be knowledgeable about them too.
It seems this fellow has his unique strengths. Han Yan felt a mix of surprise and delight, having previously felt some sympathy for Mu Zexian after the Zong Family gave up on him and others early on, she was now pleased to see his strengths.
"That is puzzling." Zhang Chihua also looked perplexed.
"From my guess, either the seals are so ancient that the dozens of them weaken one by one over time, or something happened within the relic itself." Mu Zexian pondered.
Han Yan, Huayue, and the others fell into contemplation as well. They had talked about the severe depletion of the sealing power only concerning the Holy Court Continent’s tens of millions of years of long history. In reality, for human cultivators, who live from hundreds to thousands of years, the sealing power’s weakening is still slow.
Many Ancient Relics with tens of thousands of years of history have only a few seals and yet have lasted to this day. No matter how ancient the relic Johan Chihua spoke of, how could it deplete the strength of dozens of seals one by one?
If their guess was right, there must have been some change in that relic, much like the past Exotic Beast Valley.
As they thought of this, they turned to Zhang Chihua.
The last adventure at Exotic Beast Valley was filled with peril at every step. If not for Han Yan’s luck in being struck by that Auspicious Beast Egg, it’s uncertain if they could have returned alive.
So this time, everyone was more cautious and refused to act recklessly.
"This means something unexpected probably happened within the Ancient Relic. However, I hadn’t been inside for long when a tremendous earthquake caused a landslide that buried the entire relic. I was heavily injured and, sensing danger, quickly escaped. So I don’t know what exactly happened." Zhang Chihua said solemnly.
"Young Master, there might be unexpected dangers within that relic. Should we carefully consider whether to proceed or not?" Huayue suggested cautiously.
"Well, let’s go check out the situation first and decide then." Han Yan thought and said.
The Cultivation Path itself is fraught with hardships. Without experiencing trials and tribulations, how could one become a true master? Although the guess is there might be unexpected surprises in the Ancient Relic, there is an unexplainable anticipation in Han Yan’s heart.
Still, the relic is peculiar, and she did not dare to be careless, deciding to observe the situation before making a decision.
With Ye Lanfeng by her side, Han Yan didn’t need to worry much, but she didn’t want to rely on him too much. Many times, one only truly learns from relying on themselves.
"Alright, it’s never too late to decide after seeing the situation." Zhang Chihua agreed cautiously, not wanting his goodwill to inadvertently harm Han Yan.
Knowing that the Ancient Relic harbored hidden dangers, Han Yan and the others were not as eager as before. They drove the carriage steadily forward, moving slowly while practicing energy movement to gather energy and prepare for the possible dangers ahead.
The old merchant road remained dilapidated and rough. The tea shops and post stations that had been abandoned for years were still ruins, equally dilapidated and desolate. However, there were noticeably more cultivators coming and going along the road than before.
"Hey, I heard this trade route had been deserted for years. Why is it so bustling?" Mu Zexian excitedly asked as he noticed some figures flashing by the window.
Han Yan, Huayue, and the others were also a bit puzzled. They knew that following this trade route, there was a secret path leading to the Longyan Mountains. By entering the mountains from there, one could find Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures of extremely high grade, much higher than in other places, drawing many cultivators’ attention. The Fang Family seized this business opportunity and built a workshop in Fang Village.