novelraw Chapter 218 : Sacred Ground
Chapter 218 : Sacred Ground
218: Sacred Ground
Outside, the storm raged through the towering ancient forest surrounding the treehouse.
Yet inside the small wooden house, the air was thick with floral fragrance and warmth.
Though the Ghost Princess had talked back to her mother along the way, she now slept obediently and affectionately, clinging to Jiang Yun from behind, her face pressed into Jiang Yun's hair as she murmured in her sleep.
Jiang Yun, however, turned to face Yuyin. Since Lianyue also slept facing Yuyin on the other side, Yuyin had no choice but to lie flat on her back.
"Your Majesty, there's something I don't quite understand. How did you keep producing those ropes, cauldrons and such from your hands just now?" Yuyin asked.
"Oh? That." Jiang Yun opened her hand, revealing an ice-water colored jade ring. "This is a Square Ring. Within its square inch, it contains a space that can store many things, though living creatures cannot be placed inside."
"What a wonderful treasure." Yuyin understood, thinking that if she had such a treasure, she wouldn't have had to discard all those equipment and treasures from her journey, except those she had absorbed. And not everything needed to be absorbed; some treasures were better sold for money when their absorption effect was low.
"By the way." Yuyin got up and fished out the golden, ancient ring of the Li Su general from the inner pocket of her hanging dress, handing it to Jiang Yun. "Your Majesty, look at this..."
"Oh?" Jiang Yun infused it with a wisp of Primordial Energy power. "This is also a Square Ring, though the pattern suggests it's from Li Su. There's a seal on it. Let me break it."
A ghostly light flashed between her fingers. Jiang Yun easily broke the ring's seal. Without bothering to check what treasures were stored inside, she directly handed it back to Yuyin. "Here. I've removed the seal. Infuse it with a wisp of Primordial Energy power and you can use it."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." So it had been sealed. After obtaining it, Yuyin had sensed the ring was extraordinary but could never discover the space contained within.
Yuyin took the ring and after infusing it with Primordial Energy, saw it held quite a few good things: artifacts, weapons, medicinal herbs and pills. This Li Su general's storage was truly substantial.
However, the ring was too bulky and square in design, unsuitable for a woman to wear. Yuyin got up to put it away. She was in excellent spirits now, thinking that with this ring, she could carry many more things in the future, including those feminine supplies. Wandering the Prison Abyss, she would no longer be constrained by luggage limitations.
Returning to bed, she squeezed back between Jiang Yun and Lianyue.
"I say, we can't all fall asleep. Best to have someone keep watch," Jiang Yun said.
"I'll do it," Hua Yuanjing offered, getting up.
"Senior Jing, let me..." Yuyin tried to get up but Lianyue held her back.
"Yuyin, you rest well. Senior Jing will take the first half of the night, I'll take the second half. We're used to this from hunting these days," Lianyue said. Moreover, Yuyin had a special status, while she and Hua Yuanjing had simply followed to the Sacred Ground. She didn't want to owe the Ghost King a favor for nothing.
The night was deep. Hua Yuanjing stood guard at the window, her tall, elegant figure striking and poised. Her silhouette looked beautiful and reassuring.
The Ghost Princess was still young and had already fallen asleep, but she clung to Jiang Yun in her dreams, murmuring, "Mother, don't marry Sister Yuyin..."
Jiang Yun could only smile helplessly. How could she punish her daughter for talking in her sleep?
At that moment, Lianyue embraced Yuyin from behind, while Jiang Yun also opened her alluring, fragrant arms and pulled Yuyin into her embrace.
Yuyin pressed against Jiang Yun's deep, sea-like warmth. In the deep night, she also reached out to hold Jiang Yun's waist. Humans are not grass or trees; who can be without feeling? Though Yuyin was usually reserved and proper, at this moment her heart revealed its feminine softness, and she too wanted to hold someone.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · · · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
At dawn, they left the treehouse and continued toward the Sacred Ground, deeper into the extreme eastern mountain range. After three days of journeying through rain, they reached the Sacred Ground.
It was an arched, towering mountain that seemed to connect with the heavens, surrounded by dark blue mountains. The west side of the massive mountain was completely covered in dark, deep forest, said to contain numerous extremely powerful alien beasts and rare medicinal herbs. The east side was a steep cliff face over ten thousand meters high, looking both naturally formed and like divine craftsmanship left behind by primordial giants who split heaven and earth.
Upon this cliff face were thousands of statues of deities, buddhas, and evil ghosts of varying sizes. Some were enormous, reaching a thousand meters high. Some were very small. Some were hidden within the mountain rock, appearing as ordinary stones, yet from certain angles, one could seemingly see the noble countenance of a deity or buddha.
It was said that no one could count exactly how many statues there were. The count would always be forgotten before completion. The grandeur was overwhelming, with profound mysteries inherent within.
"This..." Standing beneath this massive cliff face, Yuyin felt completely awed by its majestic spirit, causing the spiritual water within her body to surge restlessly.
"Truly worthy of being the Sacred Ground of the Ghost Clan that rules the Prison Abyss. This imposing manner is truly soul-shaking," Hua Yuanjing exclaimed with reverent solemnity.
The cliff face also had many rock-hewn paths, some long since collapsed, very treacherous.
"This Sacred Ground has many caverns with passages leading everywhere. Even I dare not claim to know or have visited all places within. After entering, you must all follow me closely. Do not wander about or shout," Jiang Yun warned.
Yuyin and the others obediently nodded. Who would dare to be disrespectful or casual before such an ancient wonder?
Jiang Yun led Yuyin and the others into a large cavern at the base. Though this was a Sacred Ground, there were no Ghost Clan guards. Approaching without authorization was normally forbidden, and naturally, there were means to protect the Sacred Ground.
Upon the cliff face clung several alien beasts nearly the same color as the rock, with dragon-like heads. They opened their ferocious eyes to watch the group entering the cavern. Seeing it was Ghost King Jiang Yun leading them, they closed their eyes in relief and vanished into the cliff face.
The cavern was pitch black. Jiang Yun beckoned, and an ancient bronze lamp flew out, illuminating the surroundings as it floated before her.
Yuyin noticed the cavern was enormous and unfathomably deep. The cave walls had countless faded murals.
There were robust ancient warriors hunting, ferocious ghosts slaughtering mortals, and celestial maidens with fluttering ribbons and pearl crowns flying through the heavens...
"These..." At a glance, the murals within the cavern were extremely numerous, practically depicting an entire ancient world. And whether the warriors, celestial maidens, or ghosts, they weren't simple scene depictions. Each contained ancient moves and secret techniques. If one searched and comprehended these countless murals daily with dedication, they would surely grasp a vast number of secret techniques and ultimate arts.
As they walked, Yuyin saw that some of the celestial maidens depicted on the cavern walls and ceiling were practicing exactly the moves and techniques from the Primordial Energy secret manual Flying Sky that she herself cultivated!