In the middle of the night, Chen Nan stumbled back to the inn. The water monster's powerful swipes had seriously injured him. After entering the room, he began to meditate and regulate his breathing until dawn before he finished and got up.
Although his injuries were not completely healed, they were mostly healed. His chest and abdomen no longer hurt as much as they had at the beginning, and he fell asleep on the bed due to exhaustion.
When Chen Nan opened his eyes again, it was past noon. After washing up, he circulated his internal energy and regulated his breathing. After a long while, he opened his eyes and let out a long breath.
"I never imagined the bottom of the lake would be so treacherous, teeming with ferocious monsters. It's one thing for spirit beasts to guard the ginseng and immortal herbs, but even inanimate objects like divine bones and precious jade are haunted by monsters! It's truly outrageous!"
He took off the jade ruyi from his neck and examined it closely in his palm. The small and exquisite jade ruyi was crystal clear and extremely delicate. There was a tiny hole at the end of its handle, through which a transparent silk thread passed, making it a pendant ornament that could be carried with him.
"This is truly a top-grade jade! When you're short of money, you could easily exchange it for tens of thousands of gold coins."
If an old man in the jade trade heard this, he would be so angry he would faint. Such a beautiful jade is absolutely priceless in the eyes of an expert.
"This is a treasure that two ancient gods sacrificed themselves for, but I can't see anything special about this jade ruyi." Chen Nan turned it over and examined it, and apart from being certain that it was a rare jade treasure, he couldn't find any mystery about it.
"Anything that can be favored by the gods is no ordinary thing, but what is so special about it? This transparent thread is also strange; it has been soaking in water for thousands of years without rotting. Strange!" He pinched the thread with both hands and tried to apply more force little by little, but the thread did not change at all during the process. In the end, even when he used his profound skills to tear it with force, he could not break the thread.
"Good heavens, even this silk thread is a treasure." Chen Nan gripped the jade ruyi in his hand and squeezed it a little harder. A holy light suddenly shone through his fingers, which really startled him. He quickly let go of his hand, and the jade ruyi fell onto the bed and then returned to its original state.
Chen Nan tried to hold it in his hand again. This time he gradually increased the pressure, and sparks of light appeared between his fingers. At the same time, he felt the power in his hand being absorbed by the jade ruyi.
As he channeled all his inner strength into gripping the jade ruyi tightly, the room shone brightly, and it was as if a small sun shone in his palm. At the same time, he felt all his inner strength surging towards the jade ruyi like a tidal wave. He broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly stopped circulating his profound energy.
"What a strange jade! It can actually absorb a person's internal energy!" At this point, he was certain that the exquisite jade ruyi was no ordinary object. He then studied it for a long time, but found nothing else unusual about it.
"Strange, even from so far away last night, I felt a call, but now that we're so close, why don't I feel anything at all?"
Last night, Chen Nan had vaguely guessed that it was probably because he had been resurrected from the ancient tomb of gods and demons that he was somewhat tainted by the aura left behind by the gods and demons, which was why he was able to resonate with the jade ruyi left behind by the ancient god.
Recalling the events of last night, Chen Nan was somewhat confused. When he relaxed his mind, he vaguely seemed to hear a woman's shouts, the voices intermittent.
He vaguely remembered something like, "I...want...to...see...the...day...out...of...the...world..."
Chen Nan looked at the jade ruyi with a look of surprise and doubt on his face. He could no longer be sure whether it was his illusion or if he had really heard a woman's voice.
In the very heart of the God War Ruins, the once-dried-up lake valley suddenly shimmered with emerald water overnight. This news quickly spread back to the City of Sin, causing a sensation throughout the city. Not only did all the cultivators in the city rush there, but many ordinary people couldn't resist their curiosity and went to witness the "miracle."
The Divine Wind Academy also dispatched a large number of experts, hoping to gain something from the Divine War Ruins.
Upon hearing this news, the only one who remained calm touched the jade ruyi in his clothes and chuckled. He then calmly walked into a restaurant and had a big meal.
After dinner, Chen Nan went to a teahouse and booked a private room. He lay back in a rattan chair and closed his eyes contentedly, listening quietly to the conversation of the tea drinkers outside the room.
People come and go, and news travels like the wind and the grass. This is the place where information is most readily available, and all sorts of things, big and small, in the city of sin will spread here first.
"Did you know that a major event happened in the ancient battlefield of the gods, fifty miles north of the city? The dried-up lake valley turned into a swamp overnight."
"I already knew this morning. This news is outdated. I also know there's a monster in that lake."
"Tell me what happened."
"Not only is there a water monster, but also the severed left hand of an ancient god..."
"Hey, you've been keeping us in suspense, hurry up and tell us."
"A brother of mine came back from that war site. He said it's about to boil over there. The bottom of the newly appeared lake is glowing, which is speculated to be the left hand of an ancient god and an unknown mysterious treasure. Many people rushed to jump in, but no one has been able to surface again."
"Oh, what exactly happened?"
"Those people were all eaten by the water monster, a terrifying water monster! It had a snake's body and a fish's tail, and a single horn on its head. Each one was three zhang long and as thin as a water bucket. When it opened its blood-red maw, it could swallow even pigs and sheep. Just thinking about it is terrifying."
"Is there no one who can handle this?"
"They're not easy to deal with. Those cultivators may be strong on land, but they become helpless in the water, unable to use their skills. Besides, that water monster is no ordinary creature either. It has immense strength, is as ferocious as a serpent, and can also generate electricity. In the water, it's impossible to avoid. Many cultivators who jump into the lake are first stunned by the electricity and then swallowed by the water monster."
"What a terrifying water monster!"
"Yes, so far we've only killed six water monsters, but it seems like there are countless water monsters in the lake."
"How can there be so many lake monsters? Did that little lake really just appear out of thin air?"
"Of course not. According to experts at the scene, there was probably an underground lake beneath that valley, and the collapse of the valley exposed it. The underground lake is connected to a river not far away by a secret passage. Those water monsters are very likely to have entered from the river over the past thousands of years and made it their lair."
"horrible..."
...
Not long after that group left, another group of tea drinkers arrived, and everyone was talking about the small lake that had appeared overnight.
Chen Nan learned the latest news from these people, and he knew everything about the slightest changes in the God War Ruins.
From their conversation, it's clear that it's not that no one is capable of diving to the bottom of the lake to retrieve the divine bone and the mysterious treasure; it's just that everyone is watching, fearing that if they manage to defeat the water monster and retrieve the treasure, they will be surrounded and attacked by others, thus failing in their mission.
The news brought by the later groups of tea drinkers was similar to that of the previous groups, with little difference. It wasn't until the sun was about to set that another astonishing piece of news broke: several dragon knights had joined forces to lure and kill more than a dozen water monsters, and then seven powerful mages had joined forces to cast an extremely powerful spell, completely freezing the lake. Every drop of water turned into solid ice, freezing all the creatures in the lake.
This was undoubtedly a shocking piece of news. The seven powerful magicians had joined forces to kill all the water monsters, which excited all the cultivators gathered around the lake. This meant that the biggest obstacle to obtaining the Left Hand of God and the mysterious treasure had been removed.
The freezing of the entire lake was a remarkable feat in the eyes of both ordinary people and cultivators. Of course, the seven mages also paid a heavy price for it. They exhausted all their magic power and could not attack for a short time, which prevented the lake from being frozen over quickly.
Although many powerful mages remained in the crowd, everyone observed from the sidelines, none stepping forward. In fact, everyone was gathering their strength, waiting for the lake to thaw so they could seize the mysterious artifact left behind by the ancient god. It was foreseeable that a chaotic battle was inevitable!
Upon hearing that the seven magicians had unleashed a powerful spell, Chen Nan was greatly surprised and secretly marveled at the magic's remarkable skill and unique abilities.
After dark, he left the teahouse and returned to the inn. According to his guess, although it was the height of summer, the small lake that had frozen into ice could not possibly melt in a short time.
That night, Chen Nan circulated his profound internal energy to heal his injuries. By the time he finished, he was basically recovered, and he secretly rejoiced at the wonder of his family's profound internal energy. Years ago, he had asked Chen Zhan more than once what the name of this technique was. Although Chen Zhan was very knowledgeable about martial arts, he never revealed the name of this technique, which is why he still doesn't know what kind of technique he is practicing.
The next day, Sin City was in an uproar, with even more shocking news spreading throughout the city:
Many cultivators waited from day to night until the ice melted. Countless people jumped into the lake and frantically fought for the mysterious treasure left behind by the ancient god. However, they only found the ancient god's severed left hand and did not find anything else special.
Then, suspicions arose among the crowd, and a fierce fight broke out. Blood stained the lake, and countless people died tragically. Chaos reigned around the small lake, and the fighting never stopped.
Upon hearing this, Chen Nan leisurely made his way there. If anyone knew that this guy had already taken the treasure that the ancient gods had fought over, he would probably be in an endless pursuit.
From afar, a dozen or so dragon riders were engaged in a fierce battle above the small lake, while several lesser dragon riders and giant dragon riders stood guard nearby, their eyes fixed on the scene. The enormous dragons, like dark clouds, obscured the sun in the sky, inspiring awe and fear.
The ground was a scene of utter chaos, with flashing blades, swordplay, lightning, and flames... Magicians and martial artists alike were locked in fierce combat, creating a scene of utter utter confusion...
Hundreds were fighting, thousands were watching, dozens of wounded lay on the ground groaning, and nearly a hundred corpses floated in the small lake, the water of which had turned scarlet. Although the scene was not out of control, it was still quite horrific.
A thousand years ago, two ancient gods fought fiercely for a mysterious treasure and perished together. A thousand years later, the mysterious treasure once again aroused countless cultivators to fight a bloody battle.
The sounds of shouting battle cries, clashing weapons, and dragon roars were deafening.
chaos!
Evil stems from desire. If everyone could restrain their evil thoughts, there wouldn't be so many tragedies in the world. Unfortunately, everyone present was filled with greed, suspecting that the others had obtained the treasures left behind by the ancient gods, and each wanted to possess them.
Just as the scene was about to spiral out of control and thousands of onlookers were about to join the bloody battle, a huge dragon roar came from afar, the sound like rolling thunder, reverberating above the ruins of the God War.
The dozen or so second-tier dragon knights who were engaged in aerial combat paled upon hearing the commotion. Their dragons, terrified, fled in panic. Meanwhile, the seven third-tier sub-dragon knights and five fourth-tier giant dragon knights watching from the sidelines also changed color, and their dragons displayed expressions of fear and unease.
The warriors and mages fighting on the ground were also shocked. The enormous dragon roar sent chills down everyone's spines. People looked in the direction from which the dragon roar came from, and the chaotic scene temporarily quieted down.
Everyone in the arena now understood that the dragon's roar could not have come from a dragon below the fourth rank.
Only when the immense dragon roar ceased did all the dragons return to normal. The name "Holy Dragon" flashed through everyone's minds; only a fifth-tier Holy Dragon could instill fear in all dragons. Without a doubt, a Holy Dragon Knight, an unparalleled powerhouse, lay in the distance!
In a sense, dragon knights are combatants among cultivators, and they have a tremendous advantage in battles against cultivators of the same level.
The dragon knight's mount is of the same rank as the dragon knight, essentially combining two powerful individuals. Of course, once the dragon is tamed, it primarily serves as a mount, assisting the dragon knight in battle, and cannot fully unleash its power. However, even if this combination cannot achieve a synergistic effect of their combined strengths, it will still be more powerful than other cultivators of the same rank.
Generally speaking, in a battle between cultivators of the same level, three dragon knights can withstand four cultivators of other types. Of course, nothing is absolute, and there are many instances where dragon knights suffer crushing defeats in battles between cultivators of the same level.
For the reasons mentioned above, how could everyone not be alarmed when they guessed that there was a Holy Dragon Knight in the distance? He was definitely an extremely powerful and terrifying being, one of the best among peerless experts.
While everyone was shocked, they were also secretly looking forward to it. After all, Holy Dragon Knights were extremely rare, and almost everyone had only heard of them but never seen one. Everyone wanted to see a Holy Dragon that surpassed even the giant dragons.
At this moment, Chen Nan was also filled with longing, eager to see the Western Holy Dragon.
However, after a deafening dragon roar came from afar, there was no further movement.
Just as chaos was about to erupt again, three figures appeared in the distance. Three mages flew rapidly toward them at an astonishing speed.
The three mages all appeared to be in their fifties, and all three wore traditional magic robes. Each of them had four golden stripes embroidered on their sleeves, signifying that the Magic Guild recognized them as having reached the level of fourth-tier archmages.
Three terrifyingly powerful fourth-tier experts stood together, exerting an invisible pressure on everyone. One of them said, "Heroes and friends, please allow me to introduce ourselves. We are the three teachers from Shenfeng Academy. We are here only to advise you to stop fighting and avoid causing even greater casualties."
Someone in the crowd scoffed, "You think you can just stop like that? This is a world where strength speaks. Although the three of you are already fourth-tier experts, there are far more than three fourth-tier experts here. There are five fourth-tier dragon knights alone."
One of the magicians said, "The three of us are indeed not enough, but I think if that Holy Dragon Knight had stepped forward to speak, it would have been sufficient, wouldn't it?"
The crowd erupted in uproar. No one had expected that the Holy Dragon Knight from earlier was actually from the Divine Wind Academy. Everyone couldn't help but marvel at how the ancient academy truly harbored hidden talents!
Just as everyone was marveling at this, an old man in loose-fitting clothes with flowing sleeves appeared from afar, riding a flying sword. The old man had an air of otherworldly grace, with white hair and a youthful face, like a celestial being.
Everyone was shocked once again. The newcomer was actually the most mysterious cultivator among the cultivators, and a cultivator who had reached the fifth-order Nascent Soul realm, a peerless master!
In a short span of time, two peerless masters appeared in this site of divine war, leaving everyone deeply shocked.
Chen Nan recognized the old man who flew through the air on his sword. This peerless master had made a stunning appearance in the third test when the Divine Wind Academy was admitting new students.
Flying closer, the old man, who looked like a god, stood in the air on a flying sword. He smiled slightly and said, "I sent that old dragon back. He has too volatile a temper and will only cause trouble, not accomplish anything."
Everyone understood who the old man was referring to as the "Old Dragon." Perhaps only a peerless master of his caliber would dare to jokingly call the Holy Dragon Knight that.
The three fourth-tier mages from the Divine Wind Academy floated behind the old man with respectful expressions.
"Friends, I have no ill intentions in coming here. I only wish to ask all heroes to stop. The Divine Wind Academy does not want any major bloodshed to occur near the City of Freedom."
The same meaning spoken by a peerless master had a completely different effect. This time, no one voiced any dissatisfaction, not even the fourth-tier experts in the crowd.
Rumors circulated that the Divine Wind Academy had many unknown experts, and now two peerless powerhouses had already emerged. Who knew if there would be a third or fourth?
The old man said, "Who wouldn't be tempted by the mysterious artifacts left behind by the ancient gods? But which of you has actually seen that ancient god's treasure?"
Everyone was speechless.
"Everyone is suspicious of each other, each believing that the other has obtained the divine treasure, but who has seen it? Nobody! What can be the result of this fighting? Thousands of people will likely be killed or injured, and those who are lucky enough to survive will end up with nothing."
A moment of silence fell over everyone.
"Those who once ventured into the lake in search of the ancient god's treasure are probably all confused now, and they all received the 'body search treatment.' Since they found nothing, why are they still fighting? Why are they still suspicious of each other?"
The room fell silent.
"According to the ancient scroll, two ancient gods once fought a fierce battle in these mountains. One god's left hand was severed, and the severed hand, clutching a glittering, unidentified object, fell into the deep mountains. In the end, both gods exploded and perished together. Thousands of years have passed. Who can guarantee that the god's left hand and that relic are still together? Undoubtedly, the river not far away is connected to the underground lake by a secret passage. The god's left hand must have been washed into the underground lake through the passage, but who can guarantee that the relic was also washed in? Perhaps it has already been washed away by the river to another place."
After a moment of silence, the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves, and then some people started to leave...
The peerless expert, having reached the fifth rank, patiently persuaded the thousands of cultivators. More and more people left, and the number of people present dwindled. Reality is cruel; no matter when or where, strength represents everything. The same words, spoken by a fourth-rank expert, would have little effect, but after being patiently explained by a fifth-rank master, they achieved a completely different result.
Finally, the thousands of people gradually dispersed, and the crisis was averted. The old man flew away on his sword, followed closely by three magicians.
Only after everyone had left did Chen Nan slowly walk towards the City of Sin. What he had seen and heard today had a significant impact on him. Magicians, dragon knights, and cultivators roamed freely in the sky and on the ground, while the Eastern martial artists seemed somewhat weaker in comparison.
He sighed, "If Eastern martial artists could fly, what would they have to fear from other types of cultivators!"
"Young man, don't be discouraged." A gentle voice sounded behind him.
Chen Nan was shocked and hurriedly turned around to look. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that the person who came was none other than the old monster.
The reborn old monster, resembling a Taoist cultivator, possessed an ethereal and otherworldly air. With his hands behind his back, he said, "Eastern martial artists are by no means inferior to other types of cultivators. Do you remember that peerless master in the ancient tomb beneath the Chu capital's palace? He had a mortal body, yet he single-handedly annihilated an immortal. How many in the world can do that?"
Chen Nan said, "I know that after martial artists cultivate to a certain level, they can also fly through the air. In any aspect, they are no weaker than other types of cultivators. I was just feeling a bit sentimental just now."
The old monster nodded and said, "Do you know what kind of person the most peerless masters among all kinds of cultivators fear most?"
"have no idea."
"They are most afraid of encountering the most outstanding masters among Eastern martial arts practitioners."
Chen Nan was taken aback and asked, "Why?"
"This is a conclusion drawn by cultivators from countless classic battles in the past. In any major battle involving a top master from the East, other cultivators rarely manage to win. Once Eastern martial artists reach a certain level, they can cultivate some special supernatural abilities. If you can reach that level, you will naturally understand."
Chen Nan knew, of course, that martial artists would develop great supernatural abilities upon reaching the highest level of cultivation. However, his understanding of those legendary abilities was limited; he only knew some secrets like the Heavenly Eye. He asked, "Why do many people feel that Eastern martial arts are gradually declining?"
"The high-level martial artists in the East are too low-key, which naturally leads people to misunderstand that Eastern martial arts are gradually declining. In fact, some ancient sects are full of earth-shattering figures. If these people were to step forward, hehe..."
Chen Nan believed him without a doubt, because the old monster was just that kind of person. He might have been a powerful figure in his youth, but now probably no one remembered him.