The Sacred Ruins

Yuan GU.

The best room that one could find in Yuan GU was called the imperial court. The name was imposing, and so was the room itself.

Imperial palace was the name of Chu Feng’s room. It was a nice room by itself, but when compared with the imperial court, the imperial palace just looked many times shabbier. However, neither of the two rooms opened for the unaffiliated. Only the high-ranking officials could book these room when they were attending to very important guests.

To ensure absolute privacy, the imperial court had walls and doors that were made of special materials. When there were conversations in the room, the words that were spoken in the room stayed in the room. Not even the most powerful kings could eavesdrop on the conversations.

Chu Feng was a king with four severed shackles. People like him could sense the slightest movement within a ten-mile radius even when there were walls and obstructions standing in the way. However, this time, he could barely pick up anything from the imperial court at all.

At this moment, people who were in the imperial court were talking and laughing cheerfully. Men were handsome, and women were devastatingly beautiful.

The room was vast and grand. It was richly ornamented with carved beams and painted rafters. The floor was made from jade. On the far side of the room, there was a stream of spring and a view of some verdant trees. There was a little stone bridge arching over the stream that disappeared into the woods. The air smelt pleasant and fresh.

The family of Qi was an important member of Pre-Qin Research Institute, and Qi Sheng was the son of the family. There were barely any eyebrows on his face, but his eyes looked bright and sharp. He had a scholarly bearing and a pleasant face that would also make those who were around him feel happy.

There was a young man in a suit of white next to him. He was the very important guest this time. His name was White Dragon, and he came from the East Sea. There was a sparkle of divinity and holiness in his eyes.

There was another man sitting on the other side of Qi Sheng. He was handsome yet quiet and uncommunicative. He seemed friendly. There was a vertical stripe in between his eyebrows, and this stripe was perhaps the most distinctive feature about this man. However, the stripe didn’t seem out of place at all. It gave this man a mysterious quality. He was Mu Tian, the elder son of the family of Mu and the one who had become a mutant twenty-one years ago!

Jiang Luoshen was here as well. Her hair was long and silky, and her brows were black and curvy. Her eyes were bright and alluring, and her manner was steady and refined. Every move was elegant and graceful. As the daughter of an aristocratic family, she represented the epitome of etiquette and grace.

She was dubbed "the national goddess", and she was well deserving of this title. She was a woman of unmatched beauty. The outside world mostly knew her as an actress, but right now, she represented Bodhi Genetics.

Qi Sheng, Mu Tian, and Jiang Luoshen. They were the embodiments of the three largest tycoons in this country. They gathered around a single table, attending to a single guest. The atmosphere felt cordial and friendly.

White Dragon was tall and lanky. His eyes were quite often fixed on Jiang Luoshen’s face. He liked the way she looked as well as the way she acted. He hadn’t for once tried to hide his fondness of her. He smiled at her when their eyes met. Jiang Luoshen didn’t seem too bothered by this either.

"I heard that Brother White came onshore with a plan this time. The plan was to challenge some terrestrial kings to a duel, but I also heard that you only wanted talented YOUNG people to be your opponents. Am I right?"

Jiang Luoshen asked with a smile. Her bright and charming eyes squinted at White Dragon as her cherry-red lips opened and closed to spell out the words that she was about to say. Everything about her screamed charm and elegance.

"You’re absolutely right, milady. I’m still no match for the kings with six severed shackles, but I don’t want to waste this opportunity, so I’ve decided to meet some of your young people with phenomenal talents and then, I’ll fight them in a duel," White Dragon also smiled as he said to her.

Jiang Luoshen, Mu Tian and Qi Sheng all had an odd look on their face. As the sons and daughter of each respective company, they all had exclusive access to many classified information that was never known to the world outside.

With this information in hand, each of them had made a few guesses on why the White Dragon had crawled out of the sea.

"You already have someone in mind, don’t you?" Mu Tian asked.

The White Dragon was at first taken aback, then his eyes brightened up. "I really can’t hide anything from you, can I?" He sighed.

This had stirred up a surge of emotion inside Jiang Luoshen, Mu Tian and Qi Sheng, but quickly they let the emotion die down. They were eager to know what astonishing plan the White Dragon had in mind, and who was going to be his first target.

"I’ve always thought that the sea is a peaceful place, free from the hustle and bustle of the world outside, but now, it seems like I’m totally wrong. Not only does the competition there seem even more fierce and brutal, some also have to step out of the sea and find land animals to kill and butcher," Qi Sheng said.

"I’m only here for the breathing techniques," the White Dragon candidly admitted. It would seem very petty of him to still try to hide the truth at this stage.

"Well, my advice is that be careful, Brother White. You’re treading on some mighty thin ice. Land animals are not as friendly as you may think. And if you sea creatures were hoping to bring catastrophes to our world, as the guardians of the terrestrial world, we’ll not sit back and watch it happen," Mu Tian said.

"Yes, I agree. It’s better to be careful out here. Don’t be too radical," Jiang Luoshen said. She seemed very solemn and serious.

In fact, Jiang Luoshen, Mu Tian and Qi Sheng were surprised by the fact that this White Dragon knew such a thing as "breathing techniques". Just like how no-one knew anything about the situation out in the sea, they thought that these sea creatures would be even more devoid of knowledge of the situation out on the land. But the truth was, this White Dragon seemed to know more than they had previously thought.

"Let me tell you something that you may not know, something about the world that’s deep down under the sea. There are a lot of highly intelligent creatures in the sea. They are called ‘sea people’. They have existed since the start of the post-civilization era. They are more powerful and prosperous than human society. They know all the history and legends that had been concocted during the long run of history," the White Dragon said.

He told them this because he felt like he had been looked down upon by these people.

"So, the legendary kingdom of Atlantis really exists, but it exists in the form of civilization of these ‘sea people’?" Mu Tian seemed very curious.

The White Dragon smiled, but he did not respond.

"I believe that the scenery in the sea must be even more glorious than what we see on the land. Are there any sacred trees growing on the ocean floor?" Jiang Luoshen asked. Bodhi Biogenetics had always wanted to know whether things that were told in legends were true, because one day, Bodhi would explore the sea.

The White Dragon smiled. The look in his eyes as he gazed at Jiang Luoshen could only be described as fiery and fervent. Never for once had he ever tried to conceal his appreciation of Jiang Luoshen’s otherworldly beauty. He didn’t answer her question, but he said something that’s equally important.

"I think the four of us have really hit it off since we met moments ago. We seem to get along with each other pretty well, especially between me and Goddess Jiang, so I thought to myself, why don’t I offer you a ‘gift’ as my way of showing my appreciation of your hospitality?"

Jiang Luoshen, Mu Tian and Qi Sheng seemed pleasantly surprised.

"The world is about to change again. This, for us, is going to be either a curse or a blessing. The upheaval will grant us a rebirth and a chance to become the strongest king in this world! The social order is going to change again," the White Dragon said.

The look on Jiang Luoshen, Mu Tian and Qi Sheng’s face suddenly changed. This piece of information had immeasurable value. The outcome of this second upheaval was going to determine whether their family was going to rise or fall!

"This is going to be a great opportunity for any kinds of social progression. At this stage, the most important thing to do is to claim as many famous mountains as possible. The more you have, the more opportunities you’re going to find, and the easier it is for you to evolve!" the White Dragon said.

He also mentioned that at this stage, the more well-known a mountain was, the better!

The White Dragon said, "While the fight in the sea had almost reached a boiling point, the land seemed very peaceful in comparison. Everyone lives in harmony with each other, while in the sea, there is not a single droplet of water that’s not mingled with blood. That’s why many sea creatures are eager to crawl out of the sea to explore the land."

The sea had become a hell on earth. Bodies were piling up on top of each other, and some parts of the ocean had turned thoroughly red. The competition was dreadful out there in the sea.

Qi Sheng seemed a little bitter. He sighed. "Who told you that we live in harmony with each other? The thing is, we know exactly which mountain to fight for, but it’s just impossible to conquer the place. Longhu Mountain, for example, is one of them. We went in there with high hopes. We sent in the best of our men, but our attempt always turns out to be fruitless."

But soon, his eyes brightened up. At the moment, Pre-Qin Research Institute had been fighting for another sacred mountain. He was confident that they would have the capacity to overtake the others when the next upheaval came. He was confident that Pre-Qin Research Institute was going to become the best of the best when the social order was reshuffled.

Sacred trees grew on sacred mountains, and these sacred trees could hopefully give birth to flowers and fruits when the next upheaval arrived. The outcome of sniffing those flowers and eating those fruits were going to be game-changing!

Qi Sheng couldn’t agree more with what the White Dragon had said. This next upheaval was indeed equivalent to a rebirth. It would change the status quo completely. Everyone would find a brand-new niche in the new world order!

"I would see things totally different if I were you. If sacrificing friends and a few members of the family means that I can claim the ownership of birthplace of Taoism and Buddhism, I would not even blink an eye to let it happen!" the White Dragon said.

"Is it really that important? Is it worth the life of your family?" Jiang Luoshen blinked her eyes and asked.

"It’s more important than you think. I heard that even the sea people are planning to have a go at it!" the White Dragon said.

According to the White Dragon, these sacred trees would directly affect the possibility of one becoming a super-saint in the future. The birthplace of Taoism and Buddhism as well as Kunlun represented the pinnacle of Nature’s gift. The benefit that these trees would grant was not something that an ordinary person could think of.

The White Dragon revealed nothing else after this.

For Jiang Luoshen, Qi Sheng and Mu Tian, it was troubling and upsetting to learn that a sea creature knew more than they did. They really had underestimated the intelligence and the level of sophistication that existed in a marine society!

But then, they moved on to some lighter topics. The atmosphere was getting more and more harmonious. The more they talked, the more they felted attracted towards each other.

The White Dragon’s eyes brightened up. He looked at Jiang Luoshen and asked, "Miss Jiang, pardon me for asking, but I’m curious, what’s the relationship between you and Chu Feng? The outside world seems to have asserted positively that there’s something going on between you and him."

Mu Tian and Qi Sheng burst out laughing. They never expected this V.I.P from the sea would somehow be attracted to Jiang Luoshen. He seemed infatuated with her. His question was so undisguised.

They could only sigh. Maybe this was how all the sea creatures were. On matters like this, they chose to be straightforward and candid about it. No euphemism. No innuendoes.

Jiang Luoshen’s smile froze on her face. She had noticed that the White Dragon seemed to have taken a liking to her, but she never expected him to be so open and so explicit.

"I’m single," she concisely replied, but then she added, "and I’m not planning to move out of that status yet."

"Oh, but even so, I still want to fight that so-called ‘Demon King Chu’. See if I can ‘learn’ a thing or two from him," the White Dragon said with a smile.

Jiang Luoshen looked surprised. "I know he’s a powerful fighter, but I don’t think he knows any breathing technique. I heard that only those who came from the primitive mountains knew the special breathing technique, and Chu Feng is not from there."

"But I’m sure there are secrets about him, and I would like to know those secrets," the White Dragon said. There was a glint of lightning flashing through his eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

Qi Sheng kept quiet in this conversation. Before this meeting, Qi Sheng had told the White Dragon a lot about Chu Feng. Qi Sheng was trying to use the White Dragon as a gun to perish Chu Feng.

Qi Sheng secretly laughed to himself. Pre-Qin Research Institute had previously extended its olive branch to Chu Feng, but it was rejected. And for this, they wanted him to pay the price.

Qi Sheng had nothing to worry about, because no-one knew about this secret scheme. Qi Sheng certainly wanted the scheme to succeed, but even if it fails, there’s no price to pay.

If only he knew that what his brother, Qi Teng, had been through in the neighboring palace—that the entirety of his scheme had been exposed to the very same person that they were scheming against.

In the end, the party was finally over. They walked out of this room. The White Dragon was heading to a neighboring room for his sister. Jiang Luoshen, Mu Tian and Qi Sheng were following behind.

The three of them all knew what’s up with that "sister" of his. They were sworn brother and sister, but this girl was by no means a liability that the White Dragon had to care for. She was a king with four severed shackles herself!

And that’s why the three of them had chosen to follow behind the White Dragon, because they wanted to make friends with this king as well.

A king with four severed shackles was someone that the world should stand in awe of. It was rare to find a king with more than three shackles these days, so it was always good to get to know someone this powerful and this strong.

Jiang Luoshen’s nostrils opened and closed. There was still some distance between them and the palace, but she could already smell something savory coming out of the palace. "What are they eating? It smells so amazing!"

Qi Sheng looked surprised at first, but then he looked gratified. He was glad that his brother had done his job well, and he was glad that his brother was treating Xia Lan with the best dishes he could find.

They were still far from the palace, but they could already smell the tasty fragrance of a good wine and savory smell of some... cooked seafood?

There seemed to be a lot of people in the room drinking wine and having fun. Their voices got a bit muddled. From a distance, it was not easy to tell what those people were mumbling about.

"Is this the smell of seafood? It smells so fresh!" Mu Tian was full of praise. He then looked at Qi Sheng and smiled. "Why weren’t we having this tasty food back in our palace? Don’t be so stingy about it!" Mu Tian joked.

"Tasty food indeed! I’m literally drooling right now!" Jiang Luoshen nodded. Her legs couldn’t help but speed up and scurry towards the palace. Her lust for food was written all over her face.

Despite being called a national goddess, she was no less of a "greedy guts". When there was great food, she would never be able to resist the urge to eat it!

The White Dragon was suspicious, but soon he dismissed that suspicion he had. What he feared shouldn’t happen here. It was Qi Sheng’s territory after all. Safety should be guaranteed.

Jiang Luoshen was the first one barging into the palace. Her hair danced in the wind as she ran, and there was a fervent look in her eyes. She barged into the palace like a fairy who was naughty yet elegant. She was a beautiful woman, but her demeanor was natural and unrestrained.

"Oh my goodness! This is a huge lobster! Where did you find it?!" she shouted. The lobster was the first thing she saw when she entered the palace.

But immediately, she realized that there was something dreadful about the scene she in front of her. The smile froze on her face, because she had thought of an explanation to answer her own question.

Although she didn’t know what exactly Xia Lan was, the clues in front of her were enough for her make a few educated guesses.

The situation became even clearer when she saw the people who were drinking inside the palace. She felt embarrassed and anxious, because the things she said just then was really out of turn with the occasion.

Xiong Kun and Hu Sheng were drunk. They looked confused and disoriented since the effect of alcohol had kicked in. Chu Feng was sitting on a stool not far from the giddy two. He was still having drinks and enjoying himself with the meat of this lobster.

Jiang Luoshen was totally flabbergasted. She then began to have a headache!

Qi Sheng was the second one who stepped into the palace. He was still all smiles. He was still making comments about how good the food smelt as he walked in. "The smell is rich! What first-class ingredient have they been using for the dishes? Let’s have a taste of it as well..."

But when the next moment came, that smile froze on his face. His eyes were wide open. He was shocked. What’s this thing that’s lying in front of him? A huge lobster!

Qi Sheng’s eyes rolled back; his heart almost stopped. He knew exactly what the White Dragon’s sister was!

How did things like this happen on his territory? He knew he was in deep trouble. His face immediately turned green then pale. He turned from shock to fear.

Mu Tian walked in as well. Usually, he was a steady man. There were only a few things that could unsettle him, but right now, he was flabbergasted as well. His jaw had dropped; his mouth was wide open. One could even stuff a salted duck egg in that big open mouth of his!

The White Dragon was the last one who walked in. He saw the dead lobster, then he staggered and fell!

"This scenery. This food. This drink. This woman. Everything here is beautiful. It’s perfect!" Chu Feng looked tipsy. He smelt like a drunkard. One could only guess whether he was complimenting the food and the scenery, or he was complimenting Jiang Luoshen’s unmatched beauty.

But there was one thing that one could be sure of, and that was Chu Feng was probably the only person in this room who was finding that things were perfect as they were in this room, because well... let’s just say... for some people in this room right now, this was probably what hell looks like!