Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

Chapter 396: Chapter 288: An Ancient Book

Ling Xiao landed on his feet and set Shangguan Yutong down. Only then did Shangguan Yutong dare to open her eyes, but she couldn’t see anything. She asked softly, "Wh-where is this?"

Song Mingyue then took the Tier Eight Magic Beast Crystal Core from her robes. Its faint, milky-white glow illuminated their surroundings, revealing that the area below was, unexpectedly, a sandy beach.

No wonder those huge sections of road made no sound when they fell. For one, the drop was incredibly deep. For another, the ground here was all sand, which naturally muffled the impact.

Song Mingyue was also very curious. She asked, "Why didn’t we go with the others?"

Ling Xiao explained, "From the moment the road began to collapse, I noticed something. Didn’t you realize? The path above was lit, but the lights only illuminated the surrounding dozens of meters. In the distance, it was complete darkness."

Song Mingyue and Shangguan Yutong thought for a moment. It seemed to be just as Ling Xiao had said. ’But what does that have to do with his choice to go down?’

Ling Xiao continued, "I chose to go down because that path above... has no end! After walking in circles, those people will sooner or later fall down here, just like we did!"

"Ah!" Shangguan Yutong exclaimed. "Ling Xiao, how do you know that?"

Song Mingyue, also curious, looked up at Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao chuckled. "I originally thought these Ancient Ruins had sunk underground. It wasn’t until the road collapsed that I figured it out. These ruins weren’t sunk at all; they were built underground from the very beginning! Everything here was constructed according to the surrounding terrain and topography. The person who built this place was a genius!"

As he spoke, Ling Xiao walked a few steps forward to a nearby wall. He held out his hand, let out a soft cry, and a wisp of flame suddenly ignited from his fingertip. The flame flickered, casting dancing shadows across his face.

Both Shangguan Yutong and Song Mingyue stood stunned. Song Mingyue’s voice trembled as she asked, "Is that... Magic?"

"This is True Flame!" Ling Xiao explained, looking back. With a gentle flick of his finger, he sent the flame floating lazily upward. It landed on something more than ten meters high, and a brilliant light suddenly blazed to life.

It turned out that a large, cauldron-like object over two meters in diameter was embedded there. It seemed to contain some kind of fuel, because when the small flame landed in it, a huge blaze immediately erupted, illuminating their entire surroundings. A fragrant scent accompanied the great fire.

The two women couldn’t help but click their tongues in amazement. They both looked at Ling Xiao, who casually continued lighting other torches as if it were nothing. ’An intense curiosity rose in both their hearts. How could Ling Xiao possibly know so many things?’

This was especially true for Shangguan Yutong, who knew more about Ling Xiao. She was utterly bewildered. Frowning, she gazed at the back of Ling Xiao, disguised as a middle-aged man. ’He couldn’t possibly have had time to learn all this. Could it be... that peerless geniuses like that really exist in this world? Otherwise, even if the legends are true—that a Celestial Vein Master’s power advances by leaps and bounds after unsealing their Celestial Vein—that only refers to their power!’

’Looking at Ling Xiao now and comparing him to his peers at the Imperial Academy... the gap was just too vast! A thought even surfaced in her mind: to compare Ling Xiao to that crowd of students from the Imperial Academy felt... insulting to him!’ The thought itself startled her.

’And yet, once upon a time, those same students at the Imperial Academy had been ashamed to call him a fellow student...’

Ling Xiao continued walking forward. These Ancient Ruins had overturned his previous assumptions, but this only seemed to pique his interest even more.

’To go to such lengths to make a massive architectural complex so deliberately mystifying can only mean one thing: there are good things in here!’

’Otherwise, who would be bored enough to create traps like this?’

Shangguan Yutong and Song Mingyue held hands, slowly following Ling Xiao. As they watched him feel his way along the wall, Song Mingyue tried to lighten the tense atmosphere. She chuckled and said to Shangguan Yutong, "You might not know this, but Ling Xiao’s understanding of Mechanical Skill far surpasses that disciple from the Gu Family of Mechanical Masters. When we first entered the cave, he tried to stop the Gu Family disciple an instant before he touched that mossy bump, but he wasn’t fast enough. That’s why he just shouted a warning instead."

Shangguan Yutong gazed at Ling Xiao’s back and nodded. A smile graced her lips, and her expression grew much calmer. She said, "I’m truly happy that he’s achieved so much."

Song Mingyue chuckled. "Me too."

By this point, Ling Xiao had lit more than a dozen torches embedded in the walls, brilliantly illuminating the surroundings. If those people were still up there watching, they would surely be able to see the light below. Perhaps they would even change their minds.

Only then could the three of them clearly see a large, square hall before them. It was about fifty meters across and had not a single pillar, seemingly extending all the way to the top.

The walls themselves were smooth up to a height of over thirty meters and were covered in colorful murals.

The style of the murals was vastly different from modern painting. The figures depicted were identifiably human, but most of the animals were creatures never seen before in any records.

Shangguan Yutong said with a sigh of admiration, "I wonder how many years these murals have been here. If your sister, Ling Su, could see them, I’m sure she’d love them!"

Ling Xiao nodded but remained silent. He circled the perimeter of the hall, his eyes scanning the walls. Finally, his gaze settled on a spot in the western corner. He walked over and tinkered with it for a moment, and suddenly, a loud RUMBLE echoed through the hall.

The sound startled both Song Mingyue and Shangguan Yutong. Shangguan Yutong clutched her chest, staring at the small door that had just opened. "Will it be... dangerous inside?" she asked.

Song Mingyue said, "It’ll be fine. Let’s go see what’s in there!"

Just as the two women were speaking, they saw Ling Xiao duck down and slip inside. The very instant he disappeared, disaster struck!

BOOM! With a deafening crash, the entire ground trembled.

The Stone Gate, which had been open, slammed shut!

Shangguan Yutong and Song Mingyue rushed forward but were too late. Song Mingyue shouted, "Darling... can you hear me?!"

Silence was the only reply. Not a single sound came from the other side. The two women exchanged a look, each seeing the astonishment in the other’s eyes. They hadn’t seen how thick the stone wall was, but it was clearly not thin. Still, they never imagined it would be completely soundproof!

The two women shouted a few more times, their voices creating endless echoes in the cylindrical chamber, but from Ling Xiao’s side, there was still utter silence.

This Stone Gate was indeed incredibly thick.

It was over thirty meters thick. Ling Xiao had moved quickly, and just as he reached the other end of the passage, he heard the massive stone door thundering shut behind him. By the time he thought to turn back, it was already too late.

’I could probably break through a stone this thick with a full-power strike,’ Ling Xiao thought as he glanced at the massive door. ’But the explosive force would definitely injure Song Mingyue and Shangguan Yutong.’

’Anyway, they should be safe back there. Even if people from above come down, they probably won’t bother two unremarkable disciples from noble families. I don’t know what dangers lie ahead, and if they were with me, I’d have to divide my attention to protect them. Besides, Song Mingyue should understand this. She’ll explain it to Shangguan Yutong.’

’Thinking of Shangguan Yutong, a wry smile touched Ling Xiao’s lips. This "sister" of his was a real headache. Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about that right now.’

The unknown that lay before him had completely captured his interest. This new space was also pitch-black, but unlike the previous chamber, this one had a ceiling.

It was about twenty meters high. Ling Xiao could see perfectly clearly in the dark. The ceiling, too, was covered in murals. He glanced around; the space was a dozen or so meters wide and about thirty meters long.

’I have even more reason to believe now that this entire underground complex is made up of many rooms like this one,’ Ling Xiao thought. ’As for what each room is for...’ His eyes fell upon a table rising from the floor in the center of the room.

On the table rested a thick book.

Ling Xiao released all of his Spiritual Power, sensing everything in the room. His Spiritual Power had already reached the peak of the Golden Core Stage. The moment his abundant power spread out, it instantly merged with everything in the chamber.

Everything was under his complete control!

’There’s a mechanism under the table!’ In the darkness, Ling Xiao’s eyes flashed. He shot into the air, and as he flew past the table, he snatched the heavy book from its surface.

Immediately after, the table exploded with a deafening BANG!

Countless sharp daggers, glinting coldly, shot out from beneath the table in every direction!

Ling Xiao’s body moved like a flash of lightning, weaving and dodging through the dense barrage of daggers. At the same time, one of his hands moved with incredible speed, leaving a trail of countless afterimages in the air.

Ling Xiao caught every single dagger, then, with lightning speed, stored them all in his ring.

Nine hundred and ninety-nine daggers!

’And they were all forged from cold-wrought iron! Incredibly sharp, yet also very heavy. Anyone who would use daggers like these as hidden weapons was either a madman or an overwhelmingly powerful genius!’

Ling Xiao’s eyes then fell upon the book. He saw four words written on the cover: Compendium of Sword Skills.

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