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Chapter 956: Exploring the Hidden Path
Chapter 956: Exploring the Hidden Path
Yuwen Yuanqi...
Chen Chuan reminisced about his childhood, listening to the storytelling programs on the radio, where this name was often mentioned. In those stories, Yuwen Yuanqi was portrayed as an invincible warrior, charging into battles, breaking through enemy lines, and slaying generals. He fought countless battles, never once tasting defeat, and his valiant deeds helped establish the New Dynasty, earning him great renown.
However, upon further examination, it became clear that this person was undoubtedly a "Conquering State General." The historical records provided limited information, merely stating the years and locations of his victories, without any details of the battles or his opponents.
Legend has it that even then, his remains continued to writhe on the ground, breaking through the soil repeatedly, terrifying the local officials and commoners. Later, Emperor Ying built a temple over the remains to suppress them and invited a National Religion Master to recite scriptures day and night, after which there was no further disturbance.
However, the historical records also mentioned that in his old age, Emperor Ying, feeling nostalgic for the brotherhood of his youth, ordered the remains to be exhumed and reassembled, restoring the title and burying the body with imperial rites in a secret treasury within the underground palace, forever guarding the ancestral home.
Of course, this was the official historical account. The dynasty lasted only three generations, following the prosperous Sheng Dynasty, and the events during its reign were legendary, making it a popular topic of discussion. Consequently, there were numerous unofficial histories and folk tales surrounding this incident.
Chen Chuan took a quick look at the records on the platform, some of which had been verified by later martial artists.
It was said that Emperor Ying's change of heart was not out of kindness, but rather, it was due to his pursuit of immortality. He had adopted the secret method of a Wu Wei Sect mystic, which required the consumption of "living flesh."
This "living flesh" actually came from the mutated tissues of the imperial family and close relatives. After harvesting and grinding it into a meat paste, it was consumed daily along with the blood of dragons and snakes.
Initially, it worked, but over time, its effectiveness diminished. The subjects progressed from distant relatives to close relatives, and eventually, to his own brothers.
Emperor Ying had four brothers, two of whom had already passed away, and their bodies had long decayed. One brother willingly offered his flesh and blood to protect the safety of his descendants, but after his sacrifice, there was no more medicine. So, the attention turned to the divided body of Yuwen Yuanqi.
Under the guidance of a Wu Wei mystic, Emperor Ying prepared a ritual that was said to revive Yuwen Yuanqi for a day. Using the pretext of honoring his brotherhood, he reassembled the body, and just as everything was ready, on one day, "the Heavenly Thunder Strikes Palace, and the Emperor collapsed."
According to scattered records from that time, fresh blood flowed out of the Great Prosperity Palace, flooding the palace platform and shocking the court officials.
What exactly happened during that period remains a mystery, and there have been numerous historical discussions on the matter. The New Dynasty believed that it was most likely the doing of the Wu Wei mystic, and after ascending the throne, they vigorously suppressed the Xuan Jiao and supported the Chan Jiao in its place. It wasn't until four or five hundred years later that the Xuan Jiao made a comeback.
After reading these accounts, Chen Chuan pondered and combined them with the historical records, which seemed both real and fictitious. He felt that the danger level of this secret treasury was likely very high. After all, if it weren't considered dangerous, it wouldn't be called a secret treasury, and it would have been looted long ago.
According to the information provided by Old Feng, the dates of March 17th and September 20th were not randomly chosen. They precisely corresponded to the dates of Yuwen Yuanqi's execution and the reassembly of his body.
The historical records of the dates were actually incorrect because the calendar at that time was created by the Wu Wei mystic. After the New Dynasty abandoned it, few people knew that these two days were the entry points, making this a well-known but unexplored secret treasury.
With this in mind, Chen Chuan decided to visit the Convergence Zone first and collect some ingredients along the way. He contacted the Government Hall and made the necessary preparations. The next day, after bidding farewell to his aunt's family, he boarded a vehicle and entered the Convergence Zone, then took a two-day flight to the garrison fortress. After a brief rest, he entered his hunting grounds with Chao Ming.
This time, he didn't plan to stay long, so he spent his days gathering ingredients and traveling, and his evenings in cultivation. In less than ten days, he had collected enough ingredients, and in the environment of the Convergence Zone, his Spirit Image also grew stronger.
On September 15th, he returned to Central City, rested briefly, and set off again. He boarded a flight to Longyou Province.
Since this trip required reporting to the Fighter Council, the news of his journey would inevitably spread. However, he wasn't concerned about this, as the publicity would deter anyone from causing him trouble.
On the 20th, the flight landed in Daye Plain, Longyou Province, the birthplace of the Ying Emperor's lineage. There were also many ancient palace ruins in the area, making it a popular tourist destination.
The flight from Longyou Province Central City was only an hour long, and with August and September being the peak tourist season, there were many visitors from nearby and other regions.
While on the flight, Chen Chuan observed the area and realized that there were indeed secrets to its longevity. Not only had they deliberately excavated canals, but they had also utilized the natural terrain to create over a hundred mounds, planting trees on them, thus forming a landscape of mountains and rivers.
Carrying his suitcase, Chen Chuan disembarked from the Anchor Tower and headed north without stopping. He walked past a dried-up ancient riverbed and surveyed the terrain before finally stopping in front of a barren mountain ridge.
He believed that this mountain ridge was very likely one of the ritual altars from that time. With his knowledge of the Secret Sect, it would have been difficult to locate, but the smoke generated by the Jade Card vividly displayed the terrain, making his search much easier.
He checked his watch, and the Jade Card indicated that the "midnight hour would open the mountain." So, he waited on a broken stone sculpture nearby, biding his time until midnight.
(End of Chapter 956)
As he arrived here in the afternoon, two hours later, the sky gradually dimmed, but the ancient palace ruins on the plateau still glowed with light, after all, the "Ancient Palace Night Lights" were also a famous sight here, and there were indeed tourists who came here for night tours.
A few more hours passed, and by eleven o'clock in the evening, Chen Chuan suddenly felt something amiss. He saw a mist drifting from an unknown source, and within the mist, a faint path appeared, leading towards the hillocks ahead.
His eyes lit up, and he stood up, picking up his suitcase and walking into the path. As he stepped onto the hillocks, the entire landscape seemed to undergo subtle changes.
At this moment, on the other side of Daye Plain, another group of people were heading deeper into the secret treasury. Over the past thousand years, countless people had come here to explore and excavate, and a path leading to the secret treasury had been opened up. However, they had not yet been able to reach the heart of the treasury, but they had explored a large area on the outskirts, and an entire industry had formed around this place.
There were people dedicated to escorting thrill-seekers into the treasury to satisfy their desire for adventure. This business attracted a large number of wealthy and influential young people every year to embark on these "adventures."
This group had reached the original endpoint when the escorts suddenly noticed something strange. There was an additional suspension bridge ahead that they had never seen before! At this moment, their clients were urging them to move forward. If it were ordinary people, they wouldn't care since they had all signed liability waivers. However, this time, the clients were different, so they had to inform them of the situation.
"Mr. Xu, this path is one we've never encountered before. We believe there might have been some changes in the rituals around the secret treasury, and the situation ahead is unclear. Let's turn back, shall we?"
"Turn back?"
Mr. Xu's companion was only seventeen or eighteen years old, and his eyes were filled with excitement. "I want to go in and explore today!"
The person in charge hesitated, "But we haven't explored ahead, and there might be dangers. The company can't guarantee your safety."
"If it's not dangerous, I won't go!" Mr. Xu said.
Despite his words, Mr. Xu didn't rush in. He turned around and said, "Uncle Pang, isn't this the place you've been looking for? Quick, quick, send a telegram and let him know there's a path here! Also, get Da Pang and Xiao Lu here, and tell them I've made a big discovery! Oh, and invite Mr. Qiao and his group as well."
The accompanying personnel immediately sent a telegram, and within half an hour, an airship from the Longyou Province Central City arrived.
Along with it came several armed airships, their propellers roaring through the night sky, and the searchlights illuminated the area around Daye Plain as bright as day.
In the 1619 book, there was no mistake in this version!
A large number of security personnel, armed guards, and a tall, thin man with prominent cheekbones and a sharp gaze descended from above. He appeared to be in his forties, with his hair tied into a bun and a thin beard. He wore an old-fashioned robe.
Beside him was a fully black implanted and modified creature, about the size of a lion or tiger. As it moved, its body rippled with waves, and the light shone on its black fur, making it shimmer like silk.
He observed his surroundings and checked the time, a gleam in his eyes. Then, he quickly walked down the passageway, followed by a mixed-race man in a leather jacket and short hair, accompanied by a large group of disciples in martial arts attire.
These two groups moved swiftly and reached the end of the passageway in less than a quarter of an hour. Mr. Xu and his group were waiting there, and when they saw the middle-aged man approaching, they hurried forward with excitement and respectfully greeted him, "Uncle."
The middle-aged man glanced at him and, for once, gave him a bit of a warm look. "You've done well this time. Go back; this doesn't concern you anymore."
Mr. Xu chuckled, "Uncle, can't I go in and take a look to broaden my horizons?"
The middle-aged man hummed coldly, "If you want to follow, follow, but don't blame me if you die."
Mr. Xu quickly said, "With you here, Uncle, what could possibly happen?"
The middle-aged man sneered, "You don't understand. Emperor Ying used this place as his palace of resurrection, and who knows how many traps he set up. I wouldn't dare say we can get through them."
After this reminder, he no longer paid attention to Mr. Xu and the others. He led his implanted creature and strode forward, followed closely by a team of security guards.
Mr. Xu quickly found the mixed-race man and grabbed his hand, "Mr. Qiao, I'm counting on you this time."
Mr. Qiao spoke gently, "Please rest assured. I've brought along skilled members of the Loyalty Hall, and they're more than capable of protecting you, Mr. Xu."
Mr. Xu was pleased with these words. He found a few familiar faces among his playmates and became even more delighted. He raised his voice again, "Lao Lai, Lao Lai, where are you? Are we all here?"
A security officer approached and spoke in a deep voice, "Mr. Xu, the security team is ready, and we've brought all the equipment. Rest assured, it's all high-end gear imported from the Federation, and it will record all our actions."
Mr. Xu patted his shoulder, "Good, good job. I'll reward you when we get out." He looked around and shouted, "Everyone, are we ready?" The young people who came with him cheered and clapped.
"What are we waiting for?" Mr. Xu waved his arm towards the suspension bridge, excited, "Let's go!"
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Chapter end
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