https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-967-Searching-for-the-Hidden-Cache-in-the-Secret-Cellar/13041494/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-969-The-Reemergence-of-Faint-Light/13041496/
Chapter 968: The Passage of Time and the Legacy of the Past
Chapter 968: The Passage of Time and the Legacy of the Past
Xu Mutang received a reminder and followed Chen Chuan's gaze. After a while, he made a discovery.
Among these statues, every three to five were covered in gold lacquer, and they varied in size. The larger ones were as tall as ten meters, while the smaller ones resembled ordinary people. They were dressed like celestial beings, and their faces and postures were incredibly lifelike.
Xu's expression flickered slightly, and he muttered, "Could it be..."
Chen Chuan asked, "What did you think of, Inspector General Xu?"
Xu Mutang replied, "I once heard that Emperor Gao, the father of Emperor Ying, built a Dew Platform to honor his meritorious officials and generals. Statues and temples were erected for those who made significant contributions to the New Dynasty, and there were around thirty-six individuals with known names and surnames. Most of them passed away during Emperor Ying's reign. These people..."
He glanced around at the statues, "These are most likely them."
Chen Chuan observed that some of the statues were of average build, possibly depicting the civil officials of that time.
As for military generals, those who were honored with statues were mostly 'Conquering State Generals' and the like. It seemed incredible that they had disappeared within a few decades, but it was quite normal. The old era was different from the new, and the two worlds were either separate or interconnected.
If it was during a cold and quiet period, these people could not sustain themselves, even with the help of relics. The best outcome would be eternal slumber, and there were historical records of them being unearthed and dissected for medicinal purposes.
During a period of change, they would likely reside in the Convergence Zone. It was rare for them to remain in the mortal world, and the further up they went, the more severe the aberration infection became. To preserve their posthumous reputation, some chose to end their lives prematurely, as the concepts of that time were vastly different from the present.
Xu Mutang sighed, "Although they are now just a pile of dust, they have built an eternal legacy, and their lives were not in vain."
Chen Chuan remained noncommittal. He said, "Inspector General Xu, there's nothing more here. Let's continue forward."
Xu Mutang quickly agreed.
The two turned and walked along the passage beneath their feet. After exiting, they saw a large pool of water with numerous large vats placed within it. Each vat was adorned with different depictions of dragon serpents, all of which were incredibly lifelike.
As they walked along the path between the vats, they casually counted their number and estimated there were over a thousand.
Xu Mutang snapped his fingers, and a burst of force struck the surface of a vat, emitting a dull, solid sound.
He said, "This should be the 'Green Delicacy Vat,' made from the bone powder of a unique creature in the Convergence Zone, mixed with special minerals. It has excellent storage properties, and the Conquering State Generals often used these to preserve their food during their campaigns in the medieval era."
Regarding the vats here, based on the carvings, they should be filled with nourishing ointments and medicines for feeding dragon serpents. If I'm not mistaken, these are what Emperor Ying's Five Dragons consumed."
The legend goes, "I once heard that Emperor Ying's Five Dragons often ate people?"
Xu Mutang nodded, "That was to maintain the ferocity of the dragon serpents. They were responsible for guarding the Imperial Palace and needed to participate in battles when necessary. Sometimes, they even served as mounts, but such cases were extremely rare. The dragon serpent we encountered outside earlier was one of them, and it has survived until now, likely due to its ceremonial role and the Imperial Palace's special treatment."
Chen Chuan nodded slightly. Earlier, when Yuwen Yuanqi rode the dragon serpent in battle, it indeed played a significant role.
However, that dragon serpent was already weak, and its aberration had been destroyed by Xu's force. It was unlikely to survive, but it might still hold some research value.
As they were about to leave, Xu Mutang's steps paused. He noticed that the carvings on the surface of the vat were different from the others, depicting dragon serpents with wings. His eyes lit up, "This is... a flying dragon serpent!"
Chen Chuan looked at it and asked, "What's different about it?"
"Throughout history, there has been a tradition of cultivating dragon serpents, and it is said that in ancient times, all dragon serpents could fly. During the medieval era, this skill gradually became lost. If I'm not mistaken, what's hidden here should be the original medicinal formula for cultivating flying dragon serpents."
Xu Mutang's voice was filled with excitement, "If we can thoroughly research this, we can modify and create more combat and modified creatures, expanding our technological capabilities and market opportunities."
Chen Chuan acknowledged with a sound. Some things can only be utilized by specific groups, and in his hands, they would be used to feed some creatures. At that moment, he recalled the biological egg he had picked up earlier and couldn't help but ponder.
After a brief pause, the two left and entered a passage, leading to a room filled with medicinal cabinets arranged in rows.
Each medicine drawer was labeled with the name of the medicine, and there was also a comprehensive index book and numerous precious medicinal formulas.
After a thousand years, it was hard to tell how effective these medicines still were, but for the current era, these formulas were undoubtedly more valuable.
The technology of the present era surpasses that of the past, but some ideas and unique medicines from the old era are also worth paying attention to.
After passing through this room, the two encountered another aberration weapon warehouse, filled with various weapons, numbering over a hundred, and all of them were unused.
Chen Chuan glanced at them and then turned his attention elsewhere. Undoubtedly, these were excellent weapons, but since no one had ever used them, their origins were unknown, which diminished their value in his eyes.
In this place, the two men only paused briefly before continuing on to the next warehouse. Here, they saw two tall and slender trees with shimmering silver light, their delicate branches spreading out in a visually appealing manner, as if meticulously crafted by a skilled artisan.
Hanging from the branches were intricately embroidered silk bags with golden threads outlining various patterns. It seemed that something was stored inside them.
Upon seeing this, Xu Mutang's breathing became slightly rapid, and he whispered, "This is... Lian Shan Zhi!"
Chen Chuan recognized the name as soon as he heard it.
Lian Shan Zhi was said to be a precious tree from ancient times, rarely seen in the Middle Ages, with only scattered records remaining. It was believed to be extinct, as it couldn't even be found in the Convergence Zone.
This tree had a unique characteristic—any living thing hanging from its branches would retain its vitality as if it had just been picked.
However, due to its delicate branches, it couldn't support many items, so only the rarest and most precious things were hung on it. Therefore, the silk bags they saw must contain items of immense value.
As Xu Mutang approached, he noticed various names embroidered on the silk bags, all indicating rare aberration organizations and medicinal pills.
Xu Mutang was less excited about these items than he had been about the Lian Shan Zhi. While the items were undoubtedly valuable, they could benefit only one or two people at most. In contrast, the plant itself held immense research potential.
Chen Chuan glanced around and, as expected, these items were prepared by Ying Emperor for himself. At least half of them were for the use of practitioners of the Divine Form, while the rest could be utilized by those in the Human Form and the Aberrant Form, aiding cultivation significantly.
Chen Chuan had seen it all.
After examining this place, the two men proceeded to visit over ten more warehouses. The stored items included various books and scriptures, temple ritual vessels, official proclamations, annual tax records, land survey documents, maps of strategic passes and geographical features, and more. There was even a separate room dedicated to storing esoteric ritual materials and dark religion scriptures.
Apart from the dark religion scriptures, most of these items were of utmost importance to a particular dynasty, but now they could only serve as historical research materials. Therefore, the two men didn't examine them closely.
As they continued forward, they reached the end of the passage, where a huge greenish-brown wall appeared, resembling a hybrid of plant and animal.
Sensing their presence, the wall suddenly opened multiple eyes, glancing at the two men. It paused for a moment on Chen Chuan before emitting a series of 'Hehe' and 'Ya' sounds. Then, the eyes rolled upwards, and a rift opened in the thick wall, revealing an exceptionally bright light from the outside.
Chen Chuan was very familiar with this light, instantly recognizing it as coming from the opposite rift. Undoubtedly, this was the path leading to the rift.
Xu Mutang gazed at the light and sighed, "The rift... If I'm not mistaken, this should be the escape route left by the Imperial Palace for themselves."
Chen Chuan's thoughts took a turn. He felt that it wasn't that simple. Although they had seen many items on their way here, which seemed to fit the typical definition of a secret treasury, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.
Combining the body mansion given to him by the unknown person earlier with the rift before him, he suddenly wondered if there was a connection between the two. Looking at the light from the rift, he knew that no one could be certain which part it led to or what they might encounter. Therefore, he wouldn't venture into it lightly.
Xu Mutang cautiously observed the rift and said, "It seems there's nothing more here, Chen Chuan. Let's head back first."
Chen Chuan nodded and retraced their steps. As they gradually moved away, they could hear the sound of 'Hehe' coming from the creature with eyes behind them, and the rift closed once more.
This time, they quickened their pace and headed back.
Upon returning to the ground level, Chen Chuan said, "Xu Zong Chantou, there are quite a few items here. I think you can discuss the allocation with the Longyou Circuit Government Hall first, and then we can talk further."
Xu Mutang was taken aback. "Chen Chuan... I thought you would directly decide on the allocation after seeing these items. I didn't expect you to ask me to go back and discuss it."
Chen Chuan replied seriously, "During the battle earlier, if it weren't for Xu Zong Chantou creating that opportunity, the outcome would have been hard to predict. Xu Zong Chantou, you also contributed significantly. Moreover, you belong to a faction that can be negotiated with. Therefore, I'm willing to share."
There was no harm in this arrangement. The items were too numerous, and many were of no use to him personally. Even if he could obtain them all, he wouldn't be able to keep them. Instead, he might face endless troubles. However, with the backing of the Longyou Circuit official, he could avoid these issues.
Furthermore, he believed that as long as he became stronger, some of these items would naturally come to him. There was no need to be bound by them; otherwise, he would be limiting himself.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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