Chapter 98: Echoes of an Ancient Duel

As they pressed onward, their eyes soon fell upon three black-robed figures walking abreast, their hushed conversation echoing through the deep, winding passage.

“It’s truly astonishing that such a profound secret lies hidden beneath the borders of the Aetherian Empire.”

“Hah, those Aetherians likely wouldn’t dream that relics of an ancient alchemical civilization are buried right beneath their feet.”

“If we can bring these powers back to the Xuanhuang Divine Realm Empire, our standing is sure to…”

‘People from the Xuanhuang Divine Realm Empire?’ Ye Xingchen’s eyes narrowed instantly. ‘No wonder the energy fluctuations I sensed earlier were neither demonic energy nor spiritual energy; it must be the Battle Qi the Dean once mentioned.’

Though the millennia-long conflict between mages and warriors had never ceased, its enduring nature proved that both powers were undoubtedly on par with each other, meaning they naturally posed no threat to him.

However… why would these warriors, who cultivated Battle Qi, be interested in alchemical creations? And I distinctly sensed a surge of spiritual energy just moments ago; there must be something peculiar at play.

He observed the black-robed figures with an unreadable expression, poised for battle at any moment.

Mu Wanqing instinctively glanced at her close friend, Su Liyue, only to find her composed, even observing the distant black-robed figures with keen interest, a glint of curiosity flickering in her eyes.

***

The group quietly trailed the black-robed figures through the winding rock passage, until suddenly, the path opened up into a vast, natural cavern, easily a hundred zhang across.

Stalactites, hanging from the cavern’s dome, glowed with a faint, ethereal blue, illuminating the entire space like a fantastical, elusive dragon palace beneath the sea.

Upon the ground, an Innate Bagua Formation, approximately ten zhang in diameter, shimmered with a soft, clear luminescence.

The formation diagram, cast from an unknown metal, had its eight trigram positions—Heaven, Earth, Thunder, Wind, Water, Fire, Mountain, Lake—each inlaid with Spirit Stones of varying attributes, all still slowly rotating. Intricate runes flowed within the array patterns, every stroke imbued with the profound truths of the Great Dao.

At the formation eye of the Taiji Yin-Yang fish, a cultivator in a moon-white Daoist robe sat upright and still.

He wore a Seven-star Coronet, an azure jade gourd hung from his waist, and his hands were clasped in profound mudras.

Though his countenance appeared lifelike, his skin possessed a glazed, translucent quality, and faint starlight shimmered three inches from his body.

Most peculiar was the jade ruler, wreathed in purple qi, that lay horizontally before him.

Within the Post-heaven Bagua Formation, which stood in stark opposition, there was another individual.

He wore a dark cloud-patterned Daoist robe, its sleeves embroidered with golden threads forming a Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams diagram that still seemed to swirl.

Three inches above his head, a fist-sized, crystal-clear Nascent Soul phantom flickered faintly; though devoid of life, it still emanated a heart-palpitating pressure.

This person’s face was as mellow as ancient jade, and a vertical mark on his brow seemed to be a remnant left by his Nascent Soul’s departure.

His hands were clasped in the Taiyi Longevity Seal, and faint wisps of Innate purple qi were vaguely discernible between his fingers.

Most astonishingly, a pigeon-egg-sized Golden Core hovered at his dantian, its surface covered in profound Daoist patterns. Even after enduring the erosion of countless years, it still emitted subtle law fluctuations.

Three feet before him, an azure jade whisk floated autonomously, each strand of its dust-silks distinct, every single one entwined with a wisp of Geng Metal Sword Qi.

Scattered on the ground were several shattered fate tablets.

Both corpses were enveloped in Glazed Pure Fire, the Daoist flames burning faintly, casting the sword marks on the cavern walls into even more menacing relief.

Radial cracks in the ground spread like a spiderweb, and broken bronze puppets lay collapsed at the edges of the formation eyes. Lingering spiritual light still clung to their damaged joints, silently narrating the earth-shattering battle of yesteryear—a conflict powerful enough to tear space itself.

‘This is actually… the Innate Bagua Formation and the Post-heaven Bagua Formation from the Nine Palaces Grid?’ Ye Xingchen’s pupils contracted slightly.

He saw two lifelike remains seated facing each other. Though they had passed away countless years ago, they still maintained their hand seal postures, and faint spiritual energy fluctuations subtly circulated within their robes.

Evidently, these were two cultivators who, for reasons unknown, had engaged in a world-shaking duel here, likely perishing together in the end.

The spiritual energy fluctuations that he and Qizai had sensed earlier must have originated from these two remains.

What concerned him most, however, was this: if cultivators existed in this world, did it imply some connection to the Spirit Realm back on Earth?

Or perhaps, were these ancient cultivators who had unexpectedly traversed time and space, or even cultivators from the future?

Ye Xingchen meticulously examined the details of the remains’ attire, yet found it difficult to ascertain their specific era.

Judging by the actions of the three black-robed figures, they seemed utterly unconcerned by this discovery. Their gazes continuously darted around, clearly indicating they had other intentions…