The ruins of the Mingxuan Hall

“Did that person hear us?” Seeing the figure in the woods depart, Fan Qiuming stopped in his tracks.

“He should have! He’s not deaf, after all. But… how did you know someone was hiding there?” Shangguan Wanwan looked at him, her eyes full of puzzlement.

“Because I have X-ray vision.” Fan Qiuming spoke nonsense, of course. After entering the Divine Ruins, his spiritual sense was no longer restricted. Once that person entered his range, no matter how well he hid, he could not escape detection.

“What? Then you—” She hurriedly covered her chest, eyeing him with suspicion.

“In this situation, shouldn’t you cover your face instead? That way, I wouldn’t know who you are.”

“Oh, right!” Shangguan Wanwan quickly shielded her face, then realized something was off. “Wait, wait, wait… What am I agreeing to? Are you lying to me again?” She raised her small fists and playfully pounded at him.

“Hahaha… I was just teasing you. I don’t have X-ray vision—hey, hey, hey! Don’t hit where I’m hurt, it’s painful!” The two chased each other through the woods, looking for all the world like a pair of young lovers.

Elsewhere—

“What? Are you certain?” Ximen Wending asked, hearing the report of a returning subordinate.

“Absolutely. I heard it with my own ears. The eldest miss of the Shangguan family was talking with some man from another family—don’t know which one. And it looked like they’re close.”

Ximen Wending stroked his chin, thinking deeply. “If that’s the case… they may already know the detailed secrets of the Divine Ruins. Shangguan Wanwan alone could never have made it this far; it must be that man with her.”

He analyzed the situation carefully. “We don’t know where Dongfang Jingming has run off to. We have to hurry, or they’ll beat us to it. Come, up the mountain—quickly!”

“Yes, Senior Brother. I’ll summon the others at once.”

“Go!” Ximen Wending nodded and stood, gazing up toward the mountain summit.

As for Dongfang Jingming, he lay sprawled on the ground, blood continually flowing from his mouth. “Damn it…” He pounded the earth, as if to vent all his fury into the ground.

“And that wretch, Shangguan Wanwan, and that damned bastard, just you wait…”

Later in the afternoon, Fan Qiuming and Shangguan Wanwan reached the source of the waterfall, where a vibrant aura of life washed over them. Their injuries, cleansed by the power of life, were almost completely healed.

“How miraculous!” Shangguan Wanwan could not help but marvel.

“Don’t just stand there—the teleportation entrance is right ahead. Let’s move!” Fan Qiuming strode over to a large stone stele near the source.

He placed his hand on it and poured his spiritual force within. Soon, the stele emitted a blue light, gradually coalescing into a circular portal.

“It’s ready. Step through, and we’ll reach the Floating Island.”

“If this is a teleportation array, then what’s at the mountain summit?” Shangguan Wanwan asked, curiosity piqued.

“The summit? Only two savage beasts are imprisoned there—who knows how long they’ve been starving. They’re likely at the Nascent Void stage; a single roar could obliterate anyone nearby, body and soul.”

Fan Qiuming looked toward the distant summit of Mingxuan Mountain and shook his head, then stepped directly into the portal. Shangguan Wanwan hurried after him.

“Nascent Void stage? I’ve never heard of that realm before. Is it a new martial stage? No… it sounds more like something from a cultivation novel.” A realization dawned on her. “Could it be that you’re—?”

“Shh! Keep it a secret for me.” Fan Qiuming pressed a finger to his lips, smiling mysteriously.

Once they arrived on the Floating Island, the portal vanished.

“Unless those people can fly, there’s no way up. So for now, this place is absolutely safe.”

He wandered off toward a ruined site, gazing at the dilapidated Mingxuan Hall with nostalgia in his eyes. He walked forward and gently stroked the crumbling walls, bearing the marks of centuries of wind and frost.

“What is this place?” Shangguan Wanwan looked up, noticing the faded sign above the broken doors.

“Mingxuan Hall… You can’t see what it once was, but it must have been magnificent.” She nodded in admiration.

Fan Qiuming approached the spot where he had once vanished, sweeping away the dust to reveal a ring—the spatial ring he once owned.

“What’s that? Such a beautiful ring—it must be a spatial ring, right?” Shangguan Wanwan’s gaze lingered on the ring in his hand, her longing evident.

Her meaning was more than clear. Fan Qiuming smiled, slipped on his own ring, and with a touch of spiritual force, retrieved another ring suited for her.

“Here. This one has five hundred cubic units of storage space. It should be enough for you.”

He was generous in gifting her the ring—though he had a few more, there were not many left.

“Really… you’re really giving it to me?” Shangguan Wanwan could hardly believe it. She never thought he would so casually give away such a treasure.

“So you really aren’t a martial artist, but a cultivator? Otherwise, how do you know so much and have such miraculous means?”

“I never said I was a martial artist,” Fan Qiuming replied, eyeing her thoughtfully. “Come on, let’s look inside.”

Shangguan Wanwan followed him into Mingxuan Hall, as curious as a country woman visiting a grand estate for the first time.

Suddenly, Fan Qiuming stopped. Shangguan Wanwan, distracted, bumped right into his back.

“Ow! Why’d you stop?”

“We’ve arrived…” Fan Qiuming’s gaze was steely as he looked toward a statue standing in the center of the hall.

“Arrived? Where?” Peering around him, she caught sight of the statue. Its vast, encompassing gaze seemed to hold the whole world.

But most astonishing of all—the statue’s features were identical to Fan Qiuming’s.

The only difference was that the statue wore ancient sword robes, while Fan Qiuming stood dressed in modern clothes.

“You… he… this…” Shangguan Wanwan was too shocked to speak. It was as if an ordinary friend had suddenly revealed himself to be a billionaire.

“So this Mingxuan Hall… is yours?”

Fan Qiuming did not answer. Instead, he stepped forward and touched the statue’s forehead. At once, a whirlwind rose around them, enveloping both.

Cracks spread over the statue, which then dissolved, revealing two orbs within—one golden, one dark purple. Both shot into Fan Qiuming’s body.

When he had finished absorbing them, he opened his eyes—his left pupil gleamed with golden light, while his right was a five-petaled kaleidoscope of red, blue, green, purple, and black.

A mysterious aura emanated from him, pressing upon Shangguan Wanwan so strongly that she dared not meet his gaze. For a moment, it felt as though she stood not before Fan Qiuming, but before a god beyond defiance.

Sensing her fear, Fan Qiuming suppressed his aura. With a blink, his eyes returned to normal, and only then did Shangguan Wanwan catch her breath, her forehead beaded with sweat.

Others outside the Floating Island sensed the disturbance.

“Damn, they got there first!” Ximen Wending was still hurrying up the mountain, unaware that disaster awaited him.

Dongfang Jingming had already left the Divine Ruins. The other clans were either lost in the mists or had become stepping stones for the Ximen and Dongfang families.

In the end, only the Ximen, Dongfang, and Shangguan families reached the Divine Ruins.

“You… are you really a celestial being?” Shangguan Wanwan’s eyes shone, as if discovering a hidden treasure.

“At least, not yet,” Fan Qiuming said. With a wave of his left hand, a blue-gold orb appeared, swirling with energy.

“This must be the core of the Divine Ruins. I don’t know why it formed, but now this place is under my control.”

Shangguan Wanwan stared at the core, eager to touch it, sensing the immense space power within.

“How wondrous. My family also has a Divine Ruins, but I’ve never seen its core before.” She was delighted.

“Because of this orb, the families have been fighting desperately. I know of at least a dozen who’ve died, and who knows how many from the other families.” Fan Qiuming shook his head and put the core away, then asked, “Did your family know you came here?”

She shook her head. “No. I only came to Peng City for fun, but heard rumors that a Divine Ruins might appear on Wutong Mountain, so I came. In the mountains, I ran into our clan’s search party. Then we clashed with the Yuwen family; both sides suffered. My clansmen helped me escape, and I met you in the cave.”

As she spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks. Fan Qiuming could guess—the rest of the Shangguan family must have perished at the hands of the Yuwen clan.

He gently wiped away her tears. “There, don’t cry. Everyone has their fate; don’t grieve too much.” He patted her head, trying to comfort her, though his own heart felt heavy.

“If not for me, they wouldn’t have…” Her sobs grew stronger.

“In that case, let me give you something. Consider it fate that brought us together.” Fan Qiuming took out two bottles of pills from his ring.

“What are these?” Though her tears had stopped, she still sniffled.

“These are Body Refining Pills, and these are Marrow Cleansing Pills. Both will greatly improve your physique—priceless for any martial artist.” He placed the bottles in her hands.

“And you?”

“I have all I could ever need. Why worry about me? Come on, dry your tears.”

His words reassured her, and she accepted the bottles, storing them in the spatial ring he’d just given her.

“First time using it, and you’re already so skilled?” Fan Qiuming was a little surprised at her adeptness.

“Why not cultivate with me? I think you have talent,” he suggested.

“Can I? It seems difficult…”

“No worries. You already have a martial foundation, so cultivation shouldn’t be too hard. Just follow my lead—sit cross-legged.”

Shangguan Wanwan did as she was told.

“Close your eyes…” he instructed. “Breathe slowly… In through the nose, out through the mouth… Carefully sense the spiritual energy in the air. Feel it with your heart… Take your time…”

Fan Qiuming guided her step by step, teaching her how to breathe and sense spiritual energy.

“Try to guide the spiritual energy into your body, circulate it through your meridians, and gather it in your dantian.”

At once, dense spiritual energy surged toward them, forming two vortices—one large, one small—around their bodies.

With the Divine Ruins so rich in spiritual energy, there was no better time to cultivate.

Fan Qiuming opened his eyes and looked at the gifted Shangguan Wanwan—he really had stumbled upon a treasure. With only minimal guidance, she was already able to draw in spiritual energy, her talent even surpassing his own at the same stage.

He didn’t disturb her. Instead, he took out four Marrow Cleansing Pills from his ring and swallowed them at once. With resources in hand, it was time to strengthen himself further.