Chapter 735 - 391: Dare to Ask the Heavens, Is There an Immortal?_2

On the surface, there were some unknown characters.

"What is this?"

Gu Sheng then picked up a stone and examined it.

The girl in purple leaned over to look, and instantly froze.

"These are ancient characters from East Desolation, this one is pronounced ’Heaven.’"

The girl in purple said directly.

"Hm?"

Gu Sheng was taken aback and stared at the girl in purple with a face full of doubt as he interrogated, "This ancient text from East Desolation—nobody knows how many years have passed since its origin—how could you be familiar with it?"

"I...."

The girl in purple’s gaze faltered slightly.

Gu Sheng’s eyes grew sharper.

He stared at the girl in purple intently, as though trying to pierce through her very soul.

"Tell me, who exactly are you? Why are you so familiar with these ancient texts from East Desolation?"

The girl in purple sensed Gu Sheng’s pressing inquiry, and her evasive look transformed into one of resolute clarity.

She took a deep breath and slowly began, "My name is Ji Ziyue, I was raised in the Ji family from childhood. I’ve thoroughly studied the history of East Desolation, so naturally, I am familiar with these ancient characters."

Upon hearing this familiar name, Gu Sheng felt a strange sense of affinity.

"Continue,"

Gu Sheng gestured to her.

"The Bronze Immortal Palace is actually the secret energy point our Ji family has been searching for all along. It hides the ancient power of East Desolation and is the key to our family’s revival. I just didn’t expect to stumble upon it with you by sheer coincidence."

Ji Ziyue explained.

Gu Sheng frowned deeply. He hadn’t anticipated that the stone he had casually picked up would be entangled with such a significant secret.

"Then, what exactly is hidden within this Bronze Immortal Palace?"

Gu Sheng asked while bending down to pick up the other stones as well.

"Don’t move!"

Ji Ziyue quickly stopped him.

Gu Sheng paused his movements, then turned to ask, "What’s wrong?"

Seeing that Gu Sheng had paused, Ji Ziyue began explaining, "The stones around these statues aren’t randomly placed; they are arranged in a specific sequence."

Gu Sheng’s eyes glimmered at her words.

He regarded Ji Ziyue seriously, waiting for her to elaborate.

Ji Ziyue pointed to the stones scattered around and continued, "When these stones are arranged in their correct sequence, they reveal hidden information."

Following Ji Ziyue’s guidance, Gu Sheng carefully picked up the stones one by one and rearranged them according to her instructions.

As the last stone was placed, eight ancient characters appeared on the ground: "Dare to ask Heaven, do immortals still exist?"

"What! This..."

Gu Sheng stared at the eight characters in shock.

He hadn’t expected that the cultivators who arranged these statues were also questioning the existence of immortals.

This wasn’t just a pursuit of the unknown; it was a yearning for transcendence and detachment from the mortal world.

Perhaps the cultivators of that time were just as curious about "immortals" as Gu Sheng was now.

Ji Ziyue’s eyes revealed a trace of emotion.

After pausing momentarily, she murmured softly, "These words are the reverence East Desolation’s ancient cultivators held toward Heaven, as well as their longing for the realm of immortals. They believed that with enough sincerity in their pursuit, one day they would reach the state of immortality."

"Hah..."

Gu Sheng let out a deep breath, shaken to the core.

Turning to Ji Ziyue, he said solemnly, "Since we’ve already discovered the clues to unlock the Immortal Palace, let’s move forward and see whether we can uncover the ancient secrets of East Desolation."

"Boom!!!"

Just as Gu Sheng finished speaking, a sudden rumbling sound erupted.

Gu Sheng reacted swiftly, pulling Ji Ziyue aside immediately.

After the rumbling subsided, energy ripples spread out from the lake’s depths like concentric waves.

The entire space seemed to tremble, resembling an underwater earthquake.

As the ripples gradually calmed, the lakebed’s landscape revealed itself.

What unfolded before Gu Sheng and Ji Ziyue was a field of eerie white bones.

The piled-up skeletons lay in the center of the Immortal Palace, strikingly sinister.

Gu Sheng’s expression darkened; he hadn’t anticipated unearthing such a heavy historical truth.

Yet Ji Ziyue appeared relatively composed.

Her gaze carried both mourning and respect for these predecessors.

"These are the remains of countless renowned cultivators from East Desolation’s ancient times until now, all of whom sought the treasures within the Bronze Immortal Palace,"

Ji Ziyue explained calmly and naturally.

"What? Renowned cultivators?"

Gu Sheng widened his eyes in surprise.

He stepped forward and inspected the skeletons closely.

Indeed, these bones dated back centuries.

If they had belonged to ordinary people, they would have decayed long ago.

But as these were the remains of powerful cultivators, traces of their Divine Power still lingered, preventing total decay.

"These people, yearning for the mysterious energies hidden within the Immortal Palace, either fell victim to traps or failed to escape its labyrinth. Their skeletal remains now serve as witnesses to this history."

Ji Ziyue told Gu Sheng about the origins and motivations of these predecessors.

...

Gu Sheng remained silent for a long time.

He understood that he was standing atop a segment of ancient history, and that each cultivator behind these bones could have effortlessly overpowered him.

"What should we do now?"

Gu Sheng asked.

Ji Ziyue gave a bitter laugh, "Try not to join their ranks."

"What’s that?"

Suddenly, Gu Sheng noticed two openings behind the piles of bones.

Summoning his strength, Gu Sheng pushed the bones aside.

Before them emerged a colossal bronze wall.

As an experienced adventurer, Gu Sheng quickly recognized that the bronze wall bore two openings.

Because the Bronze Immortal Palace had been submerged for so long, thick layers of moss had concealed the openings until now.

Gu Sheng picked up a loose leg bone and cleared off the moss shrouding the entrances.

Once the moss was removed, two luminous tunnels emerged before them.

Faint light gleamed from within the tunnels, hinting at a connection to another unknown space.

The openings’ most intriguing feature was the peculiar runes engraved above them.

The runes emitted a faint glow, holding some kind of mysterious energy.

Ji Ziyue gazed at the runes, an expression of sudden understanding flickering in her eyes.

"These are life-and-death runes from East Desolation’s ancient times. The left tunnel is inscribed with ’Life,’ while the right bears ’Death,’"

Ji Ziyue explained.

After speaking, she sighed heavily, seeming to sense a tinge of despair.

Gu Sheng furrowed his brows, feeling the distinctly different auras emanating from these tunnels.

One overflowed with vitality and creation, while the other was steeped in death and finality.

"In such dire circumstances, the tunnel marked ’Life’ might be the safer choice,"

Ji Ziyue suggested.

As she spoke, she instinctively edged closer to the entrance of the life tunnel.

However, Gu Sheng shook his head, "No, I believe we should choose the tunnel marked ’Death.’"

"What?"

Ji Ziyue froze, staring at Gu Sheng in bewilderment, unable to grasp the reasoning behind his choice.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Sheng spoke slowly, "In places so ancient and mysterious, the most dangerous paths often hide the greatest opportunities. Look at these bones; their deaths tell us why they perished."

Ji Ziyue fell silent.

To someone well-versed in East Desolation’s history like her, his words weren’t without merit.

In these ancient lands, every step was fraught with unknown danger, but equally rich with potential.

She looked at Gu Sheng, her gaze filled with complex emotions.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, Ji Ziyue seemed to reach a decision.

To her, the distinctions between life and death had ceased to matter.

"Fine! Let’s head into the ’Death’ tunnel!"

Ji Ziyue said with an air of resigned determination.

"Alright."

Gu Sheng nodded and led Ji Ziyue toward the Death tunnel.

Yet, just as they were about to step into the tunnel, an ethereal melody drifted through the air.

The sound was serene and enchanting, soothing the soul yet comforting in its simplicity.

"What is that sound?"

Gu Sheng turned his head, questioning Ji Ziyue.

"It sounds... it sounds like a harp being played."

Ji Ziyue blinked, her wide, lively eyes reflecting curiosity as she answered.