"Better safe than sorry. I think weâd better not take risks so lightly." After listening to Jiang Yuzhe, Qu Shanling started to regret his earlier suggestion. He changed his tune as he spoke; as a seasoned God-man, he had always been far more cautious than most people.
"Master Quâs concern isnât without reason. Weâd better be careful." Tang Bufan added. Except for those times when he activated his Innate Divine Ability and turned into a mad demon, his temperament was even more steady and cautious than Qu Shanlingâs.
"But if we just give up like this, thatâs really too much of a waste. From what we just saw, those people used every possible means, even resorting to the legendary Primordial Contract. The treasure in this Ancient Relics must be extraordinary, maybe itâs even an Ancient Divine Artifact. Other than the Cold Sky Sword, Han Yan doesnât have any stronger Divine Artifact on her. Itâd be perfect for self-defense." Ye Yanran said unwillingly. That suited her temperament; after all, she was a female thiefâhow could she walk out of a treasure mountain empty-handed?
But this time, she wasnât doing it for herself, but for Mu Hanyan. She could also see that as Mu Hanyanâs strength grew, the enemies she faced became stronger and stronger, and that piece of Cangxuan Cloud Silk was becoming less and less useful.
"Even if it is a Divine Artifact, so what? You still have to live long enough to use it." Jiang Yuzhe said irritably. His IQ finally seemed to be online this time.
The few of them argued back and forth, and before they knew it, they were quarreling.
"Stop arguing. Let Han Yan decide." Huayue said with a frown.
Mu Hanyan glanced at Ye Lanfeng, but didnât rush to make a decision.
"No matter what you decide, Iâll stay by your side. If thereâs real danger, Iâll do my best to protect them." Ye Lanfeng held Mu Hanyanâs hand and spoke gently.
He of course knew what Mu Hanyan was hesitating over, and he also knew she wasnât worried about her own safety, but didnât want a moment of impulse on her part to drag Huayue and the others into danger.
"Alright, then letâs go in and have a look." With Ye Lanfengâs words, Mu Hanyanâs heart settled, and she quickly made up her mind.
Although the Evil Spell Zhao Lingxian and the others used just now was too cruel and too strange, just as Ye Yanran had said, knowing that the Ancient Relics contained strange treasure yet giving up like this was far too regrettable. The Cultivation Path was full of hardships and danger at every step; if you were always looking over your shoulder, you could never reach the Peak. That was not Mu Hanyanâs way.
"You know how to get in?" Jiang Yuzhe only then realized that theyâd argued for half the day yet overlooked the most important question: entering this Ancient Relics wasnât that easy. Otherwise, Zhao Lingxian and the others wouldnât have gone to so much trouble earlier. Presumably because they couldnât open the gate, they had no choice but to use the Primordial Contract, trying to open it from the inside.
"It shouldnât be too hard." Mu Hanyan smiled slightly, then leapt into the air.
The others hadnât noticed, but she had long since seen that just above the stone gate, where the Primordial Contractâs golden light had shimmered before, there was a small recess whose shape matched the Dragon and Phoenix Jade Pendant on her person exactly.
The Han and Tang Familiesâ ancestors back then werenât strong, so they clearly couldnât have opened the gate directly, much less used strange and mysterious arts like the Primordial Contract. To enter the Ancient Relics, the only thing they could rely on was this Dragon and Phoenix Jade Pendant.
"Click." With a soft sound, Mu Hanyan had already embedded the Jade Pendant into the gate.
In an instant, streaks of golden radiance appeared again, but this time they were so peaceful, so serene, and so sacred.
The massive, heavy stone gate slowly swung open, and the golden light was spilling out through the gap between the doors.
Everyone widened their eyes and looked into the hall beyond.
Ye Yanran didnât think much of it, but Huayue and the others were all stunned. This palace was actually identical to the one on Flying Peak that had been carved out by a single claw swipe from the Aolai Divine Beast.
Because the Han and Tang Familiesâ ancestors had come here once many years ago, there werenât many treasures left in the palace. Only on the high stone throne was an Ancient Mirror embedded, and the dazzling golden light was emanating from that Ancient Mirror.
Looking at this Ancient Mirror, everyone felt a strange sensation in their hearts. Under that peaceful yet sacred golden glow, their bodies seemed to become incomparably light, as if they had shed their corporeal shackles, traversed time and space, and arrived in a completely different world.
Mu Hanyan was also staring at that Ancient Mirror, her heart suddenly jolting.
If she remembered correctly, every time the Aolai Divine Beast Memory Inheritance awakened, the mysterious and powerful woman who appeared in her mind had just such an Ancient Mirror embedded at the center of her battle armorâexactly the same.
Could this be the relic that woman left behind?!
So, what was hidden in this palace was not some Fierce Beast or killing weapon, but this Ancient Mirror. Thinking about it, that was reasonable. If it really had been a Fierce Beast or some lethal weapon, how could the ancestors of the Han and Tang Families have withdrawn so easily back then?
Unless one had seen it with their own eyes as Mu Hanyan had, no one could imagine how powerful that mysterious woman was, nor could they imagine how alluring the Divine Artifacts she left behind would be to a cultivator.
Even Mu Hanyan couldnât remain entirely detached; her heart surged with excitement, and she walked toward the Ancient Mirror almost involuntarily.
"Careful!" Ye Yanran shot forward, darting ahead of Mu Hanyan.
Standing before the Ancient Mirror, Ye Yanran began to carefully inspect it. She didnât let a single inch of the stone pedestal beneath the mirror or the surrounding bricks go unchecked.
Only then did everyone understand what she was doing. Just as there were Exotic Beasts guarding Earth Treasures, many people who collected treasures would also set up mechanisms or defense Barriers around them. Ancient Relics were no exception, and as a female thief, Ye Yanran was more familiar with this than anyone.
They all felt a bit moved. Although Ye Yanran was familiar with mechanisms and had rich experience, in terms of strength she was not only far inferior to Mu Hanyan, she was a whole level below the rest of them as well. This was an Ancient Relics, not some Noble Familiesâ treasure vault; if there really were mechanisms or Barriers here, there was no way she could withstand them.
Yet she hadnât hesitated in the slightest and had rushed in front of Mu Hanyan at the fastest speed.
After checking three full times, Ye Yanran hadnât found any mechanisms or Barriers. Huayue and the others all relaxed visibly; Ye Yanran herself also let out a breath of relief.
"Looks like I was overthinking it. There are no mechanisms here, and no Barrier either." Ye Yanran turned her head with a light, easy smile.
"Careful!" At that moment, Ye Lanfeng cried out.
Almost the instant his voice rang out, the Ancient Mirror suddenly flashed with golden light, and a massive pillar of lightning, roaring like thunder, blasted straight toward Ye Yanran with ferocious force.