169: Chapter 169 Time is Merciless

"Brother Feng, these guys... they won't come back to life, will they?"

Tang An was trembling with fear, his legs feeling a bit like jelly.

His gaze swept over the statues; the more he looked, the more creeped out he felt.

The eyes of those statues seemed to be staring at him; no matter where he walked, he could feel their gaze following him.

This feeling was simply hair-raising.

He knew all too well that in the world of cultivation, there were countless ways to Seal powerful forces within statues.

There were Formation Seals, rune Seals, Bloodline Seals, Soul Seals...

Who knew if some terrifying Restriction was hidden inside these seemingly lifeless statues?

Perhaps as soon as they approached, it would trigger a Restriction and cause these statues to instantly come to life.

Looking at their fierce and malevolent appearances, not a single one of them looked like a benevolent being!

If they really did come to life, Tang An seriously doubted if the two of them could handle it.

He certainly couldn't! Was he just here for the ride?

Before a truly powerful expert, he wouldn't even be able to withstand a single breath.

And if these statues truly revived, each one would likely be comparable to the Three-Headed Demon Turtle.

If a fight really broke out, he wouldn't even have a chance to run away.

As for Chu Feng.

His boss was indeed powerful, but no matter how powerful, he couldn't take on ten at once, right?

Moreover, there were dozens of statues here; if they all revived, they could drown them in spit alone.

"Let's go! If things don't look right, we'll retreat immediately!"

They had already reached the entrance; they couldn't just tuck tail and run back now, could they?

Chu Feng's gaze swept over the statues.

Although his Divine Sense was powerful, he couldn't sense whether these statues were special Seals or Puppets.

The aura of those statues was too strange—neither alive nor dead, making it impossible to fathom.

"Alright!!!"

Tang An nodded and followed cautiously behind.

He was already prepared; if anything went wrong, he would immediately grab Chu Feng and bolt.

No Treasure Trove or Opportunity was more important than his little life.

If his life was gone, what use would those things be?

The first statue turned out to be a Qiongqi!

This was an ancient Vicious Beast!

Legend had it that the Qiongqi loved to eat human flesh and was incredibly cruel.

The statue before them was pitch black with crimson eyes, exposed fangs, and folded wings; it crouched on the ground in a lazy posture that hid a murderous intent.

The carving craftsmanship was so exquisite that every strand of fur was distinct, and even its gaze was lifelike.

If it really came to life—even if it were just a cub or a mixed-breed—Chu Feng estimated he might not be its match!

The strength of an ancient true beast was no joke.

Fortunately, nothing terrifying happened.

Even as Chu Feng and Tang An passed by the Qiongqi statue, there was no change.

The Qiongqi remained crouched on the ground, motionless, as if it truly were just a lifeless object.

Chu Feng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn't dare lower his guard.

He quickened his pace and walked toward the palace gates.

After crossing the plaza with hearts in their throats, the two finally arrived at the palace doors.

The palace doors stood wide open, but the interior was pitch black without a single glimmer of light.

The darkness was so thick it seemed physical, as if it could swallow all light.

Even more bizarre was that even when Divine Sense was extended into it, nothing could be detected, as if behind that door lay another world of nothingness.

Chu Feng stood before the door, staring into the darkness.

He felt a faint aura drifting out from within—ancient, desolate, and mysterious, carrying an indescribable attraction.

That aura was like a lover's call or a mother's embrace, making one unable to resist throwing themselves into it.

"Brother Feng, are we... really going in???"

Tang An swallowed hard, his voice kept extremely low.

His face was somewhat pale, and fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

For some reason, he felt that a massive danger was hidden behind that door, making him instinctively want to flee.

It was fine outside; at least there was light.

But ever since entering the underground, especially upon reaching this underground palace, Tang An had become a bit cowardly.

The various events from before had truly shaken him.

First, they encountered that old turtle, and then they discovered this eerie and unpredictable underground palace, which was fraught with danger at every turn.

He just wanted to leave this godforsaken place as quickly as possible.

"We've already come this far, how can we return empty-handed?"

Chu Feng stared into the depths of the palace and slowly walked forward.

Since they were here, there was no reason to go back with nothing.

Moreover, he faintly sensed that there was a great 'Opportunity' within this palace.

Whoosh!!

He summoned the tianyuan cauldron, and its blazing firelight illuminated the path ahead.

It could be seen that the palace floor was paved with the same pure white jade, the walls were covered in runes, and various decorations hung from the ceiling, making it look magnificent and resplendent.

The two exchanged a glance and stepped into the palace.

However, the moment they crossed the threshold.

Clang!!!

The great doors behind them slammed shut, letting out a dull, heavy boom that echoed endlessly through the hollow palace!

The sound was like a clap of thunder, making their eardrums ache and their heads ring.

"What's going on?!"

Tang An was startled and nearly jumped out of his skin.

He spun around to see that the stone door had closed tightly, without leaving even a crack.

He reached out to push it, only to find the door wouldn't budge, as if it had fused with the entire palace.

"Watch out!!!"

Chu Feng barked a low warning, grabbed Tang An, and quickly dodged to the side.

His Divine Sense had detected approaching danger, and he reacted instinctively.

Swish swish swish!!!

In the next instant, dozens of sharp spikes shot out from both sides like lightning, nearly grazing the edges of their clothes.

The spikes were pitch black with sharp tips that emitted a faint, cold glint.

They embedded themselves into the opposite wall with muffled thuds, sinking several inches deep into the stone, their ends still vibrating slightly.

"That was close!!!"

Tang An wiped away cold sweat with lingering fear and couldn't help but curse, "Which bastard built this palace and set up such traps!"

His gaze fell on the spikes; seeing how deep they had sunk into the stone wall, he knew that if they were hit, they would certainly be pinned to the wall with no chance of survival.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel terrified.

"Doesn't your own Immortal Cave have mechanical traps and Formations?"

Chu Feng glanced at him, his gaze scanning the surroundings solemnly. "It seems this palace isn't that simple. From now on, stay close to me and don't touch anything recklessly."

The two continued forward.

Relying on his keen Divine Sense, Chu Feng avoided lethal traps time and time again.

Sometimes he sensed danger in advance and dodged in time.

Sometimes he reacted at the critical moment, narrowly escaping by a hair's breadth.

Other times, he had to use techniques and Treasure Artifacts to withstand the attacks.

Every moment was heart-pounding and nerve-wracking.

They finally reached the end of the palace.

Under the light of the tianyuan cauldron, the entire interior scene of the palace gradually unfolded before them.

Within the magnificent hall, rows of seats were arranged, resembling a solemn council chamber.

The seats were arranged in a circle, with a massive main seat in the center and dozens of secondary seats on either side.

Every seat was exquisitely carved and inlaid with various gemstones, emitting a faint glow.

The tabletops were empty.

But when Chu Feng looked at those tables and chairs, a look of interest appeared on his face.

There was nothing ordinary here!

Every single table and chair was actually a Treasure Artifact.

"What a pity!" Chu Feng sighed.

"What's wrong? With so many good things, what's there to be pity about?" Tang An was startled and immediately asked.

His gaze fell upon the furniture, his eyes full of burning desire; these were all Treasure Artifacts.

In the Desolate Realm, many Golden Core masters might not even possess a single Treasure Artifact.

"Alas! The power of time has long since caused these Treasure Artifacts to decay."

Chu Feng reached out and gave a light flick of his hand.

Whoosh!!

In the entire hall, all the tables and chairs instantly turned into dust and scattered across the floor.

"This..."

Tang An's eyes widened, finally understanding what Chu Feng meant.

He squatted down and reached out to scoop up a handful of powder, finding it as fine as flour to the touch.

"Magic Treasures also have lifespans."

Chu Feng sighed softly, his tone carrying a hint of emotion. "Even some Treasure Artifacts cannot exist for hundreds of thousands or millions of years."

"Only Spiritual Artifacts, which can autonomously absorb spiritual energy to nourish themselves, can endure and become the rare ancient treasures we see today."

He paused and continued, "Although these tables and chairs were Treasure Artifacts and made of high-quality materials, their spiritual energy has long since drained away over the long years."

"They look perfectly intact on the outside, but in reality, their interiors have long since decayed; they turn to ash at the slightest touch."

"This is the power of time, which no one can resist."

"Then didn't we come here for nothing?"

Tang An was unwilling to accept it, his face full of dejection.

He had thought they found a Treasure Trove, but it turned out to be a hollow joy.

He stood up and patted the dust off his hands, his heart filled with disappointment.

Chu Feng's eyes flickered slightly, and he shook his head. "Not necessarily."

"Follow me to the rear hall!"

He walked slowly toward the depths of the hall. Seeing this, Tang An quickly followed.

In this underground palace, besides this main hall, there were several side halls.

From the layout, the main hall should be the council chamber, a place for receiving guests and discussing important matters.

The side halls, however, might be studies or storerooms used for keeping various supplies.

In Chu Feng's view, those were the true places where treasures would be kept.

This place should be the Daoist rite of an ancient powerhouse!

It was just that the powerhouse had vanished in a hurry for some unknown reason and never returned.

From the scale and layout of the palace, that powerhouse's cultivation was unfathomable—at least Soul Transformation or even higher.

The Daoist rite left behind by such a figure would surely hide countless treasures.

According to the habits of Cultivators, truly good things would be carried on their person.

But they would also certainly leave some treasures in their Daoist rite.

After all, the Daoist rite was their Foundation, their home; it couldn't possibly be completely empty.

Furthermore, if that powerhouse had left suddenly and didn't have time to pack, then there would be even more things left in the Daoist rite.

The cultivation of this powerhouse was unfathomable; even what they considered "worthless trash"...

...would likely be supreme treasures in the eyes of Chu Feng and Tang An.

Even if they only obtained a few pieces—no, let alone a few, even just one would be a massive harvest.