171: Chapter 171 Ancient Inheritance

"Alright! Then I won't stand on ceremony!"

Seeing that Chu Feng was serious, Tang An no longer hesitated.

He picked up the fangtian painted halberd, feeling its weight in his hand, but it was extremely smooth to swing.

The shaft of the halberd was pitch-black and shiny, covered in carved runes, with a faint spiritual light flowing through them.

The blade of the halberd was snow-white and sharp, emitting a faint, cold light.

The tassel of the halberd was blood-red, fluttering in the wind like a ball of burning fire.

This was simply a Sharp Weapon tailored for him to show off!

If he took this fangtian painted halberd out, it would surely attract countless gazes and make him the center of attention.

Chu Feng didn't know Tang An's thoughts; if he did, he would certainly be speechless.

Others choose Magic Treasures based on whether they fit their Cultivation Techniques and spells, and whether they can enhance their strength.

Some focus on attack, some on defense, some on speed, and some on versatility, each taking what they need and seeking what they desire.

Tang An, on the other hand, was actually doing it just to show off and look cool!

If those Nascent Soul old monsters found out, they would surely cough up blood in anger.

Such ancient treasures were priceless in their eyes, good things that could enhance strength and save one's life.

But in Tang An's eyes, it was merely a tool for looking cool; this was simply an insult to an ancient Spiritual Artifact.

"Let's go! To the next Side Hall!!!"

After scouring the benefits here clean, Chu Feng and Tang An headed toward the next Side Hall.

However, this time, Chu Feng was disappointed.

And it was the kind of agonizing disappointment!

This was a Library!

Rows of bookshelves were neatly arranged, but they had all decayed and collapsed, let alone the books!

Those bookshelves should have been made of rare wood, but now they had turned into piles of rotten wood, lying scattered on the ground.

Those books should have been made of high-grade Materials, but now they had turned into piles of ash, scattered all over the floor.

Nothing existed anymore!

Everything had turned to dust on the ground!

Countless knowledge, countless efforts, and countless Great Dao Legacies were thus forever annihilated in the long river of time!

What was recorded in those books must have been the life's work of that mighty expert, the crystallization of the wisdom of countless predecessors, various Secret Manuals of Cultivation Techniques, Alchemy insights, Artifact Refining methods, and the Profound Truths of Formations.

But now, all had turned to nothingness, with nothing left behind.

After Chu Feng entered and saw the devastation, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt on the ground.

His lips trembled, and his eyes were full of unbearable heartache.

What he valued most was knowledge!

Only knowledge learned is truly one's own; those resources are external things, merely tools to assist in cultivation.

Cultivation Techniques, the Dao of Talismans, the Dao of Formations, the Dao of Alchemy, and the Dao of Artifacts—which one doesn't require knowledge?

Without knowledge, no matter how many resources one has, they cannot be transformed into strength.

Without knowledge, even with the best Magic Treasure, one cannot unleash its true power.

But now, for the things he yearned for the most, nothing remained!

Those Secret Manuals of Cultivation Techniques, Alchemy insights, Artifact Refining methods, Profound Truths of Formations, the experiences of Seniors, and the wisdom of the ancients had all turned to dust, forever vanishing from the world.

Even if he wanted to search for them, there was nowhere to look.

Even if he wanted to inherit them, there was no way to do so.

"Brother Feng! Don't get excited! There are still several Side Halls! There must be good things waiting for us there!"

Seeing Chu Feng's loss of composure, Tang An was startled.

He was truly afraid that Brother Feng would never recover from this, so he rushed forward to support him and urgently consoled him.

He had never seen Chu Feng lose his composure like this; even when facing powerful enemies or in dangerous situations, Chu Feng had never been so out of sorts.

It was clear how big a blow the loss of this Library was to him.

Chu Feng took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a long time, and then slowly opened them.

In those eyes, the light of determination was rekindled.

Yes, there were still several Side Halls.

Although the Library was lost, it didn't mean there wouldn't be other gains.

Furthermore, although these books had turned to ash, that knowledge might not have truly disappeared.

If they could find that mighty expert's Legacy, they might still have a chance to learn that knowledge.

"You're right. Let's go to the next one!"

He turned around and strode out of the Library that had broken his heart.

Behind him was endless dust and a floor of shattered dreams.

The two walked silently through the long corridor, their footsteps sounding exceptionally clear in the silent palace.

On the walls on both sides of the corridor, some exquisite reliefs could still be vaguely seen, depicting scenes of ancient Cultivators cultivating.

Having lasted hundreds of thousands of years, those reliefs were still lifelike, as if they could come to life at any moment.

But Chu Feng was in no mood to appreciate them now; images of that ash kept replaying in his mind, and a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.

Next, Chu Feng and Tang An continued their exploration further in.

They passed through one grand hall after another, each making their hearts feel heavier.

The power of time was truly too formidable.

It was silent and soundless, yet enough to swallow everything.

Chu Feng looked at all this, an indescribable sorrow rising in his heart.

Immortals seek longevity, yet even the palaces left behind by mighty experts cannot escape the erosion of time.

So, what can Cultivators like them, who are still struggling, leave behind?

Just as the two were feeling low, an exceptionally majestic grand hall appeared ahead.

The gate of this grand hall was taller than any they had seen before, with complex patterns carved upon it.

The sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, birds, and beasts were all lifelike.

Most peculiar was that those carvings seemed to contain some kind of law, making one unable to resist becoming immersed in them with just a glance.

Crack!!!

Chu Feng took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy gate with force.

An ancient aura gushed from behind the gate, carrying a faint scent of sandalwood that refreshed their spirits.

The two stepped inside, but when the scene before them came into view, they both froze at the same time.

This grand hall was completely different from what they had seen before.

There were no rows of boxes, no treasures covering the floor, and no trace of any Medicinal Pills or Spiritual Artifacts.

The floor of the grand hall was paved with whole pieces of precious jade, polished to a mirror finish that clearly reflected their images.

Giant Night-luminescent Pearls were embedded in the surrounding walls, their soft light illuminating the entire space.

A massive star map was painted on the ceiling, and those stars were actually moving slowly, following some mysterious trajectory.

In the center of the hall, a massive altar stood tall!

The altar was in the shape of a nine-layered pagoda, made entirely of some kind of black jade.

Chu Feng had never seen this kind of jade before; it was like jade but not jade, like metal but not metal, glinting with a faint, cold light under the illumination.

Small copper bells hung from the eight corners of each layer of the altar, and as a breeze brushed past, they actually emitted pleasant sounds.

Those sounds seemed to possess some kind of magic, calming the mind and clearing all distracting thoughts.

Most amazing were the runes carved all over the surface of the altar.

These runes were dense and layered, almost covering the entire altar.

They were not static but flowed slowly like living things, emitting a faint golden light.

Chu Feng identified them carefully and found that these runes actually covered dozens of different systems, some of which he recognized and others he had never heard of.

They intertwined with each other, forming an extremely complex Restrictive Formation.

At the top of the altar sat a crystal-clear Jade Slip.

The Jade Slip was suffused with a faint seven-colored light, suspended a foot high in the air, slowly rotating like a star that would never fall.

With each rotation, a ring of seven-colored light would spread outwards, echoing the runes on the altar.

That light was soft but not dazzling, warm but not burning, making it impossible for one to look away.

"Is this... an Ancient Legacy?!"

Tang An's eyes widened, his voice carrying an irrepressible tremble.

He subconsciously swallowed his saliva, his heart suddenly racing as if it were about to jump out of his chest.

He had lived so many years, yet had never seen such a shocking scene.

The aura emitted by that Jade Slip made the magic power in his body start to become restless, as if it were yearning for something.

Chu Feng was also stunned, his gaze tightly locked on that Jade Slip as countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

An Ancient Legacy—this was an Opportunity that every Cultivator dreamed of.

Those ascended mighty experts often condensed their life's work into a Jade Slip, leaving it for fated people of future generations.

If one could obtain such a Legacy, it would be no different from reaching the heavens in a single bound!

Whew!!!

He took a few deep breaths to calm his excitement.

His gaze tightly locked on the Jade Slip, he said in a deep voice, "This Jade Slip should record some kind of powerful Cultivation Technique or secret art from the ancient era."

"And looking at this setup, it's definitely no ordinary item."

He stepped forward slowly, his gaze heavy as he scrutinized the altar.

The closer he got, the more he could feel the power of that Restriction.

The area around the altar was covered in complex runes; their flow seemed slow, but in fact, it contained a mysterious rhythm.

Chu Feng closed his eyes and released his Divine Sense to sense carefully, immediately feeling a power as vast as the sea surging beneath the runes.

This energy was incomparably pure and of extremely high quality, more so than any Spirit Stone he had ever seen.

What was even more terrifying was that this energy was perfectly sealed by the Restriction, with almost no loss over hundreds of thousands of years.

Chu Feng could clearly sense that the energy here had not been exhausted.

Unlike those dilapidated Restrictions outside, the Restriction on this altar still maintained considerable power!

This Jade Slip was definitely not going to be easy to take.

"There's likely a Restriction on this altar, and the energy is still very abundant!"

Chu Feng warned in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of gravity.

His brow furrowed as his mind raced, considering various possibilities.

With his current strength, trying to force his way through a Restriction of this level was no different from seeking death.

But if he were to just give up like this, he truly wouldn't be reconciled.

"Brother Feng, what do you think this Jade Slip will be?"

Tang An nodded, his eyes filled with both desire and caution.

He subconsciously tightened his grip on the Spiritual Artifact, the fangtian painted halberd, ready to respond to any sudden situation.

This place seemed peaceful, but who knew if there were any traps?

How could the thoughts of an ancient mighty expert be surmised by small Cultivators like them?