55: Chapter 55 The Mystery of the Ruins

The Heavenly Ruins is not a simple ruin. It is a vast, boundless "Ruins Realm" formed after the shattering of the primordial world, where countless plane fragments, lost worlds, temporal turbulence, and endless destructive energy left over from ancient wars have stacked, eroded, and entangled over billions of years of evolution, creating a space that is nearly independent yet connected to many unknown dimensions.

Stepping into the mist at its edge is like stepping into a realm belonging to "Oblivion" and "the end," a place of Chaos, disorder, and endless unknown dangers.

The surrounding light suddenly dimmed. Gray-black mist, like viscous, living liquid, slowly surged, not only blocking vision but also eroding Divine Sense. Lin Wan spread out his Divine Sense, only to find that what could easily cover hundreds of miles in the past was compressed to less than a hundred miles here. It felt like sinking into a mire, and the information fed back was blurred, distorted, and filled with noise and illusions. The air was permeated with decay, ruin, and an indescribable aura of "Guixu Annihilation" that seemed capable of wearing away the very Foundation of all things.

He activated his protective spiritual light, his Chaos Infant Essence circulating to easily block and assimilate the encroaching "Guixu Annihilation" aura. The Five Elements Guixu Dao Seed between his brows was now transmitting a clear resonance, pointing towards the depths of the mist, carrying a sense of desolation and Battle Intent. It was the call of the Five Elements Sect's "War Barrier."

Determining the direction, Lin Wan did not fly at high speed using sword light. The environment here was treacherous; space was fragile and distorted. Moving at high speeds could easily trigger unpredictable spatial turbulence or alert lurking, terrifying entities. His figure was like a faint shadow of Chaos, quietly weaving through the thick fog and broken terrain, moving with the speed of a ghost, yet hardly causing any energy fluctuations.

After traveling only a little over a hundred miles, he encountered the first wave of attacks.

It was not a sentient creature, but a patch of seemingly ordinary "metallic dust" floating in the mist, shimmering with a dark golden luster. When Lin Wan approached, these dust particles suddenly went berserk, like a disturbed swarm of bees, instantly coalescing into a dark golden storm that blotted out the sky. It swept toward him, carrying the power of cutting, piercing, and the intense, sharp Law of "Metal." Each grain of dust was comparable to a single strike from a Golden Core Cultivator's Flying Sword; the convergence of billions of dust particles had enough power to threaten a Nascent Soul.

"Geng Metal Evil Dust..." Lin Wan recognized this object. It was a common menace in the outer regions of the Heavenly Ruins, formed from the remnants of ancient metal-type Magic Treasures and ore veins, mutated after being eroded by the aura of Guixu Annihilation. He did not meet it head-on. With a thought, the power of the Five Elements Guixu Dao Seed circulated, and his control over the "Metal" Law instantly increased.

"Five Elements Guixu, Metal can be sharp, but it can also be blunt—disperse."

He pressed his fingers together like a sword and lightly tapped toward the dark golden storm. A wisp of Chaos brilliance from his fingertip merged into the center of the storm. In an instant, the violent metal-element power, containing endless sharpness, seemed to encounter a monarch and suddenly stagnated. Immediately after, its internal structure was forcibly interfered with and dismantled by the more primordial Five Elements Guixu Dao rhyme contained within the Chaos brilliance. The billions of metal dust particles instantly lost their violent "spirituality" and sharpness, clattering down like ordinary sand and dust, turning back into a dead, silent zone of dust.

Lin Wan did not even look back and continued forward.

The deeper he went, the more treacherous the environment became. Shattered mountains floated in the void, rivers of magma traversed the sky, and spatial rifts flashed past like black lightning from time to time. There were also some twisted "Ruins Spirits," seemingly formed from the coagulation of countless corpses, remains, and grievances, wandering in the mist, emitting silent wails. Once they discovered a living being, they would madly pounce to devour its vitality and Divine Soul.

Relying on the Five Elements Guixu Dao Seed's sensing and his sensitivity to space, Lin Wan could always avoid the most dangerous areas in advance, or effortlessly dispose of the Ruins Spirits blocking his path. His Chaos Nascent Soul had extremely strong resistance to the "Guixu Annihilation" aura, and could even slowly absorb and refine the pure fragments of destruction and ruinous Law within it, using them to hone himself and comprehend the other side of the true meaning of "Guixu."

Thus, he explored and trekked through the outer regions of the Heavenly Ruins for several months.

On this day, he passed through an area covered in eerie "Sands of Time," where the flow of time was chaotic. The mist ahead suddenly became thin, and a relatively "open" scene came into view.

It was a vast wasteland covered in dark red soil. The wasteland was not empty; it was strewn with countless huge, hideous metal remains that looked like the skeletons of some terrifying creatures, displaying ominous colors such as dark gold, pitch black, and pale white. Some of these remains were shaped like broken giant swords, some like shattered towers, and others were completely unrecognizable. The common point was that they all bore the traces of fierce battles, as well as an inseparable, heart-palpitating aura of death, Evil Qi, and... a trace of Five Elements slaughter energy that was of the same Origin as the Five Elements Guixu Dao Seed, yet even more violent and destructive!

"This place... looks like a fragment of an ancient battlefield." Lin Wan's gaze swept over, his heart filled with awe. He could feel that the Evil Qi and slaughter energy remaining here had not dissipated after an eternity, even forming a kind of natural, extremely dangerous "Deadly Killing Ground." More importantly, the resonance between the Dao Seed between his brows and the five elements token in his hand reached an unprecedented intensity here!

The Five Elements Sect's "War Barrier" was right in the depths of this wasteland!

He restrained his aura, blending himself into the surrounding environment like the most patient hunter, slowly sneaking toward the depths of the wasteland. This place was definitely not benign; besides the natural deadly traps, it likely still harbored some even more terrifying "things" left over from the ancient wars.

After traveling several dozen miles, a relatively "intact," towering building ruin appeared ahead. It was shaped like an inverted giant bowl and constructed entirely of a strange metal, covered in damaged runes and sword and saber marks. On the remains, several incomplete ancient characters such as "Soldier," "Armor," and "War" were vaguely visible, emitting a strong aura of weapons and Evil Qi.

"Is it the ruins of some 'war supply depot' or 'barracks' of the Five Elements Sect?" Lin Wan guessed. He did not rashly approach, because around the remains, he sensed several obscure yet extremely powerful auras that were... confronting each other?

He quietly approached, blending his own aura with the surrounding Evil Qi, hiding behind a huge piece of metal debris, and cast his gaze over.

He saw that near the entrance of the remains (a huge, irregular rift), three groups of people were currently in a triangular Formation, faintly confronting each other.

One side had the largest number of people, about a dozen, all wearing standard scarlet battle armor, with scorching and explosive auras. They were clearly Cultivators from the Eastern Wasteland's "Skyfire Sect"! The leader was a red-haired old man with a resolute face and an aura that had reached the Middle Stage of Nascent Soul. He held a flaming long spear, his eyes like lightning, scanning the other two sides with undisguised vigilance and hostility on his face.

The other side had fewer people, only five, all shrouded in wide black robes, their auras cold and flickering like ghosts. They were exactly the Cultivators of the Northern Plains' "Xuanming Sect"! The leading black-robed person also had an aura that had reached the Middle Stage of Nascent Soul, and it was even more obscure and profound, as if merged with the surrounding Yin Evil Qi, making it difficult to fathom.

The last side had only two people. One was a young monk wearing moon-white monk robes, holding a Zen staff, with a compassionate face and a righteous and peaceful aura—Liao Chen of the Western Desert's Vajra Temple! He had surprisingly also broken through to the Early Stage of Nascent Soul! The other one made Lin Wan's eyes narrow slightly; it was actually Han Lingtian of the Qingyun Sect! He had also successfully formed his Nascent Soul. At this moment, he was in a dark green and black martial outfit, holding a heavy sword, his aura as steady as a mountain, standing shoulder to shoulder with Liao Chen, looking vigilant.

Why are Senior Brother Han and Liao Chen here too? Seeing them confronting the Skyfire Sect and Xuanming Sect, could it be... they also sensed the abnormality here and came to investigate?

Lin Wan was puzzled, but he did not appear immediately and continued to watch.

"Amitabha." Liao Chen pressed his palms together, breaking the silence. "Fellow Daoist Yan Lie of the Skyfire Sect, Fellow Daoist You Quan of the Xuanming Sect, this ancient battlefield has soaring Evil Qi and harbors dangers within. It is also suspected to have residual evil auras related to 'the end.' We of the Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucian lineages all have the responsibility to protect the common people and purify evil spirits. How about we temporarily set aside our prejudices, join hands to investigate this place, and jointly resist any possible dangers?"

It turned out that they were confronting each other here not because they had discovered the Five Elements Sect's War Barrier, but because they had sensed the "evil aura" remaining here and all suspected it was related to the legendary "the end." That was why they had gathered here coincidentally, yet were wary of each other, forming a stalemate.

"Hmph, stop with your hypocrisy, you bald donkey!" True Monarch Yan Lie of the Skyfire Sect snorted coldly. "Although the Evil Qi here is heavy, it also contains rare Materials left over from the ancient wars, and perhaps even ownerless Magic Treasures and Legacies! Join hands? I'm afraid you want to reap the benefits while others do the work!"

True Monarch You Quan of the Xuanming Sect also let out a hoarse, strange laugh: "Monk Liao Chen, doesn't your Buddhist Sect believe in 'If I do not enter Hell, who will?' Since that is the case, why don't you enter these remains first to find out the truth, so we can all be at ease?"

Clearly, all three parties were extremely wary of this place. No one was willing to be the first to risk entering the interior of the remains and become a pawn for scouting, and they were even more afraid of being stabbed in the back by the other two parties.

Just as the three parties were deadlocked and the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense—

"Hum—!!!"

The huge metal remains, shaped like an inverted giant bowl, suddenly and without warning, began to vibrate violently! The damaged runes on the surface of the remains simultaneously lit up with a faint yet ominous blood-red light! A more intense, more violent, and terrifying aura, filled with endless resentment, madness, and desire for destruction, erupted from the depths of the remains like an ancient, slumbering evil demon awakening!

"Not good! The thing inside is coming out!"

"It's a 'Ruins Evil Demon Spirit'! An ancient war soul eroded and mutated by the Evil Qi and the aura of 'the end' here!"

All three groups of people changed color simultaneously, retreated one after another, sacrificed their Magic Treasures, and stood ready in full battle array.

At the entrance of the wreckage, the blood-red light grew increasingly intense, eventually transforming into a thick, condensed pillar of blood-colored light that shot up into the sky!

Within the pillar of light, countless twisted, painful, and ferocious faces flickered in and out of existence, emitting silent roars.

Immediately following, a terrifying monster, ten zhang tall and composed entirely of viscous, dark red "Blood Evil Qi" that seemed ready to drip down at any moment, emerged violently from the pillar of light. It possessed three skull heads and six giant eyes burning with blood-colored flames, and it looked up to the sky, emitting a deafening roar filled with violence and destruction!

"Roar——!!!"

The roar contained an impact of Evil Qi that struck directly at the Divine Soul, as well as a strange "Evil Fire" that seemed capable of igniting all the negative emotions deep within a living being's heart.

Yan Lie, You Quan, Han Lingtian, Liao Chen, and the others all turned pale. The Nascent Soul Cultivators were fine, but the Golden Core Disciples behind them groaned, blood spilling from the corners of their mouths, their eyes showing a momentary trance and violence.

"Late Stage Nascent Soul! And it is a Ruin Evil Demon Spirit that has fused with the battlefield's Evil Qi and strange 'Evil Fire'! Be careful!" True Monarch Yan Lie shouted sharply. He shook his blazing spear and was the first to thrust it toward the demon spirit! The spear moved like a Dragon, and the red flames burned the heavens.

True Monarch You Quan also let out a strange laugh, his body turning into a wisp of black smoke that merged with the surrounding Evil Qi. Several pitch-black, sinister "Nether Ghost Claws" silently clawed toward the demon spirit's lower body.

Han Lingtian and Liao Chen exchanged a glance and attacked simultaneously. Han Lingtian's heavy sword was like a mountain, carrying unparalleled weight and sharpness as it slashed toward one of the demon spirit's heads. Liao Chen swung his Zen staff, the Buddha light shining everywhere, transforming into golden " 卍" Buddhist seals that suppressed the demon spirit's body, attempting to purify its Evil Qi.

However, this Ruin Evil Demon Spirit was stronger than imagined. It did not dodge or evade. Its three giant skull mouths opened simultaneously, spitting out three pillars of light of different colors, yet all containing terrifying destructive power—one crimson as blood, carrying soul-burning Evil Fire; one pitch-black as ink, filled with corrosive Death Qi; and one pale as bone, capable of freezing life!

At the same time, its massive body shook violently, the Blood Evil Qi around it boiling and transforming into countless blood-colored, barbed tentacles that whipped and coiled crazily in all directions!

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Intense collisions erupted on the wasteland. The aftermath of the Nascent Soul level battle was terrifying, plowing deep, bottomless ravines into the already broken ground.

The four—Yan Lie, You Quan, Han Lingtian, and Liao Chen—joined forces, yet they could only fight to a draw with this Ruin Evil Demon Spirit. They were even faintly suppressed by its strange Evil Qi impact and "Evil Fire," facing constant danger. The Golden Core Disciples they brought could only hide far away, completely unable to intervene in a battle of this level.

Hidden in the shadows, Lin Wan frowned slightly. The strength of this Ruin Evil Demon Spirit was indeed formidable, and the strange "Evil Fire" on its body gave him a faint feeling of familiarity and disgust, seemingly similar to the aura of "the end."

Moreover, he could feel that this demon spirit did not seem entirely mindless; it was more like it was being manipulated by some deeper evil will, the core of which seemed to be deep within the wreckage.

"It seems that without dealing with this demon spirit, I cannot enter. Besides, Senior Brother Han and Liao Chen are also here..." Lin Wan weighed his options. Since he had run into them, there was no reason to stand by idly. It just so happened he could use this demon spirit to test the true power of his Five Elements Returning to Ruins ability after reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

Seeing the demon spirit's blood-red light pillar force back Yan Lie's spear, and another pale light pillar freeze part of You Quan's ghost claws, while several blood-colored tentacles like poisonous Dragons whipped fiercely toward Han Lingtian and Liao Chen, who seemed to have exhausted their old strength without new strength arriving, the two changed expressions, about to forcibly resist—

"Five Elements Returning to Ruins, all Evil Qi is empty—Slash."

A calm, indifferent voice rang out abruptly above the battlefield.

Following the voice, a Chaos sword light, only a zhang long, chaotic in color, containing the birth and death of nebulae, and seemingly able to sever all Karma and shatter all illusions, descended as if from beyond the Nine Heavens. It was silent and soundless, yet faster than thought, instantly crossing the Void Realm and slashing at the vital neck where the three heads of the Ruin Evil Demon Spirit intersected!

"Chi——!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no shrill screams.

The Ruin Evil Demon Spirit, which had monstrous power and had resisted four Nascent Soul Cultivators, suddenly froze its massive body. At the neck, a smooth sword mark with chaotic-colored edges slowly appeared. Wherever the sword mark passed, the viscous Blood Evil Qi, strange Evil Fire, and monstrous resentment, as if encountering their true natural enemy and nemesis, quickly dimmed, disintegrated, annihilated, and returned to the most primitive Chaos Void Realm.

The demon spirit's three skull heads burning with blood-colored flames had the flames in their eyes quickly extinguish, revealing confusion and fear, eventually turning into dead silence. The massive body collapsed like a sand tower, turning into sky-filling dark red light spots, which were then completely blown away by the surrounding chaotic energy aftermath, vanishing from sight.

One sword strike, annihilating a Late Stage Nascent Soul Ruin Evil Demon Spirit!

The entire scene was dead silent.

Yan Lie, You Quan, Han Lingtian, Liao Chen, and all the Disciples they brought were all as if struck by a immobilization spell, standing frozen in place, looking in disbelief at the place where the demon spirit had disappeared, then suddenly turning their heads to look in the direction from which the Chaos sword light had come.

On a huge piece of metal wreckage, no one knew when, a figure in green robes carrying a sword had appeared.

He was young in appearance, his aura restrained, as if he had merged with the surrounding environment, yet he possessed an air of standing like a deep pool or a towering mountain, unfathomable. Especially those calm and deep eyes, when they swept over the crowd, seemed capable of seeing through people's hearts.

"Lin... Junior Brother Lin?!"

"Fellow Daoist Lin?!"

Han Lingtian and Liao Chen were the first to recognize the newcomer, both shocked and delighted, calling out in surprise.

True Monarch Yan Lie and True Monarch You Quan had their pupils shrink sharply, their faces filled with shock, wariness, and a trace of... indescribable fear. They naturally recognized, or rather, had heard of this legendary figure who had become famous in Southern Heaven in recent years and even spread across the Five Great Domains—the "Guixu Sword Lord" Lin Wan! But, wasn't he a Golden Core in the rumors? How... the power of that sword strike just now, that vast, ocean-like Nascent Soul aura...

"Senior Brother Han, Fellow Daoist Liao Chen, I trust you have been well." Lin Wan nodded slightly to Han Lingtian and Liao Chen, counting as a greeting, then turned his gaze to Yan Lie and You Quan, saying calmly: "Skyfire Sect, Xuanming Sect. This place is dangerous and not a place for you to stay long. Retreat quickly."

His tone was not of discussion, but a statement, carrying an unquestionable majesty.

Yan Lie and You Quan's faces turned green and white. As dignified Nascent Soul True Monarchs and Grand Elders of their respective Sects, when had they ever been scolded and expelled to their faces like this? But the terror of that sword strike just now, and the unfathomable aura on Lin Wan, made them unable to summon any thought of resistance. Especially You Quan, who practiced the Ghost Dao, was even more sensitive to that "Returning to Ruins" power that seemed capable of ending everything, and his fear was even greater.

"Hmph! Let's go!" True Monarch Yan Lie was straightforward; knowing the situation was untenable, he glared fiercely at Lin Wan, waved his hand, took the Skyfire Sect members, turned into escape light, and quickly disappeared into the Heavenly Ruins fog. Continuing to stay here would not only yield no benefits but would likely pose a threat to their lives.

True Monarch You Quan also looked deeply at Lin Wan and said hoarsely: "Guixu Sword Lord, good methods. My Xuanming Sect will remember this." After speaking, he also took his Disciples, turned into several wisps of black smoke, merged with the Evil Qi, and disappeared.

In the blink of an eye, only Lin Wan, Han Lingtian, and Liao Chen remained in the field, along with the Disciples behind them who were shaken but inexplicably excited.

"Junior Brother Lin, why are you here? And your cultivation..." Han Lingtian stepped forward, looking Lin Wan up and down, his eyes filled with shock and emotion. Although he had long known this Junior Brother was extraordinary, seeing him annihilate that terrifying Ruin Evil Demon Spirit with one sword strike still deeply shocked him. Was this really the strength an Early Stage Nascent Soul could have?

"This is a long story." Lin Wan said, looking at the vibrating entrance of the metal wreckage, "This place is related to the Five Elements Sect, and also related to the goal of my trip. Senior Brother Han, Fellow Daoist Liao Chen, why are you here?"

"Amitabha." Liao Chen pressed his palms together and explained, "This humble monk and Benefactor Han have been traveling through the Central Plains in recent years, investigating signs of 'the end.' Some time ago, we sensed a strong evil aura erupting on the outskirts of these Heavenly Ruins, suspected to be related to 'the end,' so we came together to investigate, not expecting to run into people from the Skyfire Sect and Xuanming Sect and end up in a standoff. If Fellow Daoist Lin hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid..."

"I see." Lin Wan nodded. It seemed Senior Brother Han and Liao Chen were also fighting against the threat of 'the end' in their own way. "The source of the Evil Qi here has been temporarily annihilated by me. But the true core is likely still inside. I need to go in and investigate. You two..."

"We will go with you!" Han Lingtian said without hesitation, "Since it is related to 'the end' and is a ruin of the Five Elements Sect, my Qingyun Sect is duty-bound! Besides, more people mean more support."

"This humble monk is also willing to accompany you, to do my small part." Liao Chen also said.

Lin Wan looked at the two, knowing their minds were made up, and their strength and Heart-Nature were trustworthy, so he nodded: "Very well. However, this place is unpredictably dangerous, and the Disciples you brought should not enter; they can provide support on the periphery."

Han Lingtian and Liao Chen gave instructions to their Disciples, telling them to set up a Formation on the periphery and keep a careful watch.

The three arrived in front of the huge metal wreckage entrance. Inside the entrance was a deep darkness, exuding an even thicker Evil Qi and evil aura, as if leading to the Nine Nether Hell.

"Let's go."

Lin Wan took the lead, his Chaos Infant Essence protecting his body, and stepped into the darkness. Han Lingtian and Liao Chen followed closely behind, each opening their protective spiritual light, their expressions solemn.

As soon as they entered, they felt a completely different pressure. The air was viscous as blood, filled with the smell of decay and death. On the metal walls on both sides of the passage were deep traces left by battles, as well as some dark bloodstains that had long since dried but still exuded unwillingness and resentment. Deeper inside, there were faint, strange "thump, thump" sounds like a heartbeat, as well as the whispers of some evil will.

The resonance of the five elements token and the Dao Seed reached its peak here, guiding them, toward the deepest part of the wreckage, the core where evil and Five Elements Battle Intent were intertwined, they walked slowly.