571: Chapter 571

There were three paths in total to enter the core of the Ancient Chaos Ruins.

Stele certification.

Passage via Ancient War Token.

Ancient Path of Corpse Mountain.

Xia Qingyue spoke in a low voice.

"Ancient War Tokens are the rarest."

"This isn't a conventional path; whoever holds one can bypass the first hurdle directly."

"But even the top sects of each domain might not be able to produce such a thing."

"For most people, there are only two paths they can actually take."

She raised her hand and pointed to two locations on the remnant map.

One was the center of the middle layer.

The other was a more obscure gray line.

"The Stele is in the center of the middle layer."

"The Ancient Path of Corpse Mountain is deeper within the Rift Valley."

A Great Xia Prodigy frowned.

"Since both lead to the core, does it matter which one we choose?"

Before Xia Qingyue could speak, Qin Yun looked at the ancient map.

"They're different."

"Stele certification is the proper path."

"The Ancient War Token is a shortcut."

"The Ancient Path of Corpse Mountain is a path traded for with one's life."

As soon as these words fell, the group went silent.

They continued forward.

Before long, the terrain ahead suddenly dipped.

A massive Rift Valley lay stretched across their path.

Deep within the Rift Valley, a gray-white ancient path wound its way upward.

Dried remains were scattered along the roadside, half-buried in the gray soil.

Some skeletons were massive, clearly not belonging to people of this era.

Some had broken spears and shattered blades thrust beside them, with armor scales rusted black.

Looking further into the distance...

The end of the ancient path was shrouded in mist.

Several blurry figures stood faintly in the mist, motionless, indistinguishable as corpses or stones.

The Great Xia group took one look, and a chill ran down their spines.

Xia Qingyue lowered her voice.

"This is the Ancient Path of Corpse Mountain."

"I've only seen the name in ancient records before."

Quite a few Cultivators had already gathered nearby.

Some stood at the edge of the Rift Valley, not daring to move.

Others stared at the ancient path, their eyes full of ruthlessness.

Low-voiced discussions drifted over with the wind.

"Every time the ruins open, there are always people who want to gamble on this one."

"The Stele relies too much on talent, but the ancient path provides another way."

"As long as your life is tough enough and your strength is sufficient, you have a chance to cross it."

"Cross it?"

Another person sneered.

"Look at those bones by the road; do they look like people who crossed it?"

"Too many people who entered in previous times died here."

"Some of those bones are terrifyingly old, likely left from several ruins cycles ago."

"This path isn't just dangerous; it's a graveyard."

As they spoke, someone actually moved.

The first person was a tall, thin youth with strong vitality.

He was clearly unwilling to squeeze in front of the Stele with the Prodigies of various domains; gritting his teeth, he stepped directly onto the ancient path.

One step.

Two steps.

Not even ten steps in.

His expression changed.

His blood and Qi surged violently, and his steps grew increasingly chaotic, as if an invisible mountain were pressing down on him.

After shuffling a few more steps forward, the man let out a muffled groan, blood appearing at the corner of his mouth, and he turned to retreat.

By the time he retreated to the edge of the Rift Valley, his legs were shaking.

Soon, a second person went up.

This person was clad in animal skins and had a wild aura, clearly someone who followed a path of slaughter.

He was stronger than the previous person, pushing through the pressure all the way to the middle of the ancient path.

Then, the mist moved.

A figure flickered.

The man's entire body vanished into the mist.

One breath.

Two breaths.

No sound.

The faces of those nearby turned pale instantly.

They were his companions.

The crowd fell completely silent.

Xia Qingyue slowly let out a breath.

"This isn't passing a trial."

"This is throwing one's life away."

Qin Yun stood at the edge of the Rift Valley, looking at the gray-white ancient path with a calm gaze.

He withdrew his gaze.

"Let's go see the Stele."

Xia Qingyue nodded.

The Great Xia group had no objections either.

The group left the Rift Valley and turned toward the center of the middle layer.

The further they went, the more people there were.

Prodigies from various domains were almost all converging in one direction.

Half a day later.

The group finally saw the Stele.

The Stele stood in the center of a wide ancient square.

The Stele was very tall.

It was azure-black all over, its surface covered in ancient runes.

Most peculiarly, it wasn't a single solid slab.

Instead, the surface of the Stele was naturally divided into many areas.

Some glowed with a faint blood-colored light.

Some shimmered with Divine Soul fluctuations.

Some ancient runes were heavy, clearly leaning toward the Body Dao.

There were also several areas with very mixed auras, like Comprehension Ability, like techniques, and like intent.

Xia Qingyue watched for a moment and said softly:

"It doesn't just test one thing."

"Body, Bloodline, Soul, Technique, Intent, Comprehension..."

"As long as one reaches an extremely high level in any one category, they can obtain the qualification to enter the core."

As she spoke, someone ahead had already begun to try.

A red-haired youth stepped forward first.

He pressed his hand against the blood-rune area, his ancestral blood boiling throughout his body, causing the Stele to light up with a large patch of red light.

Many people around whispered.

"That's a descendant of the Blazing Flame Saint Clan."

"His Bloodline is very strong."

But the red light stopped halfway through its brightness.

Only four words appeared on the Stele's surface.

Bloodline, Superior.

That was it.

The red-haired youth's expression was very unsightly; after standing there for a few breaths, he could only retreat.

A second person stepped forward.

It was a Soul Cultivator.

He sat cross-legged before the Stele, divine light blooming from his brow, even reflecting the phenomena of his Sea of Consciousness.

The soul-rune area of the Stele lit up even faster.

But the result was the same.

Soul, Superior.

Still not enough.

The third person tested Comprehension.

The fourth person tested Technique.

The fifth person actually tried two categories.

They were all very strong.

But they were all stuck at the "Extremely Strong" level, always half a step away from the Stele's true recognition.

The atmosphere in the field grew increasingly heavy.

Because everyone gradually understood.

This Stele didn't want just a Prodigy of this era.

It wanted someone who, even placed across countless eras, belonged to the most extreme tier.

The threshold before the Stele was already terrifyingly high.

But even so.

Looking back at the Ancient Path of Corpse Mountain, it actually seemed a bit more "gentle."

At least if one failed at the Stele, they could still retreat alive.

If one failed at the Ancient Path of Corpse Mountain, their life was gone.

Many famous figures from various domains went up.

More and more people failed.

Some who were originally full of confidence had very stiff expressions when they retreated.

The Great Xia group's hearts sank as they watched.

This place was even harder than they had imagined.

Xia Qingyue turned to look at Qin Yun.

"Which category do you plan to try?"

Qin Yun looked at the surface of the Stele, having already figured out the internal rules for the most part.

"Body."

He said only one word and then stepped forward.

Many gazes in the field immediately converged on him.

He was the one who had killed a man with a single sword strike at the entrance of the ruins earlier.

Now, many people wanted to see just how much true ability this Great Xia leader had.

Qin Yun stood before the Stele, raised his hand, and pressed it against the heaviest ancient rune area.

The body runes lit up.

At first, it was just a corner.

Many onlookers' expressions remained unchanged.

They had seen many such beginnings.

But in the next moment, everyone's expression changed.

Because it wasn't just a local lighting up.

Instead, it spread across the entire Stele, layer by layer.

The body runes glowed.

The surrounding ancient runes also began to vibrate.

Those broken marks, blurred imprints, and ancient Dao traces that had been silent for who knows how long were lit up one by one.

Buzz.

Above the Stele, projections actually began to manifest.

There was a massive giant rending mountains with bare hands.

There was an ancient Body Cultivator carrying a divine peak on his back.

There was an exotic creature treading upon and shattering the sky.

Each blurry figure was someone who had once reached the deepest depths of the Body Dao.

The surroundings grew quieter and quieter.

Because every one of those projections was oppressive.

But just as everyone was still dazed...

These projections began to dim, one after another.

They didn't disappear.

They were suppressed.

In the end, the space above the Stele was empty.

Only Qin Yun remained standing before the Stele.

The entire Stele was lit up.

Immediately after, a row of ancient characters slowly emerged from the deepest part of the Stele's surface.

Body, Number One throughout the Ages.

The field first went silent.

In the next moment, it completely erupted.

"Number One throughout the Ages?"

"How is that possible!"

"This isn't just passing the line; this is breaking right through the top!"

"Just now, so many people couldn't even get the qualification, yet he's Number One throughout the Ages as soon as he steps up?"

The Great Xia group was also stunned.

Xia Qingyue looked at that row of characters, her chest heaving slightly, and even her breathing skipped a beat.

At the same time.

Behind the Stele, an Ancient Gate that had been silent for a long time opened with a boom.

A deeper aura surged out from behind the gate.

The core entrance was open.

This was the orthodox qualification.

No need to gamble one's life on the Ancient Path of Corpse Mountain.

No need to wait for an Ancient War Token.

Relying on just one category, he entered the core directly.

Over at the Rift Valley, people were still dying, and people were still retreating.

But Qin Yun did not move immediately.

Because at the very instant the Stele judged him as "Body, Number One throughout the Ages"...

The azure pagoda within his Sea of Consciousness also vibrated slightly.

It was as if something in the deepest layer of the Stele had been awakened.

Qin Yun looked up, first glancing at the Ancient Gate leading to the core.

The gate was already open.

But the things truly hidden within these ruins seemed to have only just begun to show themselves.