Chapter 56: A Hidden Realm

The young girl widened her eyes, studying the patterns intently. After a moment, the lines vanished. She immediately tossed a stone, which landed on the ground.

“Centered on the stone, within a radius of three feet, it’s a safe zone. No power patterns,” she declared.

“You can see the power patterns?” Lu Yan asked curiously. The girl’s background was anything but simple. Even the Liu and Wu clans couldn’t decipher these patterns—exploring required risking lives.

She pointed to her clear, limpid eyes and said, “Don’t you see these bright eyes of mine? I’ve practiced a special martial art that sharpens my vision. Isn’t it only natural I can see through things?”

As if I’d believe that, Lu Yan scoffed inwardly, though outwardly he said, “What a coincidence. I’ve also trained in a special martial art. These eyes of mine can see through things.”

“See through?” The girl plainly didn’t believe him. Pointing at her chest, she challenged, “I have a birthmark on my chest. Can you see it? What shape is it?”

Lu Yan studied her carefully. “I see it—it’s big and round.”

“Bah, you scoundrel! I knew you were making things up. There’s no birthmark on my chest at all.” With a contemptuous glance, she leapt beside the stone and, sure enough, nothing happened.

“Drip another drop of blood there,” the girl instructed, pointing to another spot.

Lu Yan flicked his hand and let a drop of blood fall to the ground. Once again, power patterns emerged.

These patterns were invisible until activated—imperceptible to the naked eye. Anyone ignorant enough to step in would be doomed. It was a deadly trap.

The girl observed closely, her brows furrowing in concentration. After a while, she threw another stone and leapt to land beside it. Lu Yan, too, leapt, landing where the girl had stood moments before.

“You're really cautious, aren’t you?” the girl remarked, glancing at him.

“In this world, it’s unfair for someone with humble origins like me. Without caution, I’d be dead already,” Lu Yan replied with a faint smile.

She said nothing more, instructing him to drip another drop of blood and resumed her study of the power patterns. Lu Yan, meanwhile, surveyed their surroundings.

Now closer to the statues on either side, he felt a dull ache in his forehead—a sense of impending danger. It wasn’t his own intuition, but a warning sent by the Dao Book.

A premonition of danger.

“Is it because the statues bear power patterns, and the Dao Book senses them?” Lu Yan wondered. In previous dangers, the Dao Book had never warned him, nor had it when they’d been farther away. Only now, in close proximity, did the warning arise.

Most likely, the Dao Book could sense the power patterns.

“What connection is there between the Dao Book and this ancient ruin?” More questions flooded his mind. The Dao Book seemed more active here, more sensitive to Dao Food. And Dao Food nearly always originated from this very ruin. The stone fragment and the earliest orb from Fang Xiong were of unknown origin, but likely also from here.

Now, it could even warn him about power patterns.

Everywhere there were links to this place. Lu Yan couldn’t help but speculate—could the Dao Book itself have come from here? Perhaps, on a larger scale, this ruin dated from before the Great Antiquity, and the Dao Book was connected to that era as well?

He resolved to learn more about the history before the Great Antiquity, should the chance arise.

Setting aside these thoughts, Lu Yan focused again on Dao Food. Since he’d managed to enter this place, he couldn’t leave empty-handed—how could he obtain Dao Food?

An idea struck him.

He retreated, broke off some stones to hold, then re-entered the safe zone and hurled a stone at the square bronze block clutched by one of the statues.

With a clang, the stone struck the bronze block. But the block was embedded in the statue’s hand, so it didn’t fall. Still, Lu Yan saw it had loosened. His spirits lifted, and he threw another stone. This time, the block shook even more, teetering on the verge of falling.

The girl watched his actions with surprise. “What’s so special about that bronze block?” she asked.

“Nothing, really. I just like collecting ancient artifacts. Since I found one, I don’t want to miss the chance,” Lu Yan replied with a well-prepared, plausible explanation.

She didn’t quite believe him, but since she didn’t know the block’s purpose, she let it go and returned to studying the power patterns.

Lu Yan threw several more stones. At last, the bronze block fell from the statue’s grasp and landed on the ground.

He threw another stone, striking the statue so that it rebounded and hit the bronze block, rolling it about a meter closer to him.

He continued this process, and after more than ten stones, the bronze block finally rolled into the safe area.

Lu Yan grabbed the block and examined it closely. It greatly resembled the ones he’d found previously—ancient patterns etched into its surface, though it was slightly larger than the others.

Now was not the time to let the Dao Book devour it. He tucked the block into his robe and tried to sense the Dao Book’s reaction to the other statues and altars.

But the Dao Book remained unresponsive.

Other statues and altars clearly bore similar bronze objects or stone fragments, yet none aroused the Dao Book’s “appetite.”

He continued assisting the girl in her exploration. Half an hour later, as they neared an altar, Lu Yan threw a stone at a triangular copper block atop it.

He was unwilling to give up, wanting to examine it more closely.

Soon, by the same method, he obtained the triangular copper block and studied it carefully. Though it looked nearly identical to the previous square block—verdigris-covered, etched with ancient designs—the Dao Book showed no response.

“Is it because of the energy?” Lu Yan speculated.

Over time, he had deduced that the Dao Book’s consumption, whether of ordinary food or Dao Food, was driven by energy. Ordinary food and martial food both contained energy, with martial food being more potent or refined.

Dao Food, on the other hand, contained a kind of energy far superior—especially suited to the Dao Book.

“So, some items in this ruin still contain that energy, which is why the Dao Book reacts. Others look similar but elicit no response—perhaps because too much time has passed and the energy has dissipated?” he continued to muse.

Of course, it was also possible some never contained energy in the first place.

Lu Yan felt a tinge of disappointment but feigned nonchalance as he stowed the triangular block, refraining from further attempts.

Another half hour passed, and they had crossed the cavern, reaching a downward-sloping passageway.

Testing with blood revealed no power patterns, so the two descended.

The passage was steep and long; by the time they reached its end, they estimated they were over a hundred meters underground.

The view opened up—before them spread a vast expanse of ancient structures: altars, stone steles, pillars, statues… all many times larger than those above.

This was an underground realm—a hidden world beneath the mountain.

Most striking was a colossal statue at the deepest point, drawing both their eyes.

It towered over fifty meters, grand and imposing, visible from afar. The other statues seemed mere children before it, arrayed in worship.

This statue was strange indeed—a human body with a bull’s head, great wings unfurled behind it, and scales covering its form. It was a being unlike any Lu Yan had seen or heard of.

Was it a deity conjured by ancient imagination, or had such a creature truly existed in the distant past?

“This area is even more dangerous than the cavern above,” Lu Yan thought.

Just observing it made his brow throb with pain, the Dao Book’s warning now intense.

He flicked a drop of blood ahead. Instantly, the ground was covered in dense, writhing power patterns—far more intricate and eerie than before, twisting like countless small snakes, enough to make one’s scalp crawl and skin prickle.

The girl examined the patterns closely, her brows furrowed and her lovely face grave.

“Before the earthquake, people often entered this forbidden place. There was no mention of danger. Could it be that, with the upper ruins exposed for so long, the power patterns there were worn away?” Lu Yan mused. That seemed likely.

Here, the structures remained hidden beneath mountain and earth, shielded from wind and sun, so the power patterns endured.

The regions now being explored by the two great clans were the same.

While the girl studied the patterns, Lu Yan surveyed the statues, altars, and steles, anticipation on his face.

The Dao Book was hungry—and very much so.

There was plenty of Dao Food here.