MTLNOVEL Chapter 792: Elder of the Heavenly Star Sect (Part 2)
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang followed Ziyun, exploring and documenting every detail they discovered.
"Look over there!" Qing Shuang suddenly pointed at a stone platform ahead, on which lay a yellowed Ancient Tome.
Ziyun walked over, carefully picked up the Ancient Tome, and opened it to take a look.
"This is a book that records Ancient Times spells, extremely valuable to us."
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang also crowded in to look, seeing many spells and formations that they had never seen before recorded in the Ancient Tome.
"We have to take this back with us," Ziyun said, then carefully stored the Ancient Tome away.
The group continued forward and found a gigantic array inside a huge Stone Chamber.
At the center of the array, there was a stone platform with a Crystal Ball emitting a faint glow atop it.
"What is this?" Qing Shuang asked curiously.
"Not sure..." Luo Chen murmured.
As they approached the Crystal Ball, suddenly the entire ruins began to shake, and many glowing runes appeared on the walls of the Stone Chamber.
"Oh no, we've triggered the trap in the ruins!" Ziyun exclaimed in alarm.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang immediately prepared to deal with any potential danger.
Suddenly, a strong light shot out from the Crystal Ball, enveloping them completely.
When the light faded, they found themselves transported to a completely different place.
This was a gigantic underground cave, with countless gemstones embedded on the walls around them, emitting a gentle glow.
"Where are we?" Qing Shuang looked around, feeling a bit uneasy.
"It seems we've been transported to a deeper part of the ruins," Luo Chen observed cautiously.
Just then, heavy footsteps sounded from the depths of the cave.
A gigantic figure slowly emerged, a giant made of stone, wielding a massive axe, its eyes glowing red.
"Be careful, this might be the Guardian of the ruins!" Ziyun loudly reminded them.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang immediately got into a fighting stance, ready to face this sudden enemy.
The giant let out a deafening roar, then swung its massive axe and charged at them.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang quickly scattered, dodging the giant's attacks.
"We have to find a way to defeat it!" Luo Chen shouted.
Qing Shuang nodded and began drawing runes.
Luo Chen then took out a piece of Talisman Paper from his waist, infused it with Mana, and it instantly transformed into a Light Sword.
They engaged in a fierce battle with the giant.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang cooperated seamlessly, one attacking with a sword, while the other constrained with runes.
After a hard-fought battle, they finally found the giant's weak point and defeated it together.
With the giant's fall, the gemstones in the cave began to flicker, then gradually dimmed.
As the gemstone lights gradually faded, a mysterious and ancient atmosphere filled the cave.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang exchanged glances, knowing that although the battle was difficult, the fruits of their victory might be right before them.
Ziyun walked over to the fallen giant, carefully examining the surroundings, and discovered a hidden door in the stone wall.
She gently pushed it, and the secret door slowly opened, revealing a staircase leading downward.
"It looks like we've found the path to the core of the ruins," Ziyun said, a trace of excitement in her voice.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang followed closely, cautiously descending the staircase.
The stone walls on either side of the staircase were carved with ancient totems, seemingly telling the long history of this ruin.
"These totems look like some kind of ancient record," Qing Shuang said softly, lightly touching the embossed textures on the stone walls with her fingers.
Luo Chen nodded, his gaze drawn to a huge Stone Gate at the end of the staircase.
Engraved with intricate patterns, the Stone Gate had a huge Crystal Stone embedded in its center.
"Behind this gate should be the core of the ruins," Luo Chen said, his tone carrying a hint of anticipation.
Ziyun stepped forward, trying to place her hand on the Crystal Stone.
Suddenly, the Crystal Stone emitted a gentle light, and the Stone Gate slowly opened, revealing a spacious Stone Chamber.
In the center of the Stone Chamber stood a complex device made of various gemstones and metals, with a sphere emitting a dazzling light floating at its center. Several energy streams slowly flowed around the sphere, seemingly maintaining the operation of the entire ruins.
"Could this be the legendary Energy Core?" Qing Shuang whispered, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang approached the Energy Core, feeling the immense power contained within it.
Ziyun began searching for possible control mechanisms around the device.
"If we can control this Energy Core, we may be able to uncover the secrets of the ruins," Ziyun said, her voice filled with the desire to explore.
Luo Chen nodded and began attempting to communicate with the Energy Core using Mana.
Qing Shuang assisted on the side, using rune power to stabilize the energy flow, preventing any potential loss of control.
While they were fully engrossed in studying the Energy Core, faint footsteps came from the other side of the Stone Chamber.
The three of them immediately became alert, with Luo Chen and Qing Shuang quickly positioning themselves on either side of Ziyun, ready to face any possible threats.
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows, a man dressed in ancient attire, whose face was aged, yet his eyes revealed a deep wisdom.
"Who are you?" the man's voice was low and powerful.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang exchanged a glance, knowing that they must respond carefully.
"We are members of the Loose Cultivator Alliance, who stumbled upon this ruin accidentally, merely wishing to explore its secrets," Luo Chen replied, trying to keep his tone calm.
The man's brow furrowed slightly: "Loose Cultivator Alliance?"
This man was from the Heavenly Star Sect.
He came here with the same purpose of exploring the Ancient Ruins.
But, who would have thought…
He would encounter people from the Loose Cultivator Alliance here.
The man was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "I am Elder Chen Ku of the Heavenly Star Sect. You loose cultivators dare to trespass into our sect's ruins, truly audacious."
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang were startled; they did not expect to encounter someone from the Heavenly Star Sect here, let alone an Elder.
Ziyun, on the other hand, remained calm. She stepped forward and respectfully said: "Elder Chen Ku, we did not know that this was a ruin of the Heavenly Star Sect. We only heard of an Ancient Ruins appearing here and came to explore. We mean no harm and only wish to broaden our knowledge."
For now, it seemed that was all they could say.
No choice, the situation was beyond their control.
Even though they were well aware that relics and opportunities like this were generally ownerless.
But when faced with an Elder of the Heavenly Star Sect, they had no choice but to bow down.
Elder Chen Ku scanned the three of them with sharp eyes, seemingly judging the truth of Ziyun's words.
After a moment, he slowly said: "Since you were unaware, let it be. However, the secrets within this ruin are not something you can meddle with. You may leave now, but you must not take anything with you."
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang exchanged a look, knowing it wasn't the time to argue.
Luo Chen slightly cupped his hands: "Thank you Elder Chen Ku for your generosity. We will leave now."
Elder Chen Ku nodded and said nothing more, turning to approach the Energy Core.
Luo Chen, Qing Shuang, and Ziyun cautiously exited the Stone Chamber, retracing their steps up the staircase.
On their way back, the three felt quite heavy-hearted.
They knew that although this expedition did not yield the expected gains, it was nonetheless without any mishaps.
Ziyun said softly: "It seems we have underestimated the strength of the Heavenly Star Sect; their understanding of the ruins far surpasses our imagination."
Luo Chen nodded, speaking in a heavy tone: "Indeed, the influence of the Heavenly Star Sect spans the entire Cultivation Realm. We must proceed with caution. However, this experience has taught us a great deal."
Qing Shuang smiled faintly and comforted them: "At least we're still alive, and our teamwork has grown even stronger. If we keep working hard, one day we too will become a force to be reckoned with in the Cultivation Realm."