138: Chapter 168 Mysterious Ancient City

Jiang Ling left the valley and, following the map in his hand, headed toward the direction of the ancient city.

The terrain leading to the ancient city was extremely complex. Moreover, this map was not a modern artifact but one preserved from ancient times, and the terrain had long since undergone many changes.

Therefore, arriving smoothly was by no means an easy task.

The fact that those three Martial Artists from the island nation had stumbled into the valley was precisely for this reason.

Jiang Ling hacked his way through thorns and thistles, climbed mountains, crossed swamps, and relied on the map to struggle forward.

After three full days, he finally arrived before a forest filled with mist.

"If I haven't gone the wrong way, that mysterious ancient city should be within this forest!" Jiang Ling took a deep breath and resolutely stepped into the mist-shrouded forest.

As soon as he entered, the thick mist acted like a heavy curtain, tightly enveloping Jiang Ling, immediately giving him the feeling of being lost and unable to distinguish north, south, east, or west.

"This place seems to hide mysterious mechanisms!" Jiang Ling frowned deeply and vigilantly surveyed his surroundings.

He tried to rely on memory and experience to determine his direction, but with every step he took, it felt like stepping into an unknown abyss.

The ground beneath his feet was damp and soft, and occasionally there were mud pits hidden under the fallen leaves; if he wasn't careful, his foot would sink deep into them, and it would take a great effort to pull it out.

The trees beside him were tall and dense, their branches and leaves intertwined, forming a complex labyrinth that made every step difficult.

"It's not just the thick fog; it seems... there is some kind of illusion covering this place!" Jiang Ling muttered to himself, his forehead unknowingly covered in fine beads of sweat.

"Could this be the legendary illusion array?" Jiang Ling's heart skipped a beat. He tried to quicken his pace to escape this eerie predicament, but the more anxious he became, the easier it was to get lost.

Suddenly, a chilling, eerie wind howled past, causing the leaves to rustle.

Jiang Ling felt the scene before him instantly twist and distort; the familiar trees seemed to come alive, clawing and reaching toward him.

He hurriedly swung his blade to defend himself, only to realize it was just a hallucination of his own.

"If this ancient city was truly an important city during the ancient times, it is reasonable to have an illusion array set up around it!" Jiang Ling tried hard to calm himself down and think of a countermeasure.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ling took a deep breath and decided to close his eyes, relying on his own perception to grope his way forward.

However, after Jiang Ling closed his eyes, he was shocked to find that even his perception was being restricted.

The pressure around him was like an invisible giant hand, tightly squeezing his mental world, causing his thoughts to become chaotic.

"How formidable!"

"What should I do now?" Jiang Ling felt a wave of panic, and a deep sense of despair welled up in his heart.

Was he really to be trapped and die here?

Just at this moment, he suddenly perceived a faint red light within his spiritual sense, like a twinkling star in the dark night, seemingly guiding someone forward.

"What on earth is this?"

"Could it be a signpost to guide the way?"

"Follow it and see!"

Jiang Ling had no other choice at the moment, so he could only closely follow that faint red light and move forward slowly.

This red light looked erratic and elusive, yet it was like a bright lamp, constantly guiding his path forward.

Jiang Ling followed this red light, walking for who knows how long, his mind feeling muddled and confused.

Here, it seemed that the concept of time had vanished.

Suddenly, he felt a clarity in his mind; that state of Chaos was no more, as if he had walked out of the fog.

Jiang Ling opened his eyes and discovered that he had indeed emerged from the forest, and before him stood a magnificent and towering ancient city.

This ancient city was like a sleeping giant; despite the vicissitudes of time, it still radiated an irresistible majesty.

The city walls towered into the clouds, built from massive bluestone bricks, and the gaps between them seemed to tell of past glories.

The city gate tower was imposing and magnificent, with flying eaves and bracket sets carved with exquisite patterns, though now it appeared mottled and dilapidated.

The watchtowers on the city walls were arranged in a staggered order, as if they were still guarding their past mission.

"I've really arrived at this ancient city!" Jiang Ling felt joyful in his heart.

He strode toward the ancient city, but after a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

He discovered footprints on the ground that had just been made.

The footprints were very chaotic, and it looked like there were quite a few people.

"Someone arrived before me?"

"Are they Martial Artists from other island nations?"

"Hmph, wanting to seize something from our Great Xia? Today, I will make sure none of you return!" A sharp light flashed in Jiang Ling's eyes, and he quickly headed toward the ancient city.

The city gate of the ancient city had long since collapsed. Jiang Ling stepped in along some dilapidated bricks and discovered that the ancient city was extremely large, with buildings that were magnificent and possessed a grand Aura.

In its complete state, who knows how magnificent it must have been!

The streets were wide and straight, with houses lined up on both sides. Although most were now broken walls and ruins, one could still imagine the prosperity of those years from the remaining structures.

On the lintels of some houses, one could still faintly see exquisite reliefs telling the story of this ancient city.

Jiang Ling walked past a temple. Its roof had mostly collapsed, and a huge statue was half-buried in the ruins. Although it was broken and dilapidated, its solemn and respectful appearance still inspired awe.

Jiang Ling continued forward. The stone road under his feet was uneven, with weeds growing stubbornly from the cracks in the stones.

He passed a square with a dried-up fountain in the center; the sculptures around the fountain had long lost their former luster.

In the depths of the ancient city, a palace-style building could be seen faintly in the distance. Jiang Ling quickened his pace, walking toward that unknown, mysterious place.

This palace must be the center of this ancient city.

If there are any good things, they must be here too.

Jiang Ling had only taken a few steps when suddenly, he heard the sounds of intense fighting coming from ahead.

"Are there exotic beasts here too?" Jiang Ling raised an eyebrow, his heart full of doubts.

"Have those who came in first already engaged with the exotic beasts here?" Carrying this curiosity, he thought to himself: "Go and see!"

Jiang Ling's figure was like lightning, moving quickly, and he soon arrived at the place of the fight.

He looked forward from a rooftop and saw a group of people fiercely engaged in battle in an open area.

Some of them were wearing modern combat uniforms, well-equipped and agile.

And the other group was entirely dressed in ancient armor.

However, what was hair-raising was that what was wrapped inside these ancient armors were all skeletons, not living people.

The eye sockets of those skeletons flashed with eerie, ghostly lights, their movements stiff yet full of aggression.

They held ancient weapons in their hands, and every swing carried an Aura of decay.

"Undead Soldiers?"

Jiang Ling took a slight breath.