276: Chapter 276 Entering with Thought!

"Fortunately... these markings can be hidden at will."

With a thought from Qin Yan, the dark reddish-black patterns that occasionally appeared on his skin due to the flow of energy, as well as the special tempered texture deep within his bones, quickly withdrew and vanished.

From the outside, he looked no different from an ordinary martial artist.

This allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.

If he returned to Blue Star sporting a body full of eerie markings all day, not to mention being treated as a monster or someone from an evil path, just explaining it would be an immense hassle.

He remembered very clearly the undisguised deep dread and solemnity on Dean Su Zhiming's face when he mentioned 'Evil Spirits'.

His Indestructible Blood Demon Scripture, which looked sinister and ominous no matter how one viewed it, and the black seed in his body that seemed to share the same source as the Evil Spirits—if they were exposed, heaven knows what kind of storm they would cause.

Half an hour later, relying on the overbearing methods of 'Demon Refining' and his own formidable strength,

Qin Yan passed through the outer area shrouded in Emerald Mist without any danger, almost in a manner of 'sweeping through' everything in his path.

The view ahead suddenly opened up as the thick green mist behind him gradually thinned.

An ancient scene, both magnificent and grand yet riddled with scars and devastation, was revealed unreservedly before him.

This was the true core area of the Jade Court!

Looking out, it wasn't a flat plain before him, but a sprawling, breathtakingly massive cluster of palace ruins!

Countless ancient buildings of varying sizes and forms, all dominated by an emerald hue,

stood intact, lay in ruinous collapse, or were half-buried in vines and soil.

They stretched out densely toward the horizon.

Some were treehouse palaces shaped like giant woven vines, their surfaces naturally growing shimmering moss and exotic flowers;

Others were sharp high towers carved from single blocks of giant emerald.

The tower bodies were covered in spiraling, profound runes that still glowed with flowing light despite the passage of ages;

There were also palaces like crouching giant beasts, with ferocious beast heads for gates and bones for corridor pillars, exuding a savage and fierce aura;

Even more extreme were palaces that completely defied gravity, like inverted mountain peaks or floating islands, suspended in mid-air and teetering on the brink of falling...

Every palace, regardless of size or completeness, emitted a unique fluctuation.

They stood silently on this land forgotten by time,

as if wordlessly recounting the glory and secrets of a long-lost ancient civilization.

Qin Yan knew that these palaces were not merely buildings.

They represented sealed inheritances and enticing opportunities!

It could be the life's work of a powerful master, an ancient technique long since lost, a divine object containing wondrous power, or a secret scroll recording historical truths...

His gaze quickly swept over the nearby palace areas.

He saw that the periphery of the vast majority of palaces, especially those relatively well-preserved, was shrouded in one or more layers of slowly rotating halos of different colors!

Qin Yan knew that the presence of a halo meant the inheritance or core treasure within had not yet been taken.

Only a very few palaces had their front halos completely extinguished and dissipated, leaving only hollow doorways and interiors that had been looted clean.

This meant that someone had already successfully passed the trial and taken the opportunity within.

"According to the records,"

"within the Jade Court, the most valuable and difficult-to-obtain inheritances are mainly concentrated in the 'Ten Mansions' and 'Four Halls.'"

These fourteen locations are considered the essence of the entire ruin complex."

"And the 'holy grail of life' that Princess Anya is determined to obtain is located in the 'Qinglin Mansion' among the 'Ten Mansions'!"

The master of this mansion is said to have been a legendary powerhouse of the Elf Clan."

However, the records also clearly state that through the exploration of countless Hidden Dragon Assemblies, within the vast sea of ruins,

the most difficult to conquer and most rewarding 'Ten Mansions and Four Halls' have seen only four mansions' inheritances or core treasures successfully retrieved to date.

The remaining six mansions and Four Halls still maintain their complete restrictions and mysterious veils.

The reason was simple: the threshold for the trials was extremely high, the difficulty was immense, and the danger factor was off the charts!

Very few geniuses could meet the conditions and pass those trials, which were described as perverted.

Many geniuses didn't even have the qualifications to come into contact with the trials.

Qin Yan steadied his mind and stopped daydreaming.

He walked toward the depths of the Jade Court along an ancient road paved with cracked jade slabs and covered in moss.

On both sides of the road were continuous remains of giant walls, either toppled or half-buried.

The materials of these walls were also extraordinary; even though they were severely damaged, one could still feel the unparalleled sturdiness and glory of yesteryear.

Residual murals and reliefs could occasionally be seen on them; though mottled and blurred, the outlines of some creatures, strange scenes, or mysterious rituals were vaguely recognizable.

As Qin Yan walked, he remained alert to potential dangers in his surroundings while diverting a bit of his attention to observe the marks on these walls.

Just as he passed a relatively well-preserved section of emerald wall, his gaze inadvertently swept over a giant mural on the surface.

The content of the mural was already very blurred; one could only barely see some distorted lines and blood-red colors.

However, at the moment his gaze focused on the center of the mural—

His vision suddenly blurred!

His consciousness felt as if it were being violently pulled and sucked in by an invisible force!

The next moment, the world spun!

When Qin Yan's 'consciousness' stabilized again, he found he was no longer on that desolate road.

Instead... he was in the midst of an unimaginably brilliant and flourishing scene!

This was still the Jade Court.

But it was definitely not the deathly silent ruin before him!

The sky was clear and high, and the sunlight was bright and warm.

Looking out, countless palaces and mansions—even grander, more exquisite, and radiating majestic energy and vibrant vitality—stood in orderly rows across the vast, boundless land!

A sword-shaped mansion with sword qi piercing the sky exhaled sharp sword intent, as if it could slash down the stars at any moment;

A crimson palace with raging flames rolled with heat waves, reflecting half the sky in red-gold;

A deep-blue water mansion surrounded by flowing water rippled with clear waves, emitting the crisp sound of tides;

There was even a mansion that seemed constructed of pure crystal and starlight, with a galaxy rotating inside, profound and unfathomable...

And at the outermost edge of the Jade Court, a ring of indescribably tall, emerald-green towering trees that seemed to connect heaven and earth stood like the most loyal guards, protecting the entire glorious Jade Court in the center, their branches and leaves scattering bits of divine radiance.

The entire world was filled with vitality, order, and an inexpressibly powerful aura!

This was a glimpse of the Jade Court at its most glorious moment during the ancient era!

However, this soul-stirring scene did not last long.

The image suddenly shifted!

The distant horizon, without any warning... darkened!

It wasn't night falling, but being completely enveloped by a boundless, thick-as-ink, churning... black mist!