303: Head to the ruins

[The seventeenth year,]

[News that the Ruins Immortal Palace was about to appear spread like wildfire.]

[From some point on, another rumor was added, saying that the Immortal Palace was not hidden in the deep sea, but would appear near the "Floating City on the Sea."]

[Tianyang City had never been so lively—the streets and alleys were almost packed with people, and looking out, there was a black mass of heads as far as the eye could see.]

[The massive Teleportation Plaza in the city shone with light day and night without end.]

[The Formation lit up time and again as figures emerged in waves; Cultivators from all over the Immortal Realm arrived in an endless stream, pouring into the city like a tide.]

[High in the sky, streaks of light intersected as spirit boats pierced through the clouds and mist, turning into streaks of swift shadows as they sped toward the depths of the Boundless Sea.]

[Forces of some scale often traveled by boat, and the guards on board were all of the Golden Core cultivation level, their Aura imposing.]

[As for those traveling in groups of three or five, most were Loose Cultivators—Foundation Establishment Cultivators associated with their own, and Golden Core with Golden Core, with clear boundaries between them.]

[The number of these low-level Cultivators accounted for more than ninety percent of the total.]

[Among these people were Disciples sent by various Sects for experience, scions of noble families sent to seek Opportunities, and even more were Loose Cultivators who had come from all directions upon hearing the news.]

[The word "Opportunity" was enough to make countless Cultivators rush toward it, as if it were an obsession.]

[That night, Qin Yang came to find you quietly.]

["I suspect that the Old Ancestors of the Three Great Factions... will be traveling along this time, hidden within the ranks as primordial spirit clones," he said in a low voice.]

["Will it affect the plan?" you asked.]

["I have already discussed it with the Ancestral Hall Artifact Spirit; a slight adjustment will suffice," Qin Yang replied calmly.]

["What do you need me to do?"]

["The Immortal Palace will appear beneath the Qin Clan Immortal City, that Floating City on the Sea," he explained. "Once you enter the Immortal Palace, the artifact spirit will naturally sense your presence and find an Opportunity to take you away."]

[He paused, his expression solemn: "At that time, try to see if you can make the Ancestral Hall recognize you as its master."]

["Understood." You nodded slightly.]

["Be careful and do not expose yourself." After saying that, he gave you a deep look, his figure swayed slightly, and like ink into the night, he quietly dissipated.]

[Two months later,]

[The three spirit boats of the True Spirit Immortal Dynasty, the Piaomiao Sect, and the Divine Dragon Cult indeed came piercing through the clouds, sweeping over Tianyang City and heading straight for the depths of the Boundless Sea.]

[The True Spirit Immortal Dynasty did not stop at the City Lord's Mansion this time, only sending a guard to ask if the Cao Family was willing to go together.]

[However, Cao Qingyi politely declined.]

[Meanwhile, Qi Tianchuan, whom you had been following, took the elites of his clan and went along with the spirit boat of the Piaomiao Sect.]

[You were originally curious why Qi Tianchuan didn't go with Qi Wei last time; it turned out he chose to travel with the people from the Piaomiao Sect.]

[At the same time, Qi Wei, whom you had been keeping an eye on, also moved.]

[Qi Wei took Elder Jia and held Lü Feng, Widow Lu, An Lu, and the others captive as they quietly left Tianyang City.]

[Just as he set off, you flicked your finger lightly inside your sleeve—]

[An imperceptible Primordial Spirit Mark quietly sank into the ground, slithering like a snake underground, and in an instant, it emerged from beneath Qi Wei's feet, silently attaching itself to him.]

[Afterward, you felt both worried and joyful.]

[The worry was that you had never seen that Ancestor Zhengyang of the Qi Family; this old fox had not yet shown his face, and you didn't know where he was hiding.]

[The joy was that, except for Ancestor Zhengyang, the elites of the Qi Family had all set out for the ruins.]

[You immediately went to find Cao Qingyi.]

["Qingyi, when are we leaving for the ruins?"]

[Cao Qingyi looked at you with a puzzled expression: "You seem to be more looking forward to going to the ruins than I am?"]

[Cao Tianxiong sneered from the side: "Do you think the ruins are your home? That you can just go whenever you want without any preparation?"]

["There are still many people in the city who haven't left yet. I have to wait until there are fewer people before I can go," Cao Qingyi said with a serious face. "Otherwise, if trouble breaks out in the city, no one will be able to suppress it."]

[You understood Cao Qingyi's concern—Loose Cultivators and forces from all over were currently gathered in Tianyang City. If they learned the City Lord was absent, they would likely take the Opportunity to cause trouble.]

[It turned out that the reason Cao Qingyi didn't travel with the True Spirit Immortal Dynasty was precisely because the flow of people in Tianyang City was currently chaotic, making it impossible for her to leave for the time being.]

[Although Opportunities were important, if one's "home" was stolen, it would be a huge problem.]

[You immediately suggested: "How about I go first, and you catch up after you're done?"]

["No," Cao Qingyi refused directly. "With your mere Golden Core Realm cultivation, going to the ruins alone is almost a certain death."]

["And have you forgotten? The Qi Family is just waiting for you to leave Tianyang City!"]

["Going like this, what's the difference between that and seeking death?" she added.]

[You nodded and didn't say anything more, because you already had your own plan in mind.]

[One month later,]

[You quietly moved Yu'er, Lulu, and Mr. and Mrs. Yang to a secluded courtyard in Tianyang City.]

[You set up a Four Symbols Array in the courtyard and instructed them not to leave for the next few days, but to focus on their cultivation and wait for the ruins' turmoil to pass before quietly leaving.]

[Before leaving, you took out another hundred thousand Spirit Stones and handed them over.]

[They all understood your arrangements and didn't say much.]

[After everything was settled, you took Qin Han and quietly left the city for the ruins without alerting Cao Qingyi.]

[With your current strength, it only took half a day to reach the point where the sea and sky met.]

[In all directions was the boundless azure seawater. Looking up was the sky, looking down was the sea; the horizon circled you in the center, making you as small as a grain of sand in the ocean.]

[You had no heart to linger on the scenery before you. Your figure swayed slightly, ripples like water appeared in the surrounding space, and you vanished into thin air.]

[When you reappeared, you were already a thousand miles away—]

[Buzz!]

[A faint light flashed, and the air silently rippled.]

[The originally surging waves beneath your feet were slowly flattened by an invisible force as your figure solidified. The surface of the sea became like a mirror, without even a tiny ripple.]

[Your heart was as calm as the sea, and your Divine Sense had already locked onto an uninhabited area a thousand miles away.]

[Next second,]

[Buzz!]

[A soft hum like a vibrating string sounded, and space rippled once more.]

[Your figure turned from solid to ethereal, quietly fading away, leaving only the flattened sea surface behind.]

[After your figure disappeared, a circle of white waves suddenly surged outward from the center of the sea, as if they were the lingering traces of your footsteps as you left.]

[Moving and stopping like this, shifting repeatedly.]

[Two days later, a group of islands finally appeared before your eyes—they were actually mountain peaks submerged in the sea, with only the summits showing above the water.]

[Looking at the islands scattered across the sea, you knew this was the outer area of the ruins.]

[You calculated the journey of Qi Wei and his group in your mind.]

[According to the route, they should be flying in a straight line and were likely somewhere nearby at this time.]

[Moreover, Qin Feng, who had possessed Lü Feng, would definitely lead Qi Wei to the location of that Immortal Cave.]

[You closed your eyes and concentrated, sensing that wisp of Primordial Spirit Mark you had quietly planted.]

[In an instant, the direction became crystal clear—it was to your east.]

[The corners of your mouth curled up slightly as you looked in that direction.]

[At the same time, the Illusionary Form Technique quietly activated. Your face rippled slightly, and you already looked like a completely different person.]

[At first glance, your appearance was exactly the same as Qi Tianchuan's!]}