572: Chapter 572

A body, the greatest throughout the ages.

Those four words hung on the surface of the stele, and for a long time, no one could recover from the shock.

Qin Yun did not stop.

While many were still staring at the stone stele in a daze, he had already stepped into the ancient gate.

Behind the ancient gate, the world suddenly changed.

The clamor of the outside world vanished.

The surroundings were very empty.

There were no Law anomalies, nor were there any divine medicines or precious ores; there was only an ancient space that was nearly silent and desolate.

The sky was a pale gray.

Cracks crisscrossed the ground.

In the distance stood one broken stone platform after another. Many places bore the remnants of ancient Dao marks, looking like they had been worn down by time until only a faint outline remained.

After taking just a few steps, Qin Yun sensed that the Laws here were extremely heavy. If an ordinary Grotto-Heaven Realm Cultivator were to force their way in, their movements would likely be hindered.

This place was never intended for ordinary Prodigies.

Qin Yun stood still and immediately circulated the Immortal Sutra.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, the main tower vibrated slightly.

A wisp of resonance immediately drifted from deep within the core.

It was very clear.

It was very direct.

Qin Yun's eyes narrowed slightly.

He didn't need to search for other Opportunities or waste time testing things out; in this core area, only one direction truly tugged at the main tower.

The Sub-tower of the azure pagoda.

He had found it.

Qin Yun's figure blurred as he dashed toward the source of that attraction.

Along the way, he saw many damaged Restrictions.

Some were Seals.

Some were barriers.

There were also several ancient marks that looked like where some kind of heavy artifact had once been placed.

But none of these things could truly stop him.

What truly made Qin Yun stop was a seemingly ordinary gray stone forest deep within the core.

The fluctuations of the Sub-tower were right behind the stone forest.

But the moment Qin Yun took his first step inside, he sensed something was wrong.

Although the fluctuations were clearly ahead, with every step forward, that resonant aura seemed to shift away, maintaining a constant, unreachable distance.

Qin Yun did not continue to charge blindly.

He quickly understood.

There was an ancient Seal here.

It wouldn't trap someone to death directly, but it would constantly scramble a Cultivator's sense of direction and Divine Thought judgment, stalling them there.

Qin Yun's Double Pupils opened slightly as his gaze swept across the ground of the stone forest.

Faint lines finally emerged within his field of vision.

As expected.

The placement of these stone pillars was itself part of the Seal.

The true path was not straight ahead.

It was behind the third broken pillar on the left.

Qin Yun raised his hand and pressed down; a blast of energy struck, causing the broken pillar on the left to shift half an inch.

Buzz.

The surrounding gray mist trembled slightly.

A gap immediately appeared in the Seal.

Qin Yun stepped through.

The space behind the stone forest suddenly opened up.

The Sub-tower was close now.

But the moment he stepped into the actual area, a low, muffled thud echoed from the ground.

An ancient Puppet clad in tattered armor slowly rose from beneath the earth.

It wasn't particularly tall.

It didn't exude much killing intent, and its aura was only infinitely close to that of a Venerable.

But the moment its hollow eye sockets lit up, the sealing power of the entire area intensified.

As soon as the Puppet raised its hand, a stone spear lunged toward Qin Yun's chest.

Qin Yun sidestepped to avoid it and gripped the spear shaft with his fingers.

The Taihuang Holy Venerable Sun Body surged.

Crack.

The stone spear snapped on the spot.

The Puppet raised its other hand to strike, its fist wrapped in ancient runes.

Qin Yun met it with a direct punch.

Bang.

The Puppet retreated three steps.

Cracks spread across its chest.

Qin Yun didn't stop; his Double Pupils had already seen through the core node within its body, and his second punch landed right on that spot.

Another muffled thud.

The Puppet's entire upper body shattered instantly.

The surrounding Seal shook along with it.

Qin Yun stepped over the wreckage and finally stood before the Sub-tower.

The tower's body was ancient and covered in cracks, but its aura was identical to the main tower in his Sea of Consciousness.

The moment Qin Yun approached, the resonance of the main tower intensified sharply.

The Sub-tower trembled slightly.

In the next instant, it transformed into a streak of azure light and actively merged into the space between Qin Yun's brows.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, the main tower's body shook.

Its previously incomplete aura was immediately restored by a significant portion.

The ancient patterns on the tower became much clearer.

Even the circulation of the Immortal Sutra became much smoother.

More importantly, after the main tower was partially restored, Qin Yun's perception of the entire core area suddenly became clear.

Just then.

Chen Yang's voice suddenly rang out from the ring.

"Wait."

"There's a medicinal scent."

Qin Yun's eyes flashed.

Chen Yang's tone was deeper than usual.

"It's not an ordinary Spirit Medicine; it's an aura close to the level of an immortal medicine."

"Even if it's not a complete primary medicine, it must be related to what I need to reconstruct my Physical Body."

Qin Yun did not hesitate and immediately pursued the newly appeared aura.

The further forward he went, the clearer the medicinal fluctuations became.

Even Chen Yang fell silent.

Clearly, he was also afraid that if he spoke, he would cause Qin Yun's Divided Soul.

Qin Yun's speed grew faster and faster.

Before long, the outline of an ancient Medicine Garden finally appeared ahead.

It was shrouded in mist.

In the center, a wisp of extremely faint yet incredibly resilient vitality surged continuously.

Qin Yun could already see it.

Deep within the Medicine Garden, an ancient medicine resembling a withered vine was coiled on a stone. Its surface was gray and withered, but it harbored a startling intent of immortality within.

Chen Yang's breathing grew heavy.

"That's it."

"If I get it, my path to reconstructing my Physical Body will take a massive step forward."

Just as Qin Yun was about to step forward again.

The entire core space suddenly shook.

Buzz.

A powerful repulsive force emanated from the direction of the ancient gate.

Qin Yun's expression changed slightly as he immediately understood.

Time was up.

The core passage opened by the stone stele's certification was never meant to be permanent.

It was a one-time entry privilege.

Now that the time limit had expired, the core Laws began to expel the outsiders.

Qin Yun tried to force his way forward.

But as soon as he took a step, the surrounding space twisted violently.

It was the entire ruins themselves pushing him out.

The Medicine Garden was right ahead.

The ancient medicine was even clear enough that he could see the patterns on its vine.

Yet, this final distance simply could not be crossed.

Qin Yun raised his hand, wanting to use the Heaven-Sealing Seal to briefly stabilize the space.

But even if he sealed one layer, an even greater power of rules pressed down from the outside.

It was completely useless.

In the next moment, the ancient gate began to close completely.

A force of spatial retraction landed directly on Qin Yun.

The Medicine Garden before his eyes was rapidly pulled away.

The ancient medicine that had been so close was once again obscured by the mist.

Qin Yun's gaze darkened, but he could only be swept away from the spot by that power of rules.

Boom.

The space shifted.

He had been forcibly ejected from the core.

The moment he returned to the middle layer, there were still many people gathered around the stone stele.

When someone saw Qin Yun suddenly appear, their expression changed immediately.

But Qin Yun didn't look at them at all.

He first stabilized his aura, then turned back to look at the now-closed ancient gate.

He had obtained the Sub-tower.

He had also found a clue to the immortal medicine.

But he hadn't gotten the medicine itself.

This meant he would have to enter the core once more.

Soon, Qin Yun reached another conclusion.

He pressed his hand against the stone stele, but it showed no reaction.

He tried again.

It was the same.

Chen Yang spoke in a low voice.

"Don't bother trying."

"You've already walked this path once."

"The stone stele's certification is a one-time privilege."

"The main path is cut off."

Qin Yun withdrew his hand, his expression unchanged.

The stone stele path was closed.

And he didn't have an Ancient War Token.

That left only one way.

The Ancient Path of Corpse Mountain.

By now, people near the stone stele were already discussing.

They had clearly seen the core ancient gate close.

Some people's faces looked grim.

"The stone stele path only recognizes a person once in their lifetime. No wonder after those who went in before came out, no one could enter through this path a second time."

"So if anyone wants to enter the core later, they'll have to take the Corpse Mountain?"

Someone nearby gave a bitter smile.

"What else?"

"In the three times the Ancient Chaos Ruins have opened, at least dozens of top-tier Prodigies with so-called great emperor talent have perished on Corpse Mountain."

"Do you think that path is just for show?"

Someone else lowered their voice and chimed in.

"Last time, there was a Saint from a Great Sect who was said to be invincible among his generation. After entering Corpse Mountain, his Life Tablet shattered on the spot."

"There were also Seed Figures from ancient clans who went in and didn't even have their remains recovered."

"I heard that among the bones that haven't fully decayed by the ancient path, some were left from previous openings of the ruins."

Another person's face turned pale.

"In every generation, only a few can truly walk through Corpse Mountain and enter the core alive."

"That's not a path; it's a burial ground for Prodigies."

Qin Yun listened quietly without saying a word.

In the distance, many people's faces darkened at the mention of Corpse Mountain.

Clearly, everyone knew what that path entailed.

But Qin Yun had no other choice.

He turned around.

His gaze swept past the stone stele area, looking toward the rift valley.

The Ancient Path of Corpse Mountain was right there.