Human Clan Defender

"There's one thing I wonder if Elder Shen might be interested in learning about?" Yi Ning rubbed his hands together, a strange smile on his face.

Shen Changqing's eyebrows rose slightly. "Pavilion Master Yi, if you have something to say, please speak directly."

"It's like this: I was traveling outside recently and happened to come across a ruin. However, it's quite dangerous inside, and I'm not capable enough to enter alone. Therefore, I wanted to invite Elder Shen to join me." Before he could finish, seeing Shen Changqing was about to refuse, Yi Ning hastily added, "Elder Shen can rest assured, once we enter the ruin, all gains can be split equally between us, half and half. How does that sound?"

"Thank you for your kind offer, Pavilion Master Yi, but I have other matters to attend to and probably won't be able to accompany you," Shen Changqing said, shaking his head in refusal.

As for ruins, he actually wasn't very interested. Even if the ruin really did contain some great opportunity, that was a minor issue. With the panel at his disposal, as long as he had Slaughter Value, he could continue to advance. Unless, one day, the panel could no longer increase his strength. Only then would Shen Changqing consider other paths. But before that, he didn't plan on engaging in other activities that would waste his time.

Hearing the refusal, Yi Ning looked astonished. "Elder Shen, you won't even ask what kind of ruin it is? You're refusing just like that?"

He had thought that mentioning the word 'ruin' would greatly interest the other party, even to the point of them inquiring further. But it wasn't even a question of inquiring further; the other party had outright refused upon hearing it. This turn of events was beyond Yi Ning's expectations.

Shen Changqing said, "I am solely focused on cultivation; I genuinely have little interest in ruins or the like. I am very sorry to disappoint you, Pavilion Master Yi."

"Elder Shen, that's an Ancient Ruin!" When Yi Ning mentioned the word 'Ancient,' he emphasized his tone significantly.

Ancient! Those were Ancient Ruins! Anyone who knew anything about Ancient Times would go into a frenzy upon hearing the words 'Ancient Ruins.'

However, Yi Ning, who was observing Shen Changqing's expression the whole time, noticed that even when 'Ancient' was mentioned, the other's face remained unchanged.

"What's so different about Ancient Ruins?"

"Uh, Elder Shen isn't aware of Ancient Ruins?" Yi Ning was taken aback once more.

Shen Changqing shook his head. "I don't know much about other matters, so I'm not clear on what Pavilion Master Yi is referring to."

He truly hadn't heard of any ruins before, let alone Ancient Ruins. Logically speaking, Shen Changqing wasn't interested in so-called ruins at all; he only asked an extra question after hearing the word 'Ancient.' As everyone knows, anything associated with the word 'Ancient' was always extraordinary.

"Ah," Yi Ning nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. With Elder Shen's achievements, you must have been cultivating diligently all along. It's understandable not to know about Ancient Ruins. Since that's the case, let me explain it to you properly!"

"I'm all ears," Shen Changqing nodded. Listening to a few words wouldn't waste much time anyway.

Yi Ning pondered for a moment, then spoke, "Legend has it that during Ancient Times, the Ancestral Vein was unbroken, and powerful martial artists roamed Heaven and Earth. Back then, these martial artists faced no so-called limits. But later, for some reason, the Ancestral Vein was severed. Since then, nature's spiritual energy has waned, and the Grandmaster Realm has become our shackles. All Ancient Ruins may contain methods to break these limits, or other things."

He continued, "In simple terms, Ancient Ruins contain many valuable things. Any Grandmaster who obtains benefits from Ancient Ruins will see their strength greatly enhanced upon emerging."

So that's how it is! Shen Changqing finally understood what Pavilion Master Yi meant by Ancient Ruins.

Ancient Times. Ancestral Vein severed. If Yi Ning wasn't mistaken, it proved his previous speculation was correct. The so-called limits were never the true limits. It's just that modern Grandmasters have lost the means to break through.

After a moment, Shen Changqing shook his head. "Thank you for your kind intent, Pavilion Master Yi, but I still don't plan on visiting the Ancient Ruins for now."

"Elder Shen, I know you have reached the Great Sun Furnace Realm, but there's a significant difference between initially entering the Great Sun Furnace Realm and ascending to its peak. Moreover, to break the limits, it's not enough to just reach the peak of the Physical System; the Spiritual System must also reach its peak. You should be aware that attaining the peak of the Spiritual System is extremely difficult. Even for cultivators like us, slaughtering Demon Evils and plundering their power to nourish True Intent takes a very long time."

Yi Ning, afraid the other party might not understand the difficulty of advancing as a Grandmaster or the benefits of Ancient Ruins, patiently explained once more after Shen Changqing's refusal. "Not to mention, slaying Demon Evils involves great risks. If targeted by a powerful member of the Demon Evil Clan, the chance of perishing is not small. If you can gain some benefits from the Ancient Ruins, you might be able to directly advance to the peak of the Spiritual System. Wouldn't that save a lot of effort?"

"Are there things inside Ancient Ruins that can elevate one's Spiritual System to its peak?" Shen Changqing was slightly taken aback.

He now possessed the panel; whether it was Inner Strength or Outer Techniques, as long as he had Slaughter Value, he could level them up. However, when it came to the Spiritual System, there wasn't such a shortcut. He had only managed to advance from the first stage to the second in such a short time by spending a substantial amount of Merit Points and cultivating in seclusion. But since that seclusion, his True Intent hadn't progressed much. Even though he had slain many Demon Evils since then, he had still not managed to advance to thirty percent True Intent. As Yi Ning said, advancing one's True Intent is indeed very difficult.

Upon hearing this, Yi Ning immediately smiled. "That's certain. In fact, most powerful figures in the Jianghu have, more or less, entered such ruins at some point. Some ruins are merely legacies left by powerful individuals, while others have been passed down from Ancient Times. Those who entered these ruins and came out all experienced varying degrees of strength increase. Moreover—"

Yi Ning glanced around and then said mysteriously, "Do you think the Pavilion Masters of the Hidden Heart Pavilion reached Grandmaster Peak by ordinary means? It's all related to Ancient Ruins. So far, all discovered Ancient Ruins are associated with the spiritual aspect. Things that genuinely help Flesh are actually quite rare. Elder Shen is now at the Great Sun Furnace stage; if you can find something in the Ancient Ruins that increases True Intent, that would be perfect."

From Yi Ning's words, Shen Changqing learned a bit more.

So, although Ancient Ruins are precious, they aren't extremely rare.

Wait! He thought of something else. "I've advanced to the Great Sun Furnace Realm in less than three years without arousing any suspicion, nor has anyone thought I colluded with Demon Evils. Could it be that they also think I've discovered some ruins?" According to what Yi Ning said, Ancient Ruins are compelling. Anyone lucky enough to enter them can gain suitable fortunes. The Pavilion Masters from the various pavilions also had to enter ruins to be able to cultivate to their current peaks in the Spiritual System.

Immediately, Shen Changqing looked at Yi Ning and asked, "So, Pavilion Master Yi, you've also entered such ruins before?"

"Naturally," Yi Ning said with a smile. "To tell you the truth, if this particular Ancient Ruin wasn't so dangerous that one person couldn't handle it, I wouldn't have invited Elder Shen to join me."

Ancient Ruins are precious. If found, they are seldom shared. Unless it's too much for one person to handle; only then would sharing be considered.

Shen Changqing said, "The Demon-Subduing Division has many powerful individuals. Why did Pavilion Master Yi seek me out specifically?"

In his heart, he still harbored some doubts. After Tan Tianji's abrupt betrayal, he couldn't afford to take any member of the Demon-Subduing Division lightly. Who knew if the person he was conversing pleasantly with might be aligned with the Demon Evil side? One misstep, a stab in the back, and it would be disastrous. Shen Changqing still remembered Wang Mubai's parting words. Clearly, that Great Demon had already set its sights on him. It might even be possible that a bounty had been issued for him within the Demon Evil Clan.

"Your suspicion is normal. Currently, there are many experts in the Demon-Subduing Division, but not many martial artists who can reach the peak of the Perfect System. The Martial Emperor and his group are rarely in the Demon-Subduing Division, so it's difficult for me to contact them. As for Defender Envoys, they cannot enter Ancient Ruins, which is why I had to find you."

"Defender Envoys can't enter Ancient Ruins?" Shen Changqing heard another piece of new information.

Yi Ning nodded. "Ancient Ruins are different from other ruins. Defender Envoys are prohibited from entering; even Demon Evils cannot go in—only those with pure Spiritual Energy can enter. Don't be fooled by the power Defender Envoys wield, called Spirit Essence and Spirit Blood; that power is tainted by Demon Evils. From my perspective, all Defender Envoys have strayed from the true path. The ways of Ancient Times are the correct ones, but unfortunately, Ancient Times are too far removed from us now."

In the end, he let out a deep sigh.

From the Internal Affairs Hall Master's words, Shen Changqing could sense his strong reluctance towards the path of a Defender Envoy.

"If Ancient Ruins have such restrictions, could it be that Demon Evils also existed in Ancient Times?" He speculated about this. According to records, Demon Evils had only emerged a little over three hundred years ago. Ancient Times, however, were definitely much further back than that.

Yi Ning shook his head. "Whether Demon Evils existed in Ancient Times, I'm not sure either. But Ancient Ruins do have such restrictions. So, how about it, Elder Shen? Are you considering joining me in exploring these Ancient Ruins?"

Hearing this, Shen Changqing fell into deep thought.

"I still want to wait a bit longer, until my Physical System truly can't break through anymore. Then I will consider the issues of the Spiritual System."