"Has it always been this strange here?"
"Even divine sense can't extend outward?" Jiang Haokong gazed into the distance at the vast forest and the mists steadily rising from it.
When he tried to probe carefully, he found it completely useless. His divine sense could leave his body, but it felt as if it had plunged into the cosmic void.
He could sense practically nothing—it was total chaos. He immediately concluded that this place was undoubtedly restricted by some sort of power.
In other words, walking through this region, his divine sense was even less useful than his eyes.
"It wasn't like this before. Perhaps it changed only recently," Jiang Ningxian spoke up, her expression turning somber. This was not her first time here; it had worked previously, but now it had become like this.
Divine sense was entirely constrained, making it impossible to perceive anything in the distance—one could only rely on their eyes.
Even sight was restricted, obscured by the continuous billows of thick mist.
"Since ancient times, Shennongjia has never been an ordinary place."
"Such changes are only natural," Lu Yuan said, not paying further attention to the shifts within the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token in his mind as he offered an explanation.
In the old era, modern instruments would cease functioning upon entering Shennongjia. As a result, it had been classified as a forbidden zone long ago.
Even after the advent of the New Era, ordinary Awakened dared not barge in rashly for fear of mishaps.
And now, after Lu Yuan's careful observation, both divine sense and vision were indeed restricted. Of course, his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye still offered some utility, capable of piercing through some of the fog, though what he could see was limited as well.
"Has the Nine-Tailed Fox King sent word yet?" Jiang Ningxian nodded and asked again. She knew that once they ventured inside, determining their direction would likely depend on experience alone; it was fortunate that all three possessed formidable strength.
Ordinary people would never dare set foot inside at will. The reason was quite simple: present-day Shennongjia.
Following the rejuvenation of the world, its territory had expanded vastly. Even with methods to tear through the void, pinpointing one's bearings was exceedingly difficult.
Finding a way out entirely was by no means an easy task.
"Not yet. In a place like this, many methods and even divine abilities encounter problems." Lu Yuan shook his head before continuing, "Why don't we head to the ruins of the Shennong Altar first? I can pinpoint our bearings there. As for where the Nine-Tailed Fox King is, we can find a way to locate her once we arrive."
The fox king had discovered traces of one of the Nine Cauldrons, making a rendezvous essential. However, without knowing her exact location, they could not simply wait outside forever. Entering Shennongjia first and figuring out the rest was the better course.
"That works. Indeed, it is time we paid homage to our ancestor," Jiang Haokong nodded in agreement.
The Shennong Altar: although it was not their ancestor's burial ground, it was a place intimately tied to him.
As a descendant, having never visited before had already weighed somewhat on his conscience. Now that he had arrived, paying homage first was only right.
"Then let us be off," Lu Yuan said no more, immediately leading the Jiang siblings as they set out, entering deep within.
Shennongjia seemed to have transformed dramatically. The forest was far denser, rife with boundless fog and treacherous swamps.
Even more terrifying, the domain in this place was extraordinary; once inside, determining one's precise coordinates became difficult, making it easy to become lost.
Thus, the three did not land on the ground directly, instead advancing through midair. Just like that, more than half a day passed.
With his sharp eyes, Jiang Haokong pointed toward the east and called out, "There's a cluster of ruined structures over there. Is that the Shennong Altar?"
"That's it." Hearing this, Lu Yuan's eyes flashed. The distant ruins looked familiar, and he instantly determined that it was indeed the place he had visited before—the very site where he had obtained the Human Sovereign essence blood.
Without that stroke of fortune back then, elevating his physique to its current heights would have taken an immensely long time.
Afterward, the three spoke no further and approached steadily. Before long, a colossal ruined structure appeared before them.
Twelve massive stone pillars stood there, each carved with a distinct depiction representing one of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs.
It was just as Lu Yuan remembered, but with one difference: the zodiac carvings seemed altered from before. They appeared far more ferocious, looking as if they might break free and tear anyone to pieces at any moment.
In the center lay a small plaza inscribed with an array formation, though it had faded away after the passage of so much time.
This was the Shennong Altar. Outwardly, it had barely changed compared to the past, but the aura it gave off made it feel like an entirely different place.
"This place is different from before," Jiang Ningxian spoke. This was also her second visit, and she immediately sensed something amiss.
"Indeed. If anything, that aura has become considerably more intense," Lu Yuan agreed, nodding as he walked over to one of the zodiac pillars and lightly touched it with his hand.
Buzz, buzz, buzz—
Instantly, rings of halos surged across the plaza. These radiances coalesced into the forms of the twelve zodiac animals, galloping relentlessly across the ground.
Yet, upon closer inspection, their expressions were laced with fury, as if they were locked in combat.
"Something has changed. A major shift must have occurred here." Seeing this, Jiang Ningxian turned to Lu Yuan and said, "Don't you have that small cauldron with you? This is an altar; perform a sacrificial rite and see if anything turns up."
She knew the mysterious small cauldron's function, which was why she made the suggestion so directly.
Furthermore, this was the Shennong Altar. If any change had occurred, it was bound to be extraordinary and warranted a thorough investigation.
"Alright." Lu Yuan did not refuse. Having known each other for so long, absolute trust had already been forged between them.
In truth, he also wanted to discover what changes had befallen the Shennong Altar. The last time he performed the rite, he had obtained the Human Sovereign essence blood.
As for what would happen this time, there was no telling. And for that very reason, he had to find out.
Without hesitation, Lu Yuan walked straight to the center of the plaza and closed his eyes. At the same time, he retrieved the mysterious small green copper cauldron, cut open his palm, and initiated the sacrifice.
"Sister, that is—!"
When Jiang Haokong caught sight of the small green copper cauldron, perplexity initially surfaced in his eyes, but it swiftly gave way to shock, and he moved to say something.
Jiang Ningxian, however, shook her head and whispered, "Since he obtained it, it belongs to Lu Yuan. We have no place to say anything. Besides, just watch carefully to see what happens next. I have a feeling this is far from simple."
Hearing this, Jiang Haokong nodded as well, while waves of formidable aura surged from his body.
If danger arose, he could act in an instant.
Meanwhile, on the other side, through his sacrificial offering, Lu Yuan discovered a change!
Chapter 324