Chen Chuan opened the box and found a copper coin inside—a "Shengtong Tongbao" minted during the reign of the former imperial household's Last Emperor.
He turned it over in his hands and examined it repeatedly, but found that it was just an ordinary coin with nothing remarkable about it. He could not tell why it had been deliberately placed here.
After a moment of thought, he put the copper coin back, intending to take it outside before examining it further.
He rose a little higher, returning to where the statue's neck had been severed, and retrieved that smaller statuette—an item very likely meant to communicate with it. At that moment, the statuette in his hand trembled faintly, as though resonating with the colossal demon-god statue below.
His eyes glinted slightly as he felt the changes within it. He began to understand: this artifact had very likely been carved from a piece of the original head.
At that moment, he caught the faint trace of a sound. Yet when he strained to listen, it remained indistinct. Through the haze, he thought he saw the demon-god statue below twitch.
His brow rose slightly.
Just then, the chains bound around the demon-god statue stirred without any wind, rattling continuously. As they moved, they emitted a chorus of chime-like ringings, like golden bells, and faint golden patterns surfaced along their links.
Amid this commotion, the murmurs that had begun to rise were suppressed and driven back, and the statue's body—which seemed poised to stir—was once more firmly bound.
Chen Chuan's gaze shifted slightly. In that fleeting instant, he had clearly seen indistinct, flickering silhouettes emerge along those chains.
Or rather, the residual spiritual visages of martial artists following the Visage of the Divine.
Without a doubt, these were likely the owners of the corpses resting within the alcoves—ancient forebears of the Xuan and Chan traditions. They must have used their bodies as the source and their spirits as a cage to seal this ancient evil.
And presumably, the empty alcoves had originally housed forebears walking the path of the Visage of Man or the Visage of the Aberrant. Their bodies had likely undergone refinement by the former state religion, turning them into power sources to sustain the seal.
Later, however, the former imperial household had removed them—perhaps to help this ancient evil break free, or perhaps for some other agenda.
Judging by the sheer scale here, the number of martial artists involved, and the ritual remnants left behind, one could imagine the immense sacrifice the forebears of the two traditions had made in antiquity to restrain these ancient evils. Yet today, though the ancient evil had failed to break free on its own, it had been heedlessly compromised by descendants.
Of course, in the state the imperial household was in, they could hardly be considered human anymore, making it easy for them to commit such acts without remorse.
Great Shun's war against them was not merely the cyclical rise of a new dynasty overthrowing an old one; it was a war between the human world and an inhuman realm. Against the backdrop of the impending Great Impact, a victor had to be decided once and for all.
Observing with his limited knowledge of rituals, he found that the arrangements made by the forebears of the two traditions, working in concert with the grand ritual outside, still firmly suppressed the resurgence of the ancient evil. However, due to artificial damage, the evil's power had inevitably begun leaking outward, causing the dispersion of that "divine blood"—a massive loophole.
Even if they did not dismantle the ritual, this breach would steadily widen until the ancient evil eventually broke free. Thus, it was far better to find a way to deal with it as early as possible.
Moreover, the fissure itself served as a bridge connecting it to the world beyond, allowing it to draw power from the other side. This had originally aligned perfectly with the former imperial household's goals. Therefore, it could not be allowed to persist; dismantling the ritual was an absolute necessity.
After pondering the matter, he checked around the cavern again, confirming there was nothing else of value. Whatever might have once been here had likely already been carried away by the former imperial household. There were no other passageways either; the only accessible entrance and exit was the raised platform through which he had entered.
Seeing this, he lingered no longer. He ascended back to the platform and stepped outside.
At this time, the guards stationed here wore grave expressions, and the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside. He asked, "Is something happening?"
He Fen hurried over at that moment, saluted, and reported, "Section Chief, the fissure expanded a bit more just now. Supervisor Xu has already gone over to inspect it."
Chen Chuan's heart stirred. He walked outside and glanced toward the fissure, noticing that it had indeed expanded by another third compared to when he had pushed it open earlier.
He reflected briefly. This was likely triggered by his holding that statuette of the ancient evil earlier. Although he had not intentionally communicated with it, some pre-existing pact between the former imperial household and the entity had probably caused this reaction.
He was unsure whether the former imperial household possessed other similar objects. Logically, Su Kuo, as General of Eastern Subjugation, should have been the one carrying it; yet it had been in Gai Shuhe's possession. Was that because of the Gai clan's elevated standing?
Did the former imperial household still hold other such statuettes? If so, it added yet another compelling reason to dismantle this ritual; only by doing so could they eliminate any lingering threats.
It was not that he feared the former imperial household. In truth, after this battle, those remnants would lack the capacity to muster forces against Jibei Dao again. His primary concern was severing the ancient evil's connection with the world on the other side.
He said, "Tell Supervisor Xu to come back. There's no problem."
Having given his orders, he found Lan Shengu waiting nearby and handed him the box. "Mr. Lan, I found something inside. Take a look."
Lan Shengu took it and opened the lid. After examining the copper coin and asking Chen Chuan where it had been placed, he said with certainty, "This should be part of a pact-binding ritual."
With that, he held up the copper coin.
"This copper coin represents the people's recognition of the former imperial household and the worldly authority they once wielded. Placing such an object before the high god signifies that, in their capacity as legitimate rulers, they purchased what they needed from the god. It was a transaction. Once forged, even if the dynasty collapsed, the pact remained acknowledged by both sides."
Chen Chuan understood. The intrinsic value of the copper coin was irrelevant; what mattered was what it represented.
Lan Shengu seemed to gain some confidence. He gave the coin a gentle shake and said, "This item is actually quite important as well. If you intend to construct a new binding ritual, Section Chief Chen, we might be able to make use of it."
Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Lan, I've discovered that the expansion of the fissure here provides support to this ancient evil. It seems the ritual here must be dismantled in order to sever their connection. As for what comes next—if I entrust this task to you, Mr. Lan, do you feel up to it?"
Lan Shengu pondered deeply, then looked up and said, "I would need the full cooperation of the Center City Esoteric Cult Examination Bureau—preferably led by Director Lei from last time."
Chen Chuan nodded. "Understood. I will arrange it. If you need anything, tell me directly. What Jibei Dao cannot provide, we can request from the Central Government. In any case, this matter must be handled thoroughly."
Seeing his resolve, Lan Shengu took a deep breath. "Before doing that, I need to set up a large protective ritual outside Mount Jiao in advance. It isn't overly complicated, but it requires enough experienced ritual practitioners and a large amount of ritual materials. Ideally... we should begin today."
Chen Chuan said decisively, "Very well. I will go to Center City shortly to requisition personnel."
He planned to invoke the authority of the Security Decision-Making Group to deploy all those cliques and entrenched old-timers in the Esoteric Cult Examination Bureau out here to handle this project. Clearing them out would also create favorable conditions for Director Lei back in the city.
If those people raised objections or refused to contribute, they could not blame him for being ruthless. Under the overriding priority of defense and security, no one could negotiate terms with him; even appealing to the Central Government would be futile.
Lan Shengu's spirits rose with renewed determination. "If that's the case, Section Chief Chen, I guarantee I will do my utmost."
Chen Chuan nodded. "Then I leave it in your hands. Feel free to act boldly."
Lan Shengu nodded solemnly and cupped his hands in salute.
Having settled things here, Chen Chuan turned and called He Fen over, instructing him, "Director He, I need to make a trip back to Center City shortly. Coordinate with Supervisor Xu to handle the matters here. Is there anything else you lack or need support with?"
He Fen thought for a moment and said, "Chief, this subordinate was thinking... the personnel of the Yangzhi Disposal Bureau can't compare to the elites from the Center City Headquarters. Over the past couple of days, my colleagues have felt out of their depth encountering so many unfamiliar situations. Moving forward, I expect we will have to shoulder even greater responsibilities. Would it be possible for Headquarters to dispatch some experienced veterans to give us some brief training, or perhaps mentor them a bit? What do you think, Chief?"
Chen Chuan said, "A fine suggestion, Director He. Very well, I'll inform Headquarters."
He Fen immediately snapped a salute. "Then on behalf of all my colleagues, I thank you, Chief!"
Chen Chuan returned the salute, gave him a nod, and walked out carrying the captured Phoenix Wing Long Hammer.
Whether it was eliminating this main force of the former imperial household, slaying General of Eastern Subjugation Su Kuo, or dealing with the relics of the ancient evil here, none of this could be settled with a few casual words. He had to return and deliberate thoroughly with the other members of the security team.
Once outside, the guards stationed on both sides of the vault entrance saluted in unison.
He nodded, walked a few more paces, and looked up to see the airship sent to receive him already hovering in place.
It was night now. The darkness stretched deep and boundless, but the galaxy poured across the heavens like a sweeping tide. In his ear, the boundary credential was already humming with faint, static-like clicks.
The Skyline had already reached this far.
It would gradually encompass the outskirts of Yangzhi, and more regions would be integrated into the network until it spanned all directions under heaven—just like this brilliant radiance, illuminating everything within sight.
The old had passed away; the new was about to arrive.
He pressed down on the brim of his hat with one hand and slowly drifted upward. After stepping onto the airship, he strode toward the main cabin and declared:
"Back to Center City."
Chapter 1038