While Chen Chuan and his companions sped forward aboard the land vessel, Iron Crow and the others outside finally stepped into the cavern.
Aside from Iron Crow, an additional person had joined their ranks—a woman appearing in her twenties. She wore a cyan fluorite mask covering half her face, its edges lined with jagged spikes.
Her face was beautiful, but her body was packed with muscle as dense as blocks of stone, her thighs exceptionally thick, radiating an impression of explosive power.
She hailed from Titan Company, codenamed "Saqiya"—known in the legends of the West Continent as the "Jungle Banshee."
As the three ventured downward, they moved with extreme caution. Iron Crow and Gluttony had witnessed Chen Chuan's terrifying prowess firsthand; moreover, he had stayed behind of his own accord to cover the rear earlier, so he might very well be lying in wait up ahead, keeping them thoroughly on guard.
Although Saqiya had not personally witnessed Chen Chuan in combat, Master Baishi's corpse lay back there, and the wary posture shown by the other two convinced her that their target's strength was truly out of the ordinary.
Before long, they picked up the trail left by Chen Chuan and his group. With so many people traveling together, it was impossible to leave no traces behind, and biological signatures would not fade completely within a matter of hours.
The three were martial artists, after all. Even though they had deliberately slowed their pace to stay vigilant against Chen Chuan, what would have taken ordinary people several hours to walk, they covered in a little over an hour, arriving at the shore of the Lake of Gems.
Upon arriving, they found that all traces of the expedition vanished here, their final destination swallowed by the lake waters. Yet none of them dared plunge in recklessly. This place was unquestionably set within an esoteric ritual; who knew what lay beneath the surface?
If they were facing ordinary opponents, they would have had no need to hesitate, confident in their own strength. But with an enemy whose might surpassed the realm of the ordinary lying ahead, they had to be doubly cautious.
"If you dive in right now, I guarantee you'll end up somewhere else entirely," Gluttony remarked suddenly from behind.
Iron Crow turned toward Gluttony. Seeing that he looked completely unhurried, Iron Crow asked bluntly, "You know the way?"
A genial smile appeared on Gluttony's face. "I happen to know."
Saqiya looked at him. "How do we get through?"
Gluttony rubbed his hands together, bowed slightly to the two of them, and said, "It requires a minor ritual, a few materials, and a little bit of patience. Please wait a moment, you two."
Iron Crow and Saqiya exchanged a glance and stepped aside.
Though they did not hail from the same faction and each pursued their own interests, they stood united when facing Gluttony, who claimed to be from the Primitive Sect. The man's sudden appearance was simply too abrupt.
With a formidable adversary like Chen Chuan ahead, they had no desire to clash with Gluttony just yet. Once they caught up with Chen Chuan, they could decide what to do depending on the circumstances.
Wearing his smile, Gluttony seemed entirely unbothered by their suspicion. He walked to one side and smashed a stone wall open with his fist. A clattering pile of objects tumbled out, all visibly related to ritual matters.
Neither of them knew how he was aware that these items were hidden here.
With his back to the two, he reached out with his plump hands, sorting through the pile. At last, he picked out several things and began to arrange them.
***
Meanwhile, along the grand avenue, the travelers felt the scenery on both sides rushing past. At first, the land vessel had traveled at only a moderate speed, but driven on by the rising gale, it moved faster and faster, reaching an almost unnerving pace.
The surging airflow whipped everyone's hair back, pressing against their faces so hard that their features slightly deformed. Many of the First People could not resist letting out excited whoops, though their shouts were swiftly swallowed by the rush of wind.
After speeding along like this for over an hour, they finally reached the end of the road. The driving wind began to die down, and the land vessel gradually slowed to a halt.
Two colossal statues towered ahead, both sculpted in the likeness of First People warriors. Draped in feather cloaks and crowned with eagle headdresses, the two statues stood some thirty meters high, magnificent and commanding.
Beyond the statues, a radiant garden opened before their eyes, bursting with bizarre and vibrant blossoms. The alabaster-white trees were entwined with luminescent vines, and delicate petals drifted on the breeze. Even from a distance, a faint, pure fragrance hung in the air.
At the valley floor flowed a river, its waters shimmering with a gentle silver sheen. Schools of transparent fish swam to and fro, shifting through a kaleidoscope of colors under the light.
Within the garden, directly ahead, stood a stepped trapezoidal structure, estimated to be at least a hundred meters tall. Distinctively, perched above it was an inverted stepped structure, hovering like a mirrored reflection. No physical connection joined the two; only from afar could one discern the faint swirl of airflow churning between them.
Structures of this kind were not unique here; looking past it, more than ten could be seen in the distance, though the one in the center was by far the most majestic.
The group disembarked from the land vessel one after another. The one-eyed elder turned to Chen Chuan and asked, "Mr. Chen, might I take another look at the map?"
Chen Chuan naturally had no objection. He unfolded the map, which now displayed numerous new markings at the terminus of the road, all written in the script of the First People. After studying it a moment longer, the one-eyed elder seemed to understand.
"Please follow me," he said.
Carrying the obsidian spearhead, he took the lead. Chen Chuan gestured, and the rest followed. The moment they stepped into the garden, everyone felt as though they had passed through a thin membrane, followed immediately by a sudden sensation of lightness in their bodies, as if a single leap could send them floating into the air.
The one-eyed elder led the group to the front of the grandest stepped platform. Holding the obsidian spearhead, he waved it gently toward a serpentine stone carving to the side. A deep rumble reverberated through the air, sounding like something roaring deep within the caverns.
Having done this, he looked up with a solemn expression, then began climbing the stairs step by step.
Chen Chuan left Gui Zihan and a portion of the party below on guard, having established emergency communication signals, and then led several technicians and security personnel upward.
Because the steps were both high and steep, everyone expected the ascent to be arduous. Yet once they began climbing, they found it was nothing of the sort. They felt buoyant, supported by an unseen force, making the climb remarkably effortless. They reached the upper platform almost in a single breath.
Scanning the surroundings from here, they took in the entire garden at a glance. The panoramic vista was vast enough to stir the soul.
After pausing for a moment, they entered the stone palace at the summit. No sooner had they stepped inside than they saw a pool, and were immediately dazzled by a blaze of radiance, followed by a chorus of gasps.
Before them lay countless heaps of gold and precious gems, practically filling the hall to capacity, in some places piled nearly to the ceiling. The pool was likewise blanketed with them, the rippling water shimmering with a golden brilliance.
The onlookers were awestruck, gazing left and right. Most of them were salaried employees; faced with such staggering wealth, it was impossible not to be captivated. Even if they couldn't take any for themselves, feasting their eyes was a pleasure in its own right.
The one-eyed elder spoke up loudly at this point: "This wealth was once used to please and pay homage to our ancestors. When our people face crisis, our ancestors bestow it back upon us to help our tribe endure the hardship. Now, in the name of the Isutar Key-Bearing Priest, I deliver all of this to our honored guests from Great Shun, in exchange for Great Shun's support of our Isutar people!"
Chen Chuan nodded. "Elder Gale, I will ensure your wealth is exchanged for provisions and supplies of corresponding value."
The one-eyed elder bowed deeply to him in profound gratitude.
Chen Chuan glanced around again, thinking to himself that the sacrificial rituals of the First People were largely similar. By that logic, Kawatua ought to possess comparable wealth, yet after all these years, not a shred of it had ever been brought out.
Great Shun didn't actually covet such treasures; rather, it hoped the people of Kawatua would use them to open factories and develop technology, better enabling them to resist the Federation and build capital to face the Great Impact in the future.
Instead, they had invested in the Federation and bribed its congressmen. By comparison, these Isutar people were far more straightforward, and far wiser.
The one-eyed elder knew that Great Shun needed more than just this; they also needed the medicines required daily by the Sacred Land Warriors.
With grave solemnity, he said to Chen Chuan, "Mr. Chen, please follow me."
Chen Chuan nodded slightly and followed him out, ascending an interior stairway to a broad rooftop terrace. This was the junction point between the floating, inverted stepped platform and the one beneath their feet. A sealed entrance was visible directly above.
Standing here and looking up, the massive stepped structure seemed as if it could plummet at any second, exerting an overwhelming sense of oppression.
The one-eyed elder looked up. Holding the obsidian spear above his head with both hands, he fell to his knees and softly chanted ancient praises. His voice rose and fell in measured cadence, sounding like an ancient summons echoing from the wilderness.
Under this song-like recitation, the mist above slowly dissipated. At the same time, faint tremors ran through both the platform beneath their feet and the one overhead. By the time the mist vanished completely, the once-sealed opening had revealed a passage.
"The ancestors have consented," the one-eyed elder said in pleasant surprise.
If it were merely worldly wealth, he could make the decision on behalf of all the tribes. But the requirements of the Divine Guards involved the gods themselves. Unsure whether the deities would grant permission, he could only do his utmost.
With a solemn countenance, he said, "That is a sanctuary only the Divine Guards may enter. For the road ahead, Mr. Chen, you must proceed alone. All the offerings dedicated to the Divine Guards and the gods are inside."
With that, he handed the obsidian spearhead to Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan reached out and took it. The instant his fingers touched it, he felt a profound connection between the object and the platform above.
He looked upward. Then, beneath the one-eyed elder's reverent gaze, he slowly floated into the air and flew toward the high opening, passing inside a moment later.
Chapter 1083