Upon arriving at the upper chamber of the stepped terrace, the first thing that met Chen Chuan's eyes was a radiant golden glow.
Depictions of mythical legends adorned the walls and ceiling, mostly reliefs and inlays crafted from gold, gemstones, and various crystals and jades, presenting an air of breathtaking opulence.
Any faction or organization seeking survival in an environment surrounded by formidable foes had only two cornerstones: production and military might.
Among the First People, Sacred Land Warriors, divine guards, and nature spirits received the lion's share of offerings. Because martial might was the ultimate guarantee of survival, pouring the vast majority of their resources into these pillars was only natural.
Of course, what had left the deepest impression on Chen Chuan since arriving here was the ubiquitous mutated vegetation of the First People.
Before him stood an enormous, banyan-like plant whose aerial roots ran straight and true between ceiling and floor, with faint flickers of flowing light occasionally pulsing through them.
Hanging from the main trunk were translucent pods, similar to the ones he had seen below, yet seemingly sealed with far greater care.
Chen Chuan wove through the gaps between the aerial roots to the front of the main trunk. Beneath the hanging pods, First People glyphs were carved into the floor, alongside surviving wooden slide tracks that ran straight back to the shaft opening he had arrived from.
Though he could not read the script, the overall setup told him he had found the right place.
Slitting one of the pods open to inspect it, he confirmed his deduction: preserved within were fully compounded medicines.
Inside this pod was a substance akin to Jade Bone Paste.
The pods were almost uniform in size, which both prevented their medicinal potency from dissipating quickly and made rationed distribution easy.
Upon closer inspection, however, having sat untouched for nearly a century without replenishment, these items of originally supreme quality likely retained only a fraction of their initial efficacy. Even so, they were far superior to the synthetic medicines currently in his possession.
Moreover, judging by the quantity, there was enough here to last him a considerable time. Whether it could sustain him all the way through his cultivation of the Dongxuan View remained uncertain, as he had no way of knowing how many resources that would ultimately demand.
Yet he had far too many matters to attend to and could not stay here cultivating indefinitely; he needed to find a way to transport these stores out.
This, at least, was manageable. Foreseeing that this excursion might involve hauling supplies—including mutated tissue and medicinal resources—he had brought along crates specifically designed to store them.
Even if those proved insufficient, more could be ordered locally within the Federation. In any case, he would find a way to ferry these materials out in batches.
With physical medicines accounted for, he now had to look for remedies suited for the spirit.
Two shafts corresponded to this area, and the other opening to the right likely held those. Backing out, he went over to check the other side, only to find that much of the stock had been hauled away; barely half of what remained on the opposite side was left here.
Judging by the state of things, the original removal had been hurried and rough. Some pods had been violently torn open, leaving shriveled, dried remnants scattered across the floor.
Reflecting on it, he realized medicines targeting spiritual power were not only useful for martial artists training their minds, but also vital in rituals honoring gods. He suspected that when the tribes scattered long ago and the nature spirits were cut off from their customary offerings, the remaining ritual priests had taken a portion directly to conduct sacrifices.
If even this place had been stripped of half its stores, it seemed likely that the chamber dedicated to the Visage of the Divine had nothing left at all.
Though it was somewhat regrettable, he was not greedy. Securing what lay before him was already an exceptional outcome; before arriving, he had never expected such an abundant harvest.
With these, he could properly commence his training—though now was not yet the time. They had entered, but the Throat of the Star Spirit had also been opened; the area was far from secure.
Exiting the chamber, he found the original path veiled in mist and the floating bridge apparently gone. In its place, a new path had materialized further back, clearly serving as the exit corridor. He followed this way out, and before long emerged back into the open.
Here, he also spotted two colossal figures half-kneeling in place: the preserved husks left behind by ancient martial artists of the First People. Clad in stone-scaled armor in the First People's style, they appeared to have weathered untold ages.
Stepping outside through a trapezoidal portal, he found himself right back at the entrance where he had ascended. Leaping downward, he landed safely on the raised terrace below.
The one-eyed elder was still waiting there. Seeing him return, delight showed on his face, and he stepped forward to ask, "Mr. Chen, you've returned? Did you find what the ancestors left within?"
Chen Chuan nodded. "I did. There are quite a few items inside, some of which are very useful to me personally. I will tally an estimated value for your people." Saying so, he handed back the obsidian spearhead.
Receiving the spearhead, the one-eyed elder said solemnly, "Since Mr. Chen gained the ancestors' approval to enter the Sacred Terrace, whatever lies within is a gift bestowed upon you by the ancestors and gods. We cannot trade these with you."
Chen Chuan looked at him and nodded. Since the elder refused material wealth, Chen Chuan would simply resolve more troubles on their behalf, which would adequately account for taking these treasures.
He asked, "Elder Gale, what do you plan to do next?"
Elder Gale spoke in a voice brimmed with hope: "Search for the control nexus of the Throat of the Star Spirit. As long as we receive the ancestors' and gods' permission, we can take control of the passages connecting the Throat of the Star Spirit to the outside world, protecting all our people from then on.
"We can also invoke the power of our ancestors to guide and help us open the ancient underwater routes, allowing tribesmen from other clans to return to the Sacred Valley through those corridors."
In the past, every Ishtar tribe was linked by a secret ancient path—some mountain trails, others submerged beneath the waters. Many of these routes had likely been sealed off by the Throat of the Star Spirit. Once unsealed, the various clans would have a way to return. Their strength could then unite, and the smaller tribes would no longer be driven out and slaughtered at will.
Chen Chuan gave a slight nod. As an outsider, he had no business prying into the esoteric ritual's nexus. Taking his leave of Elder Gale for now, he walked down from the terrace.
The area below was bustling. The people from Great Shun were sorting and packing the treasures; while there was no immediate need to haul them away, a baseline valuation had to be established.
More than a dozen stepped terraces stood here, each laden with wealth that needed cataloging. This was hardly the work of a day or two, meaning they would likely have to remain here for a while. If necessary, they would bring in additional inactive conscious entities to assist with the audit.
Yet it remained uncertain when Elder Gale would locate and secure the entry and exit portals. During this interval, they would inevitably face attacks and covetous incursions from outside, which meant defenses had to be mounted.
Walking over to Gao Ming, he gave a few instructions, then summoned Gui Zihan, Yuan Qiuyuan, Wei Chang'an, and the others. After assigning specific duties to Yuan and Wei, he turned to Gui Zihan. "I need to head outside. Team Leader Gui, I'll leave this place in your hands."
Once everything was settled, he walked over alone to the gear depot. With a single focused gaze, a crate floated out from the pile and landed before him. As the container panels fell away to either side, the external implant was revealed.
Chen Chuan planted the Xuejun Saber into the ground, walked around to the fissure at the rear, and stepped inside. In an instant, the entire external implant wrapped snugly around his body. Dark golden light veils draped down from the conical helm, and the eyes upon the mask lit up.
Taking two strides forward, he scooped up the Xuejun Saber.
Earlier, while fighting Baishi, he had sensed that someone else might be observing him. They had chosen not to show themselves, likely intending to use his group to locate the Throat of the Star Spirit.
Now that the gateway was open, it was time for them to make their entrance.
He only wondered if they were all here yet.
Blade in hand, he walked out alone toward the long tunnel. With a light tap of his toe, he shot forward like a beam of flowing light, the rumbling boom trailing behind him only moments later.
Meanwhile, Gluttony, Saqiya, and Iron Raven lingered by the Lake of Gems.
Iron Raven watched Gluttony tracing stroke after stroke. More than two hours had passed, yet he was still not finished.
Though Gluttony had his back to them, he seemed to sense their impatience and said, "Don't fret, don't fret. A ritual allows no errors—even the slightest mistake could spell disaster."
The other two merely watched him coldly from behind.
After waiting a bit longer, Gluttony said, "All done, all done." Dusting off his hands, he stood up and grinned broadly. "The ritual is complete. We can head inside now. If you two are uneasy, I'll go first, and you can follow behind me."
Iron Raven asked, "How does Mr. Gluttony know so much about this?"
Gluttony straightened his bow tie and chuckled. "I am a member of the Primitive Sect, after all. An esoteric cult like ours naturally knows a thing or two about esoteric rituals. Besides, we've dealt with these First People for well over a century, so we're bound to understand some of their ways."
Saqiya sent Iron Raven a telepathic link: "Mr. Iron Raven, we can't trust him. I'll take the lead, you bring up the rear."
"Understood." Iron Raven found no issue with this arrangement.
Having received his confirmation, Saqiya said aloud, "I'll go first."
Gluttony grinned without pressing the matter. Stepping aside, he performed an impeccably courteous gesture of invitation.
Saqiya was just about to advance when her step suddenly hitched. At that moment, the mist over the lake water churned, as though some movement stirred within.
Gluttony's expression shifted slightly, and he began backing away slowly. Iron Raven and Saqiya also assumed defensive postures, having likewise sensed that something was amiss.
They all stepped back a few paces, clearing an open space. Sensing the disturbance, the waterfowl along the lakeshore took flight one after another, filling the air with alarmed cries.
Through the drifting vapor, they saw a figure clad in a Great Shun–pattern external implant emerge at an unhurried pace, long saber in hand. He wore a conical helm flanked by beaded tassels and dark golden light veils, with a mask concealing his features.
Draped in an overcoat through which the sheen of inner armor faintly glinted, the fluttering crimson ribbon on his saber's hilt was strikingly vivid.
At the sight, the expressions of all three tightened, and they slowly backed away.
Chapter 1085