Han Yu stopped just beyond the edge of the dense forest, his eyes fixed on the vast complex that stretched before him.
The ruins were enormous, far larger than anything he had ever seen within an inner realm. At first glance, the structure appeared to be a cluster of fallen temples and broken halls, but as his gaze adjusted, he realized that those were only the outer sections.
Beyond them, a wall rose from the ground, high, dark, and ancient.
Even from where he stood, Han Yu could feel the faint pulse of spiritual energy in the air. It was old and strange, not vibrant like the Qi of living things, but heavy and dull, like sothing that had been buried for ages. He hesitated to move any closer.
His first instinct scread caution. After what had happened at the ruined shrine, he was not about to rush into another unknown structure. The mory of Junior Jun's body turning into dust flashed in his mind, and a chill ran down his spine.
"This ti, I'll be careful," he muttered quietly.
The words felt hollow, but he said them anyway.
Han Yu began to circle the periter, moving slowly and deliberately, his steps light on the moss-covered ground. The air here felt thick, almost oppressive. The silence was the sa as in the forest; absolute, as though sound itself feared to enter this place.
The wall stood nearly fifty ters tall, built from massive slabs of stone that had blackened with age.
Cracks ran through the structure, so wide enough for roots and vines to crawl through. In so areas, entire sections had collapsed, leaving heaps of rubble and open gaps that revealed glimpses of what lay inside.
Through one such gap, Han Yu saw what looked like the remains of streets: long, uneven paths paved with gray flagstones that shimred faintly under the dim light. Broken pillars and toppled statues littered the ground, while trees and vines grew out of the cracks, reclaiming what had once been a place of civilization.
He crouched low near the broken section, careful not to touch the stone.
The Qi that lingered here was strange, heavy, and muted, as though it was sealed within the walls. His spirit sense probed gently at the area, but the mont it brushed against the ruins, it rebounded with a dull pressure, forcing him to withdraw.
"An Isolating Array that's still active..." Han Yu guessed.
It was clear that so form of restriction remained active even after all this ti.
Han Yu continued along the outer edge, maintaining a distance of at least twenty ters from the wall. Every few steps, he would pause, his eyes scanning for movent or irregular Qi. Yet nothing stirred. Not even the faintest hint of life ca from within.
"It's too quiet," he whispered.
The vastness of the wall made it impossible to comprehend its purpose.
It was too thick and fortified for a temple and too structured for a single palace. After nearly an hour of walking, Han Yu began to suspect that what he was seeing was not just a fortress but sothing far larger.
The more he observed, the clearer the pattern beca. The structures within were aligned with precision, forming a layout far too complex for a small site.
"This… might have been a city," he murmured.
The realization left him uneasy.
'A city within the inner realm?'
That was not sothing that should exist. The sect's analysis had guessed ruins of shrines, temples, even ancient cultivation sites, but never an entire city.
Then another thought entered his mind, one that made his stomach tighten.
'Could this have been a tomb?'
He had seen the tomb outside, the one that had drawn so many sects into conflict. It had been ancient but nothing like this.
What if that outer tomb was rely an entryway?
A decoy ant to lure intruders into the true resting place of whoever had once ruled this realm?
It would explain the strange teleportation array at the shrine, as well as the absence of beasts or insects. Perhaps the array had sent him directly into the core of the immortal's true tomb, a place sealed away from the rest of the inner realm.
'If this really is the real tomb, then it makes sense why there's no beasts or bugs here. There must be an array that keeps them away.' Han Yu thought.
Even their own sect had arrays that could keep insects away, but they were moslty restricted to the residences of Elders or other high rank buildings. Making one for the entire sect would be far too expensive when one considered the benefit.
After all, a few bugs could be kept away rely by burning so repellant herbs. That was a far cheaper option than making a large scale array that would continue to burn thousands of Spirit stones everyday.
As for one that could repel beasts, these were a bit more common, with almost every major city having one around their walls. But to make one cover such a large area, beyond even the real tomb was extraordinary.
'Only an immortal might be able to afford that.' Han Yu reckoned.
Han Yu frowned and walked closer to a section of the wall that had partially crumbled.
He examined the stone carefully without touching it. The material was different from what he rembered of the outer tomb's walls, though centuries of weathering and moss made it difficult to be certain.
He considered clearing so of the vines to check for inscriptions, but he quickly abandoned the idea. If this place really was connected to a formation or restriction, disturbing anything could trigger it.
Instead, he studied the few open areas where the vines had not fully covered the surface. The stones bore no runes or writing, at least none he could see. Only rough chisel marks remained, softened by ti.
Han Yu sighed quietly. "Nothing."
He resud his walk, tracing the curve of the wall. After so ti, the landscape began to change slightly. The moss beca thicker, the air heavier. Then he noticed sothing new... structures rising higher behind the wall.
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