Chapter 64: Chapter 61: The Profound Old Ghost’s Relics

The road ahead stretched out of sight. On either side of each stone carving floated several enormous crystals. From time to time, these crystals would erupt with vibrant and pure Primordial Power. One glance was enough to tell they were no ordinary items, yet now, they were all being used as mere lamps.

Taking in the surrounding scenery, Mu Chen grew even more confused. ’It’s like an Imperial Palace... Just where am I?’ The last scene he remembered was that wolf-like, dragon-like Exotic Beast tearing Iron Armor Steel Fang to shreds. Then, his vision went black, and he knew nothing more.

Mu Chen’s expression suddenly grew excited. ’Could it be that it was just an Illusion Realm? If so, does that mean Iron Armor Steel Fang isn’t dead?’

At this thought, Mu Chen’s mood instantly brightened. He took a step forward, ready to explore this place that resembled an Imperial Palace.

CLANG CLANG CLANG...

He had only just taken a step when he felt his foot kick something. Looking down, he saw a black object skidding to a halt on the icy path.

’A Scroll?’ A bad feeling welled up inside him. He felt this Scroll was trouble, yet a strange, subconscious urge compelled him to open it. Before he could suppress the impulse, Mu Chen found he had already picked it up.

Mu Chen didn’t understand why a strange call seemed to emanate from the Scroll. In the end, unable to resist his curiosity, he gently opened it. The instant he did, a white, luminous figure emerged. Startled, Mu Chen hastily threw the Scroll away.

But then, something even stranger happened. Instead of falling, the discarded Scroll floated gently in mid-air. Only then did Mu Chen get a clear look at the figure that had emerged from it. The man wore a long white robe, and his long blue hair cascaded down to his waist. A faint smile played on his handsome, roguishly charming face.

"Master!?"

"Xiao Chenzi, this is certainly a first, meeting you like this," the hovering Profound Old Ghost from the Scroll said with a faint smile.

"Master? What’s going on...?"

Before Mu Chen could finish, the luminous image of the Profound Old Ghost continued, "By the time you open this Scroll, I will have already entered a permanent slumber. The moment I saw the Extreme Ice Attribute Spirit emerge, I knew of the Heaven and Earth Strange Beast’s existence. It is incredibly powerful. I had to use the full extent of my Soul Power; otherwise, we would both have certainly died. That’s why I took a moment on my way here to create this Scroll."

"Master..." Mu Chen was speechless. Iron Armor Steel Fang was truly dead, and his Master had entered a permanent slumber. Now... he was all alone.

"Child, do not grieve. Do not shed tears. A man must always press forward, undaunted. Besides, I will only be unable to accompany you for a time. Perhaps in a decade, perhaps in several, my Soul Power will eventually reawaken. It is just a pity... that I won’t be there to watch you grow, step by step, into a powerhouse who will shake the very world."

"Alright, I seem to have rambled a bit, but there isn’t much time. What I’m about to tell you now is extremely important. You must commit it to heart."

"This place is my former palace. Its layout is quite simple, and you will face no dangers along the path. Feel free to explore every inch of it. But before you do, you must first complete three tasks I’ve given you."

"First, I was definitely able to secure the Extreme Ice Attribute Spirit for you. If all went according to plan, it should now be resting quietly inside your Storage Ring. When you wake up, you absolutely must not try to absorb it. You are not yet fully prepared and will need some supplementary items."

"I once told you that here, in the place I lived, there are items I left for you—items that were originally yours. There are two of them, both of which I came upon by chance one hundred thousand years ago. What’s strange is that even at the height of my power, I could only wield a tenth of one item’s strength. Yet even that one-tenth was enough for me to stand at the pinnacle of the world."

"But I was never satisfied. I knew there had to be a way to unleash the item’s full power, but I couldn’t find it, right up until I was consumed by the Thunder Tribulation. I came to assume the item was damaged or incomplete, which was why I couldn’t draw out its greatest strength. However, when I accidentally entered the Extreme Spirit Pearl, I realized that its full power *can* be released—the conditions are just incredibly demanding. My being able to use even a tenth of its strength was a coincidence of epic proportions."

"Now, you must retrieve them. They are beneath my throne. It has been one hundred thousand years; it’s time those two old relics saw the light of day again. I believe they will finally shine with their true brilliance in your hands. Once you find them, open this Scroll again. I will teach you how to use them."

After he finished speaking, the Profound Old Ghost’s luminous image vanished, and the Scroll automatically rolled shut. As if its Primordial Power support had been cut, it fell to the ground with a CLATTER. A tear streamed from the corner of Mu Chen’s eye, but he quickly wiped it away. He knew it was an immense blessing that his Master had only entered a permanent slumber and not vanished completely. ’Master,’ he vowed silently, ’Chen’Er will make you awaken again, no matter the cost!’

He picked up the Scroll, his resolve firm. He would complete the tasks his Master had given him. There was only one path before him. After composing his Mental Realm, Mu Chen shot forward. Thunder Light surged beneath his feet, and the crackling of thunder echoed through the vast space as he moved. ’There’s no danger here,’ he thought. ’This is my Master’s home!’

The Profound Ice Palace was immense. Even moving at his current speed, Mu Chen still hadn’t traversed a tenth of it. Its scale had already completely surpassed Luofeng City; by a conservative estimate, ten Luofeng Cities couldn’t compare to this one palace. ’Just how prestigious must Master’s identity have been for him to possess such a colossal palace!’

The deeper he ventured, the more shocked Mu Chen became. He was stunned by the sheer luxury and magnificence of it all. This place was practically a glorious kingdom!

After sprinting for several hours, Mu Chen finally saw the "throne" his Master had spoken of. But upon seeing it, he felt that his previous awe at the palace’s luxury was laughable. ’This... this is what you call awe-inspiring! A throne as vast as a Mountain Range—now *that* is truly awe-inspiring!’

The entire throne was shaped like a Giant Dragon. The Dragon Head formed the left armrest, while the Dragon Tail coiled to become the right. The creature’s massive form spanned several thousand meters, each scale on its Dragon Body carved with lifelike clarity. Its eyes glared forward, exuding such an intense pressure that, even knowing it was a sculpture, one felt as if it possessed a true Dragon’s Might.

Mu Chen swallowed hard. The throne was hundreds of meters tall. Gazing up, he saw an enormous, luminous sphere floating above its peak. He couldn’t see the light source within the orb, but he was certain this was one of the "lamps" his Master had spoken of.

’Right, beneath the throne, beneath the throne,’ Mu Chen muttered, quickly making his way to its base. However, there was nothing there besides a red carpet. He froze, confused, but then he looked up at the ice wall before him and seemed to understand. Striding forward, he saw a magnificent, powerful scene carved into the ice at the throne’s base. The mural depicted a roguishly handsome man with back-length blue hair, holding a giant fan and standing atop a Giant Dragon. With a wave of his hand, mountains and rivers shattered; with a single step, the very earth shook.

Surrounding him were nine figures of various appearances, all glaring furiously at the blue-haired man. Their expressions differed—some showed rage, others fear, and still others helplessness. All signs indicated that they were gaining absolutely no advantage in the confrontation. As Mu Chen looked closer at the roguishly handsome, blue-haired man, a familiar figure appeared in his mind’s eye—Master!

Abruptly, Mu Chen subconsciously reached out to touch the wall. That single touch caused the entire mural to flicker. The figures within it seemed to spring to life as rampant Primordial Power surged forth. His Master, holding the fan in one hand, continuously formed hand seals with the other. Fighting one against nine, he wasn’t at a disadvantage at all; in fact, it looked as if he was subtly gaining the upper hand.

What astonished him most was his Master’s enormous, ever-moving black fan. Whenever the nine opponents tried to close in, his Master would dance the fan about like a barrier, sending the powerful experts flying backward. It was hard to imagine a mere fan could possess such strength. Just as Mu Chen was completely engrossed, the image flashed and the entire mural disappeared.

Yes, it had simply vanished. Mu Chen was dumbfounded. But when he came to his senses, he saw a secret door, large enough for one person, where the mural had been. A brilliant light emanated from within.

Startled, Mu Chen quickly stepped through the secret door. He found himself in a cramped space, large enough for perhaps ten people. Within this small chamber sat a single long, black box. It was about two meters long and half a meter wide, its surface perfectly smooth and unadorned with any patterns or engravings. It looked very plain, yet somehow, not plain at all. Moreover, its shape was unnervingly similar to... a black coffin...

’Master didn’t leave me a hundred-thousand-year-old corpse, did he...?’ The thought made Mu Chen break out in a cold sweat. The black coffin—no, the black box—was covered in a thick layer of dust. He subconsciously wiped some of it away, and the moment he did, the box erupted in a brilliant flash of light. Startled, Mu Chen scrambled back several steps.

However, the light faded just a moment later, as if nothing had happened. Mu Chen was inwardly alarmed. ’That was reckless.’ Only then did he remember his Master’s instructions: open the Scroll after finding the items beneath the throne.

He took out the Scroll and quickly opened it. The same scene occurred: the luminous image of the Profound Old Ghost rose from the Scroll, which then began to float in mid-air.

"Silly boy. I take it you’ve found a black box? That’s right, that’s what I’ve left for you. Or, to be more precise, what was originally yours."

’What was originally mine...’ Mu Chen looked at his Master’s image, puzzled. This wasn’t the first time he’d heard that phrase.