The scene of the golden bird chasing clouds gradually fades away.

The exquisite murals carved on the pillars are merely a facade. What is truly precious in this Bronze Hall... is the "soul" hidden beneath the surface.

Xie Xuanyi stared intently at the hall pillar.

The gold and silver threads outlining the complete mural gradually detached, shattered, swayed, and recombined.

This is the visualization map left behind a thousand years ago.

To complete the visualization, one needs not only talent but also fate.

"Buzz buzz!"

[Chen Ke] hovered in the air.

It emitted a crisp Sword Sound, trying to attract its master’s attention.

However, Xie Xuanyi seemed oblivious to it.

After a few tens of breaths of staring, he was already immersed in the contemplation of this mural world.

Regarding contemplation.

Xie Xuanyi had never been so successful... Back when he was at Lotus Peak studying the Sword Qi Daoist Collection, contemplating the various Sword Qi Steles, it took him at least an hour. But the visualization picture on this hall pillar grabbed him into the Divine Sea World in an instant.

The Sword Qi echoed with vibration.

Xie Xuanyi remained unaware.

He felt as though he had returned to this Bronze Ancient Hall, only... this time the Bronze Ancient Hall was different from before, the hall was no longer shrouded in dark fog, and thousands of talisman papers ignited in flames, illuminating the entire hall as bright as daytime.

"Is it..."

Xie Xuanyi hesitated: "Did I succeed in visualization?"

He had not lost his sense of self.

The Bronze Hall was still that Bronze Hall, and he was still himself.

But everything had changed...

This hall bore no marks of weathering and erosion, the hall pillars appeared very new, the whole hall emitted a faint warmth and radiant heat, entirely free of the previous gloom.

"Indeed..."

"Young one, you... are very talented."

At the end of the hall.

A low response sounded.

Xie Xuanyi squinted, looking behind him, where a huge figure was slowly approaching along the White Bone Steps leading to the throne, like a small mountain, blocking all the light and heat from the talisman papers.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi raised his head, silently watching the slowly descending Bronze Drum.

Thud.

The enormous drum seat slowly landed on the ground.

It’s hard to imagine that the sound came from such a thing.

Xie Xuanyi had thought this Sacred Realm might still have residual soul spirits, but he hadn’t expected... the residual soul spirit of this realm to be the artifact itself.

The silence lasted for a long time.

Xie Xuanyi stood in front of the hall, maintaining eye contact with the Bronze Drum Seat, while the biting cold wind blew soundlessly, stirring the sound of fluttering talisman papers.

"Young one. Why do you look at me with such eyes?"

The Bronze Drum Seat was quite discontent, breaking the calm, saying: "Have you never seen an Artifact Spirit?"

"I’ve seen one."

Xie Xuanyi replied honestly: "But... it’s my first time seeing one as enormous as ’senior’.

The Bronze Drum hangs beside the Great Ape, and compared to the Great Ape, it’s truly insignificant.

Yet when it actually lands before him, it’s like a mountain.

Looking up, he can’t see the end.

In terms of grade, this should be comparable to a Supreme Taoist Treasure, right? At least in Xie Xuanyi’s understanding, none of those Innate Spiritual Treasures can compare to this Bronze Drum Seat.

"Haha..."

The Bronze Drum let out a hearty laugh, its previous discontent dissipating: "Thanks to my emperor’s blessing, barely managed to attain the fruition of cultivation, such achievement, it’s insignificant."

Clearly.

It was very satisfied with its own stature. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Artifact cultivation is extremely difficult, and once it condenses Divine Thought, it usually possesses the ability to fiercely fight against Yin God Realm cultivators. In the era a thousand years ago, treasures often had competitive matches among Great Divine Ability Users. This "Bronze Drum," being so gigantic, an ordinary Magic Artifact couldn’t harm it in the slightest.

"My emperor..."

Xie Xuanyi instinctively looked towards the highest point of the White Bone Steps.

Perhaps due to the limited vision from his contemplation.

He glanced toward the throne, but this time he couldn’t see the exact picture, only seeing a blurred light hanging above the hall.

"Great Ape Saint Emperor!"

The Bronze Drum’s voice was full of pride: "My emperor is the invincible one throughout the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands!"

It’s a name Xie Xuanyi naturally had heard of.

However...

In the records of the Lotus Peak Daoist Collection, this "Great Ape Saint Emperor" also had another title, known as "Ancestor Saint Emperor," and the Great Ape Mountain Sacred Land was founded by this Saint Emperor. During the golden era a thousand years ago, the Ancestor Saint Emperor was one of the strongest in the world, alongside the First Master and Daoist Ancestor, standing unfazed.

"So..."

Xie Xuanyi murmured instinctively: "Is this the mausoleum of the Ancestor Saint Emperor?"

He should have realized earlier.

This mighty and magnificent Great Ape, besides the Ancestor Saint Emperor, had no other candidate.

"Young one, do not speak nonsense!"

The Bronze Drum immediately rebuked: "The mighty Saint Emperor guards the gap of the Great Tribulation, this is a world-subduing formation, how can you call it a mausoleum?"

Xie Xuanyi was taken aback.

"The Ancestor Saint Emperor... is still alive?"

"Of course!"

The Bronze Drum answered proudly: "The invincible Saint Emperor is naturally alive!"

["Hong Er."]

Right at this moment.

A second low voice echoed from above the hall.

The sound, like a thunderous roar, resonated and rippled, causing the Bronze Drum Seat to instantly fall silent, its emitted Divine Sea fluctuations faintly revealing a sense of fear.

This voice echoed only for an instant.

Yet its mighty force spread like a thunderous wave, gradually dissipating only after a long time.

"Hong Er..."

Xie Xuanyi looked at the Bronze Drum Seat with a smile and said: "Is that senior’s name?"

"Yes."

The Bronze Drum Seat coughed a bit, lowered its voice, and sternly reminded: "Young one, be cautious with your words. Although the mighty Saint Emperor is still in divine slumber, my big brother is awake, and if you show any disrespect to the Saint Emperor... my big brother certainly will not spare you!"