Chapter 689: A Good Era
"Why is it like this?"
"It shouldn't be like this."
"Marvelous! Simply marvelous!"
"......"
The three of them became completely immersed in the study of the surrounding spirit patterns. The patterns, filling their vision, seemed to constantly dance before their eyes, as if transforming into the tiny figures from legendary martial arts secret manuals, each demonstrating a unique set of cultivation techniques.
Innumerable exquisite movements, highly efficient Spirit Energy circulation methods.
As they continued their deep observation, more and more tiny figures appeared in their eyes, and the principles contained within their movements grew increasingly profound. All three forgot why they had come here in the first place, their minds unable to accommodate any other thoughts.
With a sudden gush of blood, the weakest of the three men vomited a mouthful of blood, closed his eyes, and collapsed unconscious onto the ground.
His collapse finally roused the consciousness of the other two slightly. They looked in surprise at the bloodless, white-haired man, whose hair had turned white from the roots.
Qing Zixin, who had a basic grasp of medicine, reached out and pressed a few points on her husband's body, then took a box of green powder from her pocket and gently poured some into his mouth.
"Overexertion from deducing the cultivation methods. He just needs a good sleep." Qing Zixin, dressed in purple, picked him up with one hand and gently placed him beside a nearby rock.
"This place is truly bizarre..."
Following the direction of the spirit patterns, they delved deeper, all the while gesticulating wildly as they practiced martial arts, not finding anything strange about it.
The only issue was that their bodies seemed to be getting hotter and hotter.
But the cultivation methods they were comprehending were all fire-attributed, so this slight warmth didn't seem particularly abnormal.
......
Time passed bit by bit. Such a wide-ranging, anomalous weather phenomenon attracted the attention of more and more people.
Noble families and sects from the vicinity all brought their onlookers.
In particular, the various strange cultivation methods contained within the spirit patterns deep in the wind and snow attracted a large number of hunters of fortuitous encounters.
"Under the heavens, all land is divine land. When is it ever the turn of these cats and dogs to meddle with such a secret realm?"
At the boundary between the wind-swept snow and the peaceful area, a young man in silver robes was leading his underlings, preparing to clear the area.
He was an External Affairs Guard under the jurisdiction of the Divine Court, specifically responsible for finding such heaven-and-earth secret realms for the Divine Court.
Even the Ark couldn't remain indifferent to the treasures accumulated in the Manghuang Realm over thousands of years. The External Affairs Guards were their claws reaching into every corner of the world.
"Are you trying to contend with me?" On the other side of the boundary, a young woman, also in silver robes, stood her ground against the silver-robed young man with her household retainers behind her, refusing to show any weakness.
Both the man and the woman were External Affairs Guards from the Divine Court. The performance of External Affairs Guards was primarily based on treasure hunting; whoever found treasures of greater value would earn more Contribution Points, thus increasing their probability of entering the core of the Divine Court—that is, transforming into an Ark denizen.
"What exactly is going on here?" After putting on a show of bravado, the silver-robed young woman finally asked her servant behind her.
"Miss, you must be extremely careful of the spirit patterns on the ground. Although they contain many exquisite martial arts and spirit arts, staring at them for too long can easily drive one insane, turning them into madmen who think of nothing but cultivating martial arts." The old servant pointed to the gesticulating people inside.
"There's no problem as long as we don't look?"
"Yes, once you look, it's very easy to lose control. Several of our scouts have already failed to return; some of those gesticulating people are our own."
"And we can't forcefully take them away?"
"We can... but once they leave this place, their body temperature rises sharply, as if they're intent on burning themselves to death. Only those who haven't fallen prey to madness can freely enter and exit this secret realm."
"It's this dangerous? I wouldn't have come if I'd known..." Upon hearing this, the silver-robed young woman felt a touch of regret for her earlier boast and immediately harbored thoughts of retreating.
Spoiled since childhood, how could she have experienced something more terrifying than entering a mental asylum? Even her status as an External Affairs Guard was merely acquired by leveraging her family's influence and obtaining a Divine Court token.
"What, scared already? Why bother being an External Affairs Guard then? Go home and nurse!" The silver-robed man seemed to see through the young woman's bluster, pressing his taunts even more mercilessly.
"Who, who's scared of something so trivial!"
......
"Miss is still too young; she can't even withstand this little bit of goading." The old servant sighed softly, his brows furrowing slightly before relaxing again.
"Today's young people, their disposition is far inferior to ours back then.
But this is a good thing; at least it means the era has progressed, and they also have a chance to survive."
The old servant was born in an era when fiends still plagued the world. For the first half of his life, he witnessed countless deaths; the ubiquitous fiends acted like the most rigorous sifter, devouring all those whose character was lacking, whose wisdom was insufficient, or whose luck had run out.
Every member of the bloodline houses, as long as they could survive five years on the front lines against the fiends, would become extraordinarily cautious.
But this caution was bought with the lives of comrades and family members.
The bloodline houses exploited the world to gain power against the fiends, at the cost that barely one in ten family members died peacefully in their beds. The rest either sacrificed themselves in one brutal war after another or went mad under the long-term high-pressure environment.
Everything changed after the war fifty years ago. The fiends that had threatened humanity for thousands of years completely disappeared, leaving only some less dangerous demonic beasts in the wilderness.
The now supreme Divine Court proclaimed that they had ushered in an era of peace and civilization.
All historical records wrote thus:
"In the first year of the Dao Yuan Era, the Divine Court engaged in a decisive battle with the fiendish army in Hanluo City, completely annihilating them, thus ushering in a new era."
"They were born in a good era, an era where even ordinary people can live well." The old servant said no more, simply following silently behind his young miss as they entered the secret realm together.
......
"Sigh, another one gone mad."
The deeper they ventured, the more startling the sights they beheld. Every ten paces or so, they would see a madman gesticulating wildly, seemingly practicing martial arts.
Even though both teams of External Affairs Guards tried their best not to look at the spirit patterns on the ground, a voice constantly tempted them to look down.
Along the way, they lost several more of their subordinates.
"Miss, the master of this secret realm seems to bear no great malice." After walking for over half an hour, the old servant suddenly transmitted a message to the silver-robed young woman.
"Oh?"
"I've observed hundreds of people who fell into madness. After exhausting their mental faculties by deducing martial arts, they merely fainted on the ground; there was no mortal danger."
PS: A quick promo for the book "I'm Just a Non-Ability User," a mind-bending story...
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