“Uncle Junior Master, what kind of formation is this? You’ve been looking at it for almost half a tea time.”

Yuan Ye scratched his head. “Should we just give up?”

“Have you tried blowing it up?” Lin Du, holding the detection formation plate, frowned as she found the constant chatter annoying.

Yuan Ye said, “No, I haven’t.”

Lin Du looked up and put away the formation plate. “Then let’s blow it up.”

After all, with Least a dozen’s pile of pills (waste elixirs), they had at least twenty or so each day. They had accumulated pills for two months, which they brought along.

Yuan Ye took out a few pills and flicked them lightly.

With a loud boom, nothing happened.

Lin Du lifted her eyelids. “As expected of the City Lord’s Mansion.”

“Where’s the study?”

“Huh?”

Lin Du started walking. “Formation masters usually leave basic formation diagrams for the main family.”

Yuan Ye scratched his head. “Is that so?”

“If you had read more, instead of feeding pigs…” Lin Du tapped the head of the young man, who was about her height. “Did you even think of going to the study?”

Yuan Ye hadn’t thought of going to the study. He figured that after at least a thousand years, the books would have turned to dust.

He rubbed his forehead. It didn’t hurt, but something felt off.

Uncle Junior Master, isn’t she supposed to be two years younger than him?

But why does it feel so natural for him to be scolded? Is this the so-called generational suppression?

The two continued searching—opening doors, scavenging, opening more doors, and scavenging again—until they reached a door where Yuan Ye stepped forward and kicked it.

The door didn’t budge.

He looked helplessly at Lin Du.

“This door.”

“It’s sealed.” Lin Du frowned. “This room must be important.”

A seal can be considered a type of formation, though it integrates spatial rules and involves fewer elements. It only blocks but does not actively attack.

Lin Du glanced at Yuan Ye. “Can you… handle physical techniques?”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.” Lin Du sighed. The child clearly knew how to read the situation, but he was just undereducated.

With a blank expression, she raised her fist, channeled her spiritual energy, and smashed it into the fixed lattice door next to the sealed door.

One punch, and it shattered.

Yuan Ye’s eyes widened. “Is that how you break a seal?”

Lin Du withdrew her hand. “No.”

“This is a wrong demonstration.”

“But it’s fast.”

Yuan Ye felt the wrong demonstration sounded familiar but couldn’t recall why.

“The quickest way to deal with a seal is absolute force suppression.”

After saying that, Lin Du pointed at the hole she made. “You try kicking it. Put some effort into it.”

Yuan Ye nodded, raised his foot, and kicked. The four door panels fell with a crash, raising a cloud of fine dust.

The two held their breath and squinted, then were surprised to see a skeleton bound by massive iron chains.

“Did this person break some divine law?” Lin Du glanced at the chains, which were thicker than her arms and twisted into sections almost as big as her face.

Yuan Ye coughed twice. “Well, they’re certainly not a good person; otherwise, why use such chains?”

Lin Du lowered her eyes. “Not necessarily.”

Yuan Ye was stunned. He was simple, not foolish.

“Is it related to the previous formation?”

Lin Du nodded. “It might just be my speculation. It doesn’t matter. The person is dead. Let’s find something first.”

The room did resemble a study. The jade slips, bamboo slips, and even paper books on the shelves were still intact, seemingly preserved due to the dryness and the seal.

Lin Du glanced at the intricately carved desk. “This desk has such complex carvings; doesn’t it get in the way when you’re writing?”

Yuan Ye took a look. “It’s just hidden compartments.”

He approached and fiddled with the desk, successfully raising a box from the intricate carvings in the center, which then revealed seven or eight layers of small drawers.

Lin Du watched the entire process and remarked, “Wow.”

“Isn’t it easy to forget where you hid something with so many compartments?”

Yuan Ye smiled. “There’s more than just these hidden compartments.”

He skillfully continued to open drawers, finding hidden compartments in the corners and underside of the desk.

Lin Du rubbed her forehead. “Whoever made this desk must have wanted to hide a hundred and eight beads inside. Was their goal to disassemble a rosary and put each bead in a separate compartment?”

“Not really. Hidden compartments are for secrets. My uncles do this all the time.” Yuan Ye casually piled the discovered items in front of Lin Du.

The young man’s face still had baby fat, but his eyes held a regal grace. He seemed to handle the hidden compartments on the bookshelf with practiced ease.

It was at this moment that Lin Du noticed an air of unflappable royal demeanor about him. Even the most innocent child from a royal family is accustomed to complexity and intrigue.

“Found it. Is this the one?”

Yuan Ye handed a drawing to Lin Du.

Lin Du looked down and calculated for a while, then took out her pen and ink to work on the formation diagram.

While Lin Du was calculating, Yuan Ye searched for useful items in the study. Once all the cabinets were searched, the bored youth’s gaze shifted to the person chained with massive iron chains in the center of the room.

The skeleton was covered with an almost complete robe. The white jade pendant and storage bag at its waist were intact, but its limbs were bound with iron chains. These chains were nailed to the floor, seemingly done later, with the blue bricks shattered.

Yuan Ye muttered an apology and leaned in to remove the storage bag and ring from the skeleton.

At that moment, a surge of residual spiritual energy repelled him.

Yuan Ye, already prepared, stabilized himself with spiritual energy, leaving a distinct mark on the floor tiles.

“Hey, can’t I not take it?”

A sigh suddenly echoed through the room. “Where are you from?”

Yuan Ye and Lin Du looked at the skeleton.

The souls capable of attaching themselves to the bones had already been dealt with by the four of them. Only the bone fragments remained. The remaining sacrificed civilians, with insufficient power, had turned into senseless vengeful spirits scattered over thousands of years. So what was the situation here?

Yuan Ye instinctively looked at Lin Du, who gave a subtle signal.

“I am Yuan Ye, the one-hundredth generation direct disciple of the Supreme Sect, here for training. I mean no offense.”

The ancient, hollow voice responded again, “Supreme Sect?”

Lin Du set aside her pen. “The Dongming Realm.”

“Ah, the Dongming Realm from the Tongtian Worlds?”

Lin Du nodded. “If you still have a will, though I am weak, I will help if I can.”

A faint sigh was heard in the air.

“May I ask, is there an altar in the city?”

“There is.”

Lin Du finished her calculations, packed up, and approached the skeleton. “But it has been completely destroyed.”

“Good, good.”

“I am the City Lord of Lance City. After the Lan Gu Realm began to collapse, two hundred seventeen high-level cultivators gathered in Lance City, claiming to discuss how to save the Lan Gu Realm, but in fact, they intended to use a sacrificial method to tear open the realm gate and escape. I wanted to inform everyone and unite to oppose these so-called elites with the greatest chance of survival. When they discovered my intentions, they locked me in the City Lord’s Mansion and prevented my escape.”

Yuan Ye’s eyes showed deep thought. This City Lord was also one of the high-level cultivators and had been locked up here after discovering the sacrificial plan.

Why wasn’t he simply killed?

“Have those two hundred seventeen cultivators succeeded?”

“Forget it. You are only in the second batch; you probably don’t know.”

Lin Du’s voice resonated in the room. “What if I said that one hundred ninety-seven of them have succeeded?”

“What?”

The voice became agitated, and the spiritual energy erupted again. Lin Du and Yuan Ye both released their spiritual energy to resist the surge.

“I am Lin Du, the direct disciple of the number one sect in the Zhong Zhou. Senior, perhaps you have the list of those two hundred seventeen cultivators?”

Yuan Ye glanced at Lin Du, feeling she resembled his uncle who demanded the list of rebels.

Chapter 40

“Uncle Junior Master, what kind of formation is this? You’ve been looking at it for almost half a tea time.”

Yuan Ye scratched his head. “Should we just give up?”

“Have you tried blowing it up?” Lin Du, holding the detection formation plate, frowned as she found the constant chatter annoying.

Yuan Ye said, “No, I haven’t.”

Lin Du looked up and put away the formation plate. “Then let’s blow it up.”

After all, with Least a dozen’s pile of pills (waste elixirs), they had at least twenty or so each day. They had accumulated pills for two months, which they brought along.

Yuan Ye took out a few pills and flicked them lightly.

With a loud boom, nothing happened.

Lin Du lifted her eyelids. “As expected of the City Lord’s Mansion.”

“Where’s the study?”

“Huh?”

Lin Du started walking. “Formation masters usually leave basic formation diagrams for the main family.”

Yuan Ye scratched his head. “Is that so?”

“If you had read more, instead of feeding pigs…” Lin Du tapped the head of the young man, who was about her height. “Did you even think of going to the study?”

Yuan Ye hadn’t thought of going to the study. He figured that after at least a thousand years, the books would have turned to dust.

He rubbed his forehead. It didn’t hurt, but something felt off.

Uncle Junior Master, isn’t she supposed to be two years younger than him?

But why does it feel so natural for him to be scolded? Is this the so-called generational suppression?

The two continued searching—opening doors, scavenging, opening more doors, and scavenging again—until they reached a door where Yuan Ye stepped forward and kicked it.

The door didn’t budge.

He looked helplessly at Lin Du.

“This door.”

“It’s sealed.” Lin Du frowned. “This room must be important.”

A seal can be considered a type of formation, though it integrates spatial rules and involves fewer elements. It only blocks but does not actively attack.

Lin Du glanced at Yuan Ye. “Can you… handle physical techniques?”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.” Lin Du sighed. The child clearly knew how to read the situation, but he was just undereducated.

With a blank expression, she raised her fist, channeled her spiritual energy, and smashed it into the fixed lattice door next to the sealed door.

One punch, and it shattered.

Yuan Ye’s eyes widened. “Is that how you break a seal?”

Lin Du withdrew her hand. “No.”

“This is a wrong demonstration.”

“But it’s fast.”

Yuan Ye felt the wrong demonstration sounded familiar but couldn’t recall why.

“The quickest way to deal with a seal is absolute force suppression.”

After saying that, Lin Du pointed at the hole she made. “You try kicking it. Put some effort into it.”

Yuan Ye nodded, raised his foot, and kicked. The four door panels fell with a crash, raising a cloud of fine dust.

The two held their breath and squinted, then were surprised to see a skeleton bound by massive iron chains.

“Did this person break some divine law?” Lin Du glanced at the chains, which were thicker than her arms and twisted into sections almost as big as her face.

Yuan Ye coughed twice. “Well, they’re certainly not a good person; otherwise, why use such chains?”

Lin Du lowered her eyes. “Not necessarily.”

Yuan Ye was stunned. He was simple, not foolish.

“Is it related to the previous formation?”

Lin Du nodded. “It might just be my speculation. It doesn’t matter. The person is dead. Let’s find something first.”

The room did resemble a study. The jade slips, bamboo slips, and even paper books on the shelves were still intact, seemingly preserved due to the dryness and the seal.

Lin Du glanced at the intricately carved desk. “This desk has such complex carvings; doesn’t it get in the way when you’re writing?”

Yuan Ye took a look. “It’s just hidden compartments.”

He approached and fiddled with the desk, successfully raising a box from the intricate carvings in the center, which then revealed seven or eight layers of small drawers.

Lin Du watched the entire process and remarked, “Wow.”

“Isn’t it easy to forget where you hid something with so many compartments?”

Yuan Ye smiled. “There’s more than just these hidden compartments.”

He skillfully continued to open drawers, finding hidden compartments in the corners and underside of the desk.

Lin Du rubbed her forehead. “Whoever made this desk must have wanted to hide a hundred and eight beads inside. Was their goal to disassemble a rosary and put each bead in a separate compartment?”

“Not really. Hidden compartments are for secrets. My uncles do this all the time.” Yuan Ye casually piled the discovered items in front of Lin Du.

The young man’s face still had baby fat, but his eyes held a regal grace. He seemed to handle the hidden compartments on the bookshelf with practiced ease.

It was at this moment that Lin Du noticed an air of unflappable royal demeanor about him. Even the most innocent child from a royal family is accustomed to complexity and intrigue.

“Found it. Is this the one?”

Yuan Ye handed a drawing to Lin Du.

Lin Du looked down and calculated for a while, then took out her pen and ink to work on the formation diagram.

While Lin Du was calculating, Yuan Ye searched for useful items in the study. Once all the cabinets were searched, the bored youth’s gaze shifted to the person chained with massive iron chains in the center of the room.

The skeleton was covered with an almost complete robe. The white jade pendant and storage bag at its waist were intact, but its limbs were bound with iron chains. These chains were nailed to the floor, seemingly done later, with the blue bricks shattered.

Yuan Ye muttered an apology and leaned in to remove the storage bag and ring from the skeleton.

At that moment, a surge of residual spiritual energy repelled him.

Yuan Ye, already prepared, stabilized himself with spiritual energy, leaving a distinct mark on the floor tiles.

“Hey, can’t I not take it?”

A sigh suddenly echoed through the room. “Where are you from?”

Yuan Ye and Lin Du looked at the skeleton.

The souls capable of attaching themselves to the bones had already been dealt with by the four of them. Only the bone fragments remained. The remaining sacrificed civilians, with insufficient power, had turned into senseless vengeful spirits scattered over thousands of years. So what was the situation here?

Yuan Ye instinctively looked at Lin Du, who gave a subtle signal.

“I am Yuan Ye, the one-hundredth generation direct disciple of the Supreme Sect, here for training. I mean no offense.”

The ancient, hollow voice responded again, “Supreme Sect?”

Lin Du set aside her pen. “The Dongming Realm.”

“Ah, the Dongming Realm from the Tongtian Worlds?”

Lin Du nodded. “If you still have a will, though I am weak, I will help if I can.”

A faint sigh was heard in the air.

“May I ask, is there an altar in the city?”

“There is.”

Lin Du finished her calculations, packed up, and approached the skeleton. “But it has been completely destroyed.”

“Good, good.”

“I am the City Lord of Lance City. After the Lan Gu Realm began to collapse, two hundred seventeen high-level cultivators gathered in Lance City, claiming to discuss how to save the Lan Gu Realm, but in fact, they intended to use a sacrificial method to tear open the realm gate and escape. I wanted to inform everyone and unite to oppose these so-called elites with the greatest chance of survival. When they discovered my intentions, they locked me in the City Lord’s Mansion and prevented my escape.”

Yuan Ye’s eyes showed deep thought. This City Lord was also one of the high-level cultivators and had been locked up here after discovering the sacrificial plan.

Why wasn’t he simply killed?

“Have those two hundred seventeen cultivators succeeded?”

“Forget it. You are only in the second batch; you probably don’t know.”

Lin Du’s voice resonated in the room. “What if I said that one hundred ninety-seven of them have succeeded?”

“What?”

The voice became agitated, and the spiritual energy erupted again. Lin Du and Yuan Ye both released their spiritual energy to resist the surge.

“I am Lin Du, the direct disciple of the number one sect in the Zhong Zhou. Senior, perhaps you have the list of those two hundred seventeen cultivators?”

Yuan Ye glanced at Lin Du, feeling she resembled his uncle who demanded the list of rebels.