A powerful suction force pulled Qiao Xuan downward. He gritted his teeth and summoned his flying sword, attempting to escape. However, there seemed to be turbulent currents beneath the ground, and his mana was quickly drained. The flying sword spiraled out of control, as if caught in a whirlpool, and he felt like a small boat being tossed around in a stormy sea, unable to break free…

After what felt like an eternity of drifting, Qiao Xuan finally sensed the pull diminishing. Focusing his mind, he caught sight of land and gently landed on the ground.

Where was he?

The surroundings were pitch black, with visibility limited to less than a hundred meters. The ground beneath his feet was gray and rocky, enveloped in an eerie silence that stirred a sense of unease in his heart.

Qiao Xuan tried testing his powers but immediately noticed that his mana was heavily suppressed, as if an invisible force was subduing everything. In a hurry, he took out a communication talisman to try and contact his master, but after it burned away, there was no response…

Qiao Xuan felt a little anxious, but he forced himself to calm down. All around him was darkness, and there was no clear path. Even if he wanted to move, he wouldn’t know which direction to go in…

Just as he was hesitating, a faint light suddenly flashed in the darkness. It was weak, distant, and flickered like a white flame, occasionally dimming and brightening.

Qiao Xuan squinted, trying to get a better look, but the flame had already disappeared.

Yet, in that brief moment, he felt as though the flame was beckoning him…

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Qiao Xuan began walking in that direction. After all, there was no path to follow, so he might as well treat this like a desperate gamble.

He walked for about an hour when the ground beneath his feet began to change. It was no longer the gray rock but was now paved with blue stone bricks engraved with intricate patterns. The bricks appeared ancient, their markings barely discernible beneath thick layers of dust.

Ahead, the view became clearer, allowing him to see up to a thousand meters away…

Raising his head, Qiao Xuan’s eyes widened in shock. A grand structure loomed before him, its vastness stretching into the distance, with much of it still hidden in darkness. It was like seeing just the tip of an iceberg, with the ancient majesty of the place barely visible through its decay.

Even though it was just a dilapidated corner, one could still imagine its former splendor.

Qiao Xuan finally understood: he must have accidentally fallen into some kind of ancient ruin.

Though not the most diligent cultivator, Qiao Xuan had been around long enough in the cultivation world. Back in Dongchong Prefecture, he’d heard stories of ruins left behind by powerful figures in the mortal realm—some by immortals who had ascended, others by highly skilled cultivators. These places were often filled with both treasures and dangers, offering both risk and opportunity for those who dared to explore…

There were many such ruins scattered across the Three Realms.

However—he had never heard of a ruin of this magnitude.

The Cloud Sea Heavenly Palace of Hualan, the grand Demon Palace of Baicang—these paled in comparison to the ruin before him, like mere pebbles compared to a luminous pearl.

But something didn’t make sense. Nanyue Kingdom was just a mortal kingdom! It had always been scarce in spiritual energy and resources, making it unsuitable for cultivation. This was why the immortal path wasn’t prevalent here. Even his master, Jiang Weiqing, had gone to Dongchong Prefecture to become an immortal.

Logically, there shouldn’t be any immortal ruins here.

Yet, beneath the royal tombs of Nanyue Kingdom, there was such a grand, ancient ruin. It was hard to believe.

Shocked and curious, Qiao Xuan took a deep breath and began ascending the stone steps.

The massive stone gate was marked with weathered traces, with one corner already broken. Qiao Xuan easily slipped through the gap, finding no obstacles in his path. He crossed the dusty ground and entered a vast hall.

It seemed like this hall was once used for lectures, but it was now deserted, empty… Who knew what had happened here for everything to vanish into the river of time?

Qiao Xuan took a step forward.

Suddenly, a cacophony of voices filled his ears, and shadowy figures flickered before his eyes. His body tensed instantly, goosebumps rising on his skin. He thought he had triggered a trap!

But to his surprise, the shadowy figures passed through his body as if he didn’t exist.

Qiao Xuan slowly unclenched his fingers, exhaling in relief, but his brow furrowed as he observed everything before him.

It wasn’t a trap; it was an illusion.

This was merely a remnant of the ruin’s last memories.

The hall was now filled with figures, some cultivators, some mortals, commoners, and scholars alike. They all walked here with reverence etched on their faces.

“Shengzun Dongqian is holding a lecture.”

“We’ve traveled thousands of miles just to hear the teachings of Shengzun.”

The crowd prostrated themselves, thanking Shengzun for enlightening them.

Following their gaze, Qiao Xuan saw a vague silhouette of an elderly man with white hair and a beard standing on the platform, though his features were obscured.

From the scene of such reverence, it was clear that Shengzun Dongqian was a remarkable immortal figure. However, Qiao Xuan had never heard of him before, not even from Wu Zimo, the most gossip-loving deity of the heavens. How could such a powerful figure go unnoticed unless even Wu Zimo didn’t know of him?

Moreover, everything happening here was beyond Qiao Xuan’s comprehension.

In his memory, cultivators were cultivators, and mortals were mortals, living their lives separately. They didn’t interfere with each other… So why were they all gathered together, listening to a lecture in harmony and equality? This Shengzun truly taught without discrimination…

In the current Three Realms, no such saint existed.

Qiao Xuan took a few steps forward, trying to get a clearer look at the figure on the platform, but as soon as he moved, the illusion abruptly vanished, leaving the hall once again empty and eerily quiet.

Qiao Xuan waited for a long time, but the illusion did not reappear, so he frowned and continued walking forward.

He passed through the hall and entered a wide corridor. On the stone walls of the corridor were various murals, though their colors had faded with time, some details blurred or broken. Still, Qiao Xuan could make out a few scenes…

The murals depicted the beings of the Three Realms.

There were mortals building houses and canals, cultivators practicing swordsmanship, women giving birth, and men tilling the land. Various races were shown living their lives; the Feng Clan, for instance, thrived in the heavens, with many bird-like beings worshipping a tree…

Mortals and cultivators coexisted peacefully, while gods walked among the Three Realms. The murals also depicted legends and stories.

As Qiao Xuan walked and observed, he became more and more confused.

Some elements were familiar, but much of it was foreign to him. There were mortals, immortals, demons, and spirits, but without the clear distinctions that now divided the Three Realms.

There were also many incredible gods in these stories, but none of them were remembered in modern times.

Could all of this have really existed?

What had happened to make all of this vanish so completely, leaving no trace behind?

Shengzun Dongqian was such a powerful figure, yet Qiao Xuan had never even heard of him…

And these people and events—there wasn’t even a fragment of them in any myths or records. It was as though they had been entirely erased from history.

Qiao Xuan knew that nothing lasts forever, and time erases many things. That was not surprising. What was strange was the complete lack of records.

Could it be that everyone had died? Even if they had, there should still be traces of their lives left behind, right? At least some remnants?

Even archaeologists could uncover something!

Yet, if Qiao Xuan hadn’t stumbled upon this ruin by chance, everything depicted here would have remained as though it had never existed…

The thought alone was terrifying!

The corridor seemed to stretch on endlessly, cold sweat forming in Qiao Xuan’s palms as a sense of urgency crept into his heart… Suddenly, he heard voices up ahead. His expression tensed, but he was now familiar with this—yet another illusion.

A few young girls in pale purple dresses, their hair tied in twin buns, walked past, laughing and chatting. Their outfits were identical, making them look like palace maids.

Their voices were clear and sweet, like orioles singing.

“Did you hear? The ancient god Taichu has come to visit Shengzun.”

“Really? Did you see him?”

“Yes, I went to take a look. The god is just as handsome as the rumors say! Just being able to catch a glimpse feels like a blessing.”

The girls’ faces were filled with admiration, chattering away endlessly.

“I heard the god even took on a disciple.”

“Didn’t they say the god never accepts disciples? Who could have caught his eye?”

“I’m not sure, but it seems to be a young one from the Feng Clan…”

“Wow, the Feng Clan must be so proud now!”

The girls giggled and walked past Qiao Xuan, their voices fading away in the empty corridor.

With a heavy expression, Qiao Xuan continued walking.

This ruin must have been sealed for at least hundreds of thousands of years, yet it still retained remnants of the past in the form of these illusions. This spoke volumes about the depth and power of the palace’s foundation. To preserve even mere illusions for so long was nothing short of extraordinary.

At least for Qiao Xuan, the level of power here was beyond anything known in the current Three Realms…

Finally, Qiao Xuan reached the end of the corridor.

Ahead was a barren, dark land. It seemed like there used to be a forest here, but the trees were long dead, leaving behind only lifeless black trunks. The ground was dry and cracked, giving off an eerie, unsettling vibe…

Qiao Xuan hesitated for a long time, unwilling to venture further.

Just then, white flowers began to bloom from the dead trunks, and the blackened wood slowly turned into a lustrous jade. The dark, desolate ground transformed into a sea of flowers in an instant, breathtakingly beautiful.

Qiao Xuan, having already experienced two illusions, was prepared for this.

Yet even with that, the beauty before him stirred a sense of awe… and a hint of sorrow.

Such vibrant, beautiful life had once existed, now reduced to a barren wasteland…

Up ahead, a young boy dressed in white ran past, followed by several palace maids in purple dresses chasing after him.

“Young master, where are you going?”

“You can’t run around here.”

“Hurry back, or the god will worry if he can’t find you!”

Qiao Xuan paused. Although he knew what he was seeing, the illusion was incredibly realistic, making it hard to feel fear. His curiosity led him to follow.

The boy ignored the maids’ warnings, running ahead as if searching for something. Qiao Xuan trailed behind, curious about what the boy was looking for. Soon, they arrived at a clear lake.

The water was so clear it reflected the surrounding sea of flowers, a scene so beautiful it seemed like a dream.

Suddenly, Qiao Xuan froze, his face filled with shock. But it wasn’t the beauty that startled him—it was because when the boy turned around, he saw a familiar, handsome face.

Wasn’t that… himself?!

After a long while, Qiao Xuan rubbed his eyes and touched his face, finally confirming that he wasn’t hallucinating. It really was—him!

But that was impossible. When he had crossed over, he was still an egg! Just a year ago, he was still a bird and hadn’t even taken human form yet!

This was definitely not something he had experienced!

As he stood there, bewildered, the palace maids suddenly fell silent, one by one kneeling on the ground.

From a distance, a man with long black hair, dressed in white, slowly approached.

His face was somewhat obscured, yet as he passed, the jade trees and the sea of flowers seemed to lose their brilliance.

As he drew closer, Qiao Xuan could finally make out his face, and his eyes slowly widened. His first reaction was that his master had come to save him.

But he quickly realized—that wasn’t his master.

The black-haired man approached the boy by the lake. The boy looked up with a smile and called out, “Master…”

He seemed to be saying something, but it was too far away to hear clearly.

In that moment, Qiao Xuan couldn’t tell the difference between illusion and reality. Instinctively, he stepped forward, wanting to hear what they were saying. But with his movement, the scene before him quickly began to blur, and Qiao Xuan knew the illusion was about to disappear again.

This time, he was desperate. He hadn’t figured out what was happening yet—he couldn’t let it vanish just like that…

He sprinted forward, reaching out, but caught nothing. Instead, he stepped into empty space and plunged into the cold lake water!

Everything around him disappeared. No sound, no images.

The crystal-clear lake from the illusion reflected the black earth, leaving only a vast expanse of darkness, as deep as an abyss. Qiao Xuan was submerged in the lake. Once again, the white flame flickered in the darkness, suddenly merging into his body. In a daze, he saw an endless river, flowing toward a cold, silent land of the dead. At the river’s end, there seemed to be a faint, looming mirror…

Qiao Xuan felt as though he couldn’t breathe. This place was clearly a wasteland, so why was there still lake water? If he had known, he wouldn’t have rushed ahead!

His consciousness grew hazy, his body sinking deeper…

Just then, a white figure streaked through the darkness like a flash of light. A man with silver hair flowing in the water swiftly approached and grabbed hold of his hand.