“A ruin left by a human expert?” Lin Yun’s interest was piqued upon hearing this.
Across the continent, ruins often appeared, and some well-known ones had been explored multiple times.
But for Vice Palace Master Yao to bring up this newly discovered ruin, it must be extraordinary.
“Yes, left by a human expert, and from the looks of it, the ruin’s owner was incredibly powerful. When the ruin first appeared, Void Refining and Body Integration Realm cultivators went in but couldn’t even pass the first barrier set by the ruin’s owner, nearly losing their lives,” Vice Palace Master Yao said.
He continued, “The ruin’s owner doesn’t seem malicious, merely obstructive, not intent on killing. Otherwise, those initial Void Refining and Body Integration Realm explorers would surely have perished. Later, Empty Nether, Mahayana realm, and Tribulation Transcending Realm cultivators went to explore, but none could pass the first barrier either.”
“Even Tribulation Transcending Realm cultivators couldn’t pass the first barrier of this ruin?” Lin Yun exclaimed in shock.
“Exactly, which is why I said this ruin is exceptional. It seems only Eternal Beings have the strength to attempt it. There’s a plan to organise Eternal Beings for another exploration, but disputes have delayed it,” Vice Palace Master Yao explained.
“Disputes? Over what?” Lin Yun asked, puzzled.
“You know the Heavenly God Palace is divided into eight factions. With such an extraordinary ruin, every faction wants a bigger share. The Xingwu Emperor claims the ruin lies within his Xingwu Empire’s territory, so his faction should explore it first. But the other seven factions also want to explore first and claim the greatest benefits,” Vice Palace Master Yao said with a wry smile.
“I see,” Lin Yun replied with a helpless smile.
Vice Palace Master Yao continued, “After discussions, we’ve tentatively decided that the four empires, the Free House, the Taixu Tavern, the Shadow Hall, and the Ancient Gate will each send two Eternal Beings to explore together. Whatever they gain inside depends on their own abilities. The Heavenly God Palace will also send two additional members. For the Fire Cloud Empire’s two slots, I’m sure your master will gladly give you one.”
The Fire Cloud Emperor nodded, “Since Lin Yun returned at this time, one of those slots is naturally his.”
“Thank you, Master,” Lin Yun said with a grin.
The Fire Cloud Empire had over a dozen Eternal Beings, including direct and non-direct lines. For the Fire Cloud Emperor to grant him a slot directly, Lin Yun was naturally delighted.
“Master, since this ruin is so extraordinary, why don’t you and the leaders of the other factions explore it yourselves?” Lin Yun asked curiously.
“If your group returns empty-handed, that would prove the ruin is challenging enough to warrant our personal attention. Then, we’d select a few from the top ten of the Heavenly God List to investigate,” the Fire Cloud Emperor replied.
Lin Yun nodded in understanding.
After bidding farewell to Vice Palace Master Yao, Lin Yun left with the Fire Cloud Emperor.
Outside the Heavenly God Palace.
“By the way, disciple, I have a sealed letter for you. It arrived a few days ago,” the Fire Cloud Emperor said, producing a letter.
“Oh? Who sent me a letter?” Lin Yun asked curiously.
“The letter is marked for you to open personally and isn’t signed, so I don’t know who sent it. I haven’t read it,” the Fire Cloud Emperor said.
Lin Yun took the letter with curiosity and opened it.
Upon reading its contents, his expression changed drastically.
“What’s wrong, disciple?”
Seeing Lin Yun’s intense reaction, the Fire Cloud Emperor grew puzzled. Had something major happened?
Lin Yun shielded their surroundings and said solemnly, “Master, this letter is from a demon beast subordinate I planted in the demon clan, sent with great difficulty.”
“Oh? You’ve placed an informant in the demon clan? What does it say?” the Fire Cloud Emperor asked eagerly, curious about the letter’s contents.
“The letter says a demon lord has suddenly returned to the demon clan, and even the once-powerful demon commander follows its lead,” Lin Yun said seriously.
“A demon lord?” The Fire Cloud Emperor was somewhat shocked.
“Master, based on the timing mentioned in the letter, this demon lord who suddenly returned to the demon clan is likely… the one we let escape from the fortress. The timing matches perfectly!” Lin Yun said, his expression grave.
“Even the demon commander follows its lead. This demon lord’s strength must be terrifying!” the Fire Cloud Emperor’s expression also grew serious.
The demon clan gaining such a powerful figure was clearly bad news for the human clan.
At this point, they only realised the demon clan had gained a top-tier powerhouse, unaware that its strength was even more terrifying than they imagined!
“The letter also says the demon clan has begun planning an offensive against the human clan,” Lin Yun added.
The Fire Cloud Emperor’s expression shifted again upon hearing this.
“They’ve already started planning? Disciple, does the letter mention their specific plans or timeline?” the Fire Cloud Emperor pressed.
If they could learn the demon clan’s exact plans and timeline, the human clan could better prepare.
“My informant doesn’t know the specifics. It only overheard from its master that the demon clan has started planning. It has no access to the detailed plans. It tried asking its master when the attack on the human clan would occur, but its master only said the timeline is unclear, and the plans are still being arranged and prepared, which will take some time,” Lin Yun explained.
The Fire Cloud Emperor’s expression grew graver, his brows tightly furrowed.
Though the demon clan was still planning and preparing, this meant the timeline wasn’t far off, confirming that the demon clan was indeed gearing up for another major war!
Previously, people had only speculated based on the demon clan’s frequent actions that a war wasn’t far off.
In recent years, the demon clan had gone quiet, leading some optimists to claim they wouldn’t act within ten thousand years.
Everyone had hoped this was true.
But this letter confirmed the demon clan’s intent to wage war, and soon!
“It seems a great calamity will sweep the continent before long,” the Fire Cloud Emperor said, gazing upward with a complex expression.
His thoughts drifted back to tens of thousands of years ago, to the last great war with the demon clan.
That calamity remained vivid in his memory, with countless brothers and friends perishing, the human clan suffering devastation, and countless human homes reduced to ashes.
