Chapter 142: Sea of Bones

The city gates slowly opened, and the ancient city of Loulan, boundless and exuding an aura of eternal antiquity, finally appeared quietly before Ning Xiu and the others.

After stepping through the gates, the crowd truly understood the meaning of awe.

The streets were exceptionally wide, easily allowing four carriages to run side by side. Majestic structures of various kinds formed a straight line that extended all the way to the horizon, with watchtowers standing erect against the wind. Every detail bore witness to the past glory and power of the ancient kingdom of Loulan.

Ning Xiu raised his head and slightly furrowed his brow. He discovered that he could not see the top at a single glance; the space here was so unimaginably vast that it was hard to believe they were still deep underground. Standing before the ruins of Loulan, individuals felt profoundly insignificant.

Illuminated by a clear light filtering down from an unknown source, the place was as bright as day, with countless collapsed buildings and stone pillars lying horizontally before them.

"A fierce and brutal war must have taken place here," someone remarked.

Whether it was the bluestones on the ground or the collapsed houses and stone pillars, all bore the marks of hacking and slashing by swords and blades.

Gazing at the scene before them, everyone's eyes gleamed. Within these ruins, resembling a desolate wasteland, who knew how many treasures lay hidden, waiting to see the light of day once more.

The area was vast, and thoroughly exploring it would inevitably require a significant amount of time. Moreover, there was a high probability of encountering various unexpected dangers. After all, in an ancient kingdom that had existed for over a millennium, anything was possible.

The people present exchanged glances, and soon scattered in different directions. Although the ancient kingdom of Loulan was large, items of genuine value would certainly not be found right at the entrance. They naturally understood the simple logic of first come, first served.

Buried for thousands of years by the endless sands of the Death Desert, the ancient kingdom of Loulan had long been abandoned, presenting a scene of utter desolation as far as the eye could see. Looking at those structures, eroded by time yet radiating ancient vicissitudes, and recalling the scene recorded in that ancient text—where ten thousand people made a pilgrimage to Loulan on foot—he could not help but sigh inwardly.

The greater the contrast, the deeper the melancholy.

Even a nation this powerful could not resist the long river of time, let alone mere mortals.

Ning Xiu leaped gracefully onto a tall tower, gazing into the distance where a particularly magnificent palace faintly appeared at the end of the road. Judging by its scale, it should have been the royal city of that era.

He remained silent for a moment, tapped his toes lightly, and leaped down, dashing toward the distant royal city. He was equally filled with anticipation for the ancient cultivation methods of the Loulan Kingdom.

Along the way, he encountered many people, who were evidently also heading toward that royal city.

Having felt the breeze caress his face and having personally witnessed the apocalyptic storm, Ning Xiu now possessed a deeper understanding of the three words "Wind without Form." Once the Divided Spirit Legs were deployed, his entire figure transformed into lingering afterimages, running as swiftly as the wind.

In an instant, he left everyone else far behind, with only a handful of individuals barely managing to trail behind him, just able to keep a glimpse of his retreating shadow.

Several moments later, Ning Xiu finally slowed his pace, looking up with a slightly changed expression at the massive bronze gate before him, which possessed a gaping crack.

The crack was just wide enough for an adult to pass through, and the dirt tracks on the ground stood out discordantly against the surrounding environment—meaning someone had already been here. Furthermore, the time elapsed since their visit could not have been very long.

If someone had already gained an advantage by arriving first, their trip might well be in vain. He did not believe that person would be kind enough to leave treasures and cultivation manuals behind.

He glanced back and saw that the others were almost arriving as well. Regardless, he had to go in first and see.

With a flash of his figure, Ning Xiu was the first to enter the royal city.

However, the moment he stepped inside, Ning Xiu froze in place, his pupils contracting violently as he took in the sight before him.

He had walked step by step to the present day through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, but compared to the scene before him, everything he had witnessed in the past was merely child's play.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but grim white bones.

Every single skeleton was posed in a posture of prostration and worship, stretching out as far as the eye could see, as if one were immersed in an ocean of bones.

No wonder Ning Xiu had not seen a single corpse along the way; he had originally assumed that after thousands of years, the bones of Loulan's former citizens would have turned to sand and vanished with the wind. Now it seemed that the entire population of the nation was gathered within this royal city.

At this moment, the others finally rushed into the palace.

Gazing at the desolate sea of white bones, their faces were filled with shock, and a few of whose willpower was weak even involuntarily took two steps back.

Tap, tap, tap...

Footsteps echoed. Raising their heads, the crowd watched a green-robed figure tread across the mountain of corpses and white bones, walking deeper within.

Only then did they realize Ning Xiu's presence.

Vigilant expressions crossed everyone's faces, yet no one dared to make a move against Ning Xiu. The lightness skill Ning Xiu had just displayed served as a deterrent in its own right, and none of these people wished to provoke a powerful expert for no reason at this time.

Composing themselves, they followed closely behind and walked inside.

...

The place resembling a mountain of bones earlier must have been the plaza.

The deeper they ventured, the fewer skeletons they encountered, yet they could sense that those individuals had been far more powerful in life. For instance, the skeletons kneeling on one knee holding swords on either side of the passage ahead were crystalline and radiant, faintly emitting a luster like jade.

The precious swords in their hands likewise flashed with a cold glint, completely unaffected by the passage of time.

"What a sharp sword!"

A middle-aged man behind cried out in alarm, hurriedly rushing forward and reaching out to pull the sword from the skeleton's grip. After expending a great deal of effort, he finally succeeded.

Panting, he stared at the precious sword in his hand, a look of wild joy spreading across his face. As the sword left its grasp, the skeleton also collapsed forward with a crash.

Ning Xiu casually picked up a blade, glanced at it, and walked straight ahead. These precious swords were at most of fine weapon grade; it remained a mystery why they still remained as sharp as new.

The cultivation manuals should be located in a place resembling a library pavilion, but Ning Xiu was completely unfamiliar with the layout, and the royal city was vast, leaving him to grope his way forward slowly.

...

The Death Desert.

An unremarkable caravan was trekking through the desert. Every member of the caravan wore a black cloak, obscuring their features from view.

"Young Miss, what should we do now? Should we continue waiting?" someone asked.

"If the mastermind behind this matter is truly those people, with the seal left by that person back then in place, they cannot enter. Their doing this is simply meant to force us to show ourselves. It seems those people were indeed the ones who sent that individual ten years ago," a woman spoke.

"It is all this subordinate's momentary negligence that exposed our existence."

"Do not blame yourselves. If I am not mistaken, by now they must have already ambushed heavy troops at the exit, simply waiting for us to walk right into their trap."

"Since it is so dangerous, this matter should be left to this old servant. You, Young Miss, are..."