The three reached an agreement and finally headed toward the ruins.

The entire ruin was overgrown with trees and plants, but all of them were yellow-green in color. The spiritual energy here was so dense that the trees and plants could grow even in darkness, though their growth was rather strange, twisting and contorting in odd ways. It seemed that only after seeing sunlight would the plants gradually turn green.

There was basically no path left here, just all sorts of branches and shrubs. Brian Brooks raised his hand and swung his axe, directly opening a path through the thicket.

……

Chapter 9: Piles of White Bones

Charles Bennett also found a weak spot, and with a single sword strike blasted open a crack, then rushed in with three cannon fodder. The three were utterly impressed, showering him with praise.

“Big brother, you’re amazing!”

“Incredible, incredible, big brother is definitely the number one expert in the cultivation world!”

“That’s right, with big brother making a move, nothing can stand in the way! Even if this is an ancient ruin, it can’t withstand big brother’s strike!”

The flattery came in waves, and Charles Bennett’s face was all smiles. He kept saying, “You flatter me, haha, you flatter me! You’re no worse than me, all of you are outstanding talents, haha, hahaha!”

Immediately, the three cultivators’ faces lit up. Praise from a top expert in the cultivation world was something ordinary people could never hear. Their faces glowed, and they stood up straight and tall.

The four chatted as they walked, delving deeper along the way.

By this point, most of the top experts in the cultivation world had entered the ruins. As for the others, they had no way in for now and could only wait outside the barrier, waiting for the defensive formation to collapse.

William Harris’s goal was not entirely treasure hunting. He was searching for a secret, a mystery that had long puzzled him. Perhaps this ruin could provide some clues, so he was still full of hope for this exploration.

Attaining immortality through cultivation was already hopeless, and becoming immortal was just a facade. What William Harris had always wondered was whether anyone in this world had truly achieved eternal life. This secret had always been buried in his heart, so he needed to find some answers, some clues, in these ruins.

Back at the summit of Gagong Snow Peak, William Harris had already memorized most of the ruin’s layout. Now it was much easier for him; the places he was searching for were all large architectural complexes. Only there might he find some clues. Especially since he had already determined that the ruins were divided into the outer area, the inner circle, and the core zone—three layers in total. The place he truly wanted to go was the core zone.

The inner circle was where he was heading now. There were three large architectural complexes there. As for what functions these three complexes served for the Chao Xian Sect, he was still unsure; only by entering would he know.

Brian Brooks was clearing the way in front, with William Harris and Grace Morgan following behind.

The Moon Wheel Axe was indeed sharp, hacking a path all the way and even breaking a few traps.

Although William Harris had looked down at the ruins from the summit of Gagong Snow Peak and it didn’t seem that big, actually walking inside was a completely different story. At this moment, their vision was blocked by masses of trees, and the path was filled with all kinds of traps.

Flying here was extremely difficult due to the suppression of formation restrictions. They simply couldn’t fly high, at most ten meters. William Harris estimated he could go a bit higher, but it was useless. The moment he tried to fly forward, it felt like he was sinking into a quagmire. Walking was actually faster.

All three tried it out and ultimately chose to walk, with Brian Brooks still leading the way and William Harris giving directions.

Brian Brooks secretly felt lucky to be following William Harris. After coming in, he couldn’t find his way at all. Surrounded by weeds, shrubs, and trees, he couldn’t see anything even a little distance away. If he had come alone, he would have gotten lost in no time, with no way to find the right path.

Thinking about how he hadn’t blundered around like a blind man, Brian Brooks gave himself a thumbs up. It was very wise to follow William Harris; this choice was absolutely correct, wasn’t it?

Strutting forward proudly, he took a step—and suddenly, Brian Brooks lost his balance.

With Brian Brooks’s cultivation and strength, regaining his balance should have been easy, but the result was unexpected.

Even more surprising, Brian Brooks actually fell the moment he lost his balance, even letting out a startled yell: “Ah… damn it!”

William Harris reacted with incredible speed, instantly appearing behind Brian Brooks, grabbing him by the belt and clothes, and flinging him backward with force. Brian Brooks’s massive body flew backward, and then William Harris dodged aside.

In less than two seconds, while Brian Brooks was still in midair, he saw that the spot where he was about to fall suddenly erupted with a burst of silver light, accompanied by a piercing, terrifying whistle.

The Moon Wheel Axe suddenly appeared in front of Brian Brooks, expanding rapidly to shield his massive body. Then came a dense clanging sound as countless tiny needles struck the axe’s surface.

Cold sweat broke out all over Brian Brooks; he feared and hated these insidious weapons the most.

At the moment Brian Brooks fell, Grace Morgan didn’t move forward to help but instead instantly retreated dozens of meters away. She had no intention of saving anyone.

William Harris was also secretly shocked. This trap was hidden too well—there wasn’t the slightest sign. Even an expert like Brian Brooks fell for it. It was easy to imagine that for any other cultivator, it would have been a death sentence.