The Immortal Emperor Returns

Chapter 300 The Ancient Ruins

The weather outside began changing when evening came where the bright sunny sky became obscured by dark thick clouds that hung ominously overhead.

Chu Xun peered outside. Yan Wushuang was right, the weather was really changing. The climate at Yanxue City could really chop and change.

Before long, night descended and the city began lighting up.

Chu Xun went to the room of the purple-haired woman and rapped on her door.

“It’s time. Let’s go to Yan’s residence.”

They stepped out of the guesthouse and headed for the Yan Family residence. With the snow falling around them, one might see as if halos of iridescent light sparkled around the walking pair.

They met up with Yan Wushuang’s party of five. He decided to bring along four of his men, every one of them Sixth-grade Human Kings which were all close to reaching Seventh-grade.

With Chu Xun and the purple-haired woman, the company of seven formed the exploration team.

Riding in three cars, they sped towards Kunlun Mountain.

...

A barechested Zang Fengling examined the wound on his back. The cut caused by Yan Wushuang had already healed, but he could still not quite able to expel what remained of the aura from the Sword Qi bolt that sliced through him.

“Keep on following them,” he spoke into his phone before putting it away and sinking into deep thought.

He had sent men to keep watch on the Yan Family and they reported about how Yan Wushuang had joined up with that fool of a stranger in a party of seven that left the city in cars. But why was the purple-haired woman with them? That was the question that boggled his mind.

Were they in cahoots?! Was it all a ruse and the Soul-nourishing Lotus was not at all lost from the keeping of the Yan Family!?

But why? What was their purpose?

Zang Fengling’s eyes flared with ferocity. “Yan Wushuang,” he growled, “If this is really a snafu thought up by you, rest assured that I’d settle this score with you. It’s time you learned that Zang Fengling is not a person you should trifle with.”

After a moment’s thought, he made a phone call and got himself dressed before he left his inn.

At the same time, several other factions inside Yanxue City received word about Yan Wushuang leaving the city.

Cold, icy winds whistled outside as a soft blizzard raged outside and the word of Yan Wushuang leaving the city with the mysterious young man, whose fame of his invincibility took the city with surprise and fanfare following his duel against Zang Fengling, in tow raised many a great eyebrows.

...

“Someone is tailing us from behind,” the purple-haired woman said suddenly.

Yan Wushuang, Chu Xun, and the purple-haired woman were riding in the same car.

“Yanxue City is closest to Kunlun Mountain. With word of the ancient ruins reappearing now sweeping far and wide, many factions shall stir to set into motion whatever schemes and plans they have. Therefore, Heaven knows how many eyes have been watching the Yan Family,” Yan Wushuang said with steely calmness, indicating his prior knowledge towards their being tailed from behind.

Crack!

The door burst opened and a dash of snowflakes rushed into the car from outside and Chu Xun had vanished.

Looking through the glass of the windscreen, Chu Xun looked like a thundering beast, stomping towards the car tailing them from behind with snow kicking up behind him.

Bang!

He hit savagely into the off-road vehicle behind, smashing its front with a dull groan of metal being mangled before it careened sideways into the snow.

With a snort, Chu Xun turned around. He effortlessly caught up to the moving vehicle and got back inside.

“You really are invincible, Liu,” observed Yan Wushuang with not an ounce of flattery. Chu Xun’s physical toughness was just too incredible if not rare.

“This is nothing. I can even bump a train off its rails,” said Chu Xun placidly.

That stunned Yan Wushuang for one split-second before he was able to smile back with zero doubt in Chu Xun’s claim.

For more than an hour, the journey went on in silence until they finally reached the foot of Kunlun Mountain.

Standing at the bottom and looking up only could one actually feel the greatness and majesty of Huaxia’s most enigmatic mountainous wonder.

Having been here before, Yan Wushuang knew the way and led everyone along a little path.

The ancient ruins sat right inside the glen where two mountains meet.

The glen was a vast sprawl of strange, misshapen rocks and granite columns protruding from the rockfaces of the cliffs. Tall and sturdy ancient trees towered over them, their boughs bare and dry. The whole vista of the glen was a sight of desolation and barrenness.

“Be careful, everyone,” reminded Yan Wushuang, feeling uneasy and dreadful whenever he stepped into this place.

They began walking into the glen.

“Magical fruit,” cried one of the Human Kings who came along.

Every head turned. Standing behind a strangely-shaped rock was a ginkgo tree glittering silver with bright sparkles of gold gleaming in its boughs. One could never miss the golden fruits even from afar.

Excited, one of the Human Kings rushed towards the tree.

Magical fruits valued greater than any magical herb or any sort of concoction because the consumption of just one single fruit could help any warrior progress into the next level of magical cultivation.

Equally tempted himself, Chu Xun wanted to go to the tree, but he was stopped by the purple-haired woman who shook her head at him.

Despite the confusion and doubt, Chu Xun decided to trust the woman.

With great speed, the Human King made several bounds and reached the tree, and he began racing up the tree’s trunk.

Swoosh!

The ginkgo tree gave a shudder, even without any wind, and a golden fruit fell from the top, coming down on the head of the Human King.

The Human King stretched out a hand, overjoyed to receive his harvest. But his fingertips barely grazed the golden fruit when it exploded with a deafening boom and a huge, blinding rush of golden light poured forth.

“ARRRGHHH!” screamed the Human King, blasted off the tree. He crashed to the ground, clutching his maimed hand. Not one of his fingers were left, his hand now a bloody stub with his bones peeking amongst the deep-red mess.

Huh?! Chu Xun was stunned. A tree with powerful capabilities that could attack people on its own.

Whoosh!

The gingko tree shook convulsively again, and more golden fruits fell from its branches, aiming straight for the fallen Human King.

The look on Yan Wushuang’s face hardened and he swung his sword. Sword Qi bolts raced through the air like arrow shafts, hitting on the golden fruits and causing them to explode in the air.

Taking into the air, he flew to his fallen man and dragged him back.

The rest of his men quickly helped to heal their fallen comrade and dress his wounds.

“How do you feel?” asked Yan Wushuang as he transmitted Internal Breath into the man.

“I’m fine, Master Wushuang,” whimpered the Human King mournfully. His life was saved, but he had lost his right hand completely.

How terrifying it was that one single golden fruit could easily incapacitate a Sixth-grade Human King.

The anomalies deformed Earth so greatly that even strange magical trees now appear.

Chu Xun was alarmed and unnerved. He had seen many magical herbs that developed sentience of their own, even trees – like a bodhi fig tree he once saw before – as well. Yet for a ginkgo tree to develop its own sentience here, it greatly surprised him.

His head swiveled intuitively towards the purple-haired woman with a strange foreboding inside him. She stopped him just now. Did she realize something wrong with this tree?

“You knew what’s wrong with this tree?” asked Chu Xun via telepathy. As a fellow Cultivator of magic and immortality, she knew how to use telepathy as well.

True enough, her voice came into his mind, curt and simple, “Yes.”

“Then why did you not warn him?”

“Fool.”

That answer infuriated Chu Xun, although he quickly saw the rationale of it.

She could not warn anyone about the tree, for instead of feeling grateful, Yan Wushuang and his men might instead feel suspicious towards her. She might even be mistaken to harbor ulterior designs of her own.

“But how did you know this tree is dangerous?”

“Because I live here.”

That shocked Chu Xun so much that he nearly bit on his own tongue. Only now did he know that she was a native here.

“So you know about the ancient ruins.”

“I don’t. I was not here when the ruins began to appear.”

Chu Xun was skeptical, although he did not reveal it. “Tell me about this tree.”

“That’s a Sanguisugal Tree, except in the guise of a ginkgo tree. It grows among rocks and stones and feeds on the blood of warriors to grow.”

Chu Xun began to wonder if he had lived for thousands of years away for naught. Since the anomalies began ravaging Earth, Earth no longer was the Earth he used to know.

“A tree would dare hurt humans?!” bellowed Yan Wushuang with rage. He raised his sword, about to cut it down.

“No, wait, Yan. Leave it,” Chu Xun stopped him suddenly.

Yan Wushuang turned around and stared incredulously at Chu Xun.

“It’s not bad to have a watcher helping us to keep the entrance,” smirked Chu Xun.

Yan Wushuang immediately understood and accepted the idea. If this tree could fool them, it could just as easily fool others too.

The Human King who lost his hand had lost much of his combat power, although his life was saved.

With that, the party continued its journey into the glen.

Meanwhile, several opposing factions of Yanxue City had sprung into motion, sending men rushing towards Kunlun Mountain.

Roar!

Terrifying roars resounded across the glen.

Bang!

A rock dozen of meters tall burst into bits – smashed apart by the claws of a savage, giant ape.

It was a yeti – a humanoid monster ape towering as tall as mountain with wide gaping jaws that displayed fangs as sharp as swords. Its eyes shone red with malice and its furs stood on ends like needles, glowing faintly with a cold white sheen.

It let loose another roar at Chu Xun and stood on its legs, pounding its chest like a drum to intimidate everyone.

“A Beast Lord.”

Yan Wushuang tensed. He did not encounter all these strange trees and ferocious monsters the last time he came.

Especially this Beast Lord. It gave him a sense of trepidation and dread.

With the extraordinarily tough constitution of beasts, even a Sixth-grade Beast Lord could fight toe-to-toe against a Seventh-grade Human King.

“Kill it for me,” the woman’s voice echoed inside Chu Xun’s head suddenly.

“Why should I?”

“I’ll tell you after you kill it.”

“And who do you think I am? Your slave?”

“Why, of course!”

Chu Xun snorted, but he did as he was told. He darted towards the monster yeti.

“I’ll help you, Liu,” said Yan Wushuang.

“No need,” muttered Chu Xun, now already a mere dozen of meters away from the yeti. He curled a finger at it, taunting it.

The yeti Beast Lord, having developed sentience of its own, understood Chu Xun’s challenge. Pounding its chest furiously, it slammed its fists into the ground.

Boom!

Webs of crack spread on the ground from the impact.

The yeti threw its head back and roar. Then it charged at Chu Xun, throwing forth a fist with the force of a mountain.

Every inch of Chu Xun’s limbs and bones vibrated as one and his insides elicited a soft hum as tendrils of Hong Meng Immortal Qi coiled around him and he lunged at the raging beast with just as much ferocity as a bull.

His entire self, not even near the size of the gigantic yeti’s finger, barreled straight into its claws.

Boom!

Horrible waves of aura rippled from the yeti.

Stomp! Stomp!

The force knocked back the gigantic ape, forcing it to totter backward several steps, rocking and shaking the earth.

Yan Wushuang and his retinue of Human Kings watched with their jaws hanging wide. How could any human survive that?!

Chu Xun, with half of himself buried in the ground after the impact, made a great leap to free himself, creating a large crater on the ground.

With a skip and a hop, he used one of the strangely-shaped rock columns as a springboard to launch himself up into the air with his fist on the ready to punch at the yeti’s head.

The yeti snarled and swung its huge talons at Chu Xun who was flying towards him, eager to bat him down like a fly.

With a cold snort, Chu Xun drove himself into its palm.

The ferocious yeti broke into a triumphant grin like how a human would and closed its fingers, crushing Chu Xun in its hand.

“Liu!” Yan Wushuang cried with shock. Chu Xun was so small against the gargantuan monstrosity of the massive yeti like a mosquito to a human. The difference was just too great.

Yan Wushuang yanked his sword from its scabbard and rushed forward to save his comrade.

“Rest easy, Yan,” Chu Xun’s voice echoed suddenly, “All is well.”

The proud look on the yeti’s face lasted barely seconds before it howled painfully all of a sudden and a hole burst on its paw. There was Chu Xun, leaping out of the hole with blood pouring out and staining his clothes.

Chu Xun had lanced a hole through the paw of the yeti.

Yan Wushuang, his mouth gaping wide, could not quite believe what he saw.

So did the rest of his men, who stared speechlessly while murmuring curses.