That person is... Su Muwang

The ancient ruins... have manifested in the modern world?!

Su Muwan raised her head to gaze at the massive bronze gate suspended high in the sky, her eyes brimming with curiosity. "Is this the entrance to the ancient ruins?"

"Seriously... your predictive abilities are downright terrifying. How did you calculate the exact moment the ruins would appear?"

Qin Luo gave a slight nod. "The system provided it."

Hey, hey, hey—aren’t you even going to pretend anymore?

Ignoring Su Muwan's internal complaints, Qin Luo checked the time and said, "Young Mistress, we should move after we finish eating."

In truth, the news of the Taigu Xuan Sect ruins manifesting had been deliberately leaked by Qin Luo himself.

Hm?

You might ask—didn’t he say that according to alliance regulations, local ruins belong to the local factions?

Don’t ask.

The answer is simple: entrapment.

"The appearance of this bronze gate will inevitably draw competition from all sides."

"Next..."

As he spoke, several shadowy figures darted toward the gate like phantoms.

Qin Luo glanced at them, a smirk tugging at his lips. "We’ll just sit back and enjoy the show."

Su Muwan pondered for a moment before raising a hand. "Should I revert to my usual persona, then?"

"Persona?"

Qin Luo looked at the currently harmless and unassuming Su Muwan, then nodded emphatically. "Please, Young Mistress, gracefully return to the haughty Su Muwan everyone knows."

"Hey, hey, hey, Qin Luo..."

Su Muwan twirled a bamboo skewer between her fingers, glaring at him indignantly. "Do you think it’s that easy to switch personas? It’s not something you can just turn on and off!"

"That arrogant act of mine was just a defensive facade. My true nature isn’t like that at all!"

"But..."

"If it’s for the sake of the plan, I’ll force myself to play the part."

With a resigned sigh, Su Muwan tossed the skewer into a nearby trash bin and straightened up, brushing off her hands.

She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself to completely shift her aura.

In an instant, her demeanor transformed. The lazy, carefree look in her eyes vanished without a trace.

Replacing it was an air of aloof superiority, her gaze sweeping over everything with cold disdain, as if no one around her was worthy of her attention.

"Hmph."

She let out a haughty scoff. "How dare a mere Qin Luo make such demands of this Young Mistress."

"Truly audacious."

"Enough."

Su Muwan turned to Qin Luo, her tone icy. "Let’s begin. Don’t keep me waiting."

Thump! Thump!

Qin Luo stared, momentarily stunned, before clutching his chest.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d just awakened some strange new preference.

"As you wish, Young Mistress."

High above, the appearance of the bronze gate had set the hidden factions into motion.

From the shadows, a woman and an elder from the rogue cultivators' alliance observed the colossal gate.

Their eyes widened in astonishment. "This is the ruins of the Taigu Xuan Sect?"

"Just its presence alone sets it apart from ordinary ruins."

"Indeed, Madam."

The elder nodded, then suddenly frowned. "Some seem to have grown impatient."

The next moment—

BOOM!!!

"Hahahaha!!! The legacy of the Taigu Xuan Sect—it’s mine!!!"

Several figures, their auras as overwhelming as raging tides, surged toward the bronze gate, their speed leaving trails of spiritual energy like shooting stars streaking across the night sky.

Clearly, they all sought to be the first to step through the gate and seize the ancient treasures within.

And none of them had formed alliances—each relied solely on their own strength.

"Look! That figure in purple robes—it’s Venerable Chiyan, who vanished from the Xuan Tian Realm years ago!"

"Heavens, I thought he died long ago!"

A black-robed elder hidden in the shadows couldn’t suppress his shocked whisper.

Venerable Chiyan had once wreaked havoc across the Xuan Tian Realm with his sinister and ruthless demonic arts, forcing the major sects to unite against him.

Who could have imagined he was still alive?!

"And that swordsman in green—it’s the Yu Xu Sword Immortal, master of the ethereal sword arts!"

"By the heavens! A genuine Spirit Source Realm expert!"

"Rumors say he devoted his life to the pursuit of the ultimate swordsmanship. Even someone as detached as him couldn’t resist the allure of these ruins."

Some cultivators from the Xuan Tian Realm who recognized him gaped in disbelief.

The Yu Xu Sword Immortal was a legend rarely seen in the mortal world. Now, his presence alone sent sharp sword energy rippling through the air, his very aura slicing through the atmosphere.

"Tsk—"

"And that monk radiating golden Buddhist light—isn’t that the Qingyuan Zen Master from Bitter Zen Temple?"

"During the Xuan Tian Era, he was known for his compassion and rarely involved himself in such conflicts. Yet even he has come..."

A middle-aged man who looked like a rogue cultivator gasped sharply, but before he could finish his words, his companion cut in: "The ruins of the Taigu Xuan Sect have emerged. This is likely the first—and possibly the last—time in tens of thousands of years."

"An opportunity to break through cultivation bottlenecks and ascend to sainthood—which of these old monsters wouldn’t be tempted?"

"We originally thought we could fish in troubled waters, but now it seems this treasure hunt will be a fight to the death!"

The crowd tensed at these words, their throats tightening as they watched several figures streaking toward the massive bronze gate like arrows loosed from a bow.

At this rate, they might only get scraps.

As those formidable figures closed in, the ancient bronze gate finally stirred.

Boom…!

A deep, primordial hum reverberated from within the gate, shaking the earth and echoing over the imperial city.

Then—

CRACK!

The gate slowly creaked open, unleashing a surge of ancient energy mixed with eerie mist.

Through the fog, a vast and shadowy passage could barely be glimpsed.

Venerable Chiyan, the Yu Xu Sword Immortal, and Qingyuan Zen Master arrived at the gate in an instant, none willing to fall behind. Each was determined to be the first to step into this land of ancient opportunity.

Venerable Chiyan struck first, letting out a sinister cackle. "You two might as well give up. With your meager skills, you’d only waste this heaven-sent chance. Back off now, and you might save some face."

As he spoke, the flames around him flared violently, and he lunged toward the gate.

The Yu Xu Sword Immortal snorted. "An old ghost like you dares to boast?"

With a flick of his sword, razor-sharp sword qi shot straight at Venerable Chiyan.

Qingyuan Zen Master pressed his palms together, chanting sutras as golden Buddhist light swirled around him. "Your malice runs too deep, benefactor. The treasures of this ancient ruin belong to the virtuous—not the arrogant."

Venerable Chiyan dodged the sword qi and retaliated with a palm strike, sending demonic flames roaring toward them. "Hah! A hypocritical monk and a pretentious swordsman—you’re nothing but weaklings in my eyes!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The three clashed, their spiritual power colliding in blinding explosions that warped the surrounding space.

The onlookers below trembled in fear.

Even their probing strikes were terrifying—what would happen if these three unleashed their full power? The entire imperial city might be reduced to rubble.

As the battle raged, Venerable Chiyan’s ruthless tactics gave him an opening. He broke free from the other two and surged toward the gate, his spiritual energy erupting.

Turning back, he laughed wildly. "Hahaha! This venerable one takes the lead today!"

"Once I seize my fortune, we’ll settle this properly!"

The Yu Xu Sword Immortal and Qingyuan Zen Master exchanged a glance and withdrew their attacks, resignation flashing in their eyes.

Venerable Chiyan was, after all, a seasoned expert at the Spiritual Source Realm. Without going all-out, he had outmaneuvered them.

No matter.

The Yu Xu Sword Immortal sheathed his sword.

Qingyuan Zen Master dimmed his golden light.

The Taigu Xuan Sect held countless opportunities.

Being a step late didn’t matter—what mattered was finding the right one for themselves.

The crowd collectively held their breath.

A woman from the rogue cultivators’ alliance wiped cold sweat from her cheek. "So this is the power of a Spiritual Source Realm expert?"

"Truly terrifying."

"It seems Venerable Chiyan will be the biggest winner of this expedition."

An elderly man nodded in agreement.

At least for now, the strongest here was undoubtedly him.

And Venerable Chiyan thought so too.

His eyes burned with greed as he charged toward the gate.

The legacy of the Taigu Xuan Sect—

This venerable one has come for it!

Yet—

Just as he was about to cross the threshold—

A voice dripping with arrogance echoed through the night, freezing everyone in place.

"Pathetic."

"If I haven’t spoken yet, what right does an old fool like you have to act first?"

A crushing wave of spiritual pressure slammed down like a mountain.

"What?!"

Venerable Chiyan, mid-air, felt as if ten thousand tons had landed on his shoulders. His body bent uncontrollably before—

CRASH!

He smashed into the ground, carving a deep crater into the stone pavement.

The demonic flames around him flickered weakly under the pressure. Struggling to lift his head, he spat through gritted teeth, "Who dares ambush this venerable—?!"

SLAP!

"Annoying."

Before he could finish, another icy voice cut in.

The sharp sound of a slap rang out.

Some in the crowd flinched violently.

So fast?! Such overwhelming pressure?!

Who was this?!

Even the Yu Xu Sword Immortal and Qingyuan Zen Master stiffened.

Their eyes snapped to Venerable Chiyan—now wide-eyed, his face swollen—and the figure standing before him:

A man clad in a black trench coat.

Huh... this person seems really kind.

Probably a good guy.

Meanwhile, others turned their heads in shock toward the source of the voice that had just spoken.

In an instant, everyone froze where they stood.

Then—

Su Muwan stepped out from the shadows, her figure graceful yet radiating an icy, oppressive aura.

Dressed in resplendent robes, her expression was haughty, her eyes filled with disdain as she spoke without hesitation.

"A bunch of trash dares to lay hands on this young lady's belongings?"

"You must have a death wish."

She tilted her chin up slightly, sweeping her gaze across the crowd. The look in her eyes was as if she were staring down at mere ants. Those who met her stare couldn't help but shudder, instinctively retreating a few steps.

A path naturally cleared for Su Muwan.

With a sidelong glance at Venerable Chiyan, who had been effortlessly pinned to the ground, she curled her lips into a mocking smirk. "Insects should stay groveling in the dirt."

Then, her eyes shifted to Qin Luo, who had somehow teleported beside the man and slapped him across the face.

She spoke lightly, her tone dripping with arrogance. "Let’s go, Qin Luo. The greatest opportunity here..."

"...belongs to this young lady."

Qin Luo smiled faintly in response. "As you wish, Young Miss."

He then turned his gaze to the crowd and chuckled. "The Alliance's rule is clear—local relics belong to the locals."

"But the Young Miss and I aren’t bound by the pact. If any of you have a death wish, feel free to test us."

With that, Qin Luo and Su Muwan flew straight into the bronze gate under the stunned eyes of the onlookers.

For a moment, the entire area fell dead silent.

"...Hiss."

The woman from the Rogue Alliance finally steadied herself against a nearby tree, her face pale, her pupils trembling as she muttered in disbelief, "That woman... was Su Muwan?"

No way!

No one had told her Su Muwan could suppress a Spirit Origin expert outright!

The intel said she was only at the Return to Simplicity Realm!

High above, hidden in the darkness—

Hundreds of Alliance operatives clad in the latest silver-white combat suits stood ready.

Ouyang Xuan stood before the Silver Squad, his eye twitching.

Qin Luo... just what are you planning?

"Sir Ouyang, should we still eliminate the rogue elements violating the pact?" one squad member asked from behind.

After a brief silence, Ouyang Xuan sighed. "Let’s wait a little longer."

Something told him something utterly insane was about to happen.