C622 Behind the Turn of the Era

"That mystical treasure was really what you went after!" Lee Yuanye was speechless, realizing the accusation was spot on.

"So, you're saying, sir, that you and your people have been alive for thousands of years?" Woo Zhengyang asked again.

"Yes! Whether it's because of these shackles or something else, our cultivation can't surpass the Martial King Stage, but our lifespan has increased. It's not so bad; although we carry a heavy burden every day, our clan still survives. I guess you could call it barely hanging on," the leader of the Great Desolate Ancient Clan continued with a wry smile.

"By the way, that mystical treasure is still with me. You should take it! Listen to me, kids, go back! The ancestral land isn't a place for you." As he spoke, the clan leader gestured, and a piece of crystal-clear ancient jade appeared in his hand. He tossed it over, but it was stopped by the barrier of the Invincible Cannon Car.

Lee Yuanye walked over, picked up the ancient jade, studied it for a moment, and then handed it to Woo Zhengyang, whispering, "It's truly a mystical treasure!"

In fact, Woo Zhengyang had already sensed it. The moment he held the jade, he felt a magical energy, like a warm current flowing into his body, as if an invisible shield had formed around him. This shield was likely the key to breaking through the Martial King Stage.

The only downside is that this spiritual treasure doesn't really help with the meridians; Woo Zhengyang's true energy remains stagnant.

"Boss, what do we do now? It seems like what they said is true!" Lee Yuanye communicated telepathically. He wasn't one to hesitate, but the words of the Great Desolate Ancient Clan's leader were truly shocking. They had a Martial Emperor-level expert and over a thousand clan members, yet they couldn't enter the Human Ancestral Land. What could just a few of them accomplish?

"I still want to give it a try, but I advise you not to act impulsively. I have reasons that compel me, but you can afford to wait. Let me scout ahead for you," Woo Zhengyang said, his mind a whirl of emotions. However, his mission left him no room to easily give up.

"Boss, what are you saying? Do you think I'm that kind of person? The problem is, even if we want to go, they won't let us! Are we supposed to just start a fight? Even if we did, our Invincible Cannon Car couldn't even scratch that mountain. What do we rely on?"

Woo Zhengyang pondered for a moment, then stepped out of the light curtain of the Invincible Cannon Car and bowed deeply to the leader of the Great Desolate Ancient Clan. "May I ask for your esteemed name, sir?"

"My name?" The clan leader paused for a moment. "It's been a long time since anyone asked. I'm called Xuan Qixing."

"Xuan Qixing? Are you also from the Xuan family?"

"What?"

"Is everything okay? It's just that a senior from my sect also has the last name Xuan, called Xuan Tianshang. Do you know him?"

"Xuan Tianshang? Never heard of him!"

Xuan Qixing's response left Woo Zhengyang slightly disappointed, but he still had a hunch that Xuan Tianshang might be connected to this place.

"Do you recognize this item?" Woo Zhengyang asked, pulling out the half-broken stone tablet with the character 'Xuan' on it.

Xuan Qixing took the tablet, and upon seeing the character, his eyes widened. He murmured, "Could this be the legendary... the tablet from the Sacred Mountain? No, it can't be. That tablet is supposed to be unbreakable!"

Then, turning to Woo Zhengyang, Xuan Qixing asked, "Where did you find this tablet?"

Woo Zhengyang recounted how he discovered the tablet, and Xuan Qixing listened intently, his expression growing increasingly serious, remaining silent for a long time.

"Can't you determine the origin of this tablet either?" Woo Zhengyang asked, puzzled.

Xuan Qixing shook his head. "This tablet is extraordinary. Keep it safe. It might come in handy when you enter the ancestral land."

With that, Xuan Qixing returned the tablet to Woo Zhengyang and prepared to leave.

"Wait, sir..." Woo Zhengyang called out to Xuan Qixing.

"What is it? Do you still think you can succeed where our entire clan has failed?" Xuan Qixing replied, annoyed.

"I wouldn't dare! But just as your clan has endured for months to guard this place, I have my own mission. I can't wait any longer. I hope you won't stand in our way."

"Mission? What kind of mission could possibly drive you to risk your life for the Human Ancestral Land?"

"To be honest, I'm not originally from this world. I come from beyond the Heaven Shrouding Great Array."

"What? You're from the outside world?" Xuan Qixing was stunned, unable to believe what Woo Zhengyang had just revealed.

"Boss, you're from the outside world?" Lee Yuanye was equally shocked, hearing this for the first time.

Woo Zhengyang nodded, deciding to be forthright. "I'm from a place called the Profound Heaven Sect. Our founding ancestor is Xuan Tianshang, whom I just mentioned. By chance, I activated a mysterious teleportation array and found myself here in the Myriad Desolate Mountain."

"Impossible! If a teleportation array could break this barrier, our clan wouldn't need to risk everything to reach the ancestral land," Xuan Qixing questioned.

"I don't know how it happened, but I truly am from the outside. Our sect is in a dire situation, which is why I must return."

"Then tell me, what's the outside world like now?"

"The biggest difference between there and here is probably the cultivation methods. There's no Spirit Cleansing Rain or Heaven Shrouding Great Array, so people's meridians are fine, allowing them to practice Qi refining techniques. Unfortunately, the body tempering path has nearly vanished due to the lack of body tempering techniques."

"Body Tempering Techniques are missing... I see now! I see!" Xuan Qixing exclaimed, a look of realization dawning on his face.

"What is it, elder?" someone asked.

"During the great catastrophe, many powerful warriors went to resist that mysterious force. But not long after, one of the Martial Emperors returned. When he arrived at our clan, he was covered in blood and on the brink of death. Before he passed, he entrusted some Body Tempering Techniques to our clan, instructing the old clan leader to preserve and pass them on."

"At the time, the old clan leader didn't understand the significance. Later, when this world was sealed and ordinary people's meridians were blocked, preventing them from cultivating energy, he realized the importance and passed those techniques down. We thought the Martial Emperor had foreseen the Heaven Shrouding Great Array, but now it seems that wasn't the case. They must have discovered the mysterious force's true intentions and fought desperately to preserve these techniques."

"Are you saying that the mysterious force's intention was to destroy the Body Tempering Techniques?"

"It seems so. Otherwise, the Body Tempering lineage outside wouldn't have declined to such an extent as you described! Even the Heaven Shrouding Great Array is likely connected to this. Perhaps the ultimate goal of the catastrophe thousands of years ago was to annihilate the Body Tempering lineage!"