Chapter 836: Wind and Sand City

He Chunhua pursed his lips before saying, "It was your mother." She suffered postpartum hemorrhage and, before she died, named her child, wishing him a lifetime of bravery and fearlessness.

"Why was my name later changed to He Lingchuan?"

He Chunhua whispered, "According to the Great Shaman of Mandu, this name suits you better and will benefit you."

He Lingchuan remained noncommittal. "Aren't you rushing to the Panlong Ruins, Father? Let's go."

He Chunhua had been waiting for that exact phrase. As he stood up and looked towards the Panlong Ruins, he suddenly let out a long breath. Was this day finally upon them? A sudden reluctance welled up within him.

He Lingchuan noticed his seemingly unusual mood. "What's wrong, Father?"

"Nothing!" He Chunhua forced a smile. "Let's go."

At his command, the Blackwater City army replenished their provisions and water before setting off for the Chiba Plateau. The closer they got, the more they felt its grandeur and desolation.

The moat in front of Panlong City's South Gate, originally a deep earthen trench, now held shallow water. Standing on the wide land bridge, Zhang Lianhai and the others could hear the faint murmur of water flowing beneath. This sound had been absent from the Panlong Desert for over a hundred years.

Upon reaching this point, their mounts halted, refusing to move forward no matter how much they were urged. Elder Ling Jinbao of the Jianyang Sect was riding a turquoise-striped beast. After a brief communication with it, he told the group: "They all sense great danger ahead and refuse to go any further."

Even the bird-demons from the sky descended to report that there were turbulent currents above the Panlong Ruins, making it difficult for birds to approach. They couldn't go. Seeing this, people dismounted and walked across the bridge. As for their mounts, specialists were found to lead them to a sheltered spot beneath a nearby dune.

This minor disturbance heightened everyone's vigilance but did not deter their intention to enter. They had come specifically for the anomalies in Panlong City. If it were completely peaceful here, what would be the point of their exploration?

The group passed through the massive archway and slowly entered Panlong City. Even the Heavenly Palace envoys, accustomed to various divine marvels, instinctively held their breath as they passed through the gate tower. This solid, massive fortress, seemingly armed to the teeth, bore scars of war everywhere, in addition to the marks of wind and time. Anyone passing through would be enveloped by the overwhelming sense of historical weight and tragedy.

Zhang Lianhai couldn't help but whisper, "This is Panlong City." Even that faint sound echoed between the two barbicans. It wasn't until they entered the South Gate Plaza that the howling wind awakened them from the previous atmosphere.

The ruined city before them had miraculously not been swallowed by sand, and although there were traces of arson everywhere, some buildings had stubbornly endured. A small amount of clear water had accumulated in the pools and waterways of the South Gate Plaza, though there were no fish yet. Patches of green shoots were emerging from cracks in the ground, gaps in the bricks, and the shadows of buildings. Even scattered red and white wildflowers bloomed along the riverbanks. Grass and trees grew profusely in the spring city.

Zhang Lianhai composed himself, feeling as though this forgotten city was preparing to awaken from its slumber. This was not a compliment, but rather an eerie observation. The Panlong Ruins should have been desolate, ruined, and lifeless. At least for the past century, under the gods' watch, that was its appearance. Since the upheaval in Lingxu City, the Panlong Ruins had indeed undergone corresponding changes.

Various groups of people dispersed upon reaching this point, each pursuing their own objectives. Ling Jinbao of the Jianyang Sect was also surveying the terrain. His subordinate asked him, "Uncle-Master, what should we do now?"

Although they were there to "investigate," Panlong City was vast. Where should they begin?

"One group goes to the temple, one to Zhong Shengguang's former residence and tomb, and another to General Hong's dwelling. A few people should also go up to the South Gate." Mitian, Zhong Shengguang, and General Hong were all connected to the Great Flask. If Panlong City had changed, these were the first places to investigate. As for the South Gate, it offered a good vantage point for observation.

His subordinate reminded him, "Uncle-Master, shouldn't we avoid spreading out too much?"

This place was incredibly eerie, and there were also other groups coming to search for treasures. Ling Jinbao thought for a moment. "Then let's split into two groups first, to the temple and Zhong Shengguang's official residence."

As he spoke, voices suddenly echoed from the alley ahead: "...No abnormalities at the temple either. But the Grand Marshal said the entrance opened at the temple last time..."

"There's already water in there, we've tried..."

A group of about twenty people then rounded the corner. Caught off guard, both sides came face to face, startled, and instinctively drew their weapons.

"Who are you?"

The Jianyang Sect members stared back. "And who are you?"

The opposing leader grunted. Everyone was there for the same purpose, but no one wanted to reveal their identity. The two teams faced each other in a tense standoff. Ling Jinbao was the first to sheathe his sword, spreading his hands. "We don't want any trouble."

The tension eased. The other group glanced at them a few times, then turned to leave. Ling Jinbao spoke up at the opportune moment. "Excuse me, when did you enter the city?"

"Why do you ask?" The other party remained cautious.

"I've been here before. I want to cross-reference clues with you."

The people opposite exchanged glances before saying, "We entered this morning." In other words, they had only arrived at the Chiba Plateau and entered Panlong City that morning.

Ling Jinbao nodded. "We came at night last time and encountered illusions." Were they truly illusions? He didn't actually think so.

The other group glanced at them again and left.

"Uncle-Master, these people are complete strangers." They didn't belong to any of the factions that had set out from Blackwater City.

"There are many people who come here seeking adventure and treasure. If we can come, so can others," Ling Jinbao said. "They arrived earlier, but it seems they haven't found anything."

"The 'Grand Marshal' they mentioned, could it be Dong Haoming?"

Other countries also had Grand Marshals, but to mention that title in Yanguo territory inevitably brought to mind the rebellion in the Northwest. The Jianyang Sect, of course, knew who Dong Haoming was.

Another disciple exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be the one who killed Senior Brother Wu Di..."

Ling Jinbao shushed him, a look of displeasure on his face. "What's the point of gossiping? Let's go check the temple."

"Didn't they say there was nothing in the temple?"

"Just because they searched it? The Panlong Ruins have had many visitors before, and every building has been searched. Why are we here again?"

Soon after, they stood before the magnificent ruins of the temple. Everyone knew that Mitian was the only celestial deity worshipped in Panlong City. However, after the city fell, this temple had been specially targeted by the combined forces of Baling and Xianyou. It was dismantled piece by piece, largely burned, and even its divine statues were decapitated and toppled.

"They said there was water." Ling Jinbao circled the temple, inside and out, and found that the only place with water was the offering pool in front of it. The pool was not small, with signs of damage and repair along its edges. Probably due to recent heavy rains, it had accumulated over a foot of clear water, allowing one to see straight to the bottom.

His disciple also came closer. "The Grand Marshal's subordinate just said the entrance was in the temple and mentioned water. Could they be referring to this pool?"

Ling Jinbao took out a copper coin and dropped it into the pool. The solid coin quickly sank to the bottom. Everyone could see it clearly through the water. Ling Jinbao then took a long stick and poked the bottom of the pool; it was solid.

"The entrance opened at the temple last time?" he murmured. "When was 'last time,' and how would the Grand Marshal know?" Had someone successfully found the entrance before? And then, what happened?

A disciple who had climbed onto the tower to survey the surroundings suddenly exclaimed, "The Heavenly Palace people are making a move!" From his elevated position, he could clearly see the activity in the South Gate Plaza.

It turned out that the Heavenly Palace Lantern Keeper had lit the pale golden candle in the plaza. The disciple mumbled, "Besides lighting lamps, what else can he do?"

"This lantern spirit avatar is essentially their life-bound magical artifact. Most of the Heavenly Palace Lantern Keeper's abilities are manifested through it."

Everyone was startled. "Lantern spirit... avatar?"

"There's an Eternal Lamp in the Heavenly Palace that has received divine favor and has not extinguished for centuries; it's a very powerful artifact. What the Lantern Keeper brought out is merely an avatar."

No sooner had he spoken than everyone saw Zhang Lianhai muttering incantations, then raising the candle high—the lantern spirit flared brightly, transforming into hundreds of golden rays that shot out in all directions. Each golden ray seemed to possess intelligence, darting into streets, alleys, buildings, and city walls to investigate, not even missing the stone bridges by the river or the cracks in the flagstones on the road.

Upon seeing this, Ling Jinbao immediately corrected himself: "...Even an avatar has various wondrous uses." It saved them from having to conduct a manual search like this. In terms of efficiency, the lantern spirit was probably superior. Moreover, these luminous entities were highly sensitive to divine powers and secret arts, potentially detecting things invisible to the human eye.

In a flash, a golden ray shimmered over, ignoring the Jianyang Sect members but meticulously examining every corner and crevice of the temple. It even circled above the pool twice before suddenly plunging in. It was merely light, without substance. Yet, the pool's surface rippled in two layers, and a small string of bubbles rose.

An anomaly? Ling Jinbao immediately focused his gaze. However, the golden light circled the bottom of the water twice and then ascended, finding nothing. The pool quickly returned to calm, perhaps having only been rippled by the wind.

Watching it depart, the disciple cleverly asked, "Uncle-Master, where do we search now?"

Ling Jinbao's eyes glinted, and he looked back at the South Gate Plaza. "Send two people to keep an eye on the Heavenly Palace group. Ideally, they can lead the way for us. The rest of you, follow me to the city gate at the plaza."

As they followed, they asked, confused, "Why go up the city gate?"

"At night, the red glow always rises from within the Panlong Ruins. So, where the light comes from, that's where the treasures are, understand?" At this point, Ling Jinbao suddenly remembered something, halting his steps slightly. "Huh, wait!"

He looked up at the sky. "How long until dark?"

"It was already late afternoon when we reached the oasis outside the city, and we stayed for half an hour before rushing here—" The disciple calculated on his fingers. "It must be almost sunset, right?"

"Sunset, sunset," Ling Jinbao mumbled to himself. "That's right, we came at night last time!" He turned abruptly and hurried towards the city gate: "Go, go! Let's get out first!"