Chapter Sixty-Five: The Stone Hall

Chu Feng and Xiao Yue stepped into the stone stele. As the blinding white faded from their sight, both shuddered violently, their legs growing weak beneath them.

Astonishment marked their faces, for the scene before them was not the world outside the Mysterious Moon Valley. This was not a realm of burning heat; rather, it resembled the place where they had first awakened. Beneath their feet lay fertile ground, lush with fragrant grass, and trees grew here as well.

Yet this place too was shrouded in thick mist, though on the ground it was clear, the dense fog layer in the sky hanging a hundred feet above. In the distance, there was a cluster of palatial structures.

These were ancient halls, but to call them a palace complex was generous; they were more accurately ruins. Most of the pavilions and towers had long since fallen into decay, scattered with broken walls and shattered columns, with only a few stone walls or pillars still standing.

At the heart of these ruins stood a lofty stone hall. Its upper levels had been destroyed, and only the lowest floor remained intact, standing steadfast as if to silently recount the vicissitudes of countless ages.

Even as a single remaining tier, the stone hall was still imposing—a testament to grandeur and might.

Standing there, both men felt the chill creeping into their hearts, cold sweat trickling down their backs. In this place, the aura of peerless slaughter was stronger than ever. There could be no doubt: a terror of the utmost magnitude lurked here. Xiao Yue’s gaze was fixed entirely on the towering stone hall.

The Golden Sun Ancestral Stone hovered before them, and it was only then that they were roused from their stupor. The stone quieted, giving them time to recover, as if it deliberately offered them a moment’s respite, not urging them onward.

“Why do I feel as though this place is even more terrifying?” Chu Feng murmured.

“How can this be?” Xiao Yue’s expression was complex as he glanced at the Golden Sun Ancestral Stone, then back at the ancient hall.

“What is it?” Chu Feng asked.

“The aura of peerless slaughter is at its densest here, and it clearly emanates from that stone hall!” Xiao Yue pointed toward the distant edifice.

As a cultivator, Xiao Yue could sense the workings of heaven and earth to some extent, while Chu Feng, not yet awakened spiritually, could not so clearly detect the source of that murderous intent.

Hearing this, Chu Feng’s expression grew grave. He understood Xiao Yue’s meaning.

“This must be the very heart of Mysterious Moon Valley,” Chu Feng said blankly, his heart heavy. He had thought that following the Golden Sun Ancestral Stone would reveal an escape, only to find himself led into the valley’s deepest recesses.

It was here, after all, that the Holy Spirit Warrior had suffered mortal wounds and perished.

Without question, this was the most terrifying place in all of Mysterious Moon Valley.

Yet the two remained calm—for now, at least, under the stone’s guidance, they had not triggered the valley’s lethal forces. Otherwise, they could never have made it this far.

“This can only be called a miracle. Since time immemorial, those who have reached this depth must be few indeed—even Celestial Spirit Warriors could not do so. For the two of us to arrive here unscathed is a stroke of rare fortune,” Xiao Yue said, comforting himself as best he could in such peril.

Chu Feng nodded, lost in thought. “Mysterious Moon Valley is far vaster than I imagined. There are three worlds within—it feels like wandering in a dream. I wonder which one is real?”

“Perhaps all three are,” Xiao Yue sighed. “This place is too mysterious; who could truly fathom it? Perhaps it is the work of gods.”

Chu Feng was awestruck, then patted the Golden Sun Ancestral Stone. “Stone, you didn’t bring us the wrong way, did you? Did you do this on purpose?”

After regaining his composure, Chu Feng thought carefully. Since the Golden Sun Ancestral Stone could bring them here safely, surely it could lead them out as well.

At that moment, the stone quivered lightly, then started drifting slowly toward the ruins—toward the towering stone hall.

“Is it taking us to that great stone hall?” Xiao Yue asked, unable to mask his unease.

“It seems we have no choice but to follow,” Chu Feng replied.

Xiao Yue nodded, thoughtful for a moment before speaking. “Its origins are surely extraordinary, though it remains a mystery why it knows the valley so well. Though I don’t know why it brought us here, I believe following it isn’t dangerous.”

“Then let’s go,” Chu Feng said, and he and Xiao Yue followed the Golden Sun Ancestral Stone.

The murderous aura here made breathing difficult, but their journey was smooth; no deadly force assailed them.

After about half an hour, the two men and the stone reached the plaza before the stone hall.

The square was a scene of devastation—its surface pitted and scarred, with yawning holes and deep trenches. Chu Feng and Xiao Yue looked on with horror. All of this, including the upper sections of the stone hall, had been destroyed in some cataclysmic battle.

Guided by the Golden Sun Stone, they crossed the plaza toward the hall. Every inch of ground seemed imbued with an immortal divinity.

“This square, and everything connected to the hall, was once reinforced by powerful wards, yet it was still destroyed in battle. What manner of battle could accomplish this?” Xiao Yue murmured to himself.

The two massive doors were at least thirty feet high, tightly shut. Standing before the imperishable stone hall, both men felt as if they confronted an unparalleled power.

Bang, bang, bang! The Golden Sun Ancestral Stone gently knocked three times against the heavy doors, as though trying to push them open. But the doors remained unmoved.

Their faces grew more somber, for the aura of slaughter emanated from within. They felt certain that unimaginable peril lay inside.

“Should we really open it?” Doubt and fear warred in their hearts.

With a metallic clang, the doors that seemed sealed for eternity began to move. The gap widened, revealing only darkness within.

Soon, the doors stood wide, but the Golden Sun Ancestral Stone merely hovered in place, making no further move.

An overwhelming murderous air surged outward. Chu Feng and Xiao Yue exchanged glances, silent but both thinking the same thing: the Mysterious Moon Bow must have come from within, but what deadly crisis lurked here, that it could slay a Holy Spirit Warrior?

Tap, tap, tap… Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the darkness.

Both men’s expressions changed drastically, cold sweat beading on their foreheads. They recognized those crisp steps—a person’s footsteps.

Could it be that, after tens of thousands of years, someone still lived here? How could anyone survive so long?

It felt as if a peerless demon lord was emerging from the shadows. They wanted to flee, but found themselves unable to move.

“What on earth is happening?” At this point, neither could fathom the Golden Sun Ancestral Stone’s intentions.

As the footsteps drew nearer, at last a burly figure emerged from the gloom into the light.

It was a tall, upright middle-aged man, clad in gray robes, his long hair unbound.

His body was grievously damaged—his left arm gone entirely, even the shoulder missing, and his face frozen as if carved in stone, three deep cracks marring his features. His eyes were ashen, utterly devoid of light.

The wounds were horrific. At the sight of him, Chu Feng and Xiao Yue were shaken to their core. Even Chu Feng, who could not sense energy as Xiao Yue did, felt the overwhelming murderous aura radiating from this man.

They could not imagine what sort of existence this was—had he returned from hell itself? Even without exerting his pressure, the sheer force of his presence would make any peer of his level tremble.

Without doubt, this was a supreme power—one who could shake the heavens with a wave of his hand, with few equals in the world.

It now seemed clear that the Holy Spirit Warrior had suffered fatal wounds at this man’s hand.

Chu Feng and Xiao Yue’s hearts pounded with terror; did this man intend to kill them?

But then, the gray-robed man stepped forward to the hovering Golden Sun Ancestral Stone.

To their astonishment, the man fell to one knee and bowed deeply to the stone.

Witnessing this, the two were utterly petrified. This was a peerless power—who in this world could deserve such deference?

Their minds reeled; they could not begin to understand what manner of spirit dwelled within the Golden Sun Ancestral Stone.

“I understand now,” Xiao Yue suddenly said. “The Golden Sun Ancestral Stone is not an outsider—it has always been here.”

Chu Feng nodded inwardly, more astounded now than ever before. The events of these few moments were truly beyond belief.

Yet one thing he felt sure of: the Golden Sun Ancestral Stone bore him no ill will, though its purpose in guiding them here remained a mystery.

At the doors, the Golden Sun Ancestral Stone showed no fear of the grey-clad master. It merely gave a slight quiver before returning to Chu Feng’s side.

The grey-robed man rose, stepped aside, and with his one remaining hand, made a gesture inviting them in.

Chu Feng was stunned; he had not expected such an outcome. The formidable figure had no intention of attacking them.

The Golden Sun Ancestral Stone bounced as if to encourage Chu Feng to enter the hall.

“Since we’re here, let us see for ourselves. Such an opportunity is rare,” Xiao Yue said quietly.

With hearts full of questions, Chu Feng and Xiao Yue stepped toward the great doors. At that moment, the gray-robed man turned, gestured inward, and the darkness was instantly dispelled by light.

The two men stopped before the gray-robed figure and saluted respectfully. “Greetings, honored elder!”

But the man seemed deaf to their words, giving no reaction. His face was rigid, expressionless, his eyes ashen and lifeless.

At this close range, Chu Feng and Xiao Yue’s faces changed again—for they noticed a shocking truth: this gray-robed man was not a being of flesh and blood.

Neither his shoulder wound nor the scars on his face bled; under the bright light, they glinted with a cold metallic sheen.