The Sacred Ruins
chapter-644

"We should leave some people guarding here to avoid outsiders approaching. Above all, we'll kill those natives from Earth one by one as they come and massacre them. We mustn't let them obtain their ancestors' inheritance on account of their meager archaic bloodline."

An elder from the Netherworld race proposed this with a gloomy countenance. He was worried that Chu Feng would accidentally discover this place. After all, that native was proficient with domains.

A surviving domain master from the Deity race nodded and said, "Yes, that's right. We need someone to be on guard. The Heavenly Ladder's structure is quite complicated, so we should send someone to keep a good watch over it."

In the distance, Chu Feng's demeanor became dull as these old guys were extremely cautious. Originally, he had even wanted to wait until they had stepped onto the Heavenly Ladder before overturning them and sending them off on their way.

But this way was fine, too. This area was too dangerous and Chu Feng decided to allow them to call for reinforcement troops. He wanted to let them continue to test the waters ahead before attacking them at the last moment.

Some of them left and wanted to withdraw from the area via the Heavenly Ladder. However, something unexpected occurred. As they set off on their journey, they let out a mournful shriek.

This not only startled those in the Pure Land and made them turn back, but even Chu Feng was in awe. A shiver shot up through his back.

Without a sound, six people on the Heavenly Ladder shriveled up as if they were instantaneously air-dried. Their bodies dried up and all signs of vitality vanished as they became corpses.

What was more terrifying was that they immediately turned into dust when they fell and dissipated in midair.

This sight made everyone's scalp numb, and they felt rather unnerved from the mysterious deaths. It was over in a flash.

There were still some alive on the Heavenly Ladder, and now, their faces were deathly white. They stood on top of the ladder and were fearful, not daring to move.

"Quick, go!"

Atop of the Heavenly Ladder, a domain master shouted. He took the lead and ran out. Then he successfully exited without meeting any misfortunes.

However, a few of those remaining cried out in misery just as they began to leave. This time, the others could clearly see them drying out in a flash. Their vitality waned instantaneously and they became like air-dried orange peel. Then they, too, were worn down into dust.

In the end, only one domain master and two elders from the Deity race successfully pushed their way through and escaped from the other end of the Heavenly Ladder. All others died on the way through.

"The Fallen Phoenix Hill!"

The domain master turned and looked into the distance with a pale face. He was shivering from head to foot. It filled his heart with dread that such a tragedy had occurred even with the Heavenly Ladder structure there.

"Run!"

Now, those who were left in the Pure Land were terrified. They had no idea who it was shouting. Thus, they began on their journey and didn't dare stay here any longer.

They were concerned that an event even more horrifying would occur if this continued on.

Before they came over, they hadn't noticed anything peculiar about the Fallen Phoenix Hill. Yet with the passing of time, the majority of those who set foot on the journey back had died tragically.

They fled backward like a swarm of bees. Even the three domain masters in the Pure Land didn't stay and rushed to fall back.

Chu Feng's head was swimming as he vividly watched this. His brows were knitted and a chill rustled through his body. He stood frozen on the spot as he was now in a situation far from favorable.

He couldn't show himself and escape with the others. After all, there were people on both ends of the Heavenly Ladder, so he could only hide.

He had a bad feeling that he was getting caught up in a perilous situation.

Life was just so unpredictable. He definitely wouldn't have taken his chances if he had known he would be hiding at the back, terrified even when stifling to make a scoop of a fortune.

Perhaps this was the fate of evolvers who trespassed forbidden areas and explore the land of the dead. Naturally, great dangers accompany magnificent opportunities.

"Ah…"

A hurried cry sounded briefly, and those at the back of the Heavenly Ladder immediately shriveled up. Their eyes were wide open as their bodies completely dried up and their vitality vanished.

Bang!

As they fell from the Heavenly Ladder, they became balls of dust. It was extremely sudden and their deaths were extremely miserable.

This intimidated everyone else and they trembled from head to toe. Sure enough, this land of great calamity was displaying its proper terror. It was not good even with the Heavenly Ladder built over it. It was still gobbling up people's vitalities while keeping the lives of some.

"Ah!"

When they reached halfway, two more people shrieked. They fell from the Ladder, and their forms were destroyed.

"Every time someone dies, it's someone from the back. It's as if there's something strange and impure claiming lives...." Someone muttered, stating their opinion.

As he said this, someone on the Heavenly Ladder directly overtook others with his rapid reflexes. He charged forward and seized an advantageous position by force before frantically fleeing away.

"Luo Zhicheng, how dare you…"

Someone berated angrily.

A rather ugly and ruthless scene was unfolding on the Heavenly Ladder. Even those from the same race were competing for better positions and plotting against each other.

Suddenly, someone dashed to the front, pushing others back.

Bang, bang, bang!

On the Heavenly Ladder, people were attacking each other. Deity race versus Deity race, Deity race versus Netherworld race. People were fighting and competing amongst themselves for favorable positions in order to escape with their lives.

Of course, in a flash, someone from the back shrieked painstakingly as they transformed into a mummy. The vitality within their bodies disappeared entirely, and they fell down toward the Fallen Phoenix Hill.

The fight became even more intense, and in a flash, a bloody battle to the death broke out. There were some killed by their own kind, and it was fierce and cruel.

In the end, four people came back alive, while all the others had either perished, died from internal dissipation or air-dried. The Fallen Phoenix Hill swallowed their energies as they died in odd ways.

Of the four people who came back alive, two of them were domain masters from the Deity race, one was an evolver from the older generation in the Deity race, and one was someone belonging to the Netherworld race.

They sat on the ground and took big breaths of air. Their bodies were covered with cold sweat. Were it an ordinary day, they would have finished the short journey in a couple of steps given their powers. Yet now, they had almost collapsed.

Driving his magical boat, Chu Feng hid at one end of the Heavenly Ladder. At any moment he was ready to attack and seize the treasure, but he hesitated and didn't want to act blindly without thinking.

This was because this place was incredibly bizarre. He was worried that he would stir an even more terrifying rebuttal from the Fallen Phoenix Hill, leading to an eerie massacre.

Sure enough, the domain master on the other side was deathly pale and didn't dare put the treasure away at the first instance. Chu Feng gave a long sigh at this. As long as his enemy didn't move, he didn't want to change the current situation, either.

Now, he became rather distressed as there was no way to stay here. This place was too terrifying, and there were miserable disasters happening even on paths which seemed safe.

The sound of quarreling, even some confrontation, came from the other side. After all, they were fleeing for their lives. What happened just a moment ago was rather ugly, with people surviving through clambering over the dead bodies of others and forcing their hopes of survival aside.

One of the domain masters thought of it and wanted to put the Heavenly Ladder away,

Chu Feng grew anxious and was ready to fight for it. However, he didn't attack at once. Instead, he watched on in silence.

"Ah… no!"

Sure enough, something unexpected happened once the domain master from the Deity race began to move. In an instant, his arm wilted, and soon afterward, his body became all skin and bones. He was completely dead, and his body caved in before dispersing as dust.

The others turned and ran. Those who were sitting on the ground jumped up and fled frantically too. They didn't dare pause nor say another word. Even their spirits were shaking in fear.

In the blink of an eye, everyone who survived had escaped. None of them dared to turn round. Nor did they dare to stop. They were miserable and stressed like mournful dogs.

Chu Feng stood on the opposite side and looked toward this side in silence. He had no idea that the situation would become like this, and in the end, only he remained here.

Should he walk through the Heavenly Ladder? He couldn't make the decision. When there were lots of people, those at the front were safe and could escape alive. Yet now, there was only him left, so who knows what could happen once he sets off.

He vigilantly thought back to the domain records on the moon and the description given to Fallen Phoenix Hill: a great terror, a great aberration, and a great annihilation!

These nine words weren't thorough and detailed enough.

Now, it seems that the framework of those nine words was being reflected fully and vividly. Those people were expressing it using their own lives.

"One of the records on the moon has a written account stating that when there's a lot of people, there would be a slim chance of survival upon the Fallen Phoenix Hill. Some individuals would be able to escape, and this was a way out the Fallen Phoenix Hill gave to unintentional trespassers."

As for breaking out by force, this wasn't what Chu Feng was concerned with at the present stage.

Chu Feng fell back. He wasn't going to leave right now as he felt the risk was too high. At the same time, he reckoned that the Deity race and the Netherworld race most likely wouldn't leave the matter at that. They would no doubt report it.

All in all, putting that immortal tree aside, even the golden box was enough to move them. The Deity race and the Netherworld race had always been envious of the Earth's greatest inheritance.

This was the depths of the Kunlun Pure Land and the true home of myriad gods. It was almost the Earth's most important place and that golden box was most certainly remarkable.

Chu Feng turned and walked toward the depths of the Pure Land.

"I'll take my advantage now and see if I can seize fortune now!"

If someone were to burst in once again, he was prepared to be the first to escape onto the Heavenly Ladder while it was chaotic, thereby leaving. It wasn't the time for it now, though. He needed to calm his mind down as it was no use being frightened and fearful.

The earth was sparkling and translucent in the dimensional space. A small tree swayed gently with the wind. Its tender leaves were green, while its old leaves were white as jade. The branches were presented in golden color, and the entire tree stood at a little more than a meter tall. Its sole fruit was bright red and resplendent. Its aroma was not too strong because the domain was hindering it so that it didn't all drift out at once.

Chi, chi, chi!

Chu Feng had broken domain flags and the Seal of Domain Suppression on his body, of which were spoils of war. He had fought against those from the island of Penglai before and contested divine sons and saintesses from the outer realms. As such, he had seized quite a lot of good things.

He produced them one by one and threw them onto the sparkling magnetic powder on the ground. Finally, he stepped onto it himself, decisive and determined.

It wasn't far and he went by in a flash, breaking through into the secret grounds. The small tree was not far away and was within reach.

All was going very smoothly and within Chu Feng's expectations.

Finally, the crucial moment came. Suddenly, a black vine sprang up and pierced through Chu Feng's body with the sound of a plop. It brought about a great big splatter of blood.

"So brutal!" Chu Feng cursed. Even though it was testing his bloodline and genes, it was indeed uncurbed. The average person wouldn't have managed to endure a blow like that.

"Bloodline is normal and genes are in accordance. An utterly pure descendant!" A robotic voice rang out and a black energy pagoda appeared.

With a whoosh, the black vine withdrew. Subsequently, the energy pagoda began to glow and enshrouded Chu Feng. It cured his wounded body and returned all of the blood and vitality he had lost. In an instant, he was back in good health.

"May I pick the fruit?" Chu Feng muttered to himself.

"You may," was the energy pagoda's response. Then it became quiet and noiseless.

Without demur, Chu Feng directly picked off the red fruit. Now, after being so nervous, he was somewhat relaxed as the refreshing aroma made him feel incomparably pleasant. He practically levitated and took off into the skies.

The bright red fruit was as big as his fist and caused his palm to glitter splendidly, becoming brightly-colored and translucent. This was a great medicine and was at last in his hands.

Chu Feng didn't dare look into it here and neither did he devour it immediately. Instead, he placed it in a jade container which he had prepared in advance to keep it safe.

God knows what would happen if he ate this fruit. If extreme changes took place on his body as a consequence, it would probably be quite time-consuming. In addition, his enemies could turn around and come back at any time.

Following this, he dug out the golden box which was semi-buried within the sparkling, translucent earth and put it away into his spatial bracelet. These two were the biggest opportunities/fortunes he had gained from here so far.

Chu Feng let out a long sigh. The greatest fortune was now in his possession.

Then he squatted down and began to dig at the strange earth as he wanted to take the divine tree as well.

However, an accident occurred. At that instant, the black energy pagoda produced a sound and said, "Warning, suspected invasion from the Taotie race. They want to dig deep so that not even a blade of grass grows!"

Afterward, he saw the domain marks nearby light up.

The area where the small tree was caved in, and the bizarre earth disappeared with a whoosh, too. This was most outrageous.

Chu Feng: "..."

His digging had lead to the energy pagoda malfunctioning and sounding the alarms. He was left rather speechless.

The black energy pagoda, as if defending against thieves, was standing against him!