AST 1061 – The Ancient Ruins at Dragon Spine Mountain, Bodhi Tree?
In the end, Lin Zhanhan stayed behind at Yiye Tian’s house. Previously, Qing Shui had already decided that he would not bring Lin Zhanhan into the Ancient Ruins, even if they were in a group. He had actually planned for the man to just wait at the Ancient Ruins for them. Now however, the best decision was to let Lin Zhanhan stay here for the time being. They would come back for him when they head for Lion King’s Ridge. Most likely, Yiye Tian would also join them then.
Qing Shui and the others continued on their journey. To travel faster, they used the Nine Continents Steps Effect. The Ancient Ruins was at the northwestern edge of the Continent. As it was not the extreme northern tip, the weather was cold but not as extreme.
The Lion King’s Ridge was at the northern tip of the Continent, more to the east.
The Ancient Ruins was located in a very desolate place. As they got closer, the weather became harsher and the place looked bleaker. Snow covered everything and the chilly wind was as sharp as blades. The blizzard was constant and there were even some rumbling avalanches. All they could see was a vast land of white snow. Every now and then, there would be a powerful wild beast that would appear. Occasionally they would spot one or two plants buried in snow.
The fourth time they landed using the Nine Continents Steps Effect, they reached a place where a normal person would freeze to death within two hours. The snowy ground also posed great danger.
The snow on the ground was as thick as a man’s height in many areas. If one wasn’t at least a Martial Saint, it would be difficult to survive in this place. Qing Shui looked around him and stomped on the ground, clearing a large area of snow. Next, he set up a Spirit Sealing Formation. This could block the wind, falling snow, and everything that could move. He and his companions then set up their tents within the formation.
“The Ancient Ruins is in a place with such a harsh environment. I wonder how many people will brave this sort of weather to get there. I am sure not anyone would actually go there.” Di Qing commented as she sat beside Qing Shui.
“The Ancient Ruins is in a remote place, even though everyone knows that it is within Dragon Spine Mountain. I am sure only a few people can find this place and go back home safely. Such conditions are really a big deterrence,” Qing Shui said as he looked at the howling blizzard just outside his formation..
They were in a very huge place. After using his Spirit Sealing Formation, he might be able to practice using his other techniques. Qing Shui excused himself and went out to explore the surroundings.
Qing Shui walked in mid-ar using his Nine Palace Steps. He had time, so he walked around and observed the place. As he shuffled along, he realized that many Demonic Beasts lived here, most of which were white, just like the surrounding snow. There were Snow Beasts, Snow Hawks, and Snow Wolves, among other Demonic Beasts.
Arctic Hares…
QIng Shui knew that Arctic Hares were delicious, but they looked different from the pictures he had seen. For a few seconds, he even hesitated, somewhat unwilling to harm them. In the end, he still caught and brought a few of them back.
“Should we have these for dinner tonight?” Qing Shui placed five Arctic Hares, all about a foot long, on the ground.
“Ahh! No!” Hai Dongqing exclaimed instinctively and quickly went to carry one of them. The Arctic Hares were white as snow and their fur was smooth. Even though their bodies radiated heat and were warm to touch, that body heat was insufficient to melt the snow. Their two pale red eyes were exceptionally cute.
“Err… These hares can be kept as pets?” Qing Shui asked Hai Dongqing, puzzled. He didn’t expect Hai Dongqing to look so kind, holding an Arctic Hare in her hand. It was as if her aura changed, or she changed into another outfit. The Arctic Hare a great accessory on her, but Qing Shui’s focus was ultimately on her.
In the end, they did not eat those Arctic Hares. The women requested for him to release those little creatures, but he kept them in his Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. Even if he wasn’t going to eat them, they would add to the scenery in his realm.
……
Qing Shui and his group were nearing Dragon Spine Mountain after traveling for half a month. At the moment, they were all looking at a map. The place they were at now was covered in snow, but some of the area was covered by ancient forests with extremely tall trees while others were barren, without even a hint of residual snow. Even the weather here wasn’t as cold.
“We should be there soon. We met a few people here on our way. They’re probably heading for the Ancient Ruins as well.” Qing Shui said as he brought his companions towards higher ground.
Even though they could just fly upwards, Qing Shui enjoyed walking up to a high vantage point to look at the surroundings. It was a feeling he liked and enjoyed. No wonder people always aimed for higher grounds…
“Remember, if you enter the Ancient Ruins, don’t get separated. With Jiange’s Seven-headed Crystal Beast as well as Luan Luan and her demonic beasts, we shouldn’t need to worry too much. Don’t try to be greedy about the treasures. Just take this as training. But if we happen to get any treasure by chance, then we should just keep it.” Qing Shui said seriously.
“Okay. If a treasure comes to me, I will throw it away. If I still get it back after three times, I will keep it.” Di Qing said as she nodded.
Everyone smiled but didn’t say anything.
Qing Shui began to hand out some necessities and Interspatial Silk Sachets to the women and Little Fatty. After that, he patted Little Fatty’s shoulder.
The wind here was mild. Compared to the place they were before, this was like heaven. Suddenly, a stronger wind blew at them, whipping Yu Ruyan’s hair. They could also smell a fragrance in the air.
“Smells good!” Yu Ruyan commented.
“That’s right. It’s your scent.” Qing Shui said casually.
Yu Ruyan pushed her hair away from her face. Thinking about what Qing Shui said, she blushed. The display of a youthful demeanor by a mature woman was exceptionally attractive.
“What nonsense… That fragrance is not from me.”
At that moment, Qing Shui knew that too. Tongue-in-cheek, he laughed and continued praising her. After that he looked to the left, where the wind was coming from. The fragrance was coming from that direction.
The surrounding ten thousand miles were covered in snow but there was still a possibility that a rare exotic flower was in bloom. Could he be that lucky?
To be able to discover something like this in such a vast place was some exceptional luck. Qing Shui thought to himself as he walked closer. He used his spiritual sense to its fullest extent, as he knew that there would always be a powerful guardian protecting anything rare.
After they turned around a corner, Qing Shui was stunned. From where they were, he could see an amazing sight happening under a gigantic rock. There was a pit that was around 3 meters wide. It looked like a normal pit, but it also felt special. What attracted Qing Shui’s attention was a colorful little tree in the middle of the pit. Qing Shui counted the number of colors.
It was six-colored!
One could tell the grade of many things in this world just by looking at how many colors they had. Items or living organisms with seven colors were generally of the highest grade. As with everything, there were exceptions: there were some things which could have up to nine or twelve colors. It could get even more complicated.
The others also spotted it. Finally, Little Fatty spoke.
“That is the legendary Bodhi Tree of Buddhist scripture. It looks exactly like it, but it is really too small…”
“Bodhi tree?’ QIng Shui asked, bewildered. He had heard of the tree in his past life but it had always been a very mysterious thing. Qing Shui had never given it more thought.