Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Oasis
"If it were just four, I wouldn’t need to keep such a secret..."
Ji Chen smiled faintly. Despite the simplicity of his words, the information contained within caused Qu Luoning’s heart to tremble.
"Could it be that you actually have five Spirit Veins?" she asked in surprise, an incredulous expression on her face.
Since the Emperor Ye Era, it was said that no one in the Profound Domain had ever possessed five Spirit Veins.
If Ji Chen truly had as many as five Spirit Veins, without a doubt, he would be the brightest genius in the Profound Domain in the past ten thousand years.
Such a person, regardless of his future achievements, would become a name recorded in ancient history, passed down to future generations, merely by possessing five Spirit Veins.
Ji Chen didn’t answer, but instead joked, "If our relationship truly reached a certain level, maybe I’d really tell you."
"What level?" She was taken aback.
"Speaking of which, we’ve been trapped here for twelve years. If we were a normal couple, their child could already start cultivating."
Hearing this, Qu Luoning snapped out of it, her face becoming both shy and angry, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Ji Chen ignored her, instead resting his chin in his hand as if he had thought of something, and said with a serious expression, "That is indeed a thought-provoking question. What if we really had a child here, who grew up here, but when outside, only a few days had passed? What would happen then?"
Upon hearing this, Qu Luoning also frowned. Clearly, Ji Chen’s question had some depth to it.
But she quickly snapped back, "Nonsense! What you’re saying is impossible, why think so much?"
"Indeed."
Ji Chen sighed, then slapped his thigh and stood up, "Let’s go."
"Where to?"
Qu Luoning was taken aback.
"I think we shouldn’t give up on finding a way out. Besides our daily cultivation, let’s spend some time searching for the Array’s core. I don’t really want to spend hundreds of years here," Ji Chen said.
Thus, they devised a plan.
From then on, for every ten days of cultivation, they spent two days searching for the Array’s core, hoping that one day they could truly find an escape.
And so these days continued for another two years.
This was their fourteenth year of confinement here.
Now, both of their cultivation levels had seen significant improvement.
Ji Chen had reached the Ninth Layer of the Spirit Transformation Realm, just one step away from the Returning Ruins Realm, while Qu Luoning, though without the help of the Supreme Scripture, naturally had a strong talent with her three Spirit Veins, and her cultivation had finally reached the Sixth Layer of the Spirit Transformation Realm!
"Hmm?"
One day, as they aimlessly wandered, searching for the Array’s core, Ji Chen suddenly frowned, his gaze directed towards a distant direction.
"What is it?"
Qu Luoning asked, puzzled.
"I seem to sense an aura..."
Ji Chen spoke, having cultivated the Supreme Scripture, his perception was much stronger than ordinary people.
Upon hearing this, Qu Luoning was immediately surprised, her face showing joy.
Because this was the first unique discovery they had made in fourteen years!
"Could it be the Array’s core?" she couldn’t help but ask.
"Not certain, this aura... feels more like a person!"
Ji Chen shook his head, his brows furrowed even deeper, "Regardless, it’s worth checking out."
With that said, he led Qu Luoning towards the direction where the aura was emanating from.
Finally, about half a day later, in front of them, the world was no longer just a vast whiteness.
Before them not far away.
There was surprisingly an oasis, although small, it stood out in this white world!
Both of them were filled with excitement.
Because this could be the Array’s core they had been searching for over fourteen years, the key to their potential escape!
"Hmm? Someone’s here!"
As they approached, they discovered that this so-called oasis was actually a patch of grassland, where various weeds and strange flowers grew.
Moreover, in the very center of this oasis, they saw a figure.
It was a person, sitting with his back to them, in front of a stone stele half a man’s height.
His hair was stark white, casually draped over his shoulders, appearing disheveled, with a faint aura emanating from him.
If it weren’t for the presence of this aura, Ji Chen would’ve thought the figure had died there.
"Why is there someone here, and besides him, others have been here too!" Qu Luoning furrowed her brows tightly.
They could see that beside the white-haired figure, in front of the ancient stele, several other figures were also sitting cross-legged.
But those people had long since died, their bodies decayed, leaving only skeletons, having died who knows how many years ago.
Such a discovery made Ji Chen and Qu Luoning’s faces turn grim.
Because it’s very likely that these people had been trapped here for many years, like them, caught inadvertently by the Array in the withered wood forest.
But so many years had passed, and the Gui Xu Ruins opened and closed who knows how many times, yet they had not been transmitted out because of it.
This meant that the closing of the Gui Xu Ruins did not affect this space!
In other words, they had initially hoped that, hundreds of years later, when the ruins closed, they could leave this place.
But now, such thought seems impractical.
Because the scene before them is the best proof!
"More people... have come..."
And as Ji Chen and Qu Luoning pondered in their hearts, from the figure sitting in front of the stone stele, suddenly came a weak voice.
"Senior, we mean no disturbance, we were also trapped here, I wonder if the senior has found a way out?" Ji Chen asked with a frown while cupping his fist slightly towards the figure.
Apparently, with white hair and a hoarse voice, this person must be an aged elder judging by appearance.
And given the unique nature of this space, those trapped within wouldn’t age over time.
Meaning this elder was already this old upon entering here!
This was an existence from the Ancient Era!
For since the Cyan Emperor Era, the major Sects tacitly agreed that only younger generations could enter.
This elder was born before the Cyan Emperor Era!
Before such a character, Ji Chen certainly dared not offend in any way.
Even though he and Qu Luoning’s cultivation had improved quite a bit over the years, if the other really was an ancient era’s mighty figure, without a doubt, such an existence could easily kill them.