Chapter 135: The City Wall and the Battlefield

Wanting the treasure, yet fearing death!

This was the mindset of the two men now. They had laid out all their defenses, but neither dared to be the first to try.

“Junior Brother Lin, it was all a misunderstanding earlier…”

“Yes, yes, thanks to Lin Zhan’s warning, otherwise we would have been done for.”

At last, the two realized they still had to flatter Lin Zhan, their tone shifting quite quickly.

However, their standing in Lin Zhan’s eyes had already plummeted to the lowest point.

Lin Zhan tossed out two ghost flowers, each enclosed in a box, and said, “Both of you senior brothers have mostly recovered. Why not part ways here? If you return by the same path, you should be able to leave this place.”

The withered flower was retrieved back into space by Lin Zhan.

Giving each of them a ghost flower was already more than generous. At this moment, Lin Zhan no longer wished to be burdened by these two senior brothers. Such companions were not only liabilities but potential threats who might stab him in the back. Therefore, Lin Zhan had to separate from them.

“Junior Brother… We are disciples of the Flame Peak Sect; it’s not right for us to separate!” Gu Yuanzhou said, his face full of frustration as he reluctantly put away the ghost flower box.

Teng Sheng, beaming with joy, hugged his box and said, “Separating isn’t impossible. Otherwise, in the end, everyone will face tough choices. We can only hope that Junior Brother Lin’s path goes smoothly.”

To Teng Sheng, simply obtaining a ghost flower was already a great satisfaction.

“Hmm, take care, senior brothers!” Lin Zhan said without turning back, continuing deeper down the stone steps.

After Lin Zhan left, Gu Yuanzhou cursed, “Teng Sheng, are you stupid? Why let Lin Zhan leave? What if we encounter danger again?”

Teng Sheng’s tone was low and steady. “Although Lin Zhan is strong and has helped us many times, this competition isn’t about team achievements but individual honor. In the end, it’s you and me who have to be ranked.”

“Ah, returning to the sect afterward will be awkward,” Gu Yuanzhou sighed heavily.

“What’s so awkward about it? Are you so sure Lin Zhan will survive till the end?” Teng Sheng put away the ghost flower, stood up, and dusted himself off. “Come on, let’s follow Lin Zhan. That guy always seems to have good luck…”

Gu Yuanzhou was stunned. “Weren’t we supposed to leave here…? Ah, you mean…”

Seeing the sly expression on Teng Sheng’s face, Gu Yuanzhou immediately understood his intent.

After much hesitation, Gu Yuanzhou couldn’t suppress a deep hope within his heart.

Indeed, who could be certain that Lin Zhan would survive? Perhaps there was still a chance to secretly “help” him. Then Lin Zhan’s magical artifacts—the white bone tower, the ink sword, the ghost flowers, and other treasures—could all become their own.

With such thoughts, their souls slipped beyond their control, and one after the other, they trailed far behind Lin Zhan’s path, descending the stone steps step by step…

At last, the stone steps came to an end. Lin Zhan stood at the tail end, solemn and composed.

What lay before him was beyond any description.

These steps were not ordinary pathways. After walking for so long, they had actually been winding along the crest of a city wall, twisting and turning.

Lin Zhan couldn’t help but recall the Great Wall of his homeland, a marvel of civilization. Here, too, was the same majesty, the same overwhelming awe!

And this city wall’s height was absolutely dozens of times that of the Great Wall!

However, the wall was shattered and dilapidated; most sections had collapsed or sunk. Despite this, the sight still struck Lin Zhan with profound shock.

He once heard a joke about someone seeing the Great Wall for the first time and exclaiming sincerely, “Great Wall, you’re damn long!”

At this moment, Lin Zhan felt inclined to say, “Damn, this is damn magnificent! Truly breathtaking!”

What stunned him was not only the wall, which stretched into the unknown, but also the vast, barren expanse outside the wall.

There, countless corpses lay heaped in dense layers!

Lin Zhan felt the same detached sensation he had experienced when viewing the ice-blue world through a magnifying glass at that antique shop. This detached observation left him rooted to the spot, unable to move or breathe for a long while.

This was an ancient battlefield from an uncounted epoch. In this corner of the wasteland lay armored human warriors wielding greatswords and spears, exotic generals riding rhinoceros-horned warhorses clad in tattered clothing, and massive, muscular beasts towering like giant towers...

They must have all been killed by a tremendous shockwave, as some covered their ears and eyes, some clutched their heads, all fallen in the same direction.

Lin Zhan descended by sword, drifting slowly above the sea of corpses, his heart heavy.

What he saw was merely the tip of the iceberg. If he were to see it all, the number of fallen souls would be too vast to count.

A gentle breeze brushed Lin Zhan’s face, free of any hint of death.

Perhaps, over time, these corpses had merged seamlessly with their surroundings.

Lin Zhan passed through the densest cluster of corpses and reached a relatively sparse area, usually where top warriors had fought duels.

The battle here must have been so fierce that nearly all perished. Here, Lin Zhan noticed a gigantic skull lying quietly. Its dark skin still covered the bones, and hair remained, fluttering slightly in the breeze.

Nearby, a figure knelt on one knee as solid as a rock—the owner of the severed head.

Dressed finely, he seemed to be a fierce general.

The staff-like weapon he leaned on was broken in half, deeply embedded in the ground, sunk to an unknown depth.

About a dozen yards ahead of this beheaded corpse lay a man in brocade robes, face down. Judging by his attire, he must have been a noble scion of a prominent family or an elite disciple of a great sect. However, an arrow protruded from his back, pinning him firmly to a large stone in front of him.

Though the stone bore a visible crack, it had not split apart.

The arrow’s tail was golden, emitting a special light that shimmered like a star against the plain background.

Lin Zhan was drawn in, stopping to gently grasp the golden arrow tail.

A vague, chaotic aura surged directly into Lin Zhan’s divine consciousness, sweeping fiercely before retreating swiftly and vanishing back into the golden arrow.

Suddenly, bloodstains flowed from Lin Zhan’s eyes, nose, and other facial orifices...