Chapter 400 - The Real Ancestral Land
Ye Qingyu’s biggest goal of coming to the imperial capital this time was to enter the imperial household’s ancestral temple, to find the so-called truth that his father said before he died. He had been trying to gain fame and status, including establishing the Two River Gang and so on, just to achieve this goal.
It was only that the imperial household’s ancestral temple was heavily guarded, and can be called the most terrifying forbidden area of the imperial capital. From the news that he received these days, even with the most optimistic of estimates, Ye Qingyu still felt that he needed at least two years of time, in order to increase his cultivation to a level able to intrude the into the imperial household’s ancestral temple.
There seemed to be no other way than forceful entry.
But now, Xing’er was saying that she would take him into the imperial household’s ancestral temple?
In that instant, Ye Qingyu felt his luck was almost too good, like someone that had just dozed off was given pillows and blankets.
“Is it not surprising that you should take me, an outsider, to the imperial household’s ancestral temple?” Ye Qingyu said, expressionless, trying to erase her suspicions, then went over to sit at the side of the deck, immediately changing the topic. “You still haven’t told me, why are we going to the ancestral hall?”
Xing’er was staring suspiciously at Ye Qingyu with her beautiful big eyes, saying in a skeptical tone, “When you ran into the biggest matter before, I’ve never seen you react so strongly... Of course we have something to do at the ancestral temple. It’s boring going there by myself, and since I ran into you at the station, I brought you with me and let you accompany me. I did not expect that we would run into uncle on the way...”
“I see, but as far as I know, the imperial household’s ancestral temple is a forbidden territory. Outsiders are absolutely not allowed to enter, how can you take me in there?” Ye Qingyu took an indirect approach.
“You’ll see.” Xing’er said smugly, keeping him in suspense.
Ye Qingyu did not question further, after a brief thought he asked, “Right, from your attitude, it seems like you dislike that Uncle a lot?”
Xing’er was silent for a long moment, before she responded, “When I was young, father was always busy with cultivation and government affairs. He rarely cared about me, but Uncle was often in the imperial palace. He was very good to me, never had he refused any requests, and sometimes when I get into trouble, he would help me hide it. When the matters were too serious, he would help me talk to father and mother. He treats me better than my father does; he is the person closest to me in the palace. In my heart, I had hoped many times before that, if Uncle is my father, how good would that be...”
Ye Qingyu nodded.
He could tell that Yu Feiyan favoured Xing’er.
“Then something happened in the palace. My three older brothers suddenly fell ill and died. Father thought that there was something ominous about the palace, so told one of the four saints, [Painting Saint] Master Liu to take me away from the palace, to Youyan Pass. Uncle personally took me to Youyan Pass. I really missed him when I was in Youyan Pass, but then something happened and I began to not understand Uncle. When I returned to the capital, I heard a lot, saw a lot, and noticed a lot of things. I investigated some past events... Although I don’t want to believe it, but Uncle really has changed, I... do not know how to face him, so I have been deliberately avoid him, I don’t want to see him, I did not expect that...
Xing’er spoke about the past with a note of sadness in her voice.
Just that her words were the same as not saying anything. In the meantime, the information revealed filled Ye Qingyu’s mind with puzzlement. There have been three Princes that had died in the palace of the Snow Empire? The Snow Emperor sent his little girl to Youyan Pass for shelter?
These matters were very strange indeed.
It could be imagined that the death of those three princes was absolutely abnormal. What kind of matters could the imperial capital not resolve and suppress, and had no choice but to send his daughter to a place like Youyan Pass for shelter?
But looking at Xing’er’s expression, even if Ye Qingyu had thousands of questions on his mind, at this moment he felt bad to question any further, and had to give her a few words of comfort.
While he was speaking, the airship suddenly began to descend slowly.
In front, there was a formation obstructing them. Ten small mysterious yellow airships suddenly appeared as though they had pierced through a transparent waterfall, and then rippling through the void like the tide racing in, they emerged on all sides, forming an encirclement, surrounding the airship.
There were armoured soldiers on the ship.
They were the masters that guarded the forbidden territory.
Ye Qingyu was standing at the side of the ship, marvelling at the breathtaking views below. There were statues of deities standing in great numbers like a forest, a solemn atmosphere like that of a temple, and a low, hollow sound of subdued drumming. It was a scenery that was completely different from elsewhere in the Imperial capital.
This should be the legendary Imperial Ancestral Temple.
No wonder that even Xing’er’s mysterious yellow airship was subjected to all sorts of interrogation.
Ye Qingyu could not help but feel excited once again.
He furtively held the heroic military badge in the palm of his hand. According to his father’s last words, this badge can help him find the so-called truth in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The distance into the ancestral temple was only a matter of time...
After interrogation, the mysterious yellow airship continued advancing.
Having passed through the waterfall-like rune formation, the flying speed had diminished by a lot. In less than ten minutes of time, they arrived at the second formation control area, and also the second interrogation, which was much more strict than the first. Even princess Xing’er was subjected to interrogation by a female soldier.
There was a total of eighteen such control formations.
Below were temples and shrines everywhere, statues towering like mountains, and between the unending sounds of beating drums was the faint chanting of monks. Having passed through nine layers of clouds, the smell of incense became extremely strong, the air solemn and still, projecting a peaceful atmosphere that calms the mind. Immersed in such an atmosphere. Even an evil person with the strongest murderous spirit could not help but feel a sense of tranquility and turn away from evil and follow virtue.
The soldiers of the last formation control area, each one of their strength had reached the level of a top expert. These people, if placed outside, would definitely be a commander-in-chief, but here they were only ordinary soldiers, and like ordinary soldiers they patrolled daily and were given the heavy responsibility of guarding the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
And the search and interrogation at this level was the strictest.
The mysterious yellow airship was no longer allowed to advance.
The golden-armoured guards on the airship were also asked to wait on the ship.
At first, Ye Qingyu was also refused entry, but after Princess Xing’er, who had been subjected to interrogation by a female soldier, said something to the commander in charge of this control area, then the commander of unfathomable strength sent people to verify something. They waited at least half an hour later before receiving a reply. Finally, after a rigorous search and inspection, Ye Qingyu followed behind Princess Xing’er, boarded another internal fast airship and continued through the prohibited area.
After passing the last control area, the area ahead was suddenly brightly lit.
The cries of white spiritual cranes were ringing in the air.
All kinds of spiritual birds were moving back and forth between the green hills and blue water.
A tranquil and quiet paradise full of a spiritual aura, like a hidden land of peace and prosperity appeared before Ye Qingyu. This place and the areas outside of the formation control area were two different worlds. The deity statues, temples, monks, incense and so on in the areas outside were full of traces of sculpting and manual work that maked people feel respect, This place, on the other hand, was filled with the workings of nature. The fresh and clean smell seemed as though it could purify the human body and soul.
The airship was flying in the pure sky, as if drifting in a transparent lake.
Ye Qingyu was overlooking below.
The nine lush green mountains below were like nine gigantic dragons lying dormant on the ground, exuding a majestic aura, and as though they had fully exhausted the power of heaven and earth, they eventually converged at a magnificent vast mountain range, forming several divine dragon mountain peaks. While shaking their heads and looking up, the divine dragons seemed about to soar into the sky, breaking through the space and departing skyward with an imposing manner.
Ye Qingyu almost had an illusion that the dragon mountain peaks were alive.
And although Ye Qingyu did not fully understand, his excellent intuition made him vaguely feel that the nine mountains beneath, the terrain that looked like dragons, were not that simple.
So the Snow Empire’s real Imperial Ancestral Temple was situated in such a paradise, it really wasn’t like those temples and shrines that people always see.
The ancestral land of a clan, especially the imperial household, related to the fate and luck of that clan. Although fate and luck are illusory in many people’s eyes, but once at the level of the imperial court, it was obviously something to consider, such as the protection and design of the Snow Empire’s ancestral temple. It can only be called an uncanny workmanship.
Suddenly, Ye Qingyu felt a slight heat bursting forth in the heart of his palm.
His mood suddenly became extremely excited and tense.
It was the heroic military badge that reacted.
At this time, the airship slowly began to land.
The landing place was the periphery of the mountain range.
“Within 50 miles of the ancestral temple, everyone must walk.”
Xing’er whispered in Ye Qingyu’s ears. “You have to follow me closely, do not go the wrong way, the mountains and clear waters are beautiful, but everywhere is full of murderous spirit. With one wrong step you would never return...”
As she spoke, she pulled on her dress a little and walked towards the emerald-green mountainous forest, her face also growing solemn.
Ye Qingyu could also sense the terrifying murderous spirit across the landscape, dared not act rashly, and followed behind Xing’er.
The soldier that walked Ye Qingyu and Xing’er all the way here had left on a ship.
They walked for about 100 steps, when the murderous spirit between the landscapes had suddenly intensified.
There was no one hiding around, but it felt as though the biggest killing formation in this world was set up around these two people. The air was thick with a bone-chilling and painful killing intent, like an invisible millstone was about to grind up Ye Qingyu and Xing’er. Even with Ye Qingyu’s mind and strength, he could not help shuddering.
Xing’er suddenly bit her finger, blood seeped from the wound.
She flicked the blood into the air.
The killing intent and pressure between the mountains and water suddenly vanished——