After leaving the border of the Star Dou Forest, the four of them headed north without delay. Before long, they crossed the boundary between two nations and entered the territory of the Tianhun Empire.
After studying the map for a while, Shu Yan ultimately decided to visit the ruins of Jialing Pass first. The reason was simple—judging by their current route, they would pass right through that area anyway. As for their other destination, Dragon City, it lay far to the northeast of the Tianhun Empire, so distant that it was not far from the Extreme Northern Lands themselves. Taking a long detour while passing up something closer simply made little sense at the moment.
Once inside Tianhun territory, the group became far more discreet than before.
After the split of the Tiandou Empire, the Tianhun Empire had inherited most of its former lands and power, while the Douling Empire seized control of much of the eastern coastal regions. Since then, conflicts between the two empires had been frequent. Although a surface-level peace was maintained in the present day, relations were no better than nominal. Were it not for the looming threat of the Sun Moon Empire, the border between these two nations would hardly be peaceful at all.
The ruins of Jialing Pass mentioned by Qiangu Chaosheng happened to lie at the very heart of the Tianling Mountain Range, right along the border between the Tianhun Empire and the Douling Empire.
This place had once been the primary battlefield of the divine war ten thousand years ago. Countless lives had perished here—even the former Rakshasa God had fallen and remained buried in this land. For a long time after the war ended, Jialing Pass was steeped in overwhelming resentment, with the aura of death and decay seemingly frozen into the very soil of this ominous land.
Later, due to shifting political circumstances, Jialing Pass was abandoned for various reasons. The Tiandou Emperor of that era chose to build a new city further behind the original pass, and from then on, Old Jialing Pass became a mysterious forbidden zone in the eyes of the world. Aside from occasional descendants of major sects who came to pay respects to their ancestors, almost no one was willing to set foot here, fearing they might become tainted by its ill fortune.
After easily evading a scouting unit stationed along the Tianhun Empire's border, the four arrived at this desolate land with hardly any effort at all—now so ruined that it was nearly unrecognizable.
Ten thousand years had passed. The once towering and sturdy city walls of Old Jialing Pass had long since collapsed and crumbled away. Wild grass swayed violently in the wind blowing in from beyond the pass. Sparse vegetation had begun to grow on the formerly barren rocky mountains, yet there was still no trace of life to be found.
Looking outward from the remaining sections of the collapsed walls, the vast plain beyond was equally lifeless. Countless withered graves stood scattered across it. The soil itself bore an ominously deep, dark hue, as though constantly reminding the living of what had occurred here ten millennia ago.
Standing atop an ancient section of wall that had yet to collapse, the four endured the howling wind. For reasons unknown, a quiet sorrow rose unbidden from the depths of their hearts. Gazing at the perpetual clouds hanging over the land, the Snow Empress spoke softly:
"So many lives were lost here. Even the earth's veins and the flow of heaven were affected. One can only imagine how terrifying and blood-soaked that war ten thousand years ago must have been…"
The Ice Empress tugged lightly at Shu Yan's sleeve and said uneasily,
"Shu Yan, are you sure that old man didn't lie to you? This place doesn't look like it holds any kind of opportunity at all—if anything, it feels deeply unsettling…"
Xu Jiujiu nodded in agreement. The sensation here reminded her of the Undead Demi-plane. Even just standing in this place, she could feel a chilling force burrowing into her body, and even her soul power seemed to be faintly suppressed.
Shu Yan frowned slightly and replied,
"Senior Qian has no reason to deceive me. Let's go down and take a look. The Rakshasa God fell here ten thousand years ago, but according to Senior Qian, her consciousness never truly dissipated. There should be something here—something we can't perceive…"
The Snow Empress nodded as well. The group leapt down from the city wall, landing amid the endless sea of withered graves below.
As they advanced deeper along the narrow gaps between the graves, the only sounds that reached their ears were the whistling wind and the occasional scurrying of small soul beasts. Countless names were carved into the tilted, broken tombstones—now so eroded that they were barely legible. Some had belonged to soldiers of the Tiandou Empire ten thousand years ago, others to powerful figures of the Spirit Hall. Yet today, all of them were nothing more than dry bones in the earth, with no one left willing to offer even a single tribute.
After roughly twenty minutes, they discovered a tomb at the very center of the graveyard—one whose scale and style clearly differed from all the others. Surrounding it stood four massive stone pillars, each dozens of meters tall. Despite enduring ten thousand years of wind and rain, their surfaces were merely covered in dust and scars, while the mysterious and intricate patterns carved upon them remained strikingly clear.
Shu Yan cautiously reached out and touched one of the pillars. It was icy cold to the touch—but almost immediately, all four of them sensed something was wrong.
The surrounding space seemed to be disturbed by an invisible force. Sand and gravel from the ground began to float into the air. The dust and outer layers of the stone pillars peeled away as an eerie dark-purple light burst forth. In the blink of an eye, the group found themselves transported to an entirely different realm.
Unlike the chilling gloom of the Undead Demi-plane, this space was saturated with an indescribable evil power. Under its oppressive presence, even spiritual force could not be freely deployed, while soul power was completely sealed away.
From the overall layout, it seemed they were standing inside a grand hall. The lighting was dim, and every pillar and ornament radiated an unsettling aura. At the far end of the hall, a breathtakingly beautiful woman clad in a pale-purple gown slowly emerged from the darkness.
Almost instantly, the Snow Empress and Ice Empress felt every hair on their bodies stand on end. Their instincts screamed at them that this cold, noble woman—clearly no ordinary human—possessed power far beyond their own. With just a single glance, an overwhelming sense of danger washed over them.
Xu Jiujiu instinctively stepped back two paces and turned her gaze toward Shu Yan. In moments like this, even the combined presence of the two Ice and Snow Empresses gave her less reassurance than Shu Yan alone. She held an extraordinary trust in him—one that had never wavered, no matter the situation.
Shu Yan looked at the woman before him, who remained peerlessly elegant even after ten thousand years, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Senior," he said calmly, "how should I address you?"
A gentle smile also appeared on the woman's face, carrying an indescribable charm. By the time the four regained their senses, she was already seated upon the throne behind her.
Her gaze swept over the group as she crossed her long, pale legs, resting her chin on one hand. With a soft laugh, she said,
"I have fallen to such a state—call me whatever you like. As for why I was willing to see you… it is because I sensed a familiar aura on you. That aura belongs to the soul master who once wielded the Coiling Dragon Staff. Are you his descendant… or his disciple?"