I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 478Book 2: : The Lu Clan’s Secret, Ancient Hypothesis

Book 2: Chapter 478: The Lu Clan's Secret, Ancient Hypothesis

Vol 2 Chapter 478 The Lu Clan's Secret, Ancient Hypothesis

The Great Elder of the Lu Clan sized up Lu Yan and the others with a satisfied look in his eyes, his tone becoming increasingly gentle:

"Of course, although the current situation is difficult, the foundation of our Lu Clan is not something the Yun and Luo clans’ lowly servants can imagine. As for the Jiushan Sect, they are even less a match for us."

"As long as we survive this period, the Lu Clan’s resurgence will be far from impossible."

Lu Yan found his words resolute and grew even more curious. He wondered where the old man’s confidence came from. Could it be that the Lu Clan truly had some means to turn the tables?

The Great Elder of the Lu Clan seemed intent on giving them a surprise. He said no more and simply took out a jade scepter covered with dense runes—symbols Lu Yan couldn’t comprehend at all.

Holding the jade scepter, the Lu Clan Great Elder turned toward the snow-covered mountaintop and began softly chanting incantations.

Lu Yan was both curious and cautious, continuously scanning his surroundings.

Soon, as the Great Elder chanted, the scenery before them changed. The perennial snow on the mountaintop appeared to split into two curtains, slowly pulling apart to the left and right.

What was revealed surprised Lu Yan—the mountaintop was hollow!

This was the main peak of Haori Mountain, once one of the most famous immortal mountains in the Xuanyi Realm. The Golden Sun Summit was a world-renowned spectacle.

Who would have thought that beneath this golden summit lay a vast underground cave?

Calling it a cave was not quite accurate. As Lu Yan looked carefully ahead, he realized the scene was unlike anything he had ever seen.

At first glance, the mountaintop featured a huge deep pit, resembling a volcanic crater hundreds of miles wide.

But looking through the opening, it was not an empty rocky wall inside. Instead, it looked like a massive rock was blocking the entrance.

"Follow me into Yuanzun Peak."

Lu Yan exchanged glances with the other new Lu Clan disciples, their expressions full of curiosity. Here there was only a downward cave entrance—where was the mountain going upward?

However, the others seemed accustomed to this and quickly flew into the cave. Not wanting to overthink it, Lu Yan followed behind.

Once inside, they immediately understood where Yuanzun Peak was—it was inside this cave!

Within the main peak of Haori Mountain, there was yet another mountain, Yuanzun Peak—a mountain within a mountain!

No wonder all these years, the sect only had rumors about this peak, but no one knew its location.

What surprised Lu Yan even more was that Yuanzun Peak grew upside down. The place where they entered was obviously thicker, like the foot of a mountain.

Looking downward, the mountain body became thinner and thinner.

Grass and trees grew at the foot, but they were inverted—the roots were up, and the leaves pointed down.

Stone steps had been carved into the mountain’s belly, also descending downward, creating a strange sight.

The whole Yuanzun Peak looked like a long sword plunged into the earth, with no sign of the tip.

The Lu Clan Great Elder glanced back, and suddenly his sleeves fluttered as if blown by wind. Lu Yan felt an uncontrollable force pulling him toward Yuanzun Peak.

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He was startled inside but showed no outward reaction. He had already prepared for this before coming—he was on a mission with a one-in-a-million chance of survival, and no matter what he saw, he could not expose his identity.

Lu Yan felt completely disoriented, as if the world was spinning and he was being tossed upside down. The scenery whirled around him in every direction.

When he finally saw clearly again, he realized he was standing on the stone steps of Yuanzun Peak—meaning he was inverted like the grass and trees, with his head down and feet up, hanging upside down.

What felt strange was that the soles of his feet seemed to have a suction force, keeping him steady as if on flat ground.

"Climb the mountain."

The Lu Clan Great Elder’s words made Lu Yan feel strange. This was called climbing a mountain?

The group walked downward along the steps toward the mountaintop. The Lu Clan Great Elder occasionally explained the situation of Yuanzun Peak to the newcomers.

Whether it was useful or not, Lu Yan quietly memorized every word.

"This is the eye of the great formation of Haori Mountain, and also where our Holy Ancestor’s Divine Bow resides."

Lu Yan’s spirit trembled. He looked left and right and saw the other disciples also curious. Stretching their necks, they looked ahead.

Ahead was a viewing pavilion, of course also inverted. The pavilion was bright red. At first, he thought it was painted wood, but on closer inspection, it was carved entirely from a red stone.

Inside the pavilion was an offering table. Resting on it was a long bow and nine arrows—the bow seemed ablaze with flames, and the arrowheads radiated dazzling golden light.

"This is… the Holy Ancestor’s Sun-Shooting Divine Bow?"

A sharp Lu Clan disciple guessed.

The Sun-Shooting Divine Bow was a common artifact of the Lu Clan. Most Lu Clan members used this bow as their innate treasure.

However, since the death of all the Haori Mulberry trees, this bow had almost become extinct in Haori Mountain.

But the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow was still well-known among the people of Haori Mountain.

"Exactly. This is a legacy left by the Patriarch, possessing unmatched power and capable of controlling the Golden Sun Burning Sky Formation."

Lu Yan looked at the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow and couldn’t help but feel some worry.

He didn’t understand formations, but he knew the Jiushan Sect was well aware of the power of some artifacts.

In the Xuanyi Realm, cultivation was fundamental, but artifacts could greatly enhance a cultivator’s strength.

For example, their own sect leader Zheng Fa, though never highly cultivated, wielded tremendous influence through his many treasures.

The artifact left by the Haori Mountain Patriarch was enough to alert the Jiushan Sect.

A Lu Clan cultivator who heard this asked, "Now that the other two clans have revealed their ambitions, why don’t we use the great formation..."

"Because we have more important matters."

The newcomers were increasingly confused, but the Lu Clan Great Elder seemed unwilling to explain further. He led them onward.

They walked for several hours.

The steps ahead seemed endless.

Based on their stamina, Lu Yan quietly calculated that they had already gone deep underground—very, very deep.

Suddenly, a gurgling sound came from above, like something boiling.

Sticky droplets fell on his ear. Turning his head, Lu Yan saw red stains on his shoulder.

He looked up in horror and finally saw the peak of Yuanzun Peak.

At the mountaintop stood a statue of an unfamiliar man with a cold expression. The entire statue looked forged from black stone.

Above the statue’s head swirled a red rolling cloud, like a canopy covering Yuanzun Peak.

"This is…"

A chill shot through Lu Yan’s heart, but he dared not say more. Not just him, but everyone else sensed something was wrong and held their breath.

Moving closer, they could see the statue’s lower half. The man seemed to stand on a white stone platform covered with dense runes.

Around the platform was a white expanse—a sea of bones.

Round skulls, long leg bones, exposed rib cages, hollow eye sockets.

They were piled into a small mound, encircling the statue.

An altar!

Lu Yan hadn’t expected that the peak of Yuanzun Peak was actually a bizarre, eerie altar!

"This is our Holy Ancestor."

"But didn’t the Holy Ancestor have a portrait? He didn’t look like this!"

"The Holy Ancestor has another identity, called the Primordial."

The Primordial Demon Ancestor?

Lu Yan’s heart roiled with waves of shock. He nearly lost control of his expression.

Looking again at the statue, he realized it was no statue but a corpse.

The chest of the corpse rose and fell slowly, as if breathing rhythmically.

Rhythm...

Lu Yan looked up at the sky and suddenly understood. The swirling clouds rotated in sync with the chest’s rising and falling.

Could it be that the vortex was feeding on these offerings to revive the Primordial Demon Ancestor?

A cold dread settled in Lu Yan’s heart. He had always been somewhat curious about Haori Mountain—it was, after all, a legendary immortal sect of Xuanyi from ancient times.

But seeing this scene, he longed for the Jiushan Realm even more.

Most cultivators of Haori Mountain probably didn’t know the truth about their sect, just thinking they belonged to an immortal sect—especially the Lu Clan disciples.

Looking at the new Lu Clan disciples beside him, he saw hints of rejection in their expressions. He understood—regardless of their nature, most Lu Clan disciples still saw themselves as righteous cultivators.

But this scene shattered their illusions completely, just like how they had unknowingly descended deeper and deeper into an abyss during their climb.

"Who are these people..."

A disciple pointed at the bones on the ground, his voice tinged with unwillingness.

"The Gu God needs blood sacrifices, and we also need offerings... we just keep it from the other two clans."

But the Lu Clan Great Elder’s answer crushed everyone’s hopes.

So the Lu Clan was feeding the Gu God enthusiastically, using the Gu God’s name to take kickbacks?

Unable to do things on their own, they grabbed people under the guise of the Gu God?

"We are originally a great immortal sect. Why must we..."

A Lu Clan disciple muttered.

The Lu Clan Great Elder’s sleeves moved, and that disciple suddenly flew into the air, landing at the base of the altar.

"Save..."

The disciple didn’t finish his word before his face became covered with countless wrinkles. His skin turned from rosy to grayish white.

In just three breaths, the young, rosy-cheeked youth aged rapidly, collapsing to the ground as his flesh turned to ash and blew away into the black clouds.

Another set of white bones joined the altar.

The Lu Clan Great Elder’s expression turned cold, no longer kind: "Remember this—whether immortal sect or demon sect, everything of the Lu Clan comes from the Holy Ancestor!"

"Yes!"

The group shivered with fear and remained silent for a long time. Then the Great Elder spoke again: "We called you here to conduct a ritual."

"A ritual? To awaken the Holy Ancestor?"

"No, this Holy Ancestor’s body is already dead."

Lu Yan looked at the statue. Dead?

"Years ago, the rebel Tianhe severely injured the Primordial Holy Ancestor. Later, the Holy Ancestor transformed this earthly dharmakaya into a treasure, leaving it on Yuanzun Peak."

A treasure?

"The Primordial Holy Ancestor was a Golden Immortal sovereign and the strongest of this era. In terms of power, this treasure surpasses anything in the Xuanyi Realm today!"

Lu Yan’s heart sank. No wonder the Lu Clan was so confident.

"Not only that, this Holy Ancestor’s body is the key to opening and closing Nine Luminaries Heaven. Without it, no one may enter or exit."

No wonder they dared to negotiate cooperation with the Gu God.

"Then... why not use this body to wipe out the two clans and capture Zheng Fa?"

"Is this treasure so easy to use?" The Lu Clan Great Elder gave a bitter laugh. "The Holy Ancestor only obtained this altar by chance. Only then could we slightly control the body."

Lu Yan looked at the altar under the statue. The runes were densely packed. It looked like this was a treasure as well?

"We secretly captured many cultivators before releasing the Gu God. But now..." The Great Elder shook his head. "To enter Nine Luminaries Heaven now consumes even more energy. We must not only capture cultivators but hold a clan-wide ritual."

Lu Yan finally understood. The Lu Clan was not unwilling to retaliate against the Yun and Luo clans, but they were short on manpower and energy. This altar consumed most of their power.

The Lu Clan Great Elder said: "Once we obtain the Holy Ancestor’s relic, the Lu Clan can not only produce another Holy Ancestor but may also freely control this body! At that time, whether it is Jiushan Sect or the Yun and Luo clans, they can be easily destroyed."

Hearing this, everyone understood why the Great Elder barely cared about Haori Mountain now.

In plain terms, in the Xuanyi Realm, power is king. As long as the Lu Clan shows overwhelming strength, all current difficulties will be easily resolved.

"This ritual is also the control method for the altar, a secret passed down within the clan." The Lu Clan Great Elder pointed at the altar. "I teach you this, but it must never be revealed."

...

"What nonsense is this Lu Clan ritual?"

In the Jiushan Realm, watching the intelligence spies sent back, especially the ritual’s process, everyone was baffled.

It was indeed strange.

The ritual’s format and procedures were completely different from those of Xuanyi. Even the ritual texts were incomprehensible, strange sounds that were unpleasant to the ear.

The Heavenly Emperor body and Senior Sister Zhang exchanged a glance, feeling both joy and worry.

Joy because they finally understood the Lu Clan’s trump card.

Worry because this trump card was so overwhelming that the Jiushan Sect could not contend with it.

The Sun-Shooting Divine Bow was still manageable—just a formation. But the Primordial relic was terrifying.

Who knew how powerful that thing really was?

It seemed the Lu Clan would find it difficult and costly to activate the Primordial body, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t fight desperately.

"We can’t pressure the Lu Clan too much now..."

Senior Sister Zhang shook her head.

"True, but we can’t let them obtain the relic in Nine Luminaries Heaven either." Uncle Pang said this with a grim expression.

The three Demon Ancestors were hard enough to deal with. The Lu Clan was another tough opponent.

"I will find a chance to enter Nine Luminaries Heaven."

At this point, hesitation was no longer an option.

The Heavenly Emperor body thought for a moment and asked Jiao Wuji: "Is the insect swarm ready?"

"Easy to cultivate, but not sure if it’s enough."

"Try it anyway."

The Heavenly Emperor body nodded lightly, then glanced at Xiao Yuying.

Xiao Yuying was holding the Tongjian, frowning deeply, seemingly lost in thought.

"Fairy Xiao, have you discovered anything?"

"Yes..." Xiao Yuying put down the Tongjian, eyes bright. "Didn’t you all see it?"

"What?"

"The altar."

"What about the altar?"

The more she explained, the more confused everyone became.

"The runes on the altar are very similar to those on the bronze cauldron."

Everyone looked at the images the disciples had sent back on their Tongjians.

After a long time, Senior Sister Zhang nodded uncertainly: "They are somewhat similar, but also different..."

"Different. The content is probably not the same, but the rune style is very similar!"

"That’s possible. Didn’t the Lu Clan Great Elder say this altar was an ancient treasure obtained by Lu Mo? Maybe it’s very old."

Xiao Yuying looked at the Heavenly Emperor body and asked: "These runes match the patterns on my turtle shells too. Zheng Fa, you took my turtle shells. Have you figured anything out?"

"This is Professor Liu, deputy director of the Oracle Bone Research Institute."

On Rainbow Mountain, Team Leader Yang introduced a middle-aged man to Zheng Fa.

"Professor Liu, thank you for your help."

"No trouble at all!" Professor Liu hurriedly replied.

Because this was critical, Zheng Fa said no more but asked: "Are the patterns I sent you oracle bone script?"

"They resemble it!"

"Resemble it?" Zheng Fa was a little disappointed. So they were not exactly oracle bone script?

He had hoped to use modern research to decipher the altar’s secrets, looking for ways to counter the Lu Clan.

Seeing his expression, Professor Liu quickly said: "This actually relates to a possible revolution in writing between the Shang and Zhou dynasties."

"A revolution in writing?"