Stronger with More Jobs-Chapter 325 - 196: Ancient Technique, Ruins!!

In no time, they arrived near an alley with a distinctive old Shangjing flavor.

Chu Kuanglan, familiar with the surroundings, parked the car and led the group into a restaurant with a sign that read "Beijing Flavors Restaurant." The establishment was decorated with a classical charm and was bustling with business.

They booked an elegant private room on the second floor, near the window.

Outside the window were the gray walls and dark tiles of the alley, and the neon lights of the distant city, offering a unique flavor.

Soon, the table was filled with dishes like the roasted duck, glistening brown and shiny with oil, crystal-clear pork knuckles, crispy meatballs, sautéed tripe, mustard greens...

Each dish was an authentic Shangjing delicacy, filling the air with enticing aromas.

Jiang Wei’s eyes noticeably brightened, and though she still tried to maintain the poise of a little adult, her chopstick speed clearly increased.

Chu Kuanglan poured himself a glass of beer, also filling Fang Qingyu and Lu Jiuyuan’s glasses, raising his own: "Come, the first glass, let’s toast to our safe return! Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

They clinked their glasses, and the atmosphere became lively.

After a few rounds of drinks and several flavors of dishes, the topic naturally shifted to the experiences inside the "Yuan."

Chu Kuanglan stuffed a large piece of roasted duck into his mouth and said indistinctly, "God Fang, with all the commotion we stirred up at the Deep Pool, it’s likely to soon spread throughout the Hidden Dragon Plan circles. But, others haven’t been idle these past couple of days. You know that ’Instant Body’ Bai Hong, the kid who’s crazy fast, right?"

Lu Jiuyuan chimed in, a hint of schadenfreude in his tone, "Yeah. I heard that over at the ’Wailing Rift Valley,’ he tried to seize a Wind Element Essence single-handedly, but ended up getting cornered by a squad from the Profound Yin Association and a group of ’Split Wind Falcon’ Life Ghosts. Even though he relied on speed to escape, they say he took a hit, was badly injured internally, and didn’t get the essence. He probably can’t enter the ’Yuan’ for a while now."

Wei Banmeng commented flatly, "Overreaching for merit, overestimating oneself."

Fang Qingyu just nodded slightly upon hearing this.

The Hidden Dragon Plan was originally fiercely competitive; injuries and even falling were a common occurrence, so Bai Hong’s plight wasn’t surprising.

Lu Jiuyuan put down his chopsticks, his expression grew somewhat solemn: "Speaking of major events... while we’ve been in, there’s been another incident at the ’Sighing Barrier.’"

"Sighing Barrier?"

Fang Qingyu had some impression of this name, it seemed to be the boundary of a very dangerous area within the Yuan.

"Yes." Chu Kuanglan also became serious, "Deep inside the Barrier, there are signs of another ’Blood River’ backflow, and it’s not small in scale. A medium-sized Federation outpost stationed nearby, Yuexi Castle, was half destroyed overnight, with heavy casualties, even several stationed Divine Chosen were seriously injured."

Wei Banmeng explained, "’Blood River backflow’ is one of the most terrifying calamities within the Yuan, containing a strong corruptive and erosive force. Wherever it goes, Life Ghosts go berserk, and all living things are devastated. Its appearance always signals major changes within the depths."

Fang Qingyu nodded lightly, listening.

The Divine Chosen were heavily injured, the outpost destroyed...

The power of this "Blood River" was far more destructive than some of the extreme weather they had witnessed.

Chu Kuanglan took a swig of beer, lowered his voice, and spoke with a slightly mysterious tone: "There’s also something else, even stranger, the source isn’t very reliable, so take it as a bit of gossip. Someone says they found traces of... relics near an outer edge area close to the Sighing Barrier!"

"Relics?"

Fang Qingyu was intrigued, the term was quite new to him.

Chu Kuanglan and Lu Jiuyuan exchanged glances, and Lu Jiuyuan smacked his forehead: "Oh right! Almost forgot, God Fang, you’re still relatively new to the ’Yuan,’ might not be very familiar with this."

Chu Kuanglan explained: "The ’Yuan’ appeared about the same time as the Life Ghost invasion. Over the years, the number of powerful figures who have died in the Yuan—martial artists, apostles, Martial Saints, and even terrifying beings among the Life Ghosts—is countless!"

"The places where they fell sometimes leave behind their strongholds, abodes, or even valuables and legacies they carried... These places are called ’relics’!"

"However," Lu Jiuyuan took over, his tone serious, "relics typically exist only in the true depths of the ’Yuan’! The environment there... is simply not a place for people!"

"Twisted rules, terrifying turbulence, and dwelling ancient Life Ghosts of outrageous strength... not to mention us Mystic Martial Artists, even Divine Chosen or Grandmasters going in would face a life-and-death struggle!"

"So the news of relics found on the periphery is nine times out of ten false, or it’s something mistakenly identified. Even if it is true, it’s unlikely that peripheral exploration teams would even get a chance, deep-rooted major powers would already be in motion."

Fang Qingyu listened, thoughtfully nodding.

His gaze instinctively turned to Jiang Wei beside him, who was earnestly tackling a piece of crystal-clear pork knuckle, her mouth shiny with oil.

The little girl seemed entirely uninterested in their conversation, her mind solely focused on the food.

Relics?

Things left behind by powerful beings who died in the Yuan...

These days have been all about essence and training.

Almost forgot, there’s a walking encyclopedia sitting right next to me.

Haven’t even properly asked her about the ’Yuan’ yet.