# Chapter 2013: Powerful Beings
"Let's go into the city. In this ancient world, castles have been built around the ruins of the saints. You could say that except for some ruins that haven't been discovered yet, many ancient ruins are inside castles, guarded by some powerful beings." Floating Snow Princess said to Lin Feng and the others. Their figures flickered toward the castle.
"The battle of the saints must have left behind quite a few ruins. That means this world should have quite a few castles," Lin Feng remarked.
"Yes, quite a few. Each castle is occupied by a powerful being, the king of the castle."
"Why don't these beings go outside?" Lin Feng asked.
"The beings can't leave. As for humans, going out would be suicide. So, they're waiting for us," Floating Snow Princess said. The humans inside here knew that if they went out, they would definitely be captured and killed by those from outside. They understood this themselves, knowing they were inside the ancient ruins.
"To seize our bodies and then go out?" Lin Feng said indifferently. At this moment, strange, eerie lights shot up toward them from below. Lin Feng and the others noticed that the people in this castle were all very powerful, almost all of them at the Martial Emperor Realm. Their eyes were like those of demonic beasts, filled with a bloodthirsty, brutal intent.
"Let's go directly to find the guardian being of this castle. He will definitely know where the ancient ruins are." Floating Snow Princess's words surprised Lin Feng and the others. Hou Qinglin asked, "Since these beings are at the Emperor Realm and want to devour us, wouldn't going to find them be walking right into a trap?"
"Emperor Realm beings without physical bodies have no life force. Even if their cultivation has reached the Emperor Realm, they lack blood, qi, and spirit. But we martial artists have very strong blood, qi, and spirit. If so many of us join forces and release our spirit in a single roar, we could shatter an ordinary Emperor Realm being. They wouldn't dare to act rashly against us," Floating Snow Princess replied.
The wind howled. As Lin Feng and the others advanced, they suddenly heard wisps of zither music drifting into their ears, causing their flying figures to gradually slow down.
"Such a lonely melody." Hearing the zither music, Lin Feng could feel a trace of lonely artistic conception within it, as if it carried a thousand years of solitude, ten thousand ages of loneliness, devoid of emotion, as if it had forgotten what feelings were, stirring a faint sadness and desolation in people's hearts.
Lin Feng stepped forward. Before long, he stood atop a tower, his gaze looking into the distance. Ahead lay ancient buildings like an imperial palace. At the center of these vast structures was a large open space, where a person sat cross-legged in the middle, facing the lake, quietly composing a melody.
This person's body was ethereal, seeming to exist yet not exist, as if he weren't there at all. Heaven and earth were silent, with only the eternal zither music. The entire imperial castle also seemed quiet and soundless, with no one else, as if he were the only one in all of heaven and earth.
"An Emperor Realm being." Floating Snow Princess's gaze fixed. The man playing the zither in the distance, lonely and solitary, was clearly a being, not a complete human, only able to be called a being.
"This melody is like his life—lonely, desolate, having forgotten emotions. He's not a complete life form."
"These beings living in this sealed world of the ancients—isn't that somewhat tragic?"
"Don't let his zither music deceive you. The price paid in blood over countless generations has told the people of the imperial dynasties that the existences in this sealed world are all brutal and bloodthirsty. Be careful they don't devour you until not even ashes remain." Floating Snow Princess warned, her gaze clear, causing Lin Feng and Hou Qinglin's expressions to stiffen. They nodded, their minds clearing a bit. They realized they had unknowingly been deceived by the zither music.
"Friends from afar, why not come out and have a talk?" At this moment, the young man playing the zither said softly. Lin Feng and the others' gazes focused. They were about to step forward when they suddenly saw a group of figures appear in the distance, diagonally opposite them.
"Prince Yan's people." Lin Feng saw those experts. They were indeed Prince Yan and Wang Jian, who had also come here.
Prince Yan and the others glanced at Lin Feng's group, and then both sides flickered their figures, heading toward the vast central area. Moments later, they arrived in the air above the open space.
But at that moment, the zither music changed drastically. The lonely notes transformed into a resolute, killing melody, like war drums thundering. Battle qi turned into fierce arrows, shooting toward the crowd.
A surge of energy appeared around Lin Feng and the others, preventing the arrows from harming them. But at that moment, the man looked up, his eyes like those of a demon, seeming to pierce through the void. He plucked the zither strings, and suddenly terrifying figures emerged, pouncing toward Lin Feng and the others. Each of these figures exuded a bloodthirsty aura, extremely fearsome.
Black spears of death caused rumbling sounds in the void. The terrible corpse qi seemed to corrode the space itself. A spear thrust directly at Lin Feng. At the same time, another figure, like an angry heavenly king, roared at Lin Feng. The terrifying sound waves penetrated Lin Feng's body, shaking his divine soul.
Lin Feng's robe fluttered. Suddenly, a terrifying burst of blood and qi erupted from him, like an ancient, wild, savage beast.
"Roar..." Lin Feng roared. Heaven and earth seemed on the verge of collapse. Dragon roars shattered heaven and earth. Holy spirit sword lights slashed out. Instantly, the figures attacking and killing him were chopped down and destroyed. And it wasn't just Lin Feng; Hou Qinglin and the others were also attacked by these phantom figures.
"So many beings. This Emperor Realm being has sealed many beings in his zither, controlling them as his killing tools."
These beings were all at the peak of the Martial Emperor Realm, very powerful and extremely threatening.
Hou Qinglin's Reincarnation Art was also extremely effective against these beings. When reincarnation appeared, the beings were destroyed. Sword Blind's light sword cut down both humans and beings alike.
The group advanced, killing their way forward. No matter how the beings roared and attacked, they remained unmoved. Lin Feng's blood and qi surged to the heavens. A demon god appeared behind him. He was like a divine demon himself. Every punch he threw carried terrifying law swords.
Not only Lin Feng and his group, but Prince Yan and his people also encountered attacks from beings. However, their people were also elite geniuses. They joined forces, killing their way forward, constantly advancing, getting closer to the Emperor Realm being.
The zither music shifted, gradually turning back into that lonely, desolate melody. The beings suddenly roared and retreated. The eerie young man lowered his head and said calmly, "All of you have come from afar. I suppose you can't comprehend this desolate, lonely feeling, can you?"
"You should know why we've come," an expert beside Prince Yan said.
"No need to be impatient. The ancient ruins won't run away. There aren't enough people yet," the eerie young man said softly, appearing very calm and composed.
"Is there an ancient ruin in this castle?" Prince Yan asked.
"Of course. Otherwise, why would I be guarding this lonely castle?" the Emperor Realm being replied.
"In that case, I hope you can take us there," Prince Yan said.
"It's not that simple. If you want me to take you to the ancient ruins, you have to pay a price."
"You want us to do something for you?" Wang Jian's expression was cold.
"Yes," the being nodded.
"What?" Prince Yan remained calm. If he could get this Emperor Realm being's help, he could indeed easily find the ancient ruins. But he couldn't completely trust this being either. It was said that the beings in this sealed world were all bloodthirsty and brutal. The only relationship between them was one of mutual benefit; trust was impossible.
"Help me seize a city, and I'll take you to their ancient ruins. Then you can enter my ancient ruins. That way, you can enter two ancient ruins," the eerie young man said, a strange aura in his brow.
"You want us to kill each other?" someone said coldly. People entering this sealed world would likely first head to castles that might have ancient ruins. They had coincidentally descended on this city, while other experts might have gone to other cities. The eerie young man's meaning was to make them kill each other while also seizing territory for him.
"You're too naive. I can tell you plainly: in this area, there are nine connected castles. Each castle has an Emperor Realm being like me, each guarding an ancient ruin. Since you've come here, either we go to conquer other ruins, or they come to conquer us. Did you think you could live in harmony when you entered this place? Don't forget your purpose."
The eerie young man's voice was icy, causing Lin Feng and the others' hearts to tremble. The various holy dynasties had all gathered and invited experts from all sides precisely to prevent internal fighting. Perhaps, through people from past generations, they had already learned about the situation inside.
"What do you want the castle for?"
"He wants to strengthen himself. He can devour other beings to grow stronger. The nine castle rulers should all be at the Emperor Realm. They use us to wage wars of conquest to achieve their goals," Floating Snow Princess explained.
"Then wouldn't it be easier for us to help the outside conquerors devour this guy and make him agree to let us enter the ancient ruins?" Lin Feng said indifferently. The eerie young man's pupils suddenly flashed with blade-like light, shooting toward Lin Feng. A terrifying beam shot from his eyes, trying to rush into Lin Feng's body.
"Boom!" Lin Feng's blood surged, dragon blood roaring. He stepped forward, his spirit, qi, and blood surging boundlessly. He punched out, and holy spirit sword figures appeared, shredding those beams to pieces. They continued to attack the eerie young man. The wild, domineering, heavy force gave him tremendous pressure. The eerie young man shot into the air, snorted coldly, and the zither music rolled. Instantly, beings crazily swarmed toward Lin Feng.
"Whoosh!" Lin Feng's body shot upward. His fist light broke through the void again. Every holy spirit in the void was extremely terrifying, killing the summoned beings. Then the eerie young man said to Prince Yan and the others, "Kill this person, or don't even think about entering the ruins I guard!"