After dealing with the pack of lions, the two of them joined forces and left the forest.
Along the way, they encountered several waves of beast attacks, but these were all petty beasts that were easily dispatched with a casual flick of their wrists.
Not far away, at the foot of a cliff as steep as a blade and hundreds of feet high, a place stood out.
Despite being at the base of the rock wall, there wasn't a single stone here. Instead, it was filled with pavilions and towers built of wood, vast in scale and stretching endlessly.
One could tell how prosperous the Taiyin Sect was in its heyday.
However, at this moment.
These wooden structures had long since collapsed, reduced to ruins.
Some of the wood had rotted away, while some still retained its original appearance.
As Xu Chuan approached and touched it lightly, the wood turned to dust and scattered on the ground.
"It's actually Soul Nurturing Wood, what a grand undertaking!"
Xu Chuan's pupils contracted, his heart filled with surprise.
Soul Nurturing Wood was a spiritual material that nourished the soul and prevented deviations in cultivation.
Each piece was priceless and unobtainable.
And yet, the entire sect of Taiyin Sect was constructed entirely from Soul Nurturing Wood.
It was astonishing.
This alone showed how extraordinary the Taiyin Sect was five thousand years ago.
Xu Chuan had also heard of the Taiyin Sect; it was the most powerful sect in the entire Eastern Domain five thousand years ago.
It had several experts at the Emperor Venerable realm and more than ten martial cultivators at the Heavenly King realm.
Yet, one day, the entire Taiyin Sect vanished from the Eastern Domain without a trace.
The Holy Lands and sects in the Eastern Domain today were all established after the Taiyin Sect disappeared.
"With so many powerful individuals in the Taiyin Sect, why did they all disappear one day?"
Xu Chuan furrowed his brows, a question arising in his mind.
On this Xuantian Continent, the peak of martial arts was the Heavenly King realm.
As for the Emperor Venerable realm, none had appeared for a thousand years.
It was said that anyone who reached the Emperor Venerable realm would vanish.
The fact that there had been no news of Emperor Venerables on the Xuantian Continent for thousands of years confirmed this.
This had also led many martial cultivators who were only half a step away from the Emperor Venerable realm to hesitate from breaking through, constantly suppressing their cultivation.
And where did these Emperor Venerables go?
Why did they leave?
Mysteries abounded, and Xu Chuan could not know for the time being.
"This is the ruins of the Taiyin Sect. Thank you, Young Master Xu, for your unreserved help."
Ning Youci said with a smile, thanking Xu Chuan.
"There's no need. I have always remembered your life-saving grace, Miss Ning."
Xu Chuan shook his head and replied.
"The item I need to find is within these ruins. I can already sense its presence."
Ning Youci's gaze was fixed on the ruins of the Taiyin Sect, her excitement palpable.
"Then hurry and search for it!"
Xu Chuan said.
He had also sensed something unusual.
The Xuanyang Art within his body seemed to be attracted by something, becoming exceptionally excited, causing even the primal energy within him to vibrate.
There must be something within that his Xuanyang Art needed.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
The two of them entered the ruins together, searching everywhere.
Soon.
Xu Chuan made a discovery.
In a place that looked like the sect's main hall, Xu Chuan found a door on the ground.
There seemed to be a restriction on the door that had not lost its effect even after so many years, continuously protecting whatever was inside.
This was no match for Xu Chuan. Activating the Heaven-Deceiving Jade Talisman he had previously obtained, Xu Chuan ignored the existence of the restriction.
He pushed the door open, revealing a dark opening before him.
Inside, there was a staircase, extending downwards, leading to an unknown destination.
After opening the door, the attraction intensified. Xu Chuan was certain that what Ning Youci was looking for was within.
"Found it, come quickly!"
Xu Chuan called out to Ning Youci, who was further away.
Upon hearing this, Ning Youci did not hesitate. She rushed over, and together with Xu Chuan, they entered the opening.
They descended the stairs, and with each step, a torch was suddenly lit within.
By the time the two reached the bottom, illuminated by the candlelight, they could finally see their surroundings.
It was a vast underground palace, luxuriously constructed.
After thousands of years, it had not changed in the slightest.
The two walked hand in hand towards the depths of the underground palace. The further they went, the more active the Great Sun Primal Energy within Xu Chuan became.
Half an hour later.
The two had already walked a considerable distance within the underground palace.
At this moment, the space before them suddenly opened up.
It was an even more spacious area.
Within the space, a silver-white orb of light and a scarlet orb of light floated.
They complemented each other but did not merge.
Without a doubt, the silver-white orb of light was the Taiyin Origin that Ning Youci was searching for.
Upon seeing the silver-white orb, Ning Youci's gaze was drawn to it, and a look of joy appeared in her eyes.
As for the scarlet orb of light.
Xu Chuan could feel that it was the cause of the Xuanyang Art's unusual commotion.
He immediately recognized it as a treasure of the same level as the Taiyin Origin: the Sun Origin!
It was rare for the Taiyin and Sun Origins to be found in the same place. No one knew where the Taiyin Sect had obtained these two origin items.
The two origins perfectly neutralized each other's emitted energies, without any leakage.
Otherwise, the environment here would not be as it was.
Seeing the Sun Origin, even Xu Chuan was filled with pleasant surprise.
He had expected that whatever attracted the Xuanyang Art would be extraordinary, but he had not anticipated it to be the Sun Origin.
As long as he could fuse with this Sun Origin, Xu Chuan would definitely be able to advance further!
Even more, the Great Sun Physique forged by the Xuanyang Art could completely evolve into the Sun Sacred Body!
It would compensate for Xu Chuan's physical deficiencies!
Beside him, Ning Youci, unable to contain her excited heart any longer, soared into the air and flew towards the orb of Taiyin Origin.
As for the Sun Origin beside it, she paid it no mind.
With her Taiyin bloodline, she could only fuse with the Taiyin Origin. If she were to forcefully fuse with both origins, she would undoubtedly explode and die.
Moreover, she had already promised to take only one item from the Taiyin Sect ruins, and the rest would belong to Xu Chuan.
There was no need to lose her dignity for something she did not need.
"Puff!"
Like a fish entering the sea, Ning Youci plunged directly into the orb of Taiyin Origin and disappeared.
It wasn't until half an hour later that the Taiyin Origin emitted a dazzling white light. After a soft sound, Ning Youci was ejected by the Taiyin Origin and landed on the ground, her face pale.
Although she was breathing rapidly and looked quite exhausted, her eyes were filled with excitement.
She looked up at the Taiyin Origin. The origin, which had initially resembled a small moon, began to gradually retract and shrink.
Finally, it was only the size of a fist and fell into her hands.
At this point, Ning Youci had successfully obtained her treasure!
"Congratulations, Miss Ning, on obtaining the Taiyin Origin."
Xu Chuan congratulated her.
Ning Youci was also very happy after obtaining the Taiyin Origin.
"All of this is thanks to Young Master Xu's help. Otherwise, how could I have obtained such a treasure so easily!"
"Young Master Xu, I am going to fuse with this Taiyin Origin immediately. Could I trouble you to protect me?"
At this moment, Ning Youci inquired.
"Naturally."
Xu Chuan replied without hesitation.
"You can fuse with it with peace of mind. I will protect your safety!"
"Thank you, Young Master Xu!"
Ning Youci said gratefully.
Then, she sat cross-legged on the ground, preparing to begin fusing with the Taiyin Origin.