Chapter 15: The Underground Palace

Seeing Chen Fan refuse, the tall man shook his head with a trace of regret, though he did not press any further.

Instead, with a smile, he said, "Since we cannot travel together, it is still a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Pan Wuying, a disciple of the Yanguo Martial Academy, and these two are my junior martial brothers from the same institution."

So they were disciples of the local martial academy!

Chen Fan was unsure of what this fellow was truly plotting, but as the old saying goes, one does not strike a smiling face. He responded with courteous restraint:

"I am a disciple of the Qingming Martial Academy."

He refrained from giving his name, however.

"The Qingming Martial Academy, disciples of a major institution! Please accept my respects!"

The Qingming Martial Academy barely ranked within the top ten of all martial academies across the realm. In the western region of the Great Qian, it was naturally a prominent name, vastly superior to the minor academies of prefectures like Yanguo, and thus well deserving of the title of a major institution.

Chen Fan cleared his throat and replied, "You are too kind!"

Pan Wuying continued with a smile:

"I am merely a step away from reaching the Grandmaster realm. My purpose in coming here is simply to try my luck and secure a Tanyuan Pill. If Junior Brother is fortunate enough to obtain one and finds no use for it, you are welcome to seek me out at the Yanguo Martial Academy. I am willing to acquire it at a high price!"

Hearing this, Chen Fan cast another glance at the man.

To think that this person was also a half-step Grandmaster, yet possessed an amiable demeanor without a shred of arrogance—he was truly a remarkable figure.

A flash of thought crossed Chen Fan's eyes, and he said:

"Should Senior Brother Pan obtain more than two Tanyuan Pills within the remnants of the Astral Sect, I wonder if you might be willing to part with one for this junior brother? The price is negotiable."

Chen Fan's financial resources were currently formidable, bolstered by the vast wealth left behind by his master, allowing him to act with considerable opulence.

Pan Wuying spared Chen Fan another look upon hearing this, feeling a trace of astonishment. Although Chen Fan had altered his appearance, his fair skin and clear voice clearly betrayed his youth. He had not expected someone so young to already be at the stage of requiring a Tanyuan Pill.

He smiled and replied, "Of course. If Junior Brother wishes to find me, simply ask for my name at the Yanguo Martial Academy."

The Yanguo Martial Academy was located right in the vicinity, not far from the Astral Sect ruins.

Chen Fan nodded, then narrowed his eyes as he looked toward the entrance of the subterranean palace ahead.

At the entrance of the underground palace, rather than saying there were many people entering, it was more accurate to say there was a massive queue!

Every martial artist entering was subjected to strict identity verification and even had to pass through a special formation for inspection.

Each person took a considerable amount of time, causing the latecomers to pile up in a long line, which created the impression that an immense number of people wished to enter.

"Wasn't it said that the Astral Subterranean Palace is in a semi-open state? Why is the security so stringent?" Chen Fan had not expected this at all.

In all the years the Astral Sect ruins had been open, such strict supervision had only been seen in the very beginning when treasures were most abundant.

Logically speaking, at this stage, there should not be such a crowd!

Pan Wuying explained with a smile:

"With the recent chaos in Great Qian, there are rumors that quite a few remnants of the Astral Sect are taking this opportunity to enter the ruins and unlock certain hidden locations. Consequently, the surveillance over the Astral Sect ruins has become exceptionally strict during this period."

A realization dawned on Chen Fan.

Although the Astral Sect had been destroyed, a colossal sect of that magnitude surely left behind countless surviving disciples!

Normally, there were dedicated forces tasked with dealing with these remnant disciples. However, due to the current turmoil in Great Qian, almost all factions specializing in hunting down the Astral Sect remnants had been redeployed, focusing their efforts on the Netherworld Sect and the borders.

This inevitably created an opening, allowing those remnant disciples of the Astral Sect to slip into the astral ruins during this window.

Pan Wuying narrowed his eyes and continued, "I have seen the statistical records of the Yanguo Martial Academy. During this period, the number of martial artists entering the Astral Subterranean Palace has indeed risen significantly compared to usual—by a full ten to twenty percent."

"Ten to twenty percent? That many?!" Chen Fan was momentarily taken aback.

The Astral Sect ruins existed in a semi-open state; not only martial academy disciples, but even ordinary martial artists could enter by paying a hefty sum.

Under normal circumstances, the number of people inside the Astral Subterranean Palace at any given time hovered around a thousand. An increase of ten to twenty percent meant an extra hundred to two hundred people!

Pan Wuying remarked, "It is naturally impossible for all of these people to be Astral Sect remnants, but I refuse to believe there aren't any hidden among them."

Hearing this, Chen Fan was momentarily speechless. "Our timing truly couldn't be worse."

A sharp gleam flashed through Pan Wuying's eyes:

"No, this is a golden opportunity for us! With Astral Sect remnants entering the ruins, many trial grounds in hidden locations are likely to be opened by them, which gives us an even greater chance of acquiring concealed treasures. Even if that fails, should we encounter disciples of the Demonic Sects and slay them, we can seize their treasures as well."

The very reason Pan Wuying had chosen to come here was precisely for this opportunity!

Chen Fan could only smile bitterly in silence, offering no response.

Had he not possessed the subterranean palace map bestowed upon him by the Star Spirit, he might have entertained the exact same thoughts as Pan Wuying.

But now...

It simply meant he had even more competitors to contend with...

...

Since they were disciples of martial academies, the group stepped forward and presented their identity tokens. The surrounding guards immediately turned exceedingly polite and deeply respectful, sparing them the need to pass through the special formation entirely!

Chen Fan turned his head to look at the glowing special formation nearby and inquired, "What does this array do? Can it actually verify the identity of Astral Sect disciples?"

Someone immediately stepped forward to explain, "Many of the supreme arts and martial techniques practiced by Astral Sect disciples are related to astral power. This array can detect astral power..."

Chen Fan frowned once more. "It's not as if only Astral Sect disciples can use astral power. Won't this lead to false positives?"

The man replied with a helpless expression, "They detain them first and sort out the details later. No one has a foolproof method to immediately verify identities."

Chen Fan wore a subtle expression.

His Astral Body-Refining Technique was a method that absorbed astral power to temper the physique. Strictly speaking, it was an external art; astral power was not stored within his body, but merely used as a medium for tempering.

However, since this technique was indeed related to astral power and could absorb it, he might very well trigger a positive reading if he stepped onto the array!

He felt fortunate to be a martial academy disciple, otherwise it would have brought him no end of trouble...

...

Upon entering the subterranean palace, Chen Fan put away his martial academy token, utilized the Luminous Feather Garment to alter the style of his vestments, and once again employed the Formless Heart Art to disguise his appearance and features.

Then, he retrieved a map made of sheepskin from inside his robes!

This was the map of the Astral Subterranean Palace provided by the martial academy—a chart meticulously compiled and gradually completed by countless academy martial artists over the years, recording the locations of various discovered ruins.

Comparing the map stored within his mind with the academy's map, Chen Fan quickly verified the approximate coordinates of this particular entrance!

Without hesitation, he leapt forward, sprinting swiftly through the vast and dimly lit underground palace.

Though referred to as subterranean ruins, it was more accurately described as an underground city. Huge night-shining pearls were embedded everywhere across the vaulted ceiling of the entrance to provide illumination.

Naturally, far greater areas remained shrouded in darkness!

The entire subterranean palace was divided into five tiers, each level larger than the Feiling County. An ordinary person would take months to traverse the entire set of ruins, not to mention the high risks posed by traps and trials lurking at every turn.

Armed with a complete map that detailed the treasures and trap locations of every single area, Chen Fan felt more than confident.

He headed straight toward the nearest trial point containing an alchemical chamber!

The incense burned down by the space of a single stick.

In a desolate corridor, the soft radiance of night-shining pearls bathed the ground.

A spacious, empty grand hall stood in solitary isolation amidst the expanse.

In the distance, a flash of thunder flickered, and a single figure materialized instantly before the palace gates.

Chen Fan halted his steps, gazed at the palace before him, and shook his head.

The doors stood wide open, and the ground was strewn with debris. It was evident that this place had been discovered long ago...