Chapter 169 is simply courting death.

Time flew by, and soon it was the morning of the third day.

Today is the day to visit the ruins.

The ruins will also open within the next few days, as early as tomorrow, or as late as three days.

In fact, not everyone timed the time perfectly; everyone else was in a hurry, except for Zhou Xianzong, who wasn't in a rush.

Because he knew he would definitely be able to get in.

Some minor sects had already arrived at the entrance of the ruins several days ago, securing their positions so they could be among the first to enter once the ruins opened.

"My lord, the Queen has just sent someone to urge us to depart; it is time to leave."

Yingxi knocked on the door and stood outside.

"Okay, let's go."

Zhou Xianzong came out and led Yingxi towards the square.

As she left the palace, she didn't forget to remind Zhou Yan.

"Go and fetch Erhu, and tell him we're leaving soon."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Zhou Yan readily agreed and sped towards the inner city.

When Zhou Xianzong arrived at the square, a large crowd had already gathered there.

At a glance, apart from the royal princes and princesses, who are his half-brothers and sisters, the rest are the descendants of civil and military officials.

These people inherited their strength from their fathers and were incredibly powerful, making them the most outstanding talents in the entire Zhou Dynasty.

Any one of them could be a formidable force in any region.

Besides these people, Bing Ruoyan was also among them.

She stood in the crowd like a plum blossom in winter, proud and aloof.

"Greetings, elder brother."

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

When Zhou Xianzong arrived, everyone hurriedly packed their belongings.

Zhou Xianzong nodded slightly and walked to the center of the crowd.

When do we set off?

"Brother, everyone has arrived. We should set off once Father and Queen arrive."

At this moment, a prince with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, red lips, and white teeth spoke.

"Are Father and Mother going too?"

Zhou Xianzong was taken aback.

He doesn't remember the two of them going either.

"Hehe, of course not, Father and Queen are here to see us off."

The prince smiled and shook his head.

Zhou Xianzong responded with an "oh".

Not long after, a golden light suddenly shot straight into the sky above the palace, turning half the sky gold, which was particularly spectacular.

Everyone turned to look, only to see that the golden light had transformed into a grand road, stretching across the sky and connecting from afar.

Emperor Zhou, hand in hand with Murong Mingyue, walked along the golden avenue and arrived.

The crowd was not too surprised, after all, Emperor Zhou was a powerful human emperor, and they were already used to such methods.

But Yingxi and Erhu, who had just arrived, were so shocked that they could hardly come to their senses, as if they had seen a rare sight on earth.

"Greetings, Father Emperor, Queen!"

"Greetings, Emperor Zhou and Queen!"

All the princes, princesses, and outstanding talents bowed in greeting.

Zhou Xianzong was the only exception; he ran up and took Murong Mingyue's hand.

"Mother."

Murong Mingyue patted his head affectionately.

"Just like when you were a child, but I wonder how long you'll be gone this time."

"Mother, don't worry, I will return safely."

Zhou Xianzong, however, took it all in stride.

"That is, my son is exceptionally talented and strong, and there are few who can rival him in the same realm. Even if he enters the ruins, he can still overpower all the heroes and sweep away all enemies."

Murong Mingyue's voice was firm.

She was quite satisfied with Zhou Xianzong because he practiced diligently and did not slack off despite his noble birth.

"Alright, it's not like you're going to your death. This trip to the ruins is just an insignificant experience in your life."

Compared to Murong Mingyue's pampering, Emperor Zhou was much stricter.

He looked at the crowd and spoke in a dignified voice.

"The ruins open once every hundred years, and only those who are forty years old and below the Venerable Realm can enter."

For a thousand years, no one has been able to seize the treasures of the ruins.

Today, my Zhou Dynasty has dispatched its elite forces. I believe that with your strength, you are absolutely capable of crushing other countries. I also hope that, under the leadership of Emperor Xianzong, you can bring back the treasures of the ruins.

Anyone who performs meritorious service in the ruins will be richly rewarded upon their return.

Today, the Queen and I hold a farewell ceremony for you all, wishing you a triumphant return.

"Thank you, Emperor Zhou!"

The crowd shouted.

"Alright, let's go."

Emperor Zhou spoke.

"Set off!"

Someone shouted.

Ugh...

Knock knock knock!

Immediately, the sound of drums rang out and the horns resounded through the sky.

A massive magical warship, resembling a fortress, flew in and stopped above the group.

Under Zhou Xianzong's leadership, everyone jumped onto the warship.

In addition to these outstanding talents, the Zhou Dynasty also dispatched elite troops to protect them along the way, in order to ensure their safe entry into the ruins.

The number of assassins dispatched this time was no less than fifty, including the leader of the assassins, known as the strongest assassin in the Zhou Dynasty, Zhan Tian.

On the warship, Zhou Xianzong stared intently at the scene rushing past before him, his gaze sharp.

He asked Zhan Tian.

"At our speed, how long will it take us to reach the ruins?"

"It will take at most half a day to return to Your Highness."

Zhan Tian replied succinctly.

Zhou Xianzong nodded. The reason for the speed was not because the Zhou Dynasty was very close to the ruins.

On the contrary, the two are far apart, and the site of the ruins is not located in the Zhou Dynasty.

The entrance to the ruins is in an area called the Golden Triangle.

That place was the intersection of the Zhou Dynasty, the Beastmen, and the Liang Kingdom, a no-man's-land, extremely chaotic.

Especially when the ruins are opened, people from all sides flock there, making it a chaotic place where one could easily offend a holy prince or princess if not careful.

Moreover, due to the lack of jurisdiction, robberies and thefts frequently occur in the Golden Triangle.

The reason Zhou Xianzong and his men were able to arrive so quickly was because their warships were fast enough.

Half a day passed in the blink of an eye.

Ahead, vast stretches of desolation came into view.

Under the scorching sun, the ground was unbearably hot and barren.

Gusts of wind swept by, stirring up thick dust.

This is a vast expanse of gravel and desert.

If Zhou Xianzong remembers correctly, the ruins are not far ahead.

Whoosh whoosh!

Just then, several whooshing sounds suddenly rang out.

Several darts, reflecting a startlingly cold light under the blazing sun, hurtled towards the target.

Due to the lighting conditions, only a few flashes of white light could be seen.

The next moment, they were already upon them.

Just as the people on the outermost edge of the warship were about to be hit, an astonishing surge of spiritual energy suddenly erupted, forming a spiritual energy barrier that enveloped the entire warship.

Bang bang bang!

Several darts were blocked, but instead struck the barrier and exploded on the spot.

It's hard to imagine how terrible the consequences would be if it couldn't be stopped.

"There is an enemy attack. Protect Your Highness."

Zhan Tian's cold voice rang out.

Since leaving the Zhou Dynasty, he had not returned to the ship's cabin to rest, but had remained on guard on the deck.

This was to prevent a sneak attack.

To everyone's surprise, someone actually dared to attack the Zhou Dynasty's warships; it was tantamount to courting death.

This infuriated Zhan Tian. It was true that bad people come from poor and remote areas. They didn't even open their eyes to see clearly, daring to attack whose warships they were.

The moment Zhan Tian finished speaking, dozens of armored men suddenly rushed out from the calm warship.

These people were all loyal warriors of the Zhou Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)