Proud Goddess Falls in Love with Me
Chapter 1389: 1348: Phalanx

Chapter 1389: Chapter 1348: Phalanx

“Given the circumstances, what else can you do? Every possible solution—your father has already thought of them for you. Now, all the great families are facing the same crisis, barely able to protect themselves. Who would possibly be willing to lend a hand?

As for Lu Chuan… It would be fine if he were here, but after all this time, there’s still no news of him whatsoever!

Xue Nai, before the next wave of attacks begins, you must make a decision. The clansmen… they can no longer endure any more deaths or injuries!”

Suzumiya Setsuna understood this rationale perfectly well.

But in her heart, there still lingered some hope, something she was unwilling to relinquish.

“Father, please give me more time. I’ll find a way to resolve this as quickly as I can. But under no circumstances… will I sacrifice Ichikazu!”

“You… Fine, as you said. To be honest, I can’t bring myself to lose that child either. Let’s hope Mr. Lu Chuan can appear in time to turn the tide.”

…..

“What did you say? A human presence? How is that even possible!”

Lu Chuan’s expression turned grave, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes. He said, “The last time these Ancient Ruins opened was over a thousand years ago, and even then, the truth of it has never been confirmed. Even if it were real, how could someone survive here for thousands of years?”

“But my senses do not lie. There is indeed the presence of a living human. You should remain cautious.”

Cautious?

Lu Chuan could only find this notion laughable.

If the Tower Spirit’s words proved true, and some monstrous being had survived in the ruins for thousands of years, it would at least be a Spirit Splitting Realm powerhouse—perhaps even at the Integration Realm. How could Lu Chuan even begin to take precautions?

For all he knew, the entity had already noticed him and simply found him too insignificant to bother with.

These words from the Tower Spirit made Lu Chuan increasingly uneasy and intensified his desire to leave this place.

Following the Tower Spirit’s guidance, Lu Chuan made his way through the abandoned ancient city. He passed ruined stone houses one after another, countless weathered bones scattered about wherever he stepped.

The desolation around him resembled nothing less than a living hell. Under the blood-red sunlight, the sight was steeped in desolation and despair.

Yet, the altar seemed to have vanished into thin air. By all accounts from the Tower Spirit’s perception, it should be nearby, but all Lu Chuan saw was a barren expanse of emptiness.

“Tower Spirit, are you sure it’s around here?”

Lu Chuan shifted Xiu Niang higher on his back, steadying her body as he asked, “Why can’t I see anything?”

“Lu Chuan, he’s here!”

“Who’s here? Wait, are you saying—!”

Before Lu Chuan could finish speaking, he felt a presence lock onto him with an iron grip. Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of dread surged within him—this was the first time he had ever experienced such a vivid, palpable threat of death!

This time, the Tower Spirit didn’t need to elaborate; the human presence it mentioned had already stepped into Lu Chuan’s view.

Gazing at the figure shrouded entirely in a tattered black robe, Lu Chuan swallowed nervously, feeling an intense foreboding.

The oppressive aura emanating from this figure was a terror unlike anything Lu Chuan had ever known. Compared to Nalan Xuan, the disparity was as vast as heaven and earth. There was no mistaking it—this person was undoubtedly an Integration Realm monster!

“…Fresh, living… life.”

Before Lu Chuan could utter a word, the figure opened its mouth and spoke in a voice so hoarse and broken it was like the snapping of dried, brittle branches—abrasive, grating, and horrifying to hear.

“Flee… flee! This place is hell! He’s not dead, he’s not dead! You must escape!”

The figure suddenly erupted into a wailing cry, their body trembling uncontrollably. Just the sound of their lamentations sent chills down Lu Chuan’s spine.

Who wasn’t dead? What kind of existence could terrify an Integration Realm powerhouse to the point of utter collapse?

Lu Chuan dared not dwell on it. His mind shouted only one thing—leave this place at once!

But though the figure’s gaze had shifted away, its aura still locked tightly onto him. Any movement on Lu Chuan’s part would almost certainly provoke the figure to strike him down without hesitation!

“Spread the message—this is no ordinary ruin! We’ve all been deceived! He’s stealing our time… He’s still alive! Tell the Profound Sect—I am not a traitor!”

The figure suddenly lurched forward, grabbing Lu Chuan by the collar. With a mere touch of force, Lu Chuan felt his shoulder blade shatter, a sharp, excruciating pain piercing through him.

Behind him, Xiu Niang’s face had gone pale with terror. She dared not even breathe, watching helplessly as Lu Chuan’s shoulder was crushed, powerless to intervene.

Thankfully, this last outburst appeared to expend the figure’s remaining strength. After delivering its cryptic words, the figure collapsed lifelessly. A timely breeze rolled by, lifting the hood from the figure’s head, revealing a face akin to a skull—emaciated to the extreme, with only a thin layer of skin clinging to bone.

“He’s dead.”

The Tower Spirit’s confirmation prompted Lu Chuan to exhale deeply. Even recalling the encounter moments ago sent chills down his spine; for a fleeting moment, he’d felt as though death itself had enveloped him!

Fortunately, the man had reached his breaking point, exhausting all his strength, leaving behind only a string of incomprehensible warnings.

And yet… one detail gnawed at Lu Chuan’s thoughts.

Unless it was some misinterpretation, the man had mentioned the Profound Sect…

“The Profound Sect? Situ Qinghuan’s Profound Sect? Don’t tell me this man was once part of the Profound Sect?”

The mere thought of Situ Qinghuan made Lu Chuan shudder involuntarily.

If he had to rank all the women in his life, then without a doubt, Situ Qinghuan would be the one he feared most!

That terrifying telepathy of hers was a constant source of torment for Lu Chuan. When facing Situ Qinghuan, he couldn’t afford even the slightest impure thought, or she would instantly sense it. To Lu Chuan, it was nothing short of torture.

“But since he’s a former member of the Profound Sect, I must relay this message back.”

Lu Chuan remained perplexed—despite not fully grasping the man’s cryptic words, anything that could terrorize an Integration Realm powerhouse to such a degree was undoubtedly no trivial matter.

Unfortunately, the man’s body was even more frail and decayed than Lu Chuan had anticipated—too broken to be brought back. With an injured hand, Lu Chuan had no choice but to give up.

“However… What’s this?”

After consuming several elixir pills, his fractured shoulder had mostly healed. While moving the man’s remains, Lu Chuan noticed a crystalline, translucent finger bone. It felt warm like jade in his hand, clearly a rare treasure.

“Tower Spirit, could this be…”

“Ten-to-one odds, this is the finger bone of an unparalleled powerhouse. It holds within it one of their Divine Skills—an immensely rare treasure.”

“As expected. So there really are Immortal Family Treasures here?”

Smacking his lips in satisfaction, Lu Chuan stashed the finger bone before burying the man’s remains ceremoniously.

As for the so-called Immortal Family Treasures, Lu Chuan dismissed the idea after only a brief moment of temptation.

Though he was drawn to such treasures, Lu Chuan cared far more about preserving his own life.