In the early morning, outside Shrek City, Pan Huai and Pan Yang were already waiting. After Wang Nan arrived, the three of them set off eastward together.
After walking for a while, Wang Nan glanced at Pan Huai and Pan Yang again.
They had already traveled some distance from Shrek City, and logically, using flying spirit tools should no longer be restricted. However, the grandfather and grandson showed no intention of using flying spirit tools to travel.
"What's wrong?" Pan Huai asked, noticing Wang Nan's gaze.
"Nothing, I was just wondering what you two think about spirit tools?"
Pan Huai, having lived for most of his life, was both old and shrewd. After a moment of thought, he immediately understood Wang Nan's meaning, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face.
"Ever since we followed our ancestral instructions to live in anonymity, our Family has always discouraged excessive luxury. Therefore, although many clansmen are not averse to spirit tools, we never use expensive ones."
Wang Nan nodded in understanding. While flying spirit tools were convenient, their price was not affordable, so ordinary Spirit Masters rarely used them in their daily lives.
Wang Nan had originally thought that Pan Huai, being able to speak of rebuilding the Thousand Ancient Family, must have some strength. Now, it seemed their lives weren't so prosperous either.
However, it didn't matter to Wang Nan. It was also good to experience the feeling of traveling on foot.
Despite this, since all three were Spirit Masters, their speed was not slow when traveling at full effort.
Along the way, Pan Huai would occasionally glance at Wang Nan. He saw that with each step Wang Nan took, his body would dart forward a segment, and he didn't feel any spirit power fluctuations from Wang Nan.
Relying solely on physical strength to travel, Wang Nan's aura remained steady. Pan Huai secretly compared himself and found that, as a Spirit Saint, his physical strength seemed to be inferior to Wang Nan's.
Moreover, his Coiling Dragon Staff Spirit did not contain a Dragon Soul. His cultivation had reached Rank Seven and could no longer advance further, but Wang Nan still had unlimited potential. For a moment, his thoughts began to wander.
After several days of travel, Wang Nan and Pan Huai gradually became familiar with each other. He found that, as long as matters related to the Thousand Ancient Family were not mentioned, Pan Huai was a good elder. Wang Nan also learned a lot about the Coiling Dragon Staff from him.
Finally, Wang Nan and the other two arrived at a city.
On the outskirts of the city, thick bluestone walls soared into the clouds, reaching the sky, still standing after tens of thousands of years of weathering. As the group approached, they could even feel residual fluctuations from several special forces.
This was the famous strategic pass on the Douluo Continent, Jialing Pass.
The current Jialing Pass was no longer on the border of the Douling Empire and had long lost its original purpose, but the Douling Empire still preserved it. The reason? This was the site of a divine war that had occurred ten thousand years ago.
"The ancestral relic you mentioned is here?"
"That's right." Pan Huai nodded. "You awakened the Dragon Soul, so you must understand the characteristics of the Dragon Soul within the Coiling Dragon Staff. A Coiling Dragon Staff Spirit Master needs to constantly challenge stronger opponents to advance further."
"It's just that after the two ancestors were defeated here ten thousand years ago, they never had another chance to challenge the person who defeated them. Therefore, in their later years, the two ancestors lived in seclusion in the nearby Tianling Mountain Range."
Wang Nan looked at Jialing Pass. The former battleground of the gods had become a tourist attraction for many Spirit Masters, with an endless stream of people. He had no desire to enter the city and instead went into the Tianling Mountain Range with Pan Huai.
Although some Spirit Beasts lived in the Tianling Mountain Range, making it dangerous for lower-ranked Spirit Masters, for a Spirit Master like Wang Nan, who had visited the Star Dou Great Forest more than once, it was a bit underwhelming.
After easily fending off two Spirit Beast attacks, Wang Nan and the others finally climbed to a mountaintop.
Before Wang Nan's eyes appeared a continuous mountain range. The main peak, like the head of a giant dragon, soared into the clouds, piercing the sky, while on both sides were continuous ridges, winding and twisting like the spine of a giant dragon—sometimes steep, sometimes gentle.
Wang Nan didn't understand geomancy, but when he looked at it, the mountain range vaguely resembled two giant dragons intertwined.
Even without Pan Huai's reminder, Wang Nan already understood that they must have reached their destination.
Without further hesitation, the three set off again, walking towards the main peak that resembled a dragon's head.
Half a day passed in the blink of an eye. Pan Yang, who had the lowest cultivation among the three, was already struggling. But fortunately, they had reached the main peak.
There was a very conspicuous cave here.
After ten thousand years, many people had visited this place. Even if it was hidden very strictly at first, it would eventually be exposed over time.
"It seems others have already visited here."
"It's fine, there's another checkpoint inside that cannot be passed without a Dragon Soul." Pan Huai was not surprised at all.
Perhaps he had been here before but couldn't pass the trial inside, which was why he had been searching for someone with the Coiling Dragon Staff's Dragon Soul.
With that, he skillfully took out a lighting spirit tool and walked in first.
Pan Yang was also visiting this place for the first time. She looked around, craning her neck, and followed behind Pan Huai.
Wang Nan's mental force spread around. He didn't detect the presence of any other people, nor did he find any mechanisms set up nearby. Only then did he cautiously walk at the back.
After walking for a long time, the ground seemed to slope downwards. Wang Nan felt that they should have reached the bottom of this mountain peak. Finally, a pitch-black gate appeared before his eyes.
And it was just a gate. There was nothing else, and one could even bypass the gate to get to its other side.
For a moment, Wang Nan didn't understand the purpose of placing this gate here.
Under the light of the lighting spirit tool, Wang Nan saw many human skeletons—some new and some old. From their condition, most were Spirit Masters with cultivation. The fact that the skeletons were preserved indicated that not much time had passed since their deaths.
Just by looking at these, Wang Nan could roughly guess that some stories had also unfolded here. It seemed this gate was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
Pan Huai suddenly became serious. Looking at the gate, there was a hint of fear in his eyes. He waved his hand, and a green Coiling Dragon Staff appeared in his hand, with seven spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—rising.
Wang Nan instantly became alert, turned to look at Pan Huai, his spirit power already poised for action.
However, Pan Huai wasn't trying to do anything to Wang Nan. As the aura of the Coiling Dragon Staff appeared, Pan Huai approached the gate step by step. Suddenly, two giant dragon phantoms—one red and one blue—appeared on the gate.
As the phantoms emerged, a tremendous imposing aura, belonging to a Super Douluo, swept over them.
In Wang Nan's mental force sea, the Evil Breaking Dragon seemed to sense this power and swam continuously.
Under this pressure, Pan Yang on the side could no longer hold on. Her Coiling Dragon Staff Spirit unconsciously appeared in her hand.