Little Sorcerer, Divine Doctor-Chapter 815 - 308: Taiyuan Castle

On the mountaintop, that purple cloud lingered.

It was a clear night, and if not for the Purple Cloud, the starry sky would be visible from such a high mountain.

But due to the presence of the Purple Cloud, moonlight could only pour through it.

The moonlight was also tinted purple, covering the white Taoyuan Ruins with a purple hue as well.

Back then, the Penglai Prince Taiyuan chose Taiyuan Mountain as his new territory, settling there with family and followers in what was then a barren land.

Exactly how many people the Taiyuan Prince brought with him is no longer known.

Judging from the number of dwellings in the Taoyuan Ruins, it wouldn’t be less than a hundred, since the entire Taiyuan City had hundreds of houses.

White was the main color of the Taoyuan Ruins.

All buildings, from the dwellings to the Taiyuan City Lord’s Mansion, were crafted from polished white stone, resembling a fairytale village.

Walking up the moss-covered steps.

The mountain’s cold wind howled past your ears, and the deep night rendered the ruins silent, not even the sound of insects could be heard.

Keep walking forward.

At the highest point of Taiyuan Mountain, on the steepest cliff near the ocean, stood a miraculous castle covering more than ten acres.

It was indeed a castle, grander and more magical than the castles Yun Sheng had seen in modern Middle Ages pictorials.

This castle is the Taiyuan City Lord’s Mansion, built at great expense by the Penglai Prince Taiyuan.

When the Taiyuan City Lord’s Mansion was first built, it was infinitely glorious, like a pearl on Taiyuan Mountain, glowing brightly day and night.

However, ever since the overnight destruction of Taiyuan City, this place became known as a forbidden land.

If not for the Magic Temple’s Starry Sky Magic Array indicating that the Eight Desolate Divine Artifacts were hidden here, no one would have dared enter again.

The Taiyuan City Lord’s Mansion, like other dwellings in the Taoyuan Ruins, was no longer intact.

But compared to regular dwellings in the Taoyuan Ruins, the castle’s destruction was even more severe.

It looked like it had suffered an earthquake or hurricane, or endured a violent thunderstorm, splitting the entire mansion in two.

Its dome-shaped roof looked like the head of someone beheaded, rolling to the ground.

The walls and main gate had also collapsed.

Upon closer inspection, every wall, every brick of the Taiyuan City Lord’s Mansion was carved from priceless ivory.

Even after the terrifying events hundreds of years ago, each piece of ivory remains as fresh as new.

Through broken walls and tilted door panels, one could glimpse the former opulence inside the City Lord’s Mansion.

The floor was inlaid with magnificent marble, and a dried-up magic fountain lay toppled.

The ground was strewn with a large number of gold coins and precious gems, among them, some soul stones.

These items alone could drive most people on the Wuji Continent insane; taking just a small amount could provide a lifetime of comfort and riches.

Yet for hundreds of years, all of this has been quietly scattered on the ground.

The night deepened.

At this moment, from the deepest part of the City Lord’s Mansion came a strange sound.

Because of the distance, Yun Sheng and the others on the ridge were unable to hear these sounds.

The sound was faint at first, but as time passed, it grew louder.

"Thump thump thump thump"

"Huff huff"

It sounded like someone was underground, pounding away, trying to escape from a dungeon.

Or like a tortured prisoner, heavily burdened, breathing heavily.

This pounding and gasping continued for the entire night, finally subsiding as the first light of dawn appeared.

On the ridge, Yun Sheng had just finished her morning meditation.

She unexpectedly discovered that upon entering Taiyuan Mountain, despite the constant danger, through the effects of Heavenly Human Meditation, her internal Magic Power had become much more stable, subtly advancing from a Sky Mage Initial Stage to a Sky Mage Middle-level stage.

It was just a matter of a few days and nights, yet such gratifying progress had been achieved. Taiyuan Mountain is, without doubt, a mysterious place.

"It’s about time, let’s prepare to set off," Lan and Dugu Xiu organized their teams, while the other major forces also headed towards the Taoyuan Ruins.

After crossing a not-so-steep mountain path, the Taoyuan Ruins finally appeared before their eyes.

So quiet.

So beautiful.

This was everyone’s initial impression upon entering the Taoyuan Ruins. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Aside from the whooshing sea wind, there was no sound.

It seemed like a forgotten corner of the world, with a thousand dwellings scattered orderly on this flat ridge.

Penglai Prince Taiyuan must have been skilled in governance, for although Taiyuan City wasn’t large, merely village-sized, all the houses were uniform in style and height.

Outside each dwelling, there were unified enclosures for raising Demon Beasts and traces of magic arrays.

The city had intersecting trenches and well-developed water systems.

For example, dormitories had magic water supply devices, when the Magic Array was activated, clean water would flow from the faucet.

In addition, residences had numerous magic arrays for heating, cooking, showing the high level of magic penetration in Taiyuan City back then, and that most residents understood magic.

Between the homes were neat pathways.

In the context of five hundred years ago, Taiyuan City was comparable to any powerful city-state on the present Wuji Continent in terms of economy and living conditions.

Yet this only deepened everyone’s confusion, why such a serene, otherworldly city would fall overnight.

Due to the shroud of Purple Cloud, the sunlight on the mountaintop wasn’t strong.

The ground was covered with lush green wild grass.

Everyone didn’t rush towards the City Lord’s Mansion but decided to first explore the nearby dwellings.

After five or six days of exploration, they were running low on food and water.

Though not overly hopeful, they wanted to see if food and water could be found in the homes.

Since six to seven-tenths of the dwellings in the Taoyuan Ruins were damaged, either collapsed or with crumbled walls.

Lan and Yun Sheng took about 15 minutes before they found a relatively less damaged house.

They pushed open the ajar door, accompanied by a creaking sound.

The door opened.

This was a north-facing house with three sections, the entrance leading to a hall, with a bedroom on the side.

Everything in the hall was normal.

"Yun Sheng, look," Senior Sister Lan pointed at the dining table in the hall.

On the table, there were still bowls and chopsticks, along with a few plates of unfinished dishes.