Mainland Martial Arts

Chapter 459 Ding Junhao, the ancestor of the Ding family

The sound of footsteps echoed in the empty passage, each step seeming to tread on the heart of the two people, making their heartbeats accelerate involuntarily. Gao Jinghao's heart was filled with curiosity and anticipation. He knew the importance of the Ding family secret room and understood that this might be the last hope of saving Lingyuan City.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, they arrived at a massive staircase. It wound its way down, seemingly leading to an endless, dark abyss. Gao Jinghao took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, before slowly following Ding Moyuan down the stairs. As they descended, the temperature around them gradually dropped, and a chilling dampness filled their faces, chilling them to the bone.

"The Ding family actually dug such a deep place." Gao Jinghao couldn't help but sigh in a low voice, his eyes full of surprise and curiosity.

Ding Moyuan nodded slightly and responded in a low voice: "This secret room is not only deep, but also extremely complicated. Once a powerful enemy breaks in, the people inside will have no way to retreat. In addition to being the place where our ancestors retreated, it is also a refuge for our Ding family in desperate situations." His voice echoed in the deep passage, with a hint of heaviness and helplessness.

The two continued walking down, finally reaching the last flight of stairs. As they touched the ground, a vast space suddenly appeared before them. Several secret rooms were scattered here, each exuding a mysterious aura, as if hiding countless unknown secrets. Ding Moyuan and Gao Jinghao walked straight to the innermost chamber, the largest of all, exuding a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

Arriving at the door of the secret chamber, Ding Moyuan gently opened a vent. Through the vent, Gao Jinghao saw a man who looked to be in his forties or fifties sitting cross-legged. His face was calm, his eyes closed, and he exuded a restrained yet powerful aura. The chamber was vast, enough to accommodate thousands of people, but at this moment, he sat alone, quietly, as if completely isolated from the hustle and bustle of the outside world, immersed in his own world.

Ding Moyuan shouted respectfully and loudly toward the vent, "Ancestor." His voice was filled with deep awe. After he finished shouting, he slowly stepped aside, knelt on his knees, and touched his forehead to the ground, kneeling respectfully.

Gao Jinghao watched this scene, his heart filled with doubt, but he also knew that he could only wait patiently. His eyes were fixed on Ding Junhao in the secret room, silently praying that the Ding family patriarch would step forward in this critical moment and save Lingyuan City from disaster.

Time slipped slowly in this tense atmosphere, each moment seeming infinitely longer. Finally, the door to the chamber creaked open with a dull creak. A powerful aura surged from the chamber, like an invisible wave, crashing down upon him. Gao Jinghao felt a surge of intense pressure, his body involuntarily tensing.

Ding Junhao emerged from the chamber with steady steps. He was dressed in a long black robe, its sleeves fluttering in the wind, exuding a powerful yet restrained aura. His face was resolute, his eyes deep and sharp, as if he could see through everything. Despite his imposing presence, he immediately subsided upon seeing Gao Jinghao, clasped his fists, bowed, and respectfully said, "Greetings, City Lord Gao."

Gao Jinghao quickly clasped his fists in return, a hint of anxiety flashing in his eyes as he asked, "Ding Junhao, it's been a long time since we last met. Did you manage to break through to the Grandmaster realm during your retreat?"

Ding Junhao shook his head slightly, a trace of regret on his face, and said, "Alas, I'm still one step away from breaking through."

Gao Jinghao nodded slightly, not dwelling on the matter too much. Instead, he said solemnly, "Ding Junhao, there's a matter of life and death concerning Lingyuan City. I urgently need your help. Would you be willing?"

Ding Junhao's brow furrowed upon hearing this. As a Half-Step Grandmaster, he knew that something that made Grandmaster Gao Jinghao take it so seriously must be something very important. Various possibilities flashed through his mind, and he blurted out, "Could it be that the enemy has arrived here?"

Gao Jinghao shook his head again and said sternly, "That's not the case. It's an outsider who possesses the combat power of a Grandmaster, but is unable to control this power. Now it has completely lost control and is wreaking havoc in the city."

Ding Junhao breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this. In his opinion, if the enemy army were at the gates of the city, it would mean the country was in imminent danger, and the situation would be even more difficult to recover. But now, with only one person out of control, there was still a glimmer of hope. He thought for a moment, then asked, "Lord City Lord, with your strength, can't you deal with this person?"

Gao Jinghao's expression grew increasingly solemn. He sighed deeply and said helplessly, "This person is too powerful. Even if I fight him, I'm no match for him."

Ding Junhao's mood, which had been slightly relaxed, now tensed up again. He knew Gao Jinghao's strength well; if even he couldn't handle it, then this situation would be truly thorny. He frowned slightly and said with difficulty, "Lord City Lord, if you can't solve it, I'm afraid I can't save the situation even if I wanted to."

Gao Jinghao looked at Ding Junhao with a determined gaze and said, "One person's strength is indeed not enough, but if you, me, and Mingzeshu join forces, the three of us will definitely be able to seal the power of that madman and save Lingyuan City."

After hearing this, Ding Junhao fell into a brief moment of contemplation. He knew the gravity of the matter. Agreeing would mean facing an extremely powerful opponent, with his life or death hanging in the balance. But he also understood that if Lingyuan City were destroyed, he would have nowhere to go. After a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said, "Since the City Lord has come personally to invite me, how can I, Ding Junhao, not go?"

Hearing this, Gao Jinghao finally showed a relieved smile on his face and said, "Okay, in that case, let's set off immediately."

The two quickly returned to the ground along the path they had come from. When they reached the Ding family compound, Ding Junhao looked up and saw the Mingze tree on the roof. Their eyes met in mid-air, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

A flicker of hostility flashed across Ding Junhao's eyes, his brow furrowed once more, his hands unconsciously clenched. Ming Zeshu showed no sign of weakness either, his eyes icy cold, and a powerful aura emanating from him. It seemed as if a fierce showdown between the two of them would unfold in the Ding family compound in the next second.

Gao Jinghao saw this and thought to himself, "This is not good." He hurried forward, standing between the two men, and said loudly, "You two, Lingyuan City is in imminent danger. Our top priority is to unite and deal with the out-of-control individual. We must not kill each other."

Ding Junhao and Ming Zeshu were both startled upon hearing this, then slowly retracted their aura. Ding Junhao snorted coldly and said, "For the City Lord's sake, I'll let him off the hook today. But after this, I'll definitely settle my grudge with him."