211: Ancestral Land Secret Realm, Thunder Emperor's Trial

The ceremony for Gongsun Yu to succeed as the acting family head was not conducted with great fanfare; it was simply completed in the dilapidated ancestral hall, witnessed only by a few core Elders who remained clear-headed and loyal to the Family.

Madam Liu forced herself to attend despite her illness, officially bestowing the Purple Firmament Thunder Seal upon her daughter.

Watching her daughter hold the Thunder Seal, looking youthful yet resolute, Madam Liu felt a complex mix of emotions, both comforted and worried.

After the ceremony, as everyone prepared to leave the ancestral hall, an Elder with white hair and beard, named Gongsun Yu, walked out tremblingly.

He was one of the highest-ranking Elders in the Family, having guarded the Scripture Pavilion for many years, and knew much about the Family's secrets.

"acting family head, True Monarch Lin, Fairies, please stay a moment." Elder Gongsun Yu's voice was aged but carried a hint of excitement. "This old man has something that might be of help to you all in tracking the cult and improving your strength."

Everyone stopped and looked at the old Elder.

Elder Gongsun Yu's gaze fell upon the Purple Firmament Thunder Seal in Gongsun Yu's hand, and he slowly said, "Our Gongsun Family ancestors did not always reside in this Thunder Roar Mountain Range. According to scattered records in our ancient clan history, our ancestors were descendants of a warrior who followed the ancient Thunder Emperor to conquer in all directions. Later, when the world underwent great changes and the Thunder Emperor Palace vanished, our branch migrated here and established our foundation."

Thunder Emperor? Lin Xuan's heart stirred. He recalled his experiences in the Thunder Emperor Palace, as well as the sin-severing sword and the thunder source crystal marrow. He had not expected the Gongsun Family to have such a connection with the Thunder Emperor!

"Elder, what do you mean?" Lin Xuan asked.

Elder Gongsun Yu continued, "Our ancestors moved here not only because of the abundant thunder Spiritual Qi, but also because this place hides an entrance to the 'Ancestral Land Secret Realm'! That Secret Realm is rumored to be a place of trial and Legacy bestowed upon our ancestors by the Thunder Emperor back then. Only those who possess a pure Thunder Emperor Bloodline (that is, the direct lineage of the Gongsun Family) and hold the token 'Purple Firmament Thunder Seal' can trigger and open it at a specific time!"

He looked at the Thunder Seal in Gongsun Yu's hand with eager eyes, "acting family head, you have already been acknowledged by the Thunder Seal and possess a pure Bloodline, perfectly meeting the conditions for opening it! This old man had thought this Secret Realm was just a legend, but now that the Family has suffered such a disaster and is surrounded by the cult, it is the time we need the ancestors' Legacy to enhance our strength! Perhaps this is the guidance of the ancestors from the beyond!"

Ancestral Land Secret Realm! Thunder Emperor Legacy trial!

This news invigorated Lin Xuan and the others! A Secret Realm related to the ancient Thunder Emperor was of immeasurable value! Not only could it improve their strength, but perhaps they could also find more information about the Guixu Cult, and even about the Thunder Emperor Palace and that era!

"Elder, do you know how to open the Secret Realm? What dangers lie within?" Lin Xuan asked calmly.

Elder Gongsun Yu shook his head, "This old man does not know the specific method of opening it; the clan history only mentions 'Bloodline as the guide, Thunder Seal as the key, sense the Ancestral Land, and the gate shall open itself.' As for the dangers... since it is a trial left by the Thunder Emperor, it must not be easy, but the Opportunity will certainly be immense."

Gongsun Yu gripped the Thunder Seal in her hand, feeling the warmth and resonance emanating from it. She looked at Lin Xuan, her eyes shining with eagerness, "Big Brother Lin, we..."

Lin Xuan pondered for a moment and nodded, "This is a rare Opportunity. We do indeed need to improve our strength as soon as possible. Madam, what do you think?" He sought Madam Liu's opinion.

Although Madam Liu was worried about her daughter's safety, she also knew this was an excellent Opportunity to strengthen the Family's power and her daughter's ability to protect herself. She nodded, "Be careful in everything. As for the Family, I and a few Elders will stabilize the situation as soon as possible."

Without delay, under the guidance of Elder Gongsun Yu, everyone arrived at an ancient altar in the Family's back mountain, a more remote place that had almost never been visited. The altar was built with unknown black stones and was covered with traces of erosion from wind and rain. In the center, there was a depression that matched the shape of the Purple Firmament Thunder Seal perfectly.

"This is the place," Elder Gongsun Yu said excitedly.

Gongsun Yu took a deep breath, walked to the center of the altar, and slowly placed the Purple Firmament Thunder Seal into the depression.

Hum—!

The moment the Thunder Seal perfectly fit the altar, the entire altar shook violently! The Purple Firmament Thunder Seal erupted with an unprecedented, brilliant light, and a thick pillar of purple light shot up into the sky, piercing the clouds!

In the sky, the thunderclouds that never dispersed seemed to have been summoned, frantically gathering toward the top of the light pillar, forming a huge vortex of thunder! In the center of the vortex, electric snakes danced wildly, and a will that was ancient, majestic, and filled with the aura of destruction and rebirth slowly descended!

Immediately after, in front of the altar, the space rippled like water, and a purple light gate composed of pure thunder, about three zhang high and one zhang wide, slowly condensed and formed! Inside the light gate was an unknown world that seemed to be made of thunder and lightning, and deafening thunder and heart-palpitating energy fluctuations vaguely emanated from within!

"The Ancestral Land Secret Realm... it has really opened!" Elder Gongsun Yu was moved to tears.

Feeling the vast aura emanating from behind the light gate, Lin Xuan's eyes were solemn and excited. He could feel that the thunder Law within this Secret Realm was far purer and more powerful than in the outside world, and it even faintly resonated with the thunder source crystal marrow and the sin-severing sword within his body!

"Let's go in!" Lin Xuan made a prompt decision and said to the three women, "This is an Opportunity, but also a test. Be careful, and look out for each other!"

Su Wanqing gripped the frost silence sword, and Battle Intent ignited in her cold eyes. Qu Feiyan licked her red lips and held the yaoguang immortal sound zither in her arms, her charming eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation. Gongsun Yu clenched her fists even tighter; this was her first major challenge after succeeding as Family head, and also an Opportunity to follow in her father's footsteps and explore the origin of her Family!

The four nodded at each other, no longer hesitating. With Lin Xuan leading the way, they stepped into that thunder light gate!

With a flash of light, the figures of the four disappeared from the altar. The thunder light gate rippled slightly but did not disappear immediately; instead, it maintained a stable entrance, waiting for the return of the explorers.

Madam Liu, Elder Gongsun Yu, and the others guarded outside the altar, their hearts filled with anticipation and worry.

Ancestral Land Secret Realm, Thunder Emperor trial. What kind of challenges and gains awaited Lin Xuan and the four? What variables would the opening of this Secret Realm bring to the journey of opposing the Guixu Cult?

A new adventure has already begun!