83: The Secret of the Ancient Pavilion 2

The silver light gradually receded, and clear patterns emerged on the stone slab—it was the star map left by Ice Soul and Yao Chen, only more detailed, marking the characteristics of the world where each seed of the plane was located!

Mystic Light's face turned pale, and he staggered back a few steps, having crushed a jade talisman in his hand at some point. The Grand Elder, on the other hand, knelt directly on the ground, tears streaming down his face: "The prophecy has come true... Ancestors above, the Three Spirits Co-Lord has truly appeared!"

Xiao Yan and Xiao Bing were also shocked by this scene, but what concerned them more was Ling Xiao's state—the young man's silver hair fluttered, his eyes had completely turned a brilliant silver, and the starlight flowing under his skin resonated with the stone slab. He opened his mouth to speak, but his voice sounded like thousands of people speaking at once:

"The Source World is about to collapse, all spirits weep blood;

Twelve seeds of the plane, scattered among the heavens;

The day they are gathered, a new era begins."

After saying this, Ling Xiao's body swayed, the silver light in his eyes receded, and clarity returned. He looked around in a daze: "What... happened just now?"

Xiao Bing stepped forward to support him: "You activated the Ancient Clan's prophecy stone slab." He briefly explained the scene he had witnessed.

The Grand Elder was still kneeling on the ground, his voice trembling as he said: "Three sirs... no, Three Co-Lords! The Ancient Clan is willing to dedicate all its power to help you find the seeds of the plane!"

Xiao Yan did not respond immediately, but instead walked to the stone slab and observed it carefully. As Ling Xiao's power faded, the star map on the stone slab was slowly fading, but with his powerful Mental Energy, he had already firmly memorized the patterns. What concerned him more was that the location of a light spot in the star map completely coincided with the coordinates left in Yao Chen's black ring.

"Grand Elder, please rise." Xiao Yan finally spoke, "We need to consult all records about the seeds of the plane, especially how to safely Transmigration different worlds..."

His words stopped abruptly, as a sharp pain suddenly came from his right eye! His cyan-silver pupils constricted, and a strange scene appeared before him—in the center of a burning world, a red and green seed floated, surrounded by twelve chains...

"Brother?" Xiao Bing noticed Xiao Yan's abnormality.

Xiao Yan shook his head, enduring the pain: "It's nothing... my right eye sometimes sees strange things." He did not explain in detail, because even he himself was not clear about the meaning of these images.

Mystic Light had by this time recovered his composure, and directed several Ancient Clan guards to bring several heavy ancient texts: "These are the records of previous Clan Chiefs about other worlds, including methods for opening space passages and the characteristics of different worlds."

For the next few hours, the three immersed themselves in studying the ancient texts. Although Ling Xiao was not familiar with the Ancient Clan's script, when his hand touched the pages, the text would automatically transform into information he could understand, which again proved his special connection with the Spirit of the Plane.

"Found it!" Xiao Bing suddenly pointed to a yellowed drawing, "This records an ancient Formation called 'World Gate,' which can stabilize space passages. But it requires at least three Saint-Grade powerhouses to maintain it together."

Xiao Yan leaned over to examine it, and found a small note next to the drawing: "The power of the World Gate originates from the Three Powers; when the three spirits of Heaven, Earth, and Man gather, all worlds can be accessed."

"Three spirits..." Xiao Yan looked at Ling Xiao thoughtfully, "Does it mean our three different powers?"

The Grand Elder's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Highly likely! Flame Lord's Fire of Emperor Yan represents 'Heaven,' Young Master Xiao Bing's Extreme Ice Power represents 'Earth,' and Young Master Ling Xiao's Spirit of the Plane is the ultimate 'Man'!"

Just as everyone was discussing, the entire Sacred Mountain suddenly shook violently! Fine dust fell from the ceiling of the stone chamber, and the items in the crystal cabinet clinked.

"What's going on?" Xiao Bing immediately went on alert.

Mystic Light's face changed drastically: "Not good! It's a spatial tremor! Could it be the Chaos Devourer again...?"

The tremor quickly subsided, but Ling Xiao stood up, his silver eyes looking in a certain direction: "It's not an attack... it's a response. The power I unconsciously released just now... received a response."

Xiao Yan immediately understood: "You triggered a space passage?"

Ling Xiao nodded: "Throughout the Source World... temporary passages have appeared. One of them..." He pressed his chest, his expression becoming confused, "makes me feel very strange... both familiar and unfamiliar..."

Xiao Bing looked at Xiao Yan: "Should we go see?"

Xiao Yan was about to answer when his right eye again experienced sharp pain, and this time the image was even clearer—a blurred figure stood in burning ruins, holding a broken sword...

"Go." Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, "But before that, I need to check my teacher's Relics. I have a premonition that there are crucial clues inside."

Returning to their assigned residence, Xiao Yan took out Yao Chen's black ring. He had never had the chance to carefully examine this seemingly ordinary storage ring. When his Mental Energy delved into the ring's interior, he found that in addition to the usual storage space, there was also a hidden area heavily Seal-ed.

"This is... a Soul Seal?" Xiao Yan tried to touch the Seal with his green flame, and unexpectedly, the Seal automatically recognized his Soul fluctuations and slowly opened.

There was only one item in the hidden space—a memory crystal.

The moment Xiao Yan injected his Mental Energy into the crystal, he felt as if he was pulled into a memory image...

...Torrential night rain, lightning streaking across the sky. A young Yao Chen was covered in blood, holding two unconscious children in his arms—they were the young Xiao Yan and Xiao Bing! Behind them, the Xiao Family mansion was engulfed in a raging inferno, and screams echoed endlessly.

"Xuanming! You colluded with external enemies to harm your own Clan!" Yao Chen roared at a dark figure in the rain.

The dark figure slowly approached, revealing a sinister face—it was Mystic Light in his youth! But his eyes were as black as ink, and a cruel smile hung at the corner of his mouth: "Yao Chen, hand over that child. The choice of the plane of origin must be stifled in its infancy!"

"Dream on!" Yao Chen summoned the Bone Chill Cold Fire, "As long as I have a breath left, you won't even think about harming these two children!"

"Foolish!" Xuanming—that is, Mystic Light—sneered, "Do you think you alone can fight against Lord Chaos Devourer?"

A fierce battle erupted, and Yao Chen was clearly at a disadvantage, yet he desperately protected the two children. In the end, at the cost of severe injuries, he broke through the encirclement with the children...

The image shifted to a hidden cave. Yao Chen weakly examined the children's injuries, his face growing more and more solemn: "Little Yanzi's fire poison... can only be cured with Xuanming Cold Grass. But that kind of thing is only found in..."

He looked in a certain direction outside the cave, a look of determination flashing in his eyes...

The image abruptly ended there. Xiao Yan snapped back to reality, finding his hands trembling with rage. That long-sealed memory finally revealed the truth behind the Xiao Family's destruction—Mystic Light, or rather Xuanming controlled by the Chaos Devourer, was one of the culprits behind that tragic event!

"Brother? What's wrong?" Xiao Bing's voice pulled Xiao Yan back to reality. Only then did he realize that his brother and Ling Xiao were looking at him with concern, and a cyan-silver flame had ignited around him at some point.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and told them the content of the memory image. After Xiao Bing finished listening, a cold light burst forth from his eyes: "So Mystic Light is the Xuanming from back then? Then why is he now...?"

"Two possibilities." Xiao Yan calmly analyzed, "Either he broke free from control, or... he has always been faking it."

Ling Xiao suddenly clutched his head, squatting down in pain: "No wonder... I felt two auras on him just now... one was Ancient Clan, the other was..."

"The remnants of the Chaos Devourer." Xiao Bing finished, his eyes filled with killing intent, "We should now..."

"No." Xiao Yan shook his head, "That would alert him. We need evidence, and we need to know if there are others behind him."

Just then, a strange spatial fluctuation came from afar, followed by the exclamations of the Ancient Clan members. The three exchanged glances, temporarily putting aside the matter of Mystic Light, and quickly rushed to the source of the fluctuation.

In the valley behind the Sacred Mountain, a spatial rift about three zhang high floated in mid-air, its edges shimmering with silver-blue light. Several Ancient Clan Elders were nervously maintaining a barrier, preventing the rift from expanding.

"This is a space passage triggered by Young Master Ling Xiao's power." The Grand Elder immediately reported upon seeing the three arrive, "We tried to close it, but..."

Ling Xiao stepped forward, his silver eyes gazing at the rift: "No, this is not an ordinary spatial rift... This is a passage, leading to..." He suddenly widened his eyes, "Brother! I feel a familiar aura inside... like... like Uncle Xiao Zhan!"

"Father?!" Xiao Yan and Xiao Bing exclaimed simultaneously.

This sudden news hit Xiao Yan like a heavy hammer. His father, Xiao Zhan, disappeared on the night the Xiao Family was annihilated, and there had been no news of him for years. Could he have been trapped in another world all this time?

Xiao Yan's right eye again experienced sharp pain, and this time the image clearly showed the figure of a middle-aged man bound by chains—though much more weathered, that outline was clearly Xiao Zhan!

"We must go in." Xiao Yan said decisively.

The Grand Elder hurriedly tried to stop them: "It's too dangerous! The passage to an unknown world could close at any time, and if you get trapped over there..."

"I have a way back." Ling Xiao suddenly said, pointing to the silver light at the edge of the rift, "This is a passage opened by my power, I can sense it, and I can... maintain it for a period of time."

Xiao Bing checked the stability of the rift, frowning: "Three days at most. The passage will collapse after three days, we must return before then."

"That's enough." Xiao Yan had made up his mind, "Xiao Bing, you stay and monitor Mystic Light. Ling Xiao and I will go investigate."

Xiao Bing immediately objected: "No! It's too dangerous! We should..."

"If Mystic Light really has a problem, someone must keep an eye on him." Xiao Yan pressed his hand on his brother's shoulder, "And your Extreme Ice Power is more suitable for unleashing its full strength in the Source World."

Xiao Bing was about to argue, when Ling Xiao suddenly interjected: "Second Brother, on the other side of the passage... there's a very warm power calling to us. I don't think there will be any danger."

Finally, Xiao Bing reluctantly agreed to the plan, but insisted that they bring the Ancient Clan's spatial beacon: "If you encounter danger, activate the beacon immediately, and I will rush over at the first opportunity."

Just as Xiao Yan and Ling Xiao were about to enter the passage, Xiao Bing suddenly called out to them: "Wait! Brother, try to see if you can mobilize the power of the Flame Lord's Fire. Ling Xiao, you also try to sense the Spirit of the Plane. I have an idea..."

The three stood in a triangle, each circulating their power. A trace of ancient and majestic Flame Lord's Fire emerged from Xiao Yan's green flame; silver light flowed around Ling Xiao; and Xiao Bing circulated the newly acquired Xuanming Ice Soul Art, with a hint of deep blue added to his Extreme Ice Power.

When the three powers converged in the air, a miracle happened—a miniature, stable space passage formed in the center of the three, although it was only fist-sized, it was clearly more stable than the passage Ling Xiao maintained alone!

"Sure enough!" Xiao Bing said excitedly, "The three spirits combined can create a more stable passage! This way, even if the main passage closes, we can open a new path!"

Xiao Yan nodded in approval: "Good discovery. We'll study this cooperation in depth when we return."

After bidding farewell to Xiao Bing, Xiao Yan and Ling Xiao stepped into the space passage. The Transmigration process was surprisingly smooth, as if walking on a silver light bridge. A moment later, their vision suddenly cleared—they stood on a crimson land, with two suns hanging in the sky, and a half-collapsed black pyramid structure in the distance.

"This is..." Xiao Yan had just opened his mouth when he suddenly felt a tremor in his Soul—that Bloodline connection could not be wrong!

Ling Xiao also felt it, his silver eyes looking towards the pyramid: "Uncle Xiao Zhan... he's right there!"

As the two were about to move forward, Xiao Yan's right eye suddenly saw a warning image—dozens of dark figures were ambushing around the pyramid, waiting for prey to walk into their trap!

"There's an ambush." Xiao Yan whispered, "It seems someone already knew we would come..."

Ling Xiao's silver eyes flickered, and the power of the Spirit of the Plane quietly spread: "Not only that... the spatial structure of this world is very strange, it's like... it's been artificially modified."

Xiao Yan sneered: "Whether it's a trap or a den of Dragon and tigers, since Father is here, we must break through."

The two cautiously advanced towards the pyramid, neither noticing that a dark figure quietly flashed through the space passage behind them...

At the same time, inside the Ancient Clan Sacred Mountain in the Source World, Mystic Light—or rather Xuanming—was kneeling in a dark room, with a mass of pitch-black energy floating before him. A hoarse voice came from the energy:

"They went in?"

"Yes, Lord." Mystic Light replied respectfully, "As planned, they were led to the Prison World."

"Very good... Two of the three spirits have appeared. As long as we capture that Extreme Ice boy, the sacrifices for Lord Void Devourer's awakening will be complete..."

In the corner of the dark room, the Extreme Ice listening talisman left by Xiao Bing quietly melted, transmitting this conversation word for word back to its master's ears...