Chapter 425: An extremely long entry for the Soul Crystal's main body?!

The stone door slowly closed behind him, letting out a dull, heavy thud.

The light from the outside was completely cut off, but the Spirit Sealing Hall was not dark.

The dense Ancient Soul Runes on the walls emitted a faint, ghostly blue fluorescence, like dim stars, illuminating the entire hall like the deep sea under the night sky.

Jiang Yun steadied himself and looked up to survey his surroundings.

The interior space of the Spirit Sealing Hall was even grander than he had imagined.

From the outside, this Ancient Tomb was already majestic enough.

But only upon truly stepping inside did he realize that what he saw from the outside was just the tip of the iceberg.

The hall was octagonal, with each side measuring over thirty zhang in length.

From the floor to the dome, the height was a full ten zhang or more.

The dome was arched, with a massive pattern carved upon it.

A Phoenix with spread wings was surrounded by countless intricate Soul runes.

Those Soul runes radiated outward from the Phoenix's body, spreading across the entire dome like blood vessels, then extending down the walls to connect with the runes in all directions.

The entire Spirit Sealing Hall was like a giant cocoon.

And those Ancient Soul Runes were the crisscrossing threads within the cocoon.

They intertwined, overlapped, and nested within each other, forming a vast Formation so complex it was suffocating.

The position, angle, and depth of every Soul rune had its own specific meaning.

Tens of thousands of Soul runes combined to form a complete Seal system.

Jiang Yun activated his Divine Sense, carefully sensing these Soul runes.

He soon discovered that although the Soul runes on the dome and walls were still emitting a faint glow, the light was extremely dim and unevenly distributed.

In some areas, the Soul runes had completely extinguished, like necrotic blood vessels, cutting the spiritual power circulation of the entire Formation into several segments.

In other areas, although the Soul runes were still glowing, the light was flickering like a candle in the wind, liable to go out at any moment.

And in yet other areas, the Soul runes showed obvious fractures and misalignments, as if they had been torn apart from the inside by something.

The entire Formation was already riddled with holes.

The floor of the hall was paved with massive dark-green stone slabs.

Every stone slab was carved with inscriptions and patterns, so dense there was hardly an inch of blank space.

Those inscriptions were extremely ancient; Jiang Yun could only recognize a small portion of them.

Most were words related to "Seal," "Suppress," "Guard," and "Protect."

There were also the names and achievements of the Liu Family's ancestors through the generations.

A faint ghostly blue light seeped from the gaps between the stone slabs, as if a river of light were flowing deep underground.

But that river of light was also extremely weak; it was barely noticeable if one didn't look closely.

And at the very center of the hall stood a circular high platform.

The platform was made of nine tiers of steps, crafted entirely from a black spiritual jade Jiang Yun had never seen before.

The spiritual jade was as black as ink, its surface smooth as a mirror, yet it had no reflection, as if all light approaching it would be swallowed whole.

Every tier of the platform was covered in Ancient Soul Runes.

These Soul runes were even denser and finer than those on the walls; each was only a tenth the thickness of a hair, yet clearly discernible without a hint of blurring.

Each of the nine tiers was surrounded by at least several hundred Soul runes.

They layered upon each other, starting from the lowest step and extending all the way up, finally converging at the top of the platform.

And at the top of the platform, a crystal floated.

The crystal was about the size of a human head and was a deep, pitch black throughout.

Its shape was irregular, with clear signs of fracture along the edges.

Jiang Yun recognized at a glance that the soul crystal fragment in the plaza had broken off from this very crystal.

The surface of the crystal was covered in fine cracks, like a riverbed that had long been dry.

Those cracks varied in depth; some were only on the surface, while others went deep into the interior of the crystal.

And in the deepest part of the crystal, there was an extremely faint dark-red glow.

The light was like the heartbeat of a dying man, flickering slowly and weakly.

Each flicker was separated by the interval of several breaths.

And the brightness of each flicker was so weak it made one doubt if it would go out completely in the next second.

But it was precisely this faint, almost imperceptible dark-red glow that caused Jiang Yun's Divine Sense to suddenly tighten.

That was the aura of a Soul.

It shared the same Origin as the residual Soul Power in the soul crystal fragment in the plaza, but the level was completely different.

If the Soul Power in the fragment was a drop of water, then the Soul Power contained in this dark-red glow was a vast ocean.

Though it had weakened to the extreme and had been dormant for a full three hundred years, the essence of that power was still high enough to make one's heart palpitate.

Legendary rank.

Perhaps even higher.

Jiang Yun took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.

Around the hall, surrounding the high platform, stood rows of stone tablets.

There were dozens of tablets in total, each nearly a zhang tall, carved from dark-green spiritual rock.

The tablets were covered in dense inscriptions, recording the names, achievements, and contributions to the Family of the Liu Family's ancestors through the generations.

The few tablets closest to the platform were the largest, and the inscriptions on them were the densest.

On one of the tablets, Jiang Yun saw this line of text:

"Founder Ancestor, contracted with the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix, traversed the Central Continent for over a hundred years without a single defeat. In his later years, he opened the Liu Family Ancestral Realm in the Void Realm and left behind the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix soul crystal for future generations. The descendants of the Liu Family shall guard this crystal for generations and never let its lineage end."

Another tablet was inscribed with:

"Third Generation Family Head Liu Zhenyue, using the power of the soul crystal, evolved his natal beast, the Azure Phoenix, into a Nine Nether Underworld Sparrow. Thus, the Liu Family secured its place in the Central Continent."

Further back, the records on the tablets became shorter and the inscriptions more brief.

By the last few rows, the writing on the tablets had become sparse, as if in those years, the Liu Family had never again produced an expert worthy of being recorded in the ancestral lands.

Looking at the content, Jiang Yun frowned slightly.

He felt some doubt in his heart.

Central Continent?

Could it be referring to S Province?

To the side.

Liu Qingyun stood before the high platform, looking up at the dim soul crystal, his eyes filled with a complex expression.

There was awe, nostalgia, helplessness, and anticipation.

He remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking.

"Grand Tutor Dongxuan, this is the ancestral object sealed within the Liu Family's ancestral lands, and the soul crystal main body of the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix."

His voice was low and raspy, echoing in the empty hall with a touch of desolation.

"Legend has it that three thousand years ago, our Liu Family founder, Lord Ancestor, encountered this Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix in the Beast Domain. At that time, the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix was heavily wounded and on the verge of falling. Lord Founder battled it for seven days and seven nights, finally moving it with his sincerity and strength to form a contract. Before the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix fell, it condensed its Soul essence into this soul crystal and gifted it to Lord Founder."

He paused, his voice becoming even lower.

"Since then, this soul crystal has become the Foundation of my Liu Family. The spirit beasts of the Liu Family's descendants can inherit part of the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix's Bloodline talents by absorbing the Soul essence within the soul crystal. The Third Generation Family Head, Lord Liu Zhenyue, used this to evolve his natal beast into a Nine Nether Underworld Sparrow, allowing my Liu Family to maintain its rank among the families of the Central Continent."

"However... what a pity..."

"The past glory has turned to naught..."

Liu Qingyun sighed.

He raised his hand and pointed at the surrounding stone tablets.

"What is carved on these tablets are the names of my Liu Family's ancestors through the generations. Those who can have a tablet erected in the ancestral lands are all seniors who have made significant contributions to our Liu Family."

His finger pointed from the front row of tablets all the way to the back row.

The further back, the fewer the tablets and the shorter the inscriptions.

"Grand Tutor Dongxuan, please look. At the Liu Family's Peak, an expert at the Peak Eclipsing Moon Rank could be produced every hundred years. At that time, the Liu Family could even be ranked as third-rate among the families of the Central Continent."

Central Continent? Ranked as third-rate?

Hearing this, Jiang Yun was stunned.

His previous guess was immediately overturned.

He was certain in his heart.

This Central Continent was most likely not referring to S Province.

Previously, he had also heard snippets about the Central Continent from other experts.

This made Jiang Yun extremely curious.

What kind of place was this Central Continent?

Even the terrifying heritage of the Liu Family from several hundred years ago could only squeeze into the third-rate?

One must know that the current heritage of the Liu Family, in Jiang Yun's view, was already enough to sweep through the Provincial Capital.

Jiang Yun pondered secretly.

The history of this Liu Family was probably not simple.

Though Jiang Yun was puzzled,

now was not the time to investigate.

While Jiang Yun was secretly shocked,

Liu Qingyun's voice suddenly dropped.

"Sigh!"

He continued.

"But starting from three hundred years ago, the soul crystal gradually lost its effectiveness. The spirit beasts of my Liu Family's descendants could no longer absorb Soul Power or inherit the Bloodline from it. In these three hundred years, my Liu Family only produced one High-stage Eclipsing Moon Rank Elder. And in the last fifty years, not even a single Mid-stage Eclipsing Moon Rank has been born."

He turned around and looked at Jiang Yun, his eyes full of earnestness.

"Grand Tutor Dongxuan, when you were Appraising that fragment in the plaza just now, every word you said matched the information known to this Family Head without the slightest error, and even went beyond it. You are the only person in three hundred years who has truly understood the soul crystal. This Family Head implores you to Appraise this soul crystal main body for the Liu Family."

There was a slight tremor in his voice.

"As long as a method to activate it can be found, allowing my Liu Family to regain its Legacy, everyone in the Liu Family will forever be grateful!"

Jiang Yun looked into Liu Qingyun's eyes, which were filled with anticipation, and nodded slightly.

"Rest assured, Family Head Liu. Since this Junior has agreed, I will do my utmost to find out where the problem with this object lies."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable certainty.

Hearing this, Liu Qingyun bowed deeply to Jiang Yun.

"Thank you, Grand Tutor Dongxuan!"

To the side, Elder Liu Lan also solemnly bowed to Jiang Yun.

Previously, he might have looked down on Jiang Yun a bit.

He hadn't really looked him in the eye.

But now, after witnessing Jiang Yun's series of actions and methods,

he also did not dare to underestimate Jiang Yun anymore.

In fact, a trace of respect had grown in his heart.

The sixteen-year-old Grand Tutor before him

had brought him too much shock and the unexpected.

Facing the respectful bows of the two,

Jiang Yun said no more and stepped toward the high platform.

His pace was neither fast nor slow, each step landing firmly on the tiers.

The Ancient Soul Runes on the tiers flickered slightly under his feet, as if sensing his arrival.

He took nine breaths to climb the nine tiers.

With every tier he ascended, the pressure from the soul crystal grew more intense.

Although the soul crystal had been dormant for three hundred years, the residual prestige of a Legendary rank Divine Beast still remained within the crystal.

Even if it was just the residual prestige left by a remnant Soul,

it still caused Jiang Yun to feel a bit of trepidation.

Jiang Yun couldn't help but marvel in his heart.

"Just the residual prestige of a remnant Soul carries such terrifying deterrence; just how terrifying a level did this Legendary rank spirit beast reach while it was alive?"

"Could it be like the phantom of the future seen in the Secret Realm? Able to destroy stars with a casual strike?"

Jiang Yun did not dare to think further.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Currently, the most powerful existence he had ever seen was just an Eclipse Moon Rank Expert.

However, even an Eclipse Moon Rank Expert already possessed the terrifying power to destroy a city with just one person and one beast.

Therefore, at the moment, Jiang Yun simply could not imagine how powerful a Legendary Rank beast could truly be...

Legendary Rank was still too far away for Jiang Yun.

Jiang Yun sighed in his heart.

He walked to the top of the high platform and stopped in front of the soul crystal.

He lowered his head, his thoughts returning to the present.

His gaze fell upon the dense web of cracks on the surface of the soul crystal.

From this close, those cracks were even clearer.

They spread across the entire surface of the crystal like a spiderweb; some cracks had even penetrated deep into the crystal's interior, shattering that cluster of dark red light into fragments.

Yet even so, that cluster of light had not been extinguished.

Three thousand years of Legacy, three hundred years of silence, and it still tenaciously survived.

Jiang Yun took a deep breath and activated his Innate Talent Skill, Entry Manifestation.

A flash of pale golden light flickered in his pupils.

In the void before him, lines of golden text began to emerge.

At first, there were only a few sparse lines, but soon, more and more data entries surged out from the soul crystal, flooding into Jiang Yun's field of vision like a burst dam.

The text was dense and layered, wrapping around the entire soul crystal.

Each line of text emitted a faint golden glow, causing Jiang Yun's mask to flicker in the light.

Jiang Yun's pupils widened as the text appeared.

His breathing involuntarily became rapid, and his heartbeat accelerated.

The information here was far more detailed and shocking than that fragment.

Furthermore, this was the first time Jiang Yun had ever seen so many data entries appear when appraising an item...

[Item Name]: Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix soul crystal (soul crystal main body)

[Grade]: Legendary High Grade (Soul type · Legacy treasure)

[Refiner]: Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix (voluntarily sacrificed)

[Refining Era]: Approximately three thousand years ago

[Completeness]: 87.3% (The missing part is the fragment appraised in the plaza, as well as a small amount of Soul Power lost naturally over the past three hundred years)

[Core Substance]: Complete Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix life-bound Soul Power (containing a wisp of original will)

[Soul Power Status]: Deep slumber. Three hundred years ago, due to an external impact, the internal Soul Power circulation system collapsed, leading to the solidification of Soul Power and loss of vitality. Current Soul Power retention rate is approximately 41.7%, and it is still slowly dissipating at a rate of about 0.03% per year. If not activated, it is expected to completely dissipate in six hundred years.

[Surface Soul Patterns]: Ancient Soul Patterns · Complete Version. Three thousand six hundred in total. Of these, two thousand eight hundred and twelve are complete and identifiable, five hundred and thirty-three are broken, and two hundred and fifty-five are completely erased. The Soul Pattern system is divided into three layers—outer Seal patterns (maintaining soul crystal form stability), middle transmission patterns (guiding Soul Power circulation), and inner core patterns (sealing the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix original will).

[Core Function]: Soul nourishment, Bloodline Legacy. Descendants of the Liu Family can extract the Soul Power essence of the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix through a specific Bloodline resonance ceremony, thereby inheriting some of its Bloodline talents. The absorber's Aptitude, attribute compatibility, and the depth of resonance with the soul crystal jointly determine the purity and strength of the inherited Bloodline. It can boost a beast's Bloodline by one major grade at most, such as from Diamond Rank to Legendary Rank.

[Reason for Failure]: Three hundred years ago, the Liu Family suffered an invasion by external enemies. The Ancestral Land's Eight Desolations Spirit-Sealing Formation suffered a full-force blow from an Eclipse Moon Rank Expert at the Peak, and three of the eight Soul-Suppressing Pillars were severely damaged. The backlash from the Formation impacted the soul crystal, causing the internal Soul Power circulation system to collapse, and the Soul Power gradually solidified. At the same time, over five hundred outer Seal patterns broke, and over six hundred middle transmission patterns broke, preventing Soul Power from circulating normally. Since then, the soul crystal has fallen into a deep slumber and cannot be awakened by the Bloodline resonance ceremony.

[Reactivation Method]: To activate this soul crystal, the following three steps must be completed in order, none of which can be omitted.

Step one: Repair the Eight Desolations Spirit-Sealing Formation. Three of the eight Soul-Suppressing Pillars on the perimeter of the Ancestral Land are severely damaged. It is necessary to recast the cores of the damaged Soul-Suppressing Pillars with Sun-Level Spirit-Sealing Jade, fill the cracks with Eclipsing Moon Rank Soul-Suppressing Stones, and then re-inscribe the broken Ancient Soul Patterns with Soul Ink. Once repairs are complete, the Eight Desolations Spirit-Sealing Formation will restore its full functionality, sealing the soul crystal, stabilizing space, and nourishing Soul Power. This step requires a Formation Master of Grand Tutor Level or higher to preside over, taking about two hours. Without this step, the soul crystal will shatter completely during subsequent activation due to its inability to withstand the surge of Soul Power.

Step two: Repair the Soul Patterns on the surface of the soul crystal. Among the three thousand six hundred Ancient Soul Patterns on the surface of the soul crystal, seven hundred and eighty-eight are broken or erased. A Runemaster of Grand Tutor Level or higher is required to temporarily inscribe and repair the broken Soul Patterns with Soul Ink at the exact moment the soul crystal is awakened, guiding the Soul Power to circulate correctly. The repair must be synchronized with the revival of Soul Power; too early, and the Soul Power has not moved, so the Soul Ink cannot adhere. Too late, and the Soul Power will go out of control, causing the soul crystal to explode. This step places extremely high demands on the Runemaster's Divine Sense strength, mastery of runes, and copying speed. The slightest error will result in total failure.

Step three: Resonance of three powerful ancient Bloodline auras. The first two steps are merely repairs; this step is the actual Awakening. The reason the remnant Soul of the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix fell into a deep slumber is not only because of the collapse of the Soul Power circulation, but also because it cannot perceive the aura of its own kind. Three thousand years of loneliness have caused it to lose the will to awaken. To make it wake up again, the Bloodline auras of three powerful ancient Bloodlines must be applied simultaneously to the core of the soul crystal to resonate with the original will of the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix.

The three Bloodlines must meet the following conditions: Bloodline Level: Must be of the ancient Divine Beast level; ordinary Bloodlines cannot trigger resonance with the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix. Attribute Compatibility: The Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix is a powerful Divine Beast with fire, wind, and dark attributes, so the three Bloodlines must each possess one of the fire, wind, or dark attributes. Only Bloodlines with these three attributes can resonate with it. Bloodline Purity: The higher the Bloodline purity, the stronger the resonance. If any of the three Bloodlines lacks sufficient purity, the resonance will not reach the Awakening threshold. Resonance Synchronization: The three Bloodline auras must resonate simultaneously, and their intensity must be kept balanced. If any of the Bloodline auras is too strong or too weak, it will break the balance of resonance, leading to Awakening failure.

When the resonance is successful, the auras of the three Bloodlines will resonate with the original will of the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix. At that time, the remnant Soul of the Nether Phoenix, which has been sleeping for three hundred years, will be re-awakened, and the Soul Power circulation system inside the soul crystal will restart accordingly. The soul crystal will regain its vitality and once again possess the functions of nourishing Souls and passing on Bloodlines.

[Special Note]: If any of the three Bloodlines has a Common Origin with the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix, the resonance effect will be greatly enhanced. The resonance of a Common-Origin Bloodline can not only awaken the remnant Soul but may also gain the recognition of the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix's original will, thereby triggering additional gifts, such as obtaining the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix's Nether Fire Seed, Phoenix Wing Pattern, or original essence blood.

[Internal Hidden Information · One]: Within the core of the soul crystal, besides the life-bound Soul Power of the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix, a secret piece of information is also sealed. That information was not left by the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix, but was personally sealed inside by the Liu Family ancestor, Ancestor, before he passed away. Only by fully activating the soul crystal and achieving a sufficiently deep resonance with it will this information be released. The content of the information has been passed down by word of mouth among the generations of Liu Family patriarchs, and no one has ever truly seen it. The information points to a greater secret, a clue regarding a certain forbidden item discovered by Ancestor in the deepest part of the Bone Burial Area during his later years. The grade of that forbidden item is said to be no lower than Sun-Level.

[Internal Hidden Information · Two]: Deepest within the outer Seal patterns of the soul crystal, another extremely obscure mark is hidden. That mark does not belong to the Ancient Soul Pattern system but is some kind of even more ancient sealing technique. Even a Grand Tutor Level Appraiser would find it difficult to discover its existence without careful investigation. This mark has nothing to do with the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix. It is a Bloodline lock that the Liu Family ancestor, Ancestor, additionally applied when sealing the soul crystal. The function of the Bloodline lock is simple. It restricts the usage rights of the soul crystal. Only the direct Bloodline of the Liu Family can extract Soul Power from the soul crystal through the Bloodline resonance ceremony. The other layer of meaning behind the Bloodline lock is even more intriguing. It means that when Ancestor sealed the soul crystal, he had already anticipated that outsiders might try to activate or steal the soul crystal in the future. He left this Bloodline lock not only for protection but also for... a warning. A warning of what? It is unknown...

Jiang Yun finished reading the last line of text.

His pupils had constricted to the extreme.

The first time!

This was the first time so many data entries had appeared.

Repair the Eight Desolations Spirit-Sealing Formation.

Repair the Soul Patterns on the surface of the soul crystal.

Resonance of three powerful ancient Bloodline auras.

Three conditions, each more demanding than the last.

Repairing a Sun-Level Formation requires a Formation Master of Falling Star Rank or higher, as well as Sun-Level Spirit-Sealing Jade, Eclipsing Moon Rank Soul-Suppressing Stones, and Soul Ink.

The Liu Family might not have all these Materials.

However, that was not something he needed to worry about.

Repairing the Ancient Soul Patterns requires a Runemaster of Grand Tutor Level to copy them synchronously at the moment of Soul Power revival, with zero margin for error.

And the hardest part is the third condition.

Three powerful ancient Bloodline auras.

Bloodlines of the ancient Divine Beast level, and they must correspond to the fire, wind, and dark attributes respectively.

Although the Liu Family has a deep Foundation and numerous beasts, beasts that could simultaneously satisfy these three conditions... he was afraid not even one could be found.

But in Jiang Yun's heart, a storm was brewing.

Because... his beasts... seemed to... happen to satisfy these three conditions?!!

After evolving, Little Fire's Bloodline had evolved in the direction of a True Dragon, fire attribute, and the Bloodline level should be sufficient.

Little Skylark, after fusing with the wing bones of the Ancient Wind-Thunder Divine Peng, awakened the Divine Roc Bloodline, wind attribute, and the Bloodline level was sufficient.

Nether Abyss, flowing with the Bloodline of an ancient Nether Abyss Divine Beast, dark attribute, and the Bloodline level was sufficient.

Moreover, Nether Abyss's Bloodline belongs to the same Nether lineage as the Nine Nether Underworld Phoenix; he wondered if this was the Common-Origin relationship mentioned in the data entries!!

Even if it wasn't, Nether Abyss was still an ancient Bloodline with the dark attribute!!

He had all three required ancient Bloodlines here?!!

However, what Jiang Yun cared about more was... the content of those two hidden information data entries...