51: A letter arrives from the ethereal fairy palace; Frost Blossom visits.

The bluestone slabs of Wangyue Courtyard were still damp with dew brought back from the Five Elements Spirit Pool. Lin Yang was pressing a space stone close to the Forbidden Ground map given by Elder Mo—the star patterns within the stone subtly echoing the map's chain patterns—when a hurried voice from an inner Sect deacon suddenly came from outside the courtyard: "Senior Brother Lin! The Sect Main Hall urgently summons you. An envoy from Misty Immortal Palace has arrived, saying they want to see you and also brought up the old matter of 'guarding the Qingmeng Mountain Formation'!"

"Guarding the Qingmeng Mountain Formation?" Lin Yang's fingertip paused, and his chaos star core suddenly vibrated with a familiar tremor. He instantly recalled the scene from half a month ago when his grandfather, Lin Xingnan, returned—at that time, his grandfather, holding that bottle of nine revolutions jade dew pill, had patted his shoulder and said: "Miss Shen giving this medicine isn't just to form good karma; your great-grandfather and her ancestor once guarded the ancient Spirit Locking Array on Qingmeng Mountain together. Counting it, our two families are old acquaintances."

On the way to the Main Hall with the deacon, the scene flashed through Lin Yang's mind again: Shen Shuanghua standing in the Lin Family courtyard, holding the Jade Bottle, her light purple ruqun skirt damp with morning dew, claiming the medicine was to form good karma. At the time, he only took it as common courtesy, but now, thinking about it, this good karma was the deep-rooted connection of their ancestors guarding the Formation together.

Just as he arrived outside the hall, he saw a light purple figure standing on the steps. Shen Shuanghua was wearing the Misty Immortal Palace's flowing cloud pattern robe, her dark hair tied up with a wooden hairpin. Compared to their first meeting, she now carried a certain composure befitting a Sect envoy, yet upon seeing Lin Yang, she first cupped her hands and said: "Senior Brother Lin, are you well? In the past, Great-Grandfather Lin covered the rear at the Spirit Locking Array, saving a branch of the Shen Family. My visit today is also to renew that sentiment on behalf of our ancestors."

These words warmed Lin Yang's heart, and his previous wariness of the Immortal Palace envoy faded significantly. He returned the greeting, saying: "Miss Shen is too polite. Grandfather often says that Great-Grandfather Lin received healing medicine from Aunt Shen on Qingmeng Mountain back then, and our two families should naturally look out for each other."

The Sect Master inside the hall, seeing this, lost much of his surprise—so they were descendants of old acquaintances; there was no need to fear that the Immortal Palace visitor had ill intentions. He was about to speak and arrange seating when Shen Shuanghua had already taken out a gilded bamboo slip from her sleeve, her tone turning serious: "My visit this time is, firstly, to extend greetings to Senior Lin on behalf of my ancestors, and secondly, to deliver an invitation to the 'Trial of the Heavens' by command of the Immortal Palace."

The moment the bamboo slip was handed over, a trace of faint golden True Qi subtly overflowed from Shen Shuanghua's fingertips, extending along the edge of the slip towards Lin Yang's Meridians—this was not a common secret technique of the Immortal Palace, but the "Heart-Cleansing Spirit Probing Art" passed down when their two families' ancestors guarded the Formation together. It was gentle and non-aggressive; Lin Yang's great-grandfather had also used this art to help Shen Family ancestors back then. When she gave him the medicine, she had sensed a chaotic aura within Lin Yang, and this time, she intended to use this inherited art to confirm whether the star core had fully Awakened.

Lin Yang's hand, holding the bamboo slip, paused slightly. His chaos star core spontaneously circulated, and gray-gold Chaos True Essence flowed like water to his arm, intertwining with that trace of True Qi. A look of "just as expected" flashed in Shen Shuanghua's eyes. Just as she was about to retract her strength, she saw the Chaos True Essence suddenly generate a suction force, pulling that trace of Immortal Palace True Qi over and transforming it into a wisp of golden pattern that merged into his Dantian.

"Senior Brother Lin's star core, it really matches the 'Chaos Supreme Treasure' mentioned by our ancestors." Shen Shuanghua showed no anger, instead letting out a light laugh, "When I was little, my grandmother told me that the chaos origin was hidden beneath the Spirit Locking Array back then. When the Lin family ancestors guarded the array core, they integrated the Origin power into their Bloodline. It seems to have been passed down to you."

Lin Yang was startled, finally understanding why Shen Shuanghua knew about the star core—it turned out the old affairs of their ancestors had already laid down clues. As he refined that trace of True Qi, his star core suddenly accelerated its circulation, clearly analyzing the "Immortal Palace Spiritual Vein network" hidden within the True Qi, even carrying the aura of the Qingmeng Mountain Spirit Locking Array. This was clearly left by Shen Shuanghua intentionally, to help him deal with Formations in the future trials.

"The Immortal Palace invited me because of the star core?" Lin Yang pressed.

"Yes, and no." Shen Shuanghua brushed her sleeve, her gaze sweeping over his chest (where the space stone was located). "The Secret Realm of the Trial of the Heavens shares the same Origin as the Qingmeng Mountain Spirit Locking Array from back then, requiring the power of Chaos to fully open. And..." Her voice softened, about to say more, when she suddenly noticed a subtle spiritual power fluctuation outside the hall—there were hidden guards spying.

Shen Shuanghua's steps paused slightly. Her fingertip quietly formed an Immortal Palace sound transmission spell, and an extremely thin wisp of True Qi brushed past Lin Yang's ear, audible only to the two of them: "There are too many eyes and ears here. Tonight at midnight, you can go to Meteorite Cliff behind Star Moon Sect. I have a token from our ancestors when they guarded the Formation that I can give you, and I can also tell you a hidden clue about your mother being trapped in the Forbidden Ground—that clue is only suitable for us, descendants of the two families, to discuss privately."

Lin Yang's pupils constricted slightly, and he suddenly looked up at Shen Shuanghua. However, she had already returned to normal, nodding slightly to the Sect Master inside the hall, then turned and walked towards the hall steps, leaving only a clear statement: "Senior Brother Lin, see you at the trial in three months. Oh, and Xuantian Sword Sect is still looking for you. Your space stone is related to the spatial Origin of the Spirit Locking Array, remember to hide it well—this is also a reminder left by our ancestors when they guarded the Formation back then."

As her voice faded, Shen Shuanghua transformed into a light purple stream of light and vanished into the sky. Lin Yang clutched the gilded bamboo slip, his fingertips still retaining the faint coolness of the sound transmission spell. His chaos star core was slightly hot due to the words "mother's clue." He looked in the direction of Meteorite Cliff behind the mountain, a decision already made in his heart—tonight's meeting might unravel many long-standing mysteries.

The Sect Master inside the hall came closer, looking at the Immortal Palace cloud patterns on the bamboo slip: "Old acquaintances are old acquaintances, but Immortal Palace trials are never simple. If you go, you need to prepare in advance."

Lin Yang nodded in agreement, but his gaze remained fixed on the direction of the back mountain. He knew that tonight's appointment at Meteorite Cliff was not only about his ancestors' last wish but also potentially a crucial step in finding his mother—and Shen Shuanghua's willingness to tell him privately surely stemmed from the long-standing sentiment between their two families, with no ill intent.