58: Night summons to Wangyue Peak, runes conceal profound secrets.

The candlelight in Wangyue Courtyard had just licked the third circle of the wick, and Lin Yang's Chaos True Essence was tracing the star patterns on the space stone with his fingertips — the faint purple patterns flickered in his palm, subtly aligning with the chain patterns on Elder Mo's half-map of the Forbidden Ground. Only a few crucial nodes remained to complete it. But just then, footsteps from outside the courtyard broke the silence. It wasn't the hurried steps of patrolling Disciples, but the steady rhythm of Xuan boots grinding against bluestone slabs, each step like a drumbeat in one's heart.

"Senior Brother Lin Yang, the Sect Master is waiting in the study on Wangyue Peak. He asks that you go immediately." The newcomer was Zhou Ming, the Head Deacon of the inner Sect. The collar of his dark brocade robe was embroidered with the silver emblem of the Star Moon Sect, and the tassel of his waist token hung to one side, appearing even more solemn than when he usually met the Sect Master. His gaze swept over the space stone on the table, his pupils constricting slightly, but he didn't ask further. He only added, "The Sect Master specifically instructed you to bring the items obtained from the Five Elements Spirit Pool, saying there's an important matter concerning the 'chaos star core' to discuss."

Lin Yang's fingertips paused, and a chill suddenly emanated from the chaos star core — the Sect Master summoning him late at night and specifically asking him to bring the space stone was certainly no ordinary greeting. He recalled the Sect Master's words outside the Five Elements Spirit Pool, "The chaos star core secret might be solved in the Spirit Pool." His thumb unconsciously rubbed the edge of the space stone. He eventually folded the map and hid it in his Five Elements Small World, nodding, "Thank you, Deacon Zhou, for leading the way."

The inner Sect path in the night was so quiet that only the chirping of insects could be heard. Zhou Ming walked half a step ahead, occasionally turning his head to point out the runes along the way: "These are 'Moon Guiding Patterns'. They are only activated when previous Sect Masters walk this path. Today, the Sect Master specifically had them lit, saying he was afraid you might take the wrong path." Lin Yang followed his finger, and indeed, the faint silver patterns on both sides of the stone steps lit up one after another with each step. In the faint light, they even emitted an ancient aura originating from the same source as the chaos star core, yet more obscure than the star patterns on the space stone, as if veiled by time.

"Deacon Zhou, do you know why the Sect Master summoned me tonight?" Lin Yang suddenly asked, his gaze falling on Zhou Ming's hand hanging by his side — that hand was unconsciously rubbing his token, clearly also deliberating his words.

Zhou Ming's steps paused slightly, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes as he turned back: "I'm not clear on the specifics, I only heard from the attendant in the Sect Master's study that the original copy of the Star Moon Divine Art is on the desk." He lowered his voice even further, "That is our Sect's most important Cultivation Technique. Besides the successive Sect Masters, only the Saintess Su Qingyue's mother, from back then, received the first three levels personally from the Sect Master. Senior Brother Lin, you... should be more careful."

These words were like a stone thrown into Lin Yang's heart — he had long heard of the Star Moon Divine Art. It was said that Cultivating it to the seventh level could harness the power of the stars and moon, making even Spirit Sea Realm Cultivators wary. The Sect Master had actually brought out the original copy of this Cultivation Technique. Was it a gesture of goodwill, or did he have other intentions?

While they were speaking, they had already arrived at the peak of Wangyue Peak. The wooden door of the study was carved with a complete star map totem, and the silver patterns gleamed coldly in the night. Zhou Ming's fingers had just touched the door when the Sect Master's steady voice came from within: "Come in, let Lin Yang enter alone."

When Lin Yang pushed the door open, he was first enveloped by the scent of ancient books filling the room — bookshelves were stacked from floor to ceiling, the covers of the uppermost classics yellowed with age, their edges bearing traces of fire damage, clearly rare copies that had survived calamities. The Sect Master sat behind a zitan wood desk, the silver-blue flame of the star moon lamp wick in front of him illuminating the jade cup in his hand. On the desk lay a golden-bound classic, the four ancient seal characters "Star Moon Divine Art" on its cover faintly glowing with the flickering wick.

"Sit." The Sect Master pointed to the cold jade stone stool in front of the desk, but his gaze remained on Lin Yang's chest, "How much spiritual liquid did you absorb with your Chaos True Essence in the Five Elements Spirit Pool? Su Qingyue said that you even dared to touch the Origin of the Metal-element Spirit Pool. Weren't you afraid of the Sharp Metal Qi damaging your Meridians?"

Lin Yang sat down on the stone stool. The chill of the cold jade seeped through his clothes, making him more alert: "This Junior's Chaos True Essence can decompose elemental power. Although the Metal Origin is fierce, it can be transformed into Sharp Metal Sword Qi and stored in my dantian core, which unexpectedly brought my Metal-element Cultivation to Perfection." He didn't proactively mention the space stone, but instead counter-questioned, "Sect Master summoned me late at night, I presume it's not just to ask about the Spirit Pool, right?"

The Sect Master smiled upon hearing this, tapping the Star Moon Divine Art on the desk with his fingertip: "You are indeed straightforward. Do you know the connection between this space stone and my Star Moon Sect?" Without waiting for Lin Yang to answer, he reached under the desk and pressed a mechanism. A silver-patterned stone slab rose from the tabletop. The star map carved on the slab was seventy percent similar to the incomplete star map within the chaos star core. "This is my Star Moon Sect's ancestral 'Incomplete star map,' obtained by our ancestor a thousand years ago in the Ancient Land of Starfall. And the space stone in your hand is the crucial fragment to complete this map."

Lin Yang's heart trembled, and he instinctively reached for the space stone in his embrace — so the Sect Master had known the use of the space stone all along, and his previous questions outside the Spirit Pool were merely a test. He slowly took out the space stone and placed it on the stone slab. As the faint purple star patterns touched the silver patterns, they seemed to come alive, intertwining and completing three crucial coordinates on the map, one of which was clearly marked with the characters "Ancient Land of Starfall."

"You can indeed complete the star map." A trace of imperceptible excitement flashed in the Sect Master's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, his finger pointing at the "Ancient Land of Starfall" coordinate. "This place holds the Foundation of my Star Moon Sect, and also the secret of the chaos star core. However, the Restrictions of the ancient land are special; successive Sect Masters have been unable to enter — our ancestor was able to enter a thousand years ago with a fragment of the chaos star core, but that fragment was lost during the Immortal Palace's sneak attack three hundred years ago. Now, the 'Chaos Restriction Patterns' of the ancient land can only be dispelled by activating a complete chaos star core. I don't have a chaos star core, and forcing my way in would only result in a backlash from the Restriction Patterns, losing even my Spirit Sea Realm Cultivation."

Lin Yang tightened his grip on the space stone — so the Sect Master couldn't enter because of the Restriction, not because he was deliberately making excuses. He remembered Elder Mo's warning, and his tone softened slightly: "Then, Sect Master, you summoned me here to have this Junior help you lift the Restriction? But this Junior's Cultivation is still shallow, and if there are dangers within the ancient land..."

"I naturally won't let you go alone." The Sect Master interrupted him, pushing the Star Moon Divine Art towards Lin Yang. The moment the pages opened, silver-blue True Qi overflowed from the characters. "I will grant you the status of 'Star Moon Secret Disciple' and teach you the first three levels of this Cultivation Technique — 'Moon Guiding,' 'Star Gathering,' and 'Essence Condensing' can use the power of the stars and moon to amplify your Chaos True Essence. Then, I will have Su Qingyue and Bai Wanqing accompany you. Qingyue's ice-element True Qi can guard against the ancient land's chilling cold, and Wanqing is skilled in Divine Soul detection, able to detect ancient battle souls in advance. Their abilities happen to compensate for your shortcomings."

Lin Yang looked at the sincerity in the Sect Master's eyes, then glanced at the star map on the stone slab — the Ancient Land of Starfall might hold clues about his mother, and he couldn't refuse. As his fingertips touched the pages, the chaos star core suddenly resonated violently. The ancient seal characters on the pages automatically unfolded in his mind, and the True Qi routes of the Moon Guiding Realm clearly emerged, as if practiced thousands of times.