127: The chains are broken and the ancient breath spreads
The crisp sound of golden chains shattering was exceptionally clear in the silent Luoxia Valley, like countless piano strings snapping at once. The fragments transformed into flowing gold, arcing briefly through the air before sinking into the black earth of the spiritual field, stirring up ripples. The originally pitch-black soil began to glow with a greenish-gold hue, as if the remnants of a Lingmai Power were being awakened.
The White-Robed Figure inside the crystal slowly stretched its body. Pale skin, covered in markings similar to the chain runes, was revealed beneath its tattered robe. As the chains shattered, these markings gradually faded, revealing the almost transparent texture of the skin beneath.
Liu Shan froze in place, the New Power within him seemingly frozen, even the tremor in his fingertips becoming sluggish. He could feel that ancient aura drilling into his body through his pores—cold, pure, and imbued with an indifference that looked down on all living beings, reminding him of the boundless dark Universe deep within the Xuan Jin Dragon's memory.
“What… what exactly is this…?” Lin Qingxue’s voice was broken. She leaned on the spiritual field’s embankment, trying to stand, but the aura pressed her down to her knees again. The Lingmai Power in her wrist melted rapidly, like ice meeting a scorching sun.
The Dan Wang Valley Master lay prostrate on the ground, the Pill Furnace pattern on his bamboo staff completely dim. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a sound, only his cloudy eyes reflected the White-Robed Figure in the crystal, filled with a fear that originated from the depths of his Soul.
The White-Robed Figure’s gaze remained fixed on the golden mark on Liu Shan’s forehead. In its lifeless black eyes, the fluctuations became increasingly obvious, as if something was awakening. It slowly raised its hand, and its pale fingertip lightly pointed towards the golden mark.
A tearing pain suddenly erupted from Liu Shan’s forehead. The golden mark felt like it was being forcibly peeled from his flesh. Mo Chu’s aura let out a mournful shriek, yet not even a sliver of golden light could penetrate, only struggling madly deep within the golden mark.
“Mo Chu!” Liu Shan wanted to protect his forehead, but his body wouldn't obey. He could only watch as the golden mark’s light grew dimmer and dimmer, finally extinguishing completely, leaving only a shallow, bluish-black scar.
Deprived of the golden mark’s protection, that ancient aura instantly occupied his limbs and bones. The New Power in his Dantian completely dissipated, and even the power of the Xuan Jin Dragon and Mo Chu's Fusion was suppressed without a trace. He was like a puppet on strings, only able to let the aura wander through his body. Wherever it passed, his Meridians felt a burning pain, yet strangely, they didn't break, only being forcibly etched with some invisible mark.
The translucent layer on the crystal’s surface was peeling away, revealing a purer white stone body beneath. The golden-black runes had completely vanished, replaced by faint golden markings similar to those on the White-Robed Figure, slowly circulating with its breathing.
“A thousand years ago… the contract…” A deep voice, as if spanning time and space, echoed through Luoxia Valley. It wasn't heard through the ears, but resonated directly in the depths of everyone’s Divine Soul. “The Xuan Jin Bloodline… indeed, it hasn’t been severed…”
Liu Shan’s Divine Soul vibrated violently. This voice bore an astonishing resemblance to the blurry voice in the Xuan Jin Dragon’s memory that had ordered this place to be Sealed, only it was younger, and more… indifferent.
The White-Robed Figure’s gaze finally shifted from the golden mark, falling upon the withered biye flowers at the edge of the spiritual field. It slightly tilted its head, as if recalling something, then slowly raised its pale fingertip again, gently sweeping it towards the biye flowers.
A faint golden flow of Qi emerged from its fingertip, landing on the withered flower branches. The originally yellowed and curled leaves visibly unfurled and turned green. The drooping flower buds straightened again, even slowly blooming, releasing stamens with a clear Spiritual Qi, though the edges of the petals now had a faint, almost transparent white border.
The black earth of the spiritual field also began to shed its dark color, becoming moist again, emitting a familiar Lingmai Power aura. However, within that aura, there was an added trace of ancient meaning, similar to that of the White-Robed Figure.
“Is the Spiritual Vein… recovering?” Lin Qingxue’s eyes widened. She could feel the Lingmai Power in her wrist recovering, even purer than before, though its operational trajectory seemed to have subtly changed.
The Dan Wang Valley Master also noticed the anomaly. He struggled to raise his head, looking at the spiritual field, which had regained its vitality, and then at the White-Robed Figure in the crystal. A flash of realization suddenly appeared in his cloudy eyes, immediately replaced by deeper fear: “It’s not recovery… it’s… assimilation…”
Assimilation?
Liu Shan’s heart sank. He could feel that ancient meaning in the spiritual field’s Lingmai Power constantly strengthening, as if it intended to completely transform the original Spiritual Vein, turning it into a new type of energy belonging to the White-Robed Figure before him.
The White-Robed Figure seemed very pleased with the changes in the spiritual field. It gently nodded, and its body began to slowly pass through the crystal, floating towards the spiritual field. After it left, the crystal transformed into countless white light spots, merging into the earth of the spiritual field. The faint golden markings spread with it, quickly covering the entire land of Luoxia Valley.
It floated in front of Liu Shan and stopped. The distance between them was no more than three feet. Liu Shan could clearly smell the faint, ancient scent on him, like aged snowmelt mixed with pine resin, and saw a mark on his pale wrist, similar to the scar on his own forehead, slowly glowing.
“Who are you?” Liu Shan finally found his voice, dry, hoarse, and with an uncontrollable tremor.
The White-Robed Figure did not answer, only extended its hand, and its pale fingertip gently rested on the scar on his forehead.
The touch was cold, but there was no pain, only a strange warm current surging in along the fingertip, intertwining with that ancient aura, stirring up a storm in the depths of his Divine Soul.
Countless unfamiliar scenes exploded in his mind:
On the boundless, icy plains, the ancestors of the Xuan Jin Snake were bowing to a White-Robed Figure;
In the center of a blood-red altar, the White-Robed Figure was bound by golden chains, its face devoid of any expression;
At the source of the Spiritual Vein in the Duan Yun Mountains, a black crystal was slowly forming;
And… in the dark Universe from the Xuan Jin Dragon’s memory, countless stars silently extinguished under the White-Robed Figure’s gaze…
Liu Shan’s consciousness floated through these images. He finally understood what the Xuan Jin Dragon was guarding, and he finally understood the true goal of the Blood纹 Old Freak and those black-robed figures—they weren’t trying to release the mother lode, but to release the being Sealed by the mother lode… a being that had lived for an unknown number of years.
The White-Robed Figure’s fingertip moved from his forehead. For the first time, a trace of emotion appeared in its lifeless black eyes, like pity, or perhaps… anticipation.
“The contract… must be fulfilled.”
Its voice once again resonated through his Divine Soul, this time, with an undeniable authority.
Liu Shan’s body suddenly knelt uncontrollably to the ground. The scar on his forehead erupted with dazzling white light, echoing the faint golden markings on the spiritual field’s earth, forming a pillar of light that pierced through heaven and earth.
The Dan Wang Valley Master, Lin Qingxue, Liu Zhi in the Pill Chamber far away… everyone in Luoxia Valley, under the illumination of this light pillar, involuntarily knelt down, their faces showing expressions of confusion and awe.
The White-Robed Figure slowly turned and floated towards the depths of the Duan Yun Mountains.
Its voice drifted from afar, light as a breeze, yet clearly piercing into everyone’s ears:
“Follow me.”
Liu Shan’s body rose uncontrollably. His feet seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, following the direction of the White-Robed Figure, step by step, towards the depths of the Duan Yun Mountains.
He wanted to resist, but he didn't even have the strength to turn his neck. He could only watch as the outline of Luoxia Valley grew farther and farther, watching Lin Qingxue’s face, filled with despair, gradually blur in his vision.
The scar on his forehead grew hotter and hotter. Deep within his Divine Soul, Mo Chu’s aura let out one last faint hiss, then completely fell silent.
In the depths of the Duan Yun Mountains, darkness was slowly stirring, as if something was waiting for the White-Robed Figure’s return.
And Liu Shan knew that he was stepping, one by one, into an unpredictable future, a destiny already set by a contract made a thousand years ago.