167: Token Resonance and the Mountain Gate in the Mist

The moment the tokens merged into one, a warm current spread from her palm, and Lin Qingxue could clearly feel the two incomplete auras finally becoming whole, like long-lost friends embracing tightly.

She lowered her head and stroked the character "Ruin" on the token, where faint light and dark patterns flowed between the strokes, echoing the aura of the ancient tree from afar.

"I will wait for you," she whispered to the lake surface, her voice scattered by the wind, yet it seemed to sink to the bottom of the lake, reaching the place where Liu Shan was.

When she turned to leave the small island, Lin Qingxue's steps were very light.

She did not look back, not because she didn't want to, but because she was afraid that if she did, all her strength would collapse.

The token in her hand felt like a warm brand, reminding her that this was not a farewell, but only a temporary separation.

When she rowed the small boat to the shore, Liu Zhi and Shi Yan were standing by the lake, with Elder Xuan Jin following behind them.

The three of them had clearly been waiting for a long time, their faces filled with worry and anticipation.

"Sister Qingxue, did you find..." Liu Zhi's words were interrupted when Shi Yan quietly pulled him.

He looked at the token in Lin Qingxue's hand, instantly understood something, scratched his head, and swallowed the rest of his words.

Elder Xuan Jin stepped forward, his huge head slightly lowered: "Although the Ruin Master coexists with the ancient tree, he has also completely mastered the Spiritual Vein of the Duan Yun Mountains because of it.

From now on, this land will no longer be disturbed by Chaos, and this is all thanks to you, young lady, and the Ruin Master."

Lin Qingxue shook her head and carefully tucked the token into her bosom: "He did it himself."

She looked up towards the depths of the Duan Yun Mountains, where clouds and mist swirled, and a vague mountain shadow could be vaguely seen; the token in her bosom grew slightly warm, as if guiding her toward something.

"Let's go back," she said, taking the lead as she walked towards Luoxia Valley.

Life back in Luoxia Valley was as calm as a pool of autumn water.

The biye flowers in the spirit fields grew delightfully, and Shi Yan led the clansmen to renovate the Pill Chamber, even erecting a stone tablet at the valley entrance, inscribed with Liu Shan's name, with a line of small characters beside it: Guardian of Luoxia Valley.

Liu Zhi became the most active person in the valley; every day, besides Cultivating, he would pester Elder Xuan Jin for stories about the Ancient Ruin, seemingly wanting to find traces of Liu Shan's possible appearance from those legends.

Lin Qingxue would often sit by the spirit fields, stroking the token in her hand, watching the biye flowers grow from sprouts to full bloom.

Her cultivation improved steadily under the nourishment of the Origin Spiritual Vein, and the spiral mark on her forehead became increasingly clear; occasionally, through the mark, she could feel a trace of Liu Shan's aura from the ancient tree side—calm, gentle, and carrying the power of protection.

Three months passed in this way.

Early this morning, as Lin Qingxue sat by the spirit fields as usual, she suddenly felt the token in her bosom vibrate violently, more intensely than any time before!

She quickly pulled out the token, only to see the character "Ruin" on it erupt with blinding light, the light and dark patterns moving like living things, projecting a blurry image in the air—it was an ancient mountain gate standing in the clouds and mist, with two archaic characters engraved above it: Reincarnation.

"Reincarnation..." Lin Qingxue's heart skipped a beat as she recalled the words left by Liu Shan's ancestor: "If you see this token, you must seek Reincarnation."

Could this be the Gate of Reincarnation?

The token's light grew brighter and brighter, and the image became clearer and clearer.

She could see a familiar figure standing in front of the mountain gate; although blurry, she could recognize that it was Liu Shan!

He seemed to be waving at this side of the image, as if calling her to come over!

"Liu Shan!" Lin Qingxue subconsciously reached out, wanting to touch the figure in the image.

Just then, the image suddenly flickered violently, as if it had been subjected to some kind of interference.

The figure of Liu Shan in front of the mountain gate began to become transparent, and in the surrounding clouds and mist, countless scarlet eyes vaguely appeared, carrying the familiar aura of Chaos!

"Oh no!" Lin Qingxue's expression instantly became grave.

Liu Shan in the image clearly also sensed the danger, turned and ran towards the inside of the mountain gate, while simultaneously forming a shape with his mouth towards this side of the image.

Lin Qingxue understood; what he said was: Wait for me.

The image disappeared completely, and the light of the token faded accordingly, becoming calm again, as if everything just now had been an illusion.

But Lin Qingxue knew it was no illusion.

Liu Shan had encountered danger at the Gate of Reincarnation!

She stood up abruptly, her eyes becoming incomparably firm.

"Sister Qingxue, what's wrong?" Liu Zhi and Shi Yan heard the commotion and ran over, their hearts skipping a beat when they saw her grave expression.

"I'm going to find him," Lin Qingxue gripped the token tightly, "He is at the Gate of Reincarnation, and he has encountered danger."

"Gate of Reincarnation? What kind of place is that?" Liu Zhi asked.

Elder Xuan Jin had appeared behind them at some point, his huge body blocking the morning light, his voice carrying a hint of gravity: "The Gate of Reincarnation is the final passage connecting the Ancient Ruin to the outside world; legend has it that only a Ruin Master who has mastered the power of Origin can open it.

But it... is also the place where the power of Chaos is most concentrated."

"No matter what kind of place it is, I must go," Lin Qingxue's tone was without the slightest hesitation, "He waited for me for three months, and now it is my turn to go find him."

Shi Yan looked at the determination in her eyes and sighed: "We will go with you."

"No," Lin Qingxue shook her head, "The Gate of Reincarnation is dangerously unknown, and Luoxia Valley needs someone to guard it. Brother Shi Yan, I will leave this place to you."

She looked at Liu Zhi: "Take good care of everyone."

Liu Zhi opened his mouth, and finally nodded vigorously: "Sister Qingxue, you must bring him back!"

Lin Qingxue smiled, turned, and walked towards the depths of the Duan Yun Mountains, the token in her hand lighting up again, guiding the direction to the Gate of Reincarnation.

Elder Xuan Jin watched her back and let out a long hiss, his cyan-gold scales shimmering in the morning light: "The Xuan Jin Snake Clan is willing to act as Protector for you, young lady!"

Following his hiss, dozens of cyan-gold Xuan Jin Snakes slithered over from all parts of the valley, following behind Lin Qingxue, forming a golden torrent, and advancing towards the Gate of Reincarnation in the depths of the clouds and mist.

The mountain road became increasingly rugged, and the aura of Chaos in the air became more and more concentrated; although faint, it carried a familiar malice.

Lin Qingxue could feel that these auras were of the same Origin as the gray giant claws that had been purified before; clearly, the appearance of the Gate of Reincarnation had once again disturbed the hidden power of Chaos.

The guidance of the token became clearer and clearer, and in the clouds and mist ahead, the outline of that ancient mountain gate could already be seen.

The mountain gate was even more magnificent than in the image, built of cyan-black rock, with the two characters "Reincarnation" above emitting a faint golden light, but it could not cover the black patterns spreading all around—those were the traces of erosion by the power of Chaos.

There was no one in front of the mountain gate, and Liu Shan's figure had disappeared, with only a trace of blood intertwined with light and darkness remaining on the ground.

Lin Qingxue's heart instantly jumped into her throat.

She rushed to the front of the mountain gate, and just as she was about to push the door to enter, a dense hissing sound suddenly came from behind her.

Looking back, she saw countless small snakes covered in black scales emerging from the clouds and mist; these small snakes were similar to the black fish at the bottom of Chenyuan Lake, but even more ferocious, their eyes flashing with scarlet light, obviously creatures mutated by the power of Chaos!

They surged towards the mountain gate like a tide, instantly surrounding Lin Qingxue and the Xuan Jin Snake Clan!

"Protect the young lady!" Elder Xuan Jin roared, leading his clansmen to rush forward and engage in a fierce battle with the black small snakes.

Cyan-gold and black clashed fiercely in the clouds and mist, scales and flesh splattered, and hissing and screams intertwined.

Lin Qingxue watched the Xuan Jin Snakes falling one after another, then looked at the tightly closed Gate of Reincarnation, a trace of determination flashing in her eyes.

She knew she could not wait any longer.

"Elder, thank you!"

Lin Qingxue bowed deeply to Elder Xuan Jin, turned around, and used all her strength to push open the heavy Gate of Reincarnation!

The scene behind the door was pitch black, with only a current of light and darkness intertwined circling ahead, as if guiding the way.

She could feel that Liu Shan's aura was just behind the door, growing weaker and weaker.

Behind her, Elder Xuan Jin's hissing became increasingly shrill, clearly having reached his limit.

The black small snakes had broken through the defense line and were crawling towards the direction of the mountain gate!

Lin Qingxue took one last look at the Xuan Jin Snakes fighting in a bloodbath behind her, turned resolutely, and stepped into that pitch-black darkness.

The Gate of Reincarnation slowly closed behind her, cutting off the sounds of slaughter outside.

In the darkness, the current of light and darkness suddenly accelerated its rotation, forming a vortex that swept Lin Qingxue's body into it.

She could feel her body shuttling rapidly, the surrounding space constantly changing, sometimes as cold as ice, sometimes as scorching as fire.

She did not know how much time had passed when the power of the vortex suddenly disappeared, and she fell heavily onto a cold ground.

The darkness before her eyes gradually dissipated, revealing a huge circular altar.

In the center of the altar, Liu Shan's figure was half-kneeling on the ground, a black spear pierced through his chest, fresh blood staining his blue cloth shirt red, and the spiral mark on his forehead was dim and lusterless.

And in front of him stood a figure shrouded in black mist, holding another spear in its hand, which it was slowly raising to stab towards Liu Shan's back.

"Stop!"

Lin Qingxue let out an angry roar, her soft sword unsheathed, and she rushed towards the black figure!

The black figure seemed not to have expected anyone to intrude, its movements paused slightly, and it turned its head.

Within the mist, a face was revealed that was exactly the same as Liu Shan's and as the ancestor of Xuan Jin, only those eyes were filled with Chaos and madness.

"Another one... a person of the same Origin..."

His voice had the texture of metal grinding, and the spear in his hand changed direction, fiercely thrown towards the rushing Lin Qingxue!