99: Chapter 100 The Royal Court Gates Open

Less than half a quarter-hour later, a muffled sound suddenly came from deep within the Main Stele.

It was not the crack of thunder, nor the roar of the earth splitting.

The sound was like a heavy door, sealed for a thousand years, grinding with difficulty against dust-laden hinges—hoarse, dull, and carrying an ancient chill that pierced to the marrow.

On the Frontline Fire Platform, the Three-Survey Fire Slip, the Grey Fire Well fragment, and the projection of Temple Inspector's Seal No. 7 almost simultaneously grew scorching hot, with waves of heat pressing directly against their palms.

From Wen Zhao's injured hand, which he had just wrapped with cloth strips, a wisp of white smoke rose from the gaps in the bandages, and the smell of scorching immediately spread. He lowered his head to glance at it, his complexion instantly turning ashen as iron.

"It is urging us." The two words were as cold as ice.

Qiao Ye slammed his giant shield onto the ground, causing gravel to splatter, and said in a rough voice, "A gate can urge people? What kind of rule is that!"

Grey Pupil's gaze was locked firmly on the inner side of the Fire Platform. The Sacrificial Fire at the head of his staff cast a circle of grey-red dim light in his eyes, and his tone was devoid of any ripples: "It is not urging people."

"It is that well behind the gate, acknowledging the debt."

Lu Jin stood in the center of the Main Control Fire line, his aura as deep and heavy as an abyss. Flames from six nodes erupted from beneath his feet, stretching outward like six fire dragons with overwhelming momentum—

The Old Path Fire of the Grey Stele Post burned with an ancient and vigorous strength; the supply fire of the Outer Fire Well was as fierce as a thunderbolt; the Key Slot Fire of the Rift Gate Fire Bridge was as bright as a cold star; the battle fire of the West Outer Ring blood road carried the lingering scent of slaughter; the Anchor Fire of the Main Stele West Anchor was as steady as Mount Tai; and the Nest Fire of the Frontline Fire Hall was as dense as woven fabric.

The six lines intertwined, twisting into an extremely narrow fire ring, the center of which was pressing firmly against that black-grey fragment. The Grey Fire Well pattern on the fragment was no longer a mere glimmer; the well walls in the image were slowly sinking, and the well center was intertwined with black and red, as if, through the fragment, a bottomless small opening had been created, exuding a heart-palpitating aura.

Wu Fu placed the Night Wing into the Work Rat tray. While directing several Work Rats to urgently repair the Night Wing's wing bones, she glanced at the Fire Platform, her tone carrying a hint of anxiety: "How much fire must it swallow before it is satisfied?"

Lu Jin lowered his eyes, his voice calm yet carrying an unquestionable sense of control: "Start with the supply volume of half an Outer Fire Well."

Wu Fu's eyes widened suddenly, her tone rising sharply: "Half? Are you crazy?!"

Grey Pupil cast a cold glance at her, his tone laced with mockery: "Didn't you just say that the Grey Fire Well belongs to the nest? What is it, now you are reluctant to part with it?"

Wu Fu immediately changed her tune, though she remained stubborn: "Even if it belongs to the nest, it shouldn't burst its stomach in one gulp! The Outer Fire Well has just stabilized, the Worker Nest Egg Tray hasn't fully grown, and two Night Wings are broken. You can open the gate, but don't pour all of my assets into the well!"

Lu Jin nodded slightly, his tone remaining indifferent: "Therefore, we will not smash it open."

As his voice fell, he raised his hand and waved it lightly, causing the Main Control Fire line to suddenly contract inward. The next second, the seven-layer fire patterns of the Multi-Nest Layer Divine Domain boomed open around the Frontline Fire Platform, layered and stacked, with magnificent momentum—

The Main Nest Layer held the central axis steady, like a stabilizing needle; the Priest Layer suppressed the fire sequence, keeping it orderly; the Craft Nest Layer connected to the base bones of the fire platform, solid as a fortress; the Sky-Raider layer gathered the remaining wings and high-altitude markers, sealing it tight; the Post Station battle map layer paved the path ahead, guiding the direction; the Outer Fire Well layer provided continuous fire, endless and steady; and the Frontline Auxiliary Nest layer precisely delivered the fine marker lines left by the old Old Rat-folk craftsmen to the bottom of the gate shadow.

The seven-layer fire patterns did not expand outward; instead, like seven tough ropes, they twisted fiercely inward, transforming into a massive, surging force that slammed into the grey-red crack deep within the Main Stele.

The crack suddenly lit up, and a blinding red light swept across the entire field, stretching the shadows of everyone in the Main Stele West Forecourt into long, ghostly shapes that swayed.

The Temple Inspector instinctively took half a step back, then immediately forced himself to appear calm, steadying his stance. Only Pei Chengxu stood where he was, not moving a muscle, his gaze locked firmly on that crack, while a Dark Gold School Seal in his sleeve vibrated slightly, exuding an obscure aura.

Instructor Han Tiecheng swept a glance at him, his tone ice-cold and biting: "Pull back the hand of the Pei Family. This is not your Pei Family's territory."

Pei Chengxu's expression did not change, and he said indifferently: "I am merely assisting in the investigation; I would not dare to overstep."

Instructor Han Tiecheng let out a cold laugh, his mockery undisguised: "Assisting? Assisting all the way into the door lock? Do you think I'm blind?"

Pei Chengxu slowly pressed down on his cuff, and the vibration of the Dark Gold School Seal instantly ceased. But this subtle movement still did not escape Lu Jin's eyes.

Behind that school seal hid a wisp of flame much heavier than Pei Chengxu's own aura—it was not Pei Chengxu's, but rather seemed to have been pressed over from a distant Main City sealing order, carrying the coercion and coldness of a superior.

Young Master Pei Tiange.

Lu Jin understood in his heart that the person from the Pei Family who could truly reach into the Inner Ring had not shown his face from beginning to end. But he did not look further; this was not the time to settle scores with the Pei Family. If the fire at the gate were to become chaotic, all plans would be in vain.

Instructor Han Tiecheng's projection landed on the other side of the Fire Platform, his gaze looking heavily at Lu Jin: "Lu Jin."

"Present." Lu Jin responded, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.

"Once the Ancient Gate opens, you are not going in to scavenge for things, nor are you going to show off." Instructor Han Tiecheng's voice suddenly sank, every word ringing with strength, "You are carrying the outer control rights to open the first Inner Ring opening for the No. 7 Rift Zone, to establish a firm foothold, and to guard our bottom line."

"Understood."

"I don't think you necessarily understand." Instructor Han Tiecheng's eyes were as sharp as knives, "Once the gate opens, the Military Court will want to plant flags to claim land, the Temple will want to intervene via side-verification, aristocratic families will want to fight for fame and profit, and the Outer Gods will want to exploit the cracks to cause chaos. This Multi-Nest Layer Divine Domain behind you will be targeted by everyone and become the focus of public criticism."

He stared fixedly at Lu Jin, his tone carrying a trace of admonition: "If you retreat now, the control rights remain, and the outer throne remains; you will still be the controller of the No. 7 Rift Zone. If you take one step forward, those things behind the gate will recognize you—they will recognize your merits, and even more, they will recognize your debts."

Qiao Ye couldn't help but interrupt, his tone carefree: "Isn't it good to be recognized? It's better than being ridden over by others!"

Wen Zhao gave a bitter smile and shook his head: "Qiao Ye, you don't understand. Recognizing merits also means recognizing debts. Once accepted, all the old accounts and messes in the future will have to be carried by Lu Jin alone."

Instructor Han Tiecheng nodded, his tone growing more solemn: "That's right. The old Royal Court gate doesn't just recognize who opens it; it recognizes who takes on all the old debts for it."

Lu Jin lowered his head, his gaze falling on the Three-Survey Fire Slip in the Fire Platform. The phrase "Do not trust the collection order" in the old fire tube was still pressed firmly by the projection, the handwriting blurred but every word shocking. The secret catch of Temple Inspector's Seal No. 7 was also vibrating beat by beat; Duan Jun's name had long been carved into the secret mark. And his father's fire seed had been forcibly sent to the Inner Ring Grey Fire Well by that collection order.

Behind this gate were the things he had to find and the responsibilities he had to carry; there was no turning back.

Lu Jin slowly raised his head, his gaze as firm as iron, and said word by word: "I will not retreat."

Instructor Han Tiecheng stared at him for half a breath, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes, then said in a deep voice: "Fine. You've got guts!"

He raised his hand and waved; the iron fire order suddenly hung above the Frontline Fire Platform, facing outward, its majestic coercion sweeping across the entire field and suppressing the restlessness of all the spectator seats.

"Military Court record, open!"

The Black-Armored Recorders all put their pens to paper simultaneously; the sound of pen tips gliding across paper was exceptionally clear in the silent arena.

Instructor Han Tiecheng looked at the Temple Inspector again, his tone cold: "If you want to perform side-verification, go stand in the side-verification position; don't be an eyesore here."

The Temple Inspector's complexion turned ashen, and he bit the bullet and said: "The Temple requires the retention of the right to monitor the Sealing Gray Box!"

"Retained." Instructor Han Tiecheng's tone was indisputable.

"The Outer God's fine bones must not leave the box; they must be monitored throughout the entire process!"

"Write it in."

"If pollution backlash occurs during the opening of the gate, the Temple has the right to immediately suspend the opening!" The Temple Inspector gritted his teeth, attempting to gain more initiative.

Instructor Han Tiecheng stared fixedly at him, his tone carrying killing intent: "If there is pollution backlash, you can call a halt. But if you dare to use the stop order to suppress old cases or engage in favoritism and malpractice, I will kick you out of the side-verification position first and throw you to feed the Outer Gods!"

The Temple Inspector's lips were tightly pursed, his face turning from blue to white, but in the end, he dared not say another word.

Pei Chengxu spoke at the right moment, his tone indifferent yet carrying calculation: "The Pei Family retains the right to witness the investigation."

Instructor Han Tiecheng waved his hand, mocking: "You Pei Family have retained enough things. If you write another book, you could take it to the Inner Ring to sell on the shelves; don't add to the chaos here."

Qiao Ye almost laughed out loud but was quietly pulled by Wen Zhao. Wen Zhao lowered his head to record the lines, but his shoulders couldn't help but shake, obviously also amused by Instructor Han Tiecheng's words.

Pei Chengxu's expression did not change, remaining composed: "Then please have Commander Han write down that the Pei Family has not interfered in the slightest before the gate."

Instructor Han Tiecheng looked at him, a trace of coldness flashing in his eyes: "You really know how to keep your own accounts clean."

"After the gate opens, there will be many accounts." Pei Chengxu's tone was indifferent, yet pointed, "The Pei Family does not want to be innocently implicated."

Lu Jin instantly understood his subtext—Pei Chengxu was not retreating; he was waiting.

Now that the outer control rights were in his hands, it was not easy for the Pei Family to directly snatch credit in front of the gate, but behind the gate was the Inner Ring, a brand-new chess game. Once they entered deeper areas, old rules would loosen, new rules would be rearranged, and what the Pei Family was waiting for was that opportunity to fish in troubled waters and reap the rewards.

Lu Jin slowly pressed his hand onto the Fire Platform, his tone carrying a trace of coldness: "Then let the accounts, grow a little more."

As his voice fell, the Fire Platform suddenly vibrated violently, and the Grey Fire Well fragment rose half an inch from within the platform. The Royal Court old lock patterns on the edge of the fragment unfolded in circles, precisely aligning with the crack deep within the Main Stele.

The grey-red light in the crack was no longer thin, but slowly spread to both sides, and the outline of an ancient gate slowly emerged behind the Main Stele West Forecourt.

The gate was astonishingly large; one could not see its full extent at a glance. The gate pillars rose from the ground, and the grey-white stone surface was covered in burnt-out Workshop Gear Marks, exuding the vicissitudes of time and traces of war.

The two gate surfaces were like heavy furnace lids, black as ink, with a black-red vertical slit in the center. Within the vertical slit, three lock marks could be faintly seen, exuding a heart-palpitating aura.

The first lock was burning with raging flames; the second lock reflected a Cold Mirror light; the third lock was embedded with a piece of burnt-black old bone, exuding decay and eeriness.

Wu Fu immediately wrinkled her nose, her tone filled with disgust: "A smell of broken bones, it stinks to death."

Grey Pupil's eyes turned cold, his tone solemn: "It is not the bone of a kin-race; the aura is not right."

Lu Jin smelled it too; the scent was extremely similar to the scorched ash in the old fire tube, yet different from the eerie aura of the Outer God's fine bones—it was more like an old piece of evidence that had been burned by Royal Court craftsmanship and suppressed by post-war sealing for countless years, hiding endless secrets.

Wen Zhao stared at the three locks on the gate, analyzing at a rapid pace: "The Fire Lock recognizes the main control; only the person controlling the fire line can open it. The Mirror Lock recognizes the Cold Mirror Auxiliary Seal and the Workshop Gear Marks; both are indispensable. The Bone Lock..."

He paused, his expression growing more solemn. Grey Pupil took over, his tone cold: "The Bone Lock recognizes old cases; it recognizes the people and events of that year."

The Frontline Fire Platform instantly fell into a deathly silence; everyone understood that this third lock was the most difficult hurdle to clear.

Lu Jin stared fixedly at the third lock. The piece of burnt-black old bone was embedded in the center of the gate, and on the bone surface was a very shallow mark of Temple Inspector's Seal No. 7, as well as a wisp of flame he was incredibly familiar with—it was not a complete fire seed, but just a bit of old heat remaining in the bone crevices after someone had scraped away the main fire, weak yet firm.

Lu Jin's fingers slowly tightened, his knuckles turning white, and suppressed emotions surged in his eyes.

Just then, Ning Yanqiu walked to his side, her tone calm: "I will open the Mirror Lock."

Lu Jin looked at her, his brows slightly furrowed: "Your Auxiliary Seal just suffered a backlash and hasn't recovered yet. Forcing it to open the Mirror Lock will cause even more severe injury."

"I won't force it open." Ning Yanqiu raised her hand, and the Master Crow landed behind her shoulder. The frost-white wing tips lit up bit by bit, exuding a cold light, "It recognizes Workshop Gear Marks; it doesn't just recognize the Ning Family, but also the craftsman's marks from that year. I will use the old lines of the fragment disk to light the way and induce resonance with the gear marks; then I can open the gate."

She looked at the burnt-out gear marks on the gate pillars, her eyes firm: "I can do it."

Lu Jin did not agree immediately, his expression remaining solemn.

Ning Yanqiu turned her head to look at him, her eyes holding frost light and a trace of stubborn brightness: "You just held down the key seal for me and blocked the backlash for me; now, it is my turn to light the gate for you."

Her tone was very flat, without the fervor of requesting to fight, only a kind of firmness that said "this is how it should be," placing her position steadily beside Lu Jin.

Lu Jin looked at her and finally relented: "Stand to my left, and be careful."

"Okay."

Qiao Ye immediately hoisted his shield and stepped forward, grinning: "Then what about me? Brother Lu, you cannot forget me!"

Lu Jin said: "Guard ten steps in front of the gate. Whoever it is, if they dare to cross the line, hit them back directly; no need for mercy."

Qiao Ye's eyes lit up, and he slapped his giant shield, laughing loudly: "I'm familiar with this! Whoever comes, whoever gets unlucky!"

Wen Zhao also propped himself up to stand, his tone firm: "I will record the gate sequence and monitor the movement of the fire patterns in real-time; I will definitely not burn my hand and mess things up again."

Lu Jin looked at him and urged: "Don't force it; prioritize your own safety."

"I will try." Wen Zhao gave a bitter smile and gripped the Line-Marking Nail in his hand.

Wu Fu immediately leaned in, her tone carrying a bit of bossiness: "I'm in charge of the fire supply! Whoever dares to eat an extra mouthful of fire, whether it's the gate or a person, I'll bite them!"

Grey Pupil cast a glance at her, his tone mocking: "You're quite bold; if you have the ability, try biting the gate."

Wu Fu was righteous and confident: "The gate cannot steal my Nest Fire either! My Worker Nest Egg Tray hasn't fully grown yet; I absolutely cannot let it ruin it!"

Grey Pupil couldn't be bothered to pay attention to her anymore; he slammed his staff into the edge of the Fire Platform, the Sacrificial Fire at the head of the staff hanging down in circles, his aura heavy and concentrated: "I will suppress the Bone Lock and restrain the Bone Lock's abnormal movements, so it doesn't disrupt the fire sequence."

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Lu Jin nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, his voice firm as iron: "Open!"

As his voice fell, the Main Control Fire moved first. Six nodes erupted simultaneously with dazzling firelight, creating a world-shaking momentum.

Beneath the Grey Stele Post, a group of Old Rat-folk craftsmen were squatting by the fire trench. The moment they heard the main control order, they each immediately grabbed Copper Nails and hammered them fiercely into the Old Marking Lines. Their movements were skilled and firm, without a hint of hesitation.

The mouth of the Outer Fire Well suddenly tightened by half a circle. It no longer sprayed flames outward, but instead compressed the fire supply into a single beam, like a fire dragon, accurately sending it to the west front field of the Main Stele, continuously supplying the fire platforms.

The Key Slots of the Rift Gate Fire Bridge lit up once more. The old high-altitude fire cylinders that had once been illuminated by Night Wing's stolen fire began to hum one by one, as if responding to the call of the Main Control Fire.

The residual war flames in the western outer ring blood path were drawn back by the old scars on Qiao Ye's Cracked Shield. They were compressed into a crimson fire border, guarding the periphery of the fire platform with an imposing aura.

The Fire Vines on the Main Stele's West Anchor slowly bowed down like submissive giant beasts. Following a higher anchor order, they steadily guarded the central axis defense line.

Deep within the Frontline Fire Hall, the Nest King Platform of the Multi-Nest Layer Divine Domain slowly rose. That unfinished empty bone carriage frame hung behind the Nest King Platform, revealing the roughness of a semi-finished product, yet also hiding a majestic power.

Wu Fu watched with heartache and said urgently, "Don't draw its fire! The carriage frame hasn't finished growing yet; if you draw it out and damage it, it'll be ruined!"

Lu Jin said, "I'm not drawing fire."

He raised his hand and waved lightly. The Central Axis Fire of the Main Nest Layer slowly lowered, only taking a thread of old bone resonance from beneath the carriage frame—not using it as fuel, but to let the Royal Court Ancient Gate know that this peripheral Nest City was already capable of merging the lines of war, craft, fire, and space into a true living Divine Domain, possessing enough qualifications to open this ancient gate.

A second later, the first Fire Lock of the Royal Court Ancient Gate slowly turned half a circle. The grey-red light within the door's crack spat out a scorching heat wave that swept across the field, the temperature rising to a staggering height.

The cracks on Qiao Ye's shield surface were illuminated bright red. As the heat wave hit him, he instinctively slid back half a step, then gritted his teeth and held his ground. Cold sweat seeped from his forehead as he said gruffly, "This gate's pressure... is a bit heavy!"

Lu Jin said calmly, "There's no need to resist the gate's pressure head-on. You only need to handle the people—guard the front of the gate and don't let anyone take the opportunity to cause trouble."

Qiao Ye understood immediately. Grinning, he tilted his shield slightly to steadily block the prying eyes of the various teams, his tone arrogant: "Don't worry! I won't fight for the gate's pressure, but I'll handle the people's pressure. Whoever comes gets a beating!"

Pei Chengxu's gaze fell on that Fire Lock, and his sleeve vibrated slightly again—this time it wasn't the Dark Gold School Seal, but a faint wisp of Order-Transmitting Fire. He lowered his head, pressing his fingertips against his sleeve. After listening quietly for half a breath, he suddenly extinguished that wisp of fire, his expression remaining calm and rippleless.

Instructor Han Tiecheng saw all of this and said coldly, "News from Young Master Pei Tiange?"

Pei Chengxu said indifferently, "The family is asking about the gate's situation. It's inconsequential."

"Reply to him," Instructor Han Tiecheng warned. "The gate isn't open yet, so don't let people be so eager to reach out. Otherwise, don't blame me, Han Tiecheng, for not giving the Pei family face."

Pei Chengxu did not respond, simply standing with downcast eyes, his aura becoming increasingly cold.

Lu Jin didn't look at him; all his attention was on the Fire Lock. After the first Fire Lock stabilized, the second Mirror Lock instantly lit up. A Cold Mirror light swept the field, intertwining with the heat wave of the Fire Lock to form a strange balance.

Ning Yanqiu raised her hand, and the Cold Mirror Auxiliary Seal slid out of her sleeve. The old light of the royal court cold mirror fragment spread across her palm, cool and distant. The Master Crow spread its wings, and the Frost-White Feather Patterns no longer just illuminated the door's surface, but instead aligned step by step along the Workshop Gear Marks on the door pillars with absolute precision.

At first, everything went smoothly. The mirror light and the gear marks resonated perfectly without any hindrance. But when it reached the thirty-seventh step, a Dark Grey Counter-Pattern suddenly emerged from the door pillar, darting out like a venomous snake and lunging straight for the mirror light—but it wasn't aimed at Ning Yanqiu; it was aimed at the clump of silver-white cold light next to her auxiliary seal, which was the Shattered Key-Seal Light left by Ning Huaixue.

Ning Yanqiu's wrist jolted violently. Two spots of fine frost instantly cracked on the edges of the Master Crow's feathers, and her aura became somewhat disordered.

A black fire instantly ignited on Lu Jin's fingertips. Just as he was about to step forward to suppress the counter-pattern, Ning Yanqiu whispered, "Don't suppress it."

Lu Jin stopped, his gaze falling on her with a grave expression.

Ning Yanqiu stared at that Dark Grey Counter-Pattern and analyzed calmly, "It is distinguishing between the Ning Family's recent seals and the Royal Court's old patterns. It doesn't recognize the Ning Family's later marks, only the workshop's old patterns from back then."

As she spoke, she pushed the Cold Mirror Auxiliary Seal out half an inch and pushed back the Shattered Key-Seal Light left by Ning Huaixue until the silver-white cold light retreated to the edge of the Main Control Fire. Sure enough, the Dark Grey Counter-Pattern on the door pillar slowly subsided, no longer restless.

However, Ning Yanqiu's face grew increasingly pale—without the key-seal to help her offset the backlash, all the pressure of the Mirror Lock fell directly onto her alone. The backlash from the Cold Mirror Auxiliary Seal was bit by bit eroding her meridians.

Lu Jin frowned, his tone carrying an indisputable toughness: "If it's enough, then retreat. Don't force yourself."

"We haven't reached the heart of the gate yet; I can't retreat." Ning Yanqiu shook her head, her tone firm.

"I said, if it's enough, then retreat." Lu Jin's voice dropped a few more degrees, with a hint of undetectable worry in his eyes.

Ning Yanqiu tilted her head to look at him. There was frost light in her eyes, but also a flicker of stubborn brightness: "Lu Jin, you want to enter the inner ring Grey Fire Well to find the old case of your father and the whereabouts of Duan Jun. I want to enter too. There are things you are looking for here, and there is also that suppressed old Cold Mirror line of my father's. I cannot stand outside the gate and watch you all move forward."

The Master Crow gave a low cry, suppressing the cracked frost-white feather edges once more. It forcibly held up a segment of cold light, supporting the mirror light with all its might to prevent it from being extinguished.

The Workshop Gear Marks on the door pillar were illuminated bit by bit by the mirror light until they reached the heart of the gate. There was a very small rat-shaped craftsman's mark carved there, extremely exquisite, revealing the piety of the craftsmen from that era.

The Old Rat-folk craftsman beneath the Grey Stele Post suddenly knelt down across the fire net, his expression pious and solemn. The young Rat-folk around him followed suit, each bowing their heads, not daring to look up at that craftsman's mark—they weren't worshipping a person, but that mark left by their ancestors and that period of buried history.

In the Craft Nest Layer, many Old Marking Lines seemed to hear the sound of hammers and vibrated gently, resonating with the craftsman's mark at the heart of the gate and emitting a faint hum.

Ning Yanqiu's mirror light descended along that craftsman's mark and aligned perfectly. A second later, the second Mirror Lock let out a crisp 'clack' and turned completely open.

Her body swayed, and she nearly fell. Her face was as pale as paper, and her aura became extremely weak.

Lu Jin reached out and steadily supported her arm. This time, she didn't avoid him or say "no need." She just withdrew the Cold Mirror Auxiliary Seal slightly and said softly, "I opened it."

"Mm." Lu Jin's tone softened a bit. He lightly pressed his fingertips against her wrist, passing over a thread of gentle fire to help her suppress the backlash. "You've worked hard."

Ning Yanqiu looked up toward the grey-red fire mist behind the gate, her tone firm: "The next section is deeper and more dangerous."

Lu Jin looked at her without a hint of hesitation in his eyes, saying word for word, "We go in together."

Ning Yanqiu nodded and said no more, but the frost light in her eyes softened a bit.

Quite a few people around them saw this scene. Qiao Ye, holding his shield to block the front of the gate, twitched his mouth secretly but didn't dare to speak; Wen Zhao lowered his head to record the gate sequence, pretending he hadn't seen anything; only Wu Fu asked with a serious face, "Go in together? Then how do we split the materials in the Grey Fire Well? My share can't be missing!"

Grey Pupil reached the end of his patience and said coldly, "Shut up. Now is not the time to talk about splitting materials."

Just then, the third Bone Lock suddenly lit up. A pitch-black light swept the field, carrying an aura of decay and eeriness. Everyone's voices were suppressed by this aura, and the field fell into a dead silence once more.

That piece of charred old bone floated out from the heart of the gate and slowly rotated. The buckle marks of Inspector Seal A-7 slowly unfolded on the bone's surface, revealing deeper marks underneath. Inside the Sealing Gray Box, the Outer Gods Fine Bone suddenly struck the wall of the box, letting out a crisp sound that broke the silence.

The Temple Inspector's expression changed drastically, and he shouted sternly, "The sealed sample is reacting! It's a pollution backflow!"

Inside the grey box, the black-gold fine bone vibrated continuously, striking the box walls with an ever-louder sound—but it wasn't trying to escape. Instead, it seemed to be responding to that piece of old bone in the ancient gate's Bone Lock, carrying a bizarre resonance.

Grey Pupil immediately raised his staff, his tone grave: "Not good. The Outer Gods Fine Bone is using the Bone Lock to find a crack, trying to take the opportunity to seep its aura into the gate!"

The Temple Inspector raised his hand to press the stop order, shouting sternly, "Immediately stop the opening! Otherwise, if the pollution spreads, no one will be able to bear the responsibility!"

But Instructor Han Tiecheng's iron fire order pressed down in front of him first, his voice bone-chillingly cold: "Look clearly before you shout to stop! If you dare to make a misjudgment and disrupt the fire sequence, I'll hold you accountable first!"

The inspector said angrily, "It's already like this, how is it not a pollution backflow? Are you blind!"

Lu Jin stared at the grey box, his voice calm yet filled with control: "It's not a backflow."

The black fire on his fingertips moved slightly, slowly adhering to the inner side of the fire platform. The Priest Layer of the Multi-Nest Layer Divine Domain immediately expanded, steadily pressing down on the outer edge of the Sealing Gray Box to isolate its aura. Grey Pupil's Sacrificial Fire followed, intertwining with Lu Jin's black fire to form a solid wall of fire, firmly enveloping the grey box.

As the two fires adhered, the vibration of the black-gold fine bone became clearer—it wasn't coming from inside the gate to the outside, but was outside the gate, sending a message to something inside, and what it was transmitting was precisely the fire sequence they used to open the gate!

Lu Jin's voice sank, his tone carrying a hint of coldness: "It wants to send our gate-opening fire sequence inside, letting the Outer God recognize the inner ring path in advance and seize the initiative."

Wen Zhao reacted immediately, his face changing: "The Outer God wants to use our hands to open the inner ring passage and then take the opportunity to crawl in!"

The Temple Inspector's expression became even more unsightly. He hadn't expected that the Outer Gods Fine Bone he had sealed would have such a flaw.

Instructor Han Tiecheng roared and looked at the inspector: "How does your Temple seal samples? You can't even handle such a small matter!"

The inspector gritted his teeth and said stubbornly, "The Outer Gods Fine Bone has already been isolated by the grey box. I don't know how it could transmit its aura!"

Grey Pupil said coldly, "What is isolated is the form, not the scent. It is relying on its own aura to resonate with something inside the gate and transmit the fire sequence."

Just then, Wu Fu suddenly picked up the half-repaired Night Wing. Her eyes lit up, and she said with a bit of pride, "The scent can be eaten! I have a way!"

Grey Pupil glanced at her, his tone suspicious: "You want to feed it something random again? Have you forgotten the trouble you almost caused by feeding the explosive rats last time?"

"I'm not feeding it randomly this time!" Wu Fu said righteously. "I'm not feeding the nest, I'm feeding the explosive rats! Spore-Plague Explosive Rats can eat the scent of pollution. As long as they eat that bit of black-gold scent that's transmitting the message, we can break its connection!"

Lu Jin immediately understood her idea—Spore-Plague Explosive Rats could swallow pollution aura, but the price was that they were prone to backbiting themselves. But now, they didn't need the explosive rats to swallow the entire fine bone; they only needed them to swallow that bit of black-gold scent floating outside the box to break the resonance between the fine bone and the inside of the gate. That would be enough.

"Three of them," Lu Jin immediately ordered, his tone firm. "Only eat the floating scent outside the box. They are not allowed to touch the fine bone's body. If they lose control, suppress them immediately."

"Got it!" Wu Fu waved her hand, and three slightly smaller Spore-Plague Explosive Rats immediately crawled out from the bottom of the Craft Nest Layer. The spore sacs on their backs had been pre-cut open halfway by Wu Fu, revealing grey-green fire points inside that emitted an eerie aura.

Grey Pupil's brow furrowed at the sight: "You cut the spore sacs so thin? Once they swallow too much, they'll explode!"

Wu Fu said irritably, "If I cut them thick, they won't swallow fast! This is an emergency, how can I care about so much? Besides, I'm only releasing three. As long as the amount is controlled, there won't be a problem!"

The three Spore-Plague Explosive Rats scurried quickly along the edge of the fire platform to the side of the Sealing Gray Box. They didn't bite the box, but instead pressed against the faint layer of black-gold floating scent outside and took a deep breath.

The first explosive rat's belly bulged on the spot, and its spore sac instantly expanded, looking like it was about to burst. Wu Fu immediately pressed down with her hand, and a Breeding Nest Constraint fell remotely from the Worker Nest Egg Tray, steadily pressing the spore sac on its belly back down. She shouted sternly, "Hold steady!"

Halfway through swallowing, the second explosive rat's eyes suddenly turned black, and its whole body began to twitch, clearly suffering from the backlash of the pollution aura. Grey Pupil's staff tapped with Sacrificial Fire, and a grey-red firelight fell into its eyes, instantly burning the blackness into ash and stabilizing its form.

The third explosive rat was half a beat slower, and the black-gold floating scent was already nearly gone. Qiao Ye raised his shield to block the impact from the Sealing Gray Box and roared at the rat, "Hurry up, little thing! What are you dawdling for!"

The third explosive rat seemed to understand his words and lunged forward, sucking up the remaining bit of black-gold floating scent in one gulp. A second later, with a muffled 'thud,' a small cloud of grey mist exploded from the spore sac on its back, and its aura instantly withered.

Wu Fu's mouth twitched with heartache, and she said angrily, "My rat! You useless thing!"

Just as the grey mist rose, the Outer Fire Well layer immediately withdrew its fire, steadily pressing the grey mist into an empty bone jar, not letting it spread in the slightest.

The Sealing Gray Box instantly became quiet. The black-gold fine bone no longer vibrated, falling completely silent.

The Temple Inspector's stop order froze in mid-air. His face turned various shades of blue and white, and he was too embarrassed to show his face.

Instructor Han Tiecheng looked at him and said mockingly, "Now, are we still stopping?"

The inspector's lips moved, but in the end, he didn't dare to speak again and silently withdrew his hand.

The Black-Armored Recorder did not stop writing, having already recorded the entire process just now without missing a single word—the Outer Gods Fine Bone attempts to submit the gate sequence, Lu Jins Vanguard Line uses the Spore-Plague Explosive Rat to swallow the floating scent, the Sacrificial Fire suppresses the box, and pollution is not permitted to enter the gate.

The moment these words were written, the third Bone Lock at the center of the gate finally began to turn slowly. The pitch-black light grew increasingly dense, carrying a heavy sense of oppression.

Lu Jin looked at that piece of scorched old bone, his brow furrowing slightly—it was still a fraction away from being fully turned.

Bone Locks recognize old cases, but old cases are not just about evidence; they are about people and the buried past.

Lu Jin slowly raised his hand, drawing a wisp of old fire from his sleeve. That wisp of fire was very thin, so thin it was almost invisible; only Ning Yanqiu could detect it immediately.

After seeing it, she didn't ask questions. She merely moved her sleeve, shifting her Cold Mirror Auxiliary Seal by an inch to block the view of others—just like that time in Chapter 95, she intentionally showed a flaw to draw attention away and cover his movements.

Battle damage was perfectly normal.

The old fire at Lu Jin's fingertips lightly touched the Bone Lock. At first, the scorched old bone showed no reaction. After two breaths, a faint spark of fire suddenly lit up deep within the bone's crevices. That spark wasn't strong, but it shared the same source as the old fire at Lu Jin's fingertips, carrying a familiar warmth.

Lu Jin's throat moved slightly, suppressed emotions surging in his eyes—it was his father's fire.

It wasn't a complete main fire, but rather the remaining warmth left in this piece of evidence after it had been scraped away, escorted, and sealed years ago.

But it was still there.

Lu Jin pressed down hard on his fingers, not letting any emotion leak into the fire line—he couldn't lose his composure. Once the fire sequence became chaotic, all his efforts would be in vain, and the clues to his father would be completely severed.

With a click, the Bone Lock turned another half-inch. A line of old royal court industrial script slowly emerged in the center of the gate, the handwriting ancient and powerful, exuding a cold majesty: The Fire-Bearer shall bear the debt of the gate.

Wen Zhao whispered those eight words, his expression changing instantly and his voice trembling: "Bear the debt of the gate? This... this is asking Brother Lu to single-handedly take on all the old accounts of the royal court!"

Instructor Han Tiecheng also frowned, his tone grave: "Lu Jin, don't agree recklessly! The royal court gate debt is no ordinary transit seal. Once accepted, all the old accounts and messes of the inner ring will recognize you first. When that time comes, even if you want to extricate yourself, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven!"

Pei Chengxu spoke up at the right time from the side, his tone carrying a hint of provocation: "The royal court gate debt recognizes merit as well as fault, the person as well as the debt. If you accept, the inner ring's old accounts will entangle you first; if you don't, this gate will never open."

Qiao Ye grew anxious and shouted sharply, "Then just don't accept it! At worst, we'll find another way. We can't let Brother Lu shoulder so many messes!"

Grey Pupil shook his head, his tone icy: "No. If he doesn't accept, the gate won't open, and all our previous efforts will have been wasted. Moreover, everything Lu Jin is looking for is behind that gate; he has no way back."

Wu Fu clutched her empty bone jar and muttered softly, "Opening a gate requires going into debt. The royal court used to be quite the business operator; they were truly black-hearted."

No one laughed. The atmosphere in the field was oppressive to the extreme.

Lu Jin looked at that line of text, his gaze steady and without a hint of hesitation.

The Fire-Bearer shall bear the debt of the gate.

This gate wasn't asking him if he dared to enter; it was asking him if he was willing to bring out those old fires, old evidence, and old people who had been pressed in by the confiscation orders from the Grey Fire Well. It was asking if he was willing to shoulder all the old accounts alone to clear his father's name, find Duan Jun's whereabouts, and seek justice for that buried past.

Instructor Han Tiecheng said in a deep voice, "Lu Jin, think it through again! Once the gate debt is accepted, no matter how far the investigation goes, it will be hard for you to extract yourself. You might even be dragged down by these old accounts, unable to even keep control of the outer perimeter!"

Lu Jin raised his head, his gaze as firm as iron, and said word for word, "I was never able to extract myself in the first place."

He applied slight pressure with his fingertips, forcing that wisp of old fire deep into the Bone Lock.

"Accept."

The single word was spoken with such force that it resounded throughout the field.

The front field west of the Main Stele shook violently, the ground trembling intensely. The three locks on the ancient gate lit up simultaneously, their radiance so vast they illuminated the entire domain like broad daylight.

The Fire Lock connected to the main control, the Mirror Lock connected to the old seals of the Cold Mirror Workshop, and the Bone Lock connected to the old fire in Lu Jin's sleeve. The three lights converged at the center of the gate, transforming into a black-and-red gate seal that slowly descended, landing firmly at Lu Jin's feet.

As that seal landed, the seven layers of fire seals of the Multi-Nest Layer Divine Domain tightened inward simultaneously, perfectly matching the gate seal. The Nest King Platform behind Lu Jin emitted a low resonance. It wasn't an upgrade of authority or a surge in power, but rather the outer control, the inner ring gate rights, and the frontline nest city becoming firmly locked together on the same fire line, inseparable from then on.

Wen Zhao said hoarsely, "The gate rights... have been established. Brother Lu, he has obtained the royal court gate rights!"

The pen in the Black-Armored Recorder's hand paused for a moment before accelerating, writing furiously—this was a moment worthy of being recorded in the annals of the Military Court, and no mistakes could be tolerated.

Instructor Han Tiecheng looked toward the Main Stele's ancient gate and said in a heavy tone, "Write it clearly!"

The recorder immediately lowered his head, his pen tip flying across the paper: "Lu Jins Vanguard Line of the No. 7 Rift Zone outer control accepts the primary gate rights of the Royal Court Ancient Gate; Ning Yanqiu's Cold Mirror Auxiliary Seal illuminates the Mirror Lock and incorporates the gate merit; the Multi-Nest Layer Divine Domain connects to the Main Stele fire network and bears the transit line before the gate; Military Court presence as witness; Temple verification; Pei Family investigation team present."

When Pei Chengxu heard the word "present," his eyes flickered imperceptibly—Instructor Han Tiecheng had clearly omitted "sharing merit" on purpose, intending to cut off any possibility of the Pei Family claiming credit, attributing all the merit to Lu Jins Vanguard Line.

Lu Jin ignored all this. After the gate rights were established, the fire beneath his feet became exceptionally heavy. It wasn't pressing him down so he couldn't stand, but rather, from this breath onward, the opening and closing of the first gate of the No. 7 Rift Zone's inner ring were tightly bound to his vanguard line—if he opened it, the gate opened; if he closed it, the gate closed. Anyone wishing to enter the inner ring through this gate had to obtain his consent.

Wu Fu suddenly whispered, "A gate tendon has appeared in the nest, and it's connected to the Main Stele's ancient gate!"

Grey Pupil closed his eyes, concentrated his senses for a moment, and spoke slowly: "The bottom of the Frontline Fire Hall has already received the shadow of the inner ring gate. From now on, we can connect directly to the front of the gate through the fire hall, without having to take the long way around."

Wen Zhao's fingers trembled, his tone filled with excitement: "Does this mean that in the future, we can mark directly to the gate from the Frontline Fire Hall? We won't have to walk those dangerous blood paths anymore?"

Lu Jin said calmly, "We can only mark the front of the gate. What's behind the gate hasn't been recognized yet, so we cannot go deep for the time being."

Grey Pupil added, "There are even more dangerous things behind the gate. Going deep now would just be seeking death. We must stabilize the front of the gate first before making further plans."

Qiao Ye grinned and slapped his giant shield, his tone arrogant: "Recognizing the front of the gate is fine too! Others have to walk an entire blood path just to reach the gate, but we've pinned the entrance down. Anyone who wants to come will have to look at our faces!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of many outer perimeter teams changed—they only then realized that what Lu Jin had obtained was not a simple qualification to open the gate, but the primary control over the space before the first transit point of the inner ring. The outer ring, Fire Well, fire bridge, Main Stele West Anchor, and Frontline Fire Hall were all on this single transit line. Anyone who wanted to enter the inner ring later would not be able to bypass this fire line before the gate that had already been pinned down by the Multi-Nest Layer Divine Domain.

Pei Chengxu looked at Lu Jin, for the first time not hiding the coldness in his eyes. His tone was flat but carried a bone-chilling frost: "Congratulations, Vanguard Lu, on getting what you wished for."

Lu Jin glanced at him, his tone carrying a hint of mockery: "You make it sound like a funeral. Why not just say directly that the Pei Family is unwilling to accept this?"

Pei Chengxu said, "Many joyous occasions look like funerals in the end. Vanguard Lu, take care of yourself."

Qiao Ye's brow shot up, and he was about to erupt when Lu Jin raised a hand to stop him.

Pei Chengxu ignored Qiao Ye. The wisp of Order-Transmitting Fire from afar in his sleeve lit up again. This time, Lu Jin saw it clearly: a very faint character emerged within the fire—Ge.

Pei Chengxu immediately extinguished the fire, his expression returning to calm, but the coldness in his eyes grew even denser.

Lu Jin withdrew his gaze, understanding clearly—Young Master Pei Tiange already knew the gate rights had fallen into his hands. In the next chapter of the Great Families' plot, they wouldn't just send someone like Pei Chengxu for on-site investigation. Young Master Pei Tiange would likely take action personally very soon.

Just then, a second low sound emanated from the ancient gate, muffled and heavy—the gate seal was set, the gate rights were determined, and the gate was about to open.

Instructor Han Tiecheng raised his hand and shouted sharply, "Everyone, retreat outside the fire line! In the first breath of the gate opening, the aura will be chaotic. If anyone stands too close and dies, it's on them; the Military Court will not be responsible!"

The Temple Inspector immediately said, "The verification position needs to be close to the front of the gate, otherwise the verification cannot be completed!"

Instructor Han Tiecheng looked at him coldly, his tone carrying killing intent: "In the first breath of the gate opening, even a god standing too close would be backlashed by the aura. If you want to die, no one will stop you, but don't drag others down with you!"

The Inspector's face stiffened, and in the end, he didn't dare move forward. He could only stand at the verification position, staring intently at the ancient gate with a tense expression.

Qiao Ye retreated ten steps with his shield, still guarding Lu Jin's front right. His gaze was alert as he watched the surroundings like he was facing a great enemy: "Brother Lu, don't worry, no one will get the chance to cause trouble!"

Wen Zhao switched the Line-Marking Nail to his left hand. His right hand was already red and swollen from the heat, yet he still gripped his marking notebook tightly, not daring to relax in the slightest: "I will record the gate sequence in real-time; I won't fail."

Wu Fu stuffed the empty bone jar into the hands of two Work Rats while she herself stared fixedly at the supply line of the Outer Fire Well, her tone nervous: "The fire supply must be steady; nothing can go wrong!"

Grey Pupil gripped his staff, the Sacrificial Fire at the head burning fiercely. His eyes were fixed on the Bone Lock, ready to respond to any sudden situation at any time: "I'm suppressing the Bone Lock to prevent any further abnormalities."

Ning Yanqiu stood to Lu Jin's left. The Master Crow folded its wings and crouched low, its frost-white feather edges glowing slightly. She remained alert to any movement behind the gate, her tone resolute: "I'll help you watch the Mirror Lock. If there's an anomaly, I'll tell you immediately."

Lu Jin raised his hand and pressed down on the black-and-red gate seal at his feet. The fire in his palm perfectly matched the gate seal as he said with iron-like determination: "Open the gate."

The Main Control Fire line spread forward like a fire dragon, slamming violently into the ancient gate.

The grey-white stone skin on both sides of the ancient gate began to peel off layer by layer. With each layer that fell, different fire lights leaked from behind the gate, their momentum magnificent—

The first layer was the crimson fire of the Outer Fire Well, as fierce as a thunderclap; the second layer was the cold white light of the Cold Mirror old seals, clear and bone-chilling; the third layer was the dark silver fire remaining in the tooth marks of the royal court workshop, ancient and vigorous; the fourth layer was the grey fire left by the west lower layer supplementary marking team, carrying a lingering sorrow; the fifth layer suddenly turned into a deep black-gold, eerie and cold.

Grey Pupil immediately raised his staff, his tone grave: "The scent of an Outer God! There is the residual aura of an Outer God behind the gate!"

Just as that speck of black-gold light appeared, the Bone Lock at the center of the gate shook violently, and the gate seal beneath Lu Jin's feet also became scorching hot, almost unbearable.

But Lu Jin breathed a sigh of relief—it wasn't an Outer God rushing out. Rather, there was an old wound behind the gate that an Outer God had touched. That speck of black-gold light was like a fine nail, pinned behind the fifth layer of the gate's skin, leaving behind the aura of an Outer God.

The Temple Inspector immediately said, "Record it! There is a pollution residual nail behind the inner ring gate, left by an Outer God!"

Instructor Han Tiecheng said coldly, "Make the record clear too—it's a residual nail behind the gate, not brought in by Lu Jins Vanguard Line. It has nothing to do with us! Don't even think about shifting the blame onto our heads!"

The Black-Armored Recorder immediately added to his notes, not daring to omit a single detail.

Lu Jin looked at that black-gold residual nail, his gaze solemn—its position was right against a corner of the old map of the Grey Fire Well. Clearly, the Outer God hadn't just recently set its sights on the No. 7 Rift Zone; it had touched the inner ring long ago and even left a mark behind the gate for unknown purposes.

As the sixth layer of the gate's skin peeled off, the Grey Fire Well fragment suddenly flew up from the fire platform like a stream of light, pinning itself firmly to the center of the gate. The well map on the fragment perfectly overlapped with the old map behind the ancient gate, and the three old royal court locks lit up one by one with brilliant light.

The Cold Mirror Auxiliary Seal on Ning Yanqiu's sleeve was also triggered by one of the locks, emitting a faint hum. She whispered, "There is an old foundation of the Cold Mirror Workshop inside. Its aura resonates with the auxiliary seal in my hand. It should be the workshop ruins left by the Ning Family in the inner ring back then."

Lu Jin asked, "Can you connect?"

"I can see it, but there's still a layer of gate skin in the way, so I can't bridge it for now." Ning Yanqiu looked behind the gate, her tone resolute, "Once we go in, we can connect to the old foundation and find the clues from back then."

Lu Jin nodded: "We'll connect after we go in."

"Mm." Ning Yanqiu looked at him, a hint of determination in her eyes.