634: Lu Xueqi and Biyao (17)

Su Han collected his thoughts.

He soon entered a state of selfless concentration.

Circulating his Cultivation Technique with full effort.

Lu Xueqi held the tianya divine sword.

Standing silently in the shadows of the side hall entrance.

Her gaze,

Halfway alertly scanning the silent, starlit lake surface outside the ruined hall,

And the ancient architecture hidden among the dark aquatic plants and coral,

The other half,

Fell upon the figure inside the hall—

The young man in green robes who was regulating his breathing,

And the unconscious green-clothed woman beside him.

Her expression was complex,

Uncertain what she was thinking.

Time,

In this underwater Secret Realm enveloped by starlight,

Flowed quietly.

It was unclear how long had passed.

Perhaps one day.

Perhaps two days.

The light inside the hall had barely changed.

Only the brightness of the pillar of light in the lake center

Flickered slightly with a constant, slow rhythm,

As if it were the breath of the stars.

Su Han awoke from his meditation.

His eyes opened,

The sharp light retracted, his complexion clearly much better.

The fatigue and injuries from continuous days

Had recovered by seventy or eighty percent under the nourishment of Star Power.

His cultivation even saw a slight advancement.

He looked toward Bi Yao immediately.

Bi Yao's complexion seemed to have improved a little more,

Her breathing also slightly steadier.

The tortoise shell still emitted a stable, deep blue light.

A fine thread of blue light

Continuously connected to Bi Yao's chest,

Like a meridian transmitting nourishment.

Su Han felt slightly relieved.

He then looked toward Elder Mu.

Elder Mu was still intently studying the tortoise shell and the Formation.

Several Jade Slips floated before him,

His fingers occasionally etched patterns in the air,

Recording something.

Noticing Su Han had woken up,

Elder Mu raised his head,

A hint of weariness in his eyes,

But more excitement.

"Any discoveries?"

Su Han asked.

"A few."

Elder Mu pointed at the tortoise shell.

"These past few days of observation,"

"I can basically confirm,"

"This tortoise shell shares the same origin as the core of Falling Star Lake."

"Their power characteristics are almost identical."

"And..."

He paused.

"I attempted to trace the extremely faint 'Time Imprint' remaining in its patterns using a secret method."

"Although it is vague and unclear,"

"I can roughly judge that"

"The age of this tortoise shell"

"Far exceeds what you or I can imagine."

"It might even be older than the era when this Falling Star Lake formed."

Su Han was deeply shaken.

"Older than Falling Star Lake?"

"Correct."

Elder Mu nodded.

"The falling of the stars that formed this lake"

"Was an event of the Ancient Era."

"But the feeling this tortoise shell gives me..."

"Its sense of antiquity seems to come from an even more distant epoch."

"It may not have been born because of Falling Star Lake,"

"But existed long before it."

"The Formation of Falling Star Lake,"

"Perhaps only activated it, or established some deep resonance and connection with it."

This speculation

Made Su Han even more perplexed,

And deepened his doubts about the tortoise shell's origin.

"Furthermore,"

Elder Mu continued speaking,

"I explored several nearby ruins."

"On some ruined stone tablets and murals,"

"I found some scattered information left by the Ancient Water Tribe."

"Although most of it is blurred beyond recognition,"

"Piecing it together,"

"We can roughly restore part of their history."

"The Ancient Water Tribe was an ancient race that worshipped stars and water sources."

"They were not native to this world,"

"But came from the distant, unknown deep space sea."

"This Falling Star Lake already existed before they arrived."

"They regarded this lake as a Sacred Lake,"

"Believing the 'star source' at the lake's center was the manifestation of the Universe's vitality."

"They established a Holy Land here,"

"Worshipping and guarding it for generations."

"And the core of their worship,"

"Besides the pillar of star source light in the lake center,"

"Seemed to include... another sacred artifact."

Elder Mu's gaze,

Once again fell upon the tortoise shell.

"According to the extremely abstract and vague depictions on the murals,"

"The shape of that sacred artifact..."

"Shares sixty to seventy percent similarity with this tortoise shell."

Su Han took a deep breath.

"You mean... this tortoise shell might be the sacred artifact worshipped by the Ancient Water Tribe?"

"Highly possible."

Elder Mu said slowly.

"But the murals showed that..."

"The sacred artifact was complete."

"It was an entirely integrated... kind of carapace-shaped object."

"And its scale seemed even larger."

"Your tortoise shell..."

"Might just be... a partial fragment of that complete sacred artifact."

A fragment?

Su Han looked at the tortoise shell emitting a mysterious halo.

If this was merely a fragment,

What kind of might would the complete sacred artifact possess?

"The murals also mentioned,"

Elder Mu's voice carried a trace of solemnity,

"The complete sacred artifact was named the 'zhoutian star armor'."

"It was said to be a supreme treasure brought by the Water Tribe's ancestors from their homeland."

"It possessed the unfathomable power to guide the zhoutian Star Power and evolve the myriad stars of the heavens."

"It was also key to safeguarding the Water Tribe's Legacy and communicating with the star source."

"But later..."

"It seems a massive upheaval occurred."

"The murals break off and become vague here,"

"Only showing scenes of collapsing stars, boiling seas, and the Water Tribe weeping."

"Finally..."

"The sacred artifact, the 'zhoutian star armor', shattered."

"Its fragments were lost."

"The Water Tribe subsequently declined,"

"Eventually vanishing into the long river of history."

Su Han listened silently,

His heart surging with emotion.

zhoutian star armor...

Water Tribe sacred artifact...

Shattered and lost...

The tortoise shell he had obtained by chance,

Actually had such an origin?

"If this is truly a fragment of the zhoutian star armor,"

Su Han looked at Elder Mu.

"Then its current connection with Bi Yao..."

"Is it sensing the Star Power within her?"

"Or..."

"Is there another reason?"

Elder Mu pondered.

"Miss Bi Yao has a special Physique."

"Although she is not of the Water Tribe,"

"The Cultivation Technique she practices seems to have some connection to water elements, or even the stars?"

Su Han nodded.

"Bi Yao comes from the Southern Border; the Witchcraft she Cultivates is indeed close to the power of nature, and perhaps there is an attraction to the stars within it."

"That makes sense."

Elder Mu stated.

"The tortoise shell sensed a similar or related aura being eroded,"

"And spontaneously offered protection."

"More importantly..."

He pointed to the blue light thread connecting to Bi Yao's chest.

"Observing these past few days,"

"I found that this light thread not only transmits Star Power to nourish Bi Yao,"

"It also seems to be... drawing out a faint trace of the aura belonging to Gui Xu from within Bi Yao."

Su Han was startled.

"Drawing out the Power of Gui Xu?"

"Correct."

Elder Mu's expression grew solemn.

"Very faint,"

"Almost imperceptible,"

"But it does exist."

"The tortoise shell seems to be using Miss Bi Yao's body as a battlefield,"

"Or rather, as a medium,"

"Attempting to contact, analyze, and perhaps... transform that trace of the Power of Gui Xu."

"This action is very dangerous,"

"But it also proves from another angle,"

"That this fragment of the tortoise shell might... truly possess the potential to restrain, or counter, the Power of Gui Xu."

"After all, Gui Xu represents the ultimate end,"

"While the star source Power represents vitality and continuation,"

"They are manifestations of the two fundamental powers of the Universe."

Light flashed in Su Han's eyes.

"In other words..."

"If we can allow the tortoise shell, or rather, find the complete 'zhoutian star armor'..."

"Is it possible to completely resolve Bi Yao's problem?"

"Theoretically, there is that possibility." (End of Chapter)