175: Chapter 175 The Discovery of the Chaos Ruins

Three full years had passed since the annihilation of the "Shadow" organization.

Over these past three years, the various Realms of the starry sea became even more united.

Guardian Lin Jingyun's practice of listening to the voices of all Realms won the hearts of countless people.

Those who once harbored doubts about integration had now cast aside their guard.

The contribution point circulation of the resource sharing platform had doubled compared to three years ago.

The registered Cultivators in the talent pool exceeded two hundred thousand.

Five thousand Cultivators participated in the exchange program every year, and touring lectures by Elders of various Realms had become the norm.

After comprehensive overhaul and upgrades, the star vein network was even more stable than before.

Every teleportation Formation was equipped with multiple protection mechanisms, Disciples of the Array Hall took turns guarding day and night, and the Investigation Department patrolled regularly to ensure nothing went wrong.

The families of the seventeen victims were properly settled by the Guardian Academy.

Their names were engraved on the stone tablet beside the teleportation Formation in the Meteor Minor Realm, listed alongside the Array Hall Disciples who sacrificed themselves to build the star vein network, remembered by future generations.

Guardian Lin Jingyun stood at the highest point of the Alliance Grand Hall, overlooking the increasingly prosperous city, his eyes filled with peace.

Three years had passed, and the development of the various Realms in the starry sea was even better than he had anticipated.

But right amidst this peace, a new wave was quietly brewing.

On this day, an Investigation Department Disciple rushed into the grand hall, holding a Jade Slip exuding an ancient aura.

"Ancestor! Urgent intelligence has arrived from the Investigation Department!"

Guardian Lin Jingyun took the Jade Slip, and his Divine Thought probed into it.

A moment later, his expression suddenly turned solemn.

The intelligence came from an exploration team at the edge of the starry sea.

Beyond the detection point farthest from Yongning City, they discovered an ancient ruin never recorded in any ancient texts.

The ruins were massive, covering an area of a thousand miles.

The outer perimeter of the ruins was shrouded in a light golden luminous screen, on which countless complex runes flowed.

Those runes were completely different from any Formations Guardian Lin Jingyun had ever seen.

The exploration team attempted to enter, but were blocked by the luminous screen.

Using all kinds of methods, they could not shake that luminous screen even a fraction.

Even more bizarrely, faint energy fluctuations emanated from the ruins from time to time.

Those fluctuations were ancient and deep, carrying an indescribable majesty, as if warning everyone — do not approach.

Guardian Lin Jingyun stared at the intelligence in his hands, his brows tightly locked.

These ruins came far too suddenly.

The various Realms of the starry sea had explored for thousands of years and had never discovered such an existence.

Now that it appeared suddenly, there must be something fishy.

He immediately summoned Shen Qiuyu, the head of the Investigation Department, and the chief Elder of the Array Hall to come and discuss.

Half an hour later, the two hurried over.

Shen Qiuyu had already read the intelligence, and her expression was equally solemn.

"Ancestor, these ruins are not simple.

There is an Array Hall Disciple in the exploration team who recognized some of the runes on the luminous screen — those are texts from the Chaos era, even older than the Legacy of the Creation God Clan."

Guardian Lin Jingyun's heart sank.

The Chaos era?

That was a period even earlier than the Creation God Clan, the very beginning of the Universe's birth.

Ruins from that era actually still existed?

The chief Elder of the Array Hall also spoke.

"Ancestor, the runes on that luminous screen are seventy percent similar to the Chaos runes recorded in the Scripture Pavilion of the Guardian Academy.

But those runes are more complex and profound, and with our current methods, we simply cannot crack them."

Guardian Lin Jingyun pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke.

"Qiuyu, where is the specific location of the ruins?"

Shen Qiuyu raised her hand and waved, and a star map materialized before the three of them.

On the star map, a golden speck of light flickered at the very edge of the starry sea.

That speck of light was extremely far from Yongning City; even taking the fastest star skiff, it would take a full month to arrive.

Guardian Lin Jingyun stared at that speck of light, and an inexplicable palpitation surged in his heart.

That palpitation was very faint, yet it truly existed.

It was as if something was summoning him.

He took a deep breath and made a decision.

"Qiuyu, immediately organize a most elite exploration team, led personally by me, to head to that ruin."

Shen Qiuyu was stunned.

"Ancestor, you are going personally?

The situation of the ruins is unknown, just in case..."

Guardian Lin Jingyun raised his hand to interrupt her.

"Precisely because the situation is unknown, it requires me to go personally.

If there is truly danger, being on the scene allows me to adapt to circumstances."

He paused and continued speaking.

"You will remain behind in Yongning City and temporarily act as the Alliance Leader.

If there is an emergency, transmit a message to me immediately.

In addition, go invite Senior Ling Shuang to come out of seclusion and let her preside over the overall situation."

Shen Qiuyu nodded solemnly.

Three days later, a special exploration star skiff rose from Yongning City, speeding towards the edge of the starry sea.

On the star skiff, Guardian Lin Jingyun stood before the porthole, looking at the increasingly distant Yongning City, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

Going on this trip, he did not know what they would encounter.

But he had to go.

Because the aura of the ruins produced a certain resonance with the Power of Dao Protection within his body.

That kind of resonance made it impossible for him to ignore.

The star skiff sailed through the starry sea for a full month.

During this month, Guardian Lin Jingyun hardly closed his eyes.

Every day he studied the runes rubbed from the periphery of the ruins, trying to find some clues from them.

But those runes were simply too ancient, so ancient that not even the most comprehensive records in the Guardian Academy could find any documentation of them.

On the thirty-first day, the star skiff finally reached its destination.

Looking from afar, those ruins were like a slumbering giant beast, quietly suspended in the starry sea.

The ruins were circular with a diameter of a thousand miles, built entirely from a light golden material never seen before.

The surface of the ruins was engraved with dense runes, identical to those on the luminous screen, constantly flashing with faint light.

On the periphery of the ruins, a light golden luminous screen shrouded the entire area.

The runes on the luminous screen slowly flowed, exuding a heart-palpitating majesty.

The exploration team's star skiff stopped a hundred zhang outside the luminous screen, not daring to approach.

Guardian Lin Jingyun stared at that luminous screen, and the palpitation in his heart grew increasingly intense.

He raised his hand, letting the star skiff slowly approach.

The closer they got to the luminous screen, the stronger the majesty became.

When the star skiff was only ten zhang away from the luminous screen, the majesty was already so strong that even Guardian Lin Jingyun felt somewhat short of breath.

He took a deep breath, and the Chaos Dao Protection Art slowly operated.

This was a Cultivation Technique he created himself, combining the Chaos Creation and Destruction Power left behind by the ancestor.

Although it was far inferior to the ancestor's Realm, it could still unleash a trace of the mighty power of the Power of Chaos.

As soon as the Power of Chaos began to circulate, the runes on the luminous screen suddenly lit up.

Those runes seemed to perceive something and began to flash frantically.

The majesty on the luminous screen instantly weakened and finally disappeared completely.

Guardian Lin Jingyun was stunned.

He looked at his own hand; at his palm, a cluster of faint Chaos light was beating.

That light resonated with the runes on the luminous screen.

"Ancestor, you... have you always been guiding me?"

He muttered to himself, then stepped forward, stepping into the luminous screen.

The luminous screen was like a thin layer of water curtain, easily passed through.

Behind him, the Disciples of the exploration team looked at each other in dismay.

The luminous screen that they had tried countless times without being able to enter — the ancestor just walked right in like that?

Guardian Lin Jingyun turned back to glance at them.

"You all wait here.

If I do not return within three days, immediately return to Yongning City and notify Senior Ling Shuang."

After speaking, he turned around and walked towards the depths of the ruins.

Inside the ruins was a huge plaza.

The plaza was paved with light golden boulders, and every single boulder was engraved with runes.

Those runes emitted a soft glow, illuminating the entire space.

At the end of the plaza was a giant gate towering a hundred zhang high.

The giant gate was tightly closed, and it was likewise engraved with runes.

Those runes were more complex and profound than those on the plaza.

Guardian Lin Jingyun walked up to the giant gate and gently touched it with his hand.

The moment he touched the giant gate, the runes on the gate suddenly lit up.

An aged and majestic voice resounded in his mind.

"Latercomer... you have finally come..."

Guardian Lin Jingyun's heart tightened, and he quickly took a step back.

"Who is it?"

The voice continued speaking.

"This deity... Spirit of Chaos... guarding these ruins... for hundreds of millions of years..."

"You are able to pass through the outer luminous screen... which shows that you have the aura of the Power of Chaos on your body..."

"You are... the successor of Chaos Taoist..."

Guardian Lin Jingyun was stunned.

Chaos Taoist?

Wasn't that the Creation God Clan Senior whom the ancestor met in the Eternal Forbidden Zone?

He quickly asked.

"Senior, do you know Chaos Taoist?"

The voice was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke.

"Chaos Taoist... was the first living being created by this deity..."

"He is this deity's child... and also this deity's regret..."

Monstrous waves stirred in Guardian Lin Jingyun's heart.

Chaos Taoist was created by this person before him?

Then what kind of existence was this person?

The voice seemed to see through his thoughts and continued speaking.

"This deity... is the primordial consciousness of the Chaotic Universe... of the same Origin as the Source of Creation and the Source of Destruction..."

"The Source of Creation creates Life... the Source of Destruction ends Life... while this deity... is responsible for balancing everything..."

"Back then, this deity created Chaos Taoist... and let him guard the balance of the Chaotic Universe..."

"But he... was too obsessed with creation... and ultimately came into conflict with the Source of Destruction..."

"That great battle... caused the Chaotic Universe to fall apart... the Source of Creation and the Source of Destruction dissipated one after another... and this deity also suffered heavy injuries... and could only Seal myself in these ruins..."

Hearing this, Guardian Lin Jingyun was incomparably shocked.

Originally, this was the source of everything.

The conflict between creation and destruction, the disintegration of the Chaotic Universe, the Law of Creation and the Law of Destruction inherited by the ancestor...

Everything originated from the Spirit of Chaos before his eyes.

The voice continued speaking.

"Latercomer... you are able to come here... which shows that you are qualified to inherit this deity's power..."

"But before that... you must complete this deity's trial..."

Guardian Lin Jingyun took a deep breath.

"What trial?"

The voice slowly spoke.

"When the Chaotic Universe disintegrated... there were three Origin fragments... scattered across different spaces and times..."

"The Creation fragment... was taken away by the descendants of the Source of Creation... becoming the Foundation of the Creation God Clan..."

"The Destruction fragment... was sealed by the remnant soul of the Source of Destruction... becoming the core of the Destruction Realm..."

"As for the third piece... the Chaos fragment... it has always remained in this deity's hands..."

"Now... this deity is going to hand the Chaos fragment... over to you..."

Guardian Lin Jingyun was stunned.

"Senior, you are just giving it to me like this?

Didn't you say there was a trial?"

The voice laughed.

"The trial... you have already completed it..."

"You being able to come here... being able to pass through the luminous screen... and being able to resonate with the Power of Chaos... shows that you have passed the trial..."

"Because only a true Chaos successor... can accomplish these things..."

As the voice fell, the giant gate slowly opened.

Behind the door was a void space.

In the center of the space hovered a fist-sized crystal.

The crystal was completely transparent, yet it contained boundless Power of Chaos.

Inside the crystal, countless tiny lights flowed, resembling a miniature Universe.

Guardian Lin Jingyun walked up to the crystal and reached out to touch it.

The moment he touched the crystal, the crystal suddenly turned into countless points of light, surging into his body.

Massive amounts of information exploded in his Sea of Consciousness.

That was the complete history of the Chaotic Universe, the ultimate mystery of creation and destruction, and the hundreds of millions of years of insight from the Spirit of Chaos.

He closed his eyes, quietly absorbing this information.

I do not know how long passed, before he opened his eyes.

In his eyes, there was already an added trace of Chaos color.

He turned around and looked at that giant gate.

On the gate, that aged voice sounded once again.

"Latercomer... the Chaos fragment... has already been handed over to you..."

"From now on... you are the guardian of the Chaotic Universe..."

"This deity... can rest at ease..."

Guardian Lin Jingyun hurriedly asked.

"Senior, where are you going?"

The voice laughed, laughing with utter liberation.

"This deity... is tired..."

"The guardianship of hundreds of millions of years... should come to an end..."

"Let this deity... return to Chaos..."

As the voice fell, the entire ruins began to tremor.

Those runes, those luminous screens, those boulders, began to slowly disintegrate, turning into dots of light that dissipated into the Void Realm.

Guardian Lin Jingyun stood among them, watching all this, and an indescribable emotion surged in his heart.

He bowed deeply toward the disappearing giant gate.

"Thank you, Senior."

"Junior will definitely not live up to your trust."

The ruins completely dissipated, turning into nothingness.

Guardian Lin Jingyun stood in the Void Realm, gazing at the area where the ruins had once existed, remaining silent for a long time.

The exploration team's star skiff sped over, and the Disciples all gathered around.

"Ancestor! Are you alright?"

Guardian Lin Jingyun shook his head and smiled slightly.

"It's fine, let's go back."

The star skiff turned around and sped toward Yongning City.

A month later, Guardian Lin Jingyun returned to Yongning City.

He went to the Monument of Heroes for the first time.

At the top of the monument, that Chaos-colored light was still bright.

He knelt before the monument and softly said.

"Ancestor, I went to the Chaos ruins and met the Spirit of Chaos."

"He gave me the Chaos fragment and let me inherit his power."

"From now on, I am the guardian of the Chaotic Universe."

That light beat gently.

As if responding to him.

As if saying —

I know.

I have always known.

Guardian Lin Jingyun smiled and kowtowed deeply.

In the distance, in Ling Shuang's small courtyard.

Ling Shuang stood before the window, gazing in the direction of the Monument of Heroes.

She saw that Chaos-colored light, even brighter than before.

She smiled slightly and softly said.

"Ancestor, did you see that? Jingyun has also grown up."

As the setting sun went down, golden afterglow sprinkled over the sky of Yongning City.

That light at the top of the Monument of Heroes intertwined with the brilliance of the setting sun, as beautiful as a dream.

Guardian Lin Jingyun stood up and looked towards the city he had guarded for hundreds of years.

His eyes were filled with determination.

"From now on, I am the Chaos Guardian."

"The starry sea, I will guard it well."