236: Nine resounding booms shook the world; returning to the void, one must examine one's heart.

The moment Li Ao's palm touched the rough, cold heart-questioning stone, time seemed to freeze.

There was no expected impact of Soul Power, nor was there any brilliant radiance of the Medicine Dao.

He simply stood there calmly, eyes closed, as if silently communicating with an ancient friend who had slept for millennia.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths... The heart-questioning stone remained completely unresponsive, still like a dead, stubborn rock.

Around the stone platform, the expressions of the previously held-breath crowd began to change.

Some of the Medicine Clan disciples sneered in disdain, whispering, "Putting on airs. We thought he had some great skill, but he can't even make the heart-questioning stone ring once..."

Qiu Hao's tense expression relaxed slightly, and a barely noticeable curve even appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Cao Ying and Dan Chen, however, frowned slightly, their beautiful eyes filled with confusion and worry.

The gaze of the Netherworld Poison Sage flickered beneath his black robe; no one knew what he was thinking.

Watching this scene through the water mirror, Yao Wanhuo almost let out a cold laugh, thinking, "He truly is just a silver-plated spearhead

—he must have relied on some strange trick before..."

However, before his thought could finish

—

"Dong!"

A sound, like a heartbeat originating from the ancient primordial era yet seeming to come from the depths of the Soul, suddenly emanated from within the heart-questioning stone!

The sound was not loud, but it was incredibly profound, carrying an ineffable sense of antiquity and majesty.

It instantly drowned out all other noise, clearly entering the depths of every person's Soul present!

Everyone's expression instantly froze!

This... this wasn't the stone ringing! This sounded like... the stone's heartbeat?!

Before they could react.

"Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!"

Eight successive beats followed, each one grander and more shocking than the last!

It was like a sleeping giant god awakening and beating the war drums for battle!

Nine consecutive sounds, completed in a single breath, without the slightest pause!

Nine Beats!

This was not the crisp "humming" heard before, but the sound of a heartbeat that seemed to contain the profound truths of the universe!

The entire stone platform

—no, the entire Ancestral Land Secret Realm

—began to tremble slightly under these nine heartbeats!

The surging energy mist on both sides suddenly calmed, as if paying homage!

Cao Ying, Dan Chen, and the others felt their Souls tremble, almost wanting to kneel down!

The two Medicine Clan disciples turned even paler, their eyes filled with unparalleled shock and... fear!

Nine Beats! The legendary Nine Beats! Not the stone ringing, but the stone's heartbeat! What did this signify?!

The Netherworld Poison Sage abruptly took half a step back, his black robe fluttering without wind, revealing the horror-stricken face beneath, which was covered in poison spots.

Outside, on the platform, Yao Chen suddenly stood up, his face filled with incredible ecstasy and excitement.

Even Yao Dan and the old man in hemp robes, who had been hidden in the Void Realm, could no longer remain calm.

Their figures slightly materialized, and they exchanged glances, both seeing the tumultuous shock in the other's eyes!

"The Nine Beats of the Stone Heart... Ancestral records state that only those who can draw upon 'Nirvana Source Power' can awaken the heart-questioning stone's dormant core and trigger the stone heart's resonance..."

Yao Dan's voice trembled slightly, "I never expected the legend to be true!"

Just as the lingering resonance of the Nine Beats of the Stone Heart had yet to fully dissipate, another anomaly occurred!

The heart-questioning stone, which had been silent for countless years, had its rough gray surface rapidly peel away like receding tide, centered on the point where Li Ao's palm touched.

It revealed its crystalline, translucent glass body beneath, where countless nebulae seemed to be born and destroyed in circulation!

An indescribably colored pillar of Chaos light suddenly shot up from the glass heart-questioning stone, ignoring the spatial barrier of the Secret Realm and soaring straight toward the Medicine World's sky!

Within the light pillar, vast scenes of creation and destruction, and the Reincarnation of stars, could vaguely be seen.

Ultimately, all these scenes culminated in a single place: the Eternal, Cold, yet life-containing Ruin!

This light pillar and its phenomenon were clearly visible not only to the people inside the Secret Realm, but also to the sky above the Medicine World outside, which was illuminated by the pillar of Chaos light, making it magnificent yet eerie!

"A Heaven and Earth phenomenon! It's a Heaven and Earth phenomenon!"

"Someone has triggered the heart-questioning stone's highest resonance!"

"Who is it?! Which Prodigy is it?!"

Throughout the entire Medicine World, countless members of the Medicine Clan were startled, looking up at the sky with expressions of terror.

Above the stone platform, the pillar of Chaos light slowly retracted, finally transforming into a soft halo that enveloped Li Ao and the glass heart-questioning stone.

Li Ao remained with his eyes closed, but his consciousness seemed to have been pulled into a wondrous space.

He "saw" a broken ancient path stretching across the Void Realm.

At the end of the path was a faintly visible, ancient palace (the Guiding Ancient Palace) exuding an aura of eternal nirvana.

Below this ancient path, he sensed a nirvana aura deeper within the Medicine World's earth

—one that shared the same origin as the heart-questioning stone but was far more massive and ancient.

That should be the spatial node suppressed by the Medicine Clan Ancestral Shrine!

At the same time, a vague stream of information flowed into his mind:

"Hold the talisman... follow the heart... tread the ancient path... return to the nirvana source core..."

Li Ao instantly understood that the heart-questioning stone was not just a test; it was also a key and a guide!

It pointed him toward the nirvana source core, and the Medicine Clan Ancestral Shrine was one of the starting points!

He slowly opened his eyes, the vision of the Ruin in his pupils slowly settling.

He withdrew his palm.

The light of the glass heart-questioning stone gradually retracted, but the stone itself remained crystalline, no longer reverting to its stubborn rock appearance.

He looked around.

Everyone who met his calm gaze involuntarily lowered their heads, including the Netherworld Poison Sage and the arrogant Qiu Hao.

This was an absolute suppression originating from the level of life and the level of the Great Dao!

Nine Beats of the Stone Heart, Heaven and Earth Phenomenon!

At this moment, no one dared to question Li Ao's qualifications!

The ancient voice sounded again, filled with unprecedented solemnity and a hint of excitement:

"Li Ao, having triggered the Nine Beats of the heart-questioning stone's heart and activated the Nirvana Glass Body... you are granted permission to enter the core of the Ancestral Shrine and meet the Will of the Medicine Ancestor!"

The voice echoed throughout the Secret Realm, announcing that Li Ao had passed the Medicine Stone Heart Inquiry in an unprecedented manner, earning the qualification to enter the Medicine Clan's most crucial Forbidden Ground!

His journey to the Medicine Clan had finally reached its most critical stage.