Chapter 25 – The Forgotten Ruins Beneath the Veil
The forest stretched endlessly, an ocean of ancient trees whispering secrets to the wind. Ye Tianlan moved quietly between them, guided not by sight but by instinct—an instinct born of blood, memory, and something deeper… something calling.
The torn map in his hand glowed faintly, the ink shifting like living flame. The old Xu Clan seal pulsed each time he turned toward the east, as if urging him onward.
He stopped at the base of a mountain cloaked in fog. Its peak vanished into the clouds, and the air around it shimmered faintly with a distortion that wasn't natural.
"Here…" he murmured, running his fingers along the stone surface. "The map ends here."
To any mortal eye, it was just another cliff. But Ye Tianlan closed his eyes and released a thin strand of spiritual sense—so delicate that even the wind couldn't disturb it.
The air trembled.
For a heartbeat, the world flickered—like a curtain lifting. What had seemed like stone revealed faint runic engravings beneath its surface, ancient symbols pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat.
"An illusion array," he whispered. "And not a simple one…"
He drew his blade and sliced his finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the nearest rune. The ground shuddered, light flashed, and the fog rippled outward like disturbed water.
A deep, grinding sound echoed through the valley as the cliff split apart, revealing a narrow stone corridor descending into darkness.
A forgotten passage.
A relic of an age long before the Celestial Empire.
Ye Tianlan's eyes narrowed. "No wonder even the guards couldn't sense it."
He stepped inside.
The air within was heavy and stale, thick with ancient qi that had long since decayed. Dust hung in the air like ashes. Broken murals lined the walls, half-erased by time, depicting battles between humans and gods, dragons and devils, heaven and abyss.
As Ye Tianlan walked deeper, faint whispers brushed against his ears—not voices, but echoes of memories sealed within the stones themselves.
"…the Xu bloodline… guardians of the Veil…"
"…he who bears the mark shall awaken the path…"
His footsteps echoed softly, each one stirring faint motes of light from the floor. The deeper he went, the more the air shifted—from still and lifeless to humming, vibrating with suppressed power.
At last, the corridor opened into a vast underground chamber.
Ancient pillars rose into the darkness above, cracked but still standing. At the center of the room floated a crystal orb the size of a human head, surrounded by chains of light, each etched with divine runes.
Even after centuries, its aura was overwhelming—ancient, sacred, and broken.
Ye Tianlan's breath hitched. "This… is no ordinary relic."
He approached slowly, every instinct screaming caution. The moment he stepped closer, the orb flickered—and then, faintly, it spoke.
"Blood of Xu… you have returned."
Ye Tianlan froze. His hand trembled slightly, the words echoing through his soul.
He hadn't spoken his name. He hadn't released his aura.
And yet the ruins knew him.
"Who… are you?" he asked, voice steady.
"A fragment," the voice replied, distant and weary. "Once, I served your ancestors—the guardians of the Seventh Veil. But the Veil has fallen. The Realms bleed into each other. The heavens… are no longer pure."
The chains rattled faintly, light dimming.
Ye Tianlan's gaze sharpened. "Then tell me—what lies beyond this place? What did my clan protect?"
Silence. Then, faintly—
"Seven Realms… one Heaven. When the balance is broken, the Abyss shall rise."
The orb flickered violently, cracks spreading across its surface. Ye Tianlan instinctively stepped back as the chains shattered with a sound like thunder, sending ripples of energy across the room.
A surge of raw spiritual power burst forth, shaking the ground. The symbols on the walls began to glow, and from beneath the floor, something stirred—an ancient seal awakening after centuries of slumber.
Ye Tianlan clenched his jaw. "Not now…"
He drew his blade and thrust it into the ground, channeling his qi to stabilize the surge. Energy rippled outward, his aura clashing against the wild storm.
But the voice whispered once more, fainter now—almost like a dying echo.
"When the Seventh Sun rises… return to the Veil. The path will open again…"
And then the orb shattered into dust.
The chamber fell silent. Only the faint hum of residual energy remained, swirling gently around Ye Tianlan's feet.
He stood there for a long time, breathing heavily, his mind racing.
"The Veil… Seven Suns… what are you hiding, Ancestors?"
He looked at the empty space where the orb once floated, eyes darkening with resolve.
If the Xu Clan truly guarded a secret connected to the fall of the Seven Realms, then his path wasn't just revenge anymore.
It was destiny.