The wind swept gravel across my feet. I stood where I was as the golden line in my palm slowly faded. Ye Qingwan did not move. She stood at my side, her gaze still fixed on the red light that had reignited deep within the secret passage.
I closed my eyes.
Deep within my Sea of Consciousness, the tenth strand of Heaven-Slaying Origin silently flowed into my dantian. Like a drop of water falling into a deep pool, it made no sound, yet stirred a thousand hidden waves. My Pseudo-Primordial Body trembled faintly. The power coursing through my meridians was more solid and weighty than ever before. The system's intent surfaced like a receding tide: Ten strands complete. The Heaven-Slaying Dao Foundation may be condensed. The host may choose the time.
I did not keep my eyes closed for long.
Now was not the time to break through. Yan Jiuxiao's people had only just left, and though Ji Hantian had been taken away, his ragged breathing still echoed in my ears. That venomous hatred would not end here. If I triggered a heavenly phenomenon now, I would be putting myself on the crest of the waves. I had hidden for three years. There was no need to rush this moment.
When I opened my eyes again, the wind had stopped.
Footsteps sounded in the distance, steady and powerful. The crunch of boots over rubble was especially clear. Yan Jiuxiao had returned. He had not changed out of his official robes, and the City Lord's Seal at his waist glinted coldly beneath the setting sun. He stopped three paces away, his gaze sweeping over my face before settling on the wooden sword in my hand.
"You are more unfathomable than I thought," he said.
I did not respond.
He did not take offense. He drew a token from his sleeve, black from end to end, its edges carved with the mountains and rivers of the Northern Wastes. A blood-jade crystal core was set in its center—the City Lord Token.
"Take it." He held it out to me. "The Blood Demon Sect will not stay quiet in the days ahead. You crippled Ji Hantian. That was the same as tearing off one of their faces. They will come."
I stared at the token without reaching for it.
"City Lord Yan is giving this away so readily. Aren't you afraid I'll use it to mobilize your troops? Open your treasury? Or even... press you beneath my heel?"
He chuckled, but his expression did not change. "If you truly have that ability, I will accept it. The Northern Wastes has never been held steady by titles. It is held steady by strength. You have not revealed your full hand yet, but I can see it—you are waiting."
After a brief silence, I finally reached out and took it.
The instant my fingertips touched the token, an extremely faint golden light flashed from my palm and vanished, as though it had resonated with some force within me. The City Lord Token quivered slightly. Light seemed to swirl once within the blood-jade crystal core before returning to stillness.
I tucked it into my robes, placing it close against my chest.
Yan Jiuxiao watched this gesture and nodded. "The Primordial Ruins are about to open. You felt it too, didn't you?"
I raised my eyes toward the northern horizon.
Dark clouds churned there, layer upon layer like an ancient curtain hanging down. Amid them floated the phantom silhouette of a gigantic bell. Its outline was blurred, yet it exuded a suffocating pressure that made one's heart tremble. It was a sign that the Heaven and Earth Rules were loosening, the prelude to an ancient Forbidden Ground awakening.
"Not just me," I said. "The entire Northern Wastes is stirring. The Blood Demon Sect is in such a hurry to act because they know time is running out. Once the ruins open, old debts will have to be settled one by one."
Yan Jiuxiao's expression tightened slightly.
He knew what I meant. That conspiracy three years ago had not targeted me alone. On the night my Dao bones shattered, it was not only the system that awakened within me. Something else... had awakened as well.
"Do you intend to enter?" he asked.
"Of course." My voice was soft, yet it was like an iron nail driven into a crack in stone. "There are things in there that I need. And there are... debts that must be repaid."
He said nothing more. He merely gave me a long, deep look before turning away. This time, he had no formation and no guards following him. Alone, he crossed the ruins, his back soon vanishing at the far end of the training grounds.
The wind rose again.
Only then did Ye Qingwan speak. "That red light just now... it's still flashing."
I nodded. "Someone is lighting a lamp inside."
"Aren't you worried?"
"Worrying is useless." I looked at her. "But since it dares to shine, it means it does not intend to hide. What is truly terrifying is not an enemy showing himself, but thinking he is already dead, only to find that he is still alive—and has been watching you all along."
She pursed her lips but did not argue.
The black token in her Treasure Pouch was faintly hot. She did not take it out, merely pressing it lightly with her fingers.
Just then, a commotion broke out beyond the crowd.
Afu squeezed through, clutching a bulging money pouch. His face was smeared with dust, his hair a mess, and he shouted as he ran, "Young Master! Young Master! I snatched three Spirit Coins! That's enough to buy half a bottle of Essence Restoration Pills! When are we going to the Black Market? I heard they just got a new batch of Poison Amulets, and there are even lucky draws that give away beauty scrolls!"
Ye Qingwan's brows furrowed. She lifted her leg and kicked him.
"Healing!" she said coldly. "Have you forgotten whose man you are?"
Afu yelped and fell onto the ground. The money pouch scattered open, several Spirit Coins rolling out and spinning across the ground before finally stopping. He clutched his shin and wailed, "Miss! I am planning for Young Master's future! Please stop kicking vital areas!"
I ignored them.
My gaze remained on the northern horizon. The phantom of the ancient bell was growing clearer, broken chain patterns beginning to emerge along its edges, as though something was breaking free from its shackles. At the same time, the Heaven-Slaying Origin within me began to circulate slowly. Ten strands had gathered, like rivers converging into an abyss. At a single command, they could shatter their restraints and condense into a Dao Foundation.
But I was not in a hurry.
A true powerhouse could even wait to break through.
Afu climbed to his feet, rubbing his leg as he sidled over to me and whispered, "Young Master, are we really going to the Primordial Ruins? I heard several old monsters at the Tribulation Stage died inside. Even their bones were gnawed clean."
I looked down at him. "Who said I was taking you?"
He froze. "B-but... I'm your only accountant!"
"Then practice making your handwriting more legible first," I said blandly. "The IOU you wrote last time was nearly mistaken for a talisman and burned."
He sheepishly drew his head back.
Ye Qingwan walked over and stood at my other side, her voice lowering. "If you're going, I'm going too."
"I know," I said. "But this time is different. Some things in the ruins cannot be resisted with bloodlines alone. You need to prepare."
"I am already prepared." She raised a hand, and a thread of crimson flame floated above her palm. It was not blazing, yet it carried an ancient rhythm. "It is urging me on."
Looking at the flame, I suddenly said, "Once we enter the ruins, do not casually answer any summons. Especially... ones that sound like birdsong."
She was startled. "How did you know?"
I did not answer.
Qingming had said that the cry of the Blood Phoenix could awaken sleeping Chaos, and it could also draw Void Beasts that devoured the years. That cry was not an invitation. It was a trial.
In the distance, the last ray of sunset sank beyond the ridge.
I pressed a hand to my chest. The City Lord Token rested against my heartbeat, its warmth not yet faded. The Heaven-Slaying Origin flowed quietly through my meridians, waiting for an opportunity, for a storm.
Afu was still muttering, "Young Master, are we really not going to the Black Market? If we miss today, we'll have to wait another half a month..."
Ye Qingwan raised her leg again.
I lifted a hand to stop her and looked at Afu. "We leave at dawn tomorrow."
"Where?!" His eyes lit up.
"The Primordial Ruins," I said. "If you want to live, shut up and stay close."
His mouth opened, but before he could speak, a bolt of lightning suddenly struck from the distant sky, hitting the phantom of the ancient bell dead center. A hum shook the heavens. Though invisible, it made everyone's eardrums ache, and the ground beneath our feet trembled faintly.
The bell had rung.
I gripped the wooden sword and turned toward the north.
The wind struck my face, carrying the scent of scorched earth and rusted iron.
The City Lord Token burned hot within my robes, and the Heaven-Slaying Origin surged through my blood. Ahead lay a Forbidden Ground on the verge of opening; behind me, the unfinished mess that remained to be cleared away.
I took my first step.
Before you continue