[You looked around and discovered that the altar had been built atop a towering ancient tree, lush with emerald leaves and branches.]
[Fu Dongcheng, who rarely spoke, asked, "Junior Brother Zhou, do you recognize this tree?"]
[You shook your head slightly. The tree had a peculiar form, and you had never seen its like. The Heavenly Emperor's Treasury held mysteries beyond count, while the Dao Canon of later ages was likely incomplete. It was only natural that you did not recognize it.]
[At the center of the altar stood a stone stele, much like the one you had seen in Tiger Spirit Valley. Its ancient inscriptions were too obscure to decipher.]
[The stone itself was stranger still: neither iron nor gold, warm to the touch, with an odd luster flowing faintly beneath its surface.]
[The others had visited before, but they knew too few of the characters. Even Fu Dongcheng had managed to make out only a handful of words.]
[When you stepped forward, everyone gathered around, curiosity in their eyes. They wanted to know what the inscription said.]
[You studied it intently and slowly read the two characters at the bottom: "Ascend Heaven..."]
[Fu Dongcheng nodded. "Those two are the clearest. They do indeed say 'Ascend Heaven.'"]
[You formed a hand seal and sent a thread of magical power into the stele.]
[In an instant, brilliant colors swept across its face. Characters rippled into view like reflections on water, casting dazzling light.]
[The writing above gradually became visible.]
[Surprise crossed Fu Dongcheng's face. "You did the same thing at the Blood Tiger's altar, Junior Brother... Can that spell restore damaged writing on a stele?"]
[You thought for a moment, then replied, "It's a minor spell I devised myself. Nothing profound."]
["Senior Brother Fu, would you like to learn it?"]