Deep within Chen Hall, layers of restrictive wards stood guard.
Ye Chen sat cross-legged, three fragments hovering before him in hazy halos of light—the Nameless Fragment bearing distorted symbols, the Black Iron Piece with fine patterns along its edges, and the newly acquired Black Crystal covered in dark-gold markings.
A powerful resonance pulsed between the three like a heartbeat. Light flowed as they drew toward one another, yet they seemed to lack some crucial catalyst and could not truly merge into one.
Ye Chen kept his eyes tightly closed, his entire awareness immersed in them. Like the most precise engraving blade and the gentlest adhesive, Primordial Chaos Purple Qi slowly flowed into the three fragments, guiding the source auras within them—which shared a common origin but had grown sluggish with the passage of ages—to touch, probe, and mingle.
This was work that required patient grinding, not haste. The being in the ice coffin had been right: this fragment concerned ancient secrets and might even touch upon world-shaking mysteries such as the "cage" and the "Keepers." Its intrinsic nature was extraordinarily lofty, far beyond that of ordinary treasures.
Time slipped by in silence.
Who knew how long had passed? Perhaps several hours, perhaps an entire day.
Suddenly!
"Humm—!"
All three fragments shuddered violently at once, erupting with a brilliance unlike anything before! The symbols on the Nameless Fragment seemed to come alive, writhing and swimming; the patterns along the Black Iron Piece's edges and the dark-gold markings on the Black Crystal spread wildly, connecting and completing one another!
A torrent of information, far more ancient and vast than any before, seemingly bearing the birth and death of stars and the cycles of the universe, surged into Ye Chen's sea of consciousness like a celestial river bursting its banks!
This time, it was no longer scattered fragments of memory, but a map!
An incomplete map whose boundless grandeur could still be felt—a Star Map!
Within the Star Map, countless stars flickered, tracing blurred outlines that pointed in a direction unimaginably distant. At certain crucial nodes were inscriptions in exceedingly ancient runes, which even Ye Chen had to examine carefully to understand. Their approximate meanings were "boundary marker," "rift," "Primordial Origin Land"...
At the very edge of the Star Map, one relatively clear region had been prominently outlined. Beside it were two ancient words—
Fallen Star Sea!
At the same time, understanding welled up in Ye Chen's heart.
The Nameless Fragment was not merely a map or a key. It was more like a... Voyage Log, or rather, part of a "navigation chart" drawn by some ancient mighty being while exploring the "path to transcendence"!
And the Fallen Star Sea was one relatively "nearby" crucial node on this Star Map, possibly concealing the next fragment or directly connected to the "secret of transcendence"!
"So that's how it is..." Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes, purple haze swirling within them, reflecting the incomplete Star Map as it slowly sank into his sea of consciousness. "The Sacred Emperor Palace is also targeting the Fallen Star Sea. It seems that isn't a coincidence."
He could sense that after releasing this torrent of information, the three fragments had drawn in their radiance, but their connection had become unbreakable. They formed a relatively stable triangular structure hovering before him, no longer requiring a constant supply of his Primordial Chaos Purple Qi to sustain them. Their intrinsic nature seemed to have gained a measure of completeness, and the aura they emitted had grown more profound.
"It's still not enough." Ye Chen could feel that the Star Map remained woefully incomplete. The core information concerning the "cage" and the "Keepers" was still shrouded in layer upon layer of fog. But at least his path forward had become clearer.
With a wave of his hand, he put away the three fused fragments. They transformed into a streak of light and vanished into his brow, hovering within his sea of consciousness and shining in harmony with the Star Map.
When he stepped out of the meditation chamber, it was already late at night. The stars shone brilliantly, faintly resonating with the Star Map in his sea of consciousness.
"Young master." Ye Yun stood outside the hall as straight as a spear. Seeing him emerge, he immediately approached.
"Has Lin Qingxue arrived?" Ye Chen asked.
"Not yet," Ye Yun replied. "But I've sent her a message as you instructed."
Ye Chen nodded and looked toward the distant valley Ye Ling had purified. Even in the darkness, it gave off a faint, vibrant glow, forming a stark contrast with the deathly still wasteland around it.
He strolled toward it.
The valley had expanded considerably since before. A stream burbled, and several varieties of low-grade spirit plants spread their leaves beneath the moonlight, giving off a faint fragrance. Some disciples responsible for tending the area were on their shifts. Every one of them bowed respectfully upon seeing Ye Chen, their eyes burning with fervor.
Ye Chen walked over to the spirit spring. Its water had grown even clearer, and the spiritual energy within its flowing waters had become slightly denser. He crouched and cupped a handful of spring water, sensing the faint yet tenacious, unceasing vitality within it.
"Young master, look at this 'Dew Condensation Flower.' It should mature in another few days." Ye Ling had appeared beside him at some point. She pointed to a small white flower hung with dewdrops, a satisfied smile on her face.
"You've done very well." Looking at the Spirit Plant Garden beginning to take shape before him, and at Ye Ling's tired yet deeply fulfilled face, Ye Chen felt a slight stirring in his heart.
Destruction and conquest might bring the thrill of power, but creation and protection could likewise bring fulfillment to the soul. Perhaps these were two indispensable experiences in the journey of life. The Ye Clan sought transcendence, and strength was its foundation, but insight into the "Dao" and an understanding of life's meaning were equally important.
"Sometimes I feel that watching these little ones grow bit by bit makes me happier than defeating a powerful enemy," Ye Ling said softly, as though speaking both to Ye Chen and to herself.
Her words left Ye Chen thoughtful. He recalled the hopes and protectiveness his father, Heavenly Emperor Ye, occasionally showed toward the clan's younger generation, and the unreserved love in his mother Immortal Emperor Yaoguang's eyes whenever she looked at him... Strength brought loneliness, but emotional bonds might be the true remedy against the erosion of endless years.
"You're right." Ye Chen smiled faintly and patted Ye Ling's shoulder. "Protect this place well. It's important."
Just then, the radiance of a Message Talisman streaked through the air and landed in Ye Yun's hand. After examining it, he immediately reported, "Young master, Miss Lin Qingxue has arrived. She's outside the Mountain Gate."
Ye Chen's gaze flickered.
"Invite her to Chen Hall."
What was destined to come would come. He, too, wanted to hear what news this fairy of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion had brought, and what purpose she harbored.
In the night, the lights of the Heavenly Star Pavilion resembled a new star rising slowly over this wasteland, drawing gazes from every quarter. And Ye Chen was the absolute core of that star.
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