Secret Words Before the Stele

The next day, daylight pierced the clouds.

Yun Qing slowly withdrew his power. The Chaos currents swirling around him flowed into his sea of qi like a hundred rivers returning to the ocean. A night of recuperation had not only healed all his injuries but also allowed him to fully absorb the insights from yesterday's spar with Yun Huang, refining his control over the power of Chaos another notch.

Only the Divine Power mark belonging to Yun Huang remained quietly entrenched in the depths of his sea of qi, reminding him of the delicate nature of his present circumstances.

Dressed in belted black robes, his ink-dark hair secured by a jade crown, Yun Qing arrived outside the Perching Phoenix Hall on time, his aura subdued and tranquil. Morning light fell across his profile, lending him an added touch of refined grace.

The hall doors opened soundlessly, and Yun Huang stepped out. Unusually, he too wore a black robe embroidered with golden patterns today, which only heightened his imposing presence. He glanced at Yun Qing, who stood respectfully with his head lowered. His golden eyes lingered on him for a moment before he said indifferently, "Walk with me."

"Yes." Yun Qing bowed in assent and followed quietly beside Yun Huang, his steps steady, always half a pace behind.

The two black-clad figures walked one behind the other through the layered palace halls and corridors. Wherever they passed, the patrolling Cloud Valor Guards dropped to one knee in unison, their armor clanging with solemn resonance. Lineage disciples who happened to catch sight of them from afar held their breath and bowed aside to the edges of the path. Only once the two figures had gone did they dare quietly lift their heads, their eyes filled with awe and irrepressible curiosity.

These brothers, whose relationship was so delicate, walking together was itself a rare sight in the Yun Clan.

Yun Huang finally stopped outside the Ancestral Shrine, before the damaged Soul-Suppressing Stele.

After the Discipline Hall's emergency measures, the shattered spirit jade fragments had been cleared away, but the hideous crack across the stele's main body remained a shocking sight. Deep within it, lingering baleful energy entwined with a corrosive yin power, making the ancient stele, which should have held its radiance within, appear dim and fragile.

Yun Huang stood silently before the stele, his gaze fixed on the crack. Yesterday's displeasure seemed to creep back onto his finely shaped brows, and his aura grew a shade heavier. Though he said nothing, the invisible oppressive atmosphere already had the attendants kneeling on guard in the distance trembling, sweat soaking through their layered robes.

Yun Qing understood perfectly. This lord and master might have said he would "let it go," but how could he possibly be in a good mood upon seeing that eyesore of a crack himself? Yun Hao had already been severely punished and had gotten what he deserved, but as Yun Shuo's elder brother, Yun Qing could hardly offer no gesture at all, whether out of sentiment or reason.

Some otherwise useless workplace experience from his previous life told him that when a superior said "it's fine," it was never truly fine. What if this was a test of his ability to read the room? When soothing was called for, soothing had to be done.

He stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Young Lord, although the visible debris has been cleared away, the crack in this damaged stele remains, and its baleful energy has yet to settle. Ultimately, it is still an eyesore. I would like to attempt its restoration, to comfort the heroic spirits within and fulfill your wishes."

Yun Huang glanced sideways at him, somewhat surprised. "You can repair it?" The Soul-Suppressing Stele was made of a peculiar material, a wondrous Chaos stone passed down from antiquity. Its inscriptions were ancient and complex as well; ordinary methods could hardly address the root of the damage. He had intended to summon the clan's few master artificers immediately.

"I am willing to do my utmost." Yun Qing made no boasts, but his assured, composed bearing made it clear that he was highly confident.

"Granted. If you fail, go receive the Discipline Whip." Yun Huang flicked his sleeve, utterly unreasonable.

Even with his plan fully formed, Yun Qing's steps faltered slightly at those words. He had nearly forgotten that he still owed ten lashes... This lord and master truly never forgot a single old debt!

With his back to Yun Huang, he secretly twitched the corner of his mouth.

Upon reaching the stele, he revealed his Double Pupils, then extended his right hand, palm upward. A wisp of incomparably pure Chaos qi emerged from his palm. It seemed to contain the primordial mysteries of all things coming into being, utterly unlike the domineering annihilation he unleashed against his enemies.

He guided this wisp of Chaos qi precisely into the crack. Wherever it passed, the baleful energy melted swiftly like lingering snow beneath the sun, while the trace of corrosive yin power was devoured and dissolved outright.

More astonishing still, the Chaos qi began to emulate and evolve the same spiritual nature as the stele. The misty gray current wound through it like living spiritual threads, meticulously repairing every minute injury and retracing all the ancient inscriptions.

This was no simple bonding and filling, but "regeneration and evolution" from the level of energy to that of matter!

The kneeling attendants around them watched, utterly dumbfounded, their reverence for this eldest young master deepening further.

Before long, the crack vanished completely. The Soul-Suppressing Stele was whole again, a gentle, restrained radiance flowing across its surface. Its aura was even vaster and richer than before it had been damaged.

Yun Huang gazed at the stele, restored to its original perfection, and the last trace of displeasure finally vanished from his brow. He looked at Yun Qing, surprise and admiration showing in his golden eyes. "Chaos evolution, mending what is missing and restoring the source... Your use of the Chaos Dao Embryo grows ever more exquisite."

"It was only through your guidance yesterday that I gained this understanding, Young Lord. To ease even a little of your worries and live up to the kindness of your instruction is satisfaction enough for me." Yun Qing withdrew his hand and bowed slightly, his tone earnest and sincere.

Inwardly, however, he could not help feeling a little pleased with himself. See? A few strokes in the right direction, and those ruffled feathers are smooth again.

The Soul-Suppressing Stele stood restored, its radiance clear and lustrous. Yun Huang shifted his gaze from it toward the depths of the Ancestral Shrine, his eyes growing somewhat distant.

"The spiritual vein beneath this stele is unusual. It connects to the heart of the Ancestral Shrine Forbidden Grounds." Yun Huang suddenly spoke, his voice carrying an indescribably ethereal quality beyond its usual tone. "That is where I descended into this world, and where my Primordial Spirit and physical body fully merged as one."

His tone was calm, but the heavenly and earthly phenomena described in the "plot" instantly surfaced in Yun Qing's mind: "At that time, an Immortal Origin entered this world, drawing the Radiant Sun down from the nine heavens and sending molten fire surging from the earth's core. Across a thousand miles, light blazed unceasingly for three days, and the laws resonated!"

Yun Qing's body stiffened slightly, his aura wavering for an instant. He immediately lowered his eyes. When he raised them again, his expression had become one of astonishment and dawning realization, as though this were his first time hearing such an earth-shattering secret. His eyes widened slightly, his gaze moving between the Soul-Suppressing Stele and Yun Huang as he chose his words with care. "So... this stele is actually connected to the spiritual currents of your birthplace, Young Lord. No wonder it holds such extraordinary power. I never knew we shared such a connection. Could it be that you too descended into this world through the 'Soul-Tracing Secret Rite'? What vast and wondrous sights filled the world of your previous life?"

The reincarnation of an Immortal Origin and the assumption of physical form within the forbidden grounds were among the Yun Clan's most closely guarded secrets. By rights, he should never have known them. He therefore deliberately steered the conversation toward the relatively safe, known concept of the Soul-Tracing Secret Rite, avoiding the central taboo of "Immortal Origin reincarnation" while taking the opportunity to draw a little closer.

Yun Huang turned his eyes toward him. His pale golden gaze rested on that face displaying "just the right amount of surprise," calm and unruffled, yet seemingly capable of piercing every disguise. It lingered on him for several breaths, and even the air seemed to congeal.

Inside his sleeves, Yun Qing's fingertips curled slightly without his realizing it.

In the end, Yun Huang merely withdrew his gaze indifferently and looked back into the depths of the Ancestral Shrine, neither confirming nor denying anything.