Su Yao quietly took Yun Ling Xue's slightly cool hand and signaled with her eyes for her to remain calm. Yun Che stood with his hands behind his back, an almost imperceptible pressure radiating from him that made the whispering clan members fall silent despite themselves.
In the clearing before the Ancestral Hall, time seemed to stretch endlessly. Every soft chime of the bronze bells beneath the eaves as the wind passed sounded as though it were striking everyone's taut nerves.
After an unknown length of time, the tightly shut doors finally gave a heavy creak and slowly swung inward.
Two figures emerged one after the other. At their head was the clan leader, Huo Qingtian, dressed in black brocade robes. His face was imposing, his gaze as deep as an abyss, and he held the Fire God Blood Crystal, which radiated a searing glow.
Following closely behind, Huo Xuan stood with hands lowered, wearing a complicated expression that betrayed neither joy nor anger.
Everyone's eyes instantly focused on the two of them. The air outside the Ancestral Hall seemed to freeze, and even the wind seemed to slow.
Huo Qingtian stood atop the steps, his gaze slowly sweeping over the crowd below before finally settling on Yun Ling Xue. There was scrutiny in his eyes, along with a barely perceptible flicker.
He pondered for a moment, then spoke in a voice that was not loud but carried clearly to every corner outside the Ancestral Hall.
"Yun Ling Xue, do you know that once a Life Soul has been separated from its body for over a hundred years, even restoring it may not bring the deceased back to life? Though the Fire God Blood Crystal can nourish a Life Soul, it cannot overturn the immutable laws of life, death, and