Upon entering the ancestral hall, Xiao Yan's vision suddenly dimmed. The instant his body passed through the stone gate, it felt as if an invisible force swept over his entire body. However, the feeling was not like a probing; rather, it was like an elder gently stroking a junior, possessing an extraordinary affinity that immediately calmed Xiao Yan's excited heart.
Once the view gradually returned to normal, the entire scene inside the ancestral hall came into view.
The ancestral hall in front of him was not as grand and magnificent as Xiao Yan had imagined. On the contrary, there were many scrolls hanging on the walls on both sides of the ancestral hall, which contained portraits of some Xiao Clan ancestors and some rare and strange talismans. However, these things had long been covered with a thick layer of dust.
Several stone beams stand on either side of the hall, protecting the ancestral hall from collapsing. Near the depths of the ancestral hall are two rows of neat chairs. What catches Xiao Yan's attention, however, is that at the very depths of the ancestral hall, five stone tablets stand out starkly.
"What's this?"
Upon approaching, Xiao Yan could finally see clearly that four of the five stone tablets had been diagonally cut off, with smooth and neat cut surfaces. Even though they were ancient, one could still feel the powerful aura remaining on those cut surfaces.
One of the well-preserved stone tablets had its original engravings covered up, leaving only the word "Emperor" cut out by a man. The moment he saw that word, Xiao Yan suddenly felt his mind spinning. In a daze, a dry palm was placed on his shoulder, which gradually suppressed the terrifying feeling.
"Don't look at the words on the stone tablet. With your current strength, you can't withstand that kind of pressure."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yan quickly shifted his gaze to Xiao Yang beside him. The latter also had a look of shock on his face, clearly having also felt the terror emanating from the stone tablet.
"These five stone tablets are known in our tribe as the Five Di Steles."
" The Five Di Steles?"
The First Elder spoke slowly, and as soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yan and the other man froze, unable to help but gasp in surprise.
Therefore, the meaning represented by these five stone tablets is self-evident. The Grand Elder, as if knowing what the two were thinking, slowly took a breath and said:
"In ancient times, my Xiao Clan once had five Origin Di powerhouses. At that time, the Hun Clan was rampant, which is now known as the Ghost Gate. The ancient remnants of the clan also called them the Ghost Clan. Among the Ghost Clan was an Origin Di with extraordinary abilities. At that time, the continent was once plunged into misery because of them, truly a living hell. For the safety of the continent, the five emperors of my Xiao Clan joined forces to storm into the Ghost Realm and finally succeeded in killing the Ghost Di. However, the five were also affected by the Ghost Di in that battle, and upon their return, their minds became confused, leading to a situation of five emperors fighting each other. In the end, they all perished."
Upon hearing the Elder's words, Xiao Yan and his companion were even more shocked.
At the same time, five Origin Di level powerhouses appeared. Such a grand occasion is probably something that no force in history could accomplish. Not to mention five in a row, the appearance of such a number of Origin Di powerhouses at the same time is probably unique in the entire continent.
It's hard to imagine just how powerful the Xiao Clan was back then, given this magnificent scene!
"Alright, you will understand what happened in the future, but there's no need to delve into it. What you need to do now is to go into the stone chamber at the back and quietly complete the Clan Ritual."
Seeing the shocked expressions on Xiao Yan and the other person's faces, the First Elder smiled and urged them on.
While the achievements of our predecessors are certainly admirable, it is the descendants who truly enable the family to prosper and thrive. Only by continuously pioneering new paths can the clan flourish. Otherwise, it will only be lost in past glories and become a laughing stock for others.
Led by Xiao Zhen, the three of them bypassed the ancestral hall and arrived at a dimly lit, narrow passage. At the end of the passage was a circular stone chamber. As they approached, Xiao Yan could feel the bloodline power within his body roaring excitedly and gradually boiling over.
"Remember, you only have six months. After six months, regardless of whether you emerge from seclusion or not, the connection between you and the Clan Ritual will be forcibly severed. I hope you can make the most of this opportunity and not waste it."
The First Elder solemnly reminded him with a rather serious expression. At the end of his sentence, his gaze lingered on Xiao Yang. Then, with a wave of his sleeve, an invisible wave spread out, and the two nearest stone doors slowly opened amidst a deep, rumbling sound of gears turning.
"The rest is up to you."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yang exchanged a glance, then nodded emphatically and stepped into a stone chamber. As the gears turned, the Clan Ritual was about to begin.
Inside the stone chamber.
Xiao Yan looked around. Apart from the Blood Stone piled up in one corner, there was only a transparent crystal embedded in the stone platform in front of him.
Upon seeing the crystal, Xiao Yan slowly sat cross-legged. Following the instructions of the Grand Elder, he ran his thumb across his fingertip and then dripped a drop of blood essence onto the surface of the crystal ball.
The instant that drop of pure blood fell, the surface of the hard crystal ball churned, rippling like waves. The drop of blood slowly seeped into the crystal ball's interior, gradually stabilizing only at its center. Then, a beam of light suddenly rose from its bottom, followed by a drop of pure blood, tinged with gold, merging into it. In the instant the two drops of blood fused, a surge of immense energy suddenly filled the entire stone chamber!
"Such pure energy!"
Xiao Yan took a deep breath and suddenly felt that even the air had become viscous under the influence of this energy. While he was shocked by this, he did not hesitate at all. He quickly placed his palm on the surface of the crystal ball, closed his eyes and focused his mind. As his thoughts turned, the Flame Mantra Technique in his body immediately started to operate at high speed!
Since obtaining the complete Flame Mantra Technique from the Southern Region, and having absorbed several Heavenly Flames, the Flame Mantra is now comparable to High Intent Grade technique. Once it is used in this energy-rich stone chamber, Xiao Yan's body immediately becomes like a bottomless black hole.
The massive, almost viscous energy in the surrounding void, under the influence of this frenzied suction, converged into thick streams of energy, flowing into Xiao Yan's body through his seven orifices and even the pores of his entire body. After a simple refining process, it all merged into the vortex.
Amidst this grand spectacle, Xiao Yan's aura visibly intensified, like rivers flowing into the sea.