The Secret of the Token

Mo Chen leaned against a low rock, his left arm bandage throbbing slightly. His face was ashen, but his eyes were fixed on Lu Yuan.

"You just said... there's something inside?"

Lu Yuan didn't turn around. He squatted in front of the entrance to the ruins, staring at the silent vine barrier. The scratching sounds behind him completely stopped, the deathly silence sending chills down his spine.

He nodded.

Mo Chen licked his chapped lips. "Is it valuable?"

"Have no idea."

Lu Yuan stood up and walked back. He took out a water bag from his pocket and threw it to Mo Chen, then sat down against another rock and took out the item from his inner pocket.

Hexagonal, neither gold nor jade. Its surface is engraved with fine thunder patterns, which shimmer with a very faint purple light in the dim light.

A family heirloom given by Lin Xiao.

Lu Yuan held it in his palm, his fingertips tracing the edge. Two images flashed through his mind at the same time: the stone platform with a central depression in the front hall of the ruins, and the regular hexagonal groove in the center of the stone platform.

Size, shape, angles, etc.

A perfect match.

Mo Chen took a few gulps of water and turned to look at him. "What are you looking at?"

"This." Lu Yuan spread his hand out wider.

Mo Chen squinted at it. "A jade pendant? It doesn't look like it..." He suddenly stopped, his pupils shrinking. "Wait, this shape—"

"Hmm." Lu Yuan withdrew his hand. "It's the same as the groove on the stone platform."

Mo Chen fell silent. He stared at the token, the expectation on his face for the "valuable item" slowly fading.

"Given by the Lin Clan?"

"Lin Xiao gave it to me before he left," Lu Yuan said. "He said it was a family heirloom, something that could serve as proof."

"A token..." Mo Chen chuckled softly, then stopped himself. His gaze drifted to the sealed entrance to the ruins, "... a token of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, engraved on a stone platform in the ruins from countless years ago..."

He didn't finish speaking.

The meaning is clear.

Lu Yuan clutched the token and stood up. He slowly walked towards the entrance of the ruins, stopping three steps away from the vine barrier.

The warmth in my arms had noticeably increased.

It wasn't an illusion. The token, pressed against his chest, felt like a piece of warm jade that was gradually warming up. Even more subtly, the token itself seemed to be resonating very faintly with some distant, obscure Soul Power fluctuation—so faint that his Soul Power perception wouldn't have been able to detect it at all if it hadn't been honed over a long period of time.

But it does exist.

Mo Chen stared at his back. "Any reaction?"

"Hmm," Lu Yuan said, "It's burning. A very faint Soul Power resonance."

"How far?"

"At this distance," Lu Yuan took two steps back, and the warmth and resonance immediately diminished, "If we got any closer, it might be more noticeable."

Mo Chen remained silent for a long while.

"What do you think?" he asked.

Lu Yuan didn't answer immediately. He walked back to the low stone and sat down again, placing the token on his lap, his index finger unconsciously tapping lightly on the surface of the thunder pattern. Tap, tap, tap.

Information was rapidly piecing together in my mind.

Lin Xiao's family heirloom. The groove on the stone platform of the ruins. The resonance reaction of the heirloom. The ancient heritage of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. This ruin, located deep in the Thousand Needle Stone Forest, with its chaotic Soul Power environment, is obviously extremely ancient.

There are two possible types of associations.

Alternatively, these ruins might be related to the ancestors of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. The token is the Key.

Alternatively, the token itself may not be an original creation of the Lin Clan, but rather a replica or inheritance of an older traditional style. The groove might correspond to an ancient system that has long been lost.

Lu Yuan leaned towards the latter.

Because Lin Xiao was very casual when he gave the token. He said it "could be used as proof," but didn't mention any information related to the ruins or the Key. If this token really was the Key to unlocking the family's secret treasure, given Lin Xiao's status and experiences within the family, he couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

Unless... even the Lin Clan themselves don't know.

The thought popped into his head, and Lu Yuan stopped tapping his fingers.

Possibly.

The history of the mainland is long, and countless traditions were interrupted by wars, disasters, and changes in sects. The Spirit Hall rose to prominence only a thousand years ago, and the historical records of the Upper Three Sects can only be clearly traced back a few hundred years. Before that, there are only vague legends and fragmented relics.

The Lin Clan has kept this token, perhaps only as a family symbol passed down through generations, having long forgotten its true purpose. However, the existence of the groove on the stone platform in the ruins proves that this token once corresponded to a more ancient system.

So, does Lin Xiao know?

Lu Yuan recalled Lin Xiao's expression when he handed over the token. The young man's face carried his usual impatient arrogance, and his movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation or hidden meaning.

It doesn't seem like they knew.

However, it cannot be completely ruled out.

After all, that kid can keep things to himself.

Insufficient information.

Lu Yuan breath and put the token back into his pocket. The warmth emanated from through his clothes, continuous and steady.

"What do you think?" Mo Chen asked again, this time with a more serious tone.

Lu Yuan looked at him. "The token might really be the Key."

"Then?"

"Then, we have two options," Lu Yuan said. "First, try using the token to see if it can activate the stone platform. Second, leave it alone for now and find out more about the situation."

Mo Chen smirked. "Nonsense. The key is which one to choose."

Lu Yuan didn't respond to that. He turned his gaze to the depths of the stone forest. Dusk was deepening, and the outlines of those jagged stone pillars were gradually blurring.

Every choice carries risk.

Using the token may unlock the stone platform and reveal the secrets deep within the ruins.

However, it could also trigger unknown protective mechanisms. The swarm of Stone Scorpion has already proven that the ruins possess a defensive system. What if inserting the token into the groove triggers an even more violent surge of Soul Power, activates a trap, or even causes the entire ruins structure to collapse?

The third-party forces are even more troublesome.

The sect members searching for "that thing" in the stone forest are likely targeting this ruin, or some item within it. Once the token is used, the resulting fluctuations in Soul Power or unusual phenomena could very well expose their location and actions.

In a situation where the enemy is in the dark and we are in the light, and the disparity in strength is enormous, this is tantamount to suicide.

Mo Chen had obviously thought of this as well. He touched the cold Soul Tool component in his arms and lowered his voice.

"That group of people... are they still loitering around here, right?"

"Hmm," Lu Yuan said, "The Blue Silver Grass's warning net didn't trigger any new approach signals, but they definitely haven't gone far. The search area is expanding."

"So using tokens of affection now is like holding up a torch and shouting 'I'm here.'"

"Right."

Mo Chen fell silent. He leaned back, looking up at the increasingly dark sky peeking through the cracks in the stone forest. The numbness in his left arm continued to spread slowly.

It will take time to recover.

It will also take time to figure out the opponent's strengths and weaknesses.

After a long pause, Mo Chen spoke in a hoarse voice.

"I'll listen to you."

Lu Yuan glanced at him.

"The token is yours." Mo Chen forced a strained smile. "Our lives belong to both of us. You're clearer-headed than I am; you decide."

These words were so frank as to be almost naked.

Lu Yuan nodded. He took out the token again and, using the last rays of daylight, carefully recorded its shape, texture, size, and the resonance he had just sensed on a piece of parchment with a charcoal pencil.

It's drawn in great detail.

Then he put away the parchment and carefully placed the keepsake close to his body.

"Don't do anything yet," he said. "First, the situation is unclear. We have no way of predicting what will happen after the token activates the stone platform. Second, the token belongs to Lin Xiao, not strictly speaking, it doesn't belong to me. We should at least let him know before using it."

Mo Chen curled his lip. "I don't even know where that kid is."

"There's a pre-arranged location," Lu Yuan said. "Three months from now, at the Qingzhu Herb Garden. If he can't make it, he can leave a message at the Listening to Snow Pavilion Biting Wind City the Northern Border of Heaven Dou."

"Three months..." Mo Chen murmured, "Enough time for those guys to turn the Stone Forest upside down."

"So third," Lu Yuan continued, "The most urgent task is to help you eliminate the remaining poison and restore your mobility. At the same time, we must quickly find out the details of that group—how many of them there are, their strength, what they are specifically looking for, and what stage their search is at."

He paused, then tapped his knee one last time with his index finger.

"The information gap is our only advantage right now. We can't afford to lose it."

Mo Chen did not refute.

As night completely enveloped the stone forest, Lu Yuan moved Mo Chen to a more secluded crevice in the rocks. This place was sheltered from the wind, with a protruding stone eave above providing shelter.

He re-examined Mo Chen's wound and changed the dressing. The toxins were suppressed below the left elbow and did not continue to rise.

"You mustn't use your Soul Power recklessly for at least two days," Lu Yuan said after bandaging the wound. "Otherwise, the toxins will backfire and damage your heart meridian."

Mo Chen hummed in agreement, then leaned against the rock wall with his eyes closed. Exhaustion and weakness from the toxins quickly plunged him into a semi-conscious state.

Lu Yuan was not asleep.

He sat cross-legged at the entrance to the rock crevice, his palms flat on the ground. His Soul Power, like fine roots, quietly spread along the soil and cracks in the rocks.

He silently deployed more Blue Silver Grass "sentinels" under the cover of night.

This is not a simple warning point. This time it is a network of reconnaissance lines - along the main passage of the stone forest, the observation points at higher elevations, and the areas where suspicious footprints were previously found, with the location of the ruins as the center, radiating outwards in three layers of detection circles.

It consumes a lot of resources.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Lu Yuan's forehead, but his breathing remained steady. His Soul Power circulated efficiently and economically within his meridians, maintaining this gradually expanding reconnaissance network.

One night passed.

When Mo Chen woke up in the morning light, the numbness in his left arm had lessened somewhat. He tried to move his fingers; although they weren't very flexible, he could at least control them.

Lu Yuan remained seated at the entrance, his back to him. His shoulders and back were ramrod straight, like a rock.

"Is there any movement?" Mo Chen asked.

"We didn't approach directly," Lu Yuan said, "But to the northwest, about three miles away, there are persistent Soul Power detection fluctuations. They're very subtle, and the frequency is changing, like it's doing an area scan."

Mo Chen's expression darkened. "Professional mountain searchers."

"Hmm." Lu Yuan stood up and stretched his stiff shoulders. "They're very patient. They're not in a hurry, advancing inch by inch. At this rate, they'll reach our area in five days at most."

"Five days..." Mo Chen gritted his teeth, "Will that be enough for me to recover?"

"It will take about three days to clear the toxins. Full recovery of mobility will take at least four days," Lu Yuan turned to look at him, "But we don't need to wait until then."

"What's the meaning?"

"They can do what they want," Lu Yuan said. "We'll do what we want."

Over the next two days, Lu Yuan's reconnaissance network captured more fragmented information.

The group's activities were concentrated in a relatively flat canyon area on the northwest side of the stone forest. They appeared to have established a temporary camp there.

The number of people is between five and six.

The operation was very methodical. A large-scale Soul Power scan was conducted twice a day, at dawn and dusk. The rest of the time, the group was divided into two or three teams to patrol back and forth along fixed routes. They communicated with each other using some kind of short Soul Power signal.

Like a net slowly tightening.

On the evening of the third day, the poison in Mo Chen's left arm was finally completely removed. He collapsed against the rock wall, covered in sweat, his face pale, but his eyes were brighter.

"I can move now." He tried to clench his fist, and his knuckles made a slight cracking sound.

Lu Yuan nodded. He had just recalled some of the Blue Silver Grass Sentinels he had deployed and was now closing his eyes to sort through the fragments of information that had been fed back.

Then, he suddenly opened his eyes.

A sharp glint flashed in his pupils.

"What's wrong?" Mo Chen noticed something was amiss.

"The camp," Lu Yuan said, "I see it."

"What do you see?"

"Their emblem."

Through a Blue Silver Grass that happened to be growing in a crevice in the rocks above the canyon, Lu Yuan "saw" a blurry scene of the temporary camp below—a few simple tents, embers of a campfire, and a figure packing up equipment.

The man was dressed in a uniform gray-brown outfit, with a pattern embroidered on the back near his shoulder blades.

A swirling cloud of mist enveloped the outline of a mountain peak. The mist swirled around the peak, revealing only its sharp tip.

Mo Chen frowned. "What sect?"

Lu Yuan did not answer immediately.

He searched his memory—research materials from his previous life on the Douluo Continent, as well as fragmented records he had read in the Nuoding Academy library in this life.

After a few breaths, his gaze froze.

"Cloud Mist Sect." Lu Yuan slowly uttered three words.

Mo Chen was taken aback. "That medium-sized sect that excels in reconnaissance, concealment, and terrain utilization?"

"Yes," Lu Yuan said. "Their reputation isn't too bad, but they're not exactly benevolent either. They take on all sorts of reconnaissance, retrieval, and terrain surveying missions, and occasionally they also do bodyguarding and intelligence trading. They keep a low profile, but they never hesitate to be ruthless when necessary."

"How did they end up in a godforsaken place like the Thousand Needle Stone Forest?" Mo Chen asked, puzzled. "And they even have the 'Sect Master's' death order..."

Lu Yuan remained silent.

He recalled the snippets of conversation he had overheard. The two men spoke of "that thing" with urgency, and when they mentioned "Sect Leader," they did so with awe and fear.

The sect leader of the Cloud Mist Sect is looking for something.

It must be found in this ancient, dangerous, and Soul Power stone forest.

What is it?

The ruins themselves? The secrets within the stone platform? Or... something else, something that even he and Mo Chen haven't yet discovered?

From the Blue Silver Grass in the direction of the canyon, a new, faint sensation arose—the people in the camp seemed to have gathered, huddled together discussing in hushed tones. Their Soul Power fluctuations were more active than usual, carrying a faint, suppressed excitement.

Like a hunter who has finally caught the exact scent of his prey.

Lu Yuan stood up and looked towards the northwest canyon. The night was as dark as ink, and the stone forest was silent.

But some things are already very close.