CHAPTER 207: CHAPTER 207

"Restore the pattern on this stone slab. Once the sealing formation is opened, we will descend together. If there truly is a treasure hidden below, I, Aether, will not treat you unfairly. I will share some with you," Ethan declared with quiet authority.

Eunice, Chrome Silkrain, and Cecilia Emberveil were no fools. They understood Aether’s words bore twenty to thirty percent truth, but seventy percent was likely bluff and self-interest.

Yet, resistance was futile.

To oppose someone of Mahayana strength was courting death.

They did not pray for treasure, only to be spared by Ethan—a simple mercy they would cherish.

Five tense minutes passed and still, the intricate pattern on the stone slab had not been restored.

"Chrome Silkrain, don’t move! We had it just now—why are you still fiddling?" Cecilia demanded sharply.

"No, Cecilia Emberveil, I respect your seniority, and I do not wish to quarrel, but please stop talking nonsense! It’s clear you didn’t control your part," Chrome retorted heatedly.

The three were quickly trading accusations, their exhaustion fueling tension into an argument.

"Shut up!" Ethan’s explosive command silenced them immediately.

"Cecilia Emberveil, stay still. Eunice and Chrome, obey my orders precisely," Ethan’s tone was cold, unyielding.

The three complied, holding their positions with grudging acceptance.

Three agonizing minutes later, a low rumble signaled the rotation’s halt.

The cracked patterns on the stone slab began to realign, completing a perfect celestial motif.

Exhausted, the three collapsed to the earthen floor, breaths ragged and heavy.

Their energy and blood deeply drained, they looked as if they might need days to recover.

Yet time was a luxury they did not have.

They could not be sure if they would emerge from this lake alive, or if this cold, dark abyss would be their eternal tomb.

Hovering above, Ethan scrutinized the newly formed pattern.

A majestic image of the sun and moon shining together stretched across the stone slab.

The bright sun and glowing moon hung side by side in the heavens above.

Beneath, figures raised arms in supplication toward the sky.

Suddenly, the massive stone slab’s edge flared with golden brilliance.

Ribbons of light erupted upward, swelling into three glowing pillars where the slabs converged.

A surge of unexplainable, awe-inspiring power emanated.

The immense circular formation sparked to life, spinning slowly at first.

The center circle followed suit, rotating steadily in sync.

Boom!

The earth trembled; Sun Moon Lake quaked violently beneath them.

The three golden light curtains accelerated like meteors unleashed, shooting skyward.

The moment the radiant beams touched the water, mist exploded upward, swallowing the lake’s surface.

The water level plummeted rapidly, unmistakable to anyone watching.

Visions of heaven and earth unfurled before them.

The three titanic curtains illuminated the night sky, turning darkness to day.

For miles, nearby mountains quivered with the disturbance.

Beasts roared, birds cried out in alarm.

"A vision of heaven and earth!" Eunice and Cecilia exclaimed simultaneously.

True to the ancient records, opening the sealing formation summoned extraordinary celestial phenomena.

"Look! The door has opened!" Chrome Silkrain cried, pointing to the circular stone slab at the center.

The slab parted precisely in the middle, sliding open to reveal a yawning abyss.

Ethan cast a glance upward at the fading celestial spectacle, then faced the cavernous entry.

The entire Sun Moon City was bound to be alerted by now.

"Go down!" Ethan’s voice rumbled like thunder.

When no one moved, he counted off with a sharp gesture: "Three breaths!"

"Down, down, down!" Cecilia, trembling with fear and pain, exhaled deeply, then leapt into the darkness.

Next came the matter of fate.

Chrome Silkrain was last. His grip squeezed a jade pendant in his palm. Despite his cultivation being sealed, his strength allowed him to crush the pendant—a communication link to his clan.

Intent on reassuring his family of their safety, he dared say no more.

Excess words could spell doom for both him and his clan.

If Aether learned too much, death would follow swiftly.

As the three disappeared into the cavern, Ethan leapt after them.

Immediately, the slab rotated counterclockwise, slowly sealing the entrance behind him.

...

Above ground, all eyes in Sun Moon City were fixed on the spectacle unfolding at Sun Moon Lake.

The golden light curtains climbed higher, rippling like the shimmering dawn across the sky.

The boundary between night and day blurred as sunlight seemed to pour from the heavens.

The heads of the three major families were visibly alarmed.

Stormjade and Emberveil leaders sensed the anomaly and hurriedly marshaled their most powerful warriors to investigate.

At the same time, deep within the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, Oswin stirred sharply from seclusion. He opened his eyes and vanished from his chamber.

In a blink, he stood atop the Pavilion’s highest tower. Hands held behind his back, he gazed sternly at the celestial phenomena unfolding toward Sun Moon Lake.

The vision lasted only half a minute.

The sky darkened again, retreating into inky night.

The golden curtains dissolved into faint traces of light.

"Sun Moon Lake... a strange vision of heaven and earth!" Oswin muttered, his voice low but fierce.

"Could this be...?"

His gut told him: the secret beneath Sun Moon Lake had been discovered.

No mere coincidence could summon such fierce disruptions of energy.

"Gather all Mahayana realm and Tribulation Transcendence realm experts of the Pavilion. We march to Sun Moon Lake at once!" he ordered.

A grim sense of urgency gripped him—the sealing formation’s mystery was about to be unraveled, and he must not let it slip away.

Swish, brush, brush!

Nearly a hundred figures materialized around Oswin, their expressions taut and resolute.

Michael was the last to appear.

"Old Oswin, what troubles you?"

"The secret of Sun Moon Lake has been uncovered. Someone has touched the sealing formation underneath!" Oswin replied grimly.

"How is this possible?"

"Even the three major aristocratic families weren’t aware of this secret!" Michael said in shock.

"It’s almost certainly Aether!" Oswin whispered fiercely.

A/N:

Extra Chapters

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200 power stones - 2 Extra Chapters

Capsule - 1 Extra Chapters

Massage Chair - 3 Extra Chapters

Luxury Car - 5 Extra Chapters

Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters