CHAPTER 209: CHAPTER 209

"Don’t worry, our Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets has always been benevolent to others," Oswin said with a smile, fixing his gaze once again on the Stormjade family leader.

"If there truly is treasure concealed beneath this sealing formation, I assure you, some will be shared with you."

The Stormjade family head sighed deeply and nodded. "In that case, our Stormjade family will also reveal its secrets to the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets. We trust Senior Oswin will keep his promise."

Oswin’s eyes turned to Aaron Silkrain, who hesitated.

Having no secrets to offer, Aaron could only respond with guarded sincerity, "As Senior Oswin has said, if you require anything from the Silkrain family, simply ask."

"Very well. The three family heads shall descend with me," Oswin said with finality.

With that, Oswin and Michael descended into the depths beneath Sun Moon Lake, standing upon the center of the colossal stone slab.

Together, they stomped firmly upon the stone.

Immediately, the golden seal formation flared with radiant light.

The overwhelming force pressed against their feet harmlessly, as if repelled by some ancient magic.

"Begin," Oswin instructed sharply. "Reveal the secrets of your three families."

...

Below, Ethan landed gracefully on the smooth marble floor.

All around him shone bright light.

The chamber was immense, walls and floors crafted meticulously from polished, flawless marble.

Bronze lamp holders lined the walls, connected in long rows.

Dim flames flickered within them, eternal fires that seemed to have burned for thousands of years.

Ethan speculated the oil fueling the lamps was the famed "shark oil"—a rare substance that could burn continuously for millennia on a mere small cup.

"Is this... the ruins?" Chrome Silkrain muttered as he patted his robe from the jump down.

They stood before a vast square, dominated by a massive stone door.

The door was engraved with majestic images of the sun and moon.

Beneath the celestial bodies stood a man and a woman.

Their palms intertwined, fingers locked tightly—a symbol frozen in stone.

The center of their joined palms marked the focal center of the massive stone gate.

"Could this be the ancient ruins described in the inheritance records?" Eunice asked, rising to observe more closely.

Suddenly, Cecilia Emberveil clutched her sore backside. "Ouch~" she murmured, rubbing the sting from her fall.

Despite the pain, the grandeur of the gate captivated her attention.

Ethan, turning his back to the group, looked upward toward the sealed exit some five feet above.

From the storage ring, he drew out a dozen formation compasses.

Though none rivaled the power of the legendary Four Elephant Prison Formation, he possessed multiple high-level defensive and trapping formations.

Stacked in combination, they would be sufficient to delay Oswin and his group should they attempt pursuit.

Moreover, Oswin and the others would need time to decipher and unlock the seals to penetrate this lair.

By then, Ethan reckoned, they should have secured the treasures.

With a sweep of his hand, nineteen formation compasses hovered, arranging themselves around him.

A shimmering dome of energy unfolded, sealing the exit above.

Having prepared the defenses, Ethan turned to the colossal stone door.

"This is where you guys start to bleed," he said grimly.

"Bleed again?" Cecilia asked, raising her eyebrow in tired disbelief.

"Fine, fine," Cecilia relented, producing a dagger and slicing her finger.

Following suit, Chrome and Eunice also inflicted small wounds on their palms.

They pressed their bloodied hands firmly onto the ancient stone gate.

A thunderous rumble echoed as the tremendous stone doors recognized their blood.

With a resonating bang, the guarded portal swung open wide.

Dust and age-old decay billowed outward.

Ethan inhaled deeply.

The air reeked of centuries—perhaps hundreds of thousands of years—of desolation.

There was a resounding loneliness in this decay, a poignant sadness steeped in the endless march of time.

"Enter," Ethan ordered, gently pushing Cecilia to lead.

"You make me go first? You clearly don’t know how to cherish a lady!" Cecilia complained playfully, though she complied with visible reluctance.

"If you don’t stop your nonsense, I’ll kill you," Ethan threatened darkly.

"No more, no more," Cecilia hurried forward, nerves prickling her skin.

Inside, the ruins felt otherworldly—lit solely by Ethan’s torch.

The warmth of the flickering flame cast long dancing shadows.

The ground was slick and moss-covered, emitting a faint sizzle underfoot.

Lining their path, stone pillars jutted upward.

Intricate patterns carved into every pillar intertwined with thick vines wrapped like serpents coiling about.

The sacred layout suggested this place had once served as a grand sacrificial ground.

Cecilia led the way, Ethan close behind.

Chrome and Eunice flanked either side, forming a tight triangular formation.

Ethan’s eyes glowed an electric blue as he activated the Heaven-piercing Mind Eyes.

His senses rippled outward, alert to all presence and hidden threats.

Minutes passed before Cecilia stopped and pointed ahead.

"There’s a stone tablet here."

A few paces ahead, Ethan stopped to observe.

Indeed, a stone tablet, about a foot in height, stood alone.

It was severely damaged—only the base and lower corner intact—but still imposing.

Made from an unknown material, the tablet was smothered in faint, faded patterns.

Though weathered by time, these formations resembled hieroglyphs rather than any known script.

"What does it say?" Ethan asked.

"It appears to be some kind of writing," Cecilia guessed, "but it is not of our era. I cannot decipher it."

She reached out gently to touch the tablet.

"Stop!" Ethan shouted sharply.

But Cecilia’s palm still brushed the stone.

A tremor shook the ground violently for several seconds.

Suddenly, the bronze lamps flared to life, but unlike the yellow flames outside, these lamps blazed with eerie blue fire.

"Back!" Ethan stepped forward, pulling Cecilia away just before the tablet emitted a fierce beam of bloody red light.

The beam struck outward with overwhelming force.

Its power sent shivers crawling up Ethan’s spine.

Even Oswin of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets could not hold against such a blast—it could annihilate him in an instant.

"Chaos Clock!" Ethan summoned the artifact without hesitation, prepared for any sudden threat.

A/N:

Extra Chapters

100 power stones - 1 Extra Chapters

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