The Divine Capital, the Shrine.
In a large wooden house, an old man in a grey robe sat before five small stone figures. The one on the far right shattered with a crack.
"High Priest!"
The figures before him looked grim. One of them said, "High Priest, one of the Kills has been broken!"
The High Priest, shrouded in his grey robe, sighed. "What is to come has come. One of the Qiankun Lihuo Kills has been breached. It seems we are in for a tough fight."
"High Priest, should we recall the other four?"
The High Priest shook his head. "The area guarded by the Qiankun Lihuo is of utmost importance. Even if everyone in the Shrine falls, they must not be moved!"
"Yes!" The man responded, realizing his impulsiveness.
"High Priest, someone so young and so powerful must come from an ancient sect. We haven't offended any ancient sects of Huaxia in recent years..."
"Ten years ago, the Witch God, in his pursuit of that item, harmed his family. No one expected him to survive, let alone have such a fortunate encounter!"
"This ancient land of Huaxia hides too many secrets. It's hard to imagine who could have taught such a heaven-defying disciple."
As the High Priest spoke, his hands moved within his sleeves, performing calculations.
"Hmm?"
A hint of surprise entered the High Priest's voice. "The heavenly secrets are veiled... Could he be the one destined for this tribulation?"
"High Priest, are you saying he might be the Golden Scale?"
The High Priest waved his hand, plunging the wooden house into darkness. Countless stars flickered, one of them particularly bright!
"As expected!"
The originally dazzling star was now more radiant than ever.
"High Priest, if he is indeed the Golden Scale, then should we... go all out to kill him!"
Someone spoke, their voice laced with gravity.
The High Priest did not answer immediately, lost in thought.
As the High Priest pondered, the stars in the sky shifted, as if he were trying to glean a hint of heavenly destiny.
Unfortunately, there was no clue.
Just then, a terrifying killing intent surged from all directions.
The darkness was dispelled, and the wooden house returned to brightness.
Ye Kunlun stood alone in the courtyard, his gaze fixed on the small wooden house in the distance.
Surrounded by magnificent architectural complexes, the small wooden house seemed out of place.
"High Priest, he's here. I'll go meet him!"
A middle-aged man stood up, transforming into a wisp of smoke that enveloped Ye Kunlun.
Hiss—
A ferocious snake head emerged from the smoke, its sharp fangs lunging towards Ye Kunlun's head.
"Slash!"
Ye Kunlun gathered the Star River in his hand and swung his sword.
As the Star River passed, the snake head rolled away, without the slightest chance to resist.
The next second, the smoke dissipated, and the middle-aged man stared at Ye Kunlun with horrified, deathly pale eyes.
Ye Kunlun raised an eyebrow, not expecting his previous strike to fail to kill the opponent!
"Young friend."
The High Priest's voice came from the wooden house.
Beneath the grey robe, it was as if a pair of eyes met Ye Kunlun's gaze.
Ye Kunlun snorted, "Hand over Yan'er, or I will raze the Shrine today!"
"I know you are here for Ying," the High Priest said calmly. "I haven't done anything to her. Moreover, she is our goddess."
"You can see her whenever you wish."
"However, she is currently in seclusion. Are you sure you want to see her?"
Ye Kunlun raised an eyebrow, surprised by the other party's willingness to cooperate. He replied, "I need to confirm her safety."
"Follow me!"
After the High Priest spoke, the scenery around Ye Kunlun changed rapidly. The next moment, he found himself elsewhere.
This move by the High Priest gave Ye Kunlun a clear understanding of his strength!
Indeed, as Han Qingmian had said, the High Priest was immensely powerful, the strongest he had ever encountered!
He could even contend with him!
Before him stood a mountain. In the distance, Mo Ziyan's attire was exactly the same as when she had left.
She sat cross-legged, a mysterious formation beneath her. Countless cherry blossoms swirled around her, radiating immense power.
"Her primordial spirit is incomplete. Apart from the part you destroyed, the rest is all preserved here!"
The High Priest spoke.
Ye Kunlun then noticed that the mountain beneath them was covered in cherry trees, though only a few blossoms had opened.
"We bear her no ill will. We merely wish to awaken her power."
Ye Kunlun scanned with his divine sense. Mo Ziyan was indeed safe.
She was currently in meditation, and even he dared not disturb her rashly, lest she fall into a qi deviation.
"There's one more thing. I believe you might have a misunderstanding."
Seeing that Ye Kunlun's killing intent had subsided, the High Priest said plainly, "What happened ten years ago was the doing of the Witch God. It had nothing to do with our lineage."
Upon hearing this, Ye Kunlun's gaze sharpened. Recalling the key he had just acquired, he quickly took it out and asked, "Do you recognize this item?"
"Qiankun Lihuo Kill!"
The High Priest replied.
Ye Kunlun didn't quite understand the meaning of these five words.
The High Priest explained, "The Qiankun Lihuo Kills are our Shrine's five stone figures. Each stone figure contains a key."
"You're saying there are five such stone figures, and each one holds a key?" Ye Kunlun asked, his brow furrowed in surprise.
"Precisely!"
"When were the Qiankun Lihuo Kills created?" Ye Kunlun, realizing the situation might be more complicated than he thought, continued to ask.
"These five stone figures have been in the Shrine for a hundred years."
The High Priest answered without hesitation, his tone utterly certain.
Ye Kunlun felt a ripple of unease.
If what the High Priest said was true, then the key in his grandfather's possession was definitely not the only one.
But why would his grandfather possess a key from the Eastern Ocean's Qiankun Lihuo Kill?
He had initially thought that with the gradual emergence of the Three Gods Society, everything would become clear after the events of ten years ago.
However, with the appearance of the second key, everything had become complicated.
Could it be that besides the ring he held, his grandfather had hidden other secrets?
Ye Kunlun's thoughts were in disarray, and the situation seemed to be losing its clarity.
"Perhaps, when Ying awakens, some things will become clearer to you," the High Priest suddenly said, interrupting Ye Kunlun's thoughts.
Ye Kunlun raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why?"
"You must have discovered it already; Ying has awakened memories of her past life," the High Priest explained to Ye Kunlun. "Perhaps, her memories hold what you seek."
"When will she wake up?" Ye Kunlun asked.
He gazed at Mo Ziyan within the formation, his eyes gentle.
The High Priest replied calmly, "See these cherry trees covering the mountain. When all the cherry blossoms bloom, she will awaken."
Ye Kunlun pondered for a moment and said, "Alright, I will wait for Yan'er to awaken."