Chapter 14

The dark gray brush, saturated with Lin Xun's fresh blood, seemed to have a life of its own, beginning to sketch along the incomplete parts of the "strange pattern."

Hiss!

A mysterious line flowed beneath the brush, like dragons and snakes racing, like mercury spilling on the ground, bright red and luminous, filled with an indescribable divine charm.

An ancient yellowed scroll, a strange pattern imprinted on the last page, and a dark gray seal brush that seemed to have awakened from a long slumber, together formed a scene that was both mysterious and chilling.

Lin Xun's eyes widened as he stared at this scene, but he was powerless to do anything.

His entire body felt as if it were under control, and the hand holding the seal brush moved uncontrollably, sketching on the "strange pattern."

Lin Xun had never encountered such a bizarre situation before, and he couldn't help but be shocked.

He could determine that the cause of all this seemed to be related to the mouthful of blood he had just coughed up.

It was precisely because of that mouthful of blood that the dark gray seal brush had awakened from its slumber, and the "strange pattern" had become more than just a simple image on the surface.

At this moment, the scene before his eyes was as if an invisible giant hand was controlling everything, using the ancient scroll as the base, the fresh blood as the ink, and the seal brush as the guide, continuously perfecting the incomplete, dim, intricate, and chaotic "strange pattern."

Such an incredible sight almost made Lin Xun disbelieve his own eyes.

Just a moment ago, he thought he was likely to die, but who would have thought that a mere unintentional action would trigger such a mysterious change?

What does this all mean?

Before Lin Xun could figure it out, he suddenly felt his blood being drawn by a powerful force, all converging towards his right hand.

The dark gray seal brush in his hand suddenly released a suction force, drawing Lin Xun's blood through the skin of his palm.

Gurgling~

Lin Xun could even hear the sound of his blood flowing like a stream, continuously pouring into the dark gray seal brush.

"Damn it!"

Lin Xun was anxious; the continuous loss of blood would only hasten his death. If he didn't stop it, it wouldn't take long before he would die from excessive blood loss!

Lin Xun struggled frantically, but he couldn't move at all. The dark gray seal brush was like an immovable mountain, continuously drawing his blood and sketching red lines on the "strange pattern."

Lin Xun's face became increasingly pale, his lips turned blue, and he looked as if he had lost all vitality, showing signs of decay.

How could this be?

Is this brush using my life as the price to perfect this "strange pattern"?

Lin Xun felt bitter. He had thought that the book and brush left by Mr. Lu could help him reverse his fate and be reborn, but who would have thought that it would end up trying to take his life!

Sitting at the desk, Lin Xun was like a puppet being manipulated, his right hand holding the seal brush, continuously sketching on the last page of the ancient scroll, making a rustling sound.

The atmosphere was very quiet.

But Lin Xun couldn't make any sound; his face became increasingly pale, his breath weaker, and his consciousness increasingly blurred...

He couldn't stop this, perhaps he could only wait to die.

Lin Xun had never thought that just as he arrived in the Ziyao Empire, just as he settled in the Fiyun Village, and just as he was about to start his cultivation, the shadow of death would already begin to descend.

Is this fate?

For no reason, Lin Xun recalled the shocking scenes he had seen earlier, and in his mind, the majestic figure's long sigh echoed again— "Time is not on my side!"

Then, Lin Xun's vision went black, and he completely lost consciousness.

It was a deep night, and starlight poured through the window, the distant mountains vast and desolate.

The thin young man lay on the desk, his breath gone, and his right hand still held the dark gray seal brush, continuously sketching on the last page of the ancient scroll...

No one knew how long it had been, but the dark gray seal brush suddenly paused, and a strand of blinding golden flame suddenly burst from the sharp tip of the brush, illuminating the entire dark room.

Then, the entire seal brush burned and disappeared into the strange pattern on the last page of the mysterious scroll.

Buzz!

A strange wave of energy surged from the scroll, and a deep, resonant sound echoed, like a heavenly melody.

But in an instant, the ancient scroll turned into a beam of light, surging into the unconscious Lin Xun's body, and disappeared.

At the same time, in the vast sky above the Three Thousand Great Mountains, the night was as dark as ink, and the stars hung eternally in the sky, following their ancient, unchanging paths.

However, at the moment the mysterious ancient scroll disappeared, a ripple of indescribable energy suddenly spread across the night sky, like waves rippling through the heavens.

In an instant, the countless stars in the sky seemed to tremble in shock, then quickly returned to their original state. If one didn't observe carefully, they wouldn't have noticed this scene.

...

On the same night, in the Ziyao Empire.

At the top of the nine-thousand-nine-hundred-foot-tall Star Observation Platform on the outskirts of the capital, the night wind howled like a dragon, and this was the highest building in the capital, from which one could overlook the entire city.

It was already late at night, and an old man in a black robe stood alone on the Star Observation Platform. His white hair was long, his body bent, and he looked as if a gust of wind could blow him away.

This old man was the "Heavenly Sacrifice" of the empire, an old man of great wisdom and supernatural status in the Ziyao Empire.

It was said that the "Heavenly Sacrifice" had lived for a very long time, and when the founding emperor ascended the throne, the old man was already the sole master of the Star Observation Platform.

Like many other nights, the old man came to the top of the Star Observation Platform as usual.

But today, he did not sit in meditation or observe the stars as he usually did. Instead, he stood quietly by the railing, looking at the bustling red dust covered by the night, silent and somewhat abnormal.

"Indeed, a strange phenomenon will descend tonight!"

After a long time, the old man seemed to sense something, suddenly raised his head, and a bright light flashed in his eyes, which were filled with the沧桑 of time, as he gazed into the distant night sky.

But after a moment, the old man frowned and muttered, "Why is it gone? It's impossible. When the heavens send a strange phenomenon, there must be signs, whether hidden in the changing weather, or in the cycles of the stars, or from a disaster from beyond the realm, or from the emergence of auspicious light in the mountains and rivers..."

"But why is the strange phenomenon gone tonight? Could it be that I have miscalculated?"

In the cold wind, the old man's white hair fluttered, and his deeply lined face, like a ravine, showed a rare seriousness.

He knew that something must have happened tonight, but he couldn't detect it with his own power.

Such an abnormal situation had almost never occurred in recent years.

No matter how old he was, he was still the Heavenly Sacrifice! A figure in the Ziyao Empire that even the royal family had to respect!

A strange phenomenon that even the Heavenly Sacrifice couldn't detect was enough to shock the world.

After deep thought, the old man suddenly sighed and turned to leave the Star Observation Platform.

That night, a talisman from the "Heavenly Sacrifice" of the Star Observation Platform was immediately sent to the imperial study, even waking the emperor who was already resting.

The talisman read: "A strange phenomenon has descended in the southwestern border of the empire, in the Three Thousand Great Mountains. This phenomenon is mysterious and unfathomable. With my power, I cannot discern its secrets. I fear that a world-shaking treasure may have appeared. I hope the emperor will handle it with caution."

A world-shaking treasure!

Even the "Heavenly Sacrifice" probably didn't expect that the four words he used would bring the southwestern border of the empire into the highest echelons of the capital, causing a significant stir in the days to come.

...

Lin Xun was awakened by a rooster's crow. When he opened his eyes, his consciousness was a bit dazed.

Not dead?

Lin Xun lifted his body from the desk and noticed that it was already daylight, with a ray of dawn shining through the window, casting a warm light.

Indeed, he was not dead!

Lin Xun took a deep breath, feeling the air circulating in his body, and finally confirmed that he was still alive.

He quickly checked his body and found that his blood was vigorous, his energy unblocked, and there was not a single trace of injury, as if everything that happened last night was just a dream.

But Lin Xun knew it was definitely not a dream!

He clearly remembered that his vitality was continuously draining, and he was on the brink of death, with his blood being uncontrollably drawn by the dark gray seal brush... and so on!

Where is that seal brush?

Lin Xun suddenly froze, looked around the desk, and found that not only was the dark gray seal brush missing, but the ancient scroll was also gone.

Lin Xun's heart trembled, and he quickly got up to search. This was the most precious treasure left by Mr. Lu, and he couldn't let it be lost in his hands.

But even after searching the room thoroughly, he couldn't find these two treasures, and his frown deepened, making him even more anxious.

Could someone have stolen them during the night?

Lin Xun was unsure, and at that moment, he suddenly noticed that in his empty mind, a door had appeared!

It was indeed a door, completely red and bright, as if soaked in blood, with a complex and intricate mysterious pattern carved on its surface.

Upon closer inspection, the pattern exuded an ancient and vast aura, and just looking at it gave Lin Xun a vague sense of familiarity.

It was the "strange pattern" imprinted on the last page of the scroll!

Suddenly, Lin Xun remembered that the pattern carved on the door was similar to the "strange pattern" he had seen.

Only, compared to it, the "pattern" on the door was no longer incomplete, but presented a sense of completeness and continuity.

The door floated quietly in the empty mind, exuding an indescribable mystery.

Lin Xun's face became strange, and an uncontrollable thought emerged in his mind: Could the disappearance of the scroll and the seal brush be related to this suddenly appearing door?

---

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