The only truth Chrome Silkrain understood in that moment was that rash actions would mean certain death. To survive, he had to obey Aether's commands without hesitation or question.

Otherwise, he wouldn't even know how he met his end.

Aether's strength was plain to see.

To a powerhouse at the Mahayana level, crushing a weakling like him was as effortless as crushing an ant beneath a giant's heel.

"Understood," Chrome nodded solemnly, his sharp eyes keenly observing the depths around them.

Meanwhile, Cecilia Emberveil finally stirred from her haze, rubbing her aching eyes.

The heavy wounds Aether had inflicted during their earlier confrontation had laid her low for days, causing her to miss precious time training and cultivation beneath the Sun Moon Lake.

Though her injury still lingered, the urgency of the moment forced her to focus.

Years ago, after retrieving the forbidden inheritance and secrets of the past, the Emberveil family had convened a major council.

There, elders decreed a bold plan: to open the sealing formation under the Sun Moon Lake in fifty years' time.

Following orders, Cecilia had set out to lay the groundwork in the lake's depths.

Yet, on the route back, she had been ambushed—her attackers shrouded in shadow, leaving her little chance to react.

Now, waking beneath this ancient Sun Moon Lake, the surroundings were both alien and familiar.

"This... this is the bottom of Sun Moon Lake?" Cecilia gasped, sharp shock instantly reviving her senses.

Her eyes scoured the surroundings, settling on the figures she knew well—Eunice, Chrome Silkrain, and... Aether.

"Why are you here? And you! What do you want?" Cecilia demanded, her voice as distinctive and sharp as ever.

"If you value your life, keep quiet!" Ethan's cold glare froze her words.

"Alright, don't hit me—I'll be quiet," Cecilia replied hastily.

Memories of the pain from Ethan's last blow resurfaced vividly.

Her time recovering was marked by long days of rest, missing out on the crucial cultivation at Sun Moon Lake.

Despite all, her injuries remained unhealed, and a certain unease toward Aether simmered within her.

Ethan was ruthless, a man who showed no signs of cherishing a woman's grace.

Better to comply than provoke death.

Suddenly, a gleaming green dagger materialized in Ethan's hand.

With a swift arc, several blades of light flickered in a blur.

Sharp pain blossomed on the palms of Eunice, Chrome, and Cecilia.

Each bore a fresh wound—a small but deliberate sacrifice.

"Drop your blood here," Ethan commanded, pointing to the exact center of the stone slab beneath their feet.

"Drop blood...?" Cecilia's mind raced.

The secret records she had brought from the inheritance land spoke of an ancient ruin hidden beneath the lake—a place where treasures beyond imagination rested.

The Emberveil family was its appointed guardian.

Their blood, infused with the family's pure essence, was said to be the key to unlocking the sealing formation.

Ethan's demand shocked her in a cascade of questions.

"How could this be? The Emberveil family only learned of this secret recently."

"Why does Aether know it too? Could there be an informant from Aether in our ranks?"

"But no... Aether only arrived recently, and the meeting's attendees are direct Emberveil descendants."

Confusion and distrust clouded Cecilia's mind.

She fixed her gaze on Aether.

"How do you know the secrets of our family's inheritance?"

"Is your family's secret also connected to the ruins under Sun Moon Lake?" Eunice's curiosity flared.

Surprise flickered in Cecilia's expression.

"Yes... and your Stormjade family's secret contains the same content?."

Mutual understanding blossomed between the two women—a rare moment of unity.

Chrome, however, looked bewildered.

"What on earth are you talking about? Ancient ruins, secret inheritances?"

He felt out of place amid such weighty revelations.

"I don't know anything," he admitted helplessly, "I'm completely lost."

Eunice glanced at him sympathetically.

"Your Silkrain family hasn't yet retrieved its true inheritance from the forbidden land, has it?"

"No," Chrome responded calmly.

"Do the three major families share a common place of inheritance?" Ethan inquired.

"It isn't the same, but close," Cecilia answered.

"The clan lands of our three families lie hundreds of miles away—deep in ancient mountains and forests."

"The homes of our ancestors were devastated long ago."

"But the descendants, scattered, converged to found Sun Moon City."

"Yet the forbidden inheritance lands remained—hidden in those forests."

Cecilia detailed, "Every year, members from each family journey to undergo the inheritance trials, seeking to awaken their family's true power."

Ethan nodded slowly, the pieces falling into place.

The three great families of Sun Moon City had once been one family long ago.

If not in name, then in spirit and blood, their destinies remained intertwined.

Together, they bore the solemn duty of guarding the secrets concealed beneath Sun Moon Lake.

As their discussion unfolded, blood from their wounded palms seeped onto the stone slab.

The red droplets soaked into its surface, igniting streaks of shimmering light across the carved motifs.

Suddenly, a mighty roar echoed through the depths.

The stone slab began to turn.

Two rings and the central circle spun in unison, each at its own pace.

"Can you control the direction of the rotation?" Ethan asked.

Eunice placed her hand carefully on the outer ring.

"Let me try."

Moments later, she nodded. "I can."

"I will control the center," Chrome Silkrain declared confidently.

Turning to Cecilia, Ethan asked, "What is confusing you?"

"The secrets below belong to our three families," Cecilia said earnestly.

"We will work together to unlock them. I hope you will share what you learn with us."

Ethan's eyes suddenly frosted over with icy menace.

"Want to die?" he barked.

Cecilia, startled, hastily covered her head defensively.

"Don't hit me! I won't say a word anymore!"

The fierce courage she had summoned moments ago vanished with Ethan's glare.

"Compared to now, I still prefer your wild spirit earlier," Ethan chuckled.

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

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