Yun Lintian finally relaxed his grip on Long Qingxuan, though their fingers remained intertwined. His gaze swept across the ruined battlefield before settling on Tang Wei's liquid form below.
"Who are you?" Yun Lintian asked, his voice calm but firm.
Long Qingxuan glanced at Tang Wei and added, "He's been imprisoned here for a long time, just like me."
Tang Wei floated forward, his liquid form rippling slightly as he bowed. "This humble one is Tang Wei, former Protector of the Celestial Pavilion."
Yun Lintian's brows furrowed. "The Celestial Pavilion?"
His mind immediately went to the faction he had entered the ruins with—the Celestial Pavilion led by Lan Huiqian and Jian Kun.
Long Chen, sensing Yun Lintian's confusion, stepped forward and cupped his fists respectfully. "Senior Yun, Senior Tang is referring to the Celestial Pavilion of the Sacred City of Origin, not the faction outside."
Yun Lintian's breath hitched.
Sacred City of Origin.
The name struck him like lightning. His mind flashed back to the trial—the vision of the golden-armored general attacking the city, the World Tree shattering, the five divine generals descending…
"You…" Yun Lintian's voice was low, his eyes narrowing. "You're from the Sacred City of Origin?"
Tang Wei studied Yun Lintian's reaction carefully. "You have been there before?" His liquid form flickered with surprise. "But that's impossible. The city fell long before your time."
Yun Lintian didn't answer immediately. His grip on Long Qingxuan's hand tightened slightly as he processed the implications.
"What exactly happened to the Sacred City?" Yun Lintian asked, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of urgency. "In the trial I experienced, I saw the city fall—the World Tree destroyed, the five divine generals attacking. But what happened afterward?"
"A trial? What trial is that?" Tang Wei's form stilled, his expression turning solemn.
For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air.
Then, Tang Wei sighed—a sound like water rippling over stones.
"The Sacred City of Origin was the heart of the universe," he began, his voice carrying the weight of ancient memories. "It was where the World Tree stood, where the Primordial Gods once gathered."
Yun Lintian nodded slowly. This matched what he had seen in the trial.
"But the city fell," Tang Wei continued, his tone darkening. "The five divine generals—servants of the Primordial Gods—betrayed the World Tree. The tree shattered itself and sent its fragments away… If I guess correctly, you should have found one now."
Yun Lintian's eyes flickered and said nothing.
"The city was destroyed," Tang Wei said, his liquid form trembling slightly. "Most of its people perished. Those who survived… were imprisoned."
He gestured to himself, then to the remnants of Mirror Lake.
"This place—the so-called Ruins of the Forgotten Time—is what remains of the Sacred City. The Mirror Lake was once the city's grand reservoir. The Temporal Palace was the Grand Palace of Origin. All of it… ruins now."
Yun Lintian exhaled sharply. His mind raced as he pieced together the fragments of information.
"So the five divine generals… they served Nian Shi?"
Tang Wei shook his head. "No. They served their respective Primordial Gods—the God of Darkness, the Mountain God, the River God, the Sun God, and the God of Mortals. But Nian Shi… he manipulated them. Used them."
Long Qingxuan's grip on Yun Lintian's hand tightened. "Nian Shi has always been a schemer," she murmured, her voice laced with old anger.
Yun Lintian's gaze darkened. "And after the city fell? What happened to the Primordial Gods?"
Tang Wei's form rippled uneasily. "No one knows. Some say they perished. Others believe they retreated, waiting for the right moment to return." He paused, then added quietly, "But the World Tree… its fragments still exist. And Nian Shi seeks them."
Yun Lintian's eyes gleamed. The Seed of Time… the Tree of Life inside me…
He had two fragments already.
At that moment, three figures descended from the sky—Qian Jinglei, Nie Tong, and Xiong Yu. Their robes were torn, their faces pale from injuries, but their eyes burned with relief as they saw their disciples unharmed.
"Chen'er!" Qian Jinglei rushed forward, her usually composed demeanor cracking as she grasped her disciple's shoulders.
"Master." Long Chen bowed respectfully, though his lips curled into a rare smile.
Nie Tong's frost energy flickered as she examined Ling Xuan. "You're unharmed?"
Ling Xuan nodded. "Thanks to Senior Yun."
Xiong Yu, despite his usual arrogance, exhaled sharply as he looked at Xiong Ba. "You reckless fool."
Xiong Ba, for once, didn't argue. He simply grunted, though his expression was uncharacteristically subdued.
Qian Jinglei turned to Yun Lintian and cupped her fists in a deep bow. "Senior Yun, we owe you a great debt for saving our disciples."
Nie Tong followed suit, her frost energy settling into a rare calm. "This gratitude will not be forgotten."
Even Xiong Yu, prideful as he was, reluctantly bowed his head. "You have my thanks."
Yun Lintian nodded slightly and said nothing as he didn't help them at all.
Long Chen suddenly stepped forward, his expression serious. "Senior Yun, there's something you should see."
He gestured toward the ancient stone tablet nearby. "This tablet contains a map—likely of the Temporal Palace."
Qian Jinglei and the others turned their attention to the tablet, their brows furrowing as they studied the runes.
"You can read this?" Qian Jinglei asked, surprised.
Long Chen nodded. "Only partially. The runes shift, but some parts remain constant."
Nie Tong frowned. "I can't decipher a single word."
Xiong Yu scoffed. "Useless."
But Yun Lintian's eyes narrowed as he approached the tablet. The moment his gaze fell upon the runes, they shimmered—rearranging themselves into clear, legible script.
"When the Seed awakens, the World shall tremble."
"The First Key lies in the heart of time."
Beneath the words, an intricate map materialized—a labyrinthine layout of corridors, chambers, and shifting pathways.
Yun Lintian's pupils contracted. This was likely to be the map of the Temporal Palace as Long Chen has speculated.
Tang Wei's liquid form rippled in shock. "You can read it?!"
Long Qingxuan looked at her man with a faint smile. There was nothing he couldn't do.
Yun Lintian didn't answer immediately. His mind raced.
The Seed of Time... It must be reacting to the tablet.
Qian Jinglei and the others stared at Yun Lintian in astonishment. They had tried and failed to decipher the tablet's secrets, yet Yun Lintian understood it effortlessly.
"What does it say, Senior?" Long Chen asked urgently.
Yun Lintian traced the runes with his fingers. "It's a guide. The Temporal Palace isn't just a structure—it's a living maze. The pathways change based on temporal fluctuations."