The Ring of Destiny, Golden Scales Appear

The stone chamber was quiet, and the Qilin runes on the stone walls flowed slowly in the dim light, like bloodlines that had been dormant for thousands of years, gradually awakening the deepest mystery in Xiao Yunsheng's heart with the old man's gaze.

Xiao Yunsheng clutched the twin pendants at his chest, stepped forward, and looked intently at the white-haired old man: "Please enlighten me, senior!"

The old man sighed softly, a hint of reluctance flashing in his weathered eyes, before finally speaking slowly.

"Young man, the curse mark on your back is not an ordinary one, but the Qilin Burning Curse, the only Heavenly Mandate curse mark in the world that can bear the heart fire of the Qilin and suppress the destiny of heaven and earth."

The old man paused, then said, "You were born to be the host of this incantation; this is your destiny."

Xiao Yunsheng was shocked, his throat tightened, and he didn't know how to respond!

Burning curses? Fate?

No one had ever told him these things. He came to Yanyu Mountain only to find out the truth about his father's disappearance!

His heart was in turmoil, and his hands trembled slightly involuntarily!

Shen Lingxi was also surprised by what the old man said. Could it be that the blue-robed members of this sect really have such a destiny?

She walked closer to Xiao Yunsheng and gently placed her right hand on his elbow.

Xiao Yunsheng glanced at Shen Lingxi, sighed softly, and pressed on, "Since you know all this, you must also know my father's whereabouts! Was my father's mysterious disappearance also related to the Qilin Burning Curse and Yanyu Mountain?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man's gentle gaze suddenly sharpened, his lips pressed tightly together, and he slowly turned his eyes away, avoiding his anxious gaze.

Seeing this, Xiao Yunsheng's heart sank. He knew that asking any further questions would be useless, so he could only suppress his surging emotions and wait quietly for what was to come.

"Now that I have revealed your destiny and karma to you, I will also give you your future," the old man said solemnly, enunciating each word clearly. "You now have two paths to choose from!"

Xiao Yunsheng and the other man stared wide-eyed, but did not interrupt.

"First, leave Yanyu Mountain, stay away from the Qilin Altar, and stay away from the Heart Fire and the Curse Tribulation! The Burning Curse Mark on your body will gradually fade and disappear, and you will never suffer from the backlash of the curse again in this life."

The old man paused briefly, seemingly gauging Xiao Yunsheng's reaction. Seeing no change in him, he continued:

"The second path is to confront the Qilin's Heart Fire and accept the destiny of the Burning Curse! But once you choose this path, there is no turning back in this life. The Qilin's Burning Curse will devour your heart and bones day and night. Every time the curse is activated under the full moon, you will have to endure the pain of being burned, and you will be devoured by the curse's power for the rest of your life!"

Life and death in comfort or eternal damnation—two paths lay laid bare before Xiao Yunsheng.

Shen Lingxi's heart tightened. Just as she was about to speak, the old man's gaze suddenly fell between her wrist and dantian, and his expression changed slightly.

"Young lady, you don't need to worry about others. Since childhood, a master has planted sword imprints in your body to seal your acupoints. There are nine sword imprints in total around your body that lock your meridians and energy sea. You should be aware of this yourself."

Shen Lingxi's face paled slightly, and she subconsciously pressed her wrist. This was a secret she had kept since childhood, which the old man had seen through at a glance.

Suddenly, the old man's voice came into her mind—a telepathic transmission!

"You are a born sword imprint master. Your destiny, from beginning to end, is to suppress cursed beasts. I lied just now. Once he turns back, he will die from the curse within a year! And if he carries the Burning Curse, every time you use your natal sword energy to help him suppress the curse tribulation, one sword imprint will be unlocked on your body. The day all nine sword imprints are unlocked will be the day your energy channels are severed and your soul returns to heaven and earth."

Shen Lingxi trembled, her fingertips turned icy cold, but she forced herself not to make a sound. She simply glanced at Xiao Yunsheng beside her, a hint of resolute determination flashing in her eyes that went unnoticed.

The old man withdrew his gaze and continued speaking to the two: "The Qilin's Origin Heart Flame that you have been searching for is not hidden in the altar's stone seat, but resides within the body of the Burning Fortune Golden Scale. That golden scale is a national treasure and a cursed beast, and the Heart Flame is its primordial spiritual vein. To obtain the Heart Flame, you must ascend the main peak and gain the Burning Fortune Golden Scale's approval; otherwise, forcibly touching it will only result in being instantly burned to ashes by the Heart Flame."

Xiao Yun Sheng frowned: "What will be the consequences if I bear the fire of the heart?"

"The fate of the Great Cheng Dynasty is entirely tied to this Burning Fortune Golden Scale. Now, the Great Cheng's destiny has been declining for three years, and the Golden Scale is already exhausted and showing signs of illness. It is intelligent and knows that its lifespan is coming to an end. If you gain its approval to receive the Heart Flame, it will willingly burn its last bit of spiritual energy, and the Burning Fortune Golden Scale will die. The remaining destiny of the Great Cheng will also completely dissipate, and the fate of heaven and earth will return to chaos."

The old man spoke with a calm and resolute expression, but the moment his words fell, Shen Lingxi's heart skipped a beat.

From a young age, she had studied the art of observing minds and discerning qi under her master, making her extremely perceptive to the truthfulness of people's hearts and the flow of qi. The old man's breathing had faltered slightly as he spoke, his gaze had wavered for a moment, and his spiritual energy had even shown a faint disturbance—he was lying!

In what way did the old man lie in what he just said?

Shen Lingxi remained calm and focused, secretly recalling what the old man had just said. She vaguely grasped the truth that the old man was deliberately concealing:

The Great Cheng Dynasty existed in name only for three years, and the nation's fortunes were bound to decline. But would Jin Lin, who was burning away his fortunes, really be willing to die?

She grew up under Shen Qingzhu's protection and knew all sorts of secrets, including the fact that Jin Lin burned hundreds of civil and military officials of the Great Cheng Dynasty to death during the coronation ceremony!

With such spiritual insight, how could it willingly accept death?

Just as Shen Lingxi was about to speak, the old man transmitted his voice to her again, "His father died at the hands of Jin Lin!"

Shen Lingxi was struck dumb!

She stared at the old man, whose expression remained unchanged. Xiao Yunsheng, standing to the side, was also silent, probably still processing the old man's words.

Once Xiao Yun Sheng learns that his father died at Jin Lin's hands, what will he do? He will definitely sever all ties with Jin Lin!

That would truly be his death day!

Therefore, she could only keep this secret deep in her heart.

Just then, a roar that shook the mountains came again from outside the stone chamber, one after another, without end.

"The anomalies of heaven and earth can no longer be concealed." The old man looked up at the top of the stone chamber. "Now, outside the Xuanlin River, everything is in chaos."

"Tomorrow is the night of the full moon, and the Qilin Altar will fully open when the moon is high in the sky. On Xuanlin Ferry, deities from all directions are gathered at this moment!"

Xiao Yunsheng gripped the Guixuan Sword tightly, his palms slightly burning. He looked up at the old man, his gaze unwavering: "I choose the second path."

No matter how much the curses and hardships lie ahead, he will find out his true identity and protect those around him!

He wants to ensure that there are no more abandoned children in this world!

The old man looked at him, a hint of relief and a sigh flashing in his eyes. He raised his hand and waved, and the passage on the side wall of the stone chamber suddenly opened up. At the end of the passage, the majestic outline of the main peak could be vaguely seen.

"Go, for all cause and effect reside at the summit of the main peak."

Xiao Yunsheng bowed deeply to the old man, then turned and took Shen Lingxi's hand, stepping into the dark passage leading to the outside world.

The mountain path was rugged, with loose rocks tumbling down. The two climbed upwards, scaling the rock walls scorched black by the fire, and dodging the constantly falling scalding rocks. Finally, as night deepened, they reached the platform halfway up the main peak of Yanyu Mountain.

The moment they looked up, they both held their breath.

At the summit, the clouds and mist had all dissipated, and a nearly full crescent moon hung in the sky.

On the precipice ten thousand feet high, a colossal beast with a body entirely gilded was coiled.

Its body was as large as a mountain, and its scales were like molten gold, but they were covered with dull, mottled scars, revealing a deep-seated sickness.

It has a dragon's head and a unicorn's body, its tail sweeps across the sky, and its four claws tread on the broken rocks. Its body is surrounded by a flickering crimson-gold heart fire, and with each breath, it causes the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to tremble violently.

It was the cursed beast that suppressed the destiny of the Great Emperor and affected all living beings under heaven—the Burning Fortune Golden Scale.

It slightly raised its head, its golden eyes piercing through the night, staring straight at Xiao Yunsheng who was walking slowly towards it. A deep and majestic roar slowly echoed throughout the entire Yanyu Mountain.

The fateful showdown and the inheritance of destiny will finally begin on the night of the full moon!