Chapter 207

"Lin Yu, get ready to set off." Wang Jiu urged from outside the door.

The mountain wilderness in the morning was shrouded in thin mist; the three packed their simple gear and embarked on the journey to Kunlun Mountain. Lin Yu still had countless questions in his heart, but Wang Jiu remained unwilling to say more, just burying his head and hurrying along.

"This mountain road is too hard to walk." Xuanyuan Qing complained, climbing a steep slope.

Wang Jiu didn't look back: "The real journey hasn't even started yet. Keep up."

The three crossed the dense forest, climbed the steep mountain wall, and finally arrived at a hidden mountain valley at dusk. The valley was lush with vegetation and streams gurgled; Wang Jiu walked straight toward a seemingly ordinary rock wall.

"We're here."

He reached out and pressed several protrusions on the rock wall, and the rock moved slowly, revealing a deep cave entrance. Lin Yu and Xuanyuan Qing looked at each other and followed silently.

The cave was pitch black. Wang Jiu lit a torch, and the orange light illuminated the long, narrow passage. The walls were covered in ancient runes, extremely similar to those seen at the Tianyuan seal.

"This place is..."

"Destiny headquarters." Wang Jiu finally spoke, "At least it was."

The end of the passage opened up, and a giant cave appeared before them. The cave was furnished simply but in an orderly manner. Stone tables and chairs were placed in the center, stone cabinets stood all around, filled with scrolls and ancient books. Various weapons were piled in the corner, some with strange styles never seen before.

"A place no one has set foot in for three hundred years." Wang Jiu scanned the surroundings, his tone filled with nostalgia.

Xuanyuan Qing curiously picked up a bow: "These weapons don't look simple."

"Put it down." Wang Jiu stopped her sternly, "These are weapons specifically for dealing with otherworldly creatures; ordinary people will get hurt if they touch them."

Lin Yu walked toward the stone cabinet and took out a scroll of parchment: "These are..."

"Destiny's history." Wang Jiu nodded, "Feel free to read."

Lin Yu unfolded the scroll, which recorded the origin and mission of the Destiny organization.

The original Destiny members were warriors who guarded Tianyuan in ancient times, specifically dedicated to opposing forces attempting to open Tianyuan. As times changed, Destiny gradually hid itself, but never stopped its mission.

"So Destiny and the Shangyuan Society have always been hostile?" Xuanyuan Qing asked.

Wang Jiu shook his head: "Initially, that wasn't the case. When the Shangyuan Society was founded, it was also to study celestial changes and prevent Tianyuan mutations.

But later it deteriorated, especially after Tongtianzi took power, completely degenerating into a cult pursuing immortality and attempting to use the power of the otherworldly space."

Lin Yu continued to flip through it and found a passage about the "Chosen One": In every era, Destiny would select one person and bestow a special mark; this person would possess the ability to seal Tianyuan, but would also become the primary target of otherworldly forces.

"Is this the origin of the mark on my body?"

Wang Jiu nodded: "You are the Chosen One of this era."

"And you?"

"The previous generation." Wang Jiu's tone was flat, "But I failed and couldn't stop the Tongtian Pavilion."

"What is Yan Nanshan's relationship to this?" Lin Yu pressed.

Wang Jiu was silent for a long time: "He is the guardian of Destiny, responsible for finding and protecting the Chosen One."

Lin Yu pressed: "Then what about now? Is he really dead?"

"I said, the world thinks so." Wang Jiu avoided answering, instead pointing to the depths of the cave, "Follow me, there's something else I want to show you."

The three passed through layers of stone rooms and arrived at the deepest secret room. In the center of the secret room was a stone platform, on which lay an ancient long sword. The sword body was as black as ink, and the hilt was embedded with nine grooves of various shapes.

"Tianyuan Sword." Wang Jiu's voice was low, "It is said to have been forged by an ancient god using a meteorite, specifically to seal Tianyuan. The hilt needs to be embedded with nine tokens to exert its full power."

Lin Yu reached out to touch it, but Wang Jiu stopped him: "No one can pick it up at will, unless it is the Chosen One, and it must be at the time of the nine stars aligning."

Xuanyuan Qing pointed to the mural on the wall: "What story do these paintings tell?"

The mural depicted a magnificent battle—human warriors fighting monsters surging from Tianyuan, and finally a warrior holding a sword sealing Tianyuan.

"That great battle three thousand years ago." Wang Jiu explained, "At that time, Tianyuan was fully opened, otherworldly creatures invaded, nearly destroying human civilization. Finally, the Chosen One sacrificed himself and used the Tianyuan Sword to seal the passage."

Lin Yu stared at the face of the warrior in the mural, surprised to find it somewhat similar to his own.

"Bloodline connection." Wang Jiu saw through his thoughts, "The Chosen One often comes from the same bloodline. You are very likely a descendant of that warrior."

Xuanyuan Qing flipped through the ancient books on the side and suddenly exclaimed: "It records the whereabouts of the nine tokens here!"

Lin Yu and Wang Jiu immediately gathered around. The ancient book recorded that the nine tokens were initially held by Destiny, later dispersed to all parts of the world to prevent them from falling into evil hands.

Three of them were guarded by Destiny, three were given to the Qin family, and three were hidden in specific locations, requiring special methods to find.

"We have three now, lacking six." Lin Yu calculated.

Wang Jiu shook his head: "The Tongtian Pavilion has already collected at least four. Plus our three, there are still two whose whereabouts are unknown."

The secret room suddenly made a dull sound, and the entire cave began to shake.

"They've found us!" Wang Jiu's face changed drastically.

The three hurriedly returned to the main cave, only to see the cave entrance surrounded by men in black. The leader was burly, his eyes like electricity.

"Wang Jiu, long time no see." The black-clad leader sneered.

"Yan Xiao, you running dog are still alive." Hatred flashed in Wang Jiu's eyes.

Lin Yu and Xuanyuan Qing stood back-to-back, observing the surroundings vigilantly. The situation was critical, with more than twenty men in black, all with heavy auras and extraordinary strength.

"Hand over the tokens, I'll leave your corpses intact." Yan Xiao arrogantly reached out.

Wang Jiu sneered: "Just based on you?"

Before he could finish, he waved his hand violently, and several flying knives broke through the air. The men in black dodged one after another, and the battle broke out instantly.

Lin Yu's silver needles left his hands, precisely hitting the vital acupoints of two men in black. Xuanyuan Qing shook the silver bell, confusing the enemy's mind. Wang Jiu was agile, fighting several enemies alone without falling into a disadvantage.

"Lin Shu, watch out!" Xuanyuan Qing suddenly shouted.

A man in black descended from the sky, holding a long sword and slashing toward Lin Yu. Lin Yu dodged sideways, simultaneously throwing a right punch, hitting the opponent's chest. The man stumbled back, vomiting blood.

The battle was deadlocked, with neither side gaining the upper hand. Suddenly, the jade pendant in Lin Yu's bosom emitted a dazzling light, illuminating the entire cave. A beam of light shot out from the jade pendant, pointing straight at a rock wall in the cave.

"There's something there!" Lin Yu exclaimed.

Yan Xiao noticed the anomaly and immediately directed his subordinates: "Stop them, I'll go get the token!"

Wang Jiu also noticed the anomaly: "Lin Yu, go to that rock wall!"

Lin Yu pulled Xuanyuan Qing and rushed toward the direction pointed by the light beam. Yan Xiao took the lead, his long sword already slashing toward the rock wall. The rock shattered, revealing a hidden compartment, inside which was another jade pendant.

"The fourth token!" Yan Xiao was ecstatic, reaching out to take it.

Just at this critical moment, the True Qi in Lin Yu's body surged violently, and a force like never before erupted.

Ignoring the pain in his meridians, he threw a punch at Yan Xiao's back. Yan Xiao was caught off guard and was hit, flying several meters and crashing into the stone wall.

Lin Yu took the lead and took the jade pendant from the hidden compartment. In an instant, the four jade pendants resonated with each other, emitting a dazzling light, illuminating the entire cave.

The men in black covered their eyes and retreated; in the light, Lin Yu seemed to see a familiar figure beckoning to him.

"Lin Shu, run quickly!" Xuanyuan Qing urged urgently.

Wang Jiu had already killed a bloody path: "Follow me!"

The three rushed out of the cave, and the angry roar of Yan Xiao came from behind: "Catch them!"