Chapter 530: The Sound of Jing Zhe

Chen Mu spoke calmly, as if he had merely brushed away a few mosquitoes.

"Yes."

Master Zhu Qing gathered his spirit and refocused his attention on the "Jia Mu Ling Xin."

At the center of the tortoise shell, the emerald jade now glowed with steady, gentle light, pointing straight upward thirty zhang above the deep ravine, where mist swirled and faint electric serpents flickered within it.

"The node's activity has reached its peak and resonates most strongly with the rising qi of heaven and earth."

"Tomorrow, at the moment the first spring thunder cracks open, will be the perfect instant for yin and yang to intermingle, for life to surge forth, and to tear open the veil of space."

"At that time, we must use the 'Key of the Four Seasons' as a guide to draw in thunder qi and wood spirit, combined with our sect's secret technique, 'Opening the Heavenly Gate,' to stably open the portal and maintain its passage for a brief moment."

She turned to Ning Ning Zhixi: "Miss Ning, at that moment, you must hold the 'Summer' and 'Winter' Keys, stand at the position I indicate, and pour your true qi into both keys to awaken their resonance with the 'Spring' essence and draw down heavenly thunder and earthly qi. Young Master Chen…"

She looked at Chen Mu, paused, "When the portal first opens, space will be unstable—there may be chaotic currents, fragments, even awakenings of unknown entities within the secret realm. We will rely on you to guard and suppress any disturbances, ensuring the passage remains stable."

"Understood." Chen Mu replied succinctly.

Ning Ning Zhixi also nodded solemnly: "Understood."

With the plan set, the three waited quietly on the platform, awaiting dawn, awaiting the first thunder of Jing Zhe.

The long night stretched on, but after the earlier battle, no petty souls dared disturb them.

Chen Mu sat cross-legged again, closing his eyes to rest, yet his spiritual sense split into a thread, remotely sensing every subtle shift of the spatial node, while silently assimilating the insights gained from his recent battle—the fusion of the fifth layer of the True Martial Pacifying Sword Art with his own sword intent.

Entering the Heavenly Palace Realm, every increment of understanding toward heaven's laws and one's own path is crucial.

Ning Ning Zhixi also cultivated nearby, nurturing her true qi, adjusting her state to peak readiness, while mentally rehearsing the ritual steps for tomorrow.

Master Zhu Qing was the busiest—she continuously adjusted the "Green Wood Illusion Maze Array," transforming it into a formation to assist in gathering wood spirit qi, carving intricate runes into the ground that resonated with the "Jia Mu Ling Xin," forming a simple guiding altar.

Time passed slowly in the waiting.

The eastern horizon gradually whitened, dispelling the thick darkness of night.

Birds in the mountains and forests began chirping, brimming with the vitality unique to spring.

The mist from the deep ravine grew denser, interweaving with the morning light to form a magnificent dawn glow.

The "rising" qi of heaven and earth, as daylight brightened, became noticeably active and ascended.

The spatial node, as sensed by the "Jia Mu Ling Xin," pulsed like a slowly beating heart growing stronger.

"Almost."

Master Zhu Qing looked up at the sky; dark clouds gathered from all directions, pressing heavily above Ting Lei Cliff, lightning flickering within the layers, thunder rumbling like a great beast turning in the clouds.

At the third watch of Chen hour, heaven and earth fell abruptly silent.

Even the birds ceased their calls; the mountains and forests held only the wind and the sound of water in the ravine.

In this profound stillness—

Boom—!

A deafening thunderclap, utterly without warning, exploded directly above Ting Lei Cliff within the cloud layer.

The thunder's force shook the entire cliff, sending loose stones tumbling down in a cascade.

A thick, dazzling, dragon-like bolt of lightning tore through the thick clouds, striking downward with unstoppable force.

Its target: the spatial node above the deep ravine!

"Now!"

Master Zhu Qing cried out sharply, her body floating upward as she landed at the center of the altar she had prepared, her hands rapidly forming seals as she chanted ancient, obscure incantations.

"Jia Mu Connects with Spirit, Guide the Heavenly Mechanism! Open!"

The "Jia Mu Ling Xin" in her hands blazed with emerald light, mirroring the runes carved on the ground, sending a soft green column of light soaring into the sky.

It did not meet the thunder head-on, but like the most agile guide, at the very last instant, gently "nudged" the edge of the furious lightning, precisely diverting part of its power toward the spatial node!

Meanwhile, Ning Ning Zhixi had already taken her position as instructed, three steps before the altar.

In each hand, she held the "Summer" and "Winter" Keys, pouring her pure, tranquil true qi into them without reservation.

The "Summer" token glowed with golden-red radiance, radiating the warm, scorching essence of high summer.

The "Winter" token shimmered with icy-blue clarity, exuding the sharp, pure chill of deep winter.

These two opposing essences, harmonized by her true qi and the subtle resonance of the stone tablet fragments, did not clash—instead, they subtly formed a strange balance, as if enacting the alternation of "Summer" and "Winter" within the cycle of the seasons.

When the residual power of the thunder, guided by Master Zhu Qing, merged with the concentrated wood spirit qi gathered by the formation, crashed into the spatial node—

Hum~!

At the node, space rippled and warped violently like water, and a fist-sized "point," filled with chaotic currents and emerald lightning, suddenly appeared.

"Now! Miss Ning, use the essence of the two keys to call forth the 'Spring'!"

Master Zhu Qing cried out, beads of sweat forming on her brow—maintaining the guiding incantation consumed immense spiritual energy.

Ning Ning Zhixi's intuition clicked; she ceased deliberate control, sinking her spirit into the two keys, feeling the "Summer" heat, the "Winter" cold, and the deep longing and call for the turning of the seasons.

She whispered softly, her voice ethereal, as if resonating with heaven and earth.

As she whispered, the "Summer" and "Winter" keys in her hands blazed brighter, their lights intertwining, faintly forming a trace of vibrant, gentle, sprouting "emerald intent."

Though faint, this emerald intent was utterly pure—the faint manifestation of the true essence of "Spring."

The instant this "spring intent" appeared, it was like an invisible key sliding into the chaotic "point."

Crack—la—

Like shattered glass, like a gate swinging open.

The fist-sized chaotic light point suddenly contracted inward, then exploded outward.

Instantly transforming into an elliptical portal three zhang high and two zhang wide, its edges flowing with swirling emerald light and fine sparks of electricity.

Inside the portal, chaos was gone—revealing a clear, utterly different scene—

A boundless, ancient forest, as if existing in another world.

Trees towered beyond imagination, their canopies like canopies, their leaves and branches flowing with tangible emerald spiritual light.

The air was thick with dense, almost solid wood-element spiritual energy, carrying a complex scent of earth, flowers and grass, decaying wood, and some ancient life intertwined.

Farther away, massive shadows seemed to move slowly through the mist, emitting low, heart-shaking roars.

Donglin Ruins.

The entrance is opening!

Yet, at the very moment the entrance stabilized, a sudden anomaly occurred…