System Possession, One Sword Shocks the Gods

106: Mysterious Cloud Walls, Chaotic Spirit PearlThe passage behind the Flowing Cloud Wall was not long, yet it gave the illusion of Transmigration through time and space. The air was filled with an ancient and pure Spiritual Qi, starkly different from the outside world, and it was laced with a trace of Chaos aura that Ye Chen was extremely familiar with—though thin, it was incredibly pure.

At the end of the passage was not the treasure vault one might imagine, but a small stone chamber that could only fit three to five people. In the center of the chamber stood a half-man-high, simple stone platform, and above the platform, two items hovered.

One was a palm-sized key, shaped like a flowing cloud and carved entirely from a type of warm white jade. It emitted soft spatial fluctuations; this was the ’cloud key’ coveted by the Dark Hall.

The other item caused Ye Chen’s gaze to instantly freeze, his breathing quickening by several degrees.

It was a perfectly round pearl, about the size of a longan. Its surface was not smooth, but instead seemed to have countless miniature nebulae slowly rotating, being born and extinguished, presenting a hazy color of primordial Chaos. It hovered there quietly, with no powerful energy leaking out, yet it felt like the core of the entire stone chamber, and even this patch of space. Within Ye Chen, the chaos primordial fetus accelerated its rotation uncontrollably, transmitting an intense feeling of longing and affinity.

“chaos origin qi... so pure!” Ye Chen was shocked. What this pearl contained was not a simple Chaos aura, but a wisp of extremely pure, nearly primal chaos origin qi! Its quality far surpassed the Chaos Gang Qi he currently cultivated, and was even closer to the essence of the world’s beginning than the wisp of Immortal Sword Intent he had sensed in the Sword Heart Secret Realm!

He instantly understood that what the Dark Hall truly wanted was likely not the ’cloud key’ that served as a key, but this chaos spirit pearl! The source of the resonance in Su Wanqing’s jade pendant was also this very object!

Ye Chen suppressed the excitement in his heart and did not step forward immediately. His Divine Sense carefully swept across the area around the stone platform, and as expected, he discovered nearly imperceptible spatial ripples and hidden runic Restrictions. Had his Divine Soul not been powerful and possessed the Chaos Origin, it would have been difficult to detect. This Restriction was faintly connected to the entire Su Family ancestral hall and even the earth veins; a single move would affect the whole. If he were to forcibly break it or take the items, it would likely cause unpredictable consequences, perhaps even destroying this small space.

His gaze fell upon the stone platform, where he found several lines of small ancient characters carved into it:

“I, the Flowing Cloud Hermit, chanced upon the Chaos Pearl and glimpsed a trace of the Great Dao’s true meaning. However, my fortune was thin and my fate shallow, leaving me unable to carry it. I specially leave the ’cloud key’ here. If a fated descendant arrives, holding the key grants entry to the ’Flowing Cloud Illusionary Realm’ to undergo trials and obtain my Legacy and this pearl. If taken by force, the pearl will be destroyed and the person shall perish. Proceed with caution!”

Flowing Cloud Hermit? An illusionary realm trial?

Ye Chen realized that this ’cloud key’ was not a key to open some treasury, but a credential to enter a trial ground called the ’Flowing Cloud Illusionary Realm’. The true Legacy and this chaos spirit pearl required passing the trials to be obtained.

He pondered for a moment and did not rashly take the cloud key. The fact that the Dark Hall members could find this place so accurately meant that the Su Family’s internal or related information had already been leaked. Taking the cloud key now would instead alert the enemy and might even push the Su Family completely into the eye of the storm.

He carefully sensed the chaos spirit pearl. Although he couldn’t obtain it directly, simply observing it closely and feeling the rhythm of that primal Chaos within allowed his understanding of his own Dao of Chaos to improve slightly. The Guixu Sword Intent also seemed to become more agile, as if the transformation between extinction and rebirth had found a new basis.

“This place is not for long stays; I need to plan carefully.” Ye Chen suppressed the urge to immediately meditate on it, took a deep look at the chaos spirit pearl, and quietly withdrew from the stone chamber. He carefully restored the Flowing Cloud Wall to its original state, erasing the traces of his arrival.

By the time he returned to the guest room, the horizon was already turning slightly white.

The next morning.

Su Yuanshan, having heard of the abnormal energy fluctuations near the ancestral hall last night (though the clash between Ye Chen and the Dark Hall members was brief, the energy level was not low), rushed over. Seeing Ye Chen safe and sound, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Senior, last night...” Su Yuanshan asked tentatively.

Ye Chen did not hide it. He briefly informed him that four Dark Hall elites had infiltrated the ancestral hall to seize the ’cloud key’ and that they had been slain by him. However, he omitted the specific information about the chaos spirit pearl and the Flowing Cloud Illusionary Realm, only saying it was a Legacy item left by the Su Family ancestors.

Su Yuanshan’s heart hammered as he listened, especially when he heard the other side had deployed an Earth Fiend Realm Fourth Level and three Earth Fiend Realm Second Layers; he was filled with lingering fear. Had Ye Chen not been here, the Su Family Legacy would likely have been lost. His gaze toward Ye Chen, besides gratitude, held a few more degrees of unfathomable awe.

“Senior, the Dark Hall has suffered successive failures. I fear the next ones to come will be even more terrifying figures. Keeping this ’cloud key’ in the Su Family is ultimately more of a curse than a blessing.” Su Yuanshan was worried.

Ye Chen nodded. “Head of Su Family is correct. This item carries great implications; it is indeed unsafe to keep it in the Su Family. I intend to head to Tianfeng City; perhaps this item can be left in my care. Firstly, it can draw away the Dark Hall’s attention, and secondly, I am also quite interested in the Legacy your ancestor left behind and might give it a try.”

He made this suggestion both out of consideration for protecting the Su Family and because he was indeed determined to obtain the Flowing Cloud Illusionary Realm and the chaos spirit pearl.

Upon hearing this, Su Yuanshan hardly hesitated. After the events of last night, he knew well that the Su Family was simply unable to hold onto this hot potato. Entrusting it to Ye Chen, an unfathomable expert who was also a benefactor to the Su Family, was the best choice at present. He even felt that this might be an Opportunity for the Su Family.

“Everything shall be as Senior decides!” Su Yuanshan said solemnly. “I will go now to retrieve the cloud key and present it to Senior.”

“Wait.” Ye Chen stopped him. “Retrieving it now might cause complications. It won’t be too late to take it when I leave Qinglan City. For these few days, I’ll need Head of Su Family’s cooperation—show weakness to the outside and strengthen overt security, but secretly relax the guards around the ancestral hall area to see if any more Dark Hall spies are lurking.”

Su Yuanshan instantly understood Ye Chen’s intention—to lure the snakes out of their holes and wipe them out all at once! His heart turned cold with awe as he quickly agreed.

Over the next two days, the atmosphere in the Su Family estate grew increasingly tense. The patrolling guards increased several times over, but for some reason, the security near the ancestral hall seemed somewhat lax.

Ye Chen kept a low profile, spending most of his time in the guest room meditating on Jade Slips and consolidating his cultivation. Meanwhile, his Divine Sense was like an invisible net, enveloping the Su Family’s core area, waiting for any fish that might take the bait.

However, the Dark Hall seemed to have become exceptionally cautious, and there was no further movement. It was as if the disappearance of those four elites had caused them to temporarily retract their claws.

Ye Chen knew this was just the calm before the storm. The Dark Hall would never give up on a supreme treasure like the chaos spirit pearl. A greater storm would likely occur after he left Qinglan City.

On the third day, Ye Chen decided to set out.

Su Yuanshan personally handed a cloud-shaped key, made of a material that was neither metal nor wood, to Ye Chen. It was indeed the ’cloud key’. The key felt warm in his hand and faintly resonated with the Flowing Cloud Wall.

“Senior, the journey to Tianfeng City is long; please be cautious!” Su Yuanshan, Su Wanqing, and the others saw him to the estate gates, offering earnest exhortations.

“Rest assured.” Ye Chen took the cloud key, sensing several faint, prying gazes from the shadows, and sneered inwardly. He nodded slightly to Su Yuanshan and the others, then his figure transformed into a streak of green light, soaring into the sky and heading straight toward the city outskirts.

Just as he left the range of Qinglan City and entered the airspace above a desolate mountain range—

“Buzz—!”

The surrounding Void Realm suddenly solidified, and three powerful auras appeared without warning, surrounding him in a triangular formation. A powerful Domain power overlapped, sealing off the space for several miles around.

The cultivation of these three individuals was, shockingly, all at the Earthly Fiend Realm Fifth Level! The leader had even reached the Peak of the Earthly Fiend Realm Fifth Level, and the Devilish Qi emanating from him was far purer and deeper than that of the leader slain in the ancestral hall!

“Kid, hand over the cloud key and the things you obtained from the Su Family, and we can let you die more quickly.” The leading Black-Robed Figure’s voice was hoarse, like metal scraping, carrying a heart-chilling killing intent.

Ye Chen hovered in mid-air, looking at the three powerful enemies with a calm face, a faint curve instead hooking at the corner of his mouth.

“Finally, some decent ones have come.”

The guixu sword let out a joyful light hum as it quietly appeared in his hand. Upon the blade, Chaos light circulated, and the intent of extinction and return to the void was held back, ready to be unleashed.