Transmigrating Into a Fantasy World: Signing in During Pregnancy, Reaching the Summit with My Childhood Sweetheart

131: Chapter 131: The Ancient Remains Guarding the Gate and the Secret of the BeaconThe armored skeleton that suddenly spoke was like a guardian awakened from an eternal slumber, its hollow eye sockets locking onto the three people by the altar (including Lin Mo within the star core). It was covered in a thick layer of dust, its armor ancient and tattered, riddled with marks from blades and axes, clearly having endured a brutal war. It emitted no Killing Intent or hostility, only a heavy sense of vicissitude and exhaustion from endless ages, along with a faint trace of confusion.

Nangong Xuan instantly shielded Su Muxue behind him, his nirvana golden core quietly circulating as he stared warily at this revived ancient skeleton. Although the other party seemed to bear no ill will, in this eerie place, one had to be extremely cautious of any change.

Su Muxue also stood on guard, her Taiyin Star Power flowing ceaselessly within her body.

”Guardian?” Nangong Xuan spoke in a deep voice, repeating the keyword from the skeleton’s words, ”Are you the protector of this Reincarnation Palace?”

The skeleton’s jawbone opened and closed again, emitting raspy and ancient syllables. This language was not a modern common tongue, yet it was strangely possible to understand its meaning directly: ”I... am the ’Guardian of the Other Shore’, serving by the order of the last ’Underworld Master’ of the ’Ancient Reincarnation Nation’, to guard this lamp and maintain the balance of life and death here, until... the day Reincarnation restarts...”

Its gaze (if it could be called a gaze) turned toward the twin glazed lamp on the altar, whose light was gradually stabilizing. That Chaos radiance seemed to soften its stiff bones slightly.

”Outsiders... You carry the power of the ’star vault’, yet you are tainted by the ’darkness beyond the boundary’... Even more strange, you can actually trigger the power of the ’Glazed Lamp’ to purify the dark erosion and stabilize Reincarnation...” A heavy sense of scrutiny and bewilderment carried in the skeleton’s thoughts. ”Are you... variables, or... hope?”

It seemed to fall into some long memory and judgment, its massive frame motionless, with only the two faint points of light in its eye sockets slowly flickering.

Thoughts spun rapidly in Nangong Xuan’s mind. This ancient skeleton was clearly a contingency left by the Ancient Kingdom of Loulan (or the Ancient Reincarnation Nation), its mission being to guard the twin glazed lamp and this land of Reincarnation. It possessed Perception of both the star key power (star vault power) and the dark side (darkness beyond the boundary), and it seemed surprised that they could purify the dark erosion.

Perhaps he could learn more from it about the dark side, the star keys, and even the star pivot!

”We are not enemies,” Nangong Xuan spoke slowly, trying to make his intent seem peaceful. ”We seek the star keys precisely to oppose the ’darkness beyond the boundary’ and protect this realm. Purifying the Origin of dark erosion within the star core just now was a matter of necessity; we hope you can forgive us for disturbing this place.”

He slightly relaxed the isolation of the chaos star core, letting the balanced aura of the six fused star keys slowly emanate, while also faintly transmitting Lin Mo’s consciousness fluctuations—the ones that had stubbornly resisted the dark side and were ultimately preserved.

Sensing this aura, the guardian skeleton’s massive frame shook slightly, and the light in its eye sockets brightened a few degrees.

”Six Luminaries... six have already gathered... The Core of the Return to Ruins... can actually preserve a soul...” The thoughts it emitted carried a distinct shock. ”No wonder... no wonder it could trigger a response from the Glazed Lamp... Has the ’Key Holder’ from the ’Underworld Master’s’ prophecy... truly appeared...”

A prophecy? The Key Holder?

Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue’s hearts stirred simultaneously.

”What prophecy?” Su Muxue couldn’t help but ask softly.

The guardian skeleton fell silent for a moment, as if making a decision. It slowly raised an arm that was nothing but bone, pointing toward the twin glazed lamp in the center of the altar.

”Before the Underworld Master fell, he used his last Divine Power to glimpse a fragment of the future... He spoke of when the ’Nine Luminaries disperse and then gather, and the Return to Ruins reignites the starfire’, the Key Holder will follow the trajectory of ’star vault and Dark Erosion’, bringing either final nirvana or... a new dawn.” Its intent became distant and solemn. ”The ’Glazed Lamp’ will be your trial and gift, as well as... a guide.”

It paused, its massive skull turning toward the chaos star core in Nangong Xuan’s hand. ”Within you... I also perceive the beacon left by that ’Darkness’. It is ’Nothingness’s’ most vicious anchoring of ’Existence’, which cannot be erased by external force, but only covered or twisted by a more powerful Origin power of ’Existence’.”

”A more powerful Origin power of Existence?” Nangong Xuan immediately caught the key point. ”What is the Origin of Existence?”

”The Light of the Beginning and the Silence of the End are both Origins. However, the ’Light’ is already faint; perhaps the true meaning of ’Silence’...” The guardian’s intent swept over the chaos star core, ”...lies deep within this core. Yet to stimulate its power, one must gather all nine luminaries and trigger the ’star pivot’.”

The star pivot again! Gathering the nine luminaries star keys was indeed the key to triggering the star pivot and obtaining the power to oppose the dark side!

”Where exactly is the star pivot?” Nangong Xuan pressed.

”I do not know,” the guardian slowly shook its head. ”The star pivot is not a fixed location; it is a ’phenomenon’ formed by the resonance of the nine luminaries’ power, existing between being and non-being. Only when the nine keys are gathered will its position reveal itself.”

It pointed again to the twin glazed lamp. ”This lamp was forged by the Ancient Reincarnation Nation by gathering the Origin of life and death Reincarnation. Although it lacks offensive capabilities, it can balance all things, purify filth, and stabilize the Divine Soul. It is of great benefit to the balance of the star core within you, and can temporarily mask the faint fluctuations emitted by that beacon, delaying the time of being locked onto.”

As soon as it finished speaking, the twin glazed lamp seemed to sense the guardian’s will. It trembled slightly, separating two hair-thin strands of Chaos Qi. One strand floated toward Nangong Xuan, and the other toward Su Muxue, silently merging into their bodies.

The two immediately felt their Divine Souls clear up, their previously exhausted mental energy instantly restored to Perfection. The spiritual energy in their bodies circulated more smoothly and freely, and even their connection to their respective star keys and Dao rhymes became slightly clearer and more profound. The chaos star core also became more restrained, as if covered by a thin veil of Chaos, its aura becoming increasingly obscure.

This glazed lamp was truly extraordinary!

”Thank you for the gift, Senior!” Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue thanked it in unison. This ability to temporarily mask the beacon’s fluctuations was of vital importance to them.

The guardian skeleton nodded slightly, its massive frame seeming to hunch even further, and the light in its eye sockets dimmed. It appeared that the previous communication and triggering the power of the glazed lamp had taken a great toll on it.

”My mission... is about to end... The land of Reincarnation... will soon... return to silence...” Its intent became intermittent, filled with exhaustion. ”Key Holder... follow the guidance of the star keys... go to... the next place... The power of ’mars’... is restless... The southwest... I fear... a great change...”

The southwest! That was exactly the direction of the star key with the rich vitality that the star core had sensed earlier!

”The mars key?” Nangong Xuan recalled that the star key governed ’confusion’ and ’calamity’, and an ominous premonition rose in his heart.

”Remember... the horror of the ’dark side’ is not just in its power... but in... eroding the heart and twisting Perception... Be wary of... everything... around you...” The guardian’s voice grew lower and lower until it completely dissipated.

Its massive skeleton lost all support, crashing to the ground and turning back into a pile of lifeless bones. Only the tattered armor spoke of its former steadfastness.

The central platform fell into silence. The twin glazed lamp on the altar glowed softly, rotating slowly, continuing to fulfill its duty as if nothing had ever happened.

Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue stood in place, digesting the massive amount of information revealed by the guardian.

The prophecy, the Key Holder, the star pivot, the hidden danger of the beacon, the mars key in the southwest, and that cautionary warning to ”be wary of everything around you”... The path ahead seemed clearer, yet it was filled with even more mist and crisis.

”Southwest, the mars key.” Nangong Xuan looked at Su Muxue, his gaze solemn. ”The guardian specifically warned us; it’s likely to be extremely unsettled there.”

Su Muxue nodded, tightening her grip on the chaos star core. ”We must go. Not just for the star key, but also to prevent the ’great change’ that might occur.”

The two bowed again toward the altar and the guardian’s remains, then without lingering, they turned and swiftly departed the way they came.

As they rushed out of the underground space and returned to the surface of the Ancient Kingdom of Loulan ruins, they found that the entire scene of the ruins was beginning to blur and twist, like a reflection in water. The dusky sky was also gradually fading.

This strange space, maintained for eons by the power of the twin glazed lamp and the guardian, was slowly returning to silence as the guardian had said, receding once more into the cracks of time and space.

Not daring to delay, the two transformed into streaks of light and rushed upward, penetrating the increasingly illusory spatial boundary to return once more to the scorching and real sandstorms of the Northwest Great Desert.

The mirage behind them had long since vanished without a trace, as if it were merely a dream.

But the strand of the glazed lamp’s Chaos Qi in their bodies, the balanced and restrained star core in their hands, and the increasingly clear yet unsettling star key sensation coming from the southwest all clearly told them that everything just now was real.

”Let’s go.” Nangong Xuan identified the direction without the slightest hesitation.

Two streaks of light swept past the desert’s lonely smoke, racing toward the peril-filled southwest.