The crack in the heavenly membrane closed behind Xuan's shoulder, and the ray of light that did not belong to San Gu lasted only three breaths before completely extinguishing. What he fell into was not the vast world he imagined, but a shattered continent suspended in chaos - the left mountain was covered with semi transparent ice crystals, and each snowflake maintained an absolutely symmetrical hexagonal shape, but suddenly burned with an eternal black flame at the top of the mountain; On the right side of the plain flows a viscous river of blood, which splits into millions of tentacles every thirteen breaths. However, when it touches the central scorched earth, it converges back into a calm lake surface.
This is the ancient frontier, "Xuan clenched his stone axe tightly, and the dust of time condensed into a compass in his pupils. The pointer was swinging at an irregular frequency." The law of time here is like a broken string, and the forces of ancient and ancient times can shatter everything at any time
Before the words could finish, the Blood River suddenly stirred up a wave that was hundreds of feet high. Countless eyeballs appeared at the top of millions of flesh and blood tentacles, each one reproducing the scene of Xuan splitting the heavenly membrane. At the same time, the Ice Crystal Mountains made a sound of glass shattering, and twelve amber statues frozen from perfect warriors broke the ice. Their armor patterns, muscle lines, and even pupil reflections were completely identical, with the only difference being the weapons in their hands - some holding frozen long swords, some lifting frozen giant shields, but with the same frequency of vibration as they stepped.
On the left is the ancient 'perfect hunter', and on the right is the ancient 'distorted hunter'. "The rust smell in Xuan's throat was a sign of excessive consumption of the dust of time." They are not living creatures, but pursuit orders that manifest the law
The first wave of attack came without warning. The long sword of the Amber Warrior slashed with an absolute zero degree aura, and wherever it passed, the tips of its mysterious hair instantly crystallized; The sharp teeth of the flesh and blood tentacles bit through his right arm, and immediately a tumor like abnormal tissue grew at the wound site. He forcefully activated the spark in his heart, unleashing both forces simultaneously, only to discover that the shattered ice crystals and remnants of flesh and blood were forming a vortex within his body, almost tearing apart his spiritual nucleus.
You can't use two extreme powers at the same time! "Xuan gritted his teeth, and the stone axe suddenly split into three parts in his hand: the Ice Crystal Blade, the Flesh Blade, and the Spark Blade." You can only... break through one by one
He transformed into a flowing light and charged towards the ancient warrior, his left arm fully crystallized. In the moment his fist hit the opponent's chest, it shook the perfect armor into a spiderweb like crack. The perfection you pursue is nothing but a cocoon of lies! "Xuan roared, and the Starfire Blade simultaneously grazed the flesh tentacles. Those wildly proliferating tissues let out a sharp roar in the Starfire, retreating back into the Blood River like a receding tide.
But more pursuers are emerging. In the depths of the Ice Crystal Mountains, the trillions of light bodies of the "Ancient Sky Skeleton" condensed into a giant hand, with its palm aimed at the ancient edge; In the center of the Blood River, the core eyeball of the "Eternal Source Mother" surfaced, and every movement of Xuan was reflected in the pupils. Just as Xuan was about to exhaust his strength, a chain burning with golden runes descended from the sky, precisely coiling around his wrist and pulling him into the air.
If you don't want to be frozen into amber or melted into pus and blood, just close your mouth and follow me! "At the other end of the chain, a female figure wearing broken armor stood on a suspended bone boat, her left face covered in a bronze mask, and her right eye pupil was actually a burning flame." I am the last 'Guardian of the Ashes' of the Fireworks Council, Ashes
The bone boat sliced through the chaotic flow of time and space, and Xuan finally saw the full picture of the ancient edge: between the broken continents, there were countless celestial pillars transformed from Pangu bones floating, each inscribed with incomplete runes, some crumbling, and some barely maintaining the flow of time. In the distance, a city woven with sparks hovered in the center, surrounded by layers of bonfires outside the city walls, but constantly shrinking under the erosion of ancient times.
That's the 'City of Ashes and Flames', the last sanctuary of ancient times, "Ashes' voice was tired." Three hundred years ago, there were seventeen cities like this, and now... we are the only one left
The bone boat landed at the top of the city, and Xuan was shocked by the scene in front of him: the creatures walking on the streets were of various shapes, some with dragon heads but stiff legs (a sequelae of ancient erosion), some with translucent bodies that could see internal organ movements (remnants of ancient distortions), but they all had the same spark burning in their eyes - a desire for survival, as well as an unwillingness to abide by the Three Ancient Laws.
They are all descendants of Pangu's flesh and blood, "Jin took off his bronze mask, revealing the burn scar on his right face," including me. Three hundred years ago, I was still the priest responsible for guarding the remnants of the Star Track until the ancient Ice Ridge broke through the defense line
Her words were interrupted by a sudden alarm. The bonfire at the city head suddenly swayed violently, and a sentinel pointed to the north and exclaimed, "The ancient 'Mirror Wall' has advanced ten miles again! This time... with the complete Amber Legion
Looking north, I saw a crystal clear wall approaching at a visible speed, reflecting the scene of the city of Ashes of Fire, but correcting all dynamic existence into a perfect static state - running children frozen into jumping statues, burning bonfires frozen into golden flower clusters. What's even more terrifying is that for every zhang the mirror wall advances, the bonfire at the city's entrance weakens by one point.
The Mirror Wall is the most terrifying weapon of ancient times, "Jin clenched the bone whip around his waist." It will 'imprint' everything that exists into a specimen, even freezing the flow of time. Three hundred years ago, my right face was burned by the Mirror Wall because it could not understand the imperfect existence of 'pain'
Xuan suddenly remembered the ancient plain in his fragmented memories, and the extreme silence made him shudder. He looked at Jin and said, "Are the fragments of the star orbit you are guarding the time compass left by Pangu when he opened the sky
Jin's pupils suddenly contracted: "How do you know? Are you... the legendary 'residue of time'? According to the ancient books of the Fireworks Council, when Pangu chopped off the cocoon, blood and cocoon silk fused into a special existence that could carry the Three Ancient Laws and break the closed loop of time
Her words were interrupted by the roar of the mirror wall. The first row of amber warriors has arrived at the city, their movements are neat and uniform, and the angle of their long swords is precise to the millimeter. The defenders of Ashefire City rushed forward, but were frozen to amber in the moment of contact, their expressions forever frozen in a mixture of fear and anger.
If this continues for more than half an hour, the mirror wall will freeze the entire city, "Jin's bone whip ignited a spark in his hand." We need to activate the 'Time Anchor' of the Star Track Fragment, at least for three days! But the core of the fragment... is at the deepest part of the main hall of the city, guarded by three elders
Xuan suddenly felt the restlessness of Time Dust inside his body and pointed to the back of the mirror wall: "In the reflection of the mirror wall, I saw the location of the star orbit fragment. It was frozen in ancient amber, but it was reflecting ancient flesh and blood eddies - this indicates that the fragment is at the junction of the Three Ancient Laws
Hope flickered in Jin's eyes: "That's right! The Star Orbital Fragment is the only existence that can connect the Three Ancient Ones at the same time. Pangu buried it under the foundation of Jin Fire City back then to maintain time stability through the conflict between the Three Ancient Ones. But now... the pointer of the fragment has tilted, and the power of the Ancient Ones is gaining the upper hand
Let me go. "Xuan clenched the stone axe tightly, and the three states of power circulated within his body." My body can withstand the impact of the Three Ancient Laws, and... I saw the Pangu pattern on the fragment, which is the key to unlocking the anchor of time
Jin stared into his eyes and finally nodded, "Passing through the central square, the main hall of the city is under the largest bonfire. Remember, on the way, you will encounter the 'Echoes of Time' - a perfect illusion replicated by the ancient Mirror Wall, which will allow you to see the most desired scene, but touch it and die
Xuan rushed towards the central square, and the scenery along the way made him tremble: the buildings on the left were being frozen by the mirror wall, the actions of the residents were frozen in their escape, and the tears on their faces froze into ice crystals; The street on the right is being eroded by ancient flesh and blood, with houses turning into living tissue and doors and windows turning into eyes and mouths, emitting a vague roar. In the central square, on an altar built with Pangu ribs, a huge bonfire was extinguishing, and countless shadows of the ancestors appeared on Mars. They reached out to grab the Xuan, but in the moment they touched it, it turned into ashes.
Is this... the lingering sound of time? "Xuan forcibly averted his gaze, only to see a familiar figure in the afterglow - a girl from an ancient tribe he had seen in his memory fragments. She smiled and reached out her hand to him, with half a stone axe fragment lying in her palm.
Don't touch her! "Jin's voice came from a distance," That's a perfect trap created by Taikoo that will freeze your spirit core
Xuan suddenly woke up, and the stone axe instinctively swung out. In the moment when the spark blade shattered the illusion, the girl's body turned into millions of ice crystals, each reflecting his future frozen into amber. He gritted his teeth and continued forward, finally seeing the entrance to the main hall of the city - it was a gate made up of fragments of star orbits, each piece rotating counterclockwise, emitting a dizzying buzzing sound.
At the moment of pushing open the door, Xuan was swept into the turbulent flow of time. He saw the city of Ashes of Fire in the past: 100000 ancestors gathered around bonfires to revel, fragments of star trajectories suspended in the center, and the hands of the time compass steadily rotating; He also saw the future city of Ashes and Flames: the entire city was frozen into amber, hanging in the ancient sky, becoming a perfect specimen; Finally, he saw the core of the current fragment - three elders sitting cross legged around the orbital fragment, their bodies semi transparent and able to see the dust of time flowing within them.
Outsider... you carry the aura of San Gu, "the oldest elder opened his eyes with two miniature hourglass pupils." You are the bloodline of Pangu, but also tainted by the curse of cocoon silk. Tell me, are you here to save or to destroy
I will activate the Anchor of Time to confront the Mirror Wall, "Xuan looked directly into the elder's eyes." I know that the Star Orbital Fragment requires the balance of the Three Ancient Forces to operate, and my body... is the best balancer
The three elders exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. Xuan walked to the center of the fragment, and the dust of time suddenly lifted him off the ground like boiling silver paste. The fragments of the star orbit emitted a buzzing sound, and the pointer began to spin wildly, projecting a phantom of the Three Ancient Ones into his body: ancient ice crystals condensed into a shield in his left arm, ancient flesh and blood turned into blades in his right arm, and ancient sparks ignited into a furnace in his chest.
With my own body, I inherit the Three Olds! "Xuan roared, inserting the stone axe into the core of the fragment." In the name of Pangu, awaken the anchor of time
The entire main hall of the city trembled violently, and the remnants of the star orbit erupted into a sun like radiance. Outside the city, the advancing Mirror Wall suddenly came to a halt, and the movements of the Amber Warrior experienced a 0.1 breath lag; The flesh and blood tentacles in the blood river let out a painful scream and began to crazily counterattack themselves. The bonfire at the head of the Ashen Fire City once again flourished, and the ancestors cheered. They saw that behind Xuan, the phantom figure of Pangu was holding up a stone axe, cutting open the turbulent flow of time enveloping the city.
But the cost is also enormous. Xuan felt that his spiritual core was being torn apart by the Three Ancient Forces, and the vortex formed by Time Dust inside his body was almost about to tear him apart. Three elders simultaneously took action and injected their own dust of time into his body, barely stabilizing his balance.
The anchor of time can only last for three days, "the youngest elder coughed, his mouth overflowing with silver sand
Jin supported Xuan as he walked out of the main hall of the city. At this moment, the ancient edge had temporarily stabilized, the mirror wall had retreated ten miles, and the Blood River had returned to calm. But Xuan knew that this was just the tranquility before the storm.
Where are you going next? "Jin looked at the distant Ice Crystal Mountains and Blood River." The ancient amber contained the 'fragments of stillness' of the Pangu axe, the ancient flesh contained the' fragments of chaos', and the ancient ruins buried the 'fragments of flow'. Only by collecting all three fragments can we reassemble the Skyaxe and truly strike the core of the cocoon
Xuan wiped away the silver sand from the corner of his mouth and looked towards the direction of the Heavenly Mask, where a new crack seemed to have appeared: "I'll go to Taigu first. I want to see how many ancient obsessions are sealed in that perfect cemetery
Jin nodded and took out a bone fragment engraved with runes from his pocket: "This is an 'ice breaking talisman' that leads to the ancient world, but it can only be used once. Remember, the core area of the ancient world has the 'Eye of the Void Bones', which is the consciousness center of the ancient Void Bones. Any existence with a' change 'aura will be instantly frozen
Xuan took the bone fragment and Shi Zhichen condensed it into the Three Ancient Marks in his palm: "Three days later, I will come back with the fragments of stillness. Then, let's go to the ancient world together
He turned around and walked towards the city head, where the ancient ice crystal light and the ancient flesh red light were fiercely colliding in the cracks of the celestial membrane behind him. Jin watched his back and unconsciously touched the bone whip around his waist, where a secret was hidden - the elders of the Fireworks Council had predicted that the appearance of the remnants of time would be both the key to breaking the cocoon and the fuse to awaken the old remains.
I hope you're not the second Pangu, "Jin whispered softly," and I don't want you to be the first corpse in a cocoon
Outside the city, Xuan activated the ice breaking symbol, and a ice crystal bridge descended from the sky, connecting ancient and primordial times. He took a deep breath and took the first step into the perfect graveyard. The dust of time condensed into ice under his feet, but was instantly melted by sparks - this was his first formal conversation with the Three Ancient Laws and the true beginning of the path to breaking through the cocoon.
End of Chapter 2