Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 1009 Wei Hand

Flower of Ashes? Chapter 3 Stars Lead the Way When the petals of the Star Grass were wet with snow, Elena heard the crisp sound of bones healing. She opened her eyes at the soft touch. The buds of the black rose were withering at a speed visible to the naked eye. The petals fell on the snow and turned into faint blue points of light, like crushed stars. The rose mark on the collarbone became lighter, leaving only a light pink line, which looked like an ordinary birthmark. "Sister!" Elena was trying to move her fingers when Leo's voice hit her eardrum. The vines condensed into tiny buds in her palms. When they touched the boy's cheek, they immediately curled up into a circle, as if afraid of scratching the soft skin. "You're awake!" Karen's armor carried the chill of snowflakes. He knelt on one knee to check her pulse, his fingertips trembling, betraying his forced composure. "The totem pole's light enveloped you all night. We all thought..." "Thought I'd become fertilizer?" Elena pulled herself up, finding herself lying on a soft couch of stargrass, each petal gleaming with a shimmering blue light. The snow on the Holy Mountain had mostly melted, revealing the bluish-black rock beneath, patterned with the same patterns as the crystal in her palm. Ella approached, holding the Light Devouring Stone. The dark red had faded, leaving it looking like ordinary obsidian. "The shaman said this is a gift from the power of Chaos," she placed the stone in Elena's palm. The moment the two crystals touched, the Holy Mountain trembled slightly. "You've absorbed the energy of the totem pole." Elena gripped the Light Devouring Stone tightly, feeling a warm force spread through her arm, repairing the meridians burned by the holy light. She looked toward the distant Moonlight Canyon. The golden light there had dissipated, replaced by curls of black smoke—the dust from the collapsed main altar, like a freehand ink painting in the morning light. "The captives of the Paladins are being held in the Holy Mountain Caves," Karen handed over a piece of warm jerky, camel meat unique to the Blackrock Tribe. "Among them is a military historian who offered to hand over the Inquisition's confidential files in exchange for his daughter's life." Leo suddenly raised the cross in his hand, the words "Morning Star" on the silver chain gleaming in the sunlight. "He also said he recognized this! He said it's a token from the royal family to the Morning Star family, and it can open a secret chamber beneath the palace!" The boy's amber eyes were filled with excitement, and his fingertips repeatedly stroked the inscription. "There's something left behind by my mother inside!" Elena's heart suddenly tightened. She remembered her mother bowing deeply toward the palace before being taken to the execution ground. "Some truths must be hidden in the safest place." At first, she thought she was referring to the family's treasures, but now she understood that they were secrets more important than wealth. "We need to go to the city-state." Elaina tucked the Light Devouring Stone into her arms. Vines unfolded behind her, forming wings. This time, the wings were no longer pure black, but glowed with the blue light of star grass. "Although the main force of the Inquisition has been destroyed, the Bishop remains in the palace. He must have clues to the Forgotten Land." When Blackstone arrived with the barbarian warriors, each of them had star grass embedded in their armor. The chief's stone axe was stained with fresh blood, evidently having just dealt with a traitor. "The shamans say the tunnels under the sacred mountain lead directly to the city-state's sewers, where our tribe has buried its weapons." He spread his rough palm, revealing half a yellowed parchment scroll. "This is a map of the city-state drawn by the old shaman, marking all the guard changeover times." Ela unfolded the map and spotted a small rose pattern in the corner, with barbarian script written beside it. Ella pointed at the pattern and explained, "This was a gift from the Morning Star Family three hundred years ago, saying we could seek refuge here when the city-state was in danger." The pattern was located where the Morning Star Family's former residence once stood. "I will lead the knights through the main gate to attract attention." Karen's long sword shone silver in the sunlight. Twenty paladins had changed into barbarian animal skin armor, and only their helmets retained their original style. "The old members of the Seventh Knights are in the tavern on the west side of the city-state. They will respond immediately when they see our signal." He suddenly took off his helmet, and his flaxen short hair was wet by the morning dew, sticking to his full forehead. Elena's wings reflected in his amber pupils, like stars falling into a lake. "If I don't come back..." "You will," Elena interrupted, her fingertips entwining vines around his wrist, leaving a pale blue mark. "This is a tracking spell. I can find you wherever you are." She remembered Karen's resolve last night, sword raised to his heart, and suddenly reached out to smooth his furrowed brow. "Don't be foolish. Leo is waiting to hear your story about your father." Karen's ears flushed instantly. He hurriedly put on his helmet, his voice muffled from his armor: "The Knights are ready to depart at any time." As he turned, the rose handkerchief at his waist blew in the wind, revealing the small words embroidered on the corner: "The stars are witnesses." Leo tugged at Elena's sleeve and pointed to the summit of the Holy Mountain: "Sister, look!" In the morning light, the huge black rose was withering, the trail of falling petals forming an arc in the sky, pointing precisely in the direction of the city-state. In the center of the calyx lay a blue crystal the size of a pigeon egg, like a star nurtured by petals. "It's the core of a star." Ella's grandfather, the rescued old shaman, approached with a cane, the tusks on his bone necklace gleaming in the sunlight. "The source of Chaos power, it will guide you to the Forgotten Lands." His bony fingers traced the crystal's surface, and the lines suddenly illuminated, revealing a valley shrouded in mist. "There lies your family's true power." Elana inserted the core into the gap in the crystal in her palm. The moment the two stones fit perfectly, she heard her mother's voice echo in her mind: "When the stars return to their positions, the mists will dissipate." The voice was as clear as if her mother were right beside her, carrying the familiar scent of jasmine—her favorite perfume. "It's time to set off." Elana lifted Leo onto the giant eagle's back. The boy clutched the eagle feather tightly, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. Ella followed beside on another giant eagle, her brown curly hair full of star grass, like a glowing bush on top. As they flew away from the Holy Mountain, Elena looked back. Karen was leading the Knights towards the main gate of the city-state. The dust raised by the twenty war horses stretched a long line across the wasteland, like a silver bond connecting the Holy Mountain and the city-state. Black Stone led the barbarian warriors into the tunnel. The sound of stone axes hitting rocks came from afar, with a rhythmic rhythm, like some kind of ancient war song. The walls of the city-state were looming in the clouds. Elena could see the guards patrolling on the battlements, their armor reflecting the morning light, but they didn't know that danger was approaching in secret. The giant eagle flew low in the clouds, and the airflow from its wings startled a flock of white pigeons. Its gray figure passed over the spire of the church,