The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

"Dad!" Cai Wenshuang exclaimed and wanted to stop it, but it was too late.

Those blood threads penetrated into Lao Cai's body at lightning speed.

Lao Cai's body swelled at a speed visible to the naked eye, like a blown-up balloon.

"Ah..." Old Cai roared in pain, and his eyes turned blood red in an instant.

At this moment, Xi Yu and Cai Wenshuang noticed at the same time that a photo was reflected in Old Cai's blood-red pupils!
That was a...group photo.

In the photo, the woman in purple is smiling sweetly and snuggling up to a man.

Although the man’s face was blurry, one could vaguely tell that he was… the late emperor!
And the background of this photo is... the Xi family's ancestral home!
The familiar blue bricks and black tiles, the familiar carved beams and painted buildings, all tell a shocking secret.

"This... this is impossible..." Cai Wenshuang muttered to himself.

Xi Yu's expression also became extremely solemn.

He stared at Lao Cai and asked word by word, "Who... are you?"

Old Cai did not answer, but slowly raised his hand and pointed at... the ever-expanding crack deep in the underground palace.

His originally kind face was now full of weirdness and... madness. He looked at Xi Yu with a creepy smile on his face.

Chapter 227 Chapter 231 Duel of Two Souls, When the Imperial City Collapses

The blood threads were like maggots in the tarsal bones, madly drilling into Lao Cai's body. Each one was like a red-hot iron wire, running rampant in his blood vessels.

Lao Cai's body swelled up like a deformed monster, his skin was stretched so tight that it seemed about to burst, and his veins bulged out like twisted earthworms.

A beast-like roar came from his throat, full of pain and despair, but also mixed with a strange excitement.

In the blood-red pupils, the photo became clearer and clearer. The woman in purple was smiling sweetly, leaning against the blurry body of the late emperor. The background was the ancestral home of the Xi family.

The blue bricks and black tiles, the carved beams and painted buildings, now looked eerie and terrifying, like a dormant beast about to bare its fangs.

"Who... are you?" Xi Yu's voice was low and hoarse, as if it had been polished by sandpaper, and trembled with a hint of disbelief.

Old Cai did not answer, but a creepy smile appeared on his distorted face.

That smile did not belong to a kind father, but more like a demon from hell.

He suddenly stretched out his hand, grabbed Xi Yu, and pushed him hard towards the ever-widening crack deep in the underground palace!

"Hurry up and find the 'Reverse Scale Formation' under the Xi family's ancestral home!" Old Cai's voice was hoarse and sharp, like the cry of a night owl, echoing in the empty underground palace.

Xi Yu was caught off guard and stumbled into the crack.

In the cracks, there were strange lights, time and space were distorted, and pictures flashed by like a kaleidoscope.

Suddenly, a clear image froze - young Xi Yu and young father Cai standing side by side, both of them with bright smiles on their faces.

This sudden scene made Xi Yu's heart tremble, and an inexplicable chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Outside the crack, Cai Wenshuang screamed and tried to reach out to pull Xiyu, but was grabbed by Old Cai.

"Don't move!" Lao Cai's voice was full of warning, but there was a hint of imperceptible pain in his eyes.

Cai Wenshuang's heart was in a knot, she stared at the crack, as if she wanted to see through it.

Suddenly, as if she thought of something, she tore open Xiyu's clothes.

A groove suddenly appeared at the position of Xiyu's chest, which was exactly the same as the goat pendant she had been wearing!

At this moment, Xi Yu suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, and in the blood, there was a purple poisonous insect!
The poisonous insect struggled and made a slight hissing sound.

"Back then, I held your father hostage to prevent him from activating this container!" Xi Yu's voice was weak and powerless, but with a hint of determination.

At the same time, on the ground of the imperial city, golden runes spread like a spider web, and the ancestral home of the Xi family slowly rose from the ground, like a sleeping giant finally waking up.

The tattoo on Old Cai's neck suddenly came to life and turned into black chains that tightly bound Xi Yu and Cai Wenshuang together.

"The twin bloodlines must be injected at the same time to activate the ultimate seal!" Lao Cai's voice was no longer hoarse, but became low and majestic, as if it came from an ancient oracle.

Xi Yu and Cai Wenshuang were tied together, their blood flowing slowly along the chains towards the Xi family's ancestral home... Old Cai watched this scene, a complex light flashed in his eyes, and he murmured to himself: "Zi Yi, you are finally... back..."

OK, here is the novel after removing the irrelevant content and translating it into English:
"Boom——"

There was a loud bang, as if thunder had exploded in the sky, and the entire imperial city trembled.

The simple bronze door of the Xi family's ancestral home slowly opened amidst the vibrations. A chilly breath blew in, bringing with it the smell of decay and death, making people shudder.

Xi Yu and Cai Wenshuang were tied up with black chains, like two lambs to be slaughtered, and were dragged into the dark abyss against their will.

The blood flowed along the chain and dripped onto the bluestone slabs, making a "tapping" sound, which was particularly harsh in this silent space.

At this moment, a purple light shot out from the depths of the imperial city, like a flash of lightning, breaking through the darkness.

The light faded, and a woman in purple slowly floated out of the late emperor's crystal coffin.

She had an absolutely beautiful face, yet with a strange seductiveness to her. Her eyes and eyebrows revealed a heart-pounding chill.

She stood in the air with her skirt fluttering, like the goddess of the nine heavens descending to the mortal world.

However, what she held tightly in her hand was a blood-stained jade pendant - it was the relic of Xiyu's mother and the softest memory in his heart!
"Yu'er, do you think...the Pavilion Master of Tianji is a weak woman?" The purple-clothed woman's voice was as erratic as a ghost, but with a hint of heartbreaking tenderness, "I... am the reincarnation of your mother!"

Xi Yu's pupils suddenly contracted, he stared at the jade pendant, the shock and anger in his heart erupted like a volcano!

"No... Impossible! Who... Who are you?!"

The woman in purple did not answer. She just smiled gently. That smile was breathtakingly beautiful, yet carried a hint of crazy cruelty.

"You will soon...know..."

Before she finished her words, she flashed and instantly appeared in front of Xi Yu and Cai Wenshuang.

She reached out and gently stroked Xiyu's face, her eyes revealing an almost morbid fascination.

"My Yu'er...you are finally...back..."

At the same time, a huge formation slowly emerged from the ground under the Xi family's ancestral home.

The core of the formation was actually the face of a young man - that face was exactly the same as Cai's father's when he was young!
Cai Wenshuang opened her eyes wide in horror. She struggled desperately but could not break free from the black chains.

“Dad…Dad!?”

The purple-clothed woman let out a sharp laugh, and that laugh, like the howling of ghosts and wolves, echoed in the empty underground palace.

"Hahaha... did you see that? This is the truth! You... are all just pawns!"

At this moment, Xi Yu suddenly discovered that the tattoo on Cai's father's neck exactly matched the pattern on the marriage certificate left by his mother!
Every line and every curve fits perfectly, as if they were originally one piece!
"Rumble--"

The imperial city began to shake violently. Huge cracks appeared on the ground. Houses collapsed and palaces tilted. The entire imperial city, as if doomsday had come, began to sink into the ground!

Xi Yu and Cai Wenshuang were tightly tied together with black chains. They were swept up by this huge force, thrown into the air, and then fell heavily to the ground.

As they fell, a space-time rift suddenly appeared and swallowed them up...

At the last moment before his consciousness disappeared, Xi Yu saw that Cai's father was standing in front of the huge formation and gave him a relieved smile.

That smile was warm and kind, like a spring breeze that dispelled all fear and anxiety.

“Let’s go.”

The space-time rift was like a hungry beast, devouring everything and dragging Xi Yu and Cai Wenshuang into endless darkness.

The wind was howling, and there was a heart-pounding sharp scream in my ears. My body seemed to be torn apart and then put together again.

Xi Yu felt like a fallen leaf, drifting in the boundless chaos, helpless and alone.

He subconsciously reached out and grabbed Cai Wenshuang's wrist. The cool touch made him feel a little relieved.

Suddenly, a little light appeared in the darkness, and the halo gradually expanded, eventually forming a vague figure.

Xi Yu narrowed his eyes, and the figure became clearer and clearer. It was actually the appearance of his mother when she was young!
Her eyes and eyebrows were gentle, with a faint smile on her lips, as warm as the spring sun.

"So... you are the first chosen container..." Xi Yu muttered to himself, with a storm in his heart. Container?

What do you mean?
What is the connection between my mother and Tianji Pavilion?
For twenty years, he always thought that Tianji Pavilion was founded by his father. Now it seems that the truth is far more complicated than he imagined.

At this moment, a sudden change occurred!
The inconspicuous goat pendant on Cai Wenshuang's neck suddenly emitted a dazzling light. The wooden goat seemed to come alive, stretching its limbs and turning into bronze chains that tightly wrapped around Xi Yu and Cai Wenshuang.

The chains were icy cold and hurt them.

The bronze chain was pulled violently, and the two were dragged into an unknown space like kites with broken strings.

When they came to their senses, they found themselves in an antique room.

With carved beams and painted buildings, and simple and elegant style, this is clearly the underground secret room of the Xi family's ancestral home!

In the center of the room, an illusory figure was slowly putting a jade pendant on a young child.

The child's eyebrows and eyes were clearly visible, and it was obviously the young Xi Yu!

And that illusory figure was exactly what his mother looked like when she was young.

“Remember, when blood twins appear, you must…” Xi Mu’s voice was gentle and firm, but it stopped abruptly at the critical moment.

Xi Yu's heart tightened and an ominous premonition came to his mind.

He tried desperately to hear what his mother said next, but he couldn't.

Suddenly, Xi Mu's figure turned around abruptly, and her gentle face instantly became hideous and terrifying, revealing the appearance of the woman in purple!
"You have tampered with twenty years of memory!" Xi Yu roared, and the forbidden techniques in his body erupted uncontrollably. A powerful force surged out of him, impacting everything around him.

At this moment, a deafening roar came from the ground, and a huge black figure rushed out from the ground, carrying with it tremendous resentment and murderous intent.

The figure's face could not be seen clearly, but one could feel the terrifying pressure emanating from him.

"Xi Wujiang!" Xi Yu exclaimed. That was the residual soul of his father, Xi Wujiang!

The remaining soul of Xi Wujiang let out a shrill roar and pounced towards the phantom of Xi Mu. The huge black claws tore her body apart and devoured her completely.

The secret room returned to calm, leaving only Xi Yu and Cai Wenshuang, as well as debris scattered on the ground.

"Who... is she?" Cai Wenshuang asked in a trembling voice.

Xi Yu was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "She is... my mother."

He looked up at Cai Wenshuang with a complicated look, "But, she is also..."

When the dust settled, the secret room was filled with deathly silence.

Xi Yu sat dejectedly on the ground, looking ahead with empty eyes, like a sculpture without a soul.

It was difficult for him to accept that his mother, his beloved mother, had such a deep connection with such a mysterious organization like Tianji Pavilion.

Cai Wenshuang stood aside in shock. She subconsciously stroked the goat pendant on her neck and felt a cool touch on her fingertips.

The thrilling scene just now still makes her feel frightened.

The hideousness of Xi Mu's phantom and the horror of Xi Wujiang's remaining soul were deeply imprinted in her mind and could not be erased.

Suddenly, Cai Wenshuang's eyes fell on a pile of debris scattered on the ground.

She walked over, squatted down, and carefully put the pieces together.

The fragments were pieced together into a photo, which showed a young couple. The man was handsome and the woman was gentle and lovely. They were hugging each other tightly, with happy smiles on their faces.

"This... this is..." Cai Wenshuang widened his eyes and looked at the man in the photo in disbelief.

That face, those familiar features, were exactly what her father looked like when he was young!
The woman next to him was Xiyu's mother.

"He is your real..." Cai Wenshuang suddenly raised his head and looked at Xi Yu, only to find that he was staring at him with complicated eyes.

Before she could finish her words, Xi Yu grabbed her wrist and pressed her hard onto the altar left by Xi's mother.

The touch of the cold altar made Cai Wenshuang shiver. She struggled in fear, but found that she could not move.

The goat pendant emits a dazzling light, as if it resonates with the altar.

Then, a shocking scene happened: the wooden carved goat automatically broke away from the pendant, flew to the groove in the center of the altar, and embedded itself into it perfectly.

Rumbling--

The altar emitted a low roar, and the entire secret room began to vibrate violently.

Above the altar, a stone tablet slowly rose up, on which was engraved a line of ancient words: "The twin bloodlines must be guided by the blood of first love."

"First love...love blood?" Cai Wenshuang murmured to himself, feeling an inexplicable uneasiness in his heart.

Xi Yu's gaze fell on the stone tablet, and his eyes became deep and complex.

He bit his fingertips without hesitation, and blood dripped down his fingertips. Bright red blood beads bloomed on the altar, like blooming Lycoris radiata, enchanting and weird.

He grabbed Cai Wenshuang's hand, interlocked their fingers, and pressed his bleeding fingers into her palm.

The two streams of blood blended together, emitting a strange light.

At this moment, the scene under the foundation of the Xi family's ancestral home emerged again from the cracks in time and space.

A huge bronze chain appeared before their eyes. Countless runes were entangled on the chain, flashing a faint blue light and emitting a suffocating pressure.

"What...what is this?" Cai Wenshuang's voice trembled.

Xi Yu did not answer. He stared at the huge bronze lock. He suddenly opened his clothes, revealing a groove on his chest...

Rumble - the roar of the altar was like the roar of a giant beast, making Cai Wen's eardrums buzz. Dust fell from the stone walls of the secret room, and a suffocating feeling of oppression filled the air.

The rising stone tablet and the ancient text lingered in her mind like a ghostly whisper.

"First love...blood of love?" These words pierced her heart like needles, and the tide of uneasiness almost drowned her.

Xi Yu's movements were as fast as lightning, without any hesitation.

He ripped open his clothes, revealing his muscular chest. There was a groove on his heart with a strange shape, like some ancient totem.

The skin around the groove was densely covered with dark red lines, like dormant poisonous snakes, which was frightening.

He pulled Cai Wenshuang closer and almost roughly pressed her into the bronze lock.

The huge bronze lock emitted a cold light, and the runes on the chain squirmed like living things, emitting a suffocating pressure.

Cai Wenshuang could feel the cold metallic breath seeping through her thin clothes and into her skin, causing her to shudder.

"You have to use the real one..." Xi Yu's voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of unspeakable pain. He stared at Cai Wenshuang closely, with a complex light flashing in his eyes.

What is real?
Cai Wenshuang didn't have time to think about it, she instinctively bit the tip of her tongue, and a fishy and sweet taste spread.

The bright red blood dripped and fell into the groove on Xi Yu's heart.

At that moment, something strange happened.

The blood beads in the groove were like raindrops falling into a calm lake, rippling and transforming into a blooming lotus totem, enchanting and strange.

At the same time, the dark red lines on Xiyu's chest began to flow in the reverse direction, like awakened poisonous snakes, twisting wildly and emitting dazzling light.

Where their skin touched, a golden light rose up, like a divine light, illuminating the entire secret room.

Cai Wenshuang felt a powerful force surging into her body, causing her to tremble all over and almost unable to breathe.

Xiyu suddenly lowered his head and kissed her neck. His warm breath sprayed on her skin, making her feel numb.

"I held you hostage back then just to confirm..." His voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of indescribable emotion.

However, before he could finish his words, something strange happened again.

Strands of purple-red blood emerged from the ground, coiled around the altar like a spirit snake, and then quickly spread and drilled into the two people's intertwined blood vessels.

The bloodstains exude an evil aura, like a ghost from hell, making people shudder. (End of this chapter)