I want to tread the heavens

Just as his heart sank slightly and he was about to turn to another area, his gaze was suddenly drawn to the bottom of an inconspicuous, dusty low shelf in the far corner. There were several rolls of animal hides piled up there, dark in color, with torn edges, and even worm-eaten, clearly "junk" that had been abandoned for many years and no one had paid any attention to them.

However, just as his gaze swept over one of the gray, irregularly torn animal hide scrolls, the jade pendant around his neck suddenly emitted an extremely faint yet exceptionally clear warmth! This warmth was different from the burning sensation he usually felt when sensing the power of a meteorite or a crisis; it was more like a faint resonance and attraction!

Ling Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately squatted down with difficulty (a movement that made him wince in pain), reaching out to brush away the thick layer of dust from the rolled-up animal hide. The hide was rough and cold to the touch; he didn't know what kind of animal hide it was tanned from, but it had hardened over the years, turning a dull grayish-brown. The scroll itself wasn't large, about two feet square when unfolded, and it was covered with densely packed, twisted, and strange symbols written in a dark red ink that resembled dried blood.

It wasn't the script commonly used in the old land, nor was it any of the ancient scripts Ling Xiao had seen at the Guo family's residence. These symbols were crooked and twisted, sometimes like stars adorning the sky, sometimes like vines entwining, and sometimes like lightning striking down, with no discernible pattern. Looking at them for too long would make one dizzy.

But Ling Xiao's gaze was fixed on the upper right corner of the scroll, where there were several slightly larger symbols. The shape of these symbols... He suddenly closed his eyes, and his mind flashed back to the ancient runes related to "Zi Qiong" that had flashed by when the miniature altar in the alchemy room's underground palace transmitted information! Although not exactly the same, the spirit and the certain meaning between the strokes were vaguely similar!

Is it the script of the Starfall Clan? Or some ancient language related to the Starfall Clan?

His heart pounded wildly. Suppressing his excitement, he carefully picked up the roll of animal hide. When his fingers inadvertently touched a dark red pattern resembling a star map vortex in the center of the roll—

"Buzz!"

The warmth of the jade pendant around his neck suddenly intensified! A gentle and pure meteoric power spontaneously surged from the pendant, flowing down his fingertips and into the animal hide scroll! The dark red symbols, resembling dried blood, began to glow faintly, one after another, the meteoric power illuminating them the instant it was injected! Like stars gradually lighting up in the night!

Although the light was faint, it seemed to activate some long-dormant mechanism. The originally chaotic and unrecognizable symbols on the animal skin scroll began to slowly move and recombine around the vortex pattern under the flow of starfall power! Finally, under Ling Xiao's shocked gaze, it transformed into a cultivation method that, although still incomplete, was clearly divided into sections and carried a strange rhythm!

The first few illuminated, largest symbols, their implied meanings, echoed the introductory principles of the "Stellar Response Manual" in his mind! Although the language was different, the core essence of "drawing stellar power into the body, tempering the flesh, opening the Purple Palace, and responding to the circulatory cycle" was exactly the same! This was clearly a sequel to the "Stellar Response Manual," or more accurately, a more complete and orthodox foundational method! Moreover, it was an authentic transmission recorded in the Starfall Clan's own language!

Ling Xiao was almost overjoyed to tears! He had searched high and low without finding it! With this orthodox method, perfectly suited to his bloodline, he could more safely and effectively guide and control his nascent Starfall power, laying the most solid foundation! Perhaps, in the future, he could even use it to gradually gain control of the dangerous Devouring Heaven Bloodline!

He immediately composed himself, forcing himself to stay calm. Time was running out; he had to memorize it immediately! He dared not hope to take the original scroll away (as that would inevitably trigger the restrictions), so he could only desperately try to memorize it.

However, just as he was concentrating on trying to memorize the opening mental technique, another unexpected event occurred!

On the animal skin scroll, next to the swirling pattern, several symbols that were originally dim and resembled chains suddenly lit up when the power of the meteorite flowed nearby. They burst out with a dark red light full of ominous and imprisoning meaning, and crashed into Ling Xiao's sea of ​​consciousness!

"Ugh!" Ling Xiao groaned, as if struck by a heavy blow. His head throbbed with pain, his vision blurred, and a mouthful of blood welled up in his throat, which he forced down. Within the dark red light, there was an extremely faint yet chilling and sinister intent attempting to invade his mind!

It's a trap! Besides the Starfall inheritance, this animal skin scroll was also covered with a vicious seal or curse! If it weren't for the jade pendant protecting him and the pure power of the Starfall, what he just experienced would probably have been more than just a headache; he could have been directly corrupted by this evil thought, turning him into an idiot or a puppet!

Who? Who tampered with this heirloom of the Starfall Clan?

Ling Xiao was horrified, but there was no time to think. He acted decisively, immediately severing the connection between the jade pendant and the meteorite power of the animal hide scroll. The light on the animal hide scroll quickly dimmed, the symbols became chaotic again, and the dark red curse disappeared, as if nothing had ever happened.

He endured the throbbing pain in his mind and the churning of his blood, and as quickly as possible, he imprinted the opening outline and the first level of the mental cultivation method of the reorganized orthodox "Starry Sky Induction Chapter" deep into his mind. Although it was only the most basic of the basics, it was enough for him, even crucial.

After doing all this, he was drenched in sweat, his face was ashen, and his body was swaying precariously. The effects of the Qi-restoring pill were almost exhausted.

"The time is approaching." Inside the tower, the emotionless voice of the old man suddenly rang out, echoing in the silent space.

Ling Xiao dared not hesitate. With his last ounce of strength, he carefully stuffed the animal hide scroll, now back into its "scrap" state, back into the corner, trying to erase any trace of his tampering. Then, leaning against the bookshelf, he staggered toward the exit. Passing the bookshelves displaying "high-level martial arts techniques," he casually grabbed a high-grade Yellow rank sword manual titled "Gentle Breeze Swaying Willow Sword Technique," clutching it tightly in his hand as his "obvious" haul for this trip.

Just as he stepped out of the second floor and was about to descend the stone steps, out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to catch a glimpse of a very faint, dark red spot of light in the shadows of the third-floor entrance, which flashed by in an instant, like an illusion.

His heart skipped a beat, and he didn't dare to linger, so he quickened his pace.

When he finally stepped out of the secret chamber's stone gate and stood in the sunlight again, he felt dizzy and could no longer support himself. His body went limp and he fell forward.

Uncle Rong, who had been waiting outside, stepped forward and steadily supported him. At the same time, his sharp gaze swept over the book "Gentle Breeze and Willow Sword Manual" in his hand, and then quickly looked at his pale face, which was as white as paper, yet faintly carried a hint of indescribable excitement and lingering fear.

"Let's go." Uncle Rong didn't ask any more questions. He picked up Ling Xiao, turned around and left. His steps were steady and quick, and he soon disappeared into the alleys of the Secret Pavilion area.

Behind them, the Secret Pavilion Stone Tower stood silently in the sunlight, its body covered with moss, as if nothing had happened in the brief hour that had just passed.

On the third floor of the secret chamber, in that absolute darkness and silence, a pair of eyes devoid of any emotion, like millennia-old ice, slowly opened, glanced in the direction of the entrance to the second floor, and then slowly closed again. Only a barely audible sigh, seemingly from ancient times, drifted away in the dust.