The system is the proficiency panel - 273. Peaceful Time
The system is the proficiency panel
273. Peaceful Time"This is the Heart of Flame, and the other one is the real Holy Stone."
The Pope's voice echoed in the darkness.
Tuoba Ye frowned and couldn't help asking.
"The Heart of Flame? Is it the monster that almost destroyed the Radiant Star in the legend?"
The Pope nodded.
"That's right. Although Yan Ji is dead, his heart and his remaining will cannot be erased."
The bells on Su Tang's hair rang without any wind, making a clear sound. She spoke coldly.
"So, the Holy Church has been studying how to harness its power?"
The Pope sighed, his eyes deep.
"At first, we just wanted to find a way to completely destroy the heart. But then we found that Yan Ji's will was slowly reviving. We had no choice but to try to control its power to prevent it from fully waking up and no one could contend with it."
Chen Chen's heart was shocked, and he recalled his experience in Hongxia City, the scene where Raymond was turned into a monster by the Holy Stone. He asked in a deep voice.
"Is the monster that Lord Raymond turned into the price of trying to control power? And what does the real sacred stone mean?"
The Pope did not answer directly, but raised his hand and tapped the star map. The picture changed, and countless struggling figures emerged. Their bodies were distorted and deformed under the erosion of the holy stone, and finally turned into ashes. Only a very few people survived, and lines similar to Yan Ji appeared on their bodies.
"The price is indeed heavy, but for the future of Huanguang Star, we have no choice but to do this."
The Pope's voice was filled with regret.
"As for the Holy Stone... There has always been only one real Holy Stone, which was left by the Martial Saint Xuan Cang. It was used to suppress Yan Ji's heart. As for what we are talking about now, it is nothing more than a crystal stone tainted with Yan Ji's artistic conception, used to confuse people."
He looked at the three people, with a gleam of determination in his eyes.
"As children of destiny, you are prophesied to be able to withstand Yan Ji's power without being backfired."
Tuoba Ye sneered.
"So, you want us to be experimental subjects?"
The Pope shook his head.
"No, you are hope. The Holy Stone prophesied that the Son of Destiny will lead the Holy Church into a new era. If you can successfully integrate the power of the heart, we will have a chance to find a way to completely destroy Yan Ji before he fully awakens."
Chen Chen was silent for a moment and asked.
"What if it fails?"
The Pope's eyes dimmed.
"Then, you will become like the others, either turning into a monster like the Scarlet Flame Beast or exploding and dying."
The Holy Prayer Hall fell into deathly silence. Only the light from the crystal array flickered slightly, reflecting the solemn faces of the three people.
After a moment, Chen Chen raised his head with a determined look. He thought of Betty's words and thought about it carefully...
"I... am willing to try."
Tuoba Ye and Su Tang looked at each other and finally nodded.
The Pope smiled with relief.
"Very good, but there is no rush. According to our observation, it will take at least fifty years for Yan Ji to be resurrected. We will hold the ceremony after you become Martial Saints. Before that, you just need to practice well. Of course, before the actual ceremony, you all have the opportunity to regret, and the Holy Church will never force you."
As he finished speaking, the shark oil lamp was relit, and the star map disappeared. Chen Chen and the other two bowed and left. When they walked out of the prayer hall, Bettys was waiting anxiously outside the door. She was obviously relieved to see that Chen Chen was safe and sound, but the worry in her eyes had not yet dissipated.
Chen Chen smiled at her and said softly.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Bettys hesitated and finally just whispered.
"May the holy stone bless you."
……
For the next four months, Water Blue Planet welcomed a long-awaited peace.
The walls of Hongxia City sparkled in the sun, and the red cloud-patterned light curtain covered the city as usual, but there were no more frequent alarms. The streets were crowded with people, and the shouts of vendors and the sounds of children playing were intertwined, as if the shadow of war had never fallen.
Lin Ji stood on the high platform of the Ye Family Mansion, overlooking the increasingly prosperous city. His eyes swept across the newly built academy in the distance - it gathered scholars and warriors from all over the world, studying the combination of cultivation and technology. Further away, farmlands were neatly arranged, spiritual plants and ordinary crops coexisted, and the yield was far higher than before.
"Michiko, this is this month's resource allocation report."
Yue Shanwu stepped forward and handed over a jade slip. Lin Ji took it, scanned it with his spiritual sense, and nodded slightly.
"The mining efficiency of the spiritual mine has increased by 30%, which is good."
Yue Shanwu laughed.
"Thanks to the mining equipment improved by those scientists, now even ordinary people can participate in the initial screening of spiritual ores, and monks only need to be responsible for the final refining."
Lin Ji nodded and turned his gaze to the outside of the city.
“What’s the situation at the border?”
“It’s surprisingly quiet.”
Yue Shanwu stroked his beard, with a hint of doubt in his tone.
"There is almost no monster attack. There is no movement even from the direction of the Miasma Moon Abyss. The Flame Snake seems to have completely disappeared."
Lin Ji pondered for a moment and said lightly.
"If something is out of the ordinary, there must be something fishy going on. Continue to strengthen your vigilance, especially monitoring the movements of the Holy Church."
"Yes."
Yue Shanwu took the order and withdrew.
……
Ye Zizhen pushed open the door of the training room, and her golden hair swayed gently with her movements. Her aura was more condensed than four months ago, and there was a faint golden edge flowing around her body - that was a sign that the golden potential had taken shape.
"Brother, I think I succeeded!"
She said excitedly, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Lin Ji withdrew his gaze from the distance and raised the corners of his mouth slightly.
"Show it to me."
Ye Zizhen took a deep breath, palms facing upwards, a sharp golden light slowly condensed, floating in the air like a tiny sword blade. Although the form was not yet stable, the indestructible state of mind had already appeared.
"very good."
Lin Ji smiled and nodded.
Ye Zizhen came closer with a smile.
"What about my reward?"
Lin Ji shook his head helplessly and took out a silver-white spear from the storage ring. The spear body was engraved with fine cloud patterns and the tip of the spear shone with a cold light.
"The top-grade magical instrument 'Liuyun' is suitable for your gold power."
Ye Zizhen's eyes lit up, he took the spear and stroked the gun lovingly.
"Thank you brother!"
……
Border post.
Ye Wanjun stood on the watchtower, his eyes sweeping across the peaceful forest in the distance. Since the Holy Church withdrew, the tense atmosphere on the border has gradually dissipated, and even the traces of monsters have become rare.
"It's weird..."
He whispered to himself.
Zuo Benqing walked up to him and said calmly.
"Peace is not necessarily a good thing. The Holy Church will not give up easily."
Ye Wanjun nodded.
"I know. But at least, we can enjoy this quiet time."
……
Four months passed like a flash.
Although the empire's territory did not expand, its safe and comfortable atmosphere attracted refugees, scientists and warriors from the surrounding areas to join it, and the power of the Xuantian Empire grew steadily.
The perfection of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Light Array made the safety of the interstellar teleportation array no longer a concern, and Lin Ji's cultivation level was also steadily improving in peace.
On this day, Lin Ji took out the space crystal. The energy of the crystal was fully filled and emitted a soft light.
"Finally... I can go back."
He said softly, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.