577 Chapter 576: Heading to the Great Desolate Province, Devouring Ancestral Symbol
"Dong'er, don't be rude." Lin Xiao quickly pulled his son back after seeing how impulsive he was acting.
Accepting disciples was a matter that required careful consideration, even if Qing Tan's talent was truly exceptional. Others might not necessarily agree to take her as a disciple. After all, this Mr. Xiao hadn't shown any intention of taking a disciple before. If they hadn't waited here, he might have just left.
Of course, Lin Xiao also had some hope in his heart. If Qing Tan's constitution was indeed as strong as it had been described, then perhaps Mr. Xiao would give it serious consideration.
When Ying Huanhuan heard Lin Dong's request, the corner of her mouth twitched.
'This kid really dares to say it, huh?'
Then she took another look at Qing Tan and noticed that she was a bit younger than herself. However, her delicate face was already quite refined. Her big, sparkling eyes made her look very sweet and adorable.
She suddenly thought that it might not be so bad to have such a junior sister...
"Huh, alright, one disciple or two makes no difference. I agree to take Qing Tan as my disciple," Xiao Ming looked at the hopeful expressions of Lin Dong and Lin Xiao and thought for a moment before finally agreeing.
After all, he had to visit the Palace of Darkness for the sake of the Darkness Ancestral Symbol. There was a good chance that the Palace of Darkness would be interested in Qing Tan, and their inheritance would save him a lot of time. Besides, Qing Tan could also help him on his way to the Great Thousand. Moreover, he had the Great Desolation Tablet as a labor force to supervise the cultivation of the girls. Therefore, it was practically a win-win situation for him!
With this thought, a smile appeared on Xiao Ming's face.
The father and son duo were extremely excited, their smiles broadening.
He agreed! They hadn't expected that Mr. Xiao would actually agree!
"Quick, Qing Tan, kneel down and pay your respects to your Master... No, let's go back to our home and perform the ceremony there. It seems a bit improper, and it would be disrespectful to Mr. Xiao to do it here."
Lin Xiao originally wanted Qing Tan to kneel down and formally accept Xiao Ming as her Master on the spot but then thought better of it.
"There's no need to go through all that trouble. If she wants to accept me as her Master, she can do it right here. However, there is something that I need to inform all of you about. I'm going to leave this place soon. If Qing Tan becomes my disciple, she will have to leave with me. Think about it carefully before you make a decision."
Xiao Ming waved his hand and then reminded them.
Qing Tan was actually quite happy about the prospect of worshipping Xiao Ming as her Master. She had a favorable impression of the "Big Brother" who had saved her before. However, now that she had to leave her home to become his disciple, a look of hesitation appeared on her delicate face as she couldn't bring herself to leave her family.
"Don't hesitate, Qing Tan. Go ahead and pay your respects to your Master! When you get stronger in the future, you can come back and visit us," Lin Dong's voice was full of anxiety as he saw Qing Tan's inaction.
What was there to hesitate? Once Big Brother left this place, there might not be another chance like this!
"Qing Tan greets her Master!"
Under Lin Dong's urging, Qing Tan knelt down and respectfully kowtowed three times to Xiao Ming.
"Hm. You can rise. This is your Senior Sister."
Xiao Ming nodded slightly, and with a wave of his sleeve, Qing Tan was gently lifted to her feet. Then, after thinking for a moment, he took out a bottle of medicinal pills and a storage ring and handed them to Qing Tan.
"This can be considered a token of my acceptance as your Master. The bottle contains three medicinal pills, each capable of healing injuries. Inside the storage ring, you'll find some cultivation resources and pocket money," Xiao Ming explained.
After that, he glanced at the delighted Lin Dong and Lin Xiao and started walking down the mountain with Ying Huanhuan.
"I'll give you some time to say your goodbyes. I'll wait for Qing Tan not far from here."
"Thank you, Mr. Xiao!" Lin Xiao bowed deeply to Xiao Ming's retreating figure.
Lin Dong followed suit, imitating his father's actions.
"Thank you, Big Bro... oh, no, thank you, Uncle Xiao!"
He quickly corrected himself. He couldn't call him 'Big Brother' anymore, as it would mess up the seniority now that Qing Tang had become his disciple.
Xiao Ming didn't have to wait long before Qing Tan caught up with him. However, the items he had given her had already disappeared. He didn't need to guess where she had left them.
Qing Tang was quite generous, as the gifts he had given her were no ordinary items. The bottle of pills alone could heal injuries below the Ancestor Stage, and the items in the storage ring, while not extremely valuable to him, were a fortune beyond imagination for smaller families like the Lin Family.
However, Xiao Ming didn't say anything about it. He appreciated people who valued relationships and loyalty.
"Let's go. It's time to head to the Great Desolate Province."
...
The Great Wastelands Ancient Tablet was the most ancient existence in the entire Great Desolate Province. As for this relic left behind by an ancient sect, most people considered it almost a legend. After all, most of them could not imagine how powerful that ancient sect was.
Even though the Great Wastelands Ancient Tablet had existed for countless years, no one had been able to break its seal. Even a Nirvana Stage practitioner was powerless against this formidable seal. That was ultimately the reason why this Great Wastelands Ancient Tablet could continue to remain in Great Desolate Province. It was because no one could break that seal...
Moreover, due to the existence of the Great Wastelands Ancient Tablet, the Great Desolate Ancient Source was undoubtedly the most famous landmark of the Great Desolate Province and even the Great Yan Empire. Every time the seal of the Great Wasteland Ancient Tablet weakened, it would attract countless elite practitioners from all over the world!
This very day was the moment when the seal of the Great Desolate Tablet began to weaken.
When Xiao Ming, Ying Huanhuan, and Qing Tan arrived at the edge of the area on a flying eagle they had captured by chance, they stared at the countless figures swarming across the vast plain like an army of ants.
From time to time, figures would flash by in the air above. These people were riding various flying mounts and Soul Treasures. As they passed by, rainbow flashes would appear on the horizon before slicing the enticing blue sky into tiny, beautiful pieces.
"It's really lively here," Ying Huanhuan said as she looked around at the bustling crowd, visibly excited. Qing Tan, who was experiencing flying for the first time, nodded her small head in agreement next to her.
Xiao Ming looked into the distance towards the inner regions of the Great Desolate Ancient Source. In that area, he could faintly sense an extremely obscure yet terrifying aura. Evidently, that was the spot where the Great Wastelands Ancient Tablet was located.
"This Great Desolate Sect is quite decent. They can actually give off such an aura. This kind of fluctuation has a sky-sealing effect."
"Does that mean we need to go down and walk later?" Qing Tan blinked her lively eyes and asked.
"Don't worry, this kind of aura has no effect on the giant eagle," Xiao Ming reassured her. Then he gently patted the giant eagle, causing it to flap its wings vigorously and quickly soared towards the inner regions of the Great Desolate Ancient Source. From the casual release of its aura, one could tell that the giant eagle's strength was actually at the Nirvana Stage...
...
An ancient stone tablet, nearly a thousand meters long, stood silently in the deepest region of the vast plain. A boundless and vicissitude ancient aura emerged from it, as if it was echoing the strength of that ancient sect from the past.
There were a few ancient and large symbols carved onto that ancient tablet. They were faintly discernible. A terrifying fluctuation that seemed to be powerful enough to tear apart the heavens was emanating from them. That fluctuation caused one to understand just how tiny one was...
That ancient tablet stood right in the vast plains and it looked just like the stairways to heavens. It was harsh yet majestic, ancient yet vicissitude.
At this moment, not far from the ancient tablet, the area was already occupied by a sea of people. In the foremost positions were powerful factions from the Great Desolate Province and various regions of the Great Yan Empire. They occupied the best spots, distinctly separated from each other.
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd. Then, the surrounding air was slowly torn apart before figures slowly emerged. They were emitting a cold, icy aura. They belonged to one of the three major factions of the Great Desolate Province, the Ghastly Puppet Cult.
As the Ghastly Puppet Cult group arrived, a big empty circle quickly formed around them. Given their status as a top-tier faction in the Great Desolate Province plus the fact that they were a local tyrant, no faction dared to clash with them in front of the Great Wastelands Ancient Tablet.
Shortly after their arrival, the other two major factions, the Great Devil Sect and the Martial Alliance, also arrived, causing a minor commotion that quickly subsided.
Then, numerous gazes turned towards the Great Wastelands Ancient Tablet, waiting for the weakening of the seal.
Swish!
As countless people waited in anticipation, a splitting wind sound suddenly emerged from behind the crowd. Then, huge patches of glowing shadows flew at low altitudes and high speed, eliciting gasps of surprise.
"It's the people from the Four Great Clans!"
As countless pairs of eyes turned in the direction of the noise, they saw streaks of rainbow flashes, barely off the ground, streaking toward them at lightning-like speed before finally reaching the deepest region.
Even though one had to withstand immense pressure in order to fly in the deepest region of the Great Desolate Ancient Source, a fairly skilled practitioner would still be capable of maintaining flight at a low altitude. However, if one really wanted to soar through the sky, then only a Nirvana Stage practitioner or above would be able to accomplish such a feat.
The streaks of rainbow flashes arrived swiftly and then divided into four groups under the gaze of countless eyes. Each group hovered at a low altitude and consisted of several people.
"In fact, they are all from the major clans, and those who have arrived are all at the Qi Creation Stage."
The crowd below was astonished, but before they could fully express their admiration, a shadow suddenly covered them. In astonishment, they looked up to the sky, only to see a giant eagle circling high in the sky!
"A Nirvana Stage Demonic Beast!"
This sight caused a stir throughout the Great Wastelands Ancient Source. Many people showed horrified expressions on their faces.
In the entire Great Yan Empire, only the five major clans had Nirvana Stage practitioners, and among them, four were ordinary Nirvana Stage practitioners who had not gone through the Nirvana Tribulation. This showed how rare Nirvana Stage practitioners were in this region. So why would a Nirvana Stage Demonic Beast appear here!
The strongest among these people were only at the Qi Creation Stage, two stages below the Nirvana Stage, separated by the Qi Manifestation Stage.
"The Demonic Beast is coming down!"
A cry of terror rapidly spread, and the entire area around the Great Wastelands Ancient Tablet suddenly became chaotic. The massive crowd surged forward, desperately trying to squeeze away from the area.
The members of the Four Great Clans also quickly landed on the ground and blended into the crowd, fearing they would be targeted.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, the Demonic Beast did not attack the crowd. Instead, it landed in a part of the plain that had been cleared by the fleeing people.
Some keen-eyed individuals began to notice that something was amiss.
"It looks like this giant eagle has an owner!"
"What!"
"What formidable figure could have subdued such a high-level Demonic Beast!"
Many eyes turned to the back of the giant eagle, where three figures could actually be seen.
These three were, of course, the trio of Xiao Ming and his disciples.
Qing Tan had never been the center of so much attention before and felt a bit nervous. She clung to Xiao Ming's arm timidly. Ying Huanhuan, on the other hand, remained unfazed by the attention. But seeing her junior sister acting like this, she also hugged Xiao Ming's other arm.
With both of his arms held, Xiao Ming, who also did not care about the onlookers and wanted to use his hands to break the seal of the Great Desolate Sect, was left speechless. He had to resort to using his Spiritual Strength instead.
Then, under the watchful eyes of countless spectators, the giant ancient tablet that stood at the deepest part of the Great Wastelands Ancient Source began to slowly release a powerful and awe-inspiring energy shockwave. This energy shockwave was so powerful that it left everyone in awe. Under its influence, the ancient symbols on the tablet, which were initially clear and distinct, began to gradually fade.
Buzz!
With the disappearance of the last ancient symbol, that large ancient tablet suddenly vibrated violently, before a resplendent cloud-like energy emerged from the giant tablet, and swirled around its surface. As it slowly swirled, it actually transformed into a several hundred meters wide energy swirl!
While this energy swirl spun, it directly sucked in all the Yuan Power of the surrounding area. Meanwhile, the center of that swirl was filled with a dark and cold energy, giving it an extremely mysterious feel.
"The ancient tablet has opened!"
Upon witnessing the emergence of the energy swirl, countless shouts of ecstasy suddenly thundered across the vast plains. Numerous pairs of eyes instantly turned blood red, and even their breathing became increasingly ragged.
Naturally, the excitement wasn't limited to them alone. Even the members of the Four Great Clans, the Great Devil Sect, and the Ghastly Puppet Cult, along with other formidable factions, all had a burning desire in their eyes.
However, due to Xiao Ming's presence, no one dared to act rashly!
"Let's go." Xiao Ming took his two disciples and flashed through the air. Then, with lightning-like speed, he dashed towards the energy swirl, completely disregarding the others.
When Xiao Ming and the girls disappeared, the next scene that occurred was undoubtedly a mass stampede. A massive crowd surged forward like a swarm of locusts, covering the sky. They then manically rushed towards that energy swirl.
...
There was a deafening silence in this vast and desolate land that stretched endlessly into the distance. The remnants of a seemingly endless ancient sect stood silently, exuding an ancient and desolate aura.
Suddenly, the space in the sky began to ripple. Then a crack opened in the space, revealing the figures of Xiao Ming and his two disciples.
"This ruin seems to be no smaller than a small-sized empire. This ancient sect might have been even stronger than my Dao Sect. I didn't expect the Great Yan Empire to have a relic of such a level." Ying Huanhuan gazed at the ancient remnants with a sense of amazement in her pretty eyes.
"But this place is too vast. How are we going to find the Devouring Ancestral Symbol?" She hadn't forgotten their purpose in coming here.
"No need to worry."
Xiao Ming replied as his eyes settled on a particularly majestic mountain peak.
The mountain peak he was focusing on was towering, reaching a height of one thousand meters, with strange-shaped rocks scattered all around. A terrifyingly dense concentration of Yuan Power had gathered there, even forming a fog-like substance.
"I can sense it. The Devouring Ancestral Symbol is right there," Xiao Ming said.
After speaking, he took his two disciples and disappeared into the space. When they reappeared, a massive and pitch-black altar slowly came into their view.
This altar was ice-cold black as if it was cast from black metal. On top of the altar were many stone pillars that looked rather strange.
In the middle of the altar was an exceptionally large black pillar. At the top of the pillar was an ancient symbol array. The symbol array spread outward, connecting practically every stone pillar in the altar, while solemnly taking the center position.
The trio's gaze quickly shifted to the central giant black pillar and the symbol array at its center. There, a black ball of light silently hovered, interwoven with numerous dark threads.
Upon closer inspection, they could see that at the core of the black ball was an ancient rune that resembled a black hole, silently floating there like a slumbering dragon!
