vstars Chapter 291 The Abandoned Altar
Chapter 291 The Abandoned Altar
Before them lay an even larger cave. In the center of the cave stood an abandoned altar, made of black rock, about three zhang high, circular in shape, and carved with ancient and mysterious patterns.
The altar was covered in dust and cracks, clearly abandoned for a long time, but its former solemnity and mystery were still faintly visible.
Above the altar hung a huge black crystal ball, which emitted a faint light that illuminated the entire cave.
Around the cave, some strange black plants grew, emitting a strong yin energy that made people feel very depressed.
"Is this the place Grandpa once came to?" Baihu looked around and said in a deep voice.
Lu Lingxi didn't answer. Her gaze was fixed on the altar, her heart filled with doubt. What was the purpose of this altar? What had her grandfather done here?
She walked slowly to the altar and carefully observed the patterns on it. She had never seen these patterns before, but they gave her a sense of familiarity. She vaguely felt that these patterns contained some important information.
She reached out and gently stroked the patterns on the altar. Her fingertips felt a cold touch. Suddenly, she sensed a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy emanating from a corner of the altar.
A thought struck her, and she quickly followed the direction of the spiritual energy fluctuations. In a corner of the altar, she found a slightly protruding stone. She squatted down and carefully examined the stone, discovering that two words were engraved on it: "Lu Ling".
These two characters were carved with a sword. They were slightly hasty, but vigorous and powerful. The strokes carried a familiar momentum. Lu Lingxi recognized them at a glance. They were the handwriting of her grandfather, Lu Lingyuntian!
"grandfather!"
Lu Lingxi's voice trembled slightly as she stroked the character, as if she could see her grandfather's figure. She knew that her grandfather must have been here, and that something must have happened to him.
She continued searching around the altar, hoping to find more clues. Finally, on the other side of the altar, she discovered a hidden corner with some miscellaneous items piled up. Among them, a jade pendant caught her attention.
The jade pendant was round and carved with auspicious cloud patterns. The jade was warm and smooth, emitting a faint luster. With trembling hands, she tightly gripped the jade pendant in her palms. The warm touch penetrated her skin and went straight to her heart. That familiar scent was that of her grandfather—Lu Lingyuntian!
"Grandpa! It really is Grandpa! He's here!"
Lu Lingxi's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement and joy. Tears welled up in her eyes, slid down her cheeks, and dripped onto the dusty altar, spreading out in dark circles.
Over the years, all her worries, fears, and anxieties have transformed into endless longing and hope at this moment. She longs to see her grandfather immediately, to ask him what has happened during this time, to ask him if he was injured, to ask him... if he, like her, misses her day and night.
"This must be a clue left to me by my grandfather. He must have run into some trouble!"
Lu Lingxi took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. The scratches and bloodstains on the jade pendant indicated that her grandfather had experienced a fierce battle. She couldn't imagine what kind of enemy had made him so disheveled.
"Grandpa, where are you? How can I find you!"
Lu Lingxi looked around, her gaze sweeping over the dilapidated altar and the dark cave. Apart from the writing and jade pendant left by her grandfather, there were no other obvious clues.
She closed her eyes, trying to recall her experiences since entering the Valley of Rebirth: the forces of the Black Abyss, the mysterious Valley of Rebirth, the eerie black plants, and this abandoned altar... Could these seemingly unrelated clues be connected in some way?
Lu Lingxi Yao began to connect these clues. The forces of the Black Abyss were entrenched in the Rebirth Valley, which was known for its eeriness and danger. The appearance of her grandfather's jade pendant here was very likely related to the Black Abyss.
Considering the terrain of the Rebirth Valley, the writings and jade pendant left by the grandfather are all near the altar, and this altar is very likely the key!
She carefully examined the ancient patterns on the altar again, trying to find some clues. Although the patterns were obscure and difficult to understand, Lu Lingxi Yao vaguely felt that they seemed to be related to some kind of formation.
"Could it be... that Grandpa is trapped in some kind of formation?"
Lu Lingxi was startled. She had some knowledge of formations and knew that some powerful formations could isolate space and even create illusions that could make people lose themselves in them.
Based on the terrain of the Rebirth Valley and the distribution of the Black Abyss forces, Lu Lingxi Yao deduced that Lu Lingyun Tian was likely trapped somewhere in the Rebirth Valley by the Black Abyss.
The clues left by her grandfather strengthened Lu Lingxi Yao's resolve to rescue him. She stood up abruptly, her eyes shining with determination.
"No matter how dangerous it is ahead, I must find Grandpa and rescue him!" Lu Lingxi's voice was strong and resolute.
She turned around and said to the White Tiger, the Netherworld, and the Nine-Tailed Fox, "I've found the clues Grandpa left behind!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of Baihu, Youming, and Jiuwei, which had been slightly tired from their long search, instantly brightened.
"Really? Master, we've finally found a clue about Grandpa! That's amazing!" Youming, now in his youthful form, jumped up excitedly, his fiery red hair flying through the air like a leaping flame.
He circled around Lu Lingxi a few times, then excitedly asked, "Master, where is Grandpa? Let's go save him!"
Although the White Tiger and the Nine-Tailed Fox didn't show the same level of excitement as Youming, their eyes still gleamed with excitement.
Lu Lingxi said, "The clues left by Grandpa point to the depths of the Valley of Rebirth. He may very well be trapped there by the Black Abyss..."
Upon hearing the words "Black Abyss," the expressions of White Tiger, Netherworld, and Nine-Tailed Fox all turned solemn. They all knew the power and cruelty of Black Abyss, and if Lu Lingyun were to fall into their hands, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Master, we'll do whatever you say!" the white tiger said.
Nine-Tails nodded, indicating that he was willing to follow her arrangements.
“Alright!” Lu Lingxi took a deep breath and said, “Let’s set off now and head towards the depths of the Longsheng Ravine! However, we must be careful and not alert them. The people of the Black Abyss may have already set a trap there, waiting for us to walk right into it.”
"Don't worry, Master, I'll be careful!" Youming patted his chest and assured him.
"Don't worry, Master, I will protect you!" the White Tiger and the Nine-Tailed Fox said at the same time.
Looking at her companions, Lu Lingxi Yao was filled with gratitude. "Let's go!" With that command, Lu Lingxi Yao led Baihu, Youming, and Jiuwei, following the clues left by her grandfather, and headed deeper into the Valley of Rebirth.