In order to observe more carefully, Ethan even lay down, pressing his face against the cold, rough stone slab. He sniffed again and again, his senses sharpening until subtle traces of mental energy barely perceptible to ordinary cultivators became apparent to him.

A quarter of an hour later, the change in his eyes was unmistakable.

"There is really a trace of familiarity," Ethan murmured, surprise flickering across his features.

The feeling was slight—so subtle that even with the Heaven-piercing Mind Eyes activated, it would be difficult to notice unless one concentrated deeply.

Onyx Orchid smiled. "Do you know whose aura it is?"

Ethan's gaze sharpened as he recalled. "I remember, it belongs to Eunice."

A glint of recognition flashed in his eyes as he continued, "Also, Stormjade Luna carries this aura."

His thoughts pieced together the connection; the Stormjade family shared this unique spiritual signature.

"Could it be that this sealing formation is tied to the Stormjade family?" Ethan asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, but it's not exclusive," replied Onyx Orchid.

Onyx Orchid asked softly, "Do you recall Cecilia Emberveil from the Emberveil family?"

Ethan nodded. "The woman who attempted to check my body."

Onyx Orchid's voice grew softer, almost reverent. "I mentioned before how her spiritual energy and blood emitted a very agreeable scent, so I swallowed some. Her spiritual energy and blood also carry a faint trace of the stone slab's signature scent, though it is far weaker and much more concealed compared to that of the Stormjade family."

Ethan frowned, memories stirring. "Then why does Cecillia's spiritual energy and blood resemble the Stormjade family's? Are they related to this formation somehow?"

Onyx Orchid shook her head. "I don't know either."

"Have you finished digesting all the spiritual energy and blood you took from Cecillia?" Ethan inquired.

"No, her blood smells so delicious that I intentionally kept a little, not wanting to consume it all at once," Onyx Orchid teased.

Ethan grumbled, "You're just smoking…"

"What's smoking?" she asked, curious.

"Forget it, just give me a drop of blood," Ethan demanded.

"No, I want to absorb it later," Onyx Orchid bargained.

"Quickly. Before I leave, I'll help you get more of Cecilia's spiritual energy and blood. And if that doesn't work, I'll catch her to use as your blood pump," Ethan said with a sharp edge in his voice.

Onyx Orchid agreed quickly. "Okay, okay."

He released the stored drop of Cecillia's spiritual energy and blood, and Ethan flicked his fingers, sending the bright red light into the stone slab beneath his feet.

The single drop sank deep into the stone, and instantly the formation pattern gleamed. The stone slab began to rotate beneath Ethan's feet with a steady click and roar.

Ethan swiftly sealed off the Sun Moon Lake, shielding any unusual movements from prying eyes.

One minute passed.

The unnatural rotation ceased, and the muddy waters of Sun Moon Lake dispersed.

Ethan peered into the lake's clear depths, revealing the massive circular stone slab beneath.

More than thirty feet in diameter, the slab was engraved with three concentric circles.

What rotated moments ago was only the outermost layer.

The entire stone slab, Ethan realized, must be aligned precisely—each of the three layers rotated at different angles to complete the pattern.

"That must be how it works," Ethan said softly to himself.

He then used the bone pattern treasure technique and Five Elements Escape techniques to slip silently into the soil.

Half an hour later, Ethan emerged from the valley surrounding Sun Moon Lake.

Onyx Orchid, waiting nearby, asked excitedly, "You said you knew, so what happened?"

Ethan exhaled, his voice measured. "The stone slab is composed of two rings and one circle—three distinct parts."

"There are three great aristocratic families in Sun Moon City, families that have existed since long before the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets arrived. It's likely that many years ago, a deep connection existed among these three families."

Onyx Orchid's brow furrowed. "So you believe the Silkrain family's blood carries the same aura?"

"Exactly. If my theory stands, the stone slab's three parts correspond to the three major families of Sun Moon City. To activate the stone slab and restore the sealing formation's pattern, the blood of all three families is required."

She smiled faintly. "Interesting."

Ethan cautioned, "These are, of course, hypotheses. The solution is simple though—to acquire blood from the direct descendants of the three major families and prove it."

Naturally, Eunice came to mind. She hadn't revealed all her secrets that day; clearly, she had concealed much.

Meanwhile, in the grand lobby of the Emberveil family estate, Ario Emberveil stood amongst the core members gathered for an urgent meeting.

His voice was steady, carrying a weight of determination.

"Though we have suffered setbacks at Sun Moon Lake, we remain far behind the Stormjade and Silkrain families," Ario declared.

"But this is not the end."

A murmur of anticipation rippled through the assembly.

"Today, I bring good news!" He paused, scanning the room.

"Our sixth elder, Cecilia Emberveil, ventured to the Forbidden Land of Inheritance yesterday. She has passed the final trial and returned bearing the true inheritance of our Emberveil family, along with some long-lost secrets of our family!"

His announcement stunned those present momentarily, then stirred wild excitement.

In ancient times, Sun Moon City was not as it stands today.

It stretched tens of times larger, and the three aristocratic families flourished like stars in the night sky.

Yet war shattered this prosperity, erupting among the families themselves.

The strife reduced Sun Moon City to ruins, and with it, the foundations of the noble families were destroyed.

Their heritage was lost among the ashes, hidden deep within the ruins—a hundred miles away in their ancestral clan lands.

Only direct descendants of these families could enter that forbidden Inheritance place, the sole gateway to their lost inheritance.

Now, those three great families of Sun Moon City have been reestablished by the surviving descendants of that Great war.

A/N:

Extra chapters

100 power stones - 1 Extra chapters

200 power stones - 2 Extra chapters

Capsule - 1 Extra chapters

Massage Chair - 3 Extra chapters

Luxury Car - 5 Extra Chapters

Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters

...

Thanks for the Massage Chair: @orlando_whaanga

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.