As Ye Tian's hand once again slowly touched the text on the Stone Gate, the initial sensation returned. The characters were genuinely throbbing, a movement so subtle it was imperceptible without careful focus.
This bizarre phenomenon struck Ye Tian as incredible. 'It feels like these characters are trying to express something, but I can't figure it out right now. I need to find the right way to do this.'
Though anxious, Ye Tian could only try to slowly perceive the throbbing of the text on the Stone Gate. He closed his eyes, immersing his Divine Sense completely to discern the rhythm of their movement.
Ye Lin and the Snake King watched Ye Tian quietly, not understanding why his hand was pressed against the Stone Gate. They wanted to ask, but they were afraid of disturbing him.
After a long while, Ye Tian opened his eyes. He'd been at it for some time but still didn't have a single clue. 'Have I been going about this the wrong way? Maybe I need to communicate directly with these characters using my Divine Sense. Perhaps I can learn something that way.'
"You really are dense. These characters have an extremely faint Energy fluctuation. You need to communicate with them with your mind. Even if you can't read the script, you'll understand it if you can establish a connection.
I've never seen this script before, either. It doesn't seem to be from this world. To use such a powerful treasure as the core of an array... this place is truly extraordinary. You may be on the verge of a great fortuitous encounter." The voice of the War Dragon Remnant Soul suddenly echoed in Ye Tian's mind.
Ye Tian was startled. He was incredibly grateful for the War Dragon Remnant Soul's guidance, which always came when he was at his most helpless and facing his greatest difficulties. He truly didn't know how he could ever repay such a great favor. 'And I still haven't been able to get that Divine Soul Spirit Fruit for it,' he thought, a pang of guilt striking his heart.
"Thank you for the reminder, Senior. I'll give it a try," Ye Tian said, shocked. "For there to be something even you don't recognizeā¦ this is truly bizarre!" In his mind, the War Dragon Remnant Soul was boundlessly experienced. To hear it say this script was from another world was utterly baffling.
However, the War Dragon Remnant Soul said no more. Ye Tian could only follow its instructions, once again extending his Divine Sense to slowly touch the characters, hoping to establish a connection.
At first, there was no reaction when Ye Tian's Divine Sense made contact with the text. After a while, however, he found his Divine Sense being repelled, accompanied by a faint, stinging pain.
'What's going on?' Ye Tian thought, frustrated. 'The Energy in the text on this Stone Gate is rejecting me. What should I do now?'
"Don't be impatient," the War Dragon Remnant Soul said. "Let the Energy in the text slowly adapt to you. Once it does, you'll be able to communicate with itāor rather, you'll understand what the text on the Stone Gate means."
Ye Tian nodded. Although the rejection of his Divine Sense was uncomfortable, he could endure the pain. He held on to a single thought: 'I have to believe that what the War Dragon Remnant Soul says is true.'
Time passed slowly. Ye Tian stood motionless, his expression unsettled. His muscles twitched from time to time, but he made no progress.
Outside, Zhang Xinlan was setting up a Barrier by herself. With her Power Realm at the Five Veins, this was an easy task. When she returned and saw Ye Tian standing motionless, she chose not to disturb him. 'He's clearly entered a state of Meditation,' she thought. 'Perhaps the text on this Stone Gate will grant him a great opportunity.'
A day passed. Ye Tian had consumed a great deal of his Divine Sense. He felt groggy and utterly exhausted, with a powerful urge to sleep.
But he gritted his teeth and held on. Just as he reached his limit, he suddenly felt the Energy from the text on the Stone Gate stop rejecting him. He could make contact again.
Joy flashed across Ye Tian's face. He suddenly noticed the characters were changing, slowly gathering together as if to form something.
But just because Ye Tian could see this phenomenon didn't mean Zhang Xinlan and the others could. To them, the text on the Stone Gate was static, showing no sign of Energy fluctuation. If Ye Tian were to tell them what he was seeing, they probably wouldn't believe him.
Suddenly, the characters coalesced into a blurry image. It looked like a person. As the image sharpened, he saw an unbelievable sight: the person was standing on a dragonāa nine-clawed Golden Dragon.
Ye Tian's heart pounded with excitement. 'Someone can actually stand on a Golden Dragon! A nine-clawed Golden Dragon is a War Dragon! Who in the world could possibly stand on a War Dragon? This is unheard of! A War Dragon is supposed to be one of the most powerful beings in existence!'
"What are you gawking at, kid? It's fate that you get to see me. This is a wisp of my Divine Sense that I left in this world. Ask your questions, and be quick about it. I don't have much time to linger here!" a mysterious voice suddenly resounded in Ye Tian's mind.
Ye Tian was dumbfounded. 'This person... he's not from this world.' He now believed what the War Dragon Remnant Soul had said. 'Maybe this script really isn't from this world. Then who is this man? How could he make a War Dragon submit to him?'
"Senior, who exactly are you? Why did you leave a wisp of your Divine Sense here? What does the writing on this Stone Gate mean? Also, a Sect Leader from a Holy Land said there was an ancient treasure hereāwhat's that about? And how can you stand on a War Dragon?" Ye Tian fired off a volley of questions.
"I am the Heaven-Fighting Divine Venerable. As for why I left a wisp of my Divine Sense, it is because I sensed a great crisis. Through a Circulation Calculation, I discovered that a person from this world might be able to resolve it. Therefore, I endured immense hardship to bring an avatar here.
However, my avatar was severely wounded upon arrival. After it did what needed to be done, only this wisp of Divine Sense was left. The so-called treasure is, in fact, a Cultivation Technique I left behind. Several thousand years ago, another person came to this place.
But she was not the one I was searching for. At the time, she wanted to break open the Stone Gate, which I naturally refused to allow. Thus, I taught her a small lesson and had her establish an Array. However, she was selfish, a fact I failed to notice. Otherwise, how could no one else have arrived here in the past several thousand years?
You must understand, I left many clues back then, yet she was the only one who found her way here. It is for this reason that I spared her life. However, too much time has passed. Her aptitude was limited, and she was unable to achieve immortality. She died here a thousand years ago.
As for the War Dragon you mentioned, he is actually my mount, the Divine Dragon King. Of course, we are like brothers and address each other as such. Getting inside the Stone Gate is simple enough; I will tell you how in a moment. But you must remember one thing: once you choose to enter the Stone Gate, there is no turning back.
What lies behind the Stone Gate is just as perilous. Whether or not you can reach your destination will depend on your own destiny!"
As the voice faded, Ye Tian felt a jolt in his mind as a powerful stream of information flooded his consciousnessā¦