Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

Xiao Dingshan's voice, filled with an almost suffocating horror, echoed in the cold cave: "This is the Heavenly Yin Star Chart!"

He suddenly moved closer to the edge of the energy cannon's base, his thin, metallic fingers trembling uncontrollably as he carefully traced the etched lines that were almost integrated with the metal.

Morgana, Frank, and Jones Snow's gazes instantly shifted from the energy cannon itself to the body of the "Iron Man" guard they had mistaken for an ordinary one.

The silent attendant beside Xiao Ce was able to immediately recognize the name of this mysterious pattern? Moreover, this reaction... this was definitely not the emotional fluctuation that a machine guard should have!

Xiao Ce was deeply shaken!

Xiao Dingshan's reaction clearly indicated that he not only recognized the situation, but also reacted so strongly!

He immediately pressed on, his voice low and urgent: "You recognize it? The Heavenly Yin Star Chart? What is that? What is its connection to this energy cannon?"

Xiao Dingshan did not answer immediately. His gaze was fixed on the miniature star map trajectories, as if he were nailed to the spot by an invisible force.

On his modified metallic face, some simulated muscle tissue beneath the artificial skin seemed to twitch slightly, conveying a complex emotion mixed with extreme shock, disbelief, and even... a hint of fear.

He slowly raised his hand, pointing to the etched outline of the Xiao Kingdom's imperial palace next to the star map: "The rumors are actually true..."

"See that? That palace... that's the main hall of the Xiao Kingdom's royal palace, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests! The roof design is exactly the same!"

His fingers moved along the etched lines, his voice like a murmur!

"And this star map... this star map is called 'Tianyin'. It is not a fictional pattern, it is... it is a copy of 'Dingding Xinggui'! It is... it is the legendary secret treasure map that protects the dragon vein of my Xiao Kingdom, and even... connects with the destiny of heaven!"

"Setting the celestial orbit? Protecting the dragon vein? Connecting with destiny?" Xiao Ce frowned, his doubts deepening.

"Uncle, explain clearly! What exactly is this? Why do you recognize it? And why is it on this weapon from another world?" He felt as if he had touched upon a secret far beyond his imagination, a secret buried very deep.

Xiao Ce didn't realize he'd blurted out something he shouldn't have.

He didn't want to hide Xiao Dingshan's identity, but he also didn't want to reveal it...

However, he didn't realize he had said it aloud.

Morgana and the others were even more confused, but no one said a word.

Xiao Dingshan took a deep breath, the sound of which was particularly clear in the silent cave.

He finally managed to tear his gaze away from the Tianyin Star Chart and turn to Xiao Ce, his expression indescribably complex.

"Xiao Ce... This matter involves a top secret from the early days of our Xiao Kingdom, passed down orally among emperors and a very small number of royal princes, and never seen in any historical records!"

Xiao Dingshan's voice was extremely low, and every word seemed to carry immense weight.

"If I hadn't held the title of Prince back then, and hadn't been deeply trusted by the late Emperor, allowing me to glimpse a fragment of a rubbing in the ancestral temple's secret treasury, I would never have recognized it!"

He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, or perhaps weighing how much to say.

Morgana, Frank, and the others held their breath, even their breathing became soft. Although they did not fully understand the content of the conversation, the solemn and tense atmosphere, as well as the soul-stirring aura emanating from Xiao Dingshan, made them feel the same way.

"This Heavenly Star Chart," Xiao Dingshan finally spoke again, seemingly lost in thought, before slowly saying, "is not something that ordinary craftsmen could draw. Its origins can be traced back to the time when my founding emperor, Emperor Xiao Taizu, established the dynasty!"

The air inside the cave seemed to freeze, with only the flickering flame of the kerosene lamp casting elongated, distorted shadows onto the cold rock walls, like silent witnesses.

"That year, the founding emperor personally led a large army to fight a decisive battle against a powerful enemy from the north on the Dragon Ridge Plain. In that battle, the sky darkened and blood flowed like rivers. Although our Xiao army was brave, the enemy's forces outnumbered ours several times over. Moreover, they had the most ferocious shaman on the grassland to set up an evil formation, which caused a dramatic change in the celestial phenomena, with wind, snow, and hail as sharp as knives... The founding emperor was surrounded and almost in a desperate situation."

Xiao Dingshan spoke slowly, as if to take everyone back to that turbulent era.

"Just at the critical moment..." His voice suddenly rose, tinged with longing!

"According to the secret tradition, a stream of light suddenly fell from the heavens! Its light was dazzling, tearing through the leaden clouds, and its sound was like a dragon's roar, shaking the eight directions! The stream of light struck the enemy's central command flag without missing a beat!"

"After a deafening roar, the dust settled. The enemy chieftain, along with his elite guards and even the shamans who had performed the ritual, were all reduced to dust! The enemy ranks were thrown into chaos, and their morale collapsed!"

Xiao Dingshan seemed to relive that earth-shattering scene in his mind's eye.

"Emperor Taizu seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, raised the battle flag high, took the lead, and led the remaining troops in a desperate charge! The victory laid the foundation for the eight-hundred-year reign of our Xiao Kingdom!"

“And that thing that fell from the heavens and turned the world upside down…” Xiao Dingshan’s finger pointed again at the etched star map on the base, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably.

"After the war, the founding emperor found it deep within the crater. It was neither gold nor iron, but a deep blue color, and its shape resembled... resembled the heart of a star torn apart by an invisible force! And on the core of that star's heart, this mysterious and unfathomable star map trajectory was naturally formed!"

"Emperor Taizu regarded this as an auspicious omen from heaven, a sign that Heaven was protecting the Xiao Kingdom! Therefore, he personally bestowed upon it the name 'Tianyin'! 'Tian' means supreme, and 'Yin' means the continuation of bloodline and the longevity of the nation!"

Xiao Dingshan's tone was filled with supreme reverence, "This object, along with the star map inscribed on it, is revered as the supreme national treasure of our Xiao Kingdom! It is the foundation of the state and the eye of the dragon vein!"

Xiao Ce was deeply moved. He never imagined that such a seemingly simple etching would conceal such an earth-shattering origin! A meteorite falling from the sky? A divine object that could turn the tide of a nation's fate? This was simply a scene from a myth!

Moreover, after he came to power, no one ever mentioned this matter again...

He pressed on, "And then what happened? What was the purpose of this 'Heavenly Descendant Star Chart'? And where is the Heart of the Stars?"

Xiao Dingshan's expression grew even more complex, tinged with an indescribable bitterness and fear: "Its function? Heh... After Emperor Taizu obtained this divine object, he considered it a top secret, ordering his trusted henchmen to construct an underground ancestral temple and secret vault far exceeding the scale of the imperial palace above ground! The 'Heavenly Mandate' was enshrined within, passed down orally from emperor to emperor, a closely guarded secret. As for its function... the secret transmissions are vague, leaving only a few obscure, prophetic descriptions..."

He closed his eyes slightly, seemingly trying to recall that long-buried secret, his metallic voice producing a low, chanting sound:

"The celestial orbits have determined the location, and the dragon's energy has been concentrated there."

The image of the Heavenly Mandate appears, and the gate to the realm can be opened;

A heart that reflects the universe, guiding the heavens;

"Anyone who touches anything other than the Emperor's bloodline will suffer misfortune!"

"The celestial orbits have been established, and the dragon's aura has been bestowed upon it..."

Xiao Ce repeated in a low voice, his mind racing as he analyzed the situation.

"The first half of this sentence seems to confirm that it can influence the nation's destiny and dragon veins? 'The map reveals the heavenly mandate, and the gates of the realms can be opened'... Gates of the realms? Could it be... a gate to space? Or... a passage between different worlds?!"

This thought startled him, instantly reminding him of what the Adventists and Al-Qaeda were after!

“‘Reflecting the universe, guiding the heavens…’ Morgana couldn’t help but interject, ‘It sounds…like some kind of…positioning? Or…guidance?’”

"Not bad!"

Xiao Dingshan suddenly opened his eyes, confirming Morgana's guess!

Xiao Dingshan continued, "Based on the fragments of the secret teachings passed down by emperors throughout history, combined with the speculations of top astrologers of later generations... the most likely explanation for this 'Heavenly Descendant Star Chart' is... the position of every star in the sky! It was recorded before the 'Heart of the Stars' descended... possibly its trajectory and location as it traveled through the boundless sea of ​​stars."

"Just like... a lighthouse to a ship! A magnet to iron filings!" Xiao Ce murmured thoughtfully.

“Exactly!” Xiao Dingshan nodded emphatically. “‘Leading the Heavens’!”

The word 'extradition' perfectly encapsulates its core meaning!

It can traverse unimaginable distances and guide things from the 'source point' that the star chart points to!

And does the saying "Those who are not of imperial blood will face misfortune upon contact" mean that only the direct descendants of the founding emperor of the Xiao Kingdom, possessing the blood of his lineage, can safely access and attempt to understand the power of this star chart; otherwise... they will surely suffer unforeseen calamity! However, according to records, these are all speculations from past astrologers...

Xiao Ce looked puzzled when he heard Xiao Dingshan say that.

"Then why have you never mentioned this before...? Also, even when I controlled the entire Xiao Kingdom, I never heard of this thing, let alone anything about an underground palace..."

Xiao Dingshan said to Xiao Ce, "Actually, after it reached our era, there were only some clues about the spirit star. We only know that the late emperor and his men investigated it, but they were nowhere to be found... We couldn't even find that underground ancestral temple... We only saw it behind a scroll in the royal family's secret sect..."

Xiao Dingshan said to Xiao Ce, "By the way, Xiao Ce, haven't you visited the Royal Family's Secret Sect?"

Xiao Ce gave a bitter smile, then shook his head at Xiao Dingshan and said, "No, and actually when I went to the Imperial Palace in the capital, it had already been looted countless times... those things are probably gone..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Xiao Dingshan nodded and said, "That's right... that's indeed true..."

Xiao Ce said to Xiao Dingshan, "Then, Imperial Uncle, is it written in the Tantric sect? Has anyone obtained anything from that thing? Or was it only the Ancestral Emperor who witnessed the power of the Heavenly Yin Star Chart...?"

Xiao Dingshan nodded and said, "At first, I also thought this might be some legend, or even a fabricated story. After all, every founding emperor would create some mysterious stories to show that he was in accordance with the Mandate of Heaven and was the one who saved the people..."

"However, in the fragments of the Tantric scriptures, there is indeed a vague mention of one instance... a record of using that star's 'power'. That was in the middle period of my Xiao Kingdom, when the nation's strength had been at peace for a century before a sudden and drastic change occurred..."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice seemingly pulling everyone back to the capital of the Xiao Kingdom hundreds of years ago:

That was at the end of Emperor Hui's reign. In the northern Turkic Khaganate, a great ruler named Temujin Gele emerged. This man was a man of great talent and ambition, and with the help of a mysterious shaman, he managed to unite dozens of tribes from the grasslands and the far north snowfields, and forged a terrifying iron cavalry known as the "Azure Wolves and White Deer".

This massive army was not only fearless and valiant, but also imbued with the evil magic of the celestial sorcerer, making them impervious to swords and spears, and possessing boundless strength. Like a raging tide, they swept south, breaching seven formidable passes in our northern frontier, their advance pointing directly at sixteen cities in the central plains. The capital was in imminent danger!

"Emperor Hui was no incompetent ruler, but the enemy's strength was too overwhelming, and even the entire nation's resources were insufficient to withstand them. The front lines were awash in corpses, with less than one-tenth of the elite troops remaining. In despair, under the protection of several trusted loyalists, on a night of blood moon, Emperor Hui, carrying the heart stained with starlight passed down from the founding emperor, secretly entered the deepest part of the forbidden area of ​​the royal ancestral temple, said to be connected to the 'Heavenly Heir'! The Starfall Pavilion..."

According to the esoteric Buddhist texts, Emperor Hui, in the center of the "Starfall Pavilion," smeared the cold and heavy Star Heart with his own blood, and then pressed the Star Heart onto the surface of the only smooth, mirror-like, and enormous "mysterious stone" in the pavilion, of unknown material.

On that mysterious stone was engraved an incomplete 'Heavenly Descendant Star Chart'! It is said that when the Emperor's blood seeped into the patterns of the star chart, the entire mysterious stone suddenly lit up with a dazzling, dark blue light, which shot straight to the dome, illuminating the entire 'Starfall Pavilion' as if it were daytime!

The star pattern seemed to come alive, flowing and extending in the light, as if connecting to distant stars...

Morgana and Frank listened intently, as if they were witnessing that mysterious and awe-inspiring scene firsthand. Jones Snow held his breath.

"At the height of its brilliance, Emperor Hui faced the star chart and made a desperate and devout prayer, wishing to use the destiny of the Xiao Kingdom as a guide to borrow the 'divine weapon to defeat the enemy' from the 'place of destiny' indicated by the star chart, so as to avert the catastrophe!"

Xiao Dingshan paused for a moment, as if organizing the most crucial sentence:

"The secret scroll records that after the prayer, there were no great noises in the world, but a strange change occurred within the 'Starfall Pavilion.' The light on the black stone instantly faded, becoming like the deep night sky. Then, at the center of the engraved star map, corresponding to an exceptionally bright 'ominous star' on the star map, the space suddenly twisted and collapsed violently like ripples in water! A 'hole' as black as ink, with unstable electric sparks flickering at its edges, appeared out of thin air, barely large enough for a fist to pass through!"

"Then..." Xiao Dingshan recalled carefully, then slowly began to speak...