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

"Seven 'seeds' fell out of the hole. They were the size of pigeon eggs, and their bodies were an indescribable dark silver color, neither gold nor jade. Their surfaces were covered with extremely fine, slowly pulsating patterns, like those of a living creature, and they emitted a faint but chilling cold fluctuation."

"Seeds?" Xiao Ce keenly grasped the key word and pressed further, "What kind of seeds?"

"The secret scroll is not detailed, only saying that the seven 'seeds' took root as soon as they fell to the ground, but were not planted in the soil."

Xiao Dingshan's tone was filled with fear: "They ignored the hard stone ground and seeped in like mercury! Immediately afterwards, the entire ground of the Starfall Pavilion began to shake violently, and the rocks writhed and cracked as if they were alive!"

Before Emperor Hui and his assassins' horrified eyes, seven gleaming, twisted, and grotesque metallic trees burst forth from the rock at a visible speed, growing wildly!

"These trees have no branches or leaves, only gnarled and winding trunks like giant pythons and countless sharp, spear-like branches. They flow with a mercury-like luster, and at their core, a faint purple light similar to the energy cannon crystal before us shines through."

Even more terrifying is that they seem to possess an instinct to devour metal! The bronze ritual vessels used for sacrifices inside the pavilion, the armor and swords worn by the assassins—anything that gets even slightly close is entangled, wrapped, and then... melted and absorbed by the slender silver threads extending from those 'metal trees'!

Its very existence exudes an aura of destruction!

Morgana gasped, and Frank clenched his fists. This "divine weapon" sounded more like an uncontrollable monster!

After listening to his words, Xiao Ce felt they were incredibly profound... What Xiao Dingshan was saying at this moment was far beyond his comprehension...

Even Xiao Ce, being from the future, genuinely couldn't figure out what Xiao Dingshan was talking about...

However, Xiao Ce did not interrupt...

Xiao Dingshan continued, "Emperor Hui acted decisively, ordering his elite soldiers to transport these seven still-growing metallic divine trees to the northern front immediately, at any cost! The hardship and carnage were immense... During the transport, the giant beasts responsible for pulling them, the specially made iron carts carrying them, and even the soldiers who got too close were all devoured if they were not careful..."

Ultimately, at the cost of countless lives, these seven sacred trees were finally planted on the mountainsides on either side of the Eagle Falling Gorge, a route the enemy army was sure to take.

"The day of the decisive battle has arrived. As the vanguard iron cavalry of 'Azure Wolf and White Deer' surged into the narrow Falling Eagle Gorge like a torrent, the seven divine trees, which had already 'taken root' in the mountain and accumulated enough metal, were unleashed with a roar as the suicide soldiers behind them activated their tokens at the cost of their lives!"

"The earth trembled and the mountains crumbled! Seven indescribable torrents of silvery-purple liquid metal, like raging dragons from the deepest hell, erupted from within the mountain! Ignoring all physical defenses, they instantly pierced through the heavily armored enemy troops! Those struck, whether men or horses, didn't even have time to scream before their bodies, armor, and weapons melted and disintegrated like wax, becoming part of the torrents! Wherever the torrents passed, deep, smoking ravines were plowed into the earth, rocks were eroded, and even the air was distorted by the intense heat! It was no longer a battle, but a one-sided... annihilation!"

The cave was deathly silent, except for the viscous energy flowing slowly within the purple crystal on the energy cannon's base, as if confirming the terrifying power described in the ancient tales.

“Just one volley…” Xiao Dingshan said with an expression of disbelief.

"The 30,000 elite vanguard of the 'Azure Wolf and White Deer' army, along with that mysterious Heavenly Witch, were instantly annihilated! The rest were terrified and routed! The crisis facing the Xiao Kingdom has been averted!"

"However..." His tone suddenly turned heavy and gloomy!

"The price of this 'divine weapon' is far beyond what Emperor Hui could imagine!"

"First, after the seven 'metal divine trees' released their earth-shattering power, they began to backfire out of control! No longer satisfied with the metal debris on the battlefield, they began to devour the mountains on both sides of Falling Eagle Gorge like greedy beasts! Rocks collapsed, the earth shook, and it looked like an even greater disaster was about to occur!"

In the critical moment, Emperor Hui personally went to the front lines and poured a large amount of his own blood essence into the Star Heart, barely managing to silence the seven 'fierce beasts' again. He then ordered the remaining assassins to bury them deep beneath the eroded crater as quickly as possible, sealing them with countless layers of massive stones and setting up numerous restrictions, thus creating a colossal 'metal tomb'!

"Secondly, there is Emperor Hui himself. The secret records state that after that time he activated the divine weapon, Emperor Hui, who was in his prime, seemed to have his life force drained away, his hair turned white overnight, and he became emaciated."

His life force seemed to be devoured by the star map and divine weapon, rapidly draining away. He only lasted three months before his life force waned, and he passed away suddenly. Before his death, he left a blood-written edict, strictly ordering his descendants: Unless the Xiao Kingdom faces true annihilation, and a future ruler possesses far greater courage and strength than he did, they must never again activate the 'Heavenly Heir' in an attempt to borrow its power! He also ordered the burning of all detailed records of this battle, leaving only the obscure warning and incomplete star map inscribed on the black iron stele in the ancestral temple's secret treasury, and the dim, ominous Star Heart.

Xiao Ce heard this and muttered to himself, "He also has the ability to devour heaven and earth? Backlash..."

Xiao Ce looked utterly incredulous; after all, this matter sounded incredibly mysterious...

Seeing this, Xiao Ce said to Xiao Dingshan, "Uncle, how much trust do you have in these secrets?"

Upon hearing Xiao Ce's words, Xiao Dingshan didn't hesitate and said directly to Xiao Ce, "Xiao Ce, I initially viewed this as a story... Just as you said, I suspect that each stage needed to deify imperial power in order to consolidate power."

Xiao Dingshan paused for a moment, then continued, "However, ever since those things happened, I've been absolutely convinced... Just because we can't understand something doesn't mean it doesn't exist, right...?"

"Therefore, the pattern on this 'Star Network Type 1 Traction Energy Cannon (Prototype/Experimental Code: Lynx)'...its core manufacturing technology...and even the cannon itself...must be related to the lost and vanished secret of the Heavenly Yin of my Xiao Kingdom!"

It is even highly likely that... it was created by descendants of someone who understood the secrets of the Heavenly Yin and successfully deciphered part of the star map, imitating the principles of the 'divine weapon' or 'murder weapon' that descended back then!

Or... even more terrifying, has someone somehow partially reactivated the star map, and 'borrowed' new 'seeds' or... technological blueprints?

As he spoke, Xiao Dingshan stared intently at Xiao Ce, as if to ask if that person was the original owner of the body, Xiao Ce.

Perhaps because Morgana and the others were there, he didn't say anything.

Xiao Ce could see what he was thinking.

He then said to Xiao Dingshan, "So, you suspect it's... the original owner..."

This time they were speaking the language of Xiao. Although these people were learning Xiao culture, they were probably watching a translated version...

Therefore, they still have no knowledge of the Xiao language.

However, they didn't have strong doubts about it...

Upon hearing Xiao Ce speak the Xiao language, Xiao Dingshan suddenly realized something and nodded, "I think it's possible..."

Xiao Ce asked Xiao Dingshan, "Has he had access to those documents?"

Xiao Dingshan nodded: "That's right, I've seen it, and I've shown it to him too... He probably didn't have any thoughts before... but according to what you said, he traveled through your place and then came back... who knows..."

Xiao Ce nodded: "But none of those secret sects record the locations, so he probably wouldn't know them either. Besides, it's unlikely he'd give me these weapons after all..."

Xiao Dingshan nodded, agreeing with Xiao Ce's reasoning.

Xiao Ce then asked Xiao Dingshan, "You mean Al-Qaeda? Do you know about this?"

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Xiao Dingshan looked at Xiao Ce with sharp eyes, but did not respond for a moment.

Morgana and Frank turned pale. They had thought the energy cannon was some kind of accidental discovery or a relic of an advanced civilization, but they never expected it to be involved with such an ancient, strange, and ominous secret of the Xiao Kingdom's royal family.

Xiao Ce's gaze deepened, and he slowly reached out to touch the outline of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests etched on the cold base. The coldness of the metal reached his fingertips, as if he were touching the destiny and curse that flowed in the blood of the Xiao family and had been entangled with this mysterious star map for thousands of years.

"The celestial orbits are fixed, the dragon's energy is concentrated; the map reveals the celestial lineage, the gates to the mortal realm are open..."

Xiao Ce murmured the prophecy, his gaze fixed on the star map!

"'The heart reflects the universe, guiding the heavens'... It turns out that what is being guided is not just objects, but also blueprints for destruction... 'Unless awakened by imperial blood, all who touch it will meet with disaster'..."

He withdrew his hand, his face revealing neither joy nor anger, only an icy calm.

“Uncle, this energy cannon... or rather, the technology it represents, is a double-edged sword. It can help us fight against the threat of the Adventists, but its root... may lead to a deeper trap. Especially now that it is in our hands, the person who knows how to activate 'Heavenly Yin' may be hiding in the shadows watching.”

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Xiao Dingshan nodded: "Do you have any thoughts?"

Xiao Ce glanced at Xiao Dingshan, then shook his head: "I don't have any ideas either... However, I felt that the Al-Qaeda organization had no motive for saving you before... But now it seems that might not be the case..."

Xiao Dingshan naturally understood Xiao Ce's meaning, and then said to Xiao Ce, "Because I am considered a member of the Xiao family's royal family and possess this bloodline?"

Xiao Ce nodded.

Xiao Dingshan then said to Xiao Ce, "However, the Al-Qaeda members have never mentioned this matter..."

Xiao Ce smiled and said, "Uncle, is it possible that because they haven't found the locations of those underground temples, or the Heart of the Star... there's no need for them to follow you..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Xiao Dingshan suddenly realized what was going on, and then nodded repeatedly: "That's indeed possible... But I'm not afraid of them anymore..."

As Xiao Dingshan spoke, he suddenly looked at Xiao Ce with a determined gaze.

The sudden turn of events left Xiao Ce somewhat stunned: "What do you mean?"

Xiao Dingshan said to Xiao Ce, "Now that I have you... I'm not afraid of them coming after me anymore..."

Xiao Ce looked at Xiao Dingshan's smiling face, smiled, and then said, "That's true... but there's no need to worry too much... don't be a worrier."

Xiao Dingshan nodded heavily: "That's right. Xiao Ce, this thing... is probably a hot potato, but also a huge temptation. We must find out exactly how much the original owner or the al-Qaeda organization knew about 'Tianyin', and where this weapon came from..."

Xiao Ce nodded, then asked Morgana, "Have you contacted Boudica?"

Morgana and the others had been standing silently to the side...

However, at this moment, she saw Xiao Ce taking the initiative to approach her.

Morgana spoke to Xiao Ce first, saying, "Mr. Xiao Ce has made contact..."

Xiao Ce continued, "Do they know anything about this?"

Morgana said to Xiao Ce, "Ms. Boudica said she didn't know either... she thought you put it there..."

After listening to Morgana's words, Xiao Dingshan looked at the energy cannon: Is this cannon... really safe? Could it, like that 'Metal Divine Tree,' also risk going out of control and backfiring?

After listening to Morgana's words, Xiao Ce immediately said, "Risks are inevitable. However, their existence must have its purpose..."

"But now that things have come to this, we have no other choice. Fear stems from the unknown. Now that we know its origin, we have a direction to deal with it."

He turned to Morgana, his tone leaving no room for argument: "Morgana, raise the research on this cannon to the highest alert level! Don't let it spread beyond those few people you know. I'll send people specifically to conduct the research..."

They all nodded in agreement.

“Frank!” Xiao Ce continued with a serious expression, “Starting today, your outer perimeter security network will have an additional top-secret mission: keep an eye out for anyone who tries to approach this forest and acts suspiciously!”

"Understood!" Frank's eyes blazed with fighting spirit.

After giving the instructions, Xiao Ce's mind had already begun to make connections...

He already knew about the Ten Great Tombs, and he also learned about the Hidden Dragon Tomb from those computers...

I wonder if there's any connection between the Hidden Dragon Tomb and the underground ancestral temple that Xiao Dingshan mentioned...

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they began their return journey.

They remained silent the entire way. Xiao Ce was preoccupied with this matter, so he didn't utter a word...