Starfall Nine Heavens

A warm hand rested on his shoulder. A surge of pure and gentle spiritual energy flowed into his body, calming his turbulent blood and chaotic mind.

It was Lu Xiuyuan.

"Uncle Lu...this..." Lin Fan's voice was hoarse, his heart still pounding.

Lu Xiuyuan didn't answer immediately. He supported Lin Fan, his eyes fixed on the starstone emitting a soft starlight, then glanced at Lin Fan's pale, sweat-drenched face. This usually composed pavilion master's left hand, which was behind his back, was trembling slightly.

It was a feeling of trembling with excitement, and also the relief of finally seeing the end of a thousand-year-long wait.

He hid it well, but Lin Fan still caught a glimpse of it.

After a few seconds, Lu Xiuyuan spoke, his voice still relatively calm: "What just happened?"

Lin Fan opened his mouth.

Those images, that sigh… it must be related to the jade pendant. A voice inside him cried out: I can't tell anyone. These images are too shocking; they clearly involve the ancestral jade pendant on my chest. I can't tell anyone until I figure it out, not even Uncle Lu, who seems so gentle and reliable.

Lin Fan forced himself to calm down and swallowed hard: "...It seems like I'm having a lot of hallucinations. I saw some random lights and shadows and heard some strange noises...I was probably too nervous."

Lu Xiuyuan gave him a deep look.

His gaze seemed to see right through him, and Lin Fan thought he had been seen through. But Lu Xiuyuan simply nodded and released his hand from Lin Fan's grasp.

"The Origin Star Stone is the foundation of the Dust Fate Pavilion and the proof of its heritage." Lu Xiuyuan gazed at the glowing stone, his voice distant. "It has been dormant for far too long. As for what you see... perhaps it is some ancient memory fragment preserved by the Star Stone. It chose you, perhaps because of certain qualities you possess."

He deliberately avoided mentioning the "waiting" part. Now is not the time to say everything.

Just then, another unexpected event occurred.

The soft light emanating from the starstone began to converge towards its center, not dispersing, but rather frantically condensing and compressing. The starstone itself emitted a faint cracking sound, as if it were about to split open, and the cracks on its surface seemed to deepen a little more.

In the blink of an eye, the starlight gathered and solidified, transforming into an ancient, dark golden scroll. It paused gently, then drifted down, landing perfectly in Lin Fan's still trembling hand.

The scroll is rather heavy. Its texture is peculiar, neither silk nor leather, but more like a thin sheet of flexible metal that has oxidized over countless years, giving it a deep, dark gold color. The ends of the scroll have rustic ebony spools, but the edges show obvious wear and cracks, as if it has been burned and torn by time. The entire scroll exudes a sense of decay.

Lin Fan subconsciously tried to unfold the scroll to take a look, but the scroll didn't budge.

What's even stranger is that it's completely bare, without any writing on it. Only in the dim light of the secret room does a faint, star-like glimmer flash across it, disappearing in an instant, proving that it's no ordinary iron.

Its overly simple, even dilapidated appearance, compared to the earth-shattering burst of starlight just now, was so contrasting that Lin Fan was somewhat stunned.

Lu Xiuyuan, standing to the side, had his gaze fixed on the dark gold scroll, the shock in his eyes even greater than when the star stone had exploded. As the master of the Dust Fate Pavilion, he had seen countless rare treasures, but at this moment, he sensed an antiquity and nobility from this seemingly inconspicuous scroll.

The starlight in the secret chamber quickly faded, and the star stone returned to its original grayish-white, cracked state, as if the explosion had been nothing more than a dream. Only the faint residual energy in the air and the tangible scroll in Lin Fan's hand proved that what had just happened was not an illusion.

"Uncle Lu, what's this?" Lin Fan looked at the scroll in his hand and subconsciously handed it over.

Lu Xiuyuan suppressed his shock and took the scroll. He didn't rush to open it; first, he touched the material with his fingertips, his brows furrowing slightly. Then he closed his eyes, and a vast, intangible spiritual force, which made Lin Fan feel the surrounding air slightly stagnant, flowed towards the dark gold scroll like a gentle stream of water.

The moment the spiritual sense touched the surface of the scroll, a very faint ripple of starlight spread across it, as if an invisible wall had gently yet resolutely blocked the force from the outside.

Lu Xiuyuan opened his eyes, his brows furrowing even more deeply. He thought for a moment, then extended his right index finger, a wisp of azure spiritual energy condensing at its tip. This wisp of spiritual energy was very pure, containing a certain vibrant meaning, and he slowly pointed it toward the interface of the scroll.

Just as the spiritual energy was about to touch it, the previously inconspicuous starlight on the scroll's surface suddenly shone brightly. The wisp of spiritual energy at Lu Xiuyuan's fingertip seemed to encounter an invisible repulsive force, gently but firmly pushed away, sliding to the side, unable to land on the scroll at all. He could even clearly sense a trace of alienation and rejection emanating from within the ancient scroll.

Lu Xiuyuan withdrew his hand.

He remained silent for a long while, his expression shifting from tentative to surprised, then to regret, and finally slowly settling into a calm. It was as if he had come to a realization.

He handed the scroll back to Lin Fan with both hands, his movements as solemn as if he were handing over some sacred object.

"The Star Stone was bestowed for a reason. Take it, child." Lu Xiuyuan's voice returned to its usual gentleness, yet carried an unprecedented weight. "It chose you. This thing is not meant for me; perhaps... only you can open it."

"Choose me?" Lin Fan took the scroll and could feel an inexplicable connection between it and himself, and between it and the jade pendant on his chest.

Looking at Lin Fan's somewhat bewildered eyes, Lu Xiuyuan explained earnestly, "This shows that its inheritance has nothing to do with me. The Star Stone chose you, Lin Fan; this is its own will."

He paused, then continued, "Although I couldn't see the contents, I could sense that something extraordinary was hidden within. This object possesses a profound and far-reaching spiritual energy, far beyond what a mere scroll recording martial arts techniques could have. It is very likely a fragmented inheritance of a cultivation method."

At this point, Lu Xiuyuan's expression turned extremely serious, his gaze fixed on Lin Fan's face like a nail: "Lin Fan, remember, what you saw here today—the star stone phenomenon, and this scroll—you must never mention to anyone. This is an opportunity that belongs only to you, and it is also a secret you must bear."

Lin Fan felt a weight on his heart from the weight of his words and nodded solemnly: "I understand, Uncle Lu."

"Let's go, I'll take you somewhere." Lu Xiuyuan removed the isolation barrier and returned to his study from the secret room. Without lingering, he led Lin Fan through the central circular hall and onto another passageway. The sign at the entrance of the passageway read "Scripture Pavilion".

After a short while, the two stopped in front of a dark red wooden door.

The door looked quite old, with deep wood grain and shallow cloud patterns carved on the door panels. In the center of the door was a palm-sized round piece of white jade. The white jade was warm and smooth, and it seemed as if there were flowing clouds inside.

"This is the Sutra Repository." Lu Xiuyuan stopped in front of the door, his tone solemn.