On the other side, the moment the clan's territory opened, a rich flow of spiritual energy rushed towards Ning Yao.

Ning Yao frowned and instantly flashed out to search for the source of the spiritual energy.

"Yaoyao, where are you going?"

As soon as Ning Wenyi finished speaking, Aheng also chased after Ning Yao and went out.

"Hey! Hey! Young man, where are you going again?"

Seeing the two disappear, Ning Wenyi stamped his feet in frustration. He wanted to chase after them, but they had vanished without a trace.

When Yun Xiangnanxi arrived at the entrance to the forbidden area, she deliberately slowed down and even looked back.

Sure enough, a beautiful figure appeared not far away.

She gave a barely perceptible smile before turning and disappearing into the forbidden area's entrance.

Ning Yao, however, was a step slower. She stood at the entrance to the forbidden area, looking at the giant rocks and trees in front of her. After only a moment's hesitation, she walked straight in.

Ah Heng, who arrived late, made a hand seal the moment the entrance closed, and his figure flashed into the entrance.

With a loud "boom," the entrance to the forbidden area slammed shut, leaving no trace.

Inside the Temple of the Holy Maiden, everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon sensing the entrance close.

The high priest said, "They went in."

The elders understood the implication, and Elder Yuan in white robes asked, "Where is he? Did others go in as well?"

These words immediately aroused the dissatisfaction of the elders.

"Besides the saintess, who else went in?"

"How can we let others in? Isn't this ridiculous?"

"How can we allow outsiders into our clan's forbidden area?"

"Forbidden areas are dangerous; isn't this just child's play?"

The high priest's expression turned cold: "Please be patient, everyone. This is also part of the Holy Maiden's consideration. Please wait patiently!"

The elders were still somewhat indignant and couldn't understand it.

But the High Priestess was the previous Holy Maiden, so her words still carried some weight.

Elder Yuan said, "The matter of the forbidden area is of utmost importance. I hope the Holy Maiden will not disappoint us!"

The high priest's voice was indifferent: "Of course!"

What a joke! People who can control spiritual energy have already appeared. How could we possibly fail?

However, she would never say this. This was a secret known only to the holy maidens of each generation, a secret she would take to her grave even in death!

Once inside the forbidden area, there is only one road leading directly into the heart of the territory.

Deep within the heart of the territory is a circular area with a Seven Star Array on the ground. Unlike the Temple of the Holy Maiden, the Seven Star Array of the Temple of the Holy Maiden requires the Holy Maiden, the High Priest, the Clan Chief, and the Elders to activate simultaneously.

The Seven Star Array deep within the forbidden area does not require manual activation; a spirit stone is placed at each of the seven corners, and a spirit stone is also placed at each of the array's key points.

The spiritual energy overflowing from the spirit stones connects the array's cores, circulating endlessly and providing the energy for the array to operate, thus supporting the giant golden lotus statue suspended above.

A faint halo appeared around the Golden Lotus statue, and the aura emanating from the halo was the barrier protecting Yunxiang City.

However, the halo around the Golden Lotus statue has diminished considerably, and there are now a few faint cracks on the surface of the statue.

When Ning Yao arrived, Yun Xiangnan was looking up at the Golden Lotus statue.

This was the first time she had ever seen such a scene. At first, she had only heard some descriptions and legends about it when she took the position of saintess.

"Miss Ning, you've arrived?" Yun Xiangnan asked calmly.

Ning Yao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by Yun Xiangnanxi's reaction.

"You don't seem surprised that I'm here?"

Yun Xiangnan smiled faintly, then turned to look at Ning Yao.

Her gaze was gentle, yet it also held a light that Ning Yao couldn't decipher.

But Ning Yao felt that Yun Xiang Nanxi was very affectionate towards her.

"Your coming here was inevitable. Even if our clan hadn't opened the forbidden area today, you would have come in another way when the time was right."

"Today, my clan has voluntarily opened the forbidden area to let you in, so that my Yunxiang clan still has a glimmer of hope. But if you enter in another way in the future, it will prove that my Yunxiang clan no longer exists."

"Miss Ning, come here."

Ning Yao's heart was deeply moved by her words.

Looking at the familiar scene before her, Ning Yao believed her words.

Upon hearing Yun Xiangnan's words, Ning Yao took two steps forward and stood beside her.

Have you ever seen this Golden Lotus stone statue before?

Ning Yao nodded: "I've seen it, but it wasn't a stone statue. It was a real, living Golden Lotus."

Yun Xiangnan was overjoyed, a hint of excitement on her face: "The real Golden Lotus?"

"According to records of the Yunxiang clan, the Ningque clan possessed a nine-turn golden lotus, which was regarded as a clan treasure. Later, Yunxiang and Ningque separated, and the golden lotus remained with the Ningque clan. Our clan's ancestor used a huge spiritual stone to carve this golden lotus stone statue."

Yun Xiangnan looked down at the Seven Star Array on the ground and said, "The spirit stones at the core of this array are also surplus from the Golden Lotus Spirit Stone. They share the same origin and lineage, which is why the Seven Star Array can keep running and thrive."

"The real golden lotus remains with the Ningque clan. You say you've seen it, so which clan are you from?"

While recounting the past, Yun Xiangnan was also observing Ning Yao.

Seeing that she remained calm about what she was saying, Yun Xiangnanxi herself became somewhat unsettled.

Ning Yao's words immediately made Yun Xiangnanxi even more excited.

"What does the Holy Maiden want to know? You and Father are old acquaintances, and you know that I come from the Ning family of the Duke of Zhenguo in the capital. What do you think I could possibly have with Ning Que?"

"There isn't much information circulating about the reclusive Ning family. I only learned about your Yunxiang clan after I arrived in Licheng. You haven't mentioned the reclusive Ning family at all, but you keep talking about the Ning Que clan. What are you implying?"

Yun Xiangnan's gaze was intense as she stared intently at Ning Yao, not missing a single expression on her face.

"It seems you know about the Ning Que Clan. People know a lot about the Yun Xiang Clan, but few know about the Ning Que Clan. This is because the Ning Que Clan claims to be a reclusive family. Apart from the head of the Ning family, the deceased members of the Ning family, and the holy maidens and high priests of the Yun Xiang Clan, even the clan leaders and elders do not know about the name Ning Que."

"What exactly is your relationship with the Ning Que family?"

Ning Yao remained silent, not wanting to reveal the secrets of the Thousand Illusions Realm.

Seeing this, Yun Xiangnan was already 90% certain, so she said directly, "It's okay if you don't say it, I'll say it."

"The Ningque clan possesses a supreme treasure, an existence even more mysterious than the Golden Lotus. Legend has it that the Golden Lotus was born here."

"Those who possess the most precious treasure can neutralize the spiritual energy of poisons that would kill ordinary people, and transform it into their own power."

“When my sister led you into the area within a hundred miles of Yunxiang City, the spiritual energy of the earth veins suddenly disappeared, and I knew that the destined person that our ancestor spoke of had appeared.”

"Miss Ning, if you are truly the destined one, please lend a helping hand and save my clan from this perilous place!"