In a secret room within the Starry Palace.
This was once the quiet room where the Dai family ancestors secluded themselves. The walls and floors were paved with the finest soundproof stone, making it airtight and completely isolated from the outside world.
The interior is luxuriously furnished, with the soft glow of luminous pearls illuminating the golden nanmu wood table, and the air filled with the elegant scent of calming incense.
Tang San sat cross-legged on a velvet cushion, his expression cold and stern.
He didn't look at the priceless furnishings; his gaze was fixed on the conch shell in his palm.
The snail that listens to the tide.
Its entire body is azure blue, and the patterns on the snail shell, under the light of the luminous pearl, seem to contain a starry sky.
At the auction, it was hailed as being able to hear "the voice of the future" and being the product of a divine beast under the command of the god of tides.
Without further hesitation, Tang San held the conch shell in his left hand and slowly pressed his right hand against it.
Black soul power surged from his palm, like ink dripping into clear water, and carefully probed into the interior of the Listening Tide Conch.
This soul power, after being mutated by the Blue Silver Grass, is no longer what it originally was; it is now filled with a predatory and destructive nature.
The moment the black soul power touched the core of the conch, Tang San's body shuddered violently.
He had anticipated many possible reactions, from gentle empathy to intense rejection.
But none of them are true.
A cold, chaotic, and malicious mental fluctuation surged back into his mind along with his soul power!
That was neither sound nor image.
It was a pure, seductive guidance.
Like a drowning person, in their most desperate moment, someone suddenly whispers in their ear, telling them that there is a piece of driftwood in a certain direction.
You wouldn't care where the sound came from, nor would you think about whether the piece of driftwood contained a trap.
"The... Forest... of... Sunset..."
"Rotten...abyss..."
Intermittent, like murmurs from the deepest depths of hell, each syllable carries boundless magic, piercing straight to the soul.
Tang San's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his face turned slightly pale.
He could sense that this was by no means some divine guidance.
God of the Tides?
This thing is probably connected to something completely opposite.
But so what?
Power is neither sacred nor evil.
As long as it can be used by him...
He abruptly withdrew his soul power, and the chilling murmur abruptly stopped.
The Tide-Listening Conch returned to its original gentle and beautiful appearance, as if everything just now was an illusion.
Tang San gripped the conch shell tightly, stood up, and pushed open the heavy stone door.
Outside the door, Flander and Yu Xiaogang were waiting anxiously.
Upon seeing Tang San emerge, the two immediately came to greet him.
"How's the mistress doing?"
Yu Xiaogang's voice was filled with concern.
Tang San did not answer. He looked around the heavily guarded corridor and lowered his voice.
"Teacher, Dean Flander, come with me."
Seeing his solemn expression, the two exchanged a glance, asked no further questions, and followed him back to the side hall where they usually held meetings.
After dismissing all the servants, Tang San placed the Listening Tide Conch on the table.
"It gave me a direction."
"Guidelines?"
Yu Xiaogang immediately perked up. He adjusted his glasses and leaned forward to examine the conch shell closely. "Is it a prophecy or a warning?"
"A place," Tang San said succinctly.
Upon hearing this, Flanders frowned:
"Where? Mistress, you'd better think this through. This thing is of dubious origin. What if it's a trap?"
"I have to go."
Tang San's tone left no room for argument: "I feel that what I need is there. It concerns our future."
The word "future" made Yu Xiaogang's expression extremely serious.
He knew his disciple well; Tang San never did anything without being sure of success, and he would never joke about his own life.
Since he's so certain, he must have made some discovery...
"In what direction?"
Yu Xiaogang asked.
"The Forest of Sunset".
"Sunset Forest?"
Flander's tone rose an octave, "That place is a well-known gathering place for spirit beasts, what are you going there for?"
Tang San shook his head, a dark glint in his eyes. "You'll know when you get there!"
Yu Xiaogang pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Sunset Forest is nothing more than Sunset Forest."
"The terrain there is complex, and it's entirely possible that some unknown secret realm is hidden there. Many ancient ruins were built in places like this. Xiao San, are you sure you want to go?"
"I'm sure."
Tang San looked at his teacher with a firm gaze, "Some opportunities, once missed, are gone forever."
“That place is far away, and the terrain is unknown. Driving by horse is too slow and it would be easy to be spotted.” Tang San then turned to look at Flander.
Seeing this, Flanders nodded:
"I know, I know, you want me to be a laborer and a flying mount again."
Even so, he kept moving.
"Hold your positions firmly!"
Flander gave a low shout, and eight spirit rings instantly rose from beneath his feet.
"Martial Soul True Form!"
With a high-pitched eagle cry, Flander's body rapidly expanded and changed amidst the light of soul power.
In the blink of an eye, a giant cat owl with a wingspan of over twenty meters appeared on the spot!
Tang San and Yu Xiaogang exchanged a glance and then leaped onto the broad back of the cat owl.
"Hold on tight, we're about to take off!"
The giant eagle let out a roar, its wings flapping violently, creating a sudden gust of wind. The next moment, its massive body rose from the ground, transforming into a streak of brown light that shot into the sky, hurtling towards the Sunset Forest.
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