Lu Yuan could tell that Jiang Taiyu attached great importance to this matter. Thus, he wished to know what that supposed legacy truly was, partly to prepare for what lay ahead.
Upon hearing his question, Jiang Ningxian shook her head. "To be honest, I'm not entirely clear on what the legacy left behind by our ancestor actually is, either. But according to the clan elders, it is of utmost importance.
"It even concerns the fate of our entire Jiang clan. Even among core members, very few know much about it.
"Only a few clan elders and my father truly understand what it is." Had she known, she would certainly have told him straight out.
Unfortunately, she knew very little about it and could not offer any real answers. Even so, she was certain of one thing: this legacy was extraordinarily vital. Otherwise, neither she nor her brother would have reacted so vividly back then.
After a moment of thought, she added, "In any case, the fact that my father is willing to bring out that legacy proves how highly he regards you. He's also making preparations for the future." That was as much as Jiang Ningxian could say for now. As for the specifics, he would have to discover them for himself—or perhaps understand them only once he saw it with his own eyes.
"Is that so?" Lu Yuan nodded. He was not particularly disappointed. After all, he could sense that Jiang Taiyu genuinely wanted to do something for him.
Otherwise, the man wouldn't have brought him all the way to the Desolate Flame Star Domain. As for whether there might be any ill intent or downside, Lu Yuan never even considered it. How could they lack even this basic trust between them? And so, the two did not converse further, settling down to wait quietly.
Another day passed in this manner. Finally, word arrived from Jiang Taiyu, informing them that they could proceed to the Jiang clan.
Without hesitation, the two set off immediately. Flame Star was not exceedingly large, and with their cultivation, the journey took very little time.
Soon after, Lu Yuan arrived at the Jiang clan, the core of the entire Desolate Flame Star Domain. He had previously imagined what the seat of one of the top ten forces in the cosmos would be like. The Jiang clan's domain was bound to be distinct from anywhere else. After all, the Celestial Clan's ancestral land had been immensely grand, bearing an aura that felt wholly extraordinary.
Yet seeing it now brought a look of surprise to his face. What lay before him was a massive architectural complex, occupying no vast mountain ranges and boasting no cloud-piercing palace halls. Instead, it resembled the classical gardens of ancient times.
It blended seamlessly into its surroundings, seemingly devoid of any overt extraordinary power. If not for the fact that Lu Yuan could clearly sense a distinct kind of power coursing within these garden complexes, he would have wondered whether he had come to the wrong place.
"Come to the Flame Hall," Jiang Taiyu's voice echoed in their minds at that moment. Without a word, Jiang Ningxian stepped forward to lead the way.
After all, Lu Yuan was unfamiliar with the grounds. Before long, the two arrived before a great hall. A crowd had already gathered there—all elderly men. Though their cultivation was not exceptionally profound, they were advanced in years and clearly elders of the Jiang clan.
"Greetings, Clan Elders," Jiang Ningxian greeted them, setting aside her usual carefree demeanor. In her memory, these elders were all exceedingly stern, so she naturally adopted a solemn demeanor as well.
Beside her, Lu Yuan also bowed slightly. "Greetings, seniors." In truth, many present possessed cultivation inferior to his own, but that mattered little. These were her clan elders, and due respect had to be accorded.
"You are Lu Yuan?" one of the Jiang clan elders asked, scrutinizing him closely. "You are indeed young."
"What does youth matter? Whether he can unlock that legacy remains to be seen," another elder remarked coolly.
In fact, not a single elder present wore a smile. All looked grave, and upon closer inspection, a trace of displeasure could even be seen on their faces.
Standing beside him, Jiang Ningxian naturally caught their mood right away. Leaning in close to Lu Yuan's ear, she whispered, "Don't mind them; the elders are always like this." Of course, though she said that, she was still somewhat puzzled. While the elders were normally stern, they were never quite this frosty toward guests.
Lu Yuan, however, understood what was happening. He was an outsider, yet he was now being given access to the Jiang clan's sacred legacy. Even if the legacy had never been unsealed before, they still harbored reservations. Clearly, over the past two or three days, Jiang Taiyu had spent a great deal of effort trying to persuade them.
"Let us go," one elder said, then added a reminder, "Xian'er, if you have nothing else to do, go visit your mother. She hasn't seen you in quite a while." The unspoken implication was that Jiang Ningxian had better not get involved in what was to follow.
Had it been Jiang Haokong, he would certainly have voiced his dissatisfaction and argued back. After all, this was his own home—what couldn't he be privy to? But Jiang Ningxian was different. Hearing the elder's words, she promptly nodded, gave Lu Yuan an encouraging glance, and turned to leave.
Lu Yuan then followed the Jiang clan elders straight into the hall. Stepping inside, he saw that Jiang Taiyu had long been waiting.
At this moment, however, Jiang Taiyu was seated cross-legged on the floor. An overwhelmingly powerful aura steadily surged from him.
Above the hall hovered a great sun, radiating scorching light. A terrifying aura surged and roiled incessantly, rumbling in wave after wave.
Seeing this, the elders drew deep breaths. Saying nothing, they sat cross-legged one after another.
A potent aura surged from each of them as well, rippling outward in waves. This power did not stem from their cultivation, but from their bloodline. It was stimulated through a special method and channeled into the great sun. As time passed, the heat from the sun grew more and more intense, its radiance blazing ever fiercer, as though an immense power was trapped within.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan recognized at once that this great sun was undoubtedly the legacy left behind by the Jiang clan's ancestor—the Human Sovereign and Heavenly Emperor. Yet if one wished to utilize it, it seemed a potent bloodline was required to unlock it. Of course, this was merely his conjecture; he had no way of knowing the exact truth.
Knowing better than to disturb them, Lu Yuan stood quietly in place and waited. Time ticked away until finally, at a certain moment, the energy gathered within that great sun reached its absolute peak.
Chapter 516