64. The Shadow Behind the Curtain

A suffocating pressure filled the ruins, the ancient seal completely broken. The crimson eyes within the abyss flickered, exuding an eerie glow. The ominous voice reverberated through the air, filled with an ancient malice.

"Sovereign of Two Fates… You finally stand before me."

Ling Tian's expression was calm, yet his muscles tensed. His azure-gold aura flared to life, countering the darkness that spread from the broken seal. The weight of countless secrets, buried in the past, pressed upon his shoulders.

Xu Qing'er stood beside him, her amethyst eyes glowing with a mysterious light. A trace of recognition flickered across her face, but she said nothing.

Ling Tian took a step forward. "Who are you?"

A low chuckle echoed through the ruins, carrying the weight of time itself.

"Names are fleeting, Sovereign. What matters is the role we play in the grand cycle of fate. But if you must address me… you may call me 'The Veiled One.'"

The darkness twisted, revealing the silhouette of a figure seated upon a decayed throne. His form was vague, shifting between reality and illusion, but the aura he radiated was undeniable—he was a being of the Myriad Worlds, an entity beyond conventional understanding.

Ling Tian's gaze sharpened. "Why were you sealed here?"

The Veiled One's laughter deepened. "Because I knew too much."

Silence followed his words.

Ling Tian's mind raced. A being of such power, imprisoned for knowledge? That meant whatever he knew threatened someone or something at the pinnacle of existence.

The Veiled One leaned forward. "Tell me, Sovereign of Two Fates, do you believe the Ling Clan perished by mere chance?"

A chill ran down Ling Tian's spine. His voice was steady, yet laced with hidden intensity. "Speak."

The Veiled One's crimson eyes glowed brighter.

"Your clan did not vanish… it was erased."

Xu Qing'er's breath hitched, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her sword.

Ling Tian's heart pounded. "Erased?"

The Veiled One nodded. "Not destroyed in war. Not betrayed from within. They were stripped from existence itself. Not a single trace remains. No histories, no records, no survivors… except you."

A suffocating silence filled the chamber.

Ling Tian clenched his fists. "Who?"

The shadows trembled, as if the answer itself carried a forbidden weight.

The Veiled One's voice lowered. "The same hand that sealed me here. The same force that now watches your every move."

Ling Tian's mind churned. A force powerful enough to erase an entire bloodline from history? A force that anticipated his every step?

His azure-gold aura surged violently. "Then tell me, how do I find them?"

The Veiled One let out a slow, amused sigh. "That, Sovereign… is for you to discover. But I will give you a piece of the puzzle. The first step lies beyond this world, in the Forsaken Abyss."

Xu Qing'er's expression turned grave. "The Forsaken Abyss… the prison of fallen monarchs."

The Veiled One nodded. "Only there will you find the next thread of your fate."

Ling Tian exhaled slowly, his eyes filled with unshakable resolve. "Then I will carve my path through the abyss itself."

The Veiled One chuckled. "You remind me of someone… a man who once defied fate itself."

With those final words, the shadows swirled violently, and the figure of the Veiled One dissolved into nothingness.

The ruins trembled once more, and the ancient gate crumbled, sealing itself once again.

Ling Tian turned to Xu Qing'er, his voice firm. "We leave at dawn."

She nodded, her gaze unwavering. "To the Forsaken Abyss."

The truth of the Ling Clan, the force manipulating his fate, and the path beyond mortality—everything lay ahead. And Ling Tian would face it all with unyielding determination.

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