As the radiant orb of the sun began its descent beyond the horizon, casting a warm golden hue over the vast expanse of the Eastern Barren Land, a palpable tension hung in the air.
In Cloudweaver City, a bustling hub of life and activity, now seemed to hold its breath in collective anticipation.
Subsequently, in the heart of the city, within the confines of the Su Sacred Clan, a cloud of anxiety clung to the air like a heavy fog.
The usually bustling courtyard was now eerily quiet, the normal chatter and laughter replaced by hushed whispers and furrowed brows.
Also, worried glances were exchanged between clan members, their faces etched with concern.
At the center of the courtyard, the clan elders stood in a somber circle, their expressions a mirror of the anxiety that gripped the clan.
Additionally, their eyes, usually brimming with wisdom and authority, were clouded with worry as they exchanged uneasy words.
Meanwhile, at the city gates, citizens of Cloudweaver City gathered in a restless crowd, their eyes fixed on the path that led to the Dreadshade Forest.
The once-distant roars of battle had ceased, leaving an unsettling silence in their wake.
In the Dreadshade Forest, soldiers with exhausted faces walked out of the forest, covered in cuts, bruises, and blood.
Their once-shiny armor was now filled with cracks, while some were broken.
The soldiers gathered in twos and threes, looking at the forest with anticipation.
Though no one knew what their clan master was up for him to venture deeper into the forest.
Nevertheless, every one of the soldiers trusted their clan master.
This was not because Su Yen created the Metal Bone Construct, but how the Su clan was groomed to love and trust each other.
To others, it can be called blind trust.
Each of them trusts their leaders and clan elders to make the best decision for them.
Therefore, they were willing to cross through fire and ice for their leader without hesitation.
Among the giant trees, a haggard middle-aged man walked with some difficulty as a deep cut appeared on his waist.
"Where is the clan master?" Su Jie asked with panic etched on his face.
The battle of the forest was more deadly and brutal than they imagined.
No one expected the beasts to give their all to defend their lands.
Perhaps, if they knew the beasts would be this relentless and fierce in defending their homes.
They may have chosen to take another approach in fighting the beasts instead of a direct attack.
"Elder..." A voice called from the right.
Hmm?
Su Jie raised his head and saw Su Ming walking toward him with a cracked Metal Bone Construct.
"How was it on your side?" He asked.
Su Ming paused for a moment with deep sorrow etched on his face.
"We lost a lot of men...."
Hearing this, a somber expression appeared on Su Jie's face, but his gaze was still firm on Su Ming.
"Then..."
"We killed them all; only some had the chance to escape," Su Ming added, and a bright smile crept up on his face.
Though they lost a lot of men and were sad about it, he wasn't going to dwell on it too much.
Every Su man was already prepared to lose their lives for the clan without any regret.
And for the families they've left behind, the Su Sacred Clan would take care of them without any bias.
And this was one of the reasons why the Su men didn't hesitate to lay down their lives for their clan.
The clan had their backs.
Hearing the news, Su Jie breathed a sigh of relief, and a bright smile crept up on his face.
"Have you seen the clan master?" Su Ming asked.
"I haven't....but I believe nothing will happen to him. We just have to trust him," Su Jie said, looking at the inner region of the forest.
Looking in the direction where Elder Su Jie was looking, Su Ming also followed his gaze and whispered.
"Little brother, you must come back safely."
"Let's get out of the forest before night descends..." Elder Su Jie beckoned, leading the walk to the exit.
In the ruins of the Celestial Astral Pavilion, a silhouette lay on the ground lifelessly.
The eerie wind blew like a ghost's cry, sending shivers down the spine of every beast in the surrounding.
Twitched.
Su Yen's dead body twitched, and his lifeless body regained life slowly.
Gradually, blood rushed to his face, and he opened his eyes.
Huh!
He sucked in a cold breath and stood with some difficulty.
Remembering what just happened, Su Yen shook his head with a bitter smile on his face.
'I was too careless....' He dusted off the dirt from his robe and looked at the pagoda lying quietly a couple of feet from his leg.
He reached out his hand and picked up the pagoda once again, but this time around, he knew better.
He guided his consciousness seriously. Just as he had predicted, a strong wave of information rushed into his mind with a powerful intent.
For a couple of minutes, Su Yen didn't blink his eyes and stood still, holding the pagoda firmly in his hand.
After a quarter of an hour, sweat gathered on his forehead, and his breathing got erratic.
When he thought he was going to fail in protecting his mind from the torrential information.
The torrent of information stopped abruptly, leaving a couple of texts.
Numinous artifact -- Celestial Heavenly Pagoda.
"N-Numinous artifact," Su Yen cried in astonishment.
For a couple of seconds, he froze and looked at the nine-level pagoda, not blinking his gaze.
The mere fact he was holding a Numinous treasure was way beyond what his brain could process immediately.
When the Lotus was still in its heyday, he never had a Numinous treasure.
And besides, this was not just an ordinary Numinous treasure... It was Celestial.
After what looked like forever, Su Yen finally recovered from his stupor and shook his head with a bittersweet smile.
'I thought my greatest harvest is the spirit stones...who would have expected it would be this ordinary-looking pagoda.' He thought with a bright smile on his face.
Unknown to the people waiting for the downfall of the Su Sacred Clan.
Su Yen had just discovered an artifact that would change the course of history.