Tang Chun Xi pushed the door of the tower with some hesitation. The moment she did, a wave of information flooded her mind, like a river breaking through a dam. For a few moments, she stood frozen, struggling to absorb and organize the data pouring into her consciousness.
As she regained her composure, a fascinating truth emerged: the tower was a testing site for the Tang family, a high-ranking clan in cultivation, whose core techniques and most precious resources were stored there. It was a place of power and legacy, but also of responsibility and expectation.
'I expected more information... something more specific,'— she thought with slight disappointment. However, she quickly pushed the frustration aside. It was a start. If the tower was connected to her, it might be the key to unlocking deeper secrets about her lineage and biological parents.
The fact that a high-level transmission matrix had been used to send her far from where her family resided only reinforced her suspicions. The Tang family must be a powerful and influential entity, with a long history and extraordinary cultivation prowess. Despite the lingering doubts, Tang Chun Xi decided to focus on the present and explore what the tower had to offer.
With steady steps, she entered the structure, her eyes scanning every detail. The tower seemed much larger on the inside than it did from the outside—a common phenomenon in structures created by skilled cultivators. The space was vast, with walls adorned with ancient symbols glowing softly in silvery hues. At the center of the octagonal room rested a talent-measuring crystal on a pedestal.
Tang Chun Xi frowned. The tower, with its grand exterior, held only a simple crystal? Her skepticism grew but was soon overshadowed by a strange and familiar sensation. The crystal seemed to call to her, as if it had a consciousness of its own.
She took a few hesitant steps toward the orb at the center of the room, her heart racing. Distant memories overwhelmed her, and she recalled the first time she had undergone a talent test. On that occasion, others' expectations had turned into disappointment and scorn when she was deemed a waste.
Her steps faltered for a moment, but Tang Chun Xi shook her head, pushing aside the painful memories. —"None of that matters anymore," — she whispered to herself, her voice firm.
Determined, she reached out toward the crystal. As her fingers touched the cold, smooth surface, a pulsing energy coursed through her body. It felt as though the crystal was probing every aspect of her being, examining not only her talent but also her past, her emotions, and her potential.
Tang Chun Xi took a deep breath, summoning all the courage she had. As she touched the crystal for the test, she felt its cold, smooth texture under her fingers, and a flood of memories surged through her mind. For a brief moment, she was transported back to the day she had faced those judgmental gazes, the venomous murmurs, and the veiled laughter that cut deeper than any blade.
Back then, her stance had faltered, her shoulders slumping under the weight of humiliation. But this time was different. This time, she refused to be defined by past failures or others' opinions. Straightening her posture, she lifted her chin, her eyes fixed on the crystal before her.
The imagined murmurs faded. She was no longer there to seek approval. She was there to uncover the truth about herself.
As she activated the crystal, it began to shine intensely. First, a vibrant green color dominated the center, filling the room with a sense of vitality and strength. However, before she could grasp its significance, the green was abruptly overpowered by an intense and menacing red.
Then followed solid and deep brown, radiant gold, and finally, tranquil and mysterious blue. Each color occupied a fifth of the crystal, just as she remembered. The infamous "five roots of waste"—a combination that had branded her as someone with no promising future in cultivation.
But something was different. This time, the colors shimmered unusually, as if they had a life of their own, much like when the starlight energy had merged with them. A pulsating energy emanated from the crystal, filling the room with an almost overwhelming force. Before she could ponder its meaning, the crystal began to emit a blinding light so bright that she had to close her eyes to shield herself.
When she reopened them, the world around her had changed.
She was now in a vast library, unlike any she had ever seen. Towering shelves stretched as far as her eyes could see, all filled with jade scrolls and books that emitted a soft, mysterious light. The ceiling was illuminated by nocturnal pearls, casting a warm glow over the space, and the air seemed charged with knowledge and power.
Tang Chun Xi immediately recognized what it meant. Jade books were used to store high-level techniques, requiring special preservation due to the intensity of their energy. Before her lay a collection of wisdom and power that few could even dream of.
She snapped out of her thoughts, focusing on a nearby shelf. Her heart raced as she reached out to take one of the books, eager to uncover the secrets within her grasp. However, before she could touch anything, a shining object appeared in the distance and flew toward her.
Without warning, the object struck her forehead, shattering into brilliant fragments before she could react. A forceful sensation swept over her, as if she were being expelled from the place.
In the blink of an eye, she was outside the tower again, standing before its door.
Tang Chun Xi took a deep breath, trying to control the frustration rising within her. She stared at the imposing tower ahead, her fingers lightly touching the door that had just expelled her. Determined, she tried to open it again, but it remained stubbornly sealed.
After several failed attempts, she stepped back, observing the structure as if expecting it to reveal its secrets somehow. With a resigned sigh, she decided to give up for now. Her frustration gave way to curiosity and respect for the mystery she had just witnessed.
As she reflected on what had happened, a strange sensation rippled through her mind—a subtle yet persistent pulse. Without warning, the world around her seemed to spin, and in an instant, she found herself back in the safety of her meditation chamber.
Sitting on the futon, Tang Chun Xi closed her eyes, focusing on that peculiar sensation. It felt as if something was calling to her, hidden deep within her mind. As she delved into her introspection, a flicker of light sparkled in her thoughts, and an image began to form.
Suddenly, a jade book emerged in her consciousness. Tang Chun Xi could almost feel its texture, as if it were truly in her hands, but it was something beyond the physical. It was a manifestation of pure knowledge and power, pulsing with energy that seemed to transcend mortal understanding.
Then, as if etched in fire, a name echoed in her mind, laden with an ancient oppression that made her catch her breath: "Harmonic Matrix of Chaos."
The words carried an aura so ancient that their presence was overwhelming. Tang Chun Xi recalled feeling something similar—but much stronger—in the past, when she was still in her original universe, surrounded by the desolate aura of an existence that seemed to have witnessed countless eras of destruction and rebirth.
Intrigued, she tried to organize her thoughts. The brilliance of the crystal striking her forehead returned to her memory, and the brief vision she had seen in the library became clear.
—"It must have been a jade scroll..."— she murmured to herself, her eyes widening with realization. That dazzling brilliance, that impact that had expelled her, likely contained the knowledge of this ancient book.
Her heart raced with the realization. Even without fully accessing the library, something from it now resided in her mind. What, after all, was the Harmonic Matrix of Chaos?