Chapter 61 How to Break It

He reached out and gently pushed open one of the wooden chests. With a creak, the lid slowly rose, and a pungent, musty odor rushed toward his face.

Inside the chest were some yellowed ancient books and tattered clothes. Lin Tian casually thumbed through them, finding nothing out of the ordinary.

Just as he was about to close the chest, the corner of his eye caught a hidden compartment at the bottom.

His heart skipped a beat. He reached out and felt along the edges of the compartment, trying to find the opening mechanism.

A moment later, with a soft click, the hidden compartment slowly slid open, revealing a small metal box inside.

The box was covered in intricate patterns, bearing some resemblance to the symbols on the Xiao family tree, yet distinctly different.

Curious, Lin Tian picked up the box. Finding no lock, he gave the lid a gentle push, and it swung open.

Inside the box rested a black crystal radiating a faint, eerie glow. Its surface shimmered with a strange light, as if whispering of its extraordinary nature.

The moment Lin Tian touched the crystal, an icy chill instantly swept through his entire body. Fragmented, hazy visions suddenly flooded his mind:

A dark, gloomy forest shrouded in eerie mist, where pairs of crimson eyes flickered faintly in the shadows;

An ancient altar carved all over with mysterious symbols, surrounded by licking tongues of bizarre black flames;

And a mysterious figure in a black robe standing before the altar, chanting incantations as if wielding boundless dark power within his hands.

These visions flashed by in an instant. Lin Tian felt his head split with pain; he hurriedly dropped the black crystal, clutching his head with both hands in a desperate attempt to ease the sudden, violent agony.

After a long while, the pain finally subsided. Lin Tian panted heavily, his mind filled with confusion and dread.

What on earth was this black crystal? And how was it connected to the secrets of the Xiao family?

Just as Lin Tian fell into deep thought, a faint sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from the entrance of the basement.

Startled, Lin Tian quickly grabbed his flashlight and retreated into the shadows to the side.

He held his breath, anxiously gazing toward the entrance. A dark figure slowly walked into the basement, moving lightly and cautiously as if searching for something.

As the figure drew closer, Lin Tian finally made out their appearance—it was a woman dressed in black.

Her face was concealed by a dark veil, leaving only a pair of deep, profound eyes visible, which betrayed a hint of anxiety and unease.

She looked around the basement. When her gaze swept over the corner where Lin Tian was hiding, his heart tightened, and his fists clenched instinctively.

However, the woman did not notice him. She turned and walked toward another corner, where she squatted down and began meticulously searching through the items there.

Lin Tian was filled with doubt. Who was this mysterious woman? Why had she appeared here?

Could she also be connected to the secrets of the Xiao family? Just as he was pondering this, the woman suddenly let out a startled gasp: "Found it!"

Lin Tian narrowed his eyes and saw the woman holding a tattered book, the cover bearing a few faint, indistinct characters.

She hugged the book tightly, a trace of triumphant a smile appearing on her face.

A thought stirred in Lin Tian's mind. He guessed that this book was likely tied to the Xiao family's secrets and must not be allowed to fall into anyone else's hands.

Quietly stepping out from the shadows, Lin Tian shouted, "Put that book down!"

Startled by the sudden voice, the woman spun around. Seeing Lin Tian holding a flashlight and wearing a stern expression, a flash of panic crossed her eyes.

Yet she quickly regained her composure and sneered, "Who are you? What gives you the right to tell me to put it down?"

Taking a step forward, Lin Tian said, "I am the guardian of the Xiao family's secrets. You cannot take that book away."

Hearing this, a look of disdain crossed the woman's eyes. "The Xiao family's secrets? Hmph, your family lost the ability to keep this secret long ago. I'm taking this ancient book today."

With that, her figure flashed, and she bolted toward the basement exit.

Horrified, Lin Tian never expected her to be so blindingly fast.

He immediately gave chase, and a fierce pursuit ensued through the basement corridors.

The woman's figure drifted through the darkness like a ghost, while Lin Tian followed closely behind, anxiety gnawing at his heart.

Just as the two were about to burst out of the basement, the woman suddenly stopped, and Lin Tian halted as well.

He watched her vigilantly. A strange, eerie smile touched the woman's lips. She slowly raised her hand, and the ancient book in her grasp suddenly emitted a blinding glare that illuminated the entire basement.

Blinded by the sudden, intense light, Lin Tian could not keep his eyes open. He instinctively shut them and raised his arm to shield his face.

At that very moment, he felt a powerful surge of energy hurtling toward him. Too late to dodge, he was struck dead-on and sent flying, crashing heavily against the stone wall.

A sharp pain lanced through his chest, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. Struggling to his feet, he glared at the woman, his heart burning with anger and frustration.

The woman looked at him triumphantly. "You actually thought you could stop me? How arrogant." With that, she turned to leave.

Just then, a figure suddenly materialized at the entrance of the basement—it was the man in the golden mask who had confronted Lin Tian earlier.

Coldly eyeing the woman, he said, "Hand over the ancient book, or you won't leave this place today."

The woman's expression shifted dramatically. She had not anticipated the golden-mask man's sudden arrival. Gritting her teeth, she spat, "You think I'm afraid of you?"

The golden-mask man let out a cold snort. His hands rapidly formed seals, and a potent wave of dark energy surged from within him, hurtling toward the woman.

She hurriedly mobilized her internal power to defend herself. In an instant, the basement was flooded with clashing radiances; the two forces violently collided, producing a deafening roar.

Seizing the opportunity, Lin Tian scrambled to his feet. He knew this was his only chance to reclaim the ancient book.

Quietly circling behind the pair, he prepared to launch a surprise attack.

Just as Lin Tian drew close, the woman abruptly spun around, and the book in her hand unleashed another beam of light straight at him.

Horrified, Lin Tian threw himself sideways to dodge, but the light still grazed his arm. A searing pain flared, leaving a deep, bleeding gash.

Taking advantage of his injury, the woman bolted once more toward the exit.

Seeing this, the golden-mask man gave chase immediately, and both of their figures quickly vanished into the gloom.

Clutching his wound, Lin Tian was consumed by remorse and self-reproach.

Not only had he failed to retrieve the book, but he had also allowed both the mysterious woman and the golden-masked man to escape.

He knew all of this was intertwined with the Xiao family's secrets, and he had to unravel these mysteries as soon as possible, or the consequences would be unthinkable.

Dragging his injured body, Lin Tian returned to the basement.

Sitting on the floor, he stared at the jade pendant and the box containing the black crystal in his hands, his mind in turmoil.

He knew these two items were likely the key to unlocking the Xiao family's secrets, yet he had no idea how to use them.

Just as he was lost in thought, he felt the jade pendant vibrate slightly. A faint beam of light shot forth from it, pointing toward one of the basement walls.

A thought flashed through his mind. He stood up and walked in the direction indicated by the light. Reaching the wall, he discovered an indentation shaped exactly like the symbol on his jade pendant.

Pressing the jade pendant gently against the mark, he heard a deep, rumbling sound as the wall slowly parted, revealing a dark, profound passage.

An aura of mystery hung heavily within the corridor, enough to deter any timid soul.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Tian tightened his grip on the flashlight and stepped slowly into the passage.

The corridor was extremely narrow, wide enough for only one person to pass. The walls were covered in all sorts of mysterious symbols and patterns, appearing exceptionally bizarre under the beam of the flashlight.

He walked forward with utmost caution, sensing that the end of this path concealed a massive secret.

After walking for who knows how long, Lin Tian finally reached the end of the corridor.

Before him stood a massive stone door, carved with intricate symbols and patterns that radiated an ancient and mystical aura.

He inspected the door closely, trying to find a way to open it.

Suddenly, he noticed a recess on the stone door—its shape matched the black crystal in his possession perfectly.

His heart surged. He placed the black crystal into the recess. With a crisp click, the crystal locked seamlessly into place, and the heavy stone door slowly swung open.

A stale yet mystical scent washed over him. Raising his flashlight, Lin Tian stepped through the threshold.

Inside was a massive stone chamber. At its center stood an ancient statue with indistinct facial features, yet it exuded an imposing and mystical presence.

Surrounding the statue were several colossal stone coffins, their surfaces etched with various cryptic symbols and patterns.

Approaching one of the coffins, Lin Tian examined the symbols closely and realized they were intimately connected to those found in the Xiao family genealogy.

A surge of intense curiosity welled up within him; he wanted to open the coffin and see what secret lay hidden inside.

He reached out and shoved hard against the heavy lid. With a dull groan, the stone lid slowly shifted, releasing a pungent, stale odor.

Frowning slightly, Lin Tian swept the beam of his flashlight into the interior. Lying inside was a corpse adorned in opulent garments; though the flesh had rotted away, the majesty of the deceased could still be vaguely sensed.

Clutched in the skeleton's hands was a glowing book.

Lin Tian felt a shock run through him. He guessed that this book was very likely the core of the Xiao family's secrets.

Carefully lifting the book from the skeleton's grip, the moment his fingers brushed the cover, a powerful torrent of energy flooded into his body. Countless visions suddenly exploded in his mind:

The origins of the Xiao family, the pact with mysterious entities, the lineage of successive patriarchs, and the lingering feud with the Dark Night Organization...

The visions rushed in like a tidal wave. Overwhelmed by a splitting headache, Lin Tian quickly dropped the book and buried his head in his hands, trying to endure the sudden, agonizing pain.

After a long while, the pain gradually faded. Lin Tian panted heavily, his heart a storm of shock and confusion.

He knew he had finally found the key to the Xiao family's secrets, but an even greater crisis seemed to lurk behind them.

Just as he prepared to examine the book more closely, he sensed a formidable force bearing down on him from behind.

Startled, he spun around to see a massive, distorted dark silhouette leaping out of the shadows, lunging straight at him...

Turning swiftly, Lin Tian swept his flashlight beam violently through the darkness, illuminating a massive, twisted shadow.

Moving with terrifying speed and kicking up a rush of wind, the dark entity charged directly at him.

With no time to think, Lin Tian instinctively flung his body to the side. The shadow rushed past him like a gale and slammed into a nearby stone coffin with a dull crash, the impact causing the runes on the coffin to flicker faintly.

In the brief flash of light, Lin Tian caught a glimpse of the creature: it possessed razor-sharp claws, sturdy limbs planted on the ground, and a shape that resembled a beast yet carried an indescribable, grotesque quality.

Before he could see its full form, the shadow whipped around again, its crimson eyes gleaming with bloodthirsty intent as it launched another attack.

Fear gripped Lin Tian's heart, but a fierce survival instinct forced him to calm down rapidly.

As he dodged the creature's lunges, he scanned the surroundings, searching for an opening to counterattack.

In his panicked retreat, his back slammed against the ancient statue—he had nowhere left to run.

Just as the shadow leaped high into the air for a fatal strike, Lin Tian spotted a recess at the base of the statue, shaped identically to the jade pendant in his hand.

Without a second thought, he violently jammed the pendant into the slot.

In a split second, a dazzling beam of light erupted from the statue, shooting straight at the shadow. The entity let out a miserable screech; struck by the brilliance, its form began to dissolve into wisps of black smoke that slowly faded into the darkness.

Lin Tian collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily, cold sweat drenching his back.

The brush with death left him shaken, but he knew this was no place to linger.

He scrambled to his feet, scooped up the glowing book, and prepared to leave the perilous chamber.

When he reached the basement entrance, however, he realized the familiar corridor seemed to have changed.

The runes along the walls flickered erratically, casting a bizarre light that made it difficult to determine the direction.

Relying on vague memory, he pressed forward, only to find the path ahead growing narrower, the ambient temperature plummeting, and an invisible pressure weighing down on him.

As he walked, a low chanting echoed around him, seeming to come from all directions and reverberating through the tight corridor.

He stopped in his tracks, tightening his grip on the book while scanning his surroundings with heightened vigilance.

The chanting grew louder, and Lin Tian felt his consciousness begin to blur, as if being pulled by an unseen force.

Just as he was on the verge of losing himself, the book in his hand suddenly flared with intense brilliance. The light banished the surrounding darkness and fog, cutting the eerie chant short instantly.

Seizing the moment to clear his head, Lin Tian pushed onward.

Finally, he spotted the basement exit. Yet, upon stepping out, he realized he had emerged in an entirely unfamiliar place.

Before him lay a desolate wasteland under a sky heavy with brooding clouds, the distant rumble of thunder echoing faintly.

In the distance, an ancient castle stood shrouded in gloom, exuding an ominous and chilling aura.