Wyatt Barnes’ homeland in this lifetime, in a broader sense, is the ’Holy Domain Plane’.

In a narrower sense, it’s the Lower Domain of Martial Dao Sacred Land, Cloud Skies Continent, one of the ten great dynasties, and ultimately... the Crimson Heaven Kingdom!

The Crimson Heaven Kingdom holds too many memories for him.

Most of his friends and family on the Cloud Skies Continent reside in the Crimson Heaven Kingdom. This visit primarily aims to take a distant glance at those old friends and family without disturbing them.

However, before Wyatt even thought of returning, the jade slip with its swirling mystical jade glow, left to him by Ernest Summer, had already brought him back to the Crimson Heaven Kingdom.

"Its speed... has actually slowed down?"

What surprised Wyatt Barnes the most was that the jade slip, upon bringing him into the territory of the Crimson Heaven Kingdom, had indeed slowed down, and increasingly so.

"Could it be... the place it wants to take me is within this Crimson Heaven Kingdom?"

Wyatt was somewhat puzzled.

He recalled that earlier, when he triggered the ’message’ Ernest Summer left on the Seven Aperture Exquisite Sword, Ernest Summer not only introduced the sword but also explained the jade slip with its swirling mystical jade glow.

According to Ernest Summer:

This jade slip was something he acquired by chance, and when he first obtained it, there was a ’message’ left on it, reminding him, saying:

The secrets within this jade slip can only be unlocked by someone possessing ninety-nine Heavenly Veins.

Over the years, Ernest Summer consistently tried to decipher the secrets within the jade slip but ultimately gained nothing.

But Ernest Summer was certain of one thing:

This jade slip is not simple!

Because even he couldn’t damage it in the slightest, and even his big brother, the head of the Summer Family in the Divine Ruin Lands, couldn’t leave any marks on it.

"In my lifetime, the most I’ve encountered are those with ninety-eight Heavenly Veins, and I’ve met more than one or two... but I have never met someone possessing ninety-nine Heavenly Veins, nor even heard of such a person existing!"

These were Ernest Summer’s words:

"At first, when I obtained this jade slip, although the message on it reminded me that only someone with ninety-nine Heavenly Veins could unlock its secrets... I didn’t take it seriously because I didn’t believe such people existed."

"Until I met you... I finally realized that such individuals truly exist in this world, those possessing ninety-nine Heavenly Veins! I had never heard of anyone like this, whether in the myriad planes or the Divine Ruin Lands, or other planes similar to the Divine Ruin Lands."

"Make sure to explore the ’secrets’ within the jade slip... my brother and I both believe it’s not a simple object."

At this point, Ernest Summer’s message ended.

Although the message was brief, it was enough to make Wyatt Barnes realize:

The slowing jade slip guiding him forward was no ordinary jade slip; it must contain some ’secret’, likely a significant one!

"Only someone with ninety-nine Heavenly Veins can unlock the secret? Sounds mysterious indeed."

Wyatt shook his head, gradually stopping his thoughts, focusing entirely on the jade slip leading him.

"Where exactly does it want to take me?"

Wyatt followed the jade slip, which was moving increasingly slower, so he followed along, trailing closely behind it.

"Ahead is Breezewind Town."

Following the jade slip into Swallow Mountain County, then passing Aurora City, he finally reached the vicinity of Breezewind Town.

Breezewind Town was where ’this life’s’ journey began for him.

"Has it stopped?"

About a few dozen miles from Breezewind Town, the jade slip suddenly halted.

Seeing this, Wyatt Barnes also stopped.

Suddenly.

Whoosh!

The jade slip trembled, turning into a bolt of lightning, dropping rapidly.

Whoosh!

Wyatt shadowed it closely, following it as it descended into a desolate, mountainous area.

Though the region was near Breezewind Town, he had never visited or heard anyone talk about coming here...

Wyatt knew the reason for this.

As he followed the jade slip down, he saw:

The rugged terrain surrounding this desolate mountain range was formidable; for the warriors of Breezewind Town, surmounting such rugged terrain was akin to ascending into the heavens!

As for powerful warriors, they wouldn’t dwell in tiny Breezewind Town.

Much like Wyatt in the past, when he gained a certain prowess, he left Breezewind Town for Aurora City.

Water flows downward, people move upward...

This is an eternal truth.

"What’s that..."

Soon, Wyatt followed the jade slip into one of the valleys within this desolate mountain range. At first glance, the valley seemed barren, but presently the jade slip was suspended above a black stone, hovering there.

The black stone, although its color is deeper than the other rubble in the valley, Wyatt Barnes wouldn’t have thought it special if not for the jade slip floating above it.

"Did it lead me here... just to find this broken stone?"

Wyatt felt speechless.

However, despite his speechlessness, Wyatt still approached the black stone and picked it up casually. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Ready to see what special features it had that made Ernest Summer send the jade slip to bring him here from afar.

Yet, the moment Wyatt picked up the black stone, a voice echoed in his ears.

This voice left him stunned, and after regaining his senses, he bore a peculiar expression.

"The secret of this stone can only be unlocked by someone with ninety-nine Heavenly Veins."

That was the essence of the voice.

"My third uncle said, when he got this jade slip, a voice reminded him... saying that the secret of this jade slip can only be unlocked by someone with ninety-nine Heavenly Veins."

Wyatt first looked at the jade slip floating in the air, then at the black stone in his hand, "And now, as I pick up this stone, a voice reminds me... saying the secret of this stone can only be unlocked by someone with ninety-nine life veins."

Wyatt looked left and right, unable to see any difference in the black stone he held.

The jade slip floating in the air at least had a mystical light entwining it constantly, clearly indicating it wasn’t an ordinary item...

But what about this black stone in front of him?

"Hmm?"

Just as Wyatt glanced disdainfully at the black stone in his hand, he surprisedly discovered:

As a warmth suddenly emanated from the surface of the black stone, a mystical light similar to that on the jade slip burst forth from within it.

In an instant, the black stone was also wrapped in a mystical light.

At this moment, Wyatt felt a burning sensation on his face, as if he had been slapped hard...

"That was a quick slap in the face?"

Wyatt smiled wryly.

"Didn’t it say only someone with ninety-nine Heavenly Veins can unlock their secrets? I am the one with ninety-nine Heavenly Veins... Why haven’t I unlocked their secrets?"

Wyatt spoke in confusion while stretching his other hand to grab the floating jade slip.

However, the moment Wyatt held the jade slip, a sudden change occurred!

"What’s happening?!"

Wyatt’s face abruptly changed, and this thought instantly emerged in his mind.

As he extended his other hand to grasp the jade slip, a force surged forth from both the jade slip and the black stone, entering his left and right hands respectively.

It gave him a feeling akin to being electrocuted!

At the same time, he could clearly sense:

The forces from the black stone in his left hand and the jade slip in his right hand were directly intruding into the Saint Veins in his body, traversing through them as if trying to pass through all the Saint Veins in his body!

What happened next also confirmed Wyatt’s suspicions...

The two forces quickly passed through the ninety-nine Saint Veins in his body, and after doing so, the two entirely different forces mysteriously fused together.

"They actually... fused?"

Throughout the process, even though Wyatt could control the powers within his body, he couldn’t stop the forces from the black stone and jade slip.

Wherever they went, Wyatt’s own internal powers had no ability to intervene.

Even Wyatt realized deeply at that moment the disparity between his powers and the mysterious forces within him.

Just as Wyatt grew anxious over the fusion of the two mysterious forces, afraid that something unforeseen might happen due to this transformation.

He discovered:

The fused force split into two, flowing to his left and right hands, entering the jade slip and stone respectively.

"Finally, they’re gone."

Seeing this, Wyatt sighed in relief.

He was genuinely concerned that the fused force might cause chaos within his body, wondering what trouble it could stir up...

"Hmm?"

Just as Wyatt relaxed, he was shockingly greeted with the sight of:

Both the black stone in his left hand and the jade slip in his right hand burst forth with mystical light, extending a force that opened and flattened his clenched hands...

Then, they left his hands, rising into the air.

"What are they... planning to do?!"

The next moment, Wyatt saw:

The black stone and the jade slip that had left his hands exploded with mystical light again, transforming as if into two blazing suns...

Immediately after, aggressively collided with each other!