The Star Sky Stone has long fused with Ye Chenfeng’s flesh and blood.

Its shape is identical to a heart, but the heart formed by this Star Sky Stone is seven-colored.

As the heartbeat suddenly accelerates, seven-colored light continuously emanates from this heart.

A gray aura lingers around Ye Chenfeng’s heart. This gray aura should be within his body, but it should exist in an imperceptible state, only appearing on top of the heart.

The sudden aging of Ye Chenfeng’s body is definitely related to this gray aura.

Only when it lingers on the heart does it become apparent, allowing Old White and Old Black to sense its existence. It seems that a considerable amount of this gray aura has invaded Ye Chenfeng’s body, but none of it can be sensed.

Seeing Ye Chenfeng’s aging temporarily halt, Old White Wu Fengxian and Old Black Jiang Yuntian finally let out a slow sigh of relief. They continuously sensed the gray aura appearing on Ye Chenfeng’s heart, their mood growing heavier. After quite a while, Old White finally spoke: "Little one, maybe we’ve guessed the origin of this gray aura."

Ye Chenfeng, with an aged appearance, asked with difficulty: "What is this ghostly thing? Although my body’s aging has temporarily stopped, can I still recover to my former self?"

Old White answered: "Recovery should be possible. If my and Old Black’s conjecture is correct, this gray aura is Chaotic Death Qi, the same curse that befell the Dragon Clan."

Chaotic Death Qi?

A feeling of confusion lingered in Ye Chenfeng’s heart; he hadn’t heard of this thing before. As he wanted to ask questions, Old White had already started explaining: "Little one, Chaotic Death Qi comes from the Chaos Era before the ancient Initial Stage. We aren’t very knowledgeable about Chaotic Death Qi, merely having heard its legends vaguely."

"It is said that during the Chaos Era, this Chaotic Death Qi was extremely rare, even considered scarce and nearly extinct."

"This Chaotic Death Qi is colorless and tasteless, and even if it enters a cultivator’s body, it remains undetectable. But you, because you possess the Star Sky Stone as your heart, it allowed the Chaotic Death Qi to be revealed."

"The effect of Chaotic Death Qi is very unique. Generally, it doesn’t immediately cause death upon entering a cultivator’s body. Those with higher talent and cultivation, once invaded by Chaotic Death Qi, will die quickly."

"Even those with not-so-high talent and strength, if they still wish to improve their strength after being invaded by Chaotic Death Qi, their death will also accelerate. If cultivation ceases, perhaps they can live a few more years."

"Little one, you are extraordinarily gifted, achieving such power by the age of thirty. Among your peers, you are miles ahead. Thus, upon being invaded by Chaotic Death Qi, you immediately aged rapidly and faced death. If not for the Star Sky Stone suddenly playing a role, even Old Black and I couldn’t have done anything, nor could we have found the cause of your death."

"It was as though the Dragon Clan back then experienced the same. They didn’t have the Star Sky Stone to replace their hearts, so naturally, they couldn’t realize this was all the work of Chaotic Death Qi."

"Little one, sense your heart now. To remove all the Chaotic Death Qi in your body and restore you fully, perhaps only the Star Sky Stone can achieve that. The Star Sky Stone is the heart of the sky, possessing purification abilities, for Chaotic Death Qi is merely a worldly phenomenon after all."

Upon hearing Old White Wu Fengxian’s explanation, Ye Chenfeng immediately sensed his heart. As his perception connected thoroughly with his heart, his consciousness slightly shifted, and the seven-colored light emanating from his heart grew more dazzling, this magnificent seven-colored light shone brightly, causing a peculiar fluctuation from within his heart.

With this fluctuation spreading, strands of gray aura started to gather around his heart. It seemed all those invisible strands of Chaotic Death Qi were quickly converging towards his heart.

The gathered Chaotic Death Qi, under the seven-colored light of the heart, were gradually evaporating.

Meanwhile, the exhausted organs within Ye Chenfeng’s body were regaining vitality, his wrinkled skin was being restored, and his hair, previously pure white, was slowly returning to black.

The chaotic breath from his nose and mouth normalized, his body’s strength gradually recovering as well. Feeling this transformation, Ye Chenfeng finally let out a sigh of relief. Facing death just now, unable to control anything, was the worst feeling he had ever experienced.

Quite a while later.

Ye Chenfeng had fully returned to his original appearance. The Chaotic Death Qi within his body had been completely eliminated, yet his heart continued to glow with seven-colored light. Here, Chaotic Death Qi continuously infiltrates his body, so if the Star Sky Stone stops, he might rapidly age again. Therefore, his heart, the Star Sky Stone, must constantly remain in a state of accelerated beating.

Fully recovered, Ye Chenfeng stood up from the ground. Finally, a mystery that had burdened his heart was unraveled. The past random demise of the Dragon Clan’s mighty and talented individuals was all due to the meddling of Chaotic Death Qi, something unnoticed by anyone at the time.

As for who orchestrated all this, Ye Chenfeng couldn’t speculate. The voice of Old Black Jiang Yuntian echoed in his mind: "Kid, this Chaotic Death Qi can be inherited. If the people of the previous generation were invaded by Chaotic Death Qi, their descendants carry this inborn, and this is the reason the Dragon Clan declined, never to rise again, even withdrawing completely from everyone’s sight."

"Those Dragon Clan members invaded by Chaotic Death Qi are caught in a vicious cycle, unable to qualify for resurgence."

Ye Chenfeng furrowed his brows and asked: "Besides the Star Sky Stone, are there other ways to remove Chaotic Death Qi?"

The Star Sky Stone was Ye Chenfeng’s heart; he couldn’t extract it to help the remaining members of the Dragon Clan remove Chaotic Death Qi. Additionally, the Star Sky Stone likely works solely within a cultivator’s body.

Old Black Jiang Yuntian answered: "There is indeed a way. If Chaotic Life Qi can be found and inhaled by the remaining Dragon Clan members, it should counteract the Chaotic Death Qi within them. Life and death, achieving balance."

"However, Chaotic Life Qi is as rare as Chaotic Death Qi. Finding Chaotic Life Qi will depend on your luck."

Ye Chenfeng asked again: "Where might I find Chaotic Life Qi?"

Old Black Jiang Yuntian said: "There is so much Chaotic Death Qi here, so within this Dragon Clan ancestral land, there must be a hidden source of Chaotic Death Qi; otherwise, it wouldn’t still exist here after so many years."

"There must be a source of Chaotic Death Qi, continuously emitting Chaotic Death Qi, keeping it from dissipating and even growing more concentrated."

"With time, the source of Chaotic Death Qi gradually transforms into a Chaotic Death Qi spring, continuously producing ever-living Chaotic Death Qi."

Old White Wu Fengxian also said: "Little one, legend has it that where there’s a death spring, a life spring often coexists. With a life spring’s presence, you’ll be able to obtain Chaotic Life Qi. Old Black and I have indeed heard of methods to harness Chaotic Life Qi. If you can find it, we should be able to help you carry it out."

"But not every death spring will have a life spring beside it; it’s all up to your luck and fortune. Using your heart well, you should be able to find the source of Chaotic Death Qi."

After hearing Old Black Jiang Yuntian and Old White Wu Fengxian’s words, Ye Chenfeng slightly nodded. Finding Chaotic Life Qi is the only way to remove the Chaotic Death Qi from the Dragon Clan’s remaining bloodline.

Ye Chenfeng must find Chaotic Life Qi; this is his responsibility as the third clan leader of the Dragon Clan.

...(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation votes and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)