108. Xiaoxiao: Huanhuan, Are You This Concerned About Him Because...

"Alright!" Qi Lei answered for Chen Xuan.

At that moment, a voice echoed around them.

"Heh, if you want to comprehend our Desolate Hall's Desolate Scripture, you first need to understand what Desolate Force is!"

Not far away, an elderly man in a gray robe was gently sweeping fallen leaves from the ground with a broom. His face was aged, yet his eyes were a piercing gray.

He was Gu Mo, the elder of the Desolate Hall and a highly skilled Immortal Symbol Master.

"Brother Gu Mo is right. Desolate Force is the first step to comprehending the Desolate Scripture. If you can't even achieve that, don't even think about mastering it," Wu Dao said seriously. "So, do you still want to try?"

"Since I’m already here," Chen Xuan replied with a smile.

He hadn't come just to make an appearance; he also wanted to see if he could eliminate the dark force lingering beneath the Desolate Monument.

"Fine, I’ll take you to the Desolate Stone in the Martial Hall," Wu Dao replied, curious to see if Chen Xuan’s talent would allow him to break through the ancient mystery of the Desolate Scripture, which no one had mastered for over a century.

"No, I want to go straight to the Desolate Scripture," Chen Xuan stated.

This declaration caused a massive stir in the entire Desolate Palace.

"Chen Xuan is way too arrogant!"

"Vice Palace Master Wu Dao already said that without understanding Desolate Force, he’ll never be able to comprehend the Desolate Scripture."

"And yet he still wants to go straight to it?"

"If he succeeds, I'll... I'll swallow the Desolate Stone!"

...

On the hilltop, Ying Huanhuan overheard this and couldn’t help but mutter, "This guy is so full of himself. How can he say something so shameless?"

"Shameless? Maybe not," Ying Xiaoxiao replied, feeling that Chen Xuan exuded a strange confidence. Besides, hadn’t he already worked a few miracles today? He had mastered three of the great scriptures without any effort.

"I don’t think he’ll succeed," Ying Huanhuan pouted.

"Let’s not jump to conclusions. Let’s just watch and see," Ying Xiaoxiao said calmly.

In the Desolate Hall's Martial Hall, Wu Dao and Chen Zhen laughed at Chen Xuan's words.

Even Gu Mo, who was blind, shook his head. Without Desolate Force, how could he understand the Desolate Scripture? Wishful thinking?

Qi Lei stepped forward, "What’s the problem? If you don’t allow it, I’ll go straight to the headmaster!"

Wu Dao and Chen Zhen exchanged glances. The Desolate Scripture hadn’t been understood by anyone in a hundred years—why would Chen Xuan be the exception?

And if he did succeed, it would be a huge gain for the sect. Chen Zhen finally relented, "Fine, we’ll make an exception and let him try."

"Thank you," Chen Xuan replied.

They led him deep into the Desolate Palace, where the mountains were yellowed and barren, a sense of desolation hanging in the air.

In a cleft within one of these peaks stood an enormous gray-yellow monument, exuding an ancient, desolate aura. This was the renowned Desolate Monument, towering a thousand feet high and as imposing as a mountain.

At that moment, ten personal disciples of the Desolate Hall were already seated in meditation before the Desolate Monument.

Just as Chen Xuan prepared to begin his comprehension, there was a whooshing sound…

The other heads and vice-heads of the palaces all came over, along with the top disciples from each palace. They wanted to see if Chen Xuan would succeed.

"This is unbelievable!"

"The heads and vice-heads of all four palaces are here!"

"Not just them—elite disciples from each palace too!"

"This is wild! Even the headmaster might show up!"

"He probably wouldn’t... Oh no, look, the headmaster actually came!!"

…

Before that person could finish speaking, the figure of the Dao Sect Headmaster, Ying Xuanzi, appeared above the Desolate Hall.

Next to him was an elderly man in a blue robe.

Seeing them, everyone froze in shock.

"That’s…"

"The Supreme Elder!"

"This is unreal! Even he’s here. It seems everyone’s curious to see if Chen Xuan can comprehend the Desolate Scripture!"

…

Although comprehending the Desolate Scripture was a big event for the Dao Sect, no one had ever seen so many major figures from the sect gathered like this.

The sight was overwhelming.

Amid the gasps, Chen Zhen addressed Chen Xuan, "It’s time. Go ahead."

"Thank you, Head," Chen Xuan replied, nodding as he flew over to the ancient monument.

Looking up at the thousand-foot monolith, he had only one thought—It’s massive!

As soon as he arrived, his ancestral symbols for Darkness and Devouring started flashing wildly in his symbol collection chart, and even his ancestral stone began to resonate with a powerful, unusual pulse.

Chen Xuan noticed many tiny cracks on the monument, as well as nearly invisible dark spots scattered across its surface—evidence of the evil Demon King suppressed by the Desolate Monument.

He stepped closer and touched the monument, immediately entering a meditative state without moving for a long time.

As time passed, whispers broke out among the onlookers. Some believed that the streak of successes Chen Xuan had achieved in comprehending the Dao Sect’s scriptures would finally end with the Desolate Scripture.

However, no one dared mock him—after all, he was the one who had successfully comprehended the scriptures of the other three palaces.

“Do you think he’ll succeed?” the blue-robed elder beside Ying Xuanzi suddenly asked.

“I think he will,” Ying Xuanzi replied without hesitation.

The blue-robed elder chuckled, "I’d heard long ago of his incredible talent. If Shen Qing hadn’t suddenly announced her decision to marry him off to Ling Qingzhu back then, I would’ve suggested you match him with Xiaoxiao."

Ying Xuanzi smiled wryly, "Yes, back then, he made a name for himself by overshadowing all his peers in the Eastern Xuan Region."

"Let’s hope he succeeds. If he does, the Dao Sect will gain a powerful ally," the blue-robed elder murmured, trailing off.

Ying Xuanzi seemed to understand and didn’t press further, his gaze fixed on Chen Xuan in front of the monument.

On the nearby hill, Ying Huanhuan grew anxious. "Sister, it’s been so long, why hasn’t he come out yet?"

Long?

Ying Xiaoxiao felt exasperated. "It hasn’t even been as long as a cup of tea. You call that long?"

"But with the other three palaces, he came out quickly."

"Well, the Desolate Scripture isn’t something just anyone can comprehend. You said so yourself."

"But… what if he fails? Wouldn’t he be devastated?"

Hearing this, Ying Xiaoxiao’s heart tightened.

She looked suspiciously at her younger sister in red, "Huanhuan, are you this concerned about him because..."