"Indeed, these two items are incomparably precious; it’s fortunate that you’ve obtained them both. You really are blessed with great destiny!" the War God continued.

Ye Luo nodded. He indeed was very lucky to have obtained the Eight Feet Mirror. If it hadn’t suddenly shielded him from that force, he would probably have been reduced to ashes by now. And it so happened that there were Soul Condensing Pills available to treat the damage to his soul, which allowed for such a rapid recovery.

"Xiao Ba!" Suddenly, Ye Luo called out in his mind.

"What’s wrong, Master?" Xiao Ba’s voice sounded, though it seemed somewhat weak, causing Ye Luo’s expression to change involuntarily.

"Xiao Ba, what’s happened to you?" Ye Luo asked anxiously.

"Master, the force earlier was too powerful; I had to activate a bit of my Instrument Soul’s strength to resist it," Xiao Ba explained.

Ye Luo was startled. He hadn’t expected Xiao Ba to have activated its Instrument Soul’s strength, no wonder it was so weakened. He quickly inquired, "How are you now?"

"Do not worry, Master. Given some time, the lost Instrument Soul’s strength will slowly recover,"

Xiao Ba reassured him.

"Thank you, Xiao Ba!" Ye Luo silently expressed his gratitude. Although the other was but an Instrument Soul, Ye Luo felt somewhat moved.

At this moment, Ye Luo turned his gaze to Elder Shi and the War God and asked, "Who exactly is that masked man? Why did he want to kill me?"

"I am also curious who this mysterious expert is. His strength is not much inferior to mine, and I sense he’s concealing his own power. Even the mask he wears is special; it prevents my Spiritual Sense from seeing through it, deliberately hiding his identity," the War God stated with a flashing gaze and a grave tone.

"Currently in the Capital City, nobody else possesses such strength except Xu Ruobai," Elder Shi spoke indifferently.

"The Pavilion Master of Yuheng Pavilion from the Seven Stars Pavilion." Ye Luo and the War God both looked shocked.

"No wonder this guy wants to kill me. It seems like he wants to avenge his disciple, how insidious," Ye Luo snorted coldly, a trace of chill spreading across his face.

"I fear his real motive is not this, but rather this little girl," Elder Shi said, his gaze shifting toward Mingyue who stood to the side.

"Me?" Mingyue’s expression became stern, showing a touch of surprise.

"Could it be that the people who murdered Mingyue’s parents, the group from last night, and the two warriors at the third layer of the Transformation Realm just now, are all from the Seven Stars Pavilion?" Ye Luo’s mind spun, suddenly realizing something.

Mingyue’s complexion immediately changed, her face taking on a distressed look.

"Correct, this young lady’s parents were indeed killed by people from the Seven Stars Pavilion," Elder Shi nodded.

"Why? Why would they kill my parents?" Mingyue’s face showed a pained expression as she spoke with grief and anger.

"Because your parents were descendants of the Holy Sky Alliance, and they held fragments of the treasure map of the Holy Sky Alliance," Elder Shi explained with a glance at Mingyue.

"Descendants of the Holy Sky Alliance?" Mingyue and Ye Luo were both stunned, while everyone else wore puzzled expressions.

The War God looked at Elder Shi and spoke, "Elder Shi, are you saying that Mingyue’s parents were one of the five protectors of the Holy Sky Alliance back then?"

"That’s correct." Elder Shi nodded.

"Elder Shi, what’s the deal with these five protectors? And what’s this about a treasure map?" Ye Luo asked Elder Shi, his face full of question marks.

"You should have heard about the Holy Sky Alliance, haven’t you?" Elder Shi looked at Ye Luo, who nodded.

"During its peak period, the Holy Sky Alliance almost unified the entire Hidden Sect. The Alliance amassed a trove of treasures: spirit stones, elixirs, spiritual herbs, spiritual medicines, weapons, cultivation techniques, and countless other items. Sheng Tianyang secretly stored all these treasures in a location unknown to others."

"When word of this got out, various major forces coveted the treasure trove, leading to numerous forces besieging the Holy Sky Alliance. In the final moments, Sheng Tianyang split the map to the hidden treasure trove into five pieces, and entrusted them to the five protectors of the Holy Sky Alliance, instructing them to escape with the fragments."

"According to my understanding, Mingyue’s parents are descendants of one of those protectors, and this matter was discovered by the Seven Stars Pavilion. That’s why they went after her parents—to get their hands on that fragment of the map."

"Gathering all five fragments to find the treasure trove and leveraging its resources, the Seven Stars Pavilion will surely become the true overlord of the Hidden Sect," Elder Shi elaborated.

It was then that Ye Luo understood it all. He hadn’t expected that the incomplete map he held hid such a vast secret—no wonder...

Upon learning the truth, Mingyue’s eyes twinkled with tears, and her expression carried a touch of sorrow.

"That fragment must be on you, right?" Elder Shi glanced at both Ye Luo and Mingyue.

"Here it is." Ye Luo straightforwardly took out the piece of white cloth.

All eyes were fixed on that piece of white cloth as Ye Luo looked at Elder Shi and said, "Elder Shi, since this fragment is of such importance, how about we entrust it to you?"

Elder Shi shook his head and replied, "This fragment belongs to this girl, so you will be responsible for keeping it safe. You must take good care of it and not let it fall into the hands of the Seven Stars Pavilion. The Pavilion has grown overly ambitious over the years and must not obtain this treasure trove, as it would pose a great threat to Huaxia."

"There will also be a fragment at the upcoming auction. With numerous forces from the Hidden Sect gathering in the Capital City, whether openly or in secret, I fear they are all here for it," the War God said somberly, his eyes emitting a sharp light.

"There’s a fragment at the auction too?" Ye Luo’s eyes showed a hint of surprise. He had heard Mingyue and Leng Ruobing mention the auction but hadn’t expected that another fragment would appear there.

"Indeed, a true battle is about to commence. When that fragment appears, I’m afraid everyone will make a move to snatch it," the War God nodded, speaking with a grave tone.

Ye Luo’s eyes narrowed as he said, "Who exactly is organizing this auction, to be offering such a precious fragment for sale?"

"The power behind this auction is formidable; even I can’t completely fathom it. As expected, it should be one of the top-tier forces of the Hidden Sect orchestrating from behind the scenes. As for the reason they’re auctioning this fragment, they probably wish to draw out the other fragments," Elder Shi said.

"Alright, we should be going now. Be careful during this time and be on your guard against danger. I will also have the team of the War God secretly protecting you," Elder Shi told Ye Luo.

"Thank you, Elder Shi," Ye Luo said hastily.

"Grandfather, you’re so kind!" Shi Yanran also quickly spoke up.

"You little girl, only now do you realize how good your grandfather is, right?" Elder Shi looked at Shi Yanran with a smile, then left the place with the War God. However, as the two of them were leaving, they covertly glanced at Zi Yun standing to the side, who had her head lowered and her eyes flickering.