“Our sect has forged quite a few. Especially the Ancestor, who once reigned supreme across this starry sky, creating countless Yin Soldiers.”
“Unrivaled?” Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow. “Was the Grand Dao Sect's Ancestor really that formidable back then?”
“If the Ancestor forged so many Yin Soldiers, why haven't I seen you summon any?” Lu Xuan asked.
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor's gaze turned distant, a string of sighs escaping him. “This involves a supreme, hidden secret between our Grand Dao Sect and the Supreme Profound Sect. We only unearthed it after venturing into this starry expanse, from the ancient ruins where our Ancestor once trod.”
Lu Xuan paused, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. He definitely smelled gossip brewing.
Perhaps the Ancestor's decision to forgo the Supreme Fruit Position wasn't as straightforward as history claimed?
Beside them, Chen Changsheng's calm voice cut through the air. “Master, I'm ready to stew the Tiger Vanguard.”
Lu Xuan simply nodded. “Good.”
He then turned back to Xuan Shang Old Ancestor. “Alright, Old Ancestor, do tell. What's this grand secret between our Grand Dao Sect and the Supreme Profound Sect?”
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor let out another long sigh, gazing up at the dark expanse. “From the myriad ruins our Ancestor left behind, we've pieced together that he and Liu Ruyan, the Supreme Profound Sect's founder, were once exploring this very starry sky together, seeking opportunities. Their relationship… was far from simple.”
“What the hell?” Lu Xuan was utterly dumbfounded.
Could it be…?
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor pressed on. “All evidence points to our Grand Dao Sect Ancestor being deeply enamored with Liu Ruyan. They were Dao Companions.”
As he spoke, Xuan Shang Old Ancestor's hand flashed with a spirit art, slamming it down towards the ground beneath their feet. The strike tore through the earth, blasting open a hidden, ruined Outer World relic buried deep beneath. Upon a weathered stone tablet, two ancient characters, condensed from profound Dao patterns, shimmered into view.
“Yan!” “Dao!”
These characters pulsed with Dao Rhyme, eternally intertwined even after countless ages, mirroring the enigmatic bond between the two founders.
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor explained, “The character 'Yan' represents Liu Ruyan, the Supreme Profound Sect's founder, and 'Dao' represents Dao Yi, our Grand Dao Sect's founder.”
“Hold on a second.” Lu Xuan was utterly floored, rubbing his nose in disbelief. This was a lot to take in!
He remembered the legends: in that epoch, after the Southern Wilds' three thousand states had battled themselves to ruin, only the Grand Dao Sect and the Supreme Profound Sect remained, locked in a final struggle for the Supreme Fruit Position. A cataclysmic war had erupted between them, shattering entire great states, with rivers of blood flowing and countless bodies littering the land. The historical annals of that war were said to contain a single, chilling line: 'One page of history, half of the Southern Wilds' Great Emperors dead.'
Just then, Chen Changsheng, ever pragmatic, began adding ingredients to the Dao Profound Iron Pot: a generous pour of Azure Nether Celestial Water, a sprinkle of All-Reach Profound Powder, and a dash of Azure Origin Sweet Dew. A profound Dao Rhyme immediately began to circulate, filling the air with an ethereal fragrance.
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor and the others stared, dumbfounded. “Hold on!” he cried, rushing forward. “Aren't those Heaven and Earth Wonders? You're just… pouring three bottles of them straight into the pot? That's utterly extravagant!”
Lu Xuan merely glanced at Xuan Shang Old Ancestor. “Old Ancestor, please continue.”
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor turned, a bewildered “But Master, this…” on his lips.
Lu Xuan waved a dismissive hand. “Third, add a bit more. Consider it a special tonic for the Old Ancestors.”
“Understood.” Without a word, Chen Changsheng produced another bottle of each Heaven and Earth Wonder and poured them into the Dao Profound Iron Pot.
Witnessing this, Xuan Shang Old Ancestor and his companions froze, then their eyes welled up with tears. Lu Xuan was doing this for them? Sacrificing such immense resources, his very foundation, for their healing? Even these ancient patriarchs, hardened by countless epochs, couldn't hold back their emotions. “How incredibly touching!”
Seeing Xuan Shang Old Ancestor's emotional state, Lu Xuan quickly steered the conversation back. “So, did our Grand Dao Sect and the Supreme Profound Sect actually clash in that great war?”
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor nodded. “Indeed, a massive war erupted over the Supreme opportunity. Alas, our Ancestor fell short at the final hurdle, relinquishing the Supreme Fruit Position.”
Lu Xuan, puzzled, asked, “Was it… for Liu Ruyan?”
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor gave a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “Perhaps. The precise details, however, are lost to us. For reasons unknown, all records of Liu Ruyan and Ancestor Dao Yi's entanglement vanished from the Southern Wilds, swallowed by the river of time. Our own ancient texts contain not a single mention.”
Lu Xuan was speechless. He needed a moment.
He recalled that Liu Ruyan cultivated the Supreme Profound Sect's Emotionless Heavenly Art, a technique demanding the severing of all emotions for breakthrough. And Ancestor Dao Yi was her Dao Companion? What in the heavens truly transpired on the Supreme Path all those years ago?
A heavy silence fell.
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor sighed again, his gaze sweeping across the darkest starry expanse. “So, Lu Xuan, to answer your earlier question about why we don't summon Yin Soldiers… it's because they were all summoned away by the Supreme Profound Sect.”
Lu Xuan's face was a perfect picture of bewilderment. “???”
Just then, Chen Changsheng announced, “Dinner's ready.”
Steaming, succulent spirit tiger meat was laid out on the stone table and chairs, themselves condensed from ancient Dao patterns. A profound, ethereal Dao Rhyme wafted through the air.
Lu Xuan gestured. “Let's eat while we talk.”
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor and his companions each took a bite of the colossal spirit tiger meat. Divine radiance erupted in their mouths, a sensation akin to swallowing an entire star river. They gasped in astonishment. “Truly worthy of Half-step Supreme-tier demon meat!” And with those three Heaven and Earth Wonders, the spiritual energy and Dao Rhyme within were simply monstrous! Their severe injuries began to mend at a visible pace.
A moment later, Xuan Shang Old Ancestor resumed. “Our Ancestor did indeed leave behind a spirit art to command the Bronze Ancient Palace's Yin Soldiers. However, that art was inexplicably bound by the Supreme Profound Sect's own spirit art.”
Lu Xuan stared, dumbfounded. The Ancestor was a bit of a screw-up, wasn't he?
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor continued, “That's why all our sect's Yin Soldiers were snatched away by the Supreme Profound Sect's founder. And lately, with us constantly on the run, we haven't had any time to gather life force and forge new ones.”
Lu Xuan sighed. “The Ancestor dug the pit, and his descendants are still falling into it.”
The other Old Ancestors grumbled, clearly unwilling to accept it. “Our Ancestor was indeed unrivaled, dominating the world! But alas, he had a… connection with Liu Ruyan.”
Chen Changsheng remained silent.
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor's gaze grew distant again. “I've heard that Nangong Baixue, a descendant of the Nangong family, inherited the Supreme Profound Sect founder's legacy. Both of them possess the Primordial Yin Body. Perhaps this is no mere coincidence.”
Another Old Ancestor chimed in, “Nangong Baixue and Ye Chen once had a history. Now that Nangong Baixue has obtained the Supreme Profound Sect's Emotionless Heavenly Art, she might be destined to re-tread that ancient path of severing emotions.”
Lu Xuan chuckled, shaking his head. “My second disciple severed all ties with Nangong Baixue ages ago.”
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor's expression turned grave. “No, no! The Supreme Profound Sect's Emotionless Heavenly Art is deeply rooted in the Causality Dao. Nangong Baixue and Ye Chen once harbored feelings for each other, and that, in itself, planted a profound cause. The Supreme Profound Sect's Emotionless Heavenly Art is incredibly domineering. Should Nangong Baixue step into the Half-step Supreme realm and comprehend a sliver of its 'Rules,' she could forcibly manifest the 'effect' of her past connection with Ye Chen, and then ruthlessly sever it.”
The other Old Ancestors nodded in agreement. “In the future, Ye Chen is destined for a great tribulation. He and Nangong Baixue are fated to clash, just as our Ancestor and Liu Ruyan did in their time.”
A pall of deep worry settled over them all.
Lu Xuan, however, remained unperturbed. “What has been, will be again. What has been done, will be done again.”
His words hung in the air.
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor and his companions stared at Lu Xuan, utterly stunned. Even Chen Changsheng's eyes widened in surprise. Lu Xuan's casual words, seemingly simple, were profound beyond measure, perfectly encapsulating the mysteries of karmic cycles.
A beat of silence.
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor then ventured a theory. “Our Ancestor vanished back then, but he didn't follow Supreme Liu Ruyan when she broke through the boundary and left this world. Could it be… that Ye Chen possesses the Ancestor's reincarnated soul?”
Lu Xuan blinked, then a moment later, he scoffed, “My second disciple isn't that much of a pushover.”
The Old Ancestors were speechless.
Chen Changsheng's face twitched imperceptibly. In the entire Grand Dao Sect, Lu Xuan was likely the only one who dared to speak of their revered founder with such casual disdain.
Lu Xuan felt a flicker of indignation. He didn't know the full story of the Supreme Path battle, but the Grand Dao Sect Ancestor's compromise, coupled with all the evidence in this Bronze Ancient Palace's starry sea, painted a clear picture: the Ancestor had utterly succumbed to Liu Ruyan's charms.
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor then turned to a more pressing matter. “Lu Xuan, you've killed a descendant of the Titan Ape bloodline, and the Tiger Vanguard. Their kin are likely already on their way.”
Lu Xuan merely replied, his voice calm, “They're already here.”
Xuan Shang Old Ancestor's face creased with worry as he gazed at the darkest starry sea in the distance. There, lightning crackled like interwoven veins, rose-shaped thunder roared incessantly, and the air thrummed with booming echoes. The aura of colossal demons surged forth, vast as an abyss, deep as the ocean.
“Boom!” “Crack!”
The aura of the Demon Court's Half-step Supremes, now undeniable, surged across the starry void, their killing intent a towering, terrifying wave!