Eternal Tale

”The Yu family has held the Ji family’s secrets for far too long. It’s time... for the Jiang family to have a look!” Yu Jingxin suddenly said this, a trace of a cruel smile appearing on his face. ”I’ve waited a long time for this opportunity.”

”But, Patriarch, what if those three don’t make a move?” The woman responded without a hint of surprise in her eyes. ”It’s been years, and they’ve made no sign of action. All of Yu’s losses in the Forbidden Sea have just been accidents.”

”I’ll make them act,” Yu Jingxin replied. ”The two of the Yu family are already tantalized by the Forbidden Sea’s secrets. In this vast world, there’s nowhere they can hide.”

Yu Jingxin’s expression softened once more. ”Whether we offend them or not, the ones to profit in the end will be us, the Jiang family. Who could possibly see through it?”

”Of course.” The woman replied gravely. This was a risk-free transaction; in the end, it would only be the Yu family that suffered.

”The path to the Tain Duan Plains has been severed. That bloodline is completely out of contact, so we must act ourselves.”

Yu Jingxin’s gaze narrowed slightly. He felt little pity for the fallen Ji family—gone for tens of thousands of years yet still causing trouble.

The Ji family had once held the secrets of the Water Spirit Technique and even found a shortcut to break through its fifth level. Though their lifespan was limited to a thousand years, what did that matter? The vast Ji family could afford to lose a few members.

But this wasn’t the real reason for their downfall. Their rise in strength was as relentless as sprouts after rain, and at that rate, no ancient power in The Great Li Realm could persist; the Ji family would dominate alone.

Thus, the five great ancient immortal sects and three great ancient cultivation clans united in a concerted effort to destroy the Ji family.

But everyone had their own hidden motives and desired the secrets of the Water Spirit Technique. Carefully laid traps, and mysterious deaths of Ji family disciples outside the family estate—such was the setup for a climactic battle.

That world-shaking battle involved the patriarchs of the eight great powers joining forces to confront the Ji family’s ancestor on an island in the sea, with even some shadowy involvement from the Four Immortal Mountains overseas.

At the start of the battle, a seemingly insignificant Ji family branch slipped away from The Great Li Realm, carrying the family’s most treasured artifact: an ancient text now in Chen Xun’s hands, heading for the Tain Duan Plains.

The Ji family had foreseen their impending disaster, aware that they couldn’t conceal their movements from the other great powers. They could only entrust their legacy to this unassuming branch.

And so began the Ji family’s decline, with none ultimately able to obtain the shortcut technique.

The Ji family was destroyed, and the Great Li Realm regained a delicate balance, with no force daring to disrupt it as the Ji family had.

The official explanation was that the Ji family, in attempting to forcibly cultivate the fifth level of the Water Spirit Technique and defy destiny, violated the laws of heaven and suffered divine retribution, their bloodline severed and consigned to history.

Ordinary cultivators paid little attention to such matters. They merely sighed at fate’s cruelty and soon forgot, continuing their cultivation pursuits.

In truth, however, the Yu family had obtained part of the secret method. But, having learned from past mistakes, they kept it hidden, cultivating it secretly.

Later, the Jiang family’s patriarch risked backlash to perform divination, which revealed the Yu family’s involvement and the direction of the ancient text.

The Jiang family discreetly dispatched a branch family, heading for that cultivation realm. The sole mission of Jiang Xuechen’s lineage was to hunt down the remnant Ji family branch led by Ji Kun.

Yet, unbeknownst to the Jiang family, upon reaching the Qian Nation, the Nascent Soul ancestor of that branch foolishly divined the whereabouts of the ancient text.

Strange events followed: the bloodline began to dwindle, leaving only one survivor, Jiang Xuechen.

Later, a great rift—the Tain Duan Plains—appeared, and all contact between the two cultivation realms was lost.

Thus began the Jiang family’s plan against the Yu family. In every generation, they would choose the most talented Jiang family descendant to undergo a unique blood replacement technique, known only to the Jiang family, to infiltrate the Yu family’s inner circle.

The bloodshed and scheming involved can’t be summarized in just a few words. Even to this day, the Jiang family remains the weakest of the ancient cultivation clans, having paid a tremendous price.

Meanwhile, the Yu family remains completely unaware, believing that their secrets are well-protected. After all, who but the Jiang family could possess the uncanny divination abilities that penetrate both past and present?

In this generation, under the careful nurturing of both ancient cultivation families, Yu Jingxin has finally ascended to the Nascent Soul stage, reaching the pinnacle of the Yu family hierarchy.

And the appearance of those three made everything possible.

The abilities to escape from a Nascent Soul master and to come and go freely in the Forbidden Sea were all just bait—meant to lure the two senior figures of the Yu family out.

If they took action and left the family grounds, Yu Jingxin would have free reign to collaborate with the Jiang family to turn the Yu family inside out. They had already scouted out the ancestral grounds, where that secret was hidden.

If they directly targeted him, it would be even better. The Jiang family would then secure the grand secrets of the Forbidden Sea, a prize easily equal to the Water Spirit Technique. No matter how things unfolded, they would not lose.

”I understand, sir. I’ll go back and make preparations,” said the woman.

”Good,” Yu Jingxin nodded gently. As the server arrived with tea, he accepted it with a smile and tipped generously.

The woman vanished in an instant, as though she’d never been there at all. Yu Jingxin continued calmly watching the street; he enjoyed mingling with ordinary people—mainly because it was relaxing.

...

In the Forbidden Sea, on a deserted island.

A big black ox and a young lion busied themselves setting up a medium-sized teleportation array, embedding an array of soul-destroying stones into its grooves.

”Moo!” the big black ox snorted, intensely focused as it layered formations.

An ordinary teleportation array wouldn’t last long here in the Forbidden Sea; the demonic energy quickly corroded it into ruin. This was why they’d never found any spirit stone veins here.

Cultivation was impossible in this place, and ancient remnants made it extremely difficult to set up formations—they had to come here directly across the sea.

The young lion panted heavily, thinking of one part of the plan: to lure the skeletons with ancient rings onto the island.

The divine powers of the Nascent Soul stage were beyond their comprehension, so they couldn’t afford any slip-ups. Defeating a Nascent Soul cultivator might not be impossible, but killing one was another matter entirely.

Chen Xun’s gaze turned cold. Their battlefield wouldn’t be in The Great Li Realm; they’d forcibly drag that old thief into the Five Elements Teleportation Array, sending him far, far away in an instant.

Ordinary teleportation arrays required surrounding one’s body with spiritual energy, which meant one couldn’t be forcefully transported without activating their power.

But the big black ox’s Five Elements Teleportation Array paid no heed to the typical cultivation world rules.

When one was enveloped in the Five Elements energy and dragged into the array, they had no say over life or death.

Three months later, by the coastline.

Standing on the crane’s head of a colossal ship, they stared out calmly as they began their voyage.

Buzz—

Buzz—

The resounding roar of waves echoed, the still black sea surged, and the great ship accelerated, gathering the power of the Five Elements. Chen Xun held a command token in his hand, guiding them in a specific direction.

Nervous yet resolute, they ventured into the depths of the Forbidden Sea, seeking to explore the path ahead.

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