Volume 1, Chapter 53 – The Resolve of Great Yan’s Ancestor

“A taboo?” Xiao Yunsheng’s pupils contracted sharply.

“Yes. A taboo.”

Xiao Minghai’s voice grew even more solemn.

“From ancient times to the present, any power that openly used the word ‘Immortal’ in its name would draw unknown karmic consequences and public wrath.”

“At best, its inheritance would be severed and its gates razed to the ground. At worst, the karmic consequences would spread, and its entire bloodline would be wiped out.”

“Over time, this became an unspoken red line among those ancient powers, one none of them dared to touch lightly.”

A chill spread through Xiao Yunsheng’s entire body. He had never imagined that Yaochi Immortal Palace was connected to such terrifying karmic consequences.

His voice was dry.

“Father, are you saying… that Yaochi Immortal Palace has already… violated this taboo?”

“It has done far more than merely violate it.”

Xiao Minghai let out a long sigh.

“To dare call itself an ‘Immortal Palace,’ it is either ignorant and fearless, in which case its destruction is not far off…”

“Or its foundations and strength have already reached a level where it can disregard this taboo, perhaps even deliberately challenge it!”

He looked at Xiao Yunsheng, his gaze blazing.

“Yunsheng, the Deputy Palace Master Yun you described could erase a Nascent Soul cultivator with a flick of her finger, and her aura was unfathomable.”

“Elder Fushan, who has yet to show himself, is a genuine Mahayana demon king, yet he willingly serves as an elder.”

“Do you believe a power like that could be ignorant?”

Cold sweat streamed down Xiao Yunsheng’s body. His earlier joy was replaced by overwhelming dread.

If Yaochi Immortal Palace was truly challenging that ancient taboo, then was Xiao Ya’s entry into the sect a blessing or a disaster for the Great Yan Dynasty?

Would it bring down a catastrophic calamity upon them?

“Father, then what… what should we do? Should we immediately send word to Ya’er and tell her to…”

Xiao Yunsheng spoke anxiously.

Xiao Minghai raised a hand to stop him, a trace of resolve flashing through his eyes.

“No. Quite the opposite.”

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“What?” Xiao Yunsheng did not understand.

“Misfortune may be where fortune rests, and fortune may be where misfortune hides.”

Xiao Minghai spoke slowly.

“The Great Yan Dynasty was founded only a little over two hundred years ago. Our heritage is limited, and we cannot compare at all with the great neighboring nations whose foundations run deep.”

“Without some world-shaking upheaval, we will eventually decay and be replaced by another dynasty, just like every dynasty before us.”

“Now that upheaval has arrived. Yaochi Immortal Palace is that world-shaking upheaval!”

“Ya’er gaining entry and becoming a core disciple is the greatest opportunity our Xiao clan has ever encountered, and also its greatest danger.”

He rose to his feet. His plain hemp robes stirred despite the absence of wind, and a decisive aura born from long years in power and a lifetime of hardship emerged from him.

“Pass down my order. Empty the imperial treasury and prepare the most lavish congratulatory gift possible. At the same time, bring out the ‘Pearl Lost in the Vast Sea.'”

“The Pearl Lost in the Vast Sea?!” Xiao Yunsheng cried out.

It was an earth-rank mid-grade magical treasure and the greatest source of support his father had relied upon when he swept through every opposing force and ultimately founded the dynasty.

And now, his father intended to give it away?

“Correct.” Xiao Minghai nodded.

“I will personally make a trip to Qingyang City. I will not only congratulate Ya’er, but also express, in the name of the entire Great Yan Dynasty and the Xiao clan, our wish to pledge allegiance to Yaochi Immortal Palace.”

“Father, you intend to go personally? And you want us to… pledge allegiance?”

Xiao Yunsheng was completely stunned.

His father was not only giving away a magical treasure, but also surrendering their independent status and turning the dynasty into a vassal of the Immortal Palace!

“Father, please reconsider!”

Xiao Yunsheng’s voice was strained.

“Great Yan may be small, but we still have four Spirit Transformation ancestors and a million armored soldiers. Has it truly come to this?”

“Pledging allegiance… will surely provoke criticism throughout the court and the realm. How can the foundation of the Xiao clan be…”

“Criticism? Foundation?”

Xiao Minghai cut him off. His aged eyes shone with the sharpness of one who had weathered countless storms and the clarity of one who had seen through the ways of the world.

“Yunsheng, what you see is Great Yan’s territory, armies, and Spirit Transformation ancestors.”

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“But in the eyes of true mighty experts, what do any of those amount to?”

“Which of the Flying Cloud Sect and Green Mountain Sect did not possess foundations deeper than Great Yan’s?”

“Which of their sect-protecting grand formations was not sturdier than the imperial capital’s grand formation?”

“And what happened? Before Elder Fushan, a single punch and kick were enough to force their sect masters to their knees, begging for mercy. Their sect gates trembled, and half of their foundations were lost in a single day!”

“And he was only an ‘elder’! It was only a ‘minor punishment meant as a warning’!”

Xiao Minghai’s voice carried a chill that seemed to pierce the soul.

“News that a princess of the Great Yan Dynasty has become one of their core disciples has already spread. There is no hiding it. If we do not choose our side now…”

“Then when a crisis descends in the future, why would they care whether we live or die?”

A chill ran down Xiao Yunsheng’s spine, and cold sweat soaked through his inner robes.

His father’s analysis had stripped away the seemingly glorious surface and exposed the cruel reality beneath.

They already had one foot aboard the ship. Getting off meant death, while climbing fully aboard might still leave them a chance to survive and a future to pursue.

Xiao Minghai looked once more at his silent son and sighed softly.

“Yunsheng, I suffered severe injuries in my early years. I do not have much lifespan remaining. But you still have time, and Ya’er has a limitless future ahead of her.”

“This is the only chance the Xiao clan and the Great Yan Dynasty may ever have to leap out of this small pond and enter the true ocean!”

“Father…”

Emotion surged through Xiao Yunsheng. At last, he drew a deep breath. The struggle vanished from his eyes, and he bowed deeply to Xiao Minghai.

“I understand! Everything will be done according to Father’s arrangements!”

…

Three days later, in Qingyang City.

The seven-day spiritual aptitude testing ceremony finally came to an end.

Over those seven days, more than fifty thousand people had come to be tested. They came from every part of the Great Yan Dynasty, and even people from several neighboring minor kingdoms had hurried over after hearing the news.

In the end, after preliminary screening and observation of their character, a total of one hundred people met Yaochi Immortal Palace’s outer disciple standard, possessing Five-Star or Six-Star potential.

A total of fifteen met the inner disciple standard, possessing Seven-Star or Eight-Star potential.

As for the core disciple standard of Nine-Star potential, besides Xiao Ya, another candidate had unexpectedly appeared: an eight-year-old girl named Wang Zhaojun.

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Just as Gu Han had expected, no one with Ten-Star potential appeared.

After all, peerless immortal seedlings of that caliber could only be encountered by chance.

Although most of the crowd outside the Liu Residence had already dispersed, many curious onlookers and spies from various powers remained gathered there.

They were all waiting to see what final arrangements Yaochi Immortal Palace would make for these fortunate candidates. They were also watching to see how the Great Yan imperial family and the other powers would respond.

A luxurious carriage drawn by eight fine horses slowly entered Qingyang City under the escort of several imperial retainers with calm and profound auras. It stopped before the main gates of the Liu Residence.

The curtain was lifted. The first to step down was the Ninth Princess, Xiao Ya, who had received the news in advance and gone out to welcome the arriving guest.

Immediately afterward, an elderly man dressed in gray robes slowly descended from the carriage.

The old man did not deliberately release any pressure, yet merely standing there, he possessed the imposing presence of a deep abyss and an immovable mountain.

Everyone who saw him felt their heart tighten and instinctively held their breath.

“That is… the Emperor Emeritus!”

“Wait, bro, who is the Emperor Emeritus?”

“He’s the ruthless man who founded the Great Yan Dynasty with his own hands two hundred years ago, the previous emperor of Great Yan.”

“It’s actually him! I heard stories about him when I was little. He came in person!”

“It seems the Great Yan imperial family also attaches great importance to Yaochi Immortal Palace…”

Among the crowd, several older cultivators recognized the visitor and could not help exclaiming in low voices, causing a wave of commotion.

Liu Beihai and Liu Beichuan had received word long ago and were already waiting respectfully at the gates with the members of the Liu family.

Even Liu Beihai, a Nascent Soul cultivator, felt enormous pressure before the true master of the Great Yan Dynasty.

“This junior, Liu Beihai, together with the members of the Liu family, respectfully welcomes Senior!”

Liu Beihai bowed deeply.

A gentle smile appeared on Xiao Minghai’s face, and he raised a hand as though helping Liu Beihai straighten.

“Patriarch Liu, there is no need for such ceremony. I am a guest today and have come without invitation. I hope you will forgive the intrusion.”

His gaze had already passed over Liu Beihai and turned toward the depths of the Liu Residence.

“Senior Yun is inside. Please follow me.”

Liu Beihai stepped aside and led the way.

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In the inner courtyard of the Liu Residence, inside an elegantly furnished room, Yun Yun sat in the seat of honor, listening as Liu Ruyan stood beside her and reported the final results of the spiritual aptitude test.

“One hundred outer disciples, fifteen inner disciples, and two core disciples…”

Yun Yun inclined her head slightly, unsurprised by the result.

This was the frontier of the Southern Region, where spiritual qi and talented individuals were far scarcer than elsewhere. Achieving such results had not been easy.

Moreover, there were two promising seedlings, Xiao Ya and Wang Zhaojun.

At that moment, her expression shifted slightly, and she raised her eyes toward the entrance.

“Senior Yun, the Emperor Emeritus of the Great Yan Dynasty and the Ninth Princess have arrived.”

Liu Beihai’s voice came from outside the door, carrying a trace of barely perceptible nervousness.

“Come in.”

Yun Yun’s voice was calm.

Liu Beihai led Xiao Minghai and Xiao Ya into the room.

The instant Xiao Minghai’s gaze fell upon Yun Yun, his heart trembled.

He could not see through her. He could not see through her at all!

Her cultivation was as deep as an abyss and as vast as the sea. Her aura was perfectly natural and harmonized with heaven and earth. That feeling…

He had only ever sensed it from the Mahayana ancestor of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, the hegemonic power of the Southern Region.

Yet the woman before him seemed even more profound and unfathomable!

“This junior, Xiao Minghai, together with my granddaughter Xiao Ya, pays respects to Senior!”

Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Minghai bowed deeply to Yun Yun with the full courtesy of a junior, lowering his posture to the utmost.

Xiao Ya, standing behind him, also bowed respectfully.

“There is no need for such ceremony. Sit.”

Yun Yun spoke indifferently and gestured toward the seats beside them.

After the two sat down and Liu Ruyan served spirit tea, Yun Yun finally spoke.

“I presume you did not come merely to deliver your granddaughter into the sect?”