Volume 7, Chapter 450 – Immortal Might Descends, the Destruction of Shuiyu Valley (Part 3)

At that moment, in the southern skies of the Western Radiance Dynasty’s Nansheng Prefecture, Shuiyu Valley’s Valley Master, Wen Yunmei, and her daughter were flying at high speed. The immense exertion caused beads of fragrant sweat to form on their foreheads.

“Mother, you should go back first. Don’t wait for me.”

Mu Ruoyi panted heavily as she spoke, her ample bosom heaving like turbulent waves with each breath. Having only recently stepped into the Incarnation Realm, her flying speed and stamina were naturally inferior to her mother’s.

“Hold on! We’re almost there! Going back alone won’t do any good!”

Wen Yunmei grasped her daughter’s delicate hand, encouraging her. To erase the name from her mother’s tombstone, two conditions had to be met: first, Wen Yunmei’s permission was required, and second, her daughter Mu Ruoyi had to be the one to do it. Neither could be omitted.

Mu Ruoyi bit her pearly teeth and desperately focused her divine sense, pushing herself to fly faster.

As they neared Shuiyu Valley, Mu Ruoyi suppressed her discomfort and asked, “Mother… is there really no way to resist an Immortal’s might?”

“An Immortal’s might is the spiritual pressure exerted by a true immortal. Its power surpasses even most heavenly tribulations. Not even a Heavenly Tribulation Realm expert can withstand it. Do you think we stand a chance?” Wen Yunmei countered.

“Sigh…”

Mu Ruoyi let out a sorrowful sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Wen Yunmei asked, puzzled.

“I… I can’t bear to part with Hongling and Qi Huang.”

Mu Ruoyi’s beautiful eyes reddened slightly.

“Oh? Have you truly grown fond of them?” Wen Yunmei asked in surprise.

“Mother, to be honest, at first, I was indeed just acting. But over time, I lost myself in the role and began seeing them as my other half. Now… to think I have to personally erase Hongling’s name from Grandmother’s tombstone… I just…”

Her voice choked with emotion.

“Silly child, the names on the tombstone are merely a formality. Whether they’re there or not won’t affect the bond you’ve already formed. The only reason we did this was to give you a legitimate reason to spend time together. If you truly love her, you can always pursue her again later. If you succeed, it’ll finally change this awkward situation where your relationship exists in name only.”

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As someone who had experienced much, Wen Yunmei saw things clearly.

“I understand!”

After a brief moment of contemplation, Mu Ruoyi’s eyes cleared with renewed determination.

Meanwhile, the Lü family estate was bustling with excitement. Lü Yi was the most talented among the younger generation and was regarded as the future clan leader.

Because of this, when Lü Yi went to inscribe his name on the Immortal Stele, nearly sixty percent of the clan came to witness the ceremony. The scene was as grand as a royal court welcoming an emperor.

The Lü family’s Immortal Stele stood at the very center of their estate. From a distance, it resembled a towering pillar, majestic and imposing, piercing the heavens and making even the imperial palace seem insignificant by comparison, a fitting symbol of the Lü family’s status in the Weiyuan Empire.

Lü Yi arrived at the base of the stele with his parents and dozens of concubines in tow. The surrounding area was already packed with clansmen, all eagerly greeting him. Regardless of age or seniority, their faces were plastered with sycophantic smiles.

“Nephew! Finally, you’ve found a wife! Your uncle has waited far too long for this day. With your superior bloodline, you must expand our Lü family’s lineage as soon as possible. The future of our clan rests on your shoulders!”

“Little brother, who is your wife? What does she look like? When will you bring her to meet us?”

“Elder Brother, you’re so outstanding. Your wife must be exceptional as well! Which immortal family’s young lady is she from?”

“It must be one of those three immortals’ descendants. Who else would be worthy of the future patriarch of our Lü family?”

The Lü clansmen showered him with flattery, each trying to outdo the other.

“What nonsense about being the future patriarch? Who knows what tomorrow holds? They’re already groveling like this, aren’t they afraid of getting slapped in the face later?”

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In a secluded corner, a refined-looking young man around Lü Er’s age muttered curses under his breath. His name was Lü Jun, the second most talented among the younger generation after Lü Yi and the grandson-in-law of Elder Zuo.

“What can we do? He’s the most gifted in our generation. And now he’s marrying that Cheng Hongling? It’s like adding wings to a tiger. If he’s not the future patriarch, who is?”

A beautiful young woman beside him, Elder Zuo’s granddaughter, Zuo Ying, sneered mockingly.

“Not necessarily. The cultivation world is unpredictable. With his arrogant personality, he might just drop dead tomorrow.”

Lü Jun cursed spitefully.

“Keep your voice down! Don’t let anyone hear you. No one knows what the future holds, but for now, his grandfather is still the clan leader.”

Zuo Ying hastily gestured for him to lower his voice.

Lü Yi stood alone before the Immortal Stele. Gazing upward, he saw that the stele stretched endlessly into the sky, its width spanning over ten zhang, exuding an oppressive aura akin to a towering mountain. At its peak, bold, deeply carved characters read: “The Glorious Stele of Ancestor Lü Bing.”

Below, countless smaller characters in various colors were densely inscribed, each representing a descendant of the Lü family. Gray denoted the deceased, blue for males, and red for females. Only a small blank space remained at the very bottom, a testament to the Lü family’s flourishing lineage.

Of course, a significant portion of the female names had been forcibly inscribed by Lü men without consent. Yet, not a single one had ever managed to alter their fate.

Because of this, many female cultivators in the cultivation world kept their distance from immortal descendants. Fortunately, immortal clans had strict rules: only male descendants who received the clan leader’s permission could engage in this “act first, seek approval later” practice. Typically, only the most outstanding descendants were granted this privilege. Otherwise, over thousands of years, even the largest stele would have been filled, hindering the inheritance of superior bloodlines and creating unfairness for future generations.

In the current Lü family, among the younger generation, only Lü Yi had the right to inscribe a woman’s name without prior consent. The others still had to follow the traditional marital process, finding a wife or concubine first before engraving their names.

Faced with the overwhelming presence of the Immortal Stele, even someone as arrogant as Lü Yi behaved like a meek lamb, obediently kneeling and kowtowing three times.

Lü Dao, who had already been standing at the base of the stele, formally announced their purpose to their ancestors. Only with the clan leader’s declaration would this act comply with family rules.

“Son, think carefully. While you may have many concubines, you can only have one wife.”

Lü Yi’s mother reminded him from behind.

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Without a word, Lü Yi answered with action. He strode directly to the stele and examined the space beside his name.

Behind Lü Yi’s name were two rows: one for “Wife” and another for “Concubines.” The concubine row was already densely packed with hundreds of names, while the wife row remained blank. Proof of how selective he had been in choosing a principal spouse.

“Sisters, do any of you know the origins of our husband’s future wife?”

“Who knows? Our husband has always been fickle. We don’t even know how many women he has outside.”

“I doubt she’s an ordinary woman. She must be a descendant of an immortal. How else would she be worthy of being his principal wife?”

“That makes sense. If she’s an immortal’s descendant, then I’ll accept my defeat willingly.”

Not far away, Lü Er’s dozens of concubines whispered among themselves. Their words revealed that many had willingly become concubines. A natural outcome, given that the descendants of immortals held status even more exalted than imperial princes. Few women could resist such allure. Those who chose dignity over temptation, regardless of the outcome, were truly worthy of respect.

“Begin.”

At that moment, Lü Dao handed Lü Yi a dagger.

Lü Yi took the dagger and moved to carve into the “Wife” row. But just then, Lü Er’s voice echoed in his mind through divine sense transmission.

“Elder Brother, I think you should inscribe Qi Huang’s name as well.”

Lü Er suggested.

“Why? Aren’t they the same person?”

Lü Yi didn’t understand.

“Though they share the same origin, Qihuang, likely due to her altered mental state, has a completely different personality from her main body. She’s far more difficult to deal with, and her strength is significantly greater. If we don’t shackle her as well, she might cause trouble later.”

Lü Er explained.

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“That… makes sense. But the ‘Wife’ row can only hold one name. I’m not sure if carving her doppelgänger’s name alongside it is permissible.”

Lü Yi hesitated.

The onlookers, seeing Lü Yi delay, began speculating whether he was having second thoughts, especially his concubines, whose faces lit up with hope. As long as the space remained empty, they still had a chance.

“What’s the matter?”

Lü Dao also spoke up.

“Grandfather, I have a question. Cheng Hongling has a doppelgänger. I wish to inscribe her name in the ‘Wife’ row as well. Would that be allowed?”

Lü Yi voiced his dilemma.

“Why? Aren’t the doppelgänger and the main body the same person?”

Lü Dao was baffled. He couldn’t fathom what his grandson was thinking.

“I have my reasons.”

Lü Yi couldn’t explain properly at the moment and could only respond vaguely.

“To be honest, even I don’t know. Since they’re the same person, it should be permissible. But no one has ever done this before. Try carving it first. If the stele accepts it, then it means our ancestors have granted their approval.”

After a moment of contemplation, Lü Dao offered his advice.

“Understood.”

Lü Yi obeyed and raised the dagger to begin inscribing.