Volume 14, Chapter 941 – A Desperate Gamble

“No, if this really was done by Han Qianyang, then sending someone over would inevitably expose the fact that the Chaotic Corpse has been lost. When that happens, I won’t be able to keep my position as clan leader.”

Xi Hou shook his head after a brief pause for thought.

“But we can’t just keep hiding it like this either. It’ll be exposed sooner or later.”

Xi Jin said anxiously.

“What are you panicking for? Do you think I can’t handle things without him?”

Xi Hou snapped in irritation, then warned, “You listen to me clearly. No one is to leak a single word about the loss of the Chaotic Corpse.”

“Yes, yes, of course.”

Xi Jin and Xi Yu both nodded repeatedly. They understood very well that if Xi Hou lost his position as clan leader, their own fates would take a sharp turn for the worse.

“What about Madam then? If both matters were done by Han Qianyang, then Ali is now useless to him.”

Xi Jin asked urgently.

“Right. If that’s the case, he might kill Mother at any moment. After all, our two families have held grudges for years. You must think of a plan!”

Xi Yu also came to her senses.

“Damn it!”

Xi Hou slammed his chair and stood up abruptly. “Since he’s playing dirty, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Don’t you fancy Han Yurou? Engrave her name directly onto the Immortal Stele. That way, we’ll have that old bastard by the throat.”

“What?”

A look of barely contained delight spread across Xi Yu’s face.

“Father, isn’t that a bit too risky? Our Han Clan’s two Immortal Steles stopped working three hundred years ago. That’s why, for all these years, when the men from the enemy side married and had children, we’ve always held back from doing anything rash. It’s the only reason we’ve managed to keep things hidden until now. If Han Yurou is a chaste and virtuous woman, and the stele’s power can’t descend, then everything will be exposed.”

Xi Jin spoke with clear-headed rationality. This was exactly why they hadn’t used the Immortal Stele to forcibly take Han Yurou all this time.

“No matter. Even if Han Yurou is a chaste and virtuous woman, Han Qianyang won’t just stand by and watch his granddaughter die. When the time comes, I’ll make sure he coughs it all up—with interest.”

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Xi Hou said through gritted teeth.

“Grandfather, what if it turns out Han Qianyang didn’t do it?”

Xi Yu asked after a moment of thought.

“It doesn’t matter. The cultivation world is ruled by the law of the jungle. Let the Han Clan pay for our Xi Clan’s losses.”

Xi Hou declared forcefully.

“Yes, sir!”

The gloom on Xi Yu’s face vanished, as if he’d forgotten all about his own mother’s disappearance.

That very night, Xi Hou convened the clan’s primary decision-makers to discuss forcibly adding Han Yurou’s name to the Immortal Stele.

“Big Brother, you need to think this through. The Han Clan’s Immortal Steles stopped functioning long ago. There’s real risk of exposure if we’re not careful.”

Xi Bing, one of Xi Hou’s nephews, reminded him. Xi Bing was also the son of Xi Xiang, another peak Heavenly Tribulation Realm expert from the Xi Clan.

As for Xi Xiang, he was nearing the end of his lifespan and had gone off into the Universe seeking weak spatial barriers.

“I think, compared to preserving the Xi Clan’s immortal bloodline, that kind of risk is negligible.”

Xi Hou responded with finality. He wasn’t looking for discussion.

Xi Bing was immediately silenced. First, because Xi Hou was the clan leader; second, because his father wasn’t around—he had no grounds to oppose.

And so, the decision was made. In a forced gamble, Xi Hou was willing to risk exposing the Immortal Stele for a showdown with Han Qianyang.

“All right, go and make preparations. Tomorrow, we’re going to Jinguang Planet to confront that old fossil Han Qianyang. I want to see whether he’ll choose the Chaotic Corpse and Ali, or his own precious granddaughter.”

Xi Hou ordered his son and grandson.

“Yes!”

Xi Jin and Xi Yu accepted their orders with excitement.

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At the same time, Han Qianyang summoned his most trusted granddaughter.

“Xiaorou, I’m entrusting the Chaotic Corpse to you. You must learn how to use the Domain of Time as quickly as possible. If my guess is correct, the Han Clan will soon become the target. They may even activate the Immortal Stele, so I must ascend to immortality as soon as possible.”

Han Qianyang instructed her.

“Really? They have no evidence. Would they really come for us directly?”

Han Yurou asked uncertainly.

“We can’t place our hopes on a bunch of thugs. If they had any sense of reason, they wouldn’t have occupied our ancestor’s corpse for so long.”

Han Qianyang’s face darkened with resentment. The thought of their ancestor’s body being dismembered and turned into magical tools and weapons… no one could endure such a grievous humiliation.

“Then why don’t you study the ancestor’s corpse yourself? You’re more powerful and experienced than I am, you’d understand it faster.”

Han Yurou asked, puzzled.

“You don’t understand. Once blood is dripped into the Chaotic Corpse, it becomes like a contract. It can’t be used by anyone else. After I ascend to the Immortal Realm, you’ll need a powerful weapon for self-defense. The Chaotic Corpse is the best choice.”

Han Qianyang explained earnestly.

Han Yurou couldn’t bring herself to refuse her grandfather’s goodwill. She had no choice but to brace herself and accept the Chaotic Corpse, beginning the blood-binding ritual on the spot.

“Our ancestor said that after you drop your blood in, you’ll form a soul resonance with the corpse. Then, you’ll naturally know how to activate the Domain of Time.”

Han Qianyang said from the side.

Han Yurou followed his instructions, but the Chaotic Corpse was already centuries old, and much of its flesh had been sliced off by the Xi Clan. It was simply too difficult to form a connection in a short period of time.

Qi Huang silently observed everything from the sidelines. She was waiting for the result. If the Chaotic Corpse could only activate the Domain of Time once, she would shamelessly find a way to “borrow” it. But if it could be used multiple times, then there was no need to rush.

A few days later, Han Yurou finally managed to establish a connection with the Chaotic Corpse and comprehended the method for using the Domain of Time.

“Young Mistress, Old Master Han retrieved the Chaotic Corpse to break through the spatial barriers, didn’t he?”

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Qi Huang found Han Yurou again.

“No, and how did you know about this?”

Han Yurou stared at Qi Huang with intense wariness, feeling as if she were stark naked… completely exposed and unsafe.

“Uh… I have another Shadow-Retaining Mirror. I saw it by accident.”

Qi Huang flipped her small hand, revealing another mirror in her palm.

“How many of those mirrors do you even have?”

Han Yurou was speechless.

“Ten or so, maybe?”

Qi Huang mumbled vaguely. In truth, she only had two; one obtained years ago in the cultivation world, the other seized from Elder Lu Hong of the Immortal Alliance in the Immortal Realm.

Han Yurou heard this and gave up on confiscating them. She could only say helplessly, “Since you know, do not spread it. The consequences would be unimaginable.”

“Then can you tell me what’s going on with the Domain of Time inside the Chaotic Corpse?”

Qi Huang began to bargain.

“What do you want to know?”

Han Yurou asked with a frown.

“I just want to know if it can locate a spatial barrier from three hundred years ago, then it should also be able to fast-forward my time by three hundred years, right?”

Qi Huang asked expectantly.

“You want to use it to grow stronger?”

Han Yurou instantly saw through Qi Huang’s intent.

“Yes! Yes! If it’s possible, I’m willing to do anything!”

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Qi Huang nodded like a pecking chick.

“Have you considered something? The cultivation path is full of tribulations. What if, three hundred years from now, you’re already dead?”

Han Yurou reminded her.

“Uh………”

Qi Huang froze, at a loss for words.

“The Domain of Time may make you stronger, but it could also turn you into a corpse, or a cripple. Think carefully before deciding.”

Han Yurou cautioned solemnly.

Qi Huang fell silent. She had indeed never considered that possibility. For a long time, she wavered in uncertainty.

She left the Han residence alone and wandered the streets, unable to make up her mind. In the end, she used soul transmission to ask for advice from her Life Soul, Cheng Hongling.

“Right now, we have two options: either gamble everything using the Domain of Time. If we succeed, we’ll soar to the heavens; if we fail, we’ll be utterly doomed. Or we could proceed step by step, solid and steady.”

Qi Huang explained the situation.

After some thought, Life Soul Cheng Hongling replied, “Let’s talk long-term first. Have you thought about this: given our current strength, if we die three hundred years from now, there’s only one possibility. It means we lost in a battle against the Heavenly Dao or the Heavenly Court. That means the outcome is already fixed. Even if you walk the steady path, it’s just a slow death.”

“That makes sense. What about the short-term?”

Qi Huang asked, contemplative.

“In the short-term, this world is about to undergo a major purge by the Heavenly Court. Do you know how powerful the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals are that the Heavenly Emperor will send? Will it be a hundred domains, or a thousand? One soldier, or two? What if we can’t defeat them?”

Cheng Hongling reminded her.

“I get it now. Then I’ll bet everything. Either I’m doomed, or I rise to the skies.”

Qi Huang clenched her teeth and said with resolve.