"Oooh! Hitting your own foot with an axe?! Quite interesting pray tell more."
The voice was calm and cold devoid of any emotions. It was not the voice of someone accustomed to being ignored.
Wang Xuhan's head snapped up, his eyes widening as he turned to look at the source of the voice. Standing at the entrance of the hall, clad in a celestial black robe emblazoned with silver stars.
His long, flowing white hair framed a face that seemed untouched by the mundane, eyes as dark as the void of night. He moved with a grace that belied his mortal form, as if he were a deity who had stepped down from his altar to mingle among mortals.
T-Tianmo?
The hair has changed but this... This is definitely his son. Ns this breath!? Genius. His son is a genius... Within a few days, he has already stepped into the peak of the sixth stage Foundation Establishment from a newly formed spirit root.
"S-Son..." Wang Xuhan stammered, caught off guard by Tianmo's sudden appearance.
Li Tianshu's teacup paused halfway to his lips, the dark liquid rippling from the subtle tremor in his hand. He did not turn his head immediately; a man of his stature did not react to every disturbance like a startled rabbit. Instead, his spiritual sense swept over the newcomer like a cold breeze, probing for the depth of the pool.
What he found made his eyes narrow imperceptibly.
Bone age of 16 and Peak-Sixth Stage Foundation Establishment?
Absurd!!!
Li Tianshu's eyes narrowed, the tea in his cup rippling from a sudden, imperceptible tremor in his hand. The numbers didn't align. To reach the peak of a minor realm in such a short span required not just talent, but a fortuitous encounter that defied the logic of the heavens. A Heaven-defying opportunity.
Is heaven jesting?
Why is the Wang Family being blessed by the heavens? With that level of cultivation base, this brat can easily become the direct disciple of the elders within the sect. Is it really worth fighting for the Earth Vein?
Li Tianshu's gaze sharpened, cutting through the hall like a blade. He set his teacup down with deliberate slowness, the porcelain clinking softly against the saucer.
"You must be the newly formed spirit root," Li Tianshu said, his voice measured, devoid of the earlier joy. "My apologies, I didn't expect such a young cultivator to possess such insight."
Individuals can awaken the spirit root from the age of 16 to 20. If you haven't awakened spirit root even by the age of 20, you are destined to live a mundane mortal life, unless there is a heaven-grant opportunity.
The Li Patriarch had to admit, Tianmo is an extraordinary genius... Not just extraordinary but highly extraordinary.
This is clearly an Era-suppressing genius. Heaven ascending talent.
"Allow me to introduce myself, my humble self Wang Tianmo, I am a direct disciple of Elder Xuan Ji within the Azure Cloud Sect. My apologies for intruding on this esteemed gathering. I merely wished to share my humble thoughts." Tianmo said, his voice calm, like water flowing over smooth stone. He bowed slightly, the gesture polite yet distant.
Direct disciple of Great Elder Xuan Ji!?
Sweat began to form on the brow of the patriarch Li, Madam Roxue, and Young Master Jue.
What kind of identity is a direct disciple of the Great Elder of Azure Cloud Sect!? Is Earth Vein really going to escape from the palm of their hand!?
"Fellow Daoist Li, it seems there is a problem within my formation pavilion, I must take my leave..." Madam Roxue stood up.
"Madam, you must stay and listen. This is important," Li Tianshu said, his voice tight. How can his back leave him helplessly?
"Sorry, I can't," Madam Roxue said, bowing slightly, her eyes sweeping over the scene. "My pavilion has a guest. I must take my leave. Apologies, Patriarch Wang. I hope to see you again."
She turned and left, her robes swirling around her. She is not here to fight. She is here for the interest of her pavilion. With Tianmo here, she can no longer see a future where the Earth Vein can be divided.
Young Master Jue frowned, his eyes flicking between Tianmo and Li Tianshu. He hesitated, then bowed stiffly. "Patriarch Wang, I regret I must also leave. My cat is going to give birth, if it's a black cat my family will be hit by misfortune for five years..."
He turned and strode out, his steps heavy with suppressed frustration. He has a direct disciple of the great elder of Azure Cloud Sect in front of him, he doesn't wish to anger the great elder. He doesn't wish to see the future where he will be buried in his own valley.
Li Tianshu remained seated, his fingers drumming slowly on the armrest of his chair. He was like a statue carved from ancient jade, unyielding and immovable.
The hall fell into a silence so heavy it felt as if the very air had turned to stone. The remaining elders of the Wang Family held their breaths, their eyes darting nervously between Tianmo and Li Tianshu.
"Direct disciple, huh?" Li Tianshu mused, his voice smooth as silk yet laced with an undercurrent of threat. "The Azure Cloud Sect does have a keen eye for talent. I wonder, does your esteemed Elder know of the Earth Vein in our humble valley?"
"This matter is not related to the Li family thus this junior shall not disclose anything." Judging from the situation it's very unlikely for the Wang Family to meet their demise if the formation master were to cover the Earth Vein.
Which means a higher force would soon make a move against the Wang Family. Wang Tianmo still can't fathom just which force dares to touch the Wang family.
Li Tianshu's eyes narrowed into slits, the air around him thickening with the pressure of his cultivation. He did not appreciate being dismissed, especially not by a boy who was, in the grand scheme of the Dao, barely weaned.
However, the background behind him wasn't something he could offend unless he wanted his bloodline to perish. The best course of action at the moment would be to swallow the saliva and leave the Wang Family hall.
Interesting... Quite interesting.
"Brother Wang, it seems the heavens have truly blessed your family with a prodigy," Li Tianshu said, his voice dripping with false sincerity. He rose from his seat, the movement as fluid as a tiger uncoiling to pounce.
"It seems my presence here is unwanted thus I shall take my leave. However, let this old man offer a piece of advice. A dragon born in a pond is still a dragon, but the pond is too small to contain the storm it brings. Be careful not to let the water drown your kin before you learn to fly."
Li Tianshu's gaze lingered on Wang Tianmo for a heartbeat longer, a complex mixture of jealousy, caution, and grudging respect swirling in his eyes. Then, with a sweep of his sleeves, he turned and walked out of the hall, his footsteps echoing like the retreating tide.
The oppressive pressure that had suffocated the hall vanished, leaving the elders gasping for air, wiping cold sweat from their brows.
Wang Xuhan slumped back into his chair, the tension draining from his shoulders, leaving him feeling years older. He looked at his son, who stood amidst the fading incense smoke like an immortal statue.
Wang Bo, still wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, limped forward. His earlier rage had been tempered by the brutality of Young Master Jue's strike, but his eyes burned with a complex mix of humiliation and relief.
"He... he left," Wang Bo gasped, his voice hoarse. "Just like that. The Li Patriarch, that tyrant who has walked over our family for decades... he ran away with his tail between his legs because of a name." He turned his gaze to Tianmo, awe warring with disbelief. "Nephew... you... You are truly a disciple of Elder Xuan Ji?"
Tianmo did not bask in the praise. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his white hair cascading down his back like a waterfall of moonlight. Looking majestic, full of Aura.
"Father... Being greedy and weak are two different things that should never connect," Tianmo said, his voice calm yet carrying the weight of ancient wisdom.
"The breath of Earth Vein is already released, covering it is meaningless... With just the cultivation base of Golden Core, our family can't control the Earth Vein."
Wang Xuhan frowned. Tianmo's words were like a sudden winter wind, chilling and uncomfortable. "Son... What do you mean?" he asked, his voice soft.
Tianmo stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the spiritual map still pulsating at the center of the hall. "The Earth Vein's energy has already permeated the valley. The scent of its power will draw in wolves from all corners of the Eastern region, not just the minor powers."
"We should hand over the Earth vein to the sect's control. I shall make sure our family receives 5 seats at best," Tianmo said, his voice carrying the weight of a decree from heaven.
This time none of the elders dared to voice their disagreement. Wang Tianmo was no longer just a child of the family; he was a symbol of hope, a talisman against annihilation. His words, whether they were bitter or sweet, were the only lifeline they could cling to.
"Good! Good! Good!" Xuhan laughed stroking his beard. Five seats were certainly better than three seats given that, there will be more protection, with the backing of Azure Cloud Sect.
However, he was even happier for his child. The Wang Family is going to soar by leaps and bounds.
Wang Xuhan smiled, patting his son's back affectionately. "You're absolutely right, son. Greed without a strong foundation is like chasing the wind. The Azure Cloud Sect's protection is the only path forward. And with your direct discipleship, the sky is the limit for you."
A wave of relief washed over the entire hall. The elders exchanged weary smiles. Even Wang Bo's face relaxed.
One of the elders, Liu Qingwu, stepped forward, a mixture of awe and disbelief etched on his wrinkled face.
"Young Master, I have to ask," he began, "How did you reach the peak-Sixth of the Foundation Establishment at such a tender age? Even the greatest geniuses in history took years to achieve such a feat. And a direct disciple of Great Elder Xuan Ji? What happened?"
The hall fell silent as the elders waited for Tianmo's answer, all ears and eyes upon the young prodigy of the Wang Family.
Liu Qingwu's question was not a curiosity born of idle gossip, but a deep-seated curiosity. Reaching the peak-sixth of the Foundation Establishment Stage in such a short span was unimaginable.
Just what kind of concept is it to reach the Sixth stage of the Foundation realm from a mortal realm, within six days? Is cultivation so easy?!
Wang Xuhan waited with bated breath, his gaze flicking between Liu Qingwu and Tianmo. The elders were right. Even the most talented cultivators in the history of cultivation took years to reach the Sixth Stage of the foundation realm from mortal start.
How did his boy manage to achieve the Sixth Stage in less than a week!?
Tianmo remained silent for a moment, contemplating the question. Then, he spoke. "It was a stroke of fortune,"
The elders leaned in, their eyes widening in anticipation. A chance encounter? A stroke of fortune? This story was straight out of one of the many legends that circulated among the sects. A true cultivation fairytale.
"A stroke of fortune?" Elder Liu Qingwu repeated, his brow furrowing so deeply it seemed his eyebrows might touch. "Young Master, the heavens are fair. Even a spirit root of the highest grade requires the accumulation of Qi over time. To condense the liquid essence of Foundation Establishment in mere days... to speak of it as mere fortune is to say the ocean is but a puddle of rain."
The old man's voice trembled, not with fear, but with the agitation of a scholar faced with an impossible equation. In his eyes, the laws of cultivation were absolute. Cause and effect. Input and output. Debit and credit. Yin and Yang. Malevolence and benevolence.
What Tianmo described defied the very arithmetic of the Dao.
Wang Bo, still clutching his bruised chest, scoffed weakly. "Uncle Liu, let the boy have his secrets. If he says it was fortune, then it was fortune. Perhaps he stumbled upon a legendary herb, or the remnant aura of an ascended master. Does the 'how' matter when the result is standing right before us? The Li Patriarch fled with his tail between his legs. That is the only truth I need."
"It matters because the impossible always comes with a price," Wang Lin interjected, his voice calm but his eyes sharp as he studied Tianmo. "Brother Bo is right about the result, but Uncle Liu is right about the principle. If the sect learns the extent of this... speed... they may not see a genius, but a monster. And humans have a habit of slaying monsters before they can grow."
Tianmo listened to their bickering, his expression unreadable. They were smart men, trying to rationalize an anomaly using the limited logic of their world.
"The Dao is vast, and mortal wisdom is but a grain of sand," Tianmo said, his voice carrying the weight of an ancient sage. "Some fortunes are not meant to be understood, only accepted. The heavens are mysterious, and their ways are beyond mortal comprehension."
"Father, this time I am here for another matter... You should invite everyone for a discussion... All seven mothers and aunts."