"Clan Leader…"
Jing Xiang's parents still seemed hesitant, wanting to say more.
However, the head of the Jing family waved his hand and then looked deeply at Jing Xiang, saying, "Everyone has their own secrets. If you don't want to tell us, that's fine. We won't force you."
Jing Xiang's face showed struggle.
He didn't know whether the things the ancient ancestor had told him were true or false, or if they could even be spoken of, as they involved the Jing family's scandals and secrets.
Did the clan leader before him know about this?
Jing Xiang planned to find an opportunity to confess everything to his parents. Among the many Jing family elders, the only ones he truly trusted were his parents.
Gu Changge, watching this scene from a distance, found it quite interesting.
After all, Jing Xiang's arrival here was somewhat related to him, though at the time, he hadn't been sure whether the aura Jing Xiang had been tainted with was connected to the scheme he had left behind.
Now, the head of the Jing family had agreed to open the portal to the Land of Eternal Life and lead the Jing family members to investigate.
The elders of the Imperial Immortal Palace were naturally overjoyed.
The few elders who had tried to dissuade them earlier also breathed a sigh of relief, having been worried that a conflict might break out.
Soon, the Ancestral Dao experts of the Imperial Immortal Palace struck again, combining their strength to break through the final barrier and fully open the portal.
Everyone's eyes turned toward it, including the older generation of the Jing family, all curious about what lay inside.
A blinding light erupted, accompanied by endless energy, roaring like a tidal wave and shaking the heavens.
A vast expanse of yellow sand suddenly rose, like an endless desert, swirling into the sky.
The glowing world behind the portal was finally revealed to everyone.
Behind the portal was a thick barrier, but it had already been pierced, revealing an endless red wasteland, with yellow sand and barren land stretching as far as the eye could see.
Everyone was stunned. The lush, vibrant world they had imagined was nowhere to be seen. Was this what the Land of Eternal Life looked like?
How could this be?
All the elders of the Jing family stood frozen in place.
The Land of Eternal Life they had guarded for so long was nothing but a desolate wasteland, devoid of life.
There was almost no spiritual energy to be felt, only an ominous aura that sent chills down their spines.
At this moment, Ling Yuxian was the first to rush in, flying toward the vast, barren world, her figure disappearing into it in an instant.
The elders and senior members of the Imperial Immortal Palace, worried for her safety, also rushed in after her.
Jing Xiang and Jing Xiao were brought along by their parents, following the rest of the Jing family.
Before entering, Jing Xiang's parents glanced in Gu Changge's direction.
They had clearly noticed that, in that moment, their daughter had looked at Gu Changge.
Could this be the man Ling Qiuchang had mentioned in his letter—the one their daughter was fond of?
Gu Changge noticed the gaze of Jing Xiang's parents and smiled at them before his figure vanished, as if he had disappeared into thin air.
This man…
Jing Xiang's parents were stunned, feeling a wave of shock.
They hadn't even sensed how Gu Changge had disappeared. Although they were still some distance from the Ancestral Dao realm, how could they not even gauge the strength of a young man?
"This is truly strange. The man our daughter is fond of is such a mysterious figure."
The two shook their heads, deciding not to dwell on it, and turned to follow the others.
Inside the Land of Eternal Life, desolation and barrenness were the eternal themes. There was almost no sign of life, and even the mountains and lakes had dried up.
The first thing everyone noticed upon entering was the complete depletion of spiritual energy and the shattered laws of the world, as if it were a universe that had experienced a battle between supreme beings.
Unless it underwent a long period of recovery, it would be difficult for new life to emerge here.
This left all the Jing family members even more stunned and incredulous.
Why was the Land of Eternal Life they had guarded for so long such a world?
Where were the ancestors who had been brought here?
Their soul lamps still existed, meaning they were still alive. Even the ancient ancestor who had founded the Jing family was still alive.
This world was vast, but fortunately, the Jing family members who had entered were all extremely powerful. Their divine senses swept across the area, searching for the ancestors.
Meanwhile, the members of the Imperial Immortal Palace followed Ling Yuxian, determined to rescue their trapped founder.
Although this world was strange, the Imperial Immortal Palace was one of the oldest and most powerful forces in the Prime-Origin Civilization.
With nearly all their strength mobilized, they naturally feared no obstacles.
Inside the Demon-Sealing Tower, the ancestors of the Jing family grew excited.
They could finally sense the aura of the outside world. The barrier had been breached, and outsiders had forcefully entered this realm.
Although they couldn't leave the Demon-Sealing Tower or send out their divine senses or voices, they were doing everything they could to create disturbances, hoping to attract the attention of the outsiders who had entered.
On the top floor of the Demon-Sealing Tower, the black-robed old man was also visibly excited, staring intently at the scene outside the tower.
Freedom was getting closer and closer.
He was so excited that he could barely contain himself, almost dancing with joy.
One after another, Dao runes appeared on the walls around him, crackling like lightning, but even they couldn't dampen his excitement.
After being trapped here for countless years, he was finally about to see the light of day. How could he not be thrilled?
The entire Demon-Sealing Tower began to tremble, and the ground shook as if a massive earthquake had struck.
Soon, a Jing family elder's divine sense swept across this area, noticing the existence of the Demon-Sealing Tower. Shocked, they quickly reported this to the head of the Jing family.
There really was a tower in the Land of Eternal Life. The words left by the ancient ancestor in his letter had truly become reality.
The head of the Jing family and the oldest elders exchanged glances, each seeing shock and complexity in the other's eyes.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the journey, Jing Xiang's parents and Jing Xiao had already learned from Jing Xiang about how the ancient ancestor of the Jing family had been schemed against by his descendants and trapped here.
The group was completely stunned, unable to believe their ears.
If someone else had told them this, they would have thought that person was insane. But these words had come from Jing Xiang himself?
The reason Jing Xiang couldn't cultivate was actually due to a curse left by the ancient ancestor, which had manifested in him?
When the head of the Jing family had asked Jing Xiang for an explanation earlier, he had remained silent because of this?
Did the head of the Jing family also know something, which was why he had deliberately said those words?
This was simply too absurd and unbelievable.
Jing Xiang's parents' faces were filled with shock and disbelief.