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Chapter 18: The Death of a Trash, The Departure of an Immortal
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Section 1: The Twilight Before the Departure
The wind howled softly over the Ye Clan manor as if whispering the secrets of fate itself. It was the eve of a new chapter—an ending and a beginning. Ye Ling, the one labeled as the "trash" of the clan for nearly a century, stood in silence at the peak of a secluded mountain behind the clan's ancestral hall. The moon hung low, casting a pale silver glow upon his robe that shimmered with celestial light. His eyes were calm, yet there was an ancient depth in them—as if he had long transcended the petty struggles of the mortal world.
For nearly a hundred years, he had concealed his cultivation, played the role of a useless young master, and let the world sneer at him. But now, even the heavens trembled before him.
"It's time," he whispered.
He did not plan to stay. His journey was far from over. The mortal world had become too small for someone like him—especially someone bound to the 10,000-Fold Sign-In System.
But before he left, he had preparations to make. Both for himself... and for the clan that never knew the treasure hidden in their backyard.
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Section 2: The Fake Death of a Forgotten Trash
Ye Ling sat cross-legged inside a concealed cultivation chamber, one he had carved deep into the earth with his spiritual power over the decades. In front of him floated a translucent cocoon of light—within it, a clone, perfectly molded with his old appearance, slumbered.
This was no ordinary clone. Crafted with a Heaven-Tier Illusory Soul Technique and reinforced with fragments of his own blood essence, it carried the same spiritual signature, the same breath, the same flaws. To anyone in the Ye Clan, this was the aged, dying "trash" they had always ignored. No one would question the death of a useless soul who had reached his hundredth year.
When the time came, the clone would simply die in bed—his spiritual energy dissipating slowly, just like someone whose life had withered away.
And so, it happened.
Three days later, the Ye Clan mourned—if such a word could be used for someone so insignificant. The elders only mentioned the death in passing. The servants barely bowed their heads. The younger generation didn't even bother to attend the funeral.
Only a small tombstone was erected in a remote corner of the ancestral graveyard, marked with the simple words:
Ye Ling — A Clan Member.
Beneath that cold stone lay a body that was not real, and a truth buried deeper than any grave.
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Section 3: A Visit to the Patriarch
Several days after his "death," Ye Ling—now cloaked in his full immortal guise—appeared silently before the Ye Clan Patriarch. No one saw his arrival, no one sensed his presence.
The patriarch, now a Core Formation cultivator, still stood as the strongest known figure in the clan. Yet when he faced this Immortal-like being, he felt only awe and humility.
The man who stood before him was veiled in a divine aura. His robes seemed woven from the light of stars. His long black hair cascaded like a waterfall down his back. A faint ethereal wind fluttered around him, despite the stillness in the room. And his eyes—those eyes—contained the birth and destruction of galaxies.
The Patriarch instinctively bowed, not as a leader, but as a mortal standing before a divine being.
"Senior Immortal," he spoke respectfully, "Ye Clan has long benefited from your hidden guidance. I humbly ask, why do you grace us this day?"
Ye Ling did not reveal his identity, nor did he remove his mask.
"I am leaving," he said simply. "I have done what I came to do. From this day onward, do not expect my shadow to linger."
The Patriarch's heart skipped a beat. "Senior… must you go? The Ye Clan has just begun to rise again. With you—"
"My path lies beyond the mortal world," Ye Ling interrupted, his tone calm yet final. "However... I do not forget kindness."
From his storage ring, he drew out a jade box. Inside were treasures the clan had never seen: Heaven-Tier talismans, pills refined from thousand-year-old divine herbs, and a cultivation technique that could turn a commoner into a genius.
"This is my gift to your clan. Use them well."
The Patriarch received the items with trembling hands. "Senior Immortal, the Ye Clan shall remember your benevolence for ten thousand generations."
Ye Ling turned, his robe trailing celestial sparks behind him. But just before vanishing into the night, he tossed a small, glowing jade to the patriarch.
"If your clan ever faces extinction… crush this jade. If I still walk this world, I will come."
Then, like a dream fading with the dawn, the Immortal was gone.
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Section 4: A Myth Leaves the Mortal World
No one saw him leave. No eyes followed him. But the moment he stepped beyond the Ye Clan's boundaries, a strange pressure lifted from the city.
The common folk whispered tales of an Immortal who had visited their land.
In the shadows, spies from rival clans wondered who had tilted the balance of power so thoroughly.
And in the deepest part of the Ye Clan graveyard, the tombstone of Ye Ling stood—lonely, forgotten, and yet guarding the greatest secret the clan had ever known.
Ye Ling did not look back.
His steps carried him across forests cloaked in eternal mist, rivers that reflected the stars, and mountains where the air shimmered with ancient power.
His destination was the Forbidden Zones of the Mortal World—places avoided even by Nascent Soul cultivators. Ruins of ancient sects, domains of forgotten beasts, tombs of fallen gods.
For others, they were death traps.
For Ye Ling, they were treasure vaults.
His system echoed in his mind like a pulse of divine rhythm:
[Sign-In Location: Forbidden Abyss Ruins Detected.]
[Sign-In Successful: Reward—Void Spirit Lotus (Heaven-Tier). 10,000-Fold Amplification Activated: Void World Sacred Lotus (Mythic-Tier).]
Ye Ling smiled slightly beneath his mask.
The world was vast. His journey... had only just begun.
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