"Preposterous!"
Within the assembly hall of the Ye Clan in Qingzhou City, Second Elder Ye Ao slammed his hand against the table, leaping to his feet with eyes practically spitting fire. "Eight hundred? Based on the surrounding acquisition rates, our clan's ancestral hall is worth at least fifty thousand spirit crystals! Yet the Immortal Treasure Pavilion is only willing to offer eight hundred? What can eight hundred do? That's not even enough for a 'full-service' bath at the parlor! At best, it'll cover a foot soak!"
Another elder spoke up, his voice trembling with rage. "It's those damned Zhao Clan dogs stirring up trouble. That Zhao Xiu is the overseer for this land seizure. Who doesn't know of the blood feud between our Ye Clan and theirs? They are targeting us deliberately. They want to uproot our ancestral graves!"
The Second Elder's expression twisted into something vicious. "They don't just want to uproot our ancestral graves. They want to trample our dignity into the mud and ensure we never rise again."
Within the assembly hall, the faces of the elders were marred by fury. The Immortal Treasure Pavilion and the Zhao Clan were pushing them too far. This wasn't just a plot to destroy them physically; it was a scheme to break their spirit.
Sitting at the head of the hall, Patriarch Ye Lin's face revealed a grim resolve. "There is only one path left for us."
The others exchanged glances before nodding in dark agreement. Faced with the tyrannical actions of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion and the Zhao Clan, the Ye Clan had only one option left: to cause an uproar. They had to escalate the matter, dragging it into the light so that the masses and the higher authorities would be forced to pay attention. The greater the spectacle, the louder the public outcry, and the higher the chance of a resolution. Naturally, this came with immense risks.
"Who will we send?" an elder suddenly asked.
"It cannot be Ye Nan," another elder immediately replied. "He is to wed the Li Clan's daughter next month."
Ye Nan was Ye Lin's son and the current Crown Heir of the Ye Clan. He was the most monstrously talented genius the clan had seen in a century.
Ye Lin glanced at the elder who had spoken. "Then who should go?"
The elder hesitated for a moment before suggesting, "What about Tianming?"
Ye Tianming was an adopted son, plucked from the side of a road by the Ye Clan. Ten years ago, a passing fortune-teller had read his fate, proclaiming that the boy possessed the bearing of a Great Emperor. However, the moment the diviner finished his reading, he went completely blind on the spot. Because of this incident, Ye Tianming had been the laughingstock of Qingzhou City for a very long time.
"I will go."
A voice suddenly rang out from the entrance. The elders turned to see a young man striding into the hall. He appeared to be around seventeen years old, possessing a dignified appearance and an aura of absolute composure.
It was the Crown Heir, Ye Nan.
Ye Nan looked at Ye Lin and the others, offering a slight bow. "Father, Second Uncle, and esteemed Elders. I am not merely the Crown Heir of the Ye Clan; I am also the elder brother to Tianming, Ye Zong, and the rest. When the clan faces calamity, it is only natural that I, as the heir and the eldest brother, stand at the very front. Otherwise, what right do I have to bear these titles? The matter is settled. There is no need for further discussion. Tomorrow morning, I shall go to the Overseer's Court and file a formal grievance against the Immortal Treasure Pavilion and the Zhao Clan."
With those words, he turned and strode away.
A flash of admiration and fierce pride crossed Ye Lin's eyes. "Well said! The sons of our Ye Clan must possess such unwavering resolve and unity."
The surrounding elders also broke into relieved smiles. What was the greatest fear of any powerful lineage? Internal strife. A fractured clan, tearing itself apart from the inside day after day, could never hope to have a future.
Stepping out of the hall, Ye Nan looked toward a young boy practicing martial arts in the courtyard and smiled. "Ye Zong, go to the Great Dao Bookstore in the southern part of the city. Tell your Brother Tianming to come back. Tell him his eldest brother has something to discuss with him."
"Understood!" The young boy wiped the sweat from his brow, turned, and dashed out of the compound.
In the southern district of Qingzhou City stood the Great Dao Bookstore.
The shop was modest, containing only nine bookshelves, but each was packed tightly with ancient tomes. The store was divided into two sections: the left side held general literature, while the right side was a restricted section, strictly forbidden for anyone under eighteen.
In the restricted section, a young man leaned casually against a shelf. He wore a simple, unadorned robe, cinched at the waist by a dark sash. With sharp, sword-like eyebrows and eyes like bright stars, his features were remarkably elegant and striking. In his right hand, he held a yellowed, ancient text, utterly engrossed in its contents.
Hanging from the left and right sides of his waist were a small tower and a sheathed sword. The sword was named Xingdao.
The youth muttered to himself, completely absorbed in his reading. "Thirty-Six Techniques of Yin and Yang... Good, very good..."
He closely scrutinized the complex illustrations drawn on the parchment.
A long while later, as if suddenly remembering something, the young man turned to look out the window to his right. Seeing that dusk had already fallen, he snapped the book shut. He then glanced toward a desk nearby. Atop the desk lay five ancient manuals and a single brush. Behind it sprawled a man in Daoist robes, reeking so heavily of alcohol that the stench could be clearly smelled from across the room.
The young man carried the book over to the drunken man. He pulled out a flask of wine, placed it on the desk, and turned to leave.
The supposedly slumbering Daoist suddenly opened his eyes. As he watched the youth leave with the ancient text in hand, a bizarre, eerie smile crept onto his face.
Outside the bookstore.
The white-robed youth carefully tucked the book away. He then glanced down at the small tower hanging at his waist—an artifact that had been with him since childhood. He smiled. "Tower Ancestor, if I were to ask you about my true identity, you still wouldn't tell me, would you?"
Incredibly, the small tower spoke in a human voice. "I can only say: you are absolutely correct."
The white-robed youth was left speechless.
As if sensing the young man's thoughts, the little tower continued, "Do not bother making wild guesses about your origins, and especially do not try to guess mine. I am just an ordinary tower. I possess no peerless cultivation techniques, no world-shattering treasures, and no heaven-defying system. I have absolutely nothing. For everything in this world, you must rely solely on yourself."
The youth looked bewildered. "Then what use do I have for you?"
The little tower replied with profound seriousness, "I can be the mentor of your life. When you are lost, I will illuminate the path forward. I shall be the beacon on your journey."
A beacon!
The youth's face instantly darkened. "Tower Ancestor, are you being serious right now?"
"En," the tower hummed in affirmation.
The young man felt a sharp ache at the sheer absurdity of it. He pressed on. "Then let me ask a simple question. The Patriarch told me that the mysterious woman in the plain dress who brought me to the Ye Clan said my name was Ye Tianming. I want to know, why am I called Ye Tianming?"
The little tower sounded puzzled. "Is there a problem with that name?"
The young man named Ye Tianming countered, "Tower Ancestor, do you not think the karmic weight of the words 'Heavenly Mandate' is far too immense? Walking around with a name like that is just begging to be beaten to death."
The little tower fell silent for a moment before reciting, "When the Heavens are about to place a great responsibility upon a man, they must first temper his will, exhaust his muscles and bones, starve his flesh, and subject him to extreme destitution..."
"You are utterly toxic," Ye Tianming interrupted flatly.
The little tower: "..."
The young man ceased his banter with the tower and quickened his pace down the street. But after taking only a few steps, he suddenly halted. He looked up. Floating several meters above his head was a wisp of golden mist.
Grand Dao Providence!
The moment the wisp of Grand Dao Providence noticed Ye Tianming, it reacted as though it had stumbled upon a peerless treasure. It descended toward him excitedly. Yet, when it was merely an arm's reach away, it was repelled—as if blocked by an invisible barrier. No matter how it struggled, it could not draw any closer to him.
Ye Tianming recognized the Grand Dao Providence. After a brief moment of shock, a wave of elation washed over him.
Grand Dao Providence!
Just one day ago, the Young Master of the Guanxuan Universe, Yang Jia, was welcomed back to his domain. Taking pity on the struggles of all living beings, he scattered tens of thousands of streams of Grand Dao Providence across the Myriad Provinces. Anyone under the age of twenty with the right destiny could claim one.
A single strand of Grand Dao Providence guaranteed that even an ordinary mortal could reach the Saint Realm. More importantly, it granted a coveted entry quota to the Main Campus of the Guanxuan Academy.
Ye Tianming never imagined he would actually encounter one. Without hesitation, he reached out to grasp it. But his fingers closed around empty air. The strand of Grand Dao Providence desperately tried to merge with him, yet an insurmountable gap remained. Neither could touch the other.
After several failed attempts, Ye Tianming finally gave up. He cast a deep, lingering look at the wisp of Providence. Dammit. Is someone trying to sabotage me?
Shaking off the thought, he turned and resumed his brisk walk. To gain it is my fortune; to lose it is my fate. I won't force what isn't meant to be.
Back inside the bookstore, the alcohol-soaked Daoist had witnessed the entire scene. He took a heavy swig from his jug and murmured softly, "Worthy of being the second Innate Mortal Body in the history of the entire universe. This paltry Grand Dao Providence isn't even qualified to approach him!"
Further down the street, as the white-robed youth rounded a corner, a crisp, clear voice suddenly called out to him. "Brother Tianming."
He stopped and turned. Not far away stood a young woman of sixteen or seventeen. She was graceful and slender, with picturesque features that radiated an extraordinary beauty. She was smiling at him, blooming like a pristine flower.
Seeing her, Ye Tianming felt a mix of surprise and joy. "An Qi?"
The two were childhood sweethearts, sharing a mutual, unspoken affection that neither had ever formally addressed.
An Qi walked up to him. Catching the questioning look in his eyes, she smiled gently. "I was just passing by." She then glanced at the faint outline of the ancient text hidden in his robes. "Borrowing books again?"
Ye Tianming hurriedly concealed the book entirely. He was about to speak when an urgent shout echoed from down the street. "Brother Tianming! Brother Tianming!"
Ye Tianming turned to see Ye Zong sprinting toward him. The young boy practically crashed into him, grabbing his arm with an expression of pure, frantic rage. "Brother Tianming, the Immortal Treasure Pavilion is threatening to violently demolish our ancestral hall! Quick, come back! Eldest Brother is calling for you..."
Ye Zong hauled Ye Tianming away. Ye Tianming only had time to turn back and wave hastily at An Qi before the two brothers vanished around the corner.
An Qi watched them disappear. Recalling how Ye Tianming had repeatedly failed to grasp the Grand Dao Providence just moments before, a complex emotion flickered in her eyes. She let out a low sigh. "A weak vessel cannot hold the mandate of the heavens. A man without luck... ultimately, we belong to different worlds."
As she spoke, the conflict in her gaze hardened into cold, unwavering resolve. She turned and swiftly departed in the opposite direction.
When a tie must be severed, sever it cleanly!
On their way back to the Ye Clan, as they passed by the commercial branch of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion, Ye Tianming suddenly stopped. He looked at the younger boy. "Ye Zong, go buy something for me."
He leaned in and whispered a few instructions into Ye Zong's ear.
Though visibly confused, Ye Zong asked no questions. He darted into the Immortal Treasure Pavilion and dashed back out less than half an incense stick's time later, handing Ye Tianming a small sack.
Ye Tianming stowed the sack away. "Let's go."
Outside the Ye Clan's ancestral hall stood a host of experts from the Immortal Treasure Pavilion. They had delivered their final ultimatum: if the Ye Clan did not sign the contract and vacate the premises within three days, the pavilion would forcefully demolish the grounds.
The man leading the enforcers was Zhao Xiu, the Immortal Treasure Pavilion's steward in charge of this district. He stared at the Ye Manor with a chilling, serpentine gaze.
Due to territorial disputes in the past, the Zhao Clan and the Ye Clan were locked in a generational blood feud.
Beside Zhao Xiu, a young man spoke in a low, grim voice. "Second Uncle, Brother Zhao Yu sent word. He says an instructor from the Academy's Inner Court has taken a liking to the Ye Clan's Crown Heir, Ye Nan, and intends to take him as a direct disciple. As for Ye Zong, our spies inside the Ye Manor report that he recently broke through three cultivation realms in a single night—something highly unnatural. And that Ye Tianming... rumor has it he acquired a quota for internal recruitment..."
Zhao Yu was the most monstrous genius the Zhao Clan currently possessed. At just seventeen, he had already reached the Ten Thousand Dharmas Realm, cementing his status as their clan's greatest prodigy in a century. Not only had he been admitted into the Inner Court of the Qingzhou Guanxuan Academy, but he had also been taken as the closed-door disciple of a highly influential Inner Court instructor.
Zhao Xiu remained utterly expressionless. "What are Little Yu's thoughts on the matter?"
The young man beside him narrowed his eyes, murderous intent flashing in his gaze. "If we strike, we must eradicate the Ye Clan completely. Leave no survivors. Do not let even a single ant escape."
Zhao Xiu gave a slow nod. "Understood."
As he spoke, he looked back at the Ye Manor. Alongside the killing intent in his eyes lay a faint trace of apprehension. It was not the Ye Clan he feared, but rather the exceptionally close relationship between Ye Tianming and An Qi, the Eldest Miss of the An Clan. The An Clan was a massive fourth-tier aristocratic family.
However, there were whispers that the An Clan intended to arrange a marriage alliance with the Nanli Clan...
To ensure total victory without any miscalculations, he would have to bide his time just a little longer.
Ye Tianming and Ye Zong returned to the Ye Clan and immediately sought out the Crown Heir, Ye Nan.
"Eldest Brother," Ye Tianming began, "about the ancestral hall..."
Ye Nan smiled warmly. "It's nothing to worry about. I will handle it."
Ye Tianming looked at him steadily but said nothing more.
Ye Nan turned his attention to Ye Zong, whose face was still flushed with residual anger, and chuckled. "Ye Zong, didn't you say earlier that you were going out to test your luck? To see if you could stumble upon a strand of Grand Dao Providence? Well? Did you find any?"
Hearing this only stoked Ye Zong's fury. "Eldest Brother, I didn't see a single damned shadow of it! I suspect the Grand Dao Providence was embezzled by those in power! But so what if I don't have the Grand Dao Providence? I, Ye Zong, will still become a Great Emperor and reign unrivaled in this era!"
Hearing the boy's bold declaration, Ye Nan and Ye Tianming exchanged an amused smile.
Right at that moment, an elderly man approached with hurried steps. Stopping before the three brothers, he withdrew a formal invitation and offered it to Ye Tianming.
"Young Master Tianming, our Patriarch invites you to visit our estate."
An Xiao!
The Patriarch of the An Clan.