Upon learning the grim news, Yun Zhiqiu did not dare delay and hurried to a quiet chamber deep within the ancestral residence.
Inside the chamber, smoke curled through the air. A candle lamp burned slowly, seeming at first glance to cast radiant light in every direction, yet the oil within was already nearly exhausted.
The next instant, a light cough came from the mist.
"Zhiqiu, come forward."
As the words fell, the smoke dispersed, revealing an elderly man in magnificent robes. Though his face was aged, his back remained straight as a ramrod as he sat upright in his chair.
Yun Zhiqiu immediately knelt. "Greetings, Ancestor."
"Rise." The Ancestor of the Yun Family smiled faintly. "There is no need to worry. This is my second reincarnation. I have experience, so presumably nothing will go wrong."
"It is only a pity that after my reincarnation, it will take at least twenty years before I have any hope of returning. During that time, the Lineage will have no one to hold the fort."
"...Zhiqiu deserves ten thousand deaths!"
Yun Zhiqiu became even more despondent. He understood the implication behind the Ancestor's words. Yun Miaozhen had been the most outstanding member of the Lineage in nearly a century, a true Foundation Establishment Seed!
Such a daughter favored by Heaven had died at the hands of a demon because of his momentary negligence.
Because of this incident, his prestige within the clan had plummeted, and without a Foundation Establishment Seed, the Cloud Clan had also invisibly lost much of its standing.
Over the years, Yun Zhiqiu had traveled back and forth across the Righteous-Demonic Battlefield countless times, seeking revenge on Lu Yang, who had killed Yun Miaozhen. Yet he had found nothing. Only after making careful inquiries did he learn that the old turtle