Central Heaven Domain, Langya

"I thought you'd stay at the Chen Family, waiting for it to grow stronger and for Chen Yunxuan to come of age."

"You're leaving now. Aren't you worried about that kid, Chen Yunxuan?"

"He's an absolute prodigy among the younger generation of your Chen Family."

Hearing Da Huang's words, Chen Changan replied calmly, "Chen Yunxuan has his own path to walk."

"He needs to face things on his own and grow."

"Even if he really does die young, that's his fate."

"Besides... staying at the Chen Family forever would be too dull."

"The colorful world outside is much better."

Da Huang shook his head helplessly. He'd thought that after returning to the Chen Family this time, Chen Changan's personality might have changed a little.

Who would've guessed that he'd barely left the Chen Family before reverting to his old self?

"Where are we going, then?" Da Huang asked curiously.

"Langya, in the Central Heaven Domain!"

Langya?

The name sounded familiar to Da Huang, as though he'd heard it somewhere before.

But he was certain that he and Chen Changan had never visited the place during their past escapades.

"Wait!"

"If I remember right, that kid Lin Xiangliu was from Langya, wasn't he?" Da Huang suddenly asked.

"Mm. The Langya Lin Family is Lin Xiangliu's family."

"So many years have passed. I wonder if he's still with the Lin Family or if he's gone somewhere else."

"But by now, he's probably risen to the level of an old ancestor."

After all, a thousand years had passed. Lin Xiangliu was no longer the young man Chen Changan had met back then.

"Are you going to visit Lin Xiangliu and reminisce?" Da Huang asked curiously.

"Yes and no."

"Langya is much bigger than the Northern Domain. My main goal is still the Fetal Pearl."

Chen Changan had chosen Langya partly because he'd never been there and wanted to look around, but also, of course, because of the Fetal Pearl.

"You have a lead on the Fetal Pearl?" Da Huang asked, looking at Chen Changan in surprise.

Other than the one in the hands of the Great Zhou Royal Family, where had Chen Changan gotten word of another Fetal Pearl?

Could it be that he was now able to sense their approximate locations?

Hearing Da Huang's question, Chen Changan shook his head. "I don't have a lead, but I've read through the Chen Family's clan records."

A family like the Chen Family, which had existed for ten thousand years, naturally had records of its history.

Every clan head had to record his life story, along with the important events that occurred during his tenure.

The purpose was to leave their descendants some experience, so they wouldn't repeat past mistakes.

They could also learn how their ancestors had dealt with difficulties and know how to respond if they ever faced the same problems.

"Do the Chen Family's records describe exactly how the Fetal Pearl was lost?"

"No."

"No? Then how do you know it's in Langya?"

"Deduction."

From the clan records, Chen Changan had discovered that before the Chen Family came to the Northern Domain, they had lived in Langya.

Although there was no explicit mention of the Fetal Pearl, he'd still found a few clues.

During that period, others had coveted the Chen Family's treasure, and a conflict had broken out. The Chen Family suffered heavy losses and was driven out of Langya.

The records didn't clearly state what had happened. In fact, that was rather strange.

According to the way the clan records were written, such an important event should have been recorded.

The Chen Family's descendants should have been told who their enemies in Langya had been.

"So what? Your Chen Family might have had enemies in Langya, but you still have no lead on the Fetal Pearl," Da Huang asked, puzzled.

"Big brother, could you use your head for once?"

"I wasn't born with a Fetal Pearl, so why should I have to use my head? That's your problem," Da Huang said disdainfully.

"The clan records say a conflict broke out because someone coveted the Chen Family's treasure."

"What treasure could the Chen Family have had after falling into decline in a place like Langya?"

"The only treasure passed down through the generations was the Fetal Pearl," Chen Changan replied irritably.

"No, what's wrong with those people?"

"What's the Fetal Pearl even good for? They fought over that?"

"Are they crazy?"

Da Huang couldn't understand their behavior at all. The Fetal Pearl had no energy fluctuations and gave off no aura.

At least for now, Da Huang had no idea what anyone else could do with it.

They'd actually fought the Chen Family over this thing?

They had to be out of their minds!

"That's human nature!"

"It was the Chen Family's ancestral treasure, passed down for thousands of years."

"If you didn't know it was a Fetal Pearl, what would you think?"

"Anyone would assume it was an extraordinary treasure. Otherwise, why would the Chen Family have passed it down for so long?"

"The Chen Family could deny it, but that didn't mean anyone would believe them."

"So in the end, they'd make their move and snatch it first."

"Even if they later discovered it was useless, the damage to the Chen Family would already have been done."

As he spoke, Chen Changan suddenly furrowed his brow.

The Chen Family had been going downhill all these years. Could the Fetal Pearl really have been the cause of all of it?

Had the family been constantly targeted because people coveted it? Had one clan member after another died, until they'd ended up in some backwater like the Great Zhou Kingdom in the Northern Domain?

If that was true, would he become the Chen Family's greatest sinner of all time?

"Why'd you stop talking? Your reasoning sounded pretty convincing."

Seeing Chen Changan frown, Da Huang furrowed his brow in confusion too.

"It's nothing."

"So we have to go to Langya."

"And I suspect more than one family or faction attacked the Chen Family back then."

"That must be why the clan head of that generation didn't record what happened in the clan records."

"He was afraid that one of his descendants might seek revenge and plunge the Chen Family into an even deeper abyss."

Da Huang thought Chen Changan's analysis made a lot of sense. But there was one thing he couldn't understand.

Why had they only ever lost one at a time?

If people were going to steal them, shouldn't they have taken them all?

Chen Changan had considered this too, but he had no definite answer.

Perhaps Chen Changan's father had planned ahead and stored the nine Fetal Pearls separately.

Alternatively, the people who coveted the Fetal Pearls might not have known there were as many as nine. After stealing one, they'd thought they'd gotten what they wanted and left.

Whatever the reason, it didn't matter anymore.

"Let's go. Langya isn't close."

"Da Huang, make yourself bigger. It's uncomfortable to ride you otherwise."

Huh?

Riding a dog again?

"You can cultivate now. Walk on your own."

"Too slow."

"Are you in a damn hurry to get reincarnated?"

"If I could, I wouldn't mind."

"Go to hell, you—"

Da Huang swore at him for a good while. Chen Changan merely watched him calmly, not the least bit angry.

"Finished cursing?"

"Feel better?"

"Tell me, how has my master treated me? If I—"

"Master, sit tight. We're off!"

The moment he heard Mu Yunyao mentioned, Da Huang changed his tune, putting on a fawning smile as if he hadn't been the one cursing just moments ago.

"Great, let's get going."

"Just you watch!"

Central Heaven Domain, Heavenly Secrets Pavilion

"Pavilion Master, we just received word that Chen Changan seems to have left the Northern Domain."

"Chen Yunxuan is now traveling the Northern Domain alone."

He'd left?

Wang Tianji hadn't expected Chen Changan to leave so soon. The Human Ranking had just appeared, so Chen Changan should have stayed in the Northern Domain to help Chen Yunxuan grow.

"Good. I know."

"Have our people keep following Chen Yunxuan."

"Remember, if Chen Yunxuan faces a life-or-death crisis, you must help him."

"Yes, Pavilion Master."

"What about Chen Changan?"

"Chen Changan... keep your distance from him. Da Huang at his side is no ordinary dog."

"Yes."