Secret Realm, Ping'an City!
High above the heavens...
Winds and clouds shifted through the lofty skies, the sea of clouds churned, and space trembled soundlessly.
Cheng Buzheng's figure appeared out of thin air beneath the boundless blue sky. Standing upon drifting clouds, he looked down over the land below.
Below, Ping'an City bustled with voices and activity. Cultivators streamed endlessly through its streets and alleys.
The cries of shopkeepers, the sounds of Magic Treasure transactions, and cultivators discussing the Dao intertwined.
The warmth of mortal life blended with the Spirit Energy of cultivation.
At this moment!
A rare trace of gentle, lingering tenderness surfaced in Cheng Buzheng's eyes.
He murmured softly, his voice carrying a hint of emotion:
"This is the bloodline root I left behind in this lower realm, the place where the Cheng Clan has dwelled for generation after generation."
"As the years turn, ten thousand years from now, the descendants of my bloodline left within the Secret Realm will finally break through the Secret Realm's barrier and take root in this world."
As his words fell, the tenderness in his eyes faded, replaced by faint helplessness and wistfulness:
"Unfortunately, my cultivation has already reached the pinnacle of this world. In only a few years, I will ascend to the higher realm.
I cannot protect you for much longer."
He had long considered every aspect of this. From beginning to end, he had never intended to reveal his bloodline connection to the Cheng Immortal Clan within the Secret Realm.
Nor would he use the authority of the Cultivator Association's president to openly support his clansmen.
If he revealed his identity and diverted the Cultivator Association's vast resources toward the Cheng Clan, the younger generation of the clan would find their paths of cultivation smooth and unobstructed.
Their cultivation