The Liu Family's Crisis

Fortunately, Gulanxiu reacted quickly and promptly said, "Elder Brother, you misunderstand! The reason I haven't broken through is that I don't want to yet. I once met a master during my cultivation, and that master told me that if I could fuse three Bloodfall Crystals at the Cloud Soaring Level, he would take me as his disciple. Over the years, I've traveled through various worlds, experiencing different customs and cultures, all in an effort to improve myself and fuse the Bloodfall Crystals!"

Hearing Gulanxiu's words, Liu Qingyuan's eyes flickered with understanding. He nodded and said to Gulanxiu, "Brother Jia! Then your luck is truly remarkable! A master who sets such high demands on his disciples must be an absolute peak powerhouse on the continent."

"Legend has it! If one can fuse three Bloodfall Crystals at the Cloud Soaring Level to become a Blood Warrior, then after breaking through to the World Level in the future, there is a slight chance of becoming a Black Warrior. Moreover, once you become a Blood Warrior, you'll have a considerable advantage in both combat power at the same level and cultivation speed!"

Gulanxiu nodded and said, "Elder Brother Liu is right! That master is indeed a peak powerhouse. He comes from there."

As he spoke, Gulanxiu pointed a finger at the sky.

"The Immortal Temple!" Liu Qingyuan exclaimed in surprise! Soon after, he sighed, "No wonder he has such requirements. It seems you really shouldn't break through, Brother Jia. You must seize this opportunity! By the way, Brother Jia, how far along are you with the fusion now?"

Hearing this, Gulanxiu put on a bitter smile and said, "Elder Brother Liu! Fusing Bloodfall Crystals at the Cloud Soaring Level is no easy feat. You know, even many at the Domain Level can't fuse them. Wanting to become a Blood Warrior at the Cloud Soaring Level is far too difficult. I've been cultivating for several hundred years and I'm still a bit short. If it really doesn't work, I might have to make a trip to the Ancient God Ruins!"

Liu Qingyuan sighed and said, "Brother Jia, the Ancient God Ruins are too dangerous. With your strength at the ninth level of Cloud Soaring, it's still too much of a stretch. Besides, you've only been cultivating for a few hundred years, and a Cloud Soaring cultivator has a lifespan of a hundred thousand years! There's no rush yet."

Gulanxiu nodded and said, "Let's see how it goes first!"

Liu Qingyuan suddenly changed the subject and asked, "Brother Jia! What do you think of Liu Li?"

Gulanxiu thought to himself, Here it comes. Over this period, Liu Li had been running over to his place for no reason. He had some inkling of what they were up to, but Gulanxiu was focused solely on cultivation, so he hadn't paid it much mind. Now that Liu Qingyuan had brought it up directly, he had to respond.

Gulanxiu nodded and said, "Miss Liu Li is beautiful and kind, truly excellent. But my life's pursuit is the pinnacle of martial arts. I haven't considered matters of romance for now."

Hearing Gulanxiu's words, Liu Qingyuan sighed inwardly. He knew this was a rejection, just one given with enough face to avoid being blunt.

But Gulanxiu's refusal disrupted his plans. After all, it wasn't easy to find a powerhouse like Gulanxiu—someone with little ambition who could break through at any moment. And now that he knew Gulanxiu might become a disciple of an Immortal God, it made him even rarer.

If he entrusted his legacy to the wrong person, the family he had built with his own hands would be devoured clean.

And now his physical condition was very poor. Once he fell, the Liu Family, lacking a Domain Level powerhouse to hold it together, would become a prime piece of fat. Every faction would want a bite. By then, with Liu Jiang and Liu Li's temperaments, they would be eaten down to the bone.

After all, Bloodfall Continent was a place where slaughter was the norm. Countless families had been wiped out after their strongest member fell. So at this moment, Liu Qingyuan found himself in a dilemma.

After a moment, Liu Qingyuan gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Jia! What do you think of my Liu Family?"

Gulanxiu was taken aback by this. He wasn't sure what Liu Qingyuan meant, but he still replied, "Very good! Under your leadership, Elder Brother Liu, the Liu Family has such a large estate in the center of Cloudsun City. It seems you've managed it well. Now, within Danyang City, it's a top-tier force second only to the City Lord's Mansion!"

Gulanxiu's words weren't flattery. In truth, within Danyang City, any force with a Domain Lord was considered a top-tier force.

But Liu Qingyuan shook his head and said, "Brother Jia! You're right! But you haven't seen the crisis my Liu Family faces!"

He paused and continued, "Everything my Liu Family has obtained is built on my strength. The day I fall, Jiang'er and Li'er won't be able to hold onto this estate!"

Gulanxiu asked in surprise, "Elder Brother Liu, is your health failing?"

Liu Qingyuan nodded and said, "Brother Jia, you're not an outsider, so I'll be honest with you! A thousand years ago, wild beasts from the Blood Spirit Grassland invaded. All four gates of Danyang City were breached, and the entire city fell into chaos."

"At the time, I fought fiercely, single-handedly killing three Domain Level wild beasts. But that drew the attention of a Wild Beast King, the Golden Armor Dragon. With a single strike, it gravely wounded me."

"Later, a Divine Envoy from the Immortal Temple arrived to mediate the battle, and I barely managed to keep my life. But after that battle, I discovered a crack on my Core Nucleus. Not only could my cultivation no longer grow, but my vital energy was also constantly leaking. Over these years, I've tried every method to repair the crack on my Core Nucleus, but nothing has worked. I fear my time is short!"

Gulanxiu listened quietly as Liu Qingyuan recounted the past. He didn't know what to say about Liu Qingyuan's luck!

If you said he was lucky, he was gravely wounded and near death. If you said he was unlucky, it was rare for someone to survive having their Core Nucleus shattered.

Liu Qingyuan continued, "Ever since I was severely injured, our Liu Family has pulled back our forces and kept a low profile. But even so, we've been targeted. News of my injury somehow leaked out, and from then on, the Liu Family has been constantly targeted. First, my eldest and second sons died tragically outside the city. Then, one by one, our retainers left. That's why our Liu Family is so desolate!"

Gulanxiu nodded inwardly. He had noticed it the first time he came to the Liu Family. Within the estate spanning tens of thousands of meters, only a few hundred people lived. Aside from family members, maids, and servants, there were fewer than a hundred Cosmic Level guards. For a Domain Lord family, that was far too shabby. But since they weren't familiar with each other at the time, Gulanxiu hadn't rashly asked. He never expected this to be the reason.

Liu Qingyuan continued, "I'm almost certain that once I die, those families coveting the Liu Family will swarm like sharks smelling blood and devour us clean. As long as I'm alive, they don't know my true condition, so they don't dare to cause trouble here!"

"Your talent is exceptional. You'll surely become a Domain Level expert in the future, and perhaps even go further than I did. And you have little ambition. That's why I thought of marrying Li'er to you, to preserve the Liu Family. But since you've just refused, Brother Jia, I have another compromise. What do you think?"