At the center of Anchan City.
There stood an enormous estate, eight hundred li in both length and width, covering an area comparable to an entire country on Blue Star.
It was the Anchan Marquis Mansion, which controlled the entirety of Anchan Commandery.
It was also the absolute forbidden ground of Anchan City.
Even the most powerful Immortals would not dare trespass within, nor fly over the Anchan Marquis Mansion.
Because that would be tantamount to provoking the entire Beishan Clan. It was seeking death!
Yet tonight—
A hunchbacked old man appeared out of thin air above the Anchan Marquis Mansion.
The hunchbacked old man had a head of white hair, with long eyebrows hanging naturally downward.
Leaning on a wooden cane, he stood in the void and gazed toward the Black-White Academy in West City.
"That aura?" The hunchbacked old man silently sensed it.
"Mm, there's no mistake. Though the Black-White Academy's restrictions conceal it, that aura unique to a Heavenly Immortal cannot be mistaken. Which Heavenly Immortal of Great Xia has descended? Or could it be..."
Just then.
"Tuoshan."
An ethereal voice suddenly rang beside the hunchbacked old man's ear.
"Elder Brother?" The hunchbacked old man was abruptly startled.
Then, with a single step, he crossed from above the marquis mansion into the grand hall where the Andan Beishan Clan usually held its deliberations.
At the highest point of the hall, the eyes of a carved exotic beast upon the throne had lit up. It spoke, "Tuoshan, Hunyuan's cross-generational inheritance has appeared. Go to the Black-White Academy in my stead."
"Hunyuan Heavenly Immortal?" the hunchbacked old man cried out. "That senior actually left behind a cross-generational inheritance at the Black-White Academy?"
The hunchbacked old man was also a Heavenly Immortal, known by the Daoist title 'Tuoshan.'
He was one of the most renowned Heavenly Immortal patriarchs in the history of the Andan Beishan Clan.
But he had lived for so long that many sects believed he had already died.
Even the successive Marquises of Anchan only knew that the clan had a Heavenly Immortal patriarch, but not which one it was.
Yet even Celestial Immortal Tuoshan, who had existed for such an ancient length of time, had only heard the name of that sole Heavenly Immortal in the Black-White Academy's history.
This showed just how far removed Hunyuan Heavenly Immortal's era was from the present day.
"I still remember it. The Gods and Demons Era had only recently ended then. The Black-White Academy was not yet called the Black-White Academy. Hunyuan was merely a Void Return Earth Immortal, and his Daoist title was not yet Hunyuan. I had not gone into seclusion at the time. I even guided him and nearly accepted him as my disciple..."
The exotic beast carving opened and closed its mouth as it spoke, while Celestial Immortal Tuoshan stood below and listened quietly.
His elder brother had lived far longer than he had.
In terms of seniority, he did not know how many generations above him his brother was.
But because they were both Heavenly Immortals and members of the same clan, they addressed each other as peers.
Even so, Celestial Immortal Tuoshan held this elder brother in incomparable respect.
Because his elder brother, who had remained hidden for countless years, was the greatest pillar supporting the Andan Beishan Clan's prosperity to this day.
"Hunyuan was extraordinarily gifted then. He helped our Beishan Clan win many wars and seize numerous small worlds."
The exotic beast carving continued, "If he had not later obtained the Black-White Diagram in that small world and embarked upon that path... given his talent, he might have lived until now. His strength might even have surpassed mine, and he might have had the hope of advancing beyond the Heavenly Immortal realm."
"That senior possessed such talent, and the Black-White Diagram is a rare treasure that aids in comprehending the Dao. How could obtaining such a treasure instead hinder his progress?" Celestial Immortal Tuoshan asked, holding his breath.
Due to their close relationship with the Black-White Academy, elite disciples of the Beishan Clan had also been given opportunities to study the Black-White Diagram over the countless years.
Celestial Immortal Tuoshan himself had studied it several times.
He knew how greatly the Black-White Diagram aided Dao comprehension, especially in creating one's own supreme techniques and immortal arts.
That was precisely why he found his elder brother's words even more puzzling.
"Rare treasures are good, but they cannot overcome the human heart. And if one's ambitions are higher than the heavens, yet one takes the wrong path, then the greater one's talent, the farther astray one will go... By the time one wishes to turn back, it is already too late."
After sighing, the exotic beast carving spat out an Ancient Stone Ring from its mouth.
The Ancient Stone Ring was made of some unknown material. It emitted a black, glossy gleam as it slowly flew toward Celestial Immortal Tuoshan.
"Hunyuan made an agreement with me back then. If his cross-generational inheritance had yet to appear before my death, this item would belong to our Beishan Clan as thanks for watching over the Black-White Academy. If the inheritance appeared, then this item would be returned to his cross-generational inheritor..."
The exotic beast carving sighed. "I never expected that someone could truly meet such harsh conditions... Forget it, forget it. Take this item to the Black-White Academy and give it to that little fellow."
"Yes." Celestial Immortal Tuoshan reached out and accepted it.
But when he sensed the unique nature of the Ancient Stone Ring, he could not help but say in shock, "Elder Brother, are you truly returning such a treasure? This is—"
"No matter how good a treasure is, it has no destined connection with our Beishan Clan."
The exotic beast carving's voice suddenly turned stern.
"Remember this: our Beishan Clan has come this far and remained standing despite countless storms not merely because of me, nor merely because the clan has one or two Heavenly Immortals, but because we know reverence and understand when to advance and when to retreat!"
"To keep another's Inheritance Treasure may seem like gaining an advantage, but it also creates tremendous karmic ties. Perhaps it would plant the seeds of a great calamity for our Beishan Clan."
"..." Celestial Immortal Tuoshan fell into thought.
"Those who accomplish great things must know how to let go." The exotic beast carving continued. "Without giving, how can there be gain? It may seem that we are giving up a treasure now, but how do you know that what we gain in the future will not be two treasures, or even more?"
"Yes." Celestial Immortal Tuoshan said respectfully, "Elder Brother has considered everything thoroughly. Tuoshan has learned much."
"Go quickly. When you meet that little fellow, there is no need to mention me."
As the words faded, the light in the exotic beast carving's eyes dimmed as well.
Celestial Immortal Tuoshan looked at the Ancient Stone Ring in his hand. After a moment of silence, he ultimately did not dare defy his elder brother's wishes. He stepped away from the Anchan Marquis Mansion and headed toward the Black-White Academy.
Within the Black-White Academy.
Five Immortals stood above Forbidden Grounds Square, discussing the sole Heavenly Immortal in the Black-White Academy's history as well.
But as they discussed it, the five Immortals discovered that
they knew far, far too little about Hunyuan Heavenly Immortal.
Other than knowing that the Black-White Academy's treasured Black-White Diagram had been obtained by Hunyuan Heavenly Immortal from a small world and brought back to the Xia Clan Great World,
they knew nothing at all about his other deeds.
There were no records of them within the Academy either.
This was why the generations of Black-White Academy Immortals had previously held Immortal Beixing in even greater admiration than Hunyuan Heavenly Immortal.
After all, they did not even know the basic details, much less any outstanding achievements...
Even fine wine feared a deep alley!
"No wonder there are two stone walls beside the Black-White Diagram. We all thought they had been deliberately placed there by senior Immortals, so that we could leave behind our respective beliefs in cultivating immortality and temper the Dao Hearts of later disciples."
Black Crown Immortal sighed. "So it was not that Hunyuan Heavenly Immortal failed to leave blessings behind for later disciples. It was that we never met the requirements and thus never triggered its emergence."
"Indeed." Immortal Leichuan agreed. "I wonder just how astonishing the inheritance Hunyuan Heavenly Immortal left behind is. It actually requires one to be at the Purple Mansion realm and have three Great Daos at the entry level before it can be triggered."
"No matter what, an inheritance left behind by a Heavenly Immortal patriarch cannot be ordinary. It is likely no less than Senior Beixing's complete set of Three-Foot Sword."
Immortal Wufeng said unusually seriously, "None of us should spread this news, lest we bring disaster upon that little fellow."
"That is only proper."
The Immortals all nodded.
At that moment.
Ji Ning's eyelids twitched slightly, as though he were about to open his eyes.
Black Crown Immortal immediately said, "Junior Brother Diancai, take Ji Ning away first, so he does not affect Xia Manggan's acceptance of the inheritance."
"Alright." Immortal Diancai nodded.
He was just about to fly down and take Ji Ning away.
When a voice suddenly drifted over from afar.
"Everyone, which little fellow triggered Hunyuan Heavenly Immortal's cross-generational inheritance?"
The five Immortals looked toward the voice and saw a hunchbacked old man approaching with a cane.
"Senior Tuoshan."
"Senior Tuoshan."
The five Immortals all bowed respectfully.
Immortal Diancai was secretly shocked.
How had even the Beishan Clan's sole Heavenly Immortal patriarch been alerted?
Moreover, Celestial Immortal Tuoshan had known before even arriving that someone had triggered Hunyuan Heavenly Immortal's cross-generational inheritance...
Could it be that the Beishan Clan had always known about this inheritance?
On one hand, Immortal Diancai was puzzled. On the other, with a Heavenly Immortal before him, as one of the Black-White Academy's senior Immortals, he could not rudely leave.
Thus, he sent a mental message to the headmaster, Jade Sea Daoist, asking him to come quickly and take Ji Ning away.
As for Mu Zishuo, he was still immersed in comprehending the Dao from the Black-White Diagram and had no awareness of the outside world, so there was no need to concern themselves with him.
"Is that the little fellow?"
After nodding to the five Black-White Academy Immortals, Celestial Immortal Tuoshan looked down at Forbidden Grounds Square.
At this moment, Xia Manggan's entire body was shrouded in the black-and-white light emitted by the two stone walls, and an aura unique to Heavenly Immortals permeated the air. He was easy to identify.
"Yes." Immortal Hanshan, the most senior among them, immediately replied, "He is this junior's newly accepted disciple."
"So he is Hanshan's disciple." Celestial Immortal Tuoshan smiled and asked, "What is his name?"
"Xia Manggan," Immortal Hanshan said.
"Xia Mang... He is of the imperial clan?"
Celestial Immortal Tuoshan's eyes lit up. "I will meet him alone later."
The book has been open for six days, and I have updated seventy thousand words, which is equivalent to most new books' output over half a month. Suifeng has no choice but to slow down and change to two updates per day.
Otherwise, other books can remain on the new book rankings for over thirty days, while ours can only stay for seventeen or eighteen days. The impact on the book's results is too great. I hope you gentlemen will not blame me.
There will be an extra update every Sunday night at 11:59 PM. Ah, that means tonight, so there will be another update later tonight. Gentlemen who feel it is too late can read it tomorrow instead. Please remember to rest.
During the new book period, everything is for the sake of getting good results for the new book. I hope you gentlemen can understand. Suifeng offers his thanks here.
Lastly, please vote again.
Before you continue