He Jiu sighed. "Over the generations, quite a few formidable experts of our East Sea Sword Manor died because of this. Only gradually did we work out ways to guard against it."
"Amitabha Buddha. This old monk has traveled the Eastern Sea for many years, yet never heard of the Blue-Bloods. The people of Qianli Island are the same. Why does only the East Sea Sword Manor know of them?" Meng Qi seized the opportunity to voice his doubts.
The atmosphere in the room abruptly froze. He Jiu said nothing, Huang Taichong narrowed his eyes slightly, and He Xiu's expression grew colder.
After a while, He Jiu finally gave a self-mocking laugh. "It is something shameful in the Sword Manor's history."
He considered it a little longer, then said, "True Blue-Bloods dwell in hidden places deep beneath the sea. They call themselves gods descended from heaven, the favored children of the ocean. They adore water and believe the vast oceans are the heart of Heaven and Earth. They have no interest in affairs on land and never rise above the sea's surface. So even someone who has lived by the Eastern Sea for years is unlikely to have heard of them."
At this point, he glanced at Huang Taichong. "When our East Sea Sword Manor was founded, it actually had seven main branches. Some passed down their teachings through families, others through sects. One of the family branches struggled to produce heirs and suffered a calamity. Its bloodline died out a few generations ago, and its legacy was absorbed into the Sword Manor itself."
Listening nearby, Ji Hao shrugged. Difficulty producing heirs, a calamity, a bloodline extinguished a few generations ago-if there were a survivor, wouldn't that be the perfect protagonist template?
He Jiu explained the connection between the