Miscellaneous School of the City.
When Chu Changyue landed in the clan square, it was already close to dusk.
The setting sun, like blood, cast a long, aged shadow on him.
"The patriarch has returned!"
Someone shouted.
The square immediately became lively.
The clansmen all stopped what they were doing and bowed in respect.
A young child peeked out from behind a pillar, peering curiously, only to have his head gently pressed back down by his mother.
"Greetings, Master."
"I hope you are well, Master."
Each greeting was respectful and simple.
Chu Changyue nodded slightly.
His gaze swept over these familiar faces with a complex mix of emotions.
These young faces bore a mixture of awe and reliance on him.
The children, only four or five years old, were laughing and playing, a time when they were most innocent and carefree.
Little did they know the consequences of their own decision today.
It has already affected the lives of future generations.
He paused slightly, as if trying to etch the faces of his people into his mind.
And finally, he lost all his strength.
He waved his hand weakly, withdrew his gaze, and continued walking towards the inner courtyard.
The study door closed, shutting out the noise from the outside world.
Chu Changyue sat alone behind his desk, remaining motionless for a long time.
The candles on the table were not lit, and dusk was deepening outside the window.
His face was swallowed up in shadow.
After a long while, he finally let out a soft murmur.
" This Miscellaneous School... needs that Immortal Weapon Pill."
"No one understands the situation of this Miscellaneous School better than me."
Chu Changyue seemed to be talking to himself.
It also seemed as if he was speaking to the portraits of the figures on the study walls.
The tone was extremely complex.
"Among the ten great masters, I, Miscellaneous School, sit at the very end, an honor that will remain unchanged for ten thousand years."
Others call us "miscellaneous," mocking our haphazard and unsystematic lineage.
"But who would have known that my Miscellaneous School once had its glory days?"
"A thousand years, five thousand years, ten thousand years."
"As time goes by, the former glory has long since turned to dust."
"Although my Miscellaneous School now occupies the land of five prefectures, only my brother and I are among the two Mahayana in our clan."
"Their cultivation levels are all only at the initial stage, placing them at the bottom among the ten masters' families."
"Not to mention, I don't have much time left..."
Chu Changyue knew that his time was almost up.
Even though Mahayana practitioners often have lifespans of tens of thousands of years.
But in the end, they were all mortals, and they would all fall one day.
He didn't know how many days he had left.
Three hundred years? Five hundred years?
He wasn't sure.
But the feeling that my time is almost up has become clearer and clearer over the years.
Once he's gone... can my second brother manage on his own?
The vassal states are eyeing it covetously, Hundred Schools are eager to possess it.
All the families appear amicable on the surface, but secretly, who among them doesn't want to seize more territory?
Once the power of the Miscellaneous School weakens, their demise is inevitable.
Such a thing is not without precedent throughout history.
The ten major families ten thousand years ago were not the same as the ten families we know today.
Chu Changyue slowly closed his eyes.
He couldn't just stand by and watch the Miscellaneous School perish.
The Immortal Weapon Pill is the only chance.
"With my second brother obtaining this Immortal Weapon Pill, given his talent, he might very well have a chance to ascend to immortality!"
"As long as my second brother can successfully ascend to immortality, my Miscellaneous School will have the protection of an immortal's bloodline."
"Now that the Heavenly Dao is weakening, even if the Heavenly Dao Punishment is far-reaching, it may still be able to offset some of it."
"Furthermore, future generations of the human race will also experience a significant increase in their aptitude due to the bloodline of the immortals!"
Thinking of this, Chu Changyue opened his eyes and looked out at the twilight.
For them, this was undoubtedly a huge gamble.
Leaving one's ancestral home signifies that one's descendants will be disliked by the Heavenly Dao, their Spirit Root will diminish, and their cultivation will become difficult.
That's a fact, and he can't change it.
But if my second brother can ascend to immortality, Miscellaneous School will have hope.
Even if he can't ascend to immortality, with the help of the Immortal Weapon Pill, my second brother's cultivation will definitely increase significantly.
If one can break through to the Late Mahayana, one's lifespan will be even longer.
With this time, the clan has taken in many women from collateral branches over the years, diluting the Spirit Root.
While it may not be able to recapture its former glory, preserving its foundation should be enough.
Regardless of the possibility, we still have a chance.
But... he no longer had the chance.
With this departure, he would never have another chance to ascend to immortality.
Not only has the repair stalled here, but further progress has become extremely difficult.
Once Heavenly Dao notices this, they will be subject to restrictions in every aspect of their lives as they roam the world.
Even returning to the Central Continent was extremely difficult.
Perhaps in this lifetime, we will never be able to go back...
As I was lost in thought, a figure appeared outside the door.
"Big brother."
A sound rang out.
The study door was pushed open.
A figure stepped inside.
It was his younger brother, Chu Changbo.
Chu Changyue didn't look up, but simply pointed to the prayer mat opposite him. "Sit."
Chu Changbo sat down as instructed, and looking at his elder brother's solemn expression, he already had a guess in his mind.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Chu Changyue stopped him by raising his hand.
"Listen to me."
Chu Changyue's voice was calm.
He began recounting every detail of the clan's treasury.
Every important fortuitous opportunity in the Five Prefectures.
This includes the entanglements of various factions, and the grudges and favors accumulated over generations.
And the secrets and intricacies of checks and balances, etc.
Meticulous and detailed, as if recounting a treasured story.
The more Chu Changbo listened, the paler his face became.
He understood the meaning behind those words almost instantly.
"Big brother,"
He interrupted, his voice trembling, "Is there really no other way?"
Chu Changyue did not answer, but continued to finish his last sentence.
Finally, he slowly got up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Chu Changbo.
"I'm leaving this Miscellaneous School ' to you."
Five days later.
A streak of light pierced the sky from the direction of the Military School and fell into the territory of the miscellaneous Lineage.
The Immortal Weapon Pill arrives.
At the same time, Bing Wuji's cold voice rang in Chu Changyue's ears.
"The treasure has arrived; please proceed, Brother Chu."
Chu Changyue gripped the jade box tightly in his hand and remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he threw the jade box deep into the Lineage compound.
He took one last look at the land he had protected his entire life.
Then, he leaped into the air and headed straight for the Mystic Firmament Heavenly Wall.
The towering Tianbi Mountain stretches across the border of the Central Continent, connecting the sky and the earth.
As the light flowed, the talismanic symbols vanished as easily as breathing.
It was an unparalleled barrier created by the combined efforts of the Hundred Schools of Thought, which isolated the Central Continent from the outside world for ten thousand years.
Looking at this magnificent sky wall, Chu Changyue took a deep breath.
He raised his hand, his fingertips touching his forehead, activating the Secret Method.
Blood boiled, and spiritual light surged from his entire body.
Amidst the flash of light, his face showed a slight pain.
It is no easy task for one's true form to step out of the celestial barrier.
Despite his extreme discomfort, Chu Changyue whispered a sharp rebuke.
"Open!"
A low shout.
A thin crack appeared in the sky.
Chu Changyue stepped forward.
The moment they stepped out of the celestial wall, the world changed drastically.
A magnificent aura descended from the sky, like the blazing sun upon one, like the gaze of an abyss.
The breath swept over every inch of his skin and every acupoint.
In an instant, he was completely exposed.
There is nowhere to hide.
He let out a muffled groan, his body trembling slightly.
He knew that his aura had been tainted by the essence of the Middle Thousand.
Not only did the wrinkles on her face seem to have deepened, but they also appeared to have become more pronounced.
Even his temples were more frosted with white, and his back was slightly hunched.
There was also an inexplicable cause and effect at the Unseen, drifting upwards along the blood vessels in his body.
Heading towards the Central Continent, towards the land of the Miscellaneous Lineage.
He knew this was Heavenly Dao retribution.
"Fine, since we've made up our minds, let's not overthink it."
"Having cultivated for so long, I rarely venture beyond the Central Continent. Even outside of the Central Continent, I can be considered a formidable figure!"
Chu Changyue seemed to have figured something out.
There was no longer a trace of lingering affection.
He deliberately straightened his back slightly, looked around at the sea, and confirmed the direction of the launch.
The next second.
His figure vanished in an instant towards the Western Continent...