Night had fallen, East City · Returning Light Heavenly City was still shrouded in the eternal afterglow of the universe. The heart of the Hua Lineage, however, had long since sunk into a deathly silence. Among the layers of palaces, only the figures of patrolling disciples occasionally flew by. The palace where the Grand Elder Hua Yin resided was even more heavily sealed off, completely isolated from the outside world.
Inside the bedchamber, only an ancient lamp flickered dimly. Heavy curtains hung to the floor, blocking out all the dappled sunlight filtering in from the window. Hua Yin sat alone behind a long table, where a pot of tea still held its warmth. Since returning from the restaurant, he had not rested at all. The Annihilation God Clan and the mysterious ancient box in the Nine Nether Cold Pool, as mentioned by Chen Jinrong, remained lingering in his mind, difficult to let go of.
With his shrewd and calculating nature honed over half a lifetime, he would never let go of any unfamiliar piece that suddenly appears on the chessboard.
Moreover, this unheard-of the Annihilation God Clan actually managed to send six True Annihilation Realm cultivators deep into the Nine Nether Cold Pool to slay the Nine Nether Dark Ruins Demon Dragon and bring out a treasure from the depths of this perilous place that was worth the entire clan risking their lives to protect. Upon closer examination, the secrets hidden within this matter become increasingly unfathomable.
In a dimly lit corner of the hall, a dark figure knelt silently on the ground. The man in black knelt heavily on one knee, his back slightly tilted, his head bowed, respectfully obeying orders.
Hua Yin slowly rubbed the cool rim of the cup with two fingers, his eyes growing deeper and more profound. "Within seven days, I need to know three things: the final destination of that mysterious ancient box, the hidden ancestral land of the Annihilation God Clan, the size of the clan, the cultivation level of its top experts, and the various forces it usually interacts with."
Chen Jinrong once said that the ancient box was taken away by a female cultivator. You should trace its origins from the Ten Thousand Swords Golden Ruins. Remember, you must not alert anyone, and you must not have any contact with the Annihilation God Clan.
The man in black responded in a low voice, "Understood." Hua Yin flicked his sleeve slightly, and a dark blue jade slip, about two fingers wide, flew out from his palm and hovered steadily in mid-air. The man in black immediately raised his palm and caught it steadily.
"From now on, use this jade slip to communicate with me at any time." Hua Yin's expression was calm, his words steady. "If you find even the slightest clue, do not return to the palace to report; immediately report to me." "Your subordinate obeys."
The man in black carefully put the jade slip away, stood up, bowed deeply to Hua Yin, and then slowly retreated into the dark shadows of the hall. Within a few breaths, his figure completely disappeared, leaving no trace, as if he had never been there at all.
Hua Yin remained seated, not rising until he was certain the shadowy figure had completely disappeared. Only then did he lower his eyes and slowly drink the slightly cool tea in his cup. As for the matter of the Annihilation God Clan, he would only conduct a covert investigation for the time being and observe the situation.
What truly weighed heavily on his mind tonight was another person, Hua Jingyun. Hua Yin took out another communication jade slip from his sleeve, lightly touched the jade surface with his fingertip, and a deep divine thought was quietly inscribed and instantly transmitted, "You two come to my palace immediately."
The jade slip's spiritual light then Annihilation.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, almost inaudible light footsteps came from the outer hall. The hall door slowly opened, and two stewards from the Hua Lineage entered the bedchamber one after the other. After entering, the two did not look around, but went straight to Hua Yin, bowed and greeted him respectfully.
"Your subordinate Hua An greets the Grand Elder." "Your subordinate Hua Yuan greets the Grand Elder." Both were at the True Annihilation Realm · Advanced Stage. "Hua Yin raised his hand slightly. Rise." "Thank you, Grand Elder."
The two straightened up, still keeping their breath low and eyes down, not daring to look directly at each other. Hua Yin quietly observed them for a moment, a hint of caution in his eyes, and slowly asked, "Have you made any progress on the matter I ordered you two to investigate in secret?"
Hua An immediately stepped forward and respectfully reported, "Reporting to the Grand Elder, our two subordinates have been secretly keeping a close watch on him for days. Hua Jingyun has remained secluded in his private palace and has not stepped out of the palace even once. All the entrances and exits around his residence are guarded and monitored around the clock, but we have not seen any trace of him."
Hua Yin's fingers, which were stroking his beard, suddenly paused.
Hua Yuan followed closely and added, "Elder, there's more to this than meets the eye. During this competition, Hua Jingmeng suffered severe injuries, her cultivation level plummeted, and her Fate Soul essence was severely damaged, while Hua Jingyun didn't show up even for a moment."
Subsequently, Nangong Xingyun personally went to the Hua Lineage to escort Hua Jingmeng to the Nangong Lineage in the Supreme Transformation Primordial Domain. This caused a great stir, affecting the entire clan. Hua Jingyun, however, remained secluded in her palace, making no move whatsoever.
The hall fell silent instantly. A faint, strange light flashed in the depths of Hua Yin's eyes, revealing his deepest doubts.
Years ago, Hua Jingyun sacrificed his own Fate Soul essence to Hua Jingmeng, causing his cultivation to plummet to the True Annihilation Realm · Initial Stage. For decades, he secluded himself to recuperate. The deep bond between the two, uncle and nephew, was known to all.
Hua Jingmeng was defeated by Qin Yu and seriously injured. It was still somewhat reasonable for Hua Jingyun to forcibly remain silent. However, Nangong Xingyun's personal arrival was about to completely rewrite Hua Jingmeng's future cultivation path and destiny. Hua Jingyun's indifference and lack of reaction to such a drastic change was extremely abnormal.
Hua Yin narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze unfathomable. "Could it be..." He didn't finish his thought, but Hua Jingyun wasn't even within the Hua Family Lineage's territory?
As soon as this thought arose, Hua Yin's expression remained unchanged, but in his mind, he was rapidly reviewing and sorting through all the traces and rumors surrounding Hua Jingyun since his seclusion in recent years. Hua Jingyun was someone he had always been wary of and guarded against for decades.
Back then, his opponent was seriously injured and retired, which allowed him to finally secure his position as the Grand Elder. If Hua Jingyun were to remain in seclusion forever, that would be the best outcome for him; however, if his opponent were to secretly recover his strength and quietly make plans, he would have to find out and take full control of the situation in advance.
Moreover, Hua Jingmeng has now been taken away by the Nangong Lineage.
Once Hua Jingmeng uses the Nangong Lineage's powerful resources to repair her Fate Soul and return to the Eternal Silence Realm, and even advances further with a surge in cultivation; while Hua Jingyun secretly recovers and regains his full strength, this uncle and nephew pair will eventually become the biggest obstacle blocking his path.
Hua Yin's ambition has never been limited to the position of Grand Elder. What he wants is to take control of the entire Hua Lineage and reach the pinnacle of power. Therefore, he will keep a close eye on anyone who may hinder his ascent, make arrangements in advance, and eliminate potential threats in advance.
After a moment, Hua Yin's brows slowly relaxed, and he regained his calm and composed expression. He raised his hand and gently beckoned to the two of them. "You two come forward." Hua An and Hua Yuan exchanged a glance and immediately moved closer to the long table.
Hua Yin leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice to a whisper so that only the two of them could hear. He whispered his instructions in their ears, speaking slowly and deliberately, pausing slightly after each sentence to quietly observe the changes in their expressions.
At first, Hua An remained calm, but upon hearing the latter half, her gaze suddenly froze; Hua Yuan's breathing also became slightly labored. Both of them were meticulous individuals, and they instantly grasped the key point. They then lowered their heads again, concealing their true feelings.
"Rest assured, Elder," Hua An replied solemnly, cupping his hands. "We know our limits and will not make any mistakes." Hua Yuan then bowed in return. "This matter will certainly be handled discreetly, without alerting anyone. I will go and oversee it immediately."
Hua Yin slowly leaned back in his chair and nodded slightly. "Mm. Go." The two bowed again, turned around, and left the bedchamber one after another. The palace doors were tightly closed and locked, and the entire palace fell into complete silence.
Hua Yin had no further interest in drinking tea.
He sat alone under the dim lamplight, gazing at the flickering shadows on the table, his face expressionless, his mind as deep as the sea. The Annihilation God Clan, the mysterious ancient box, Hua Jingyun lurking in the shadows, Hua Jingmeng traveling to the Nangong Lineage ...
There was also the ambush plot about to unfold in the Azure Wood Divine Forest... He suppressed all the hidden clues deep in his heart, methodically and patiently awaiting the change in the situation. He was in no hurry to make any move, waiting for all the hidden clues to send back messages before making his move.
... At the same moment, in the Fourth Multidimensional Universe, the Void Dharma Realm, the North City, the Stele Forest Imperial City, the scenery and grandeur of this place are completely different from those of the Returning Light Heavenly City.
The entire imperial city is situated in the center of a vast and desolate ancient stele forest. One after another, giant stone steles that have endured countless years rise from the depths of the earth, some towering ten thousand feet high and piercing the sky, some broken and incomplete and stretching across the sky, and some leaning and lying down, weathered and profound.
The stele is covered with ancient cracks and marks, and countless ancient inscriptions have long been blurred and illegible. Whenever the ancient winds from the depths of the Void Dharma Realm sweep through the stele forest, those ancient characters that have been silent for hundreds of millions of years will light up faintly, shrouding the entire North City in a heavy, vast, and magnificent atmosphere of time all year round.
Today, the most bustling and lively place in the solemn and quiet Stele Forest Imperial City is the Chi Lineage Mansion. From the main gate of the mansion to several long streets outside the city, guests come and go in an endless stream, all day long.