When he spoke of how the other party had planned in advance to kill Chi Qingyue and capture Shen Qingchen and Su Qingyuan alive, Chi Boqian slowly closed his five fingers resting on the edge of the long table, and a chilling aura spread across his eyes.
When Chi Xiyue deciphered the propositional logic left by the "Dao Tribulation Source Matchmaker" and pointed out that this kind of original structure was the inherent characteristic of the Primordial Dao Clan's divine power, Chi Boqian stared at that dark remnant for a long time. His face did not show any rage, but the coldness in his eyes was already bone-chilling.
"Seven True Annihilation Realm · Peak experts at the peak of their cultivation." Chi Boqian's voice was deep and slow. "They trespassed into the Azure Wood Divine Forest under the jurisdiction of my Chi Lineage, knew the patrol routes, foresaw that Qingchen and Qingyuan would be there, and even pre-arranged the choice between killing them and sparing their lives. What a Primordial Dao Clan."
Chi Qingyue stood silently to the side. It wasn't until Chi Xiyue recounted the deaths of the six masked cultivators that Chi Boqian's gaze truly fell upon her.
"Qingyue, did you kill those six people?" Chi Qingyue's expression was solemn as she nodded slightly. "Yes, clan leader." "Recount the events of that time in detail."
Chi Qingyue then recounted in detail how her bloodline suddenly awakened when she was besieged by six True Annihilation Realm · Peak and her life hung by a thread. She spoke of the ancient phantom that rose from the depths of her Fate Soul, and the drastic change in the expression of the golden-robed, masked man upon seeing the phantom.
He also recounted the moment of awakening that triggered "Final Abolition and Establishment," directly abolishing the existence of six adversaries. At first, Chi Boqian was able to remain calm, but as the narration deepened, the shock in his eyes grew layer upon layer.
When Chi Qingyue uttered her last words—"I learned from my awakened bloodline that I am the seventh-generation descendant of the 'Lord of the Great Dao Charter'"—the entire hall fell into a long silence.
He gazed at Chi Qingyue, his usually Steady as a Mountain face revealing a deep emotion that he could not completely suppress for the first time. The Lord of the Great Dao Charter, the supreme being revered by the ancient tradition as the "Father of Heavenly Laws," the "Source of Order," and the "The One Who Cannot Be Defied," was the original establisher of the myriad laws of the myriad worlds.
The interactions of the Five Elements, the flow of Yin and Yang, the boundaries of life and death, and the deduction of cause and effect—all the laws that later cultivators regarded as the inherent laws of heaven and earth—are traced back to their origins and all originated from His handiwork. Even the Wheel-Turning Saint King, who holds the power of reincarnation, merely follows the Six Paths of Laws engraved on the Samsara Millstone to preside over the reincarnation of all beings.
Rules can be established, modified, or abolished. However, for any rule to be valid, it must have its own foundation, be logical, and not contradict itself. The source that maintains the smooth operation of countless laws without conflict is logic.
The bloodline that awakened within Chi Qingyue was only seven generations removed from that of the ancient supreme being.
A hint of barely suppressed joy flickered in Chi Boqian's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, his tone becoming increasingly solemn. "Qingyue, this matter must not be spread among the clan for the time being. You have only just awakened your bloodline and cannot yet fully control its power. From now on, you should focus on consolidating your foundation and not become complacent just because you killed six True Annihilation Realm · Peak experts today."
Chi Qingyue immediately bowed and said, "Qingyue will remember your teachings." Chi Boqian nodded slightly, gave a few more instructions, and then dismissed Chi Qingyue. "Xiyue, please stay." "Yes."
Chi Qingyue bowed to the two of them and turned to leave. The heavy palace doors slowly closed, leaving only Chi Boqian and Chi Xiyue inside the hall.
Chi Boqian did not speak immediately. He moved to the long table, picked up the crystal core that sealed the remnants of the "Dao Tribulation Source Matchmaker" again, and slowly stroked the edge of the crystal core with his fingertips, his brows furrowing heavily. After a long while, he finally spoke in a deep voice, "I have doubts about the ambush that Chi Qingchen and Chi Qingyuan encountered. I'm afraid this matter is inseparable from Hua Yin of the Hua Lineage."
Chi Xiyue's gaze sharpened slightly.
"In the previous Four Great Lineage Grand Competition, Qin Yu emerged victorious, and Hua Yin's long-planned schemes suffered repeated setbacks, with all his planted spies being eliminated. Currently, Qin Yu is in seclusion at our clan's Life Source Pool for recuperation and will not reappear for some time. If Hua Yin intends to set up a new game, Qingchen and Qingyuan are very likely to be used as pawns."
Chi Xiyue remained silent, her pupils slightly narrowed, her thoughts racing. The seven True Annihilation Realm · Peak experts had laid an ambush beforehand, intending to capture Qingchen and Qingyuan alive, but also to eliminate Chi Qingyue who was traveling with them. The purpose of this arrangement was obvious. She connected all the clues from today in her mind, her lips slightly parted, her expression gradually sinking into deep thought.
Chi Boqian looked at her and continued in a low voice, "As for the Primordial Dao Clan... if this action was indeed instigated by Hua Yin, then the Primordial Dao Clan has most likely already become his henchmen."
Chi Xiyue pondered for a moment, then raised her eyes and said, "Clan leader, why don't I lead the troops and directly annihilate the Primordial Dao Clan?" Chi Boqian's brows furrowed suddenly, his expression full of disapproval. "No." Chi Xiyue looked at him quietly.
"Right now, my Chi Lineage has just gained Four Great Lineage Grand Competition, and all forces are watching our every move closely." Chi Boqian gently placed the crystal core back on the long table, his voice steady and powerful.
At this juncture, rashly annihilating the Primordial Dao Clan would be futile without irrefutable evidence, allowing Hua Yin to exploit the situation for a massive publicity stunt. While the remaining remnants of supernatural powers are sufficient to prove the attackers originated from the Primordial Dao Clan, they are insufficient to definitively identify the mastermind behind it all.
At this point, the coldness in his eyes deepened, but he was not swayed by anger. "The matter of annihilating the Primordial Dao Clan will be put on hold for now, and we will discuss it again after our young friend Qin Yu emerges from seclusion." Chi Xiyue remained silent for a moment, no longer insisting on her own opinion.
Chi Boqian's expression softened slightly. "And then there's Qingyue. Awakening the bloodline of the seventh-generation descendant of the Lord of the Great Dao Charter's is a heaven-sent opportunity for our Chi Lineage. However, she is still young and has limited knowledge of the powers of her awakened bloodline. In the future, you should guide and support her more."
Chi Xiyue nodded slowly, "Xiyue understands." She bowed slightly, "If the clan leader has no further instructions, Xiyue will take her leave." Chi Boqian nodded gently. Chi Xiyue turned and left, the heavy palace doors slowly closing behind her.
At the same time, the Hua Lineage.
The Grand Elder's Hall was perpetually dark, with a few wall lamps burning quietly along the stone walls. The firelight spread throughout the hall, but it could never penetrate the large chair at the far end of the hall. Hua Yin sat upright on it, his elbows resting on the armrests, his expression calm and undisturbed, his fingertips lightly tapping the edge of the chair.
Your Highness, Hua An and Hua Yuan were already kneeling respectfully on the ground. These past few days, the two had been secretly searching for Hua Jingyun's whereabouts, and at this moment, they were filled with barely concealed excitement.
Hua Yin raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the area indifferently. "You found out?"
Hua An immediately lowered his head and solemnly reported, "My lord, after several days of secret investigation with Hua Yuan, we can now confirm that Hua Jingyun is not in his secluded cultivation hall at all."
Hua Yin's fingertips, which were tapping on the armrest, suddenly stopped.
Hua Yuan continued, "We traced his connections layer by layer, following his former subordinates, and identified a personal steward who had served Hua Jingyun's daily needs for many years. Every so often, this person would quietly leave the Hua Lineage and go Returning Light Heavenly City."
A sharp glint suddenly flashed in Hua Yin's eyes. Hua An held up a crystal core with both hands, raising it high. "My lord, please take a look." The crystal core flew into the air and landed in Hua Yin's palm. He was not in a hurry to ask questions, and gently pressed his thumb on the center of the crystal core.
A soft glow rippled from the surface of the crystal core, and a recorded scene appeared in the air above the main hall.
In the scene, people Returning Light Heavenly City. A middle-aged man dressed as a steward of the Hua Lineage turns from the main street into a secluded alley. He is extremely cautious and changes his route several times along the way, traversing several deep and ancient alleys, and finally arrives at the gate of an inconspicuous mansion on the edge of the main city.
The steward paused briefly outside the door to make sure no one was watching before pushing the door open and entering.
The scene shifts to a simple and unpretentious courtyard, devoid of any valuable items. Several old trees in the courtyard block out most of the sunlight, and the door to the innermost room is half-closed. The steward enters the room, takes out several jade bottles containing the clan's elixirs from his storage bag, and arranges them respectfully.
In front of him, an old man sat quietly, and Hua Yin straightened his body slightly.
This face was etched into his memory. His once jet-black hair was now completely white, and his face looked much older than it had been decades ago. The weariness between his brows lingered from the severe damage to his Fate Soul essence, but he would never mistake those eyes or that face.
Hua Jingyun, the former Grand Elder of the Hua Lineage and Hua Jingmeng's uncle, sacrificed his own Fate Soul decades ago to help Hua Jingmeng win the clan's grand competition. His cultivation level dropped to the True Annihilation Realm · Initial Stage, and he subsequently claimed to be in seclusion.
Within the scene, the personal attendant placed several bottles of healing pills beside Hua Jingyun and then whispered a report. Hua Jingyun simply nodded slowly and reached out to pick up a jade bottle.
The recording abruptly ended there, the light screen dissipated, the crystal core returned to Hua Yin's palm, and the hall remained silent for several breaths.
Hua Yin's face showed no emotion, but the light in his eyes grew even brighter. The doubts that had lingered in his heart for decades were finally confirmed today. Hua Jingyun had never stayed in the secluded hall; he had long since secretly broken away from the core of the Hua Lineage and was hiding in Returning Light Heavenly City.
Hua Yin slowly tightened his grip on the crystal core. The overwhelming joy surging in his heart almost broke through his years of cultivated composure, but he forcibly suppressed it, and a smile slowly appeared on the corner of his mouth.
The next instant, laughter echoed through the secluded hall. Hua Yin rose from his chair, turned around, and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Good." "Good." "Good!"
He suddenly turned to look at the two men below the steps, his eyes full of approval. "You two have done a great job this time."
As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his sleeve, and two storage bags flew out, landing on Hua An and Hua Yuan respectively. The two quickly caught them with both hands. Their Fate Soul probed into the bags, and their expressions changed simultaneously.
This reward far exceeded their expectations. Hua An looked up, her eyes filled with gratitude; Hua Yuan gripped the storage bag tightly. Over the years, they had handled many secrets for Hua Yin that could not be made public. With such a generous reward in their hands, their loyalty to each other grew even stronger.
The two men bowed deeply in unison, saying, "Thank you for your generous gift, sir!" Hua An replied with fervor, "Your subordinate will serve you with utmost devotion and loyalty!" "And so it is!"
Hua Yin was in high spirits at the moment, and waved his hand casually: "You may all leave. If I need anything, I will summon you by voice." "Yes!"
Hua An and Hua Yuan bowed again, rose, and left the main hall. The hall doors slowly closed, their footsteps faded into the distance, and the hall returned to its deep silence.
The smile on Hua Yin's face gradually vanished completely. He lowered his eyes to look at the recording crystal core in his palm. The dim light reflected in his eyes, and all the praise he had shown to his subordinates earlier disappeared, leaving only a layer of deep-seated sinister ruthlessness.
He never believed that Hua Jingyun would remain in seclusion for decades. Now, the person has been found, the hiding place has been discovered, and even the personal steward responsible for delivering the pills has been exposed.
Hua Yin gripped the crystal core tightly and walked slowly towards the depths of the main hall, his steps steady and without the slightest impatience. The closer it got to this point, the less likely he was to act rashly. After decades of planning, he knew in his heart that what could truly put someone in a desperate situation was never the first strike.
Every step must be meticulously calculated, suppressing all variables in advance until the opponent has no room for maneuver.
Hua Yin stood in the deep shadows, repeatedly rubbing the surface of the crystal core with his fingertips. The ruthlessness in his eyes grew stronger, and a plan was gradually taking shape in his mind, with all his calculations finally settled.
After a long silence, a soft chuckle echoed. "Truly, heaven is on my side."