After hearing Yang Lingshu's words, Yang Yuanliu and Yang Yuanwen both smiled.
Yang Yuanliu nodded. "Uncle is right. Yuan Zhen showed extraordinary signs from the moment she was born. She's sure to return from this mountain trial with a full harvest."
"She fused with a Spirit Pearl while still in the womb and was born with an object bound to her life. In the Yang Clan's sixty-odd years, this is a first."
Yang Yuanwen looked down the mountain, his eyes narrowing slightly. "The Upper Cultivators covet the Yang Clan's secrets and want to enter our ranks to seize our treasures. Little do they know that, to our younger generation, they are themselves a heaven-sent opportunity that comes once in a thousand years."
A veiled killing intent flashed through his eyes as he spoke.
The expressions of the two beside him chilled as well.
The three Yang Clan cultivators standing before the hall all shared a deep bond with the former Patriarch, Yang Lingqing.
When they were young and had only just reached Dao Entry, each had received Yang Lingqing's careful instruction. She had profoundly shaped their character and awakened their minds.
Admittedly, the Patriarch had been strict with them most of the time. Her standards were high, and punishment and reprimands had been part of daily life.
But at their present age and standing, all three understood the care behind Yang Lingqing's sternness.
As the saying went, a strict teacher forged brilliant disciples. Without Yang Lingqing's exacting standards, they could hardly have grown as they had, much less become new pillars of the Lineage after the Yang Clan was struck by sudden upheaval.
So whatever others thought of Yang Lingqing's death, the three standing by the cliff could not simply let it go.
"This matter still calls for careful planning."