The disturbance in the Ancestral Land

"Patriarch, Qing Ji is dead. His injuries were too severe. He held on until the end through willpower alone, seemingly just to see Qing Zhe and Qing Xu one last time."

Grand Elder Lu Guangyao reported to the patriarch, Lu Qingshan.

He had originally wanted to try to save Qing Ji.

But even if he had spoken up, Lu Qingshan probably would not have agreed.

Qing Ji was the crown prince, already had considerable influence in the Azure Feather Dynasty, and was powerful. More importantly, Qing Ji was ambitious, and that made him the hardest kind of person to control.

By comparison, Qing Zhe was a suitable candidate for Lu Qingshan to use to squeeze the last bit of value out of the Azure Feather Dynasty.

Of course, this was also an arrangement both sides had willingly accepted.

After all, Lu Qingshan had risked offending the Supreme Purity Palace by taking Qing Zhe in, and he had given Qing Zhe a chance to take revenge in the future.

As for Qing Xu, she had joined the Lu Clan naturally because of the Heavenly Spirit Physique.

When all was said and done, it was their interests that had bound them together. Only interests could move people's hearts.

"What about Lu Fan?"

Hearing Lu Guangyao's report, Lu Qingshan immediately asked.

"Lu Fan has already begun preparing to use Ninth Prince Qing Zhe's name to gather the remnants of the Azure Feather Dynasty scattered across Qingzhou."

"Mm. Tell him that if he has any difficulties, he should not hesitate to speak up."

"Yes, Patriarch."

With that, Lu Guangyao left the patriarch's residence.

As he walked along the road, a familiar figure suddenly appeared before him.

"Oh, it's you!"

Lu Guangyao looked at the person before him in surprise.

Chi Chen cupped his hands toward Lu Guangyao with an ingratiating smile, a hint of awkwardness in it.

"This humble one greets the grand elder."

It had not been long since the two of them had first met.

Back then, Chi Chen had looked at Lu Guangyao with open disdain, paying no regard whatsoever to the so-called Lu Clan.

But now, neither of them had changed much. Chi Chen was still in the Void Shattering Realm, and Lu Guangyao was still in the Spirit Master Realm.

Their statuses, however, had been reversed.

Lu Guangyao was the grand elder of the Lu Clan, an ancient power, while Chi Chen was merely a minor follower whose faction had been destroyed, forced to follow his master and rely on the Lu Clan for protection.

"Hehe, did you need something from me?"

Lu Guangyao composed his surprised expression.

Although he had not had much contact with Chi Chen, he knew Chi Chen was a clever man.

And Lu Guangyao had guessed correctly. It had taken Chi Chen less than a year to rise from a foot soldier in the Azure Feather Dynasty to a squad leader in the Azure Feather Guard.

Unfortunately, fate loved to toy with people. Before Chi Chen could begin displaying his talents, the Azure Feather Dynasty had suddenly fallen.

Even now, Chi Chen had not quite recovered from the shock.

But he still forced himself to gather his thoughts and consider his future.

And now, he had an answer.

"Grand Elder, this humble one, Chi Chen, begs to join the Lu Clan."

Chi Chen took a deep breath and knelt on one knee before Lu Guangyao, his expression respectful.

Hearing this, Lu Guangyao raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You want to join our Lu Clan?"

"Yes."

Chi Chen nodded.

But Lu Guangyao continued, "Do you know that even your ninth prince, Qing Zhe, had to beg the patriarch and obtain Qing Xu's guarantee before he could join our Lu Clan? And you're just a nobody."

Lu Guangyao was playing a little trick.

The reason Qing Zhe had faced such difficulty and had to beg was that he had wanted to become the patriarch's adopted son. If Qing Zhe had simply wanted to join the Lu Clan, it would have been much easier.

Chi Chen's expression changed slightly at Lu Guangyao's words, but he still did not want to give up.

He had seen the Lu Clan's potential. If he missed this chance today, he feared that once the Lu Clan had fully risen, he would never get another.

"Elder, please give me a chance. I will prove my worth."

"To that end, I am willing to sign a Life and Death Contract and dedicate everything to the Lu Clan."

Once a Life and Death Contract was signed, the Lu Clan would have complete control over Chi Chen's life and death. If he made any treacherous move, they could reduce him to ashes with a single thought.

That was enough to prove Chi Chen's determination and sincerity.

Lu Guangyao was moved by Chi Chen.

He gazed deeply at the man before him, once a minor figure in the Azure Feather Dynasty. In Chi Chen, he seemed to see a trace of stubbornness, a resilience that refused to bow to reality.

"I'm in the process of establishing an intelligence organization for the Lu Clan. If you're willing, you can come work for me."

Lu Guangyao smiled and extended an olive branch to Chi Chen.

Chi Chen was overjoyed to hear this and hurriedly said, "I am willing! Thank you for taking me in, Elder!"

As for the Life and Death Contract, Lu Guangyao did not bring it up. He wanted to take a gamble, to bet that Chi Chen really was a piece of gold.

If he used a Life and Death Contract on Chi Chen and word got out, who else would be willing to join the Lu Clan and serve them?

With the fall of the Azure Feather Dynasty, the situation in Qingzhou underwent earth-shaking changes.

The small factions once scattered across Qingzhou were no longer suppressed by the Azure Feather Dynasty, and one after another began to stir.

Factions large and small fought among themselves for resources, and battles broke out frequently.

For a time, all of Qingzhou descended into chaos.

Amid the chaos, the Lu Clan, situated in a remote area, began to quietly build up its strength. Relying on the resources Ancestor Qingtian had once given them, the Lu Clan began to develop at a rapid pace.

As for the culprit behind the Azure Feather Dynasty's destruction, the Supreme Purity Palace of Central Province, it had withdrawn from Qingzhou immediately after successfully seizing the Lush Wood Blessed Land, without the slightest reluctance.

Clearly, they paid no regard to a barren place like Qingzhou.

That undoubtedly allowed the Lu Clan to breathe a sigh of relief.

Notably, Qing Yun, the second prince who had once clamored about taking the seat of Qingzhou's ruler, had also disappeared from Qingzhou without leaving a trace.

And so, time flew like an arrow, and five hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

In a corner of Qingzhou.

An enormous city stood there. Three huge characters above its gates alerted everyone who entered: Lu City.

The White Cloud City of old had long since ceased to exist.

After five hundred years of development, this Lineage had truly established itself.

The clan now numbered more than ten thousand people.

Hum-

Just then, a vast presence suddenly rose from deep within Lu City, then swept rapidly across the entire city like a tide.

It was the presence of a Saint Realm expert.

Countless members of the Lu Clan looked up, their faces filled with excitement. "It's the patriarch! The patriarch has become a saint!"

The clan members cheered.

Following their gazes, one could see a middle-aged man standing proudly in the air, his Early Sage Realm presence pouring down.

"So this is the Saint Realm?"

Feeling the boundless power within him, Lu Qingshan smiled.

Over the years, under Sage Tianyan's guidance, Lu Qingshan's cultivation had gone smoothly. He had first broken through to the Divine Palace Realm three hundred years ago, and today he had reached the Saint Realm.

Though that speed was not particularly fast, it still surpassed that of the vast majority.

Lu Qingshan was very satisfied. He knew where he stood. Though he had been called White Cloud City's greatest genius in his youth, that was only White Cloud City. If he looked at all of Qingzhou, he would find that he was nothing special.

And if he looked at the entire Cangxuan Continent, he was even less worth mentioning.

Lu Qingshan was not discouraged in the slightest by this. As time passed, his horizons had grown ever broader.

He knew that talent and such could be changed after birth.

The key was whether one had the ability to obtain it.

Did Lu Qingshan have that ability?

The Ancestral Land had already provided the answer.

"Congratulations on advancing to the Saint Realm, Patriarch!"

The Lineage's three elders came to congratulate him.

Over the past five hundred years, these three elders of the Lu Clan had also changed to varying degrees.

Grand Elder Lu Guangyao's intelligence organization had begun to take shape, and he had become much shrewder and more seasoned.

Second Elder Lu Mutong had worked tirelessly on the Lineage's childbearing plan, and many more white strands had appeared in his already graying hair.

Third Elder Lu Chen's face had gained a measure of toughness, and all day long he carried himself as though ready to fight anyone who disagreed.

As for their cultivation, their talent could not match Lu Qingshan's, but fortunately, resources had been reasonably plentiful. They had forced their way into the Divine Palace Realm by piling up vast amounts of resources.

But after five hundred years, the resources Ancestor Qingtian had given them back then had long since been exhausted.

The Lineage was now showing faint signs of being unable to hold on.

In recent years, the Lu Clan had survived entirely by seizing resource sites from other factions. Though the Lu Clan was powerful, with no rival capable of matching it, the Lineage could no longer spend as lavishly as before.

Many of the original incentive policies had also been withdrawn one by one.

This had undoubtedly dampened the clan members' enthusiasm.

So lately, Lu Qingshan had been pondering where he could get some money.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the three, Lu Qingshan prepared to visit Ancestor Tianyan.

He would have their ancestor think of a solution.

But just then, the Ancestral Land, silent for five hundred years, finally stirred again.