Ancestor Danyang

Wooo-

A tremendous horn blast rang out across the Lu Clan, like the roar of a monstrous beast.

Hearing the sound, the Lu Clan clansmen froze for a moment, then realized what it meant. They stopped what they were doing and all gathered in the inner-city square.

A vast crowd of over ten thousand clansmen assembled, an imposing sight.

Clan leader Lu Qingshan stood on a raised platform, a look of gratification on his face as he gazed at the Lu Clan clansmen.

At the same time, a message from Ancestor Tianyan finally reached his mind.

"It's our Lu Clan's Ancestor Danyang, from more than eight hundred thousand years ago!"

Lu Qingshan could even hear a trace of barely concealed excitement in Ancestor Tianyan's voice.

Ancestor Danyang.

His expression solemn, Lu Qingshan led all the Lu Clan clansmen in a respectful kowtow toward the ancestral shrine.

"We respectfully welcome Ancestor Danyang's emergence!"

"We respectfully welcome Ancestor Danyang's emergence!!"

Their voices shook the heavens, as though they would burst through the firmament.

Immediately afterward, the presence of a Sage King Realm expert spilled out from deep within the ancestral shrine.

The Lu Clan's ancestral shrine.

Over five hundred years, the Lu Clan had continued to expand, and the ancestral shrine, an important site of the clan, had undergone several major renovations.

The shrine now covered a vast area and stood high above the entire Lu Clan, looking down upon it like an emperor.

Inside the ancestral shrine.

Even Ancestor Tianyan had his head slightly bowed, a respectful expression on his face.

This senior who had just awakened was not only stronger than him, but also belonged to a generation who knew how many levels above his own. Even though he too called himself an ancestor, before Ancestor Danyang, he was merely a child.

As wisps of green smoke drifted through the air.

A fresh pill fragrance suddenly spread throughout the ancestral shrine.

Then an old man in a long crimson robe slowly appeared. He had white hair and a youthful face, and his bearing was upright.

-Ancestor Danyang.

A figure from more than eight hundred thousand years ago, he had been an expert at the Middle Stage of the Sage King Realm before entering the Ancestral Land.

Of course, the Middle Stage of the Sage King Realm alone would not have made Sage Tianyan so excited. What truly stirred him was Ancestor Danyang's identity.

He was a genuine ninth-grade alchemist!

A ninth-grade alchemist! Which one of them had not left a dazzling mark on the long river of history?

The ninth-grade alchemists whose names were truly known could be counted on one hand.

And Ancestor Danyang was one of them.

He represented the pinnacle of the Dao of Alchemy in his era, an insurmountable mountain in the hearts of countless alchemists.

Now, he had officially returned!

"This junior, Tianyan, pays his respects to Senior Danyang."

Sage Tianyan bowed respectfully to Ancestor Danyang.

At that moment, Ancestor Danyang finally opened his eyes slowly, then let out a long breath of turbid air.

"This old man has slept for quite a long time."

"I already know everything you've done for the Lu Clan. You've done very well."

Ancestor Danyang looked at Sage Tianyan, his expression kind.

The two ancestors from different eras exchanged a glance and both smiled.

"As a member of the Lu Clan, it was only what I should have done."

"However, Senior Danyang, this junior has a question."

A puzzled look suddenly appeared on Sage Tianyan's face as he looked at Ancestor Danyang.

Hearing this, Ancestor Danyang said, "Ask away. This old man will tell you everything I know, without holding anything back."

He had thought Ancestor Tianyan would ask about his era, but to his surprise, Ancestor Tianyan asked, "Senior Danyang, you should know about the situation in the Ancestral Land. If that's how it works, shouldn't the ancestors who awaken earlier be weaker? With your cultivation at the Middle Stage of the Sage King Realm back then, you shouldn't have awakened this early."

Indeed, Sage Tianyan had been at the Peak of the Saint Realm back then, far below Ancestor Danyang. Could it be that there were no ancestors whose strength fell between theirs?

That was impossible. After all, Sage Tianyan had sensed them in the Ancestral Land.

Then the problem had to lie with Ancestor Danyang himself.

Hearing Sage Tianyan's question, Ancestor Danyang suddenly looked somewhat embarrassed.

Ancestor Danyang gave a light cough and said in a low voice, "This old man is an alchemist. I got all this cultivation by popping pills, so naturally it's somewhat watered down."

Still, as long as it was enough to bluff people, that was fine.

After all, unless they were mortal enemies, who would dare lay a hand on a ninth-grade alchemist?

Could you really claim you would never need a pill in your entire life?

Once a ninth-grade alchemist spoke, almost every alchemist on the entire Cangxuan Continent would surely answer his call.

Hearing that answer, Sage Tianyan understood.

So that was how it was.

But a little watered down was fine. Who would expect an alchemist to fight?

Wouldn't that be a reckless waste of a heavenly treasure?

"Senior Danyang, please come out of the ancestral shrine with me and meet the younger generations of the clan. Everyone is waiting for you."

Sage Tianyan made an inviting gesture.

Ancestor Danyang nodded. He, too, felt somewhat nostalgic.

Although eight hundred thousand years had passed and the old friends he had known had all passed away one by one, the Lu Clan was still his own clan. No matter how much time passed, the bond in his bloodline would never change.

Ancestor Danyang stepped forward and slowly walked out of the ancestral shrine.

There, over ten thousand Lu Clan clansmen were looking up at him with excitement in their eyes.

At the sight of Ancestor Danyang, every clansman's heart surged. What the clan had said was actually true: the clan really did have more than one ancestor.

To prevent people with ill intentions from learning the clan's secret, clan leader Lu Qingshan and Ancestor Tianyan had discussed the matter and settled on a single explanation for both clansmen and outsiders: the Lu Clan's ancestors had merely been in seclusion.

The Lu Clan's earlier signs of decline had merely been a show of weakness to deceive their enemies and conceal the truth.

Many clansmen speculated that the clan must have had its reasons for doing this. Perhaps it was playing a grand game of chess.

The other outside forces, meanwhile, regarded the Lu Clan as an existence that could not be provoked.

Standing above them, Ancestor Danyang looked around and nodded slightly. Then he gazed into the distant sky, in the direction of Central Province.

"It's been more than a hundred thousand years. It's time for our Lu Clan to return."

There were no grand, heroic words; he spoke softly, yet every clansman's face lit up with excitement.

Over the past five hundred years, the Lu Clan had made a great effort to teach its members about the clan's history. With Ancestor Tianyan's help, the Lu clansmen now knew their once-glorious history well.

They too had once stood high above others, traversing the world unopposed and sweeping all before them.

Now, it was time to reclaim their former glory.

Inside the Lu Clan's small world.

Six figures sat facing one another.

They were the Lu Clan's two current ancestors, clan leader Lu Qingshan, and the three elders.

"So you're Qingshan. This ancestor has seen everything you've done over the years."

Ancestor Danyang smiled as he looked at Lu Qingshan.

Hearing this, Lu Qingshan suppressed his excitement and said with a smile, "Thank you for your praise, Ancestor. As clan leader, I naturally must devote myself heart and soul to the clan."

Ancestor Danyang nodded, then turned to the Lu Clan's three elders.

Seeing clan leader Lu Qingshan praised, the three said nothing, but they still hoped the ancestor would praise them as well.

After all, they too had worked hard over the years to help the Lu Clan develop.

Sure enough, Ancestor Danyang also praised the three of them, making their hearts blossom with joy.

Then Ancestor Danyang turned to the matter at hand.

"Tianyan should have already told you that this old man is an alchemist."

The four nodded at his words.

"Ancestor, our Lu Clan now also has a fifth-grade alchemist, but compared with you, he is simply a frog at the bottom of a well looking up at the moon."

"That's right, Ancestor. With your foundation as a ninth-grade alchemist, our Lu Clan will never lack pills again."

Ancestor Danyang wore a smile, clearly pleased to hear what these juniors had to say.

"Indeed. With this old man here, the clan will never lack pills again. It's just that the clan is far too poor right now."

Ancestor Danyang sighed.

Back in his day, the Lu Clan had been known as the foremost great clan on the entire Cangxuan Continent. It had countless experts, and several Saint King experts had even willingly served the Lu Clan, all for the sake of obtaining a ninth-grade pill.

And now? The difference was more than a little large—it was the difference between heaven and earth.

"With the clan's current resources, I doubt I could even refine a seventh-grade pill. What use is all my alchemy skill if that's the case?"

"So the most urgent matter is to establish ourselves in Central Province first."

"Only Central Province's vast resources can match my alchemy skills."

Beside him, Ancestor Tianyan nodded slightly as well.

"Indeed, Ancestor Danyang is right. I've already deduced the best place for our Lu Clan to establish a foothold in Central Province. Once our Lu Clan has finished handling matters in Qingzhou, we can set out for Central Province."

Lu Qingshan and the three elders exchanged glances, excitement and surprise in their eyes.

They had not expected to be able to return to Central Province so soon.

"Oh, right, this old man also lacks an alchemy furnace. We absolutely must go to Central Province."

At present, he was utterly penniless.

Let alone an alchemy furnace, he couldn't even produce a single coin.