Qing Zhe's Choice

After a final discussion, the heads of the Lineage decided to split into two groups.

Ancestor Tianyan would lead the Lu Clan in an orderly migration to Central Province along a route and to a destination that had already been calculated.

Ancestor Danyang, meanwhile, would travel with Lu Qingshan to another place in Central Province.

Inside the clan leader's residence.

Lu Qingshan soon returned to his residence. Before long, orders streamed out from the clan leader's residence, spreading throughout the Lu Clan at an astonishing speed.

"We're finally going to Central Province!"

Some clansmen rejoiced. They had long heard that Central Province was vast and abundant, rich in resources—a true land of resurgence.

More than a hundred thousand years ago, the Lu Clan's former home had stood in Central Province.

Now, this could be considered a return to their ancestral land.

How could they not be excited?

But where some rejoiced, others worried. Every member of the Lu Clan was beyond excited.

Yet some powerful cultivators with other surnames, who had joined the Lu Clan over the years because of its strength, could not help feeling worried.

"The Lu Clan is moving to Central Province. What about us?"

"Yes, will the Lu Clan take us with them?"

Some of the powerful cultivators with other surnames who had only recently joined the Lu Clan and had yet to pledge their loyalty looked worried. For a time, they were at a loss.

Their footing was insecure, and the chances of their being abandoned were far too high.

But if they could follow the Lu Clan to Central Province, a whole new world would open before them, as vast as the sea and sky.

It was truly something to long for.

Meanwhile, at the clan leader's residence.

A familiar figure passed through layer upon layer of guards and arrived at the clan leader's residence.

"Greetings, young master Qing Zhe."

The captain of the guards at the front bowed respectfully to the newcomer.

Qing Zhe.

Five hundred years had passed, and the once-dissolute young master who had lazed about all day and loved roaming mountains and rivers had changed beyond recognition, as though made anew.

With that cold face and those sharp eyes, even the Feather Emperor, were he still alive, might not have recognized his own son.

He entered the clan leader's residence without encountering any obstacles.

Qing Zhe strolled leisurely onward and soon met the clan leader, Lu Qingshan.

"Foster Father."

Qing Zhe knelt on one knee, his expression respectful.

Lu Qingshan was sorting through official business. With the Lineage's relocation imminent, he had quite a lot to do.

Seeing Qing Zhe arrive, Lu Qingshan raised his head slightly and looked at him.

"Zhe'er, have you come to see me about something?"

Lu Qingshan spoke softly. Though he had already guessed why Qing Zhe had come, he did not say so outright.

Qing Zhe lowered his head and said heavily, "Foster Father, I have come to beg your permission to remain in Qingzhou."

"Are you certain?"

"Don't rush to answer. I know you want to stay in Qingzhou and rebuild the Azure Feather Dynasty. You've reached the Divine Palace Realm now, so you have the ability to do it. But I must tell you, if you accompany us to Central Province, your future will be much brighter-far better than it would be in Qingzhou."

Lu Qingshan explained patiently, giving Qing Zhe ample time to consider.

But Qing Zhe suddenly gave a bitter laugh. "Foster Father, how could I not understand? The Lush Wood Blessed Land has been taken from us. Even if I rebuild the Azure Feather Dynasty, it will be an empty shell."

"But Qingzhou is my home, the land where I was born and raised. Once the Lu Clan leaves, Qingzhou will surely see the chaos of war that plagued it five hundred years ago, and its countless people will once again be plunged into deep waters and scorching flames."

"As a prince of the Azure Feather Dynasty, I cannot bear to see that."

Besides, Qing Ji had once clung to his last breath to see him and his sister one final time, all to tell him-take revenge and restore the dynasty.

How could he forget?

Seeing that Qing Zhe had made up his mind, Lu Qingshan sighed softly, though a trace of relief appeared in his eyes.

"You truly haven't disappointed me."

Lu Qingshan smiled.

The next moment, a graceful figure slowly emerged from the shadows behind Lu Qingshan.

"Xiao Xu?"

Qing Zhe was stunned when he saw who it was.

Qing Xu looked at him with a complicated expression, though more than anything, there was a hint of a smile.

"Ninth Brother, I'll stay with you and rebuild the Azure Feather Dynasty."

During her five hundred years with the Lu Clan, Qing Xu had long since relied on the wonders of her Spirit Communion Physique to break through the shackles of the Spirit Concentration Realm and reach the Divine Palace Realm. After that, she had even reached the Saint Realm without encountering a single bottleneck.

But after that, Qing Xu's Spirit Communion Physique had ceased to be of use.

As it turned out, the Saint Realm was the limit of the Spirit Communion Physique. Once she reached the Saint Realm, it was no longer an advantage, but a shackle upon her.

In other words, Qing Xu's path had reached its end.

Only by advancing her Spirit Communion Physique into the Heavenly Spirit Physique that Ancestor Tianyan had spoken of could Qing Xu progress any further.

Qing Xu had spent the past five hundred years working toward that goal, and now she was not far from the final step.

Ancestor Danyang's appearance was undoubtedly good news for her.

With the aid of suitable pills, that final step would no longer be so difficult.

She could have simply left with the Lu Clan for Central Province. As the clan leader's foster daughter, she was certain that Ancestor Danyang would refine pills for her.

But she still had an unfulfilled wish.

Had Ancestor Qingtian not secretly nurtured her back then, how could she have become the Qing Xu she was today?

For Ancestor Qingtian and the countless subjects of the Azure Feather Dynasty, she followed her heart.

Looking at Qing Zhe kneeling on one knee, Qing Xu revealed a pure smile of breathtaking beauty.

"Xiao Xu."

Qing Zhe's eyes grew moist, and he was deeply moved.

"With your help, our great undertaking can succeed!"

Lu Qingshan watched the two of them with a smile. "In that case, I'll permit the two of you to stay in Qingzhou. Of course, if a day comes when you wish to return to the Lu Clan, you may come to Central Province. The Lu Clan will always be your haven."

"Foster Father..."

Qing Zhe and Qing Xu quickly knelt to thank him.

But Lu Qingshan's expression suddenly changed. With a stern face, he said, "Don't celebrate too soon, you two. I'll let you stay in Qingzhou, but I won't leave you any people, and I won't leave you any resources. If you want to rebuild your power, you'll have to rely on yourselves."

"If you two don't do well and have no choice but to return to the Lu Clan in the end, whether the Lu Clan will still accept you then is another matter."

Hearing this, Qing Zhe and Qing Xu exchanged a glance, both feeling a measure of pressure.

Even so, the two of them remained full of confidence.

"Please rest assured, Foster Father. We won't disappoint you."

As he watched the two leave, Lu Qingshan's stern expression faded, replaced by a calm one.

Within the Lu Clan.

Before long, the powerful cultivators with other surnames who had only recently joined the Lu Clan all received important news.

Clan Leader Lu Qingshan's foster son and foster daughter had decided to remain in Qingzhou. They were willing to accept those powerful cultivators who could not leave with the Lu Clan and rebuild the Azure Feather Dynasty with them.

Qing Zhe was clever, and he had a firm grasp of what those powerful cultivators with other surnames were thinking.

These powerful cultivators with other surnames had no force of their own, which was why they had gone to such lengths to join the Lu Clan and gain such a powerful backer.

Now that the Lu Clan was about to leave, how could it possibly take all of them along?

A great many powerful cultivators with nowhere to go were bound to be left behind.

At a time like this, with Qing Zhe's status as the Lu Clan leader's foster son and the momentum of rebuilding the Azure Feather Dynasty behind him, it went without saying how those cultivators would choose.

Sure enough, after the news spread, countless powerful cultivators with other surnames secretly contacted Qing Zhe.

They were making their intentions known in advance.

If the Lu Clan did not select them, they would follow Qing Zhe without hesitation.

Naturally, Qing Zhe turned none of them away.

Rebuilding the Azure Feather Dynasty required a great many people, and they could solve his most urgent need for the time being.

It was a win-win situation.

Meanwhile, in a certain place in Lu City.

The layout was complex, with one layer winding around another. If an ordinary person wandered in by mistake, they would likely become lost with ease.

As a faint, chilling wind blew past, a figure in black robes and a black-and-white mask appeared there.

"Lord Chi, preparations throughout Qingzhou are now nearing completion."

The black-robed figure knelt on one knee, his voice low.

Suddenly, a voice emerged from thin air. "Understood. Continue your inspections."

"Yes."