Ancestor Qingtian

And just like that, with a few words, Ancestor Tianyan succeeded in taking a capable subordinate under his wing.

"Rest assured, the Lu Clan will not treat you poorly. As long as you remain utterly loyal to the Lu Clan, the clan will help you regain your former strength one day. Even if it's the enemies from your previous life, the Lu Clan can help you deal with them."

Hearing such a promise from Ancestor Tianyan, even someone like Lu Fan, who had lived through tens of thousands of years, could not help but be moved.

"Ancestor Tianyan, Lu Fan will do everything in his power to help the Lu Clan regain its former glory."

Lu Fan hesitated no longer and hurriedly declared his intent, his expression growing even more respectful.

Seeing Lu Fan like this, Ancestor Tianyan finally nodded in satisfaction.

Before long, another figure appeared outside the ancestral shrine.

"What happened?"

Clan Leader Lu Qingshan looked at Lu Guangyao, who was waiting outside the ancestral shrine, and asked in confusion.

He still did not know what had happened.

Lu Guangyao was just about to explain.

At that moment, Ancestor Tianyan's rich voice came from within the ancestral shrine.

"Come in, both of you."

The two exchanged a glance. Without further hesitation, they hurried into the ancestral shrine.

"Ancestor."

As soon as they entered the ancestral shrine, they saw Lu Fan standing respectfully beside Ancestor Tianyan, looking at them with a faint smile.

Lu Qingshan's expression remained unchanged, but he was puzzled.

That boy Lu Fan has good talent. Could it be that the ancestor took a liking to him and decided to train him personally?

That boy is truly blessed. Even I, the clan leader, have never had such treatment.

Just then, Ancestor Tianyan turned his gaze to Lu Qingshan.

"Qingshan."

"Ancestor, I'm here."

"Qingshan, as clan leader, you have the entire Lu Clan to manage. It must be taxing on your mind. Lu Fan is a reincarnated sage, so let him assist you in managing the Lu Clan for the time being."

A reincarnated sage?!

Lu Qingshan's eyes widened as he looked at Lu Fan.

The news hit him rather hard. Though he had spent several years adventuring outside and had learned of some secrets, sages were legendary beings to him.

And now, a legendary sage had actually reincarnated in his Lu Clan.

So that's how it is. So that's how it is!

No wonder Lu Fan suddenly became such a genius. He's a reincarnated sage.

After his initial shock, Lu Qingshan understood the reason for Lu Fan's changes over the past year.

Lu Guangyao, standing beside Lu Qingshan, was also somewhat shocked.

Although the ancestor had already told him that Lu Fan was a reincarnated expert, he had not expected him to be a sage.

Doesn't that make him second only to the ancestor?

"Clan Leader, I look forward to your guidance from now on."

Lu Fan cupped his hands toward Clan Leader Lu Qingshan and smiled.

Lu Qingshan nodded slightly in response.

As expected of the ancestor. In so little time, he's already brought a reincarnated sage into the clan's service.

Lu Qingshan had few doubts about Lu Fan's loyalty. After all, the ancestor had chosen him.

At Lu Qingshan's signal, Lu Guangyao led Lu Fan out of the ancestral shrine.

After the two left, Lu Qingshan looked at Ancestor Tianyan again. Since his bloodline had been awakened and his cultivation had risen to the Spirit Concentration Realm, the few white strands in Lu Qingshan's hair had vanished, and his face had regained its youthful appearance. He was a thoroughly handsome man, yet an authority that could not be ignored lay between his brows.

Looking at Ancestor Tianyan, Lu Qingshan said a little awkwardly, "Ancestor, as you know, our Lu Clan is utterly destitute right now. Although we have the resources of White Cloud City's former three major powers, I'm afraid that won't be enough to restore the Lu Clan to the strength it had in your day."

To put it bluntly, they had no money.

Lu Qingshan was practically holding out his hand and asking Ancestor Tianyan for it.

How could Ancestor Tianyan fail to understand what Lu Qingshan meant? A smile appeared on his wrinkled old face.

"To tell you the truth, this ancestor doesn't have many resources either. Back then, when I entered the Ancestral Land, I never expected to come out alive, so I left all my resources in the clan."

"As things stand now, after a hundred thousand years of decline, the Lu Clan's original resources have probably all been snatched away."

"What?"

Lu Qingshan was dumbfounded. He had not expected his own ancestor to be a pauper, and it caught him off guard.

But Ancestor Tianyan continued, "Although I led the Lu Clan out of Central Province back then and concealed its heavenly secrets, I was still worried that someone might trace the clan's origins. So I divided the Lu Clan into several branches and scattered them across the Cangxuan Continent to mislead the world."

"Although the Lu Clan has now declined to this point, at least the main branch and the Ancestral Land remain."

Hearing Ancestor Tianyan say this, Lu Qingshan sighed softly.

Thinking about it that way, it seemed a great blessing that the Lu Clan still survived.

It's just...

Lu Qingshan smiled bitterly. "Ancestor, we really are short on resources right now."

"Um, if there's really no other way, why don't you go rob someone, Ancestor?"

His ancestor was a Sage King Realm expert, known as the pinnacle of the entire Cangxuan Continent. If he personally went out to rob someone, surely it would be as easy as reaching out and grabbing it.

However, Ancestor Tianyan shook his head slightly.

"It's not as simple as you think. But for now, you needn't worry about resources. Someone is already on their way to deliver resources to the Lu Clan."

"Hm? Who?"

In a secluded patch of the void above White Cloud City.

A withered old man frowned deeply as he stared at the small city beneath his feet.

On an ordinary day, he would not even have bothered to glance at a small city like this. Now, however, he was breaking into a sweat as he looked at it.

"There's no mistake. This is the place."

"This city's heavenly secrets have been concealed. Even I can't see through them. It really is a Sage King Realm expert."

Just as the old man hesitated over whether to enter, a voice suddenly rang out in his mind.

"Fellow Daoist, you've come from afar. Won't you come in and sit for a while?"

As the voice fell, the old man sensed where it had come from.

Hummm-

Suddenly, the space around him underwent a drastic change.

The old man was shocked.

This was a small world forcibly carved out by human power. Only a Sage King Realm expert possessed such ability.

Light flickered, and when the old man opened his eyes again, he found himself in a pavilion, surrounded by mountains and water like a hidden paradise.

Before him sat an old man in a black robe, with white hair and white brows. He made no attempt to conceal his presence as a Sage King Realm expert, making even the old man's soul tremble.

Then the black-robed elder slowly spoke. "Ancestor Qingtian, the seventy-fourth Feather Emperor of the Azure Feather Dynasty. When you were born, a strange phenomenon descended from the heavens. Your fortune was like a dragon, gathering above the Azure Feather Imperial City for seven times seven, forty-nine days without dispersing. You reached the Spirit Concentration Realm at thirty, the Divine Palace Realm at a hundred, and the Saint Realm at three hundred, roaming unhindered across the world."

"Unfortunately, when you were at the peak of the Saint Realm, you failed to break through to the Sage King Realm and suffered a backlash. Now your lifespan is nearly at its end."

After hearing Sage Tianyan's words, Ancestor Qingtian stood rooted to the spot.

Who is he, to know me so thoroughly?

He had never told anyone that his lifespan was nearly at its end!

Fine beads of sweat covered Ancestor Qingtian's forehead. He stared at Sage Tianyan for a long while before asking in a trembling voice, "Y-you are?"

Sage Tianyan smiled faintly and said calmly, "I am Sage Tianyan of the Lu Clan."

Sage Tianyan!

Ancestor Qingtian dared not be careless. He hurriedly searched his memory for anything he knew about Sage Tianyan.

To his surprise, he actually recalled something.

Sage Tianyan, who stirred up winds of blood and rain in Central Province more than a hundred thousand years ago and dominated an entire era with his unbeatable Heavenly Derivation Art!

The Lu Clan-there can be no mistake. It really is him!

"But, Senior Tianyan, haven't you already..."

Ancestor Qingtian's mind was already churning like rivers and seas, and even his voice trembled.

As he remembered it, this figure from more than a hundred thousand years ago had long since fallen.

Yet now, not only was he still alive, he had even broken through to the Sage King Realm.

Could it be that he deliberately spread news of his death back then so he could make his breakthrough in secret?

Looking at the astonished Ancestor Qingtian before him, Ancestor Tianyan offered no explanation. Some things had a better effect when kept mysterious.

"Fellow Daoist Qingtian, aren't you curious why I went out of my way to draw you here?" Ancestor Tianyan's voice was easygoing, but it put Ancestor Qingtian on guard.

Anyone who reached the Saint Realm was naturally no ordinary person.

He had now realized that the other man had deliberately concealed his presence. Otherwise, how could the top experts of the other three provinces have failed to sense a Sage King Realm expert's presence?

As expected of Sage Tianyan. His means of concealing his presence are the best on the Cangxuan Continent!

But what exactly is his purpose in doing this?

Did he lure me here to kill me?

Impossible. Leaving aside the fact that we have no quarrel, if Sage Tianyan made a move, the top experts of the other four provinces would surely sense it.

Since Sage Tianyan has already returned in secret, he would never expose himself so soon.

Then why exactly did he draw me here?

Ancestor Qingtian could not figure it out. He could only shake his head and say, "I don't know."