The Ancient Qilin Clanâs Manor City was separated into an inner and outer city. The inner city was divided into seven areas, and one of them was occupied by the Ink Qilin Branchâs Ink Manor. This was a massive city, and aside from the buildings, there were also many landscape decorations like mountains and rivers. The scope of the city was similar to the Grand-Orient Sect.
The Solar Disc flew in the sky and directly descended after reaching Ink Manor. There was a magnificent, ink-green gate that was higher than the Imperial Ninefold Gates. Furthermore, there were dozens of saintly heavenly patterns on it, which looked gorgeous under the nightscape.
Past the gate, Ink Manor was brightly lit and seemed prosperous. Tianming estimated that there had to be at least ten thousand people in the manor. Although the Ancient Qilin Clan had been on the decline for the past forty years, that was only for the younger generations. For the Ink Manor alone to be so huge, it seemed like the Ancient Qilin Clan was bigger than Tianming had imagined.
âMo Yu!â Chong Yang yelled upon arriving. Shortly after, a gorgeous woman wearing an ink-colored dress came floating out from the darkness. She had white skin and a well-maintained posture. But her eyes reflected her age, though she probably wasnât any older than the three exalts.
âDidnât the three of you go chasing after Li Muyang?â Mo Yu was at least a saint, as she was able to fly in the air.
âLi Muyang toyed with us and we werenât able to find him. But we managed to find something else, instead,â said Chong Yang.
âWhat is it?â
âLetâs talk about it privately.â
Chong Yang and Mo Yu went to the side and conversed by themselves, and a shocked expression could clearly be seen on Mo Yuâs face. She even turned to look at Tianming several times.
âHe cannot be killed or harmed. Otherwise, Iâm afraid that the Decimo Dao Palace will come looking for us. Weâll impose the lifetime curse on him tomorrow and throw him into the Infernal Soul Purgatory, then think of another method in case Li Muyang doesnât come,â said Chong Yang.
âGot it.â The look in Mo Yuâs eyes changed as she looked at the white-haired Tianming with a complicated expression.
âDoes Li Muyang still have anyone alive in his family?â Chong Yang asked.
âThereâs still some distant relatives. But if youâre talking about someone who shared a close relationship with him, then thereâs only one old man left living in Li Muyangâs old home,â said Mo Yu.
âThen put him there,â said Chong Yang.
âI have a question. Will the Ancient Theocrats take him away if they learn of his existence?â asked Mo Yu.
âI donât know. I reported it to them when the Cyclic Mirror appeared. But the Primeval Autarch told us to take it back to redeem ourselves. After all, the Primeval Autarch had destroyed Li Muyangâs saint origin back then, and he had already lost his cultivation. Otherwise, he wouldnât have had to hide for four decades,â said Chong Yang.
âWhat if the Ancient Theocrats ask for this boy?â
âThen weâll give him to them,â replied Chong Yang.
âBut heâs also Li Shenxiaoâs descendant! Why is his identity so complicated? Does the Decimo Dao Palace know of his existence?â
âWe will officially announce imposing the lifetime curse on him tomorrow. Weâll be able to see the Decimo Dao Palaceâs reaction at that time,â said Chong Yang.
âOkay. We can also see the reaction from the Ancient Theocrats then, too. After all, this childâs identity is a little too convoluted,â said Mo Yu.
âHeâs involved in too many things. I heard from Yun Zhenzhen that the Grand-Orient Sect has someone called Li Wudi, who used the Venomdrake Spike to undergo his Lifesbane for fourteen years, achieving a hexabane and reaching the Sky Saint stage.â Chong Yang knitted his brows.
âAre you joking with me? Where did this hexabane come from?â Mo Yu was stunned.
âThatâs definitely true. She also said that Tianming is the son of that fellow. I only knew that he was just Tianmingâs foster father when I asked that brat.â
âWhat is the Decimo Dao Palace going to do with that hexabane?â Mo Yu asked.
âWith Li Shenxiaoâs status in the Decimo Dao Palace in ancient times, I believe theyâll try getting him to join the palace. Furthermore, theyâll groom him. Thatâs the reason why Iâm having a headache now; itâs all due to that kidâs relationship with that hexabane.â
âWhat if the Decimo Dao Palace tries to take this brat away?â Mo Yu asked.
âThereâs no way we can give them this brat. Heâs a descendant of the Ancient Qilin Clan, so why should we have to give him to them?â Chong Yang replied.
âBut heâs also a descendant of the Li Saint Clan.â
âAnyway, we got him first. Moreover, the lifetime curse is a punishment decreed by the Primeval Autarch. So thereâs nothing the Decimo Dao Palace can say about that.â
âThe lifetime curse will definitely suppress his talent as a pentabane, affecting him greatly. Furthermore, itâll be imprinted on him for a lifetime,â Mo Yu said with pity flickering in her eyes.
âWhat are you thinking? Heâs here to atone for his father. Even if we let him go, heâll still be destroyed sooner or later!â Chong Yang raged.
âFine.â
After they were done talking, Mo Yu walked over and waved her hand at Tianming. âFollow up.â
Tianming turned to cast a glance at Yun Zhenzhen and Jun Niancang, then entered Ink Manor. After he went in, Chong Yang, Jing Yue, and Ling Xing turned to leave. But just when they were about to leave, Yun Zhenzhen suddenly called out to them, âExalted ones....â
The only response was a token flying in her direction, which Yun Zhenzhen immediately received. âTake this token to the Saint Armory and pick a saint beast weapon with less than thirty saintly heavenly patterns,â said Chong Yang.
âYes, thank you!â Yun Zhenzhen immediately expressed excitement. All she did was just contribute a piece of information she had gotten by accident, and she received such a huge reward for it.
After the exalted ones left, Yun Zhenzhen noticed the troubled look in Jun Niancangâs eyes and said, âWhatâs the matter? Did it feel terrible losing to him? Thatâs because he used the Spiritburn Tome. So donât feel too bad about it.â
However, Jun Niancang replied by shaking his head.
âIs it about Heavenâs Elysium, then? Werenât you feeling ashamed of your father? So why are you sad?â
âYou wouldnât understand. Iâm now the only person remaining of my family.â The Jun Clan of Heavenâs Elysium had lost terribly. Jun Niancang closed his eyes in pain. âFurthermore, Iâll never be able to take revenge for Longâer.â
âDidnât you hear that heâs the son of a sinner? His outcome will only be more terrible than you think. Just watch if you donât believe me,â said Yun Zhenzhen.
âIs that so?â
âWhat do you plan to do now?â
âReturn to the Decimo Dao Palace to cultivate,â replied Jun Niancang.
âAfter that?â
âI have no idea. Maybe Iâll be able to take revenge for Longâer one day, or even return to the Grand-Orient Realm and take back Heavenâs Elysium.â
âArenât you someone who longed for freedom?â
âI no longer have the qualification for that, with the feud Iâm bearing,â Jun Niancang said with his voice choking up.
âAlright then, Iâll send you out.â
âOkay.â
âFurthermore, try to forget Yueling Long. Do you know what I mean?â
âMhm?â
âHave you never considered why I went to the Grand-Orient Ream looking for you when you only helped me once?â
âIââ
âHonestly speaking, Iâm happy that sheâs dead.â
......
âExalted one!â Many people greeted Mo Yu when they entered. As they walked, Qilin saint beasts could be seen laying or playing around by the side.
âExalted one, whoâs this?â
âHis arm....â
âIs he related to Li Muyang?â Many people came and surrounded Mo Yu and Tianming, looking at them with gloomy eyes as the two walked in.
âStop asking about it. Thereâs a clan meeting tomorrow,â said Mo Yu.
âYes!â
âDisperse! Donât stand around!â
Although Mo Yu had left with Tianming, there were still many people in Ink Manor, quietly standing there. When Tianming turned around, he could see the rage in their eyes.
......
Passing through the buildings along a small path, Tianming saw an old courtyard. The courtyard was lit, and flames could be seen flickering from within. The brightness here couldnât be compared to the houses down below, and it didnât take long for them to arrive.
âExalted one, where is this place?â
âThis will be your resting place in the future, if you can come out of the Infernal Soul Purgatory,â said Mo Yu.
âGot it.â Tianming didnât think that this place was bad, despite looking a little old and tattered; he was an optimistic person. This place would be his new home, so it didnât seem bad to be away from people. However, he knew that he wouldnât be spending much time there. He knew that, to force Li Muyang to return, they would definitely torture him in the Infernal Soul Purgatory.
âThis is where your father grew up,â said Mo Yu.
âOh?â Tianming became more interested in the place.
âYour grandfather and great grandfather left the world early, so thereâs only an old man inside. Heâs the second uncle of your father, so he can be considered your only relative remaining in this world, aside from your parents,â said Mo Yu.
âLi Muyangâs second uncle?â
If this old man is Li Muyangâs second uncle, wouldnât he be my second grand uncle? Then this old man should be pretty old. After all, Li Muyang should be in his eighties, right? Speaking of which, Li Muyang, that old geezer, had actually gone after his young mother!
âAre you sure youâre not going to change your name?â Mo Yu cast a glance at Tianming, then shook her head. Taking a few more glances at Tianming, she continued, âYou look like Yang when he was younger.â
âYang?â
âYour father.â
âHahaha!â Tianming couldnât hold back his laughter when he heard that.
âWhatâs your cultivation right now?â Mo Yu asked.
âFourth-level Heavenly Will.â
âAre you sure? You seem to be higher than that,â replied Mo Yu.
âThen add a few more levels if you want.â
Mo Yu was curious when she saw how fearless Tianming was. Wasnât he afraid of what he would be facing? She asked, âYouâre a pentabane, so why isnât your cultivation higher?â
âI started cultivating late.â
âHow late?â
âWhen I was already a teenager.â
âYour parents didnât care about you?â
âNope,â Tianming lied. Right now, he just wanted to avoid talking about Wei Jing so his mother wouldnât be pulled into this vortex.
âWhat a pity then. After imposing the lifetime curse on you and throwing you into the Infernal Soul Purgatory, your talents will be suppressed. You wonât be able to make any improvements on your cultivation, and youâll also lose the chance to catch up to your peers,â Mo Yu sighed. She patted Tianmingâs shoulder and hesitated briefly, then said, âItâs useless to try to escape. You wonât be able to leave Ink Manor. Just rest well for the night. Tomorrow, the entire Ancient Qilin Clan will come to know about you.â
Tianming was standing halfway up the mountain. From his position, he could see the entire Manor City. The city was brightly lit, and its heart was like the day. Looking at it, Tianmingâs eyes blazed. That must be the Infernal Soul Purgatory.
Suddenly, the courtyard gate opened with a creak. A blind old man wearing an undershirt and a pair of shorts walked out holding on to a cane, âYang, is that you? Are you back home?â