âWith the emergence of the Ancient Eraâs clans and the Seven Realms Sacred Mansionâs growing ambitions, we are facing threats from all sides. Our clan thought it would be unwise to get swept away by the circumstances, so we chose to go into hiding.
âHowever, we have a treasure that the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion covets. The Seven Realms Sacred Mansion might investigate the matter and pursue us if we disappear out of the blue, so we put on this act to convince the world that we were purged by an Ancient Eraâs clan.
âIt might not dispel all suspicions, but it should minimize speculations as long as our act is convincing enough,â Little Fishy explained.
âAre your clansmen safe?â Chu Feng asked.
âYes, they are all safe. Donât worry, big brother,â Little Fishy replied.
However, Chu Feng frowned in contemplation.
Sensing something was amiss, Little Fishy asked, âWhatâs wrong, big brother?â
âI visited a place not long ago and stumbled upon an Ancient Eraâs race. There was a golden-haired man who addressed himself as a god wearing your Immortal Sea Fish Clanâs armor. I asked him about the armor, and he asked me if I knew about the Immortal Sea Fish Clanâs massacre before confessing to being the one behind it.â
Chu Feng stared at Little Fishy as he shared his story, and he noticed her pursed lips and shifty eyes. So, he asked, âDo you know that man?â
Little Fishy cast a sweeping glance at her surroundings to confirm that they were the only ones around before replying, âI know him, but why did you go to the Golden River Upper Realm?â
âAn elder I know found energy there thatâs beneficial to her breakthrough. We didnât expect it to be occupied. Little Fishy, do you know their background?â Chu Feng asked.
âJust a little. A few years back, my father asked me what I wanted as a reward after I made a breakthrough in my cultivation. I wanted to go to the Ancestral Martial Galaxy, but he rejected my request and instead listed a few places for me to choose from.
âI thought the situation surrounding the Golden River Upper Realm sounded interesting, so I went there with my father. We noticed a peculiar lake and investigated it. My father opened the entrance using our clanâs treasure, and we soon found ourselves in that underground realm. There, we met them.
âThey proclaim to be a God Clan, but they are an Ancient Eraâs clan. The golden-haired man you mentioned should be the same person that my father and I met back then.â
Little Fishy drew a personâs face with her spirit power.
It was the golden-haired man Chu Feng met.
âYes, thatâs him.â Chu Feng nodded.
âTheir clansmen usually donât have fixed names, but heâs an exception. His name is Shen Yi,â Little Fishy said.
âShen Yi? What kind of name is that?â Chu Feng frowned in disdain, though he quickly remembered the names of the Totem Nine Daoists and the World Spiritist Emperor.
âTheir clansmen are named by their ranking. Among them, there are a hundred brothers who are far stronger than the others, and he is the strongest one among the hundred brothers. Thatâs why he is known as Shen Yi. If his ranking changes, his name will change as well,â Little Fishy explained.
âThatâs interesting,â Chu Feng remarked.
âIsnât it? I thought it was interesting too.
âHe initially took a hostile stance against us, but he didnât attack us right away. When he learned about our plight, he changed his attitude and proposed an alliance with us.
âMy father was hesitant about it, but with the opening of Godâs Era and the growing instability in the world of cultivation, he thought the Golden River Upper Realm is indeed a good place for us to hide, not to mention their clan is powerful and sincere about the alliance. So, he accepted the offer.
âSo, we migrated all our clansmen over,â Little Fishy said.
âIn other words, he is your ally?â Chu Feng asked.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âThatâs right.â Little Fishy nodded.
âHe was arrogant. He doesnât look like the type who will ally with others,â Chu Feng pointed out.
Little Fishy was alarmed. âBig brother, did he⦠make things difficult for you?â
âIt would be unfair to say that, since we were at fault for intruding on their territory and using their energy,â Chu Feng replied with a bitter smile. ðð�
Even so, he didnât think they were good people. The refinement formations that covered the entire Golden River Upper Realm showed as much.
âWhat happened, big brother? Are you injured?â Little Fishy nervously assessed Chu Feng.
âIâm fine. You can take a look if youâre worried.â
Chu Feng offered his pulse to allay Little Fishyâs worry.
Little Fishy quickly grabbed Chu Fengâs wrist to examine his condition. It was only after confirming that he was unharmed did her tense expression loosened, and she exhaled in relief.
âWhile it was our fault for intruding, I donât think he would help others out of goodwill either.â
Chu Feng told Little Fishy what they had encountered. Little Fishy was enraged.
âThat bastard! How can he treat big brother in such a manner!â
Fearing that Chu Feng would misunderstand, Little Fishy quickly explained, âBig brother, my father had to make compromises for our clan, but I swear that neither my father nor I knew about the formations before we accepted the alliance. All the formations were inactive when we first entered the underground world. We only found out about it later.â
âI understand.â Chu Feng smiled. âDo you know why they are assimilating cultivators? Is it for their cultivation, or do they have another use for it? You donât have to tell me if itâs inconvenient. Iâm just curious.â
âThere are no secrets I canât share with big brother. Based on what I know, those arenât refinement formations but tribute formations.â
âTribute formations?â
âThere is a sacred sculpture in their clan. They call it the Ancestral God. Once in a while, they will hold a ritual for the sculpture, and included among the tribute are cultivator souls.â
Chu Feng frowned.
It was one thing if they were refining cultivators for their cultivation, but to think they were sacrificing cultivators to their ancestors as if they were livestock. They werenât even treating those cultivators like humans at all!
âLittle Fishy, you should keep your guard up around them,â Chu Feng said.
âDonât worry, big brother. My father is aware of that. By the way, do you have anything on your hands at the moment?â Little Fishy asked.
âDo you need me for something? What is it? Your affair takes priority,â Chu Feng asked.
âIt isnât anything much. Elder Guild Leader told me there are changes in the Immemorial Massacre Sea, so Iâm thinking of heading there to take a look. Big brother, why donât you accompany me?â
Chu Feng burst into laughter. âWhat a coincidence. We were planning to head there too.â
âIs that so? Thatâs wonderful.â Little Fishyâs smile widened.