Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
“Middle Ages…” Xiao Yan’s heart fluttered a little as he looked at Xiao Zhener.
Xiao Zhener nodded her head, “It is during the period of time when Shen Yuan was killed during the War of the Two Worlds.”
As Xiao Yan heard her, he remained silent and she looked at him weirdly. However, she did not question him further and just continued saying, “After that, to treat me, Father used an avatar to bring me to the Divine Lands to seek for a treatment method.”
“When we passed Wuzhou County one day, he discovered a family in the city with a weird movement of aura around them, such that it was almost unnoticeable. However, it was pertinent to note that it seemed to be a cure for the congenital disease that I had. As Father searched for this family, he came to the Xiao Family. But he is still unable to confirm where that weird aura came from.”
“It was not the aura of powers, or any traces left behind by a powerful person. If it was not for the fact that I was diagnosed with such a weird disease, even Father would not have discovered it.”
Xiao Zhener recalled and said, “Father had the intention to bring your entire family back to the Ancient Longevity World, but he realized that I couldn’t be in the same place as that broken rock. Furthermore, that broken rock is very weird and will not leave the Ancient Longevity World easily. To give me a simple yet relaxed childhood, he decided to leave me at the Xiao Family.”
“On one hand, he could allow me to be treated. On another hand, he could investigate the source of that aura.”
“It’s just that even after I was treated, the source of that weird aura was still never understood. Xiao Yan, after you followed Elder Lin to cultivate, Father came back to Wuzhou County to find me, but he returned with nothing. He even brought the Catastrophic Broken Rock along, but he found out nothing.”
“My body is well now and I am no longer scared of that broken rock, thus I returned to the Ancient Longevity World and started to cultivate officially.”
Xiao Yan, who was deep in thought, regained his awareness, “Catastrophic Broken Rock?”
Xiao Zhener replied, “When the broken rock first experienced changes during the Middle Ages, it once shot out a petrifying red light that revealed the word ‘Catastrophe’.”
After pausing for a moment, Xiao Zhener continued saying, “After that, when I saw that your Nefarious Almighty Sword could open the crack in the Netherworld Sea, I had a guess.”
“That aura might not have originated from the Xiao Family, but from you. When you left Wuzhou County, Father discovered nothing even as he brought the Catastrophic Broken Rock.”
“Once news of this spread, Father and the rest all thought of the same thing too. But they have been unable to verify their guess.”
Xiao Yan said softly, “Over these years, your father has been silently consenting our relationship and has become more open to us being together. Does it have something to do with this matter?”
He never doubted the intentions of Xiao Zhener, but as for her father, he did not know what he was thinking.
“This is not the case.” Xiao Zhener shook her head and looked at Xiao Yan, “Xiao Yan, do you remember that I once mentioned to you that in the Greater World 3000 years ago, the Supreme Elder of the Great Void Sect, Wu Mengqi, once visited the Ancient Longevity World?”
Xiao Yan nodded his head, “He’s the second person after Cai Fengzhou to visit the Ancient Longevity World after the Anti-Celestial Sect War from the Great Void Sect.”
Xiao Zhener paused and said, “He can drum up the resonance from the Catastrophic Broken Rock. On his body, there’s a similar vibration of aura of the Netherworld Sea to the aura in Wuzhou County then.”
“He one proposed to work with us to study the Catastrophic Broken Rock and share the rewards of the findings, but Father rejected his offer.”
Xiao Yan was a little surprised. He looked at Xiao Zhener and Xiao Zhener started to look a little red, but she did not continue.
As she thought of the scene where she questioned her own father, Gu Jun smiled gently, “Silly girl, that’s the dowry I prepared for you. It may not seem valuable, but it’s the most appropriate thing.”
Xiao Zhener was a little surprised, “Father, are you consenting to the marriage between Xiao Yan and I?”
Gu Jun remained calm. After a long while, he said softly, “If possible, I hope that your marriage won’t involve other factors. But to be born in this family, I don’t think that’s possible.”
“All these years, Xiao Yan’s sincerity was recognized by Gu Jun. He saw the magnanimity of Lin Feng. The both of them naturally did not want the marriage of Xiao Zhener and Xiao Yan to involve any other matters. But there were many things that they could not decide.
“Even if the both of us grant the wishes of the both of you, it will be interpreted differently in the eyes of others.”
Gu Jun lightly caressed the hair of Xiao Zhener, “As a father, I approve of your marriage. Xiao Yan is a reliable life partner. But as a ruler and head of the family, I still need to think carefully.”
“What I can promise you is that I won’t choose someone else for you to marry. But you may have to wait.”
Xiao Zhener nodded her head as she heard him, “Father, I understand. I will not make it difficult for you, but no matter how long I have to wait, I will do it.”
Gu Jun smiled, “Silly girl, things may not be as bad as you think. I won’t interfere in your daily interactions with Xiao Yan. As long as things don’t leak outside, there’s nothing harmful. But before things settle down, I can’t marry you off.”
“Father…” Xiao Zhener’s face turned slightly red. After she heard what Gu Jun said at the end, she felt a little said, “Father, I’m sorry for making things difficult for you.”
“You did not, you did not. On the contrary, I am very happy.” Gu Jun sighed lightly and looked at void space, “The lives of the cultivators from my generation have been going on for very long. We formed Daoist couples more to aid each other in our cultivation journey. There might be some that were birthed from real love like you and Xiao Yan. Only for those who were romantically attracted since young are able to more capable of cultivating on the right path.”
Xiao Zhener interrupted, “Just like you and Mother.”
Gu Jun laughed too, and his laughter was filled with warmth, “You!”
As she recalled her conversation with her father then, Xiao Zhener felt bittersweet in her heart. She focused herself and looked at Xiao Yan, “Xiao Yan, Father may bring you to the Catastrophic Broken Rock now that you are here.”
Xiao Yan lowered his head and pondered. After a moment, he turned to look at Xiao Zhener. In his eyes, various scenes flashed and revealed countless disasters.
At this moment, looking at Xiao Yan’s eyes, Xiao Zhener felt as if she was looking at the Netherworld Sea.
Xiao Zhener was shocked, “Xiao Yan, your eyes are just like Elder Wu. They flash the image of the Netherworld Sea too.”
“In the Netherworld Sea, there may be something that connects your family’s Catastrophic Broken Rock, the Supreme Elder from the Great Void Sect, Emperor of the Dead and I.” Xiao Yan said calmly. Xiao Zhener seemed to think of something as she looked at Xiao Yan, “During the Middle Ages, the person who summoned the Netherworld Sea and killed Shen Yuan along with the Supreme Heavenly Mirror is really Wen Chiyang? He isn’t dead and has lived in the Netherworld Sea since the Middle ages? Xiao Yan, you and him…”
Xiao Yan shook his head and said, “There may be a connection, but I don’t think it’s that close. I’m not sure about the details, but this connection exists indeed.”
“The broken rock that your family obtained from the Emperor of the Dead is likely to be the product after the Emperor of the Dead analyzed the Netherworld Sea during the Antiquity Age. During the battle in the Antiquity Age, Wen Chiyang went missing and the Emperor of the Dead might have found something related to him that pointed towards the Netherworld Sea.”
Xiao Yan pursed his lips, “After all, after the Great Void Holy Man and the Buddha passed no news as they went to the Dead Sea, Wen Chiyang became the person that the Emperor of the Dead feared most. When Wen Chiyang was still around, the Emperor of the Dead did not kick up a huge mess even though he was more powerful than Emperor Xia. Only when Wen Chiyang went missing did the Emperor of the Dead rise up.”
“For such a person, how could the Emperor of the Dead be worry-free if his death is a mystery? But before the product of his analysis had achieved much, he was overthrown by your ancestors and the Great Void Sect and was killed once.” Xiao Yan said, “There’s also another possibility – Wen Chiyang had always been in the Netherworld Sea and only managed to achieve something during the War of the Two Worlds during the Middle Ages. He controlled the Netherworld Sea and fought Shen Yuan to the death.”
“After that, Wen Chiyang perished along with Shen Yuan, but the Emperor of the Dead remained hidden, waiting to reveal himself. When he concealed himself, his understanding of the Netherworld Sea also became much deeper, thus he opened the crack in the Netherworld Sea and disturbed the Ancient Longevity World.”
“And the Great Void Sect also believed that he was trying to find out the truth of Wen Chiyang’s disappearance during the Antiquity Age, or he might have also developed an understanding of the Netherworld Sea because of the work that Wen Chiyang left behind.”
As he said till here, Xiao Yan laughed bitterly, “The only think that I don’t understand is myself.”
Xiao Zhener said, “Maybe after you come into contact with the rock, you will know better.”
As they walked on, they finally reached their destination under Gu Cheng’s lead. Although Gu Jun specified that they could move freely in the Ancient Longevity City, the Celestial Sect of Wonders wouldn’t be so rude. If they wanted to roam around, they would request members of the Gu Family to guide them along.
But most of them decided to rest in their room instead.
Duan Muhong was now in Tang Jun’s room and asked curiously, “Master, when do you think the members of the Gu Family will find trouble with us?”
Tang Jun creased his brows, “Why will they find trouble with us? Did the few of you get into trouble again?”
“No, you mentioned it when you chatted with Grandmaster last time. If Grandmaster comes to propose marriage, there will be a few people who have a crush on the Qing Ye Holy Woman who will cause trouble.” Duan Muhong gestured as he spoke, “There will also be elders from the Gu Family who will stand out to demean the marriage of Grandmaster and the Qing Ye Holy Woman. They will also say that he’s like a toad who wants to eat a swan’s meat…”
Tang Jun’s expression turned weirder and weirder as he heard him.
In another room, Lin Feng and Xiao Yan sat facing each other. After a while, Lin Feng lifted his head, “Rascal, what have you been teaching your disciples?”