Inside the high tower of the Immortal Domain.
Fairy Bai remained expressionless.
Compared to Fairy Bai's constant tranquility, Zhao Buqun felt a twinge of envy; this child of the clan's fifty-fourth generation was always so composed.
On the contrary, he, the ancestor, was growing increasingly anxious.
To soothe the unease in his heart, he said in a deep voice, "Bai Ling, Wan's soul has not been extinguished; he must be trapped within the Imperial Capital.
And Tingyu... we do not know what has happened to him either; there is no longer any response from his Longevity Tablet."
"Old Ancestor, if we were to hand over those three children from Jingmiao's lineage now, as Old Daoist Puci and Qingguang suggested, do you think we..." Fairy Bai's voice was calm.
"Hmph!" Zhao Buqun let out a light snort, yet it was far weaker than his previous cold snorts.
"The Li family once killed Baimei; it is possible they are repeating their old tricks.
The one chasing Tingyu must be that Old Ancestor of the Li clan.
That person might be just like the Mad Blood Demon Lord who appeared in the Li clan—nothing more than a fiend!
As long as it isn't like back then, with hundreds of fiends coming to kill us, what does my Zhao Clan have to fear?"
"Besides, this is the third time."
Zhao Buqun sat cross-legged before Fairy Bai.
"This time, there are very few fiends left in the world. One hundred and sixty thousand years have passed; no fiend will remember the affairs of my Zhao Clan.
The Human Emperor has grown old; even he failed to see through Ancestor Wan's identity.
Other places in the world are far less easy to establish a foothold in than this Duravia Trade Prefecture and Azure Cloud Prefecture."
"As long as we obtain a little more Heaven and Earth Qi Luck, the children of my clan will also step into our ranks!"
"The two children of our clan, Qingxia and Hongchang, have reappeared in the world to walk the path of the past once more.
Their natural talents are just as extraordinary as they were back then. Without outside interference, they surely possess the aptitude for the Void Refining realm.
It is a pity that one child died at the hands of those Three Thieves.
You, I, Tingyu, and Feimeng have also become far stronger than we were in the past; stepping into the Integration realm in the years to come is destined by heaven."
"Bai Ling, there is no turning back."
As he spoke, Zhao Buqun let out a long sigh.
"Ever since we met the Old Ancestor, seizing human Qi Luck, contending with demons, contending with the heavens, and contending with the Human Emperor—this, too, is destined by heaven.
If we survive this, and in a hundred or a thousand years, Qingxia and Hongchang step into the Void Refining realm, we will have no more worries."
"This child understands."
Fairy Bai nodded slightly, letting out a long, drawn-out sigh.
She closed her eyes slightly, her eyelashes fluttering.
In a trance, she seemed to see the mountain cave she had walked into back when the family was just living in seclusion deep in the mountains.
And in her ears, the sound of a heartbeat—Thump, thump, thump—suddenly rang out.
At that time, she was still just a little girl. Ancestor Zhao Buqun pointed at the Old Ancestor and said to her—
"My Zhao clansmen are protected by Heaven and Earth, and protected by the Old Ancestor.
Divinity Transformation, Void Refining, Integration, and even above all are destined by heaven."
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The heartbeat still echoed in her ears.
At this moment, deep within the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land of the Immortal Domain, in a place only Void Refining Ancestors could reach, Zhao Jingmiao respectfully held the shattered Longevity Tablet of [Zhao Wan'er] and walked toward the source of a red light.
"Old Ancestor, Ancestor Wan was plotted against and is in dire peril. Now that the clan faces danger once more, this child brings Ancestor Wan's Longevity Tablet to see you first."
"Please rest assured, Old Ancestor. The people my Zhao Clan faces this time are far inferior to the Fiends and the Human Emperor; they are nothing more than jumping clowns."
Having spoken, Zhao Jingmiao took a deep breath and walked forward, taking out an ancient dagger. Though he had come here countless times, he still couldn't help but swallow hard.
A... gigantic heart, a hundred meters tall, connected by blood vessels, was beating continuously. Crimson mucus dripped from it, and it flashed incessantly with red light!
Zhao Jingmiao sliced a small opening in the heart and sent the Longevity Tablet of [Zhao Wan'er] inside.
The wound on the beating heart healed at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Zhao Jingmiao pressed his hand against the heart, seemingly listening to the voice of the so-called "Old Ancestor," his brow locked in a tight frown.
"Yes, Old Ancestor, everything is going smoothly for our clan."
"This child's skill with spirit pills and immortal techniques is becoming increasingly proficient.
In just two hundred years, the child Qingxia will be able to break through to the Void Refining realm.
When that time comes, this child will certainly bring Qingxia to acknowledge his ancestors."
"The Azure Cloud Li Clan is not a cause for concern; the fools of the Duravia Trade Prefecture are holding them back.
We descendants, have our own ways to deal with them. Even if a million or ten million lives are lost, in just a few centuries, we can multiply and recover.
The Heaven and Earth Qi Luck flows ceaselessly, so the Old Ancestor can set his mind at ease."
"..."
Zhao Jingmiao spoke softly.
Meanwhile, outside the depths of this Zhao Clan Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land...
The members of the Zhao Clan went about their lives as usual.
Obeying the orders of the Clan Elders, generation after generation prepared to face what the elders called the "Azure Cloud Li Clan demons."
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
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