Far away, in another corner of the world.
Suddenly, a surge of Qi fluctuated, rippling through the sky.
A black-robed young man, seated atop a mountain range, trembled violently.
“Ugh!”
Xu Qiye groaned, fine beads of cold sweat appearing on his forehead. An inexplicable icy power surged from the depths of his Divine Soul Origin, seemingly trying to penetrate his Sea of Consciousness and corrupt his mind.
“What’s going on!?”
Xu Qiye’s expression changed drastically, his face filled with shock and suspicion.
Before he finished speaking.
Within the Origin Sea of his Divine Soul, black blood and Evil Qi suddenly churned, as if some sinister malevolence had broken free from an abyss, threatening to drag his entire being into a demonic chasm!
“This is... a remnant of demonic blood?!”
At that instant, Xu Qiye’s eyes widened in horror, his Divine Soul trembling, almost immediately losing control. He sensed that this anomaly was following some ancient mark, and its source was precisely the Soul Seal entrusted to Xu Yang’s body!
“Damn it!”
Without time to think, he immediately forcefully activated his Divine Soul power, using his own Origin as a guide to sever the Divine Soul connection with Xu Yang!
“Sever!”
A furious roar, like a thunderclap from the Nine Heavens, reverberated.
The soul bridge in his Sea of Consciousness shattered with a boom.
But the next moment, his face turned even paler, and he nearly fell from the air. His Qi and blood churned in his chest, and a mouthful of crimson vital blood spurted out, scattering across the sky.
His body swayed, and he hurriedly sat down, forcefully suppressing the backlash from the remnant of demonic blood.
“Hoo… hoo…”
Xu Qiye gasped for air, as if he had just walked back from the brink of death, his back drenched in cold sweat.
“I almost became a demon…”
He gritted his teeth, his face extremely grim, a chilling coldness flickering in his eyes.
“How did they do it?”
“The Jiang Clan, can they actually use my Divine Soul Clone to cast a curse?”
“And… that demonic remnant soul is extremely insidious, clearly using some evil object as a guide, specifically targeting my Origin!”
Xu Qiye slowly closed his eyes, carefully observing the changes within himself.
Although he had temporarily suppressed it, he knew very well that the demonic blood had already contaminated his Origin.
An indelible demonic impurity quietly lurked in the deepest part of his Sea of Consciousness, like a demonic seed buried beneath his Dao Foundation.
“Damn it! My Foundation is damaged… if my Dao Heart wavers in the future, I’m afraid I really will become a demon!”
Xu Qiye’s face was ashen, his eyes chilling.
A moment of silence.
He suddenly muttered to himself:
“I shouldn’t have underestimated the Jiang Clan… they are, after all, a Longevity Immortal Clan.”
“The Jiang Clan has an ancient Legacy, a Great Emperor protecting their Family… their Foundation is unfathomable.”
“I miscalculated!”
“Moreover, the Jiang Clan has already realized that someone is orchestrating things behind the scenes.”
Xu Qiye murmured, his gaze as deep and cold as night.
But then he thought again, and his brows furrowed:
“It’s just strange! Why hasn’t the Jiang Clan taken their anger out on the Xu Family? Isn’t Jiang Ye a profligate son? Can he endure such an insult?”
“Something’s not right…”
Light flickered in his eyes, his thoughts churning like a tide.
“The subsequent plan must change. It can no longer be as direct as before.”
...These past two days.
Throughout the Myriad Domains of the Heavens, various cultivation powers were all discussing one matter.
The remarks made by Xu Yang, the fourth in line of the Xu Family, and Xu Qing, the second in line, who successively insulted Jiang Ye, Divine Son of the Jiang Clan, and clamored to provoke an immortal war, had already spread throughout the Heavens.
Recording stones had long been circulated, and were even selling like hotcakes in the market.
And at this moment.
Inside the Xu Family’s main hall, the atmosphere was extremely heavy.
A middle-aged man in a purple-gold Daoist robe was frowning deeply.
He was the current Xu Family Head.
In his hand, he held a crystal-clear recording stone, and with the flow of magical power from his fingertips, he slowly unfolded the scene within it.
In the image, Xu Yang was on the Spirit Boat, his face ferocious, his words disrespectful and arrogant to the extreme.
“Jiang Ye, Divine Son of the Jiang Clan? He’s nothing but a dog. If you dare to touch me, Xu Yang, I will surely exterminate your nine generations!”
“My Xu Family shall establish an eternal reputation. If the Jiang Clan is not convinced, then let’s go to war!”
The audio and video in the recording stone were clear, with no signs of tampering.
Watching this scene, the Xu Family Head felt a headache and a throbbing vein in his temple.
He had heard about this matter long ago, but when he actually saw the recording, he still felt a chill in his heart.
“Absurd! It’s simply a disgrace to my Xu Family!” he cursed in a low voice, yet he was helpless.
Below, several Elders had long since exchanged glances.
Among them, a thin old man with white hair and beard slowly stood up.
He was the Second Elder of the Xu Family, Xu Yongchun.
His tone was steady, and he said in a deep voice, “Family Head, there might be something strange about this matter.”
“Xu Yang is my direct Disciple. His temperament is humble and reserved, and he has strictly adhered to Family rules since childhood. He is definitely not such a foolish person.”
“Given his character, he would never utter such arrogant words in public, let alone in front of people from the Jiang Clan… I suspect there might be an anomaly with Xu Yang.”
The Xu Family Head pondered, his expression growing even more solemn, and he said in a low voice, “I have considered what you said.”
“But now the matter has reached a boiling point. All forces are watching, and even many other Dao lineages have subtly hinted…”
“Our Xu Family, I’m afraid, must provide a reasonable explanation.”
The Xu Family Head sighed, looked at the dim light outside the hall, and slowly said,
“Everyone still remembers what happened thirty years ago, right?”
His voice was not loud, but it carried an indescribable pressure, making the air in the entire main hall seem to grow heavier.
Thirty years ago, Empress Hongye personally descended above the Xu Family. For an old score, she forcefully demanded accountability.
To appease her, the Xu Family.
Exhausted several immortal vein spirit mines, several ancient cities, and two Imperial Artifacts to get Empress Hongye to leave.
Even the Great Emperor Old Ancestor, who was in seclusion, was unable to make her retreat a single step!
Even though the Xu Family was at its peak then, they still couldn’t hold their heads high and became the laughingstock of all sides.
“That Empress is strong-willed, stubborn, and particularly protective of her own.”
“Now, it’s not just anyone who’s in trouble… but her own son, Jiang Ye, Divine Son of the Jiang Clan.”
Speaking of this, Xu Heng’s tone became even more solemn.
He never forgot the pressure of the Empress’s arrival that day.
After that incident, the Great Emperor Old Ancestor in the Family also reminded him that they must not have any more conflicts with the Jiang Clan in the future.
Afterwards, the Xu Family had always been well-behaved, but now such troublesome matters had occurred. What should they do?
At this moment, a hurried footsteps approached from afar.
A eunuch quickly entered the hall, cupped his fists, and saluted: “Reporting to Family Head, another letter has arrived from the Jiang Clan.”
The Xu Family Head raised an eyebrow, motioning for it to be presented.
He swept his Divine Sense over it, and the contents of the letter were fully revealed, his expression immediately changing slightly.
“Jiang Ye, Divine Son of the Jiang Clan, wants my Xu Family to send an ‘Arbiter’ to their Family to discuss the explanation in person.”
“This means they want to start an immortal war?” an Elder exclaimed, his face pale.
An Arbiter refers to a person chosen to represent the attitude of the entire Dao lineage, the principal person who presides over major decisions, usually only appearing at the most critical moments.
If they couldn’t reach an agreement, it was likely that an immortal war would indeed be launched.
The Xu Family Head slowly shook his head, and said in a deep voice, “Not necessarily. The wording in the letter is quite neutral, and still shows some restraint…”
“However, our Family’s second in line has also encountered trouble!”
The faces of several Elders in the hall immediately changed.
“Second in line? Is it Xu Qing?” An Elder’s voice trembled.
The Xu Family Head’s eyes were dark, and he slowly raised his hand expressionlessly. A recording stone appeared in response.
Under the activation of magical power, the image emerged.
In Spirit Pool Sky Mountain, Xu Qing was laden with treasures, his demeanor arrogant, and his words presumptuous.
The image quickly flowed.
The recording finally froze at the moment Jiang Ye’s finger descended, the Void Realm trembled, divine radiance was annihilated, and Xu Qing turned to ashes, his Divine Soul completely destroyed.
The atmosphere once again plunged to a freezing point.
No one spoke again.
Even the Xu Family Head, at this moment, had killing intent and anger in his eyes.
He put the recording stone into his sleeve, looked at the Elders, and slowly spoke:
“He’s not the first.”
“First Xu Yang, now Xu Qing, two successive heirs have encountered trouble, and both spoke arrogantly in front of Jiang Ye.”
“Do you think this is a coincidence?”