Don't Waste Such Good Genes

Hong Jingshan’s face gradually darkened. “What do you mean?”

“It’s very simple. I’m not willing to join you.”

Fu Jinyu spoke without expression.

“Same here. I originally came because I thought there might be some benefits. But you dismissed me with a single order to go downstairs and await instructions. Sister Nalan is very displeased.”

Nalan Shisan chimed in as well.

“Ladies, I advise you to keep a low profile. Don’t provoke the Grand Elder. You’re both in the Boundary-Breaking realm. Once you join us, you’ll only need to complete one mission before becoming elders of our clan.”

Wu Kui spoke from the side.

“What’s so great about becoming an elder?”

Fu Jinyu’s expression was cold. “In our Heavenly Demon Clan, I’m already an Empress!”

“That so-called Empress title of yours was nothing more than a game of make-believe. You were only ruling over a bunch of useless weaklings, yet you actually think you’re someone important?”

Hong Jingshan flicked his sleeve. “Only here can you realize your greatest value!”

“Weaklings? They’re members of the Heavenly Demon Clan too! What gives you the right to insult them?”

Fu Jinyu’s tone grew increasingly forceful. “Back then, we had plenty of experts as well. When we fought the Jiuli Clan, where were you? When the other races bullied us, where were you? Now that I’ve reached the Boundary-Breaking realm, you suddenly think I’m useful?”

“Presumptuous! How dare you speak to me like that?”

Hong Jingshan shouted coldly.

“Enough! Senior, I have something to say. Please hear me out.”

Xu Mu tried to smooth things over from the side. “Since the two of them are unwilling to submit, forcing them to lower their heads will only backfire. Why not let them leave? Those who walk different paths cannot make common cause.”

“And what are you supposed to be? Since when does an ant like you have the right to speak here?”

Hong Jingshan glared at Xu Mu and shouted coldly.

“Motherf—”

Before Xu Mu could finish, another figure flew over from the distance. The newcomer was a middle-aged man dressed in black martial attire. He had a burly build and a thick beard, and he was gripping a woman as he landed on the hillside.

The woman was none other than Hua Die.

“Greetings, Grand Elder. Greetings, Seventh Elder.”

The middle-aged man was Hua Xu, the Fifth Elder of the Heavenly Demon Clan.

He was also Hua Die’s father.

“Fifth Elder, what brings you here?”

Wu Kui looked at the middle-aged man and asked with a false smile.

“I happened to be passing by and saw the Grand Elder here, so I came over to say hello.”

Hua Xu pretended not to know what was going on. “Who are these people?”

“Fifth Elder, these are the two Heavenly Demon experts who were hidden in the outside world. They’re the two newcomers who recently reached the Boundary-Breaking realm.”

Wu Kui explained with a smile. “Unfortunately, not only are these two women refusing to join us, they’ve also insulted us.”

Hua Xu nodded inwardly before saying, “Why not just let them leave? Although we’re in desperate need of capable people, it would be better to have no one than to risk mistakes during a mission.”

“This senior is right. They’re both in the Boundary-Breaking realm. You can’t possibly beat them into submission, can you? Even if you did, they’d still have to carry out missions for you in the future. Wouldn’t they simply run off and leak your secrets?”

Xu Mu knew that Hua Xu was speaking up because of his daughter.

If they could leave safely, then at least neither side would owe the other anything.

“Heh heh! Hua Xu, I’ve noticed that you always seem to oppose me.”

Hong Jingshan sneered. “Let me tell you this: even if I cripple these two women, I will never let them leave!”

“Grand Elder, why would you say that? They’re members of our race, too.”

Hua Xu frowned slightly.

“First of all, they showed me disrespect. They’re merely ants at the first level of the Boundary-Breaking realm, yet they actually think this place belongs to them!”

Hong Jingshan continued, “We conducted a thorough investigation into them. Do you know how old they are?”

Hua Xu was puzzled. “What are you getting at, Grand Elder?”

“It’s very simple. These two women are both under fifty years old. Fu Jinyu, in particular, is only a little over forty, according to the information we received.”

Hong Jingshan’s expression was calm as he spoke.

Hua Xu’s expression changed. By now, he had already guessed what the Grand Elder intended to do.

Fu Jinyu and Nalan Shisan looked at Hong Jingshan curiously.

Finally, Fu Jinyu spoke. “What does our age have to do with anything?”

“The average lifespan of our Heavenly Demon Clan is around one hundred and eighty years. According to our traditions, one only enters adulthood after turning forty.”

As Hong Jingshan spoke, he looked toward Hua Die, who was standing beside Hua Xu. “How old are you this year?”

“Reporting to the Grand Elder, I’m thirty-two.”

Hua Die’s expression was respectful.

“Hua Die is already considered a genius among us. At thirty-two, she has reached the peak of the late Grandmaster stage. Let’s say she’s at the Grandmaster pinnacle. Do you think she can successfully cross into the Transcendent realm and reach the Boundary-Breaking realm within the next eight years?”

Hong Jingshan spoke in an indifferent tone.

Xu Mu stared at Hua Die in surprise. She looked obviously much younger, yet he had never imagined that he would actually have to address her as an elder sister.

Clearly, one couldn’t judge the age of these other races by their appearances. The descendants of Yan and Huang were truly at a disadvantage.

After hearing this, Fu Jinyu and Nalan Shisan both looked at Xu Mu at the same time.

[Affinity +20]

[Affinity +20]

Before meeting Xu Mu, both women had relied entirely on themselves to advance.

They knew all too well how difficult that process was.

Without Xu Mu’s help, they felt that even ten or more years might not be enough to cross an entire major stage, let alone eight.

Fu Jinyu had once considered herself a genius. Most people who reached the Grandmaster stage would suffer from deficiencies in their innate foundation when advancing through the Bone-Tempering and Meridian-Strengthening stages. They needed corresponding heavenly treasures and earthly treasures to help them break through.

But Fu Jinyu had never used any of them. She had broken through entirely by relying on her own physique.

It was only when she reached the Organ Refinement stage—the Grandmaster pinnacle—that she failed to advance.

She had then gone out of her way to find a heavenly treasure and finally reached the pinnacle.

However, when attempting to break through from the Grandmaster pinnacle into the Transcendent realm, she had spent several years before finally succeeding.

Afterward, advancing to the mid-Transcendent stage took her several more years.

If she had not met Xu Mu, she would probably have reached only the late Transcendent stage by now. She likely would never have reached the Transcendent pinnacle.

Nalan Shisan was the same. After being driven out by the Jiuli Clan, she had been taken in by the Heavenly Demon Clan, yet she was still bullied. No one understood the benefits of strength better than she did.

She had always been an extremely hardworking person. Later, after joining the Abyssal Church, she had spent those years living with her head practically hanging from her belt.

The main reason she eventually chose to hide in the ruins was that after fighting and killing desperately for several years, her cultivation had not improved at all.

Who could have imagined that she would meet Xu Mu?

Ninth-grade heavenly treasures and divine medicines came to him as easily as candy, one after another.

Apart from the powerful races standing at the pinnacle of the Inner World, she believed that Xu Mu was the only person in the world capable of such extravagance.

“Now you understand, don’t you? They don’t have to work for us, but I’m sure their descendants will.”

Hong Jingshan stood with his hands behind his back. “They’re at the perfect age to bear children. Our Heavenly Demon Clan cannot afford to waste such excellent genes.”

“You bastard! You’re looking for death!”

Fu Jinyu had originally thought he was going to say something else.

Who would have thought she had crippled herself just to bear children for them?

Power erupted from her. She raised her hand and struck at Hong Jingshan.