At this moment, at the Yun family residence.
Located in the eastern district of Nanhua City, the Yun family estate covered over a hundred acres, with pavilions, terraces, and towers arranged in a picturesque layout. It was considered one of the prominent noble estates in the city.
But today, the entire Yun family was shrouded in an oppressive atmosphere.
Inside the main hall, the Azure Cloud Hall, the upper echelon of the Yun family had gathered.
The Yun family's ancestor, Yun Shan, sat in the seat of honor. His face was pale, and his aura was weak.
He had been stuck at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm for eighty years, and his lifespan was nearly depleted. If not for the pills keeping him alive, his oil would have dried up and his lamp would have gone out long ago.
Sitting on the left and right were five elders, all core figures of the Yun family.
At this moment, everyone's face was written with anxiety and worry.
Qinglan and the others... should be back soon, right?
Second Elder Yun He said in a low voice, his fingers tapping the armrest unconsciously.
Calculating the time, if everything goes smoothly, they should arrive within half an hour.
Third Elder Yun Hai sighed.
I am just afraid... that things will not go smoothly.
The atmosphere in the hall grew even heavier.
For this operation to obtain the Heavenly Star Jade Marrow, the Yun family had gambled almost everything.
For a family situated in a remote, small city like the Yun family, the Heavenly Star Jade Marrow was simply a supreme treasure capable of defying the heavens and changing one's fate.
A single piece of Jade Marrow was enough to allow Ancestor Yun Shan to break through to the Soul Formation realm. Once successful, the Yun family would prosper for at least another three hundred years, and might even expand their influence across the entire Heavenly Wind Prefecture.
But precisely because of this, the Jade Marrow had also become a hot potato.
Over the past few years, the Yun family had been secretly monitored by multiple factions at all times.
The City Lord's Estate, several other families, and even some sects outside the city were keeping a close eye on the Yun family's movements.
If the Yun family made a big show of retrieving the treasure, the news would inevitably leak. Then, let alone the Jade Marrow, the entire Yun family would likely face the threat of annihilation.
Therefore, Family Head Yun Shan ultimately chose the most risky and secretive plan.
He only sent his daughter Yun Qinglan to lead the team, taking twenty elite guards, traveling light and slipping out of the city quietly.
Everyone was equipped with magical artifacts that concealed their auras, and their route was meticulously planned to avoid all areas that might be under surveillance.
Although that child Qinglan is only at the early Nascent Soul realm, she has a steady temperament and acts decisively.
Yun Family Head Yun Tian comforted.
Plus, I gave her three Void-Piercing Escape Talismans and a Protective Jade Pendant. Even if she encounters danger, she can retreat unscathed.
Despite his words, his tightly gripped hands and white knuckles on the armrest betrayed his inner nervousness.
That was the daughter he had watched grow up, and the most outstanding disciple among the Yun family's younger generation.
If an accident happened...
The Family Head does not need to worry too much, First Elder Yun Feng consoled.
That child Qinglan has her own natural good fortune. Moreover, with so many life-saving items we gave her, even if she encounters a peak Nascent Soul expert, she can hold her own for a while.
Just at this moment...
A sudden commotion came from outside the hall.
Immediately after, everyone felt that the entire sky... had darkened.
It was not the darkness of dark clouds obscuring the sun, but rather some colossal object blocking the sunlight, casting a massive shadow.
What is going on?
The elders rushed out of the main hall in unison.
They saw an incomparably massive black immortal boat hovering in the sky above the Yun family estate. It blotted out the sun and sky, completely obscuring the heavens.
The immortal boat exuded a terrifying aura. Just hovering there, it made the Yun family members below feel it was difficult to breathe.
If facing a faction of the same level or one level higher, the Yun family's upper echelon might still have the will to be on guard and resist.
But facing such a terrifying, giant immortal boat, only deep awe and powerlessness remained in their hearts.
They knew very well that if the other party harbored ill intent, with the Yun family's strength, they would not even have the qualifications to resist; they would be crushed in an instant.
Fortunately, although that massive pressure was terrifying, it contained no killing intent. Clearly, the other party was not hostile.
Just as everyone was bewildered and uncertain, a thin azure beam of light shot down from the bottom of the giant immortal boat, landing precisely on the open ground in front of the main hall.
When the light dissipated, the figures of Yun Qinglan and over a dozen guards appeared before everyone's eyes.
The Yun family's higher-ups were stunned for a moment, and then wild joy appeared on their faces as they hurriedly stepped forward.
But when they saw the tall and straight figure slowly walking out from behind Yun Qinglan, everyone's footsteps halted, and their eyes were instantly drawn to Gu Changyuan.
Who was this?
When did Yun Qinglan meet such an incredible figure?
To be able to command such a terrifying giant immortal boat, this senior's identity was absolutely not simple.
The eyes of the Yun family members shifted back and forth between Gu Changyuan and Yun Qinglan, filled with inquiry. What exactly was the background of this mysterious powerhouse who could command a giant immortal boat?
Seeing this, Yun Qinglan immediately understood everyone's thoughts. She quickly stepped forward and recounted everything that had happened in the Misty Forest in full detail.
From her leading the team to obtain the Heavenly Star Jade Marrow, to being besieged by the one-eyed old man of the Chixiao Sect and the red-armored burly man of the Beast King Valley, and then to the one-eyed old man personally admitting that the intelligence broker had sold the news of the Heavenly Star Jade Marrow to both the Yun family and the Chixiao Sect at the same time.
Finally, she gave a general account of how Gu Changyuan appeared out of thin air, wiped out all the enemies with a wave of his hand, and asked about the Heavenly Human Sect.
What? That intelligence broker actually dared to sell one piece of information to two buyers? He is simply courting death!
The Chixiao Sect and the Beast King Valley are truly audacious, actually daring to scheme against our Yun family!
Upon hearing Yun Qinglan's account, the Yun family's upper echelon instantly became furious, slamming the tables and standing up. However, the looks they directed at Gu Changyuan were filled with even more gratitude and reverence.
Yun Tian quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply to Gu Changyuan:
If not for Senior stepping in to help, my daughter would likely have met with an unexpected disaster, and this Heavenly Star Jade Marrow would have fallen into the hands of thieves. The Yun family will never forget Senior's great kindness!
The other Yun family higher-ups also stepped forward to express their thanks, their attitudes extremely respectful.
We earnestly request Senior to enter the estate for a short rest, so that we may slightly fulfill our duties as hosts!
Surrounded by the Yun family members, Gu Changyuan walked into the Yun family's main hall.
A sumptuous feast of delicacies had already been laid out in the hall. A dazzling array of rare and delicious dishes was presented, along with several jars of spirit wine rich in spiritual energy.
Evidently, the Yun family had prepared this in advance, waiting to celebrate together once Yun Qinglan brought back the Heavenly Star Jade Marrow.
After taking their seats, Yun Qinglan took the initiative to speak, bringing up the matter of Gu Changyuan wanting to go to the Heavenly Human Holy Land:
Father, Elders, Senior wishes to travel to the Heavenly Human Holy Land in the Western Region of the Eastern Continent. Previously, I only knew the name and general direction of the Heavenly Human Holy Land, but I am unclear about the specific route. I would like to ask you elders to help think of a way.
Hearing the words Heavenly Human Holy Land, the expressions of everyone in the Yun family changed slightly, and then they all revealed looks of difficulty.
Yun Tian sighed and smiled bitterly:
Senior, to tell you the truth, no one in our Yun family has ever been to the Heavenly Human Holy Land. Let alone the Heavenly Human Holy Land, we have never even set foot in cities and factions of a higher tier than Nanhua City.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
