The Seventh Day's Last Wish

At the foot of Mount Yu.

Giant fissures in the cliff face formed natural caves.

However, the cracks bore signs of deliberate chiseling.

On both sides of the fissures, individual stone chambers had been carved into the rock.

These were the dwelling places of the Ancient Clan.

Chen Feng was led by the crowd into a massive stone chamber.

The walls inside were tiered like steps.

On each tier rested numerous ancestral tablets.

Chen Feng accepted an incense stick handed to him by an elder.

Following the rituals he’d seen in dramas,

he first bowed, then planted the incense in the holder, and finally knelt to kowtow three times.

To show respect, he pressed his forehead firmly against the ground, making each bow loud and clear.

But in his heart, he muttered:

"Ancestors, bless me!"

"Maybe we really are related by blood."

"My request isn’t much—just don’t make trouble for me in the future."

After the brief ceremony,

Chen Feng was taken to the Ancient Clan’s training grounds.

The vast arena hung midway up Mount Yu,

one of the mountain’s nine "orifices"—a massive platform spanning a hundred meters in diameter.

By now, the entire Ancient Clan had gathered there.

Elders and children alike

crowded around the enormous square,

whispering and pointing at Chen Feng.

Some girls and children squeezed close to Gu Qianqian, asking eagerly:

"Qianqian, is this outsider really your master?"

"Did he bring you all those fancy things from outside?"

"Qianqian-jie, here’s my vermilion fruit—ask your master to get me an excavator too!"

"Your master’s quite handsome. Is he married?"

...

Normally, these people rarely included Qianqian in their games because she was blind.

And Qianqian herself preferred not to play with them.

Through her Kirin Eyes, their true natures were laid bare—

most were shrouded in vast darkness,

far worse than Chen Feng’s aura.

Others were split evenly between black and white,

forming perfect yin-yang symbols.

Compared to them,

Qianqian would rather spend time with the kirin.

Now, suddenly the center of attention, she felt uneasy.

Once the clan had fully assembled,

the chief, using a Lion’s Roar technique at the Harmony of Heaven and Man realm, boomed:

"Today, we welcome another lost descendant of the Ancient Clan!"

"His name is Chen Feng!"

The voice thundered across the grounds, deafeningly loud.

The chief stepped forward and addressed Chen Feng:

"Having grown up outside, you may not understand our ways."

"You’ve likely heard of Zhang Bowen—he, too, is one of us."

"We’ve also heard of your... disagreement with him."

"But it’s a minor matter. When he returns, we’ll settle it peacefully."

Another elder approached and added sternly:

"You severed Bowen’s arm and stole his Chixiao Sword."

"In retaliation, he demanded compensation from me—a vermilion fruit and my beloved Tai’e Divine Sword."

Hearing this, Chen Feng realized—

this elder must be Qianqian’s grandfather.

The clan’s youths now gaped in shock.

This unassuming outsider was the one who had wounded the mighty Zhang Bowen during Kunlun’s awakening!

Bowen was the Ancient Clan’s strongest warrior.

Yet he’d been defeated by someone raised in the outside world?

Unthinkable.

Gu Changqing frowned in confusion.

How could Chen Feng have possibly overpowered Bowen?

Rumors claimed Bowen had lived over three hundred years,

mastering a dozen techniques to perfection—

including that legendary Saint-tier art.

An outsider, lacking the Ageless Evergreen technique and centuries of cultivation,

so young—how could his martial prowess surpass Bowen’s?

As Gu Changqing puzzled, the chief continued:

"Chen Feng, which martial art would you like to learn?"

"Our clan has mastered many, with several reaching Harmony of Heaven and Man."

"With proper guidance, you’ll avoid wasted effort."

Chen Feng was stunned.

Harmony of Heaven and Man—a near-mythical realm outsiders dreamed of—

yet the Ancient Clan had multiple practitioners?

But their offer posed a problem.

He couldn’t accept.

With his disciple present,

he couldn’t bring himself to deceive her family.

Honesty was the only path.

"I’m not here to learn," he admitted.

"I wish to copy a manual—to teach these arts outside."

The chief’s face darkened instantly.

Murmurs of discontent rippled through the crowd.

Qianqian’s grandfather spoke gravely:

"A warning: the Ancient Clan and the outside world are enemies."

"Though you share our blood, aiding them makes you our foe."

Chen Feng sighed inwardly.

Just as he’d feared—revealing his goal had turned them against him.

Gu Qianqian cried out:

"Grandfather! Master Chen Feng means no harm!"

"Even the kirin doesn’t dislike him!"

Her grandmother yanked her ear sharply.

"Foolish child! What do you know?"

"Even if he’s harmless, can he vouch for every outsider?"

"Three hundred years ago, it was their greed that killed the young kirin!"

A slain kirin?

This was history Chen Feng had never heard.

Three centuries wasn’t so distant—

yet official records only mentioned Kunlun’s awakening,

the 700,000 lives lost,

and Zhang Bowen’s emergence with tales of dragon veins.

No mention of a kirin’s murder.

"The Great Xia nation bears no hostility toward your clan," Chen Feng argued.

"We’ve long revered Kunlun as the dragon vein, sworn to protect it."

An elder scoffed:

"You protect nothing but the treasures within!"

"And your absurd obsession with fortune’s whims!"

"Bowen exposed your schemes long ago."

"His final sixty years are pledged to Great Xia’s destruction!"

The chief declared coldly:

"Your loyalty lies with the outsiders. You reject our humble village."

"For Qianqian’s sake, I’ll spare you."

"But our secrets cannot leave these mountains."

"You’ll remain here—permanently."

Chen Feng stiffened.

They meant to imprison him in Kunlun.

At least they weren’t executing him outright.

Yet staying was impossible.

"I have urgent duties elsewhere. I must decline."

The air turned glacial.

Gu Qianqian screamed in protest—

"Elder, please spare my master. He truly means no harm to the Ancient Clan."

The clan elder chuckled amiably and replied:

"The Ancient Clan bears no ill will toward your master either."

"We merely wish for him to stay with our clan for some time."