Chapter 27: Shangguan Ancestor, Longevity Heavenly Venerable
“Heaven has eyes, it did not let my Shangguan family end here!” Ancestor Shangguan’s remnant soul looked at Shangguan Lan kneeling on the ground before him, his heart filled with emotion.
“I only learned of the massacre of my Shangguan family later on. I thought the inheritance of my Shangguan family had been severed, but thankfully you are alive!” Ancestor Shangguan’s remnant soul personally helped Shangguan Lan to her feet, tears brimming in his eyes.
“Ancestor, the vengeance for the massacre of my Shangguan family has already been avenged!” Shangguan Lan stood up and introduced you to the Ancestor. “This is my Master. It was he who avenged this junior.”
“Many thanks for Fellow Daoist’s assistance. A small token of my gratitude, please accept it, Fellow Daoist.” Ancestor Shangguan took out a storage bag and handed it to you.
You put away the storage bag and found that it actually contained one thousand middle-grade spirit stones. You nodded at Ancestor Shangguan and said nothing.
“Ahem, child, come with me. Your Ancestor will take you to obtain our Shangguan family’s inheritance.” Ancestor Shangguan turned to look at Shangguan Lan and, taking her hand, was about to head inside.
Hearing this, Shangguan Lan turned to look at you.
“Don’t be afraid, your Master will accompany you.” You strode forward to Shangguan Lan’s side and ruffled her hair.
“Mm.” Shangguan Lan’s face flushed slightly, her voice soft.
“Fellow Daoist, this inheritance is a secret of my Shangguan family. Outsiders cannot enter.” Ancestor Shangguan refused, and at the same time secretly transmitted his voice to you. “Fellow Daoist, after my Shangguan family’s inheritance is complete, I will naturally present a great gift. I hope Fellow Daoist will wait here a moment.”
“Oh? And if I insist on entering?” As you spoke, your Mystic-rank middle-grade flying sword was already drawn, its tip pointed straight at Ancestor Shangguan!
“You!” Ancestor Shangguan was furious. “You refuse the toast only to drink the forfeit! Today I will let you, a junior, witness my power!”
The moment the words left his mouth, you thrust out a sword strike aimed straight at Ancestor Shangguan’s vital point.
Off to the side, Shangguan Lan watched the two of you fight, her face full of worry.
Three breaths later, Ancestor Shangguan’s remnant soul had grown dim and lusterless. Looking at the Soul-Refining Banner in your hand, he hurriedly begged for mercy. “Spare me, Senior! This junior failed to recognize Mount Tai, I will take Senior inside right now!”
“Master, this is…” Shangguan Lan came to your side, looking at Ancestor Shangguan who had just been taught a lesson, somewhat hesitant.
“It’s fine, let’s go. Let’s see just what your Shangguan family’s inheritance is.” You gave no explanation, ordering Ancestor Shangguan to lead the way.
Ancestor Shangguan immediately formed hand seals, chanting incantations under his breath, and soon activated the formation within the ancestral hall. In an instant, the entire Shangguan Ancestral Hall underwent a world-shaking transformation.
Ancestor Shangguan gave you a deep look and explained, “Follow me. This is a formation my Shangguan family specially set up so that the inheritance would not be seized by others. If you accidentally touch any of the other formations, even I cannot save you.”
After reading Elder Qing’s formation insights, your understanding of formations could be considered decent. In truth, when you first entered the ancestral hall, you had already noticed this formation.
It was just that you had only recently dabbled in the way of formations, and were not very familiar with it. You didn’t know how to activate it.
You continued deeper, and soon arrived before a stone gate. Ancestor Shangguan turned to look at the two of you, beckoning to Shangguan Lan. “Child, come here. This gate requires your blood to open.”
Shangguan Lan looked at you, her eyes conveying a question.
“Go on. With your Master here, it’s fine.” You gently nudged Shangguan Lan.
Shangguan Lan nodded and walked toward Ancestor Shangguan.
“Formation, rise!” The moment Shangguan Lan drew near, Ancestor Shangguan suddenly turned hostile. A formation appeared beneath the spot where you stood, trapping you.
“Hahahaha! Boy, you’re still too green to contend with your Ancestor!” Ancestor Shangguan laughed heartily at you. “This formation can trap even Golden Core cultivators. You just stay here obediently!”
“Master, are you all right?” Shangguan Lan’s face was frantic as she hurried to you, questioning through the formation.
“I’m fine. Disciple, step back.” As you spoke, you rubbed your hands together, preparing to test the might of this formation.
“Tch, with your Foundation Establishment cultivation, you think you can break this formation? How laughable!” Seeing your movements, Ancestor Shangguan couldn’t help but sneer. Then he prepared to pull Shangguan Lan toward the stone gate.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
You fully circulated the Heavenly Lightning Body-Refining Art, converging all the physical power of your body into your right hand, and delivered three resounding punches at the formation before you.
Three punches, and the formation that Ancestor Shangguan claimed could trap Golden Core cultivators shattered outright!
“How could that possibly be!” Ancestor Shangguan looked at this scene with utter disbelief.
“What exactly is your cultivation?”
“If others do not provoke me, I do not provoke them. If others provoke me, I will kill them!”
This time, you held nothing back. The Soul-Refining Banner appeared in your hand, and you channeled it, about to take Ancestor Shangguan inside.
“I am that little girl’s Ancestor. If you kill me, are you not afraid she will take revenge in the future!” Ancestor Shangguan, knowing he could not resist, hurriedly spoke.
Hearing this, you looked at Shangguan Lan beside you and said nothing.
“Please, Ancestor, face death!” Meeting your gaze, Shangguan Lan came to your side and bowed toward Ancestor Shangguan.
“Haha, good!” You were very pleased, and immediately channeled the Soul-Refining Banner to take Ancestor Shangguan inside.
Soon, Ancestor Shangguan became one of the souls within your Soul-Refining Banner, and you thereby obtained some of his memories.
You directly summoned Ancestor Shangguan and made him explain the matter of the inheritance clearly.
“The inheritance can only be inherited by those of the Shangguan family bloodline!” Ancestor Shangguan’s remnant soul spoke expressionlessly. “I had intended to seize this girl’s body after she obtained the inheritance, but who would have thought a variable like you would appear.”
“Master, you don’t need to explain anything to me on purpose. This disciple believes in Master unconditionally!” Shangguan Lan looked at you, speaking earnestly. “If not for Master, this disciple likely could not have avenged my father’s death, nor escaped that demon den, the Azure Cloud Sect, much less collect my parents’ bodies!”
You patted Shangguan Lan’s head and smiled. “Your Master knows. Come, let’s go see just what your Shangguan family’s inheritance is!”
“Mm!” Shangguan Lan opened the stone gate with her own blood and stepped inside first, you following close behind.
The moment you entered, you felt the extremely dense spiritual qi of heaven and earth within, ten times denser than what had once been in the Body-Refining Sect!
“Master, look!” Shangguan Lan pointed ahead, and you saw a jade slip.
You reached out, and the jade slip came directly to your hand. You handed it to Shangguan Lan, and the moment she touched it, a soul body emerged from the jade slip.
“I am the Ultimate Longevity Heavenly Worthy, the creator of the Boundless Longevity Art. My descendants who obtain this technique must diligently cultivate it, and ascend to the Immortal Realm as soon as possible!”
Having spoken, the remnant soul glanced at Shangguan Lan, then directly dissipated.