Thunderous Suppression! The Shocked Sect Master!
Huang Yuanjing was deep in meditation within his quiet chamber when a sudden jolt gripped his heart—the defensive formation he'd personally set up had been shattered. He started to rise, but Guan Zilan pushed the door open and strode in.
"Elder Guan!"
Huang Yuanjing froze in place.
Guan Zilan said coolly, "Gather everyone from the three families. We're meeting at the Qin residence."
"Yes!"
Huang Yuanjing replied respectfully.
After getting thrashed, he'd become much more obedient.
Soon, all the core members of the three families assembled in the Qin family's secret chamber. With a wave of her hand, Guan Zilan erected a barrier around them. Then she spread her fingers wide, and dozens of streams of light shot from her palm into their bodies.
"Elder Guan, what are you doing?"
The crowd panicked!
Guan Zilan unleashed her aura and spoke calmly, "No need to worry. This is just a seal to prevent leaks. As long as you don't blab about Qin Changqing's secrets, it won't affect you at all."
The group was still shaken, fidgeting uneasily.
Guan Zilan swept her gaze over them. "I'm taking Qin Changqing with me. Do the three families have any objections?"
The three families exchanged glances, each seeing the unwillingness and helplessness in the others' eyes.
Objections? Of course they did!
But no one dared voice them!
Even Huang Yuanjing, a Golden Core cultivator, could only seethe in silence before Guan Zilan, head bowed low.
The three families had anticipated this outcome, but they'd clung to a sliver of hope deep down.
They hadn't expected Guan Zilan to be so decisive and overbearing, leaving no room for negotiation.
That fresh seal was a blatant warning.
Guan Zilan nodded. "Good. From this day forward, I don't want to hear a single word about Qin Changqing from anyone. Once you're back, erase all memories of him from every mortal and cultivator who knows he exists. No exceptions. Understood?"
"We obey the elder's decree!"
The crowd bowed in unison, faces twisted in bitterness.
Once Guan Zilan departed, the terrifying pressure—like a mountain bearing down—finally lifted. Everyone let out a long breath of relief.
"Elder Guan is too domineering..."
"Yeah, she's leaving our three families no way to survive!"
"Qin Changqing is the Qin family's son-in-law!"
"Friend Huang, are we really handing Qin Changqing over just like that?"
The three families buzzed with discussion, their faces etched with resentment and fury.
Huang Yuanjing raised a hand, silencing the room.
"Do as Elder Guan says. There's no room for maneuvering anymore. We can't protect Qin Changqing."
Huang Yuanjing sighed deeply and waved them off.
The crowd dispersed, their expressions ashen.
In Guan Zilan's eyes, the Huang, Qin, and Lin families were utterly overreaching. With their meager strength, dreaming of monopolizing Qin Changqing was pure folly.
Forget them—even a powerhouse like the Guan family couldn't swallow him whole.
Cultivation clans had shallow foundations and severe limitations; they couldn't nurture so many spirit root seedlings. Only a grand sect like Taiqing Sect, with its ancient heritage and deep reserves, could hide Qin Changqing properly without harming the children.
The three families were just frantically having him sire kids, but they only knew how to breed, not raise. Too many children would drag them straight to ruin.
Surplus leads to loss; overflow brings depletion!
Good thing she'd discovered him early—otherwise, the three families might have doomed Qin Changqing.
Nurturing disciples wasn't easy. Even sects strained to raise two Heavenly Spiritual Root holders at once, let alone these minor clans.
The three families understood this logic, but who could resist the temptation of a man who could produce spirit roots?
Under Guan Zilan's pressure, the three families moved swiftly. Within days, everything was handled.
Guan Zilan took Qin Changqing, Huang Miaoying and her child, plus the four Heavenly Spiritual Root children and their mothers, back to the sect first.
As for Qin Changqing's other wives and children, the three families would send them to Taiqing Sect in batches.
And now, the three families had no choice but to become affiliated with Taiqing Sect, standing on the same frontline and sharing its fate.
——
In the eastern reaches of Jing Kingdom stretched a vast mountain range spanning thousands of miles, cradled by verdant peaks and clear waters, its scenery breathtaking. Peaks dotted with halls and caves sparkled like stars.
This was Jing Kingdom's premier sect: Taiqing Sect.
In the main hall's quiet chamber atop Chiyang Peak.
An elder in a cloud robe embroidered with gold trim sat cross-legged, his three-strand beard draping over his chest, faint ripples of the Dao swirling around him.
This was Taiqing Sect's Sect Master, Liu Qinghui.
"Sect Master, Elder Guan requests an audience!"
A voice came from outside.
"Let her in!"
The chamber door swung open. Guan Zilan stepped inside and bowed. "Greetings, Senior Brother Sect Master."
Liu Qinghui smiled. "No need for formalities. What brings you here, Junior Sister Guan?"
Guan Zilan glanced around. "Could Senior Brother activate the formation?"
Liu Qinghui's white brows arched, but he didn't refuse. A talisman flew from his sleeve into the wall, and a golden formation barrier sprang up around them.
"What has you so urgent, Junior Sister?"
Guan Zilan wasted no words. She removed a cloth sack from her waist, tapped it with a spell, and over a dozen figures tumbled out.
Liu Qinghui blinked in surprise. "Junior Sister, what is the meaning of this?"
Guan Zilan took one child's hand and led him forward. "Senior Brother will understand at a glance."
"Oh?"
Liu Qinghui looked puzzled but extended his hand, his divine sense enveloping the child.
"Heavenly Spiritual Root!"
Liu Qinghui's eyes snapped open, his face lighting up with joy. "Junior Sister, you've given me a tremendous surprise!"
Guan Zilan smiled. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Senior Brother. Look at this one."
She brought over another child.
Liu Qinghui was baffled. What was she getting at?
No way this one was also a Heavenly Spiritual Root. Impossible!
Yet as his divine sense scanned the child, his body trembled, disbelief flooding his face. "Another Heavenly Spiritual Root?"
"Junior Sister, where did you find these two geniuses?"
Liu Qinghui's gaze burned with eagerness.
Two Heavenly Spiritual Roots!
Taiqing Sect didn't have a single one right now!
Guan Zilan just smiled and brought forward two more children.
"Junior Sister, you're not telling me these two are Heavenly Spiritual Roots as well, are you?"
"Yes. Heavenly Spiritual Roots!"
Guan Zilan watched Liu Qinghui with a faint smile.
She knew his reaction would be priceless.
Taiqing Sect currently lacked standout disciples—the best were Earth Spiritual Roots, or innate roots like Huang Miaoying's.
As Sect Master, his hunger for exceptional talents was palpable.
The allure of Heavenly Spiritual Roots for him was unimaginable.
Liu Qinghui nearly yanked out his beard, shock overwhelming him. "Junior Sister, you're not saying all five children are Heavenly Spiritual Roots, are you?"
Guan Zilan chuckled. "Senior Brother, you're overthinking it."
Liu Qinghui exhaled slightly, steadying himself. That made sense—if they all were, it'd be too much. But a part of him regretted it; if they truly were, he'd pawn everything to raise them!
"Only four are. This one isn't!"
Guan Zilan took the baby from Huang Miaoying's arms and presented him to Liu Qinghui. "Senior Brother, what do you make of this child's aptitude?"
Liu Qinghui chuckled inwardly. Was his junior sister testing his Dao heart? Just one more Heavenly Spiritual Root? After the previous four, his mind was already calm.
But when his divine sense enveloped the infant, his body shuddered violently, his voice quaking. "This... this is a special physique... Azure Marrow Chill Body!"
Azure Marrow Chill Body! A special innate spirit body from ancient texts, surpassing even Heavenly Spiritual Roots. Not just the top ten sects—even all of Jing Kingdom hadn't seen one in ages!