Chapter 61: This Youth Must Not Be Spared!
Upon receiving the tragic news, Yun Zhiqiu dared not delay and hurried to a quiet chamber deep within the ancestral residence.
Inside the chamber, wisps of incense smoke curled through the air, and a lone candle burned steadily, its flame casting a brilliant glow despite the nearly exhausted oil in its holder.
A soft cough echoed from within the misty haze.
"Zhiqiu, come closer..."
As the words faded, the smoke dispersed, revealing an elderly man dressed in luxurious robes. Though his face bore the marks of age, his posture remained upright as he sat rigidly in his chair.
Yun Zhiqiu immediately knelt in reverence. "Greetings, Ancestor..."
"Rise." The Yun Family Patriarch smiled faintly. "There's no need for concern. This is my second reincarnation, and with prior experience, I doubt any issues will arise."
"Though it is regrettable that after my rebirth, it will take at least twenty years before I can return. During that time, our family will lack a pillar of strength."
"...This Zhiqiu deserves ten thousand deaths!"
Yun Zhiqiu grew increasingly despondent, fully grasping the implication behind the Patriarch's words—Yun Miaozhen, the most outstanding member of their clan in nearly a century, a true Foundation Establishment seed!
Such a heaven-blessed prodigy had perished at the hands of a demonic fiend due to his momentary negligence.
Because of this incident, his standing within the clan had plummeted, and without a Foundation Establishment seed, the Yun Clan had suffered a significant loss of prestige.
Over the years, Yun Zhiqiu had traveled countless times to the righteous-demonic battlefield, seeking vengeance against Lü Yang, the one who had killed Yun Miaozhen. Yet all his efforts had been in vain. Upon closer inquiry, he learned that the old turtle had remained within the Saint Sect for a full sixty years! The revelation had left Yun Zhiqiu cursing in frustration.
"You need not blame yourself too harshly."
The Yun Family Patriarch remained composed. "Sixty years ago, Skeleton Mountain was part of a demonic scheme that obscured the heavenly secrets. Ultimately, it was my failure to foresee it."
"Had I done so, I would never have allowed you and Miaozhen to go to Skeleton Mountain."
"In any case, Miaozhen is gone, and our Yun Clan must now seek another path... Therefore, not long ago, I accepted a mission entrusted by the Sect Master."
"What!?"
Yun Zhiqiu was stunned. "The Sect Master's mission... Could it be that he intends to use your reincarnated form to ambush the Demon Sect's Foundation Establishment seed?"
Such tactics were not uncommon on the righteous-demonic battlefield.
The Yun Family Patriarch nodded. "If we can slay the Demon Sect's Foundation Establishment seed, it will surely bring merit, which can serve as cultivation resources for my future endeavors."
"But Ancestor, you have already reincarnated once..."
For a Foundation Establishment True Person, the first reincarnation would inevitably produce a Chosen One of destiny, whose merit and fortune would be unshakable and who would have the greatest hope of reclaiming the Foundation Establishment realm.
However, the second reincarnation was a different matter entirely.
Especially in the last three hundred years, the Yun Family Patriarch's cultivation had shown little progress, remaining at the early-stage Foundation Establishment, which added many variables to his rebirth.
"In life, one must always take risks."
The Yun Family Patriarch smiled faintly. "Recently, the Sect Master traced the threads of karma and discovered anomalies within the Demon Sect's 'Refinement Secret Realm,' presenting an opportunity we might exploit."
"The Demon Sect's 'Refinement Secret Realm' prevents hundreds of millions of souls from entering the cycle of reincarnation. The Sect Master has long been displeased with this. This time, not only will he assist me in reincarnating within it, but he will also personally obscure the heavenly secrets to ensure no one can detect me. Moreover, I will awaken with my memories intact, free from the Fetal Mystery."
"Thus, I will be able to seize the moment to break open the secret realm and allow those trapped souls to return to the cycle of reincarnation."
At this point, the Yun Family Patriarch's expression turned expectant. "If this endeavor succeeds, it will be a great merit, aiding my return to Foundation Establishment."
"Such a thing exists? This is truly... a blessing for our Yun Clan!"
After hearing this, Yun Zhiqiu's face finally brightened with excitement. The most perilous phase of a Foundation Establishment reincarnation was the early years, when one remained trapped in the Fetal Mystery.
But with the Sect Master's assistance, their Patriarch would awaken his memories immediately upon rebirth!
This greatly increased the likelihood of the Patriarch reclaiming his Foundation Establishment realm. Once he succeeded, the Yun Clan could enjoy another three hundred years of glory!
The Yun Family Patriarch then carefully relayed further instructions, including how to fabricate the illusion of his continued existence after his reincarnation, buying time for his eventual return. Only when the candlelight beside him grew increasingly dim, on the verge of extinguishing entirely, did the Patriarch reluctantly wave his hand:
"All preparations are complete. You may go now."
Yun Zhiqiu immediately knelt once more and said reverently, "May Ancestor return triumphant from reincarnation!"
"......"
Yun Zhiqiu waited for a moment, but no response came from the Yun Family Patriarch. When he looked up again, the candle had gone out, and the Patriarch's breath had long since ceased.
............
It was the depths of winter, and the world was blanketed in white.
Decades earlier, the great upheaval in the world had been suppressed after the appearance of the Heavenly Book, one volume of which had been seized by the Confucian scholars of the Haoran Academy, who revered imperial authority.
Subsequently, the tyrannical ruler of Great Zhou perished, and a new sovereign ascended the throne.
Ironically, because so many had died during the chaos, the post-war population pressure had vanished entirely, resulting in an era of peace and prosperity.
Thus, the new ruler was hailed as the revitalizing lord of Great Zhou.
This was evident in the capital city of Tianjing, where lost items went unclaimed, doors remained unlocked at night, and even after dark, the streets were alive with music and revelry.
Yet in the northeastern corner of Tianjing, deep within a manor...
Outside the delivery room, a dignified and solemn man paced anxiously back and forth until a piercing cry suddenly erupted from within.
"Master! It's born! It's born!"
The next moment, the door to the delivery room swung open, and a maidservant hurried out, announcing loudly, "Congratulations, Master! The mistress has given birth to a son!"
Hearing this, the man threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Heaven has not forsaken the Wei Clan—we finally have a male heir! Excellent! Today, everyone shall be rewarded!"
The man was Wei Tieyi, who had risen from humble beginnings twenty years prior. He had distinguished himself in Great Zhou's pacification war, earning illustrious military honors and the title "Marquis of North Pacification." He was a notable figure among Tianjing's military elite, and with the Wei Clan gaining a new heir, celebrations were naturally in order.
Yet at the same time, inside the delivery room...
Though the newborn infant continued to wail, none could perceive the immense soul now residing within its frail body.
"It worked..."
The Yun Family Patriarch had successfully reincarnated, his original consciousness awakening instantly. Yet he did not seize control of the body's instincts. Instead, he remained seated within the Sea of Consciousness, silently calculating.
"Great Zhou, the Heavenly Book... Heh, so this is the Saint's Theft."
In an instant, the Yun Family Patriarch had grasped part of the truth. As a Foundation Establishment True Person of the Sword Pavilion, he was no stranger to the Saint Sect's various cultivation methods.
The Saint's Theft was particularly remarkable among them, and he recognized it immediately.
This was the advantage of Foundation Establishment reincarnation.
Even without his former cultivation, his powerful soul allowed him to effortlessly trace karma and manipulate fate's breath, giving him an overwhelming advantage over Qi Refining cultivators.
Yet soon, the Yun Family Patriarch frowned.
When he attempted to deduce who was practicing the Saint's Theft, he encountered only emptiness—as if the web of karma had been severed around that person.
"Interesting. A treasure that obscures heavenly secrets?"
The next moment, his brow smoothed. He had known that divination would be crucial after his reincarnation and had prepared accordingly.
Thus, he had brought with him a treasure of heavenly secrets.
"With the Sect Master's bestowed 'Heavenly Instrument,' no secret treasure can hide from me..."
With a thought, a spherical magical artifact appeared in his palm. Using it for divination, he instantly pierced through the obscured karma.
The next moment, the Yun Family Patriarch froze.
But soon, he could not help but burst into laughter. "Every cause has its effect, every cause has its effect! So this is how it is. Karma—truly, retribution is inescapable!"
"Lü Yang...!"
Uttering the name of the man who had killed Yun Miaozhen—once his greatest hope—yet remained free for sixty years, the Yun Family Patriarch's killing intent surged.
Especially after using the Heavenly Instrument to uncover Lü Yang's secrets.
"The Taiyin Corpse Dissolution True Method, the Saint's Theft, Third-Grade True Qi, the Stealing Heavenly Secrets technique... If all are perfected, this youth has a forty percent chance of breaking through to Foundation Establishment!"
At this thought, a cold glint flashed in the Yun Family Patriarch's eyes.
This youth must not be spared!