Chapter 545: Chapter 188: Walk Your Own Path

Zhou Lingyao finished speaking, and both Hou Ting and Lee Xinyu couldn’t help but nod their heads, seeing everything as completely normal.

At this moment, Hou Chen was deep in thought as he looked at Zhou Yan. Actually, he found it all very strange. Although he had no particular notions about women, he also took for granted that what the Sect Master of Hou Ting and others said was right.

“Zhou Yanxuan, don’t listen to my parents’ nonsense. They’re just joking around, don’t take it seriously.”

Ling He felt embarrassed, after all, she once owed Zhou Yan a lot, and now Zhou Yan seemed to be a bit uncomfortable. Therefore, she immediately stepped forward, her face flushing as she tried to clear the air.

“We’re all saying—”

“Father, if you keep talking, your daughter will really ignore you and disown you from now on.”

Zhou Lingyao hadn’t finished speaking when Ling He became serious, and her words were tinged with a hint of grievance.

“Ling He, I’m really sorry. I’m not just trying to play around, so it’s best if we’re just friends. That way at least we can share our thoughts. Being lovers is too exhausting, and besides, I already have too many ties in my heart.”

Zhou Yan gave it some thought before speaking.

He was very direct.

Liking was liking, and not liking was not liking.

Indeed, Ling He was outstanding, but he couldn’t feel an emotional stir in his heart, and due to the relations with Zhou Lingyao and Lee Xinyu, Zhou Yan didn’t want to get overly involved to drag Ling He deeper into it.

“Zhou Yanxuan, I understand. I didn’t really have any intentions; I just deeply admire your talent. It’s only after truly cultivating to the Sword Void Realm that one understands the difficulty involved.

To condense the Three Souls and Seven Spirits to achieve the Sword Void Realm, the most profound and unfathomable aspect lies in not condensing the Three Souls and Seven Spirits.

Only after comprehending the Void Nine Battle Line did one discover that to grasp the Xuan Restriction was like a fool’s dream, extremely difficult.

Not only did you grow from an ordinary youth to a genius who comprehended the Xuan Restriction in less than ten years, but now you have also achieved a small success on the Original Dao, a path so profound that even Saints find difficult to comprehend… It’s your talent, your astonishing genius, that attracted me.

But this attraction isn’t really love. My parents think…

Zhou Yanxuan, I’m honored to be your friend.”

Ling He spoke, and her smile gradually returned as if at this moment she was able to differentiate what was admiration and what were feelings of longing and affection.

Hearing these words, even though Zhou Yan knew Ling He was being insincere, he also knew that this was her comforting herself.

Zhou Yan nodded and said, “Mhm, I too am honored to become friends with you.”

Zhou Yan continued speaking and spent some more time talking with Ling He, and the slight awkwardness she had initially felt quickly disappeared.

At Zhou Yan’s side, Zhou Lingyao and Lee Xinyu were at this point only able to exchange helpless smiles filled with resignation.

…

Lonely Sword Peak.

“Blood Ancestor, the Elders and Disciples of our lineage are all here,”

Hou Ting said respectfully.

Behind him stood nearly a thousand people, densely packed. They were the second and third-generation disciples, each possessing a different level of the Sword Spirit and Sword Soul.

These people stood at the base of Lonely Sword Peak, looking up at Zhou Lingyao and the others on the peak, their gazes filled with eagerness.

“Mhm.”

Zhou Lingyao nodded and then concentrated his qi and blood, manifesting a Heavenly Vault giant eye. The giant eye suddenly emitted a blood-red radiance, enveloping the land and the thousand disciples of the Qiankun Lineage.

After a moment, Zhou Lingyao thought for a while and said, “Their abilities are pretty good, and they can integrate with the Wuji Lineage for the time being, but we’ll need to plan this carefully. Before that, there are a few things that need to be sorted out.”

“Please give your orders, Blood Ancestor, and I’ll make sure they are carried out,”

Hou Ting bowed deeply and said respectfully.

“Mhm, the tasks aren’t difficult.”

Zhou Lingyao’s tone relaxed a bit as he spoke.

He looked again at the multitude of Cultivators and Elders below the Sword Peak and said, “After this, I need to go to the Wuji Lineage to arrange things. Then both sides will need time to integrate, complementing each other’s deficiencies in cultivation.

Cultivation Technique, I and our Ancestor will completely restore it.

Once all this is handled, I’ll conduct a check again, and those who qualify will join me in entering the Thunder Expansion Sacred Land, recognizing Zhou Yanxuan as the Holy Master.

By then, our power will merge into the Thunder Expansion Sacred Land.

At that time, if you are still willing to follow me, then follow me and abide by the Holy Land’s arrangements; if not, you are free to leave, but after that, you will have no connection with me.”

“Blood Ancestor…”

Hou Ting was somewhat shocked. Although he had thought of this possibility before, he hadn’t expected everything to happen so quickly.

“You don’t need to say more, I know you’re reluctant to give up the foundation you’ve worked so hard to build over the years, and you don’t want to be annexed by other forces, but for me, Thunder Expansion Sacred Land is not just another force, it’s the one I should rightfully serve.

Without Brother Lee Ran, my wife and I would have long been dead, and there would be none of this today. Now that Brother Lee Ran has fallen, the only thing we can do is to take good care of his younger brother.”

Zhou Lingyao sighed, but her voice was gentle.

“Blood Ancestor, I will arrange everything.”

Finally, Hou Ting no longer hesitated. He knew that the Blood Ancestor had made her decision. If he wished, he could still follow the Blood Ancestor. If he didn’t wish to, the Blood Ancestor would not change her mind because of him.

So, he immediately decided to follow the Blood Ancestor.

…

“Saint Master, the Yuan Ci Secret Realm is located in a void fissure near Sword Burial Ancestor Star, and it is about to leave the spatial range of your control, my lord. I believe, according to the capabilities of the Secret Realm, it would not be advisable to connect it with a space magic treasure, to avoid unnecessary losses and to allow the Secret Realm to grow autonomously.”

After stabilizing the inheritance of the Qiankun Lineage, Zhou Lingyao proposed this to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan nodded, saying, “I’m aware. My Purple Flame Void is merely a space magic treasure, and I cannot truly connect it with the Yuan Ci Secret Realm. It was placed in the Purple Flame Void previously for convenience. After Wan Jian Tian and Jiu Que take away the Secret Realm, I sensed this fact.

You all return to the Secret Realm to handle your affairs. I will not trouble you, and later, I’ll sever the array connection between Purple Flame Void and Yuan Ci Secret Realm to let them stand independent. This way, you can also better arrange the guardian arrays.”

“Saint Master, the array has been partially completed. Jiu Que has refined a set of Yin Yang mother-child Array Plates, which could facilitate short-distance transport within Sword Burial Ancestor Star for you, my lord. This will make it much easier for the Saint Master to enter the Secret Realm.”

As Zhou Lingyao spoke, she took out a pitch-black Array Plate, resembling an Eight Diagrams Plate, and handed it to Zhou Yan, who did not hesitate to accept the Array Plate.

“I understand. You all still have matters to attend to in the Emperor Sword Lineage, so focus on those. Regarding the competition of Artifact Refining and Alchemy, there’s no need to worry. After all, nobody can take away the Holy Daughter from someone else. On the day of my grand wedding, you must come.”

“Of course.”

Zhou Lingyao affirmed, and then after a moment of contemplation, she said, “Saint Master, there is one last thing regarding Ling He. No matter what, I hope the Saint Master can take extra care of her.”

“Don’t worry, I will.”

“Saint Master, the reason I’m making this request is actually due to a reason.

Lee Xinyu and I, we have lived from Ancient Times to now, but a lot of our power has been lost. After all, when we lived on to the next life, it was at the twilight of our strength, so our power has waned with each generation. The once powerful technique of Condensation of the Pangu Bloodline has also lost its inheritance after the Bloodline dried up.

Powerful abilities and Cultivation Techniques are passed on through strong Bloodlines, and even with memories of the past, it is no exception. Everything originates from the Bloodline.

So, Hou Chen’s Bloodline will be able to shoulder great responsibilities in the future. Originally, that was the Bloodline left for you, my lord, but now it has been refined by Hou Chen, and we can only say it’s fate.

Without this drop of Pangu Bloodline, the path ahead of you, Saint Master, will truly depend on yourself.

According to the rules, Lee Xinyu and I are probably not allowed to do too much, and this isn’t just directed at you, my lord, even for our daughter, we cannot intervene too much. This is also the helplessness of this planet.

Should there come a day when all the Heavenly Dao of this planet can be broken, that would truly be a breakthrough.

Furthermore, the Pangu Bloodline is believed to be of the Emperor Qi Sword Body Bloodline, but whether this is true still requires the Saint Master to compare and comprehend more. There are also the Ancient Runes from Ancient Times, which bear a similarity to the Netherworld Runes and also differ from the Ancient Runes that appeared in this world. The forms they manifest in are unfortunately non-transmissible due to reasons of the Bloodline. This can only be a regret, and I hope that Hou Chen will be able to achieve something in these areas in the future. The Saint Master should also pay more attention.

…”

At this time, with only the two of them present, Zhou Lingyao revealed some secrets.

These things, Zhou Yan could generally infer, but hearing them directly from Zhou Lingyao, he was also moved.

“Rest assured, I take everything you said very seriously. To have come this far, if I cannot keep going, that would indeed be a disservice to everyone. My thanks go out to the Master, Brother, and to you for helping me so much. I am grateful, but this life within schemes, I really don’t like it.

In the future, without schemes, the road ahead might be even more difficult, but I believe that I will be able to tread it even more firmly.”

“The life of schemes is unlikable to anyone, yet in such a world, the fallen geniuses, we’ve seen too many too many of them. Saint Master, please take great care.”

“I will!”

…

15294 Secondary Main Peak.

Night spread across the entire mountain range.

Flowers bloomed splendidly, and unknowingly, this world, or rather this Secondary Main Peak, now had a hint of spring about it.

The Qiankun Lineage and the Wuji Lineage began to integrate, with disciples learning each other’s ways, merging Cultivations, and discussing and familiarizing with one another.

Zhou Lingyao and Lee Xinyu went to the Yuan Ci Secret Realm, and the Yuan Ci Secret Realm also detached from the Purple Flame Void, finding temporary stability in the void fissure outside the Ancestor Star.

Hou Chen and Ling He were still battling and learning outside, seemingly to verify whether the Immortal Body’s Attack Power or the Emperor Qi Sword Body’s defense was stronger under equivalent Realm conditions.

Zhou Yan didn’t go to watch but stood alone in the night breeze, gazing up at the dark Heavenly Vault.