471: Confucian Ancestor

Shadow King immediately understood Star Swallower's deeper meaning and nodded slightly in agreement: "This plan is indeed feasible. The Cosmic Alliance's influence is vast, and we need to be more united. With Xun Xiuyuan and you holding the fort, they surely wouldn't dare to act rashly."

However, Star Swallower shook his head, his expression grave as he said: "Since they have already struck, they will not be deterred by me and Xun Xiuyuan. However, they have not yet fathomed our true strength and will likely spend some time investigating. This gives us ample time to prepare."

After a pause, Star Swallower suppressed the anger in his chest and continued in a cold, low voice: "Light Gauze, you stay here and patiently wait for Xun Xiuyuan to appear. I will personally lead the surviving clansmen to the Yuan Ling Universe to find them a place to settle. Once everything is properly arranged, I will visit them one by one to personally 'greet' those five Families."

Star Swallower's words were filled with undisguised killing intent, every word steeped in bottomless hatred.

This sudden attack could be said to be the most dangerous experience since his rise; not only did it nearly cost him his life, but it also made him feel unprecedented humiliation and anger.

Light Gauze's expression was grave as she nodded slightly in response: "Please rest assured, Old Ancestor, I will guard this place and will not leave."

Shadow King, listening to Star Swallower's determination to take revenge, felt his lips tremble slightly, as if wanting to dissuade him, but ultimately he did not speak, only silently lowering his head, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.

In Ye Mao's hidden and quiet place of seclusion, a faint, blurry phantom appeared silently.

It floated in mid-air, its gaze seemingly piercing through the Void Realm, landing on the cross-legged Ye Mao, as it spoke with a leisurely and unfathomable tone: "How about it? Have you finally thought it through?"

Ye Mao raised his head, staring at the mysterious phantom before him, a complex expression of helplessness and struggle interweaving on his face.

He took a deep breath, his voice laced with hesitation and longing, and asked: "Do you mean that as long as I am willing to give up my current Physical Body and instead specialize in the Cultivation Technique you impart, my cultivation Realm will not only not collapse, but I can even use this to comprehend the Law of Metal?"

The phantom let out a low chuckle, its tone filled with unquestionable temptation: "Naturally. As long as you make the choice and take this step, stepping into the Supreme Realm for you is already a certainty, just around the corner."

Although he had doubts in his heart, as soon as Ye Mao recalled the scene of his fight with Xun Xiuyuan—that he, a Hongmeng Realm Expert, could not even take a single strike from the opponent who was in the Great Saint Realm—a strong sense of humiliation and unwillingness gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

This absurd result caused cracks to appear in his once-firm Dao Heart, and even gradually bred a trace of twisted obsession.

At this moment, the desire to comprehend the Law of Metal as soon as possible and pursue greater power had overwhelmed his reason like a tidal wave.

However, he knew deep down that there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world; the more tempting an Opportunity, the more likely it is to hide unpredictable costs behind it.

Moreover, he had to give up the Physical Body he had cultivated so painstakingly until now—this plunged him into deep hesitation.

The phantom seemed to see through his inner wavering, its voice suddenly turning urgent: "Make a decision quickly, I do not have much time left here. My true self is still in the midst of a fierce battle and cannot leave for long."

This sentence seemed to be the final straw that broke his hesitation.

A flash of determination suddenly swept through Ye Mao's eyes, and he finally gritted his teeth and replied: "Alright! Since that is the case, please, Senior, impart the Cultivation Technique!"

The phantom's face remained blurry, but its entire aura exuded a sense of pleasure.

It did not hesitate, raising its hand to wave out a dazzling golden light that, like a spirit snake, suddenly drilled into Ye Mao's glabella, reaching straight into the depths of his Sea of Consciousness.

And with the transmission of this Legacy light, the phantom seemed to have exhausted its last ounce of strength, rapidly fading and dissipating, leaving behind only a fading echo in the air: "Remember to prepare the Materials according to the secret method, first reshape your Physical Body, then Cultivate; only then can you ensure your cultivation remains intact..."

Ye Mao focused his inner vision, carefully sorting through the vast amount of information that had suddenly flooded into his Sea of Consciousness, attempting to find any potential hidden dangers or traps within it.

However, after repeatedly deducing and pondering for a long time, he ultimately failed to find anything amiss.

Light Gauze was like smoke and mist, floating quietly at the entrance of the Secret Realm, as if she were a silent watcher.

She had already received the message sent back by the Old Ancestor via a secret method, learning that the clansmen, after experiencing many hardships, had finally succeeded in arriving at the Yuan Ling Universe, where they had gained a foothold in a certain vast region, began to rebuild their home, and continued their Bloodline.

All these developments made her feel slightly at ease, yet she still could not fully relax—only because Xun Xiuyuan was still deep within the Secret Realm and had not returned.

At this moment, inside the Secret Realm, Xun Xiuyuan was destroying obstacles at an astonishing speed.

Not long after entering the Secret Realm, he had relied on the profound Mind-Cultivation Technique, Dream of a Thousand Years, to break through quickly, successfully advancing into the Saint King Realm, while also obtaining an advancement treasure chest.

However, this Secret Realm was extraordinary.

In its most profound core area, due to Xun Xiuyuan's ceaseless slaughter, he had unexpectedly awakened an ancient and incomplete soul body.

Although this remnant soul only had scattered consciousness remaining, it still emitted a terrifying pressure that made one's heart palpitate, its strength far exceeding the imagination of ordinary Cultivators.

Even though Xun Xiuyuan had already achieved the body of a Saint King, dealing with it was still a struggle, with danger at every turn; every moment was like walking on the edge of a blade.

What was even more awe-inspiring was that although the remnant soul clearly had only a wisp of weak traces left, it could still demonstrate overwhelming power; its Realm during its lifetime must have surpassed the scope of the Hongmeng Realm, at least reaching the Supreme Realm, a legendary Domain that countless Cultivators could not touch even if they exhausted their entire lives.

The battle continued for who knows how many hours, and the remnant soul finally retreated like a receding tide, giving Xun Xiuyuan a moment of respite.

He felt exhausted all over, yet he still maintained a high state of vigilance.

After advancing to the Saint King Realm, the exotic beast value available in his body was already limited. Coupled with his earlier carelessness, he had actually used most of the remaining exotic beast value to improve his Mental Energy, causing his current reserve of exotic beast value to be even more strained.

Xun Xiuyuan looked around and discovered that due to constant movement during the battle, he had unknowingly intruded into a deep, secluded canyon.

The canyon was filled with strange, craggy rocks, and the atmosphere was oppressive; the direction in which the remnant soul retreated was the deepest part of the canyon, which was shrouded in unsettling darkness.

Just as Xun Xiuyuan was focusing and thinking about how to proceed next, a calm yet highly penetrating voice suddenly sounded from the Void Realm: "A clansman of the Blue Star Great Universe?"

Xun Xiuyuan's heart was shaken violently; he had completely failed to detect the source of the voice. Even though the voice was now in his ears, he still could not perceive the other party's existence, as if the person speaking had merged with the entire world.

His whole body was tense, and he was using his Saint King-level Divine Sense to desperately probe his surroundings, when he suddenly saw a figure dressed in Confucian robes floating silently above the canyon.

The person had a handsome face and a thin build, his sleeves fluttering lightly with the wind, his temperament refined and extraordinary.

"No need to search anymore, it is I." The man in Confucian robes spoke indifferently, his gaze landing on Xun Xiuyuan, as he said with a hint of praise: "With your Realm as an Eight-System Saint King, to be able to hard-resist that nether remnant soul and not be defeated is truly rare."