At this moment.
Within a Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land, immortal qi drifted freely.
Rainbow-colored clouds of unknown origin wove throughout this blessed land, making it seem utterly unlike the mortal world.
The buildings visible within the clouds and mist were all spires, arranged according to some unknown pattern.
An inner ring of thirty-six towers formed a circle, while an outer ring of seventy-two towers formed a square, guarding the interior.
In the center, an Eight Trigrams formation shimmered. An old man sat cross-legged at its very heart.
He had the white hair of a crane but the youthful face of a child, and he wore simple gray cloth robes, giving him an exceptionally benevolent appearance.
Before him sat nearly a thousand young children. Every one of these children gazed at the old man with rapt attention.
"Old Ancestor, Old Ancestor!" A chubby child at the very front raised his hand.
"I heard we're going to the outside world soon, and that we won't have to hide here anymore. What is the outside world really like?"
"Good child." The old man smiled at the child. "We will go to the outside world, but you are all too young right now. When you are older, you will have a world of your own out there."
"But why, Old Ancestor?"
The child was perplexed.
The old man said, "Outside, it's full of wicked people. Children are still small, and I don't want you to be bullied by them."
As he spoke, the old man let out a long sigh.
"One hundred and sixty thousand years ago, my Zhao Clan was a law-abiding and greatly benevolent family, guarding our own lands—a territory larger than that Eternal Sun Prefecture and the Duravia Trade Prefecture outside. But because we were too strong, we were coveted by others, and it led to our clan being nearly exterminated."
"From then on, our clan also took the name 'Immortal,' seeking only to survive in that age of great chaos.
It was because the Old Ancestor wished for us, his descendants, to attain long life, and because of this, we received a blessing from the heavens.
The people of my Immortal Zhao Clan are born with a lifespan of two hundred years, and our longevity is fifty percent greater than that of other cultivators."
"The Old Ancestor worked tirelessly to allow our clan to rest and recuperate, only for a muddle-headed and tyrannical Human Emperor to rise to power. Our clan once again faced the peril of extermination, and from that day forward, we withdrew from the world."
The old man said in a deep voice, "Children, you must remember this: the people of the outside world all want to take our lives. We of the Immortal Zhao Clan trust only our bloodline; we do not trust outsiders.
This is especially true beyond that Duravia Trade Prefecture and the Eternal Sun Prefecture. We must not act rashly.
I fear that if they learn of our Immortal Zhao Clan's arrival, they will wish for nothing more than to eat our flesh and drink our blood."
"Yes, Old Ancestor!" The children's expressions grew solemn.
At that very moment.
The old man raised his head, his gaze piercing straight into the clouds.
That Fairy Bai had already appeared, floating in the sky above the Immortal Zhao Clan's Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land!
"Children, you must cultivate diligently! My Zhao Clan's million members can usher in ten thousand generations of peace.
One day, you will all be able to set foot in the world bearing the name of the Immortal Zhao Clan, spreading our bloodline to every corner of the earth!"
"Yes, Old Ancestor!"
Seeing the resolute look in the children's eyes, the old man suddenly vanished from the spot.
He was already high in the sky before Fairy Bai.
"Greetings, Old Ancestor."
Fairy Bai bowed in salute.
The old man nodded and asked Fairy Bai, "At the Aeternus Sect's Grand Competition, were there any juniors worthy of note?"
Hearing this, Fairy Bai hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but held back.
This time, she had left the Zhao Clan's Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land precisely to negotiate with Supreme Elder Puci of the Aeternus Sect, and secondly, to see what kind of strength the Duravia Trade Prefecture possessed and whether their younger generation had anything worthy of praise.
"Hmm?" Seeing Fairy Bai's expression, the old man instantly sensed that something was amiss.
He then asked, "Was there some kind of trouble?"
"Yes." Fairy Bai said in a grave voice, "Old Ancestor, this child, in the Duravia Trade Prefecture..."
She recounted everything that had happened in the Duravia Trade Prefecture, one detail at a time.
"In other words, your whereabouts were exposed in the Duravia Trade Prefecture?" The old man's gaze was as tranquil as water.
"It wasn't just that they were exposed. This time, the people of the Duravia Trade Prefecture fell into a trap.
The Li family, after so many years, has once again suppressed the Duravia Trade Prefecture. I fear they will no longer dare to oppose the Li family."
Fairy Bai gave a bitter laugh. "This child even suspects that Supreme Elder Puci, that fence-sitter, has already told the Li family every last thing he knows about us."
"Hmph." The old man let out a snort, his breath carrying a trace of disdain.
"It doesn't matter. A mere five-hundred-year-old Clan, they are nothing but frogs in a well.
They only know the name of our Immortal Zhao Clan, and nothing more.
As for the twelve Regions of the Duravia Trade Prefecture, and that Aeternus Sect, sooner or later, they will submit to my Zhao Clan."
Fairy Bai deeply agreed. "Old Ancestor is correct. This child is also entering the world for the first time.
In the Duravia Trade Prefecture, only Supreme Elder Puci's cultivation is decent.
The Li family of Eternal Sun Prefecture only has Divinity Transformation cultivators. As for Void Refining realm experts, they rely entirely on outsiders."
"In the lands of two prefectures, there are only three Void Refining cultivators and fewer than a hundred Divinity Transformation experts. This child finds it truly inconceivable."
As she spoke, Fairy Bai's expression was excited.
The Zhao Clan has a million members.
Under the Human Emperor's suppression, they hid in their Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land for over a hundred thousand years, relying completely on the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land to be self-sufficient.
Occasionally, some clan members would go out for supplies, but they had to hide their identities.
Even those at the Nascent Soul realm didn't dare act recklessly outside, fearing they would provoke the Human Emperor and the ministers of the imperial court.
But now, a vast world awaits them outside!
"Old Ancestor, this child believes that our Zhao Clan can now attempt to enter the world and take back our Zhao Clan's destiny!"
In roughly 30 minutes to an hour, Fairy Bai and the old man stood in the air, their gazes burning brightly.
Within the Zhao Clan's Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land, one Zhao clan member after another emerged from this place of swirling immortal qi, transforming into streaks of light and shadow.
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