Vol. 1 - Chapter 216 - Dual Breakthrough

“Let me go? Really?”

In the fertile fields, Chen Yihu paused mid-swing, surprise flickering across his face. With half a month left before the next planting of Blood Rice, he had been working alongside the other servants to refurbish the farmland. The sudden news left him momentarily stunned.

“It’s true. The order came directly from the Patriarch.”

At those words, Chen Yihu quickly composed himself, a spark of excitement flashing in his eyes. So the Patriarch still remembered him! His late nights burning oil over that tattered ancient tome had not been in vain. Now that he had cracked its mysteries, he would finally have the chance to prove himself in Yong’an City.

“Come, the two clan uncles are already waiting for you at the gate.”

“Good. Please inform the Patriarch on my behalf—tell him Yihu will not fail the mission entrusted to him.”

He set down his hoe and left with determined strides. The nearby servants watched with open envy, their hands gripping their tools tighter. For a moment, even their weary arms found renewed strength. After all, his fortune meant they, too, might one day have the chance to rise within the clan.

…

“Patriarch, this venture has great potential. I believe we should cooperate.”

At the Shi residence, Shi Pojing had just finished recounting the proposed alliance with the Liu family. He stepped aside respectfully, waiting for Shi Hong’s decision, though his calm expression betrayed full confidence that the Patriarch would agree.

Handled with discretion, even the Zhou family would find no evidence to trace back. And a clash between two declining clans was beneath their notice. This path was far cleaner than having the Shi clan act directly.

Shi Hong sat in silence, mulling over the details before speaking at last. “The Liu family—you’ve investigated them thoroughly?”

Shi Pojing nodded, his tone assured. “The Liu family originated in Xiangshui City. Years ago, they lost a brutal clan struggle there. Their high-ranking cultivators were wiped out, leaving only a few Innate Realm survivors to lead the remnants south. One branch hid in the Grave Mound Mountains, only to be exterminated later by the Chen family.

“As for the group in Linquan Village, they are merely an offshoot. The village counts only two Innate Realm cultivators, the strongest at mid-stage. Beyond that, their entire clan numbers only a few dozen, and those in the Blood Coagulation Realm can be counted on one hand.”

He continued with faint scorn, “Their ancestral totem was destroyed in their final battle. Without it, they can no longer invoke the totem spirit’s power. I sent men with the divine stone to confirm, and they sensed nothing. Their totem is truly gone.”

Shi Hong exhaled slowly, a trace of lament in his expression. “The Liu family of Xiangshui City—I had heard of them. They once produced a Qi-Wielding Realm cultivator, did they not? Who would have thought that, in just a few short years, they would fall so low, reduced to only a handful of members. Truly tragic.”

But Shi Pojing’s gaze did not waver. Rise and fall was the way of all clans. Instead of mourning, one should seize opportunity. The Liu family might be weakened, but remnants of their foundation must remain. A clan that once produced a Qi-Wielding cultivator surely still hid some measure of heritage. That was exactly what made them useful.

And once their usefulness was spent? They would be rounded up, one by one, and interrogated under torture. That was how the Shi clan’s interests would be secured. Two birds, one stone. Perfect.

Shi Hong finally broke his silence. “Very well. Since you’ve already investigated, the matter will be left in your hands. But your last assignment failed, and resentment toward you lingers in the clan. This time, handle it quietly. Only once you’ve achieved results will we announce it publicly.

“As for the Xie family, we still lack clarity on their current state. Someone must be sent to investigate, which limits the manpower you can draw upon. Among the elders, only Elder Zong is available. Meet with him to work out the details.”

“Yes, Patriarch.”

“Go, then. Do not disappoint me again.”

Shi Pojing bowed deeply and withdrew. His expression remained unchanged, but in his heart he sneered. Entrusting the matter to him while withholding manpower—was the Patriarch senile? 

Still, at least Elder Zong remained. One of the few late-stage Innate cultivators in the clan, Elder Zong’s support would tip the scales in his favor.

Not long after he left the hall, a clansman hurried forward with new information. Shi Pojing listened, then let out a cold laugh. “Six catties of Blood Rice? Agree to it. Whether they have the strength to claim it is another matter entirely.”

…

[Clan member Chen Tianyu has broken through to the Innate Realm. Simulation Points +3.]

Half a month later, inside the ancestral hall, Ji Yang sat immersed in the vast flow of heaven and earth when two new prompts suddenly appeared before his eyes. At their contents, his heart stirred with delight.

So quickly, and almost at the same time! Six points gained from a single pair of breakthroughs—enough to fuel an entire round of simulation. As expected, it was breakthroughs among high-level cultivators that yielded the richest rewards.

Their advancement also bolstered the clan’s strength significantly. With the Five Viscera Ascension Technique, the two could unleash combat power on par with mid-stage Innate cultivators. It was a tremendous boost for the clan.

Most importantly, the tense situation had eased. With two more Innate Realm cultivators, the clan could now handle its affairs with greater confidence.

When Tianyu and Tianjing advanced, the other cultivators in the clan felt the ripple of power. Once the news spread, the entire clan erupted in excitement.

To them, the Innate Realm was the dream—an unattainable peak that few ever reached. But now, two had ascended in quick succession, and that dream no longer seemed so distant.

Chen Qingyu, of course, was not included in such comparisons. A genius could not be measured by ordinary standards.

While the clan celebrated, prayers poured into the ancestral hall, filling Ji Yang’s ears with countless petitions. Yet he paid them no mind. His gaze was fixed ahead, where the true work still awaited.

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