As Shen Changsheng's words landed, the massive stone door behind him vibrated.
Shen Xiao's mind was shaken.
He stared intently at the door, the scene of his father leading him to meet the black flood dragon resurfacing in his mind.
“My son, you have received the recognition of the Immortal. From now on, you are the new Clan Leader of the Shen Family.”
“There is one thing you must remember: from now on, unless the Shen Family faces annihilation, you must not let the Immortal make a move.”
“Why? With the Immortal acting, our Shen Family can become a super family in the Qingxuan World again tomorrow!”
“Don’t ask why. In short, you must remember this! Remember!”
His father's admonishments still seemed to echo in his ears.
Since then, Shen Xiao had never opened this stone door again.
He had thought that the next time he came to pay respects would be when he passed the position of Clan Leader to Shen Congyun, but he never expected it to be in such a situation.
At this moment, the other members of the Shen Family stretched their necks, their eyes filled with anticipation.
They all knew that behind that door was the greatest inheritance left by their Ancestor, but only the Clan Leader ever knew what was inside.
Today, that answer was about to be revealed!
The heavy stone door slowly opened, and a cold mist surged out from behind it, causing the hundred or so people to shiver.
Within the white, cold mist, people saw a huge shadow slowly approaching, becoming clearer and clearer.
It wasn't until they saw a black head, resembling a dragon's, emerge from the cold mist that their eyes widened in horror, and they let out exclamations.
The scene immediately became chaotic.
At this moment, Shen Changsheng spoke, beginning to slowly narrate the origins of his “Shen Lang.”
“This Ancestor is a descendant of a super Immortal family from the Upper Realm. Two thousand years ago, I was ambushed by family enemies and severely wounded. Fortunately, fate favored me, allowing this Ancestor to escape to the Qingxuan World by chance.”
“During the time I recuperated in the Qingxuan World, this Ancestor married and had children, and with my strength in the Questioning Divinity Realm, I established a super family, the Shen Family, in this Lower Realm.”
“As for this black flood dragon behind me, it is this Ancestor’s companion Immortal Beast, Shen Hei. Back then, Shen Hei was afflicted with a Soul Tracing Mark, causing our whereabouts, master and servant, to be exposed, leaving us nowhere to hide.”
“When we fled to the Qingxuan World, this Ancestor did everything in my power, but could only temporarily conceal our tracks. However, this was not a long-term solution, so I had no choice but to carve out a cave here, set up a barrier array, and hide it.”
Shen Changsheng paused here, scanning the crowd.
The commotion in the crowd had ceased.
They were listening intently, but Shen Changsheng’s gaze settled on one person.
“Shen Xiao,” he called out.
Shen Xiao’s heart tightened, and his eyes reddened.
“Ancestor!”
“This is why this Ancestor instructed my descendants not to let Shen Hei make a move unless absolutely necessary, otherwise the Shen Family would invite an even more terrifying disaster. At that time, only by disbanding the family, living anonymously, and scattering to flee would there be a chance to preserve the Shen Family bloodline.”
“So that’s how it is! Shen Xiao understands!”
Seeing that Shen Xiao had believed him without a doubt, Shen Hei appropriately made a move to further Shen Changsheng’s agenda.
It twisted its head, exhaled cold breath, and roared at the Shen Family members in an incomparably majestic voice:
“Since you have seen the Ancestor, why do you not bow?”
The Shen Family members were still in shock, completely at a loss.
Shen Xiao immediately turned around, faced his clansmen, and excitedly said:
“Dear relatives! Immortal Shen Hei is the Ancestor’s companion Immortal Beast, connected to the Ancestor’s soul. Now that the Immortal has come forward to bear witness, it shows that the Ancestor’s identity is true. Now quickly bow to the Ancestor with me!”
The group finally reacted, and one by one, they quickly knelt down.
“Undutiful descendants, we pay our respects to the Ancestor!”
A hundred or so people knelt in a mass, their attitudes incomparably devout.
Xiao Chang Geng stood to the side, looking at these people, and sighed in his heart: Alas, brother has fooled them again.
Shen Hei glanced sideways, cautiously peeking at Shen Changsheng.
When Shen Changsheng began recounting the past, it had been secretly surprised.
What Shen Changsheng said was largely true, with only one point being incorrect.
The ones who pursued them, master and servant, back then were not family enemies, but members of the family!
It didn't know if Shen Changsheng was deliberately concealing it, or if he really wasn't clear on this point.
But to be able to explain it to this extent, it showed that Shen Changsheng really knew a lot about Shen Lang.
Could it be that Shen Changsheng was someone close to Shen Lang before seizing his body, or did he soul-search Shen Lang?
It couldn't be sure, nor did it dare to ask.
It only knew that Shen Lang was still alive.
If he had died, as his companion Immortal Beast, it would have sensed it.
But it no longer expected Shen Lang to return and save it, after all, behind Shen Changsheng was an Immortal King!
As its thoughts settled, Shen Hei's gaze involuntarily fell upon the white-furred cub.
Xiao Chang Geng met its gaze, couldn't help but swallow, and saliva spilled from the corner of his mouth.
Shen Hei's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
As a cold-blooded animal, it suddenly felt a cold sweat breaking out.
Its intuition told it that the white-furred cub was very dangerous!
“Alright, you may all rise!” Shen Changsheng spoke.
The Shen Family members all stood up, and when they looked at the handsome man sitting on the stone chair again, their eyes had undergone a drastic change.
This was their Ancestor.
An Immortal from the Upper Realm.
A prominent figure who established a super family over two thousand years ago.
His return would surely lead the Shen Family back to its peak!
Shen Changsheng looked at Shen Xiao.
“Shen Xiao, I killed your concubine son and seized your legitimate son’s body. Do you bear any resentment?”
Shen Xiao shivered all over.
“I dare not bear resentment. Shen Congyun offended the Ancestor, he deserved to die, and it is Chang Geng’s honor to be favored by the Ancestor!”
“Hmm.” Shen Changsheng nodded in satisfaction.
At this moment, Shen Xiao suddenly knelt down, sobbing, “Ancestor, your undutiful descendant has allowed the family to fall to this state. Please punish me, Ancestor!”
He slammed his head against the ground, making thudding sounds.
Shen Changsheng raised his hand to stop him: “It’s fine. It’s difficult for any force in this world to last forever; even the super Immortal families in the Upper Realm have their times of decline.”
“But this Ancestor saying this is not to make you wallow in self-pity. This Ancestor has returned this time to take you all back to the main family.”
Everyone's eyes lit up, filled with pleasant surprise.
Return to the main family?
A super Immortal family in the Upper Realm?
So the Ancestor's earlier words about making them an Immortal family in the Upper Realm really weren't empty boasts!
In the field, only Shen Hei felt something strange.
Because Shen Lang was a traitor to the main family, how could his descendants return to the main family…
“Thank you, Ancestor!”
Shen Xiao led his clansmen in another bow, but then he suddenly thought of something and said with worry:
“Ancestor, we are mere mortals from the Lower Realm. How can we follow the Ancestor to the Upper Realm?”
“You don’t need to worry about such matters. This Ancestor has my own methods.”
“Also, you don’t need to worry when you reach the Upper Realm. This Ancestor will protect you. You are this Ancestor’s descendants. If this Ancestor didn’t care about you, I wouldn’t have come to acknowledge you.”
“Of course, your cultivation realms are too low. If you go to the Upper Realm in the future and cannot become an Immortal for a long time, it would indeed be a disgrace to this Ancestor. Therefore, you must diligently cultivate from now on.”
Saying this, Shen Changsheng touched his eyebrows with two fingers, and one hundred and twenty-seven rays of light separated from it, entering the minds of the Shen Family members.
Everyone settled their minds to absorb this vast amount of information, all showing expressions of shock.
These were numerous cultivation techniques and secret manuals, of such high grade that they were all Immortal-level, something unheard of throughout the entire Qingxuan World.
“Alright, you may all withdraw,” Shen Changsheng commanded.
Everyone was overjoyed.
Now that Shen Changsheng's identity as “Ancestor” was revealed and he had bestowed upon them the opportunity to become Immortals, they had already forgotten about the previous bloodline curse, and instead became even more convinced that Shen Changsheng was their Ancestor.
After all, they believed they had no value that would warrant Shen Changsheng nurturing them.
Such generosity would be unprofitable for others.
But when it came to an Ancestor treating his descendants, it felt very reasonable.
After thanking Shen Changsheng, the Shen Family members quickly left the underground ancestral hall.
Shen Qingrong also wanted to leave, and was about to pick up Xiao Chang Geng, but he turned around and walked towards his brother with his short legs.
Shen Qingrong had no choice but to take her leave first.
Only after everyone had left did Xiao Chang Geng climb the last step, looking up at him with his head tilted.
He asked his brother in confusion, “Brother, why are you bothering to cultivate them to become Immortals?”
Shen Changsheng made no secret of it, even confessing in front of Shen Hei:
“To achieve Demon Body Crossing Tribulation.”
“Ah?” Xiao Chang Geng exclaimed in surprise.
“Wouldn’t that be too cruel?”
“Cruel?” Shen Changsheng was displeased.
“You must know, if not for my intervention, they would face annihilation in a few years. Now I have saved them from that catastrophe and even bestowed upon them Immortal fate. This is a blessing that cannot be cultivated in several lifetimes!”
“If you sympathize with them, why don’t you take my place?”
Shen Changsheng glared at him.
The little fellow's face paled, and he quickly shook his head.
Shen Hei, who was beside them, listened in astonishment.
What annihilation catastrophe?
What Demon Body Crossing Tribulation?
The former was not hard to guess, likely related to enemies in the Upper Realm.
But how did Shen Changsheng know that the Shen Family would face annihilation in a few years…
As for this Demon Body Crossing Tribulation, it was unheard of, and it even required helping these hundred or so descendants of the Shen Family ascend to Immortality!
What a grand gesture!
Just hearing “Demon Body Crossing Tribulation” made it clear it wasn't anything good.
But no matter what, Shen Changsheng seemed to have a point.
On average, only one person ascends in the Qingxuan World every two thousand years. If this group of Shen Family members could all become Immortals, it truly would be a blessing they couldn't cultivate in several lifetimes.
As these thoughts settled, Shen Hei stopped thinking about the Shen Family members.
In truth, it didn't really care about their lives or deaths.
Its eyes darted around slyly, then it narrowed them, fawningly smiling at Shen Changsheng:
“Master, you are so powerful, why don’t you conveniently remove the Soul Tracing Mark from me?”
Shen Changsheng didn't even look at it, just waved his hand and coldly said, “Go coil up in your den.”
“This… Yes, Master.”
Shen Hei turned back dejectedly, thinking it strange.
With the other party's capabilities, could he not resolve this Soul Tracing secret art?
As it pondered, it suddenly felt a great force pulling it from behind.
Shen Hei turned its head and saw that the white-furred cub was hugging its tail.
Shen Hei was shocked.
No, this little fellow has so much strength?
The two faced each other, one solemn, the other with eyes shining.
The milky Xiao Chang Geng pursed his lips, drooling, not hiding the desire in his eyes.
“Spicy strip.”
“Big spicy strip.”
“I really want to eat…”
His small hands restlessly explored Shen Hei’s tail.
Shen Hei hadn't paid attention to the little fellow's grumbling, but the next moment!
Xiao Chang Geng suddenly glowed with white light, transforming into a white dragon, even larger than its own black flood dragon!
Shen Hei was instantly scared, its eyes bulging as if they would pop out of their sockets!
Xiao Chang Geng’s powerful dragon claws tightly gripped Shen Hei’s flood dragon tail, its massive body looming over Shen Hei.
Its dragon maw opened wide, about to swallow Shen Hei’s head!
Shen Hei was so terrified that it let out a pig-like shriek:
“Ah!”
“Ah!”
“Master! Master—!!!”