There’s indeed something attracting me to the depths of the mausoleum.
Long Chen was sure once he walked inside.
The corridor was long and was roughly five meters tall and wide and was illuminated by lanterns hanging on the wall. The walls were made from iron-like bricks.
After walking past the fiftieth lantern, Long Chen came out in an open space.
It was a massive, barren, underground room. There was nothing in it except for a few items here and there, but the atmosphere was serious and formal.
Long Chen was not attracted to the memorial tablets, but what was beyond them. There was another dark, golden door behind them.
The Dragon Jade Pendant is reacting to something behind the door, Long Chen noted.
There were many engravings of flying dragons within the mausoleum. All of them were very realistic and beautiful.
This was the ancestral mausoleum of the Eastern Azure Dragon family.
Everyone then started approaching the memorial tablets. Long Chen then realized that the walls had thousands of little doors. At the top of each door was an engraving of a small dragon.
“Don’t stare too much. Behind those doors are where the ancestors were laid to rest.” Dongfang Xuanxiao’s voice startled Long Chen and forced him to look forward.
In front of them were numerous memorial tablets. Some were large, while others were small. A massive tablet around two meters tall was in the middle of them all.
That must be the memorial tablet of the Eastern Azure Dragon family’s ancestor, Long Chen deduced.
Behind the stone tablet was a door, and beyond that door was what the Dragon Jade Pendant was reacting to.
Dongfang Xuanfeng and the others approached the memorial tablets of their ancestors silently and solemnly.
Everyone bowed to their ancestors once before informing Long Chen and Yin Mengyao, “After you pray to the ancestors, you will become members of the Eastern Azure Dragon family, as well as the children of Dongfang Xuanxiao. Now do the three kowtows and nine bows.”
I hope my father doesn’t crawl out of the grave. He might kill me if he finds I recognized others as my ancestors. Long Chen and Yin Mengyao obediently did what they were told.
“Place the incense.”
Dongfang Xuanfeng took out a bunch of incense from his Universe Pouch. There were hundreds of memorial tablets, so Long Chen and Yin Mengyao took quite a bit of time to place an incense stick on each of the incense burners.
Long Chen was cursing in his heart when he was done, but he didn’t show it.
“Kneel,” Dongfang Xuanfeng said.
Long Chen hesitated before he kneeled. Being strong is the only way to do what I want, so I can’t do anything stupid now. Plus, Dongfang Xuanxiao is a good person.
Dongfang Xuanxiao suddenly held both of them to prevent them from kneeling. “No need to do that. As the saying goes, men have gold beneath their knees[1]. We don’t have to do this part. Long Chen, Yin Mengyao, do you know what to call me from now on?”
Long Chen was even more satisfied to be with Dongfang Xuanxiao. He was not bound by tradition and rules, a trait Long Chen admired.
Dongfang Xuanfeng merely scolded his brother under his breath before choosing to say nothing. “Nonsense.” He knew he could do nothing with how stubborn his brother was.
Even though the four of them referred to each other as brothers and sisters, they were merely cousins.
Dongfang Xuanxiao’s parents had passed away early on. while Dongfang Xuanfeng and Dongfang Xuanyu were the children of the current patriarch.
Long Chen and Yin Mengyao knew what to say. “Stepfather.”
Long Chen was a prideful man, but he knew when to admire others. The stronger the opponent, the more in awe he would be. But it was not from fear, he was just being humble and careful so he wouldn’t die.
Dongfang Xuanxiao was happy in his heart, but he did not display it on his face. He merely smiled plainly.
“From this moment onwards, you are official members of the Eastern Azure Dragon family. There won’t be any difference between you and me, but more importantly, you are my stepson and stepdaughter.”
Long Chen nodded.
“Alright, now that we’ve prayed to the ancestors, we should leave and stop disturbing their rest.” Dongfang Xuanfeng laughed. From the way he spoke and acted, it didn’t seem like he rejected Long Chen and Yin Mengyao, but Dongfang Xuanyu was not in a good mood, especially after Dongfang Xuanxiao skipped the part where Long Chen and Yin Mengyao should kneel.
“One more thing.” Dongfang Xuanxiao turned around and looked at Dongfang Xuanfeng. “Brother, about the decision of who will obtain the Azure Dragon Halberd … If I remember correctly, the results should be out soon. Since they are my children and are already at the Earthly Core Realm, they’re qualified to participate in the Azure Dragon Halberd tournament, right?”
Before Dongfang Xuanfeng could answer, Dongfang Xuanyu interjected, “Are you joking? They’re from the outer family and they just joined us. Don’t even think about it.”
Her words immediately caused the atmosphere to tense up. Dongfang Xuanxiao gave her a cold look. “They’ve prayed to the ancestors, so they are my children now. What do you mean by ‘outer family?’”
He then started glaring at her, and even Dongfang Xuanyu started to waver. She was afraid of him.
Dongfang Xuanfeng immediately stepped in to stop them. “Sister, please mind your words. You are in the wrong here. All youths at the Earthly Core Realm qualify for the tournament. Long Chen and Yin Mengyao will naturally be able to participate in it.”
After getting his answer, Dongfang Xuanxiao led Long Chen and Yin Mengyao out of the place.
“Let’s go.” Dongfang Xuanfeng didn’t even bat an eye before preparing to leave the place.
“Brother,” Dongfang Xuanyu whispered to him, “how could you approve of this?”
“They are from the outer family. Do you think they have the strength to touch the Azure Dragon Halberd? Do you think Tianyu is weak? Whether I approve or not, the result will not change.” Dongfang Xuanfeng’s expression became gloomy.
“No, I don’t think any of that.” Dongfang Xuanyu fell silent when she considered Long Chen’s chances.
“Sister, did Tianyu complain about something to you?” Dongfang Xuanfeng asked plainly.
He knew about everything that had taken place in the Nine Devil Mountains.
“Yeah.”
“Don’t give him too much love, or he will end up spoiled. A flower in a greenhouse could never defeat the wolves of the mountains.”
***
When the newly formed family returned to their home, Xuanxiao did not enter immediately. He asked Long Chen and Yin Mengyao to sit with him in the courtyard. Yin Mengyao poured a cup of tea for all of them as if she was the daughter of the family.
Dongfang Xuanxiao was relishing in the feeling of finally having children on his own.
“Stepfather, what’s on your mind?” Yin Mengyao brushed her hair in the beautiful courtyard.
Dongfang Xuanxiao snapped back and smiled sheepishly. “Nothing. I was thinking that if I had married in my twenties, my children would probably be the same age as you.”
“Then doesn’t that mean it’s fine not to get married? Your two children here are even better.” Long Chen laughed to lighten up the atmosphere.
He was initially very awkward around Dongfang Xuanxiao, but he had become much more comfortable after spending some time together.
“You sure boast a lot.” Yin Mengyao rolled her eyes.
The atmosphere was great. Even though the three of them weren’t related by blood, none of them were thinking about hurting each other. Yin Mengyao and Long Chen had even fought side by side mere days ago!
Dongfang Xuanxiao smiled at Long Chen’s crude comment. He had been keeping tabs on Long Chen for a long time, ever since he defeated Feng Wutian, so he hand some understanding of his new stepson.
“Long Chen, you’ve just entered the inner family. Have you heard about the Azure Dragon Halberd?” Dongfang Xuanxiao wanted to explain the main reason he had gathered them here.
“I’ve heard of it. It’s one of the five Earth-tier Divine Weapons of the Lingwu family,” Long Chen said.
He was more than happy to qualify for the tournament. There were indeed a lot of benefits to joining the inner family. To think he would be able to get into contact with the Azure Dragon Halberd so soon!
Xuanxiao nodded. “The Azure Dragon Halberd contains a martial technique called the Azure Dragon Combat Technique. It’s an advanced Black-tier martial technique, but there is also an Earth-tier martial technique hidden within it. If you master it, you are guaranteed to have a bright future. But there are two main obstacles you must overcome if you want to get your hands on the weapon.”
“Two obstacles?” Long Chen was interested.
He was very excited when he learned about the Azure Dragon Combat Technique and the Earth-tier martial technique.
If he could obtain it, he wouldn’t need to be afraid of Dongfang Tianyu and Dongfang Tianchen.
“The first is to obtain the right to even touch the Azure Dragon Halberd. Only one person can have it, and there are numerous youths aged fourteen to fifteen who are at the mid Earthly Core Realm. They might be young, but they are not weak. Long Chen, your biggest threat would be Tianyu.”
Mid Earthly Core Realm at fourteen or fifteen years old? What kind of monsters are they?
Jin Sheng’en was considered a genius for being at the mid Earthly Core Realm at his age. To think youths more talented than him were abundant in the inner family.
“I know he’s at the late Earthly Core Realm, and I assume his martial techniques are better than mine.” Long Chen had to admit that he was not Dongfang Tianyu’s match.
Dongfang Tianyu had been raised in the inner family, so he had access to far more resources than Long Chen.
He had already demonstrated this as well as his strength when he changed into the man with black robes to kill Long Chen through Jin Sheng’en and Chu Yunxi.
“Not only that, Tianyu is favored by my sister. I know that she has given him a lot of things, such as the Thunder Talisman. He also has an advanced Black-tier Divine Weapon. His martial techniques, Body Combat techniques, and Body Tempering techniques are all at the advanced Black-tier too.”
Dongfang Xuanxiao had explained everything nonchalantly, but Long Chen was stunned.
Mother fucker. Long Chen cursed inside him.
1. ancient saying: A man should have dignity and not grovel or bow down. ☜
