by RWX
The imperial clan of the Grand Xia had begun to establish itself as soon as this major world had been born. From then til now, countless, unfathomable numbers of eons had passed. The passage of so much time had caused the imperial clan of the Grand Xia to possess an utterly breathtaking population; just the number of people with the surname of Xiamang was beyond number.
As for Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals? Within the Black-White College, they might be major figures.
Within the Youngflame clan, they might be considered fairly powerful figures.
But within the imperial clan of the Grand Xia? They’d just be given a few treasures, and then let loose to live or die on their own merits. If they were to fail their tribulation and perish, the imperial clan of the Grand Xia wouldn’t even notice! Only those who succeeded in overcoming their tribulation… only then would they suddenly ascend to the heavens in status. The imperial clan of the Grand Xia would immediately bestow all sorts of treasures, estates, and guards to them, treating them with incomparable importance.
“My grandfather had average talent, and trained very slowly,” Princess Xiyue said slowly. “There are very few members of the imperial clan of the Grand Xia who are viewed as important. Grandpa wasn’t one of them… and so he went out to adventure, tempering himself between life and death, striving to encounter a major twist of fate. In fact, he even trained in some evil, demonic secret arts.
“Evil, demonic secret arts?” Ning was amazed.
“Right. When facing the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations, he even activated his evil demonic arts to voluntarily draw more demonic mental attacks to himself, causing them to grow even stronger,” Princess Xiyue said. “The more powerful those demonic mental attacks, the more his own Dao-heart could be tempered and the stronger it would grow.”
“He’s an absolute madman.” Ning was utterly astonished now. The Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations… all Immortal cultivators were terrified of them and wanted to come up with ways to weaken them. But this King Yan actually came up with a method to cause the demonic mental attacks to become even more powerful, so as to temper himself? Yes, this did indeed have the effect of strengthening his Dao-heart, and it was astonishingly effective, but… if he failed, he would’ve died.
“Once, Grandpa was successfully enticed and seduced by the demonic mental attacks. That was incredibly dangerous,” Princess Xiyue said. “In fact, he completely transformed into a crazed demon, and he began to torture and rape women with wild abandon.”
Ning was secretly speechless. Be driven into an insane state during the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations? That virtually guaranteed death. Many of the major demons and vile figures were born after having been driven into an insane state. They would die in their insanity, unless some sort of a miracle occurred, allowing them to reawaken from their crazed state.
“Afterwards, a miracle occurred and Grandpa came back to his senses. The process of entering an insane demonic state and then recovering was tremendously beneficial to Grandpa. Afterwards, he endured all sorts of trials and tests, and in the end he actually overcame the Celestial Tribulation, becoming a Celestial Immortal.” Princess Xiyue sighed with emotion. “After becoming a Celestial Immortal, he could sense those of his bloodline. He could sense that he had family still alive, and so he began to search. In the end… he found me.”
“My grandmother… she was one of the countless women who he raped in the past. After being raped, Grandma gave birth to Mother. Because this was an out-of-wedlock birth, they were all viewed with contempt by the other clansmen on our island. They shunned the two of them… and in the end, Grandma died in depression.”
“Then Father arrived on our island. He had grown weary of fleeing. He wanted to live permanently on this island. He wanted to take Mother as his wife, and continue the lineage of our Yuchi clan. Father and Mother joined together… and in the end, I was born.”
“Those were the happiest years of my life.”
“Father was an Immortal cultivator, and would often fly out of the island to other places. However, he would always come back very quickly. One day, Father said that his little sister and his brother-in-law wanted to leave the Darknorth Seas and return to the mainland. Father said that his little sister was pregnant and that he was worried about her, so he was going to personally escort them.”
“But… when Father left, he never returned. The life-tablet he left at home shattered. Mother couldn’t bear this mental blow, and filled with both grief and agony, she perished as well.”
“I lived by myself, there on that island. Afterwards… Grandpa came.”
“Grandpa had already become a Celestial Immortal by then, but he had no family members of his own. All of his closest family members had died. I was the only family member left, his one and only granddaughter.” Princess Xiyue continued to speak slowly.
As for Ning, he was silent.
The path of Immortal cultivation was a lonely one. Although King Yan was a member of the imperial clan of the Grand Xia, generally speaking, after five or six generations of separation, one couldn’t truly be described as ‘family’. King Yan’s parents and brothers had died long ago. As for family, only one was left; his one and only granddaughter.
“I came with Grandpa to the imperial capital. I investigate and discovered that our Yuchi clan had been annihilated by the Youngflame clan.” Hatred was in the eyes of Princess Xiyue. “From that day forward, I swore an oath that I, Yuchi Xiyue, would definitely take revenge. I would definitely destroy the Youngflame clan! And, I’m going to re-establish the Yuchi clan, fulfilling my father’s dream! This was what my father had always dreamed of… and I am definitely going to accomplish it!”
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Book 11, Chapter 21 - The Enemy of the Two Cousins
“Annihilate the Youngflame clan?” Ning was stunned. Even though he viewed the Youngflame clan as a major, powerful foe, deep in his heart, Ning had the same desire… to utterly eradicated the Youngflame clan, so as to console the spirit of his mother!
His mother’s sisters, father, and family members… the entire Yuchi clan had died in the hands of the Youngflame clan.
His mother must have deeply desired to eradicated the Youngflame clan… but the Youngflame clan was simply too powerful, so powerful that Yuchi Mount never even dared to tell Princess Xiyue that their enemy, the one who had destroyed their clan, was the Youngflame clan. Yuchi Snow had never told Ning this secret either. This was an ancient tribe that could rank in the top ten of the entire Grand Xia Dynasty, a mighty tribe that had existed from the Fiendgod Era into the present era. Who would dare claim that they would definitely annihilate a clan such as this?
Ning had this desire in his heart… but he wouldn’t dare say these words.
Princess Xiyue, however, did!
Ning could sense the hatred in his cousin’s words, a hatred that had forged into a will that would pay any price and stop at absolutely nothing to accomplish its goals!
“This was Father’s dream. Father died… and I’ll do it on his behalf.” Princess Xiyue ground her teeth. “Even if I fail and die, in failing, I’ll deliver a vicious bite to the Youngflame clan.”
“Cousin,” Ning couldn’t help but say, “The eradication of the Youngflame clan isn’t something to be rushed.”
“Of course. I know that.” Princess Xiyue shook her head. “I haven’t even told Grandpa of my intentions, because I know that while perhaps the entire imperial Xiamang clan is capable of wiping out the Youngflame clan, the imperial clan will not do such a thing. The imperial clan isn’t willing to pay the price of having the countless tribes under its command feel frightened, restless, and possibly rebel.
Ning nodded.
If the imperial clan were to wipe out a major tribe, they would have to have a sufficiently solid excuse! They couldn’t just find a random excuse to do this. The many marquises of the world weren’t fools, after all; the Youngflame clan would have had to truly commit a heinous crime
that exceeded the imperial clan’s bottom line before the imperial clan would eradicate them. Otherwise… if the imperial clan could just wipe out another clan on a whim, how could the other marquises feel at ease?
Most likely, they would all revolt together, and by then, this major world would probably once more enter into a state of chaotic war, just like in the Fiendgod Era.
One of the reasons why the imperial clan of the Grand Xia had been able to unify the world was because many tribes had given them their support and subordinated themselves to it. If these tribes were to all revolt, then it was very likely that the imperial clan of the Grand Xia would come to a calamitous end.
“That’s why I’m enduring it for now. There aren’t even many people in the imperial capital who know that my name is actually Yuchi Xiyue. I asked Grandpa not to tell others,” Princess Xiyue said. “I don’t want to cause the Youngflame clan to be on guard against me. I will find a chance, seek out all opportunities, and use any means necessary. When I act, I will make sure that this Youngflame clan is wiped out… and even if I fail, I’ll make them suffer a grievous wound.”
“Cousin, what are you planning?” Ning was quite puzzled. His cousin had an ordinary level of power; to annihilate the Youngflame clan? Not even a Celestial Immortal would dare say such things.
“If I had your talent, I would definitely work hard to train and become a Celestial Immortal. Upon becoming a Celestial Immortal, I will have as much time as I need to slowly work against them.” Princess Xiyue shook her head. “But I don’t have your talent, so I’ll have to borrow power from others. I plan to borrow the power of the imperial clan of the Grandn Xia.”
“Borrow power?” Ning was startled.
“The imperial clan of the Grand Xia doesn’t have enough of a reason to wipe them out. So… I’ll have to come up with a way to give them enough of a reason,” Princess Xiyue said. “Even if I have to use my own life… it will be worth it. But I know that even if I sacrifice myself, it will still be quite hard. No matter how hard it is, however, I’ll strive to accomplish it. I’ll slowly wait… silently wait…”
Princess Xiyue seemed to have transformed into a vengeful, venomous viper; she was silently waiting, waiting for the moment to deliver her final blow.
“To annihilate the Youngflame clan in my lifetime will be very, very hard.” Resolve flashed through Princess Xiyue’s eyes. “That’s why I’m going to find a husband. I’m not going to marry out; I’m going to bring one in. The children I give birth to will follow me in publicly using the surname ‘Chi’. My children will have children of their own, and our family will grow from one generation to the next… and the ultimate goal of my descendants will be bringing down the Youngflame clan!”
“I have Grandpa backing me up; I’m his only family member. Even if I die, I’ll beg Grandpa to help me take care of the Chi clan,” Princess Xiyue said. “Grandpa is a Celestial Immortal Patriarch of the imperial clan of the Grand Xia; with his protection, the Chi clan will definitely grow stronger and stronger. When the Chi clan itself gives birth to a Celestial Immortal, or when the Youngflame clan is finally annihilated, the Chi clan will truly return to becoming the ‘Yuchi’ clan.
Ning took a deep breath. He couldn’t help but feel his heart quiver at the hatred contained within his cousin’s words.
Yes. She was different from him.
He was a child of the Ji clan; this was why his mother, Yuchi Snow, didn’t even mention the Yuchi clan’s feud. In turn, the hatred he felt for the Youngflame clan hadn’t truly sunk into his bones. But his cousin was a true descendant of the Yuchi clan. Ning’s uncle, Yuchi Mount, had trained her from childhood and had told her stories of the former glory of the Yuchi clan.
Although Yuchi Mount had never told her who their enemies were, Yuchi Mount himself had always trained hard, always wanting to restore his clan and strengthen himself enough to take revenge.
Yuchi Xiyue had always quietly watched her father at work. She knew that her father’s desire was twofold; to re-establish the Yuchi clan, and to take revenge! Yuchi Mount was simply suppressing his desire for revenge… but his daughter could sense the hatred buried within his heart. This was why she wanted to fulfill her father’s hopes… to re-establish the clan, and to take revenge!
“Right.” Ning’s heart suddenly trembled. “Uncle was the last surviving man of the Yuchi clan. The amount of hatred he felt must have been tremendous. My cousin has a similar level of hate towards the Youngflame clan. What about Mother?”
“Grandpa and the others, they all died… could it be that Mother didn’t feel hate?”
“But after marrying my father and marrying into my Ji clan, she never mentioned this matter. She never even displayed any hint of it in front of me. Perhaps, in private, she would feel agony and hatred on behalf of her murdered parents and kinsmen.” Ning’s heart suddenly ached. His mother had never passed any of the hatred she felt to him, precisely because she didn’t want him to go take revenge.
She was afraid that he would become an egg that tried to smash itself against a rock!
“Mother… you were worried about me. But in the end, your son has still ended up fighting against the Youngflame clan.”
“This is what destiny is!”
“Mother, if your son was nothing more than an ‘ordinary’ supreme genius, it would indeed be hard to take revenge… but I’m not! I have the legacy of the primordial Fiendgod, Daoist Threelives. I can easily acquire Immortal-ranked and even Pure Yang magic items. My divine ability is a terrifying one that ranks amongst the top ten of the entire Three Realms. I absolutely have hope of being able to become a power that dominates the Three Realms. Annihilating the Youngflame clan… I can do it, I can absolutely do it!”
Resolve flashed in Ning’s eyes as well.
“Cousin.” Ning looked towards her.
“Little brother.” Yuchi Xiyue looked towards her little brother, then said in a soft voice, “I’ve never spoken these words before to anyone else. When I saw you, those words that I kept hidden in my heart all came spilling out. Aside from Grandpa… you are my only family.”
Ning nodded. “Cousin, don’t worry. Becoming a Void-level Earth Immortal, to me, is absolutely not a problem at all. It will happen without any impediments! Even dealing with the Celestial Tribulation and becoming a Celestial Immortal… although it will be hard, I can do it. I definitely will do it. Dealing with the Youngflame clan isn’t just your personal issue; it’s mine as well. The Youngflame clan and I are already like fire and water; either they will extinguish me, or I’ll extinguish them!”
“Little brother.” Yuchi Xiyue felt a warm feeling in her heart. Although the two knew exactly how hard it would be for one to overcome the Celestial Tribulation and become a Celestial Immortal… neither of them said such things right now.
No matter what, the two of them still had their resolve.
“The two of us, brother and sister, will join hands and annihilate the Youngflame clan.” Ning tightly clasped his cousin’s hand.
“Right. Hand in hand, we will annihilate the Youngflame clan.” Yuchi Xiyue nodded in excitement as well. “The two of us shall be of one heart, and our will shall be sharp enough to cut metal!”
“The two of us shall be of one heart, and our will shall be sharp enough to cut metal.” Ning nodded heavily as well.
On this day. In this moment.
The Treasure Auction was still underway. Immortal Floatcloud was still on the street outside, waiting for and wanting to assassinate Ning.
Yuchi Xiyue and Ji Ning, a pair of cousins, truly joined forces against their common foe… the Youngflame clan!
With two massive azure phoenixes pulling from up ahead, an Immortal carriage, wreathed in golden flames, flew into the skies of the Heavenly Treasures Mountain. There were some servants by its side, and a large amount of Golden Imperials protecting its perimeter.
Princess Xiyue and Ji Ning were both seated within the carriage. The Whitewater Hound was lyin
g on one side, while Little Qing remained wrapped around Ning’s arm.
Just a short while ago, when Princess Xiyue had pulled Ning into the Immortal carriage, the maidservants were speaking out about how this action was inappropriate, for fear that Ning might be an assassin. Still, given how the princess always followed her own plans… there was naturally nothing they could do.
“In the imperial capital, it’s quite common for geniuses to be pulled into and share carriages as part of a befriending process,” Princess Xiyue sent mentally. “If you are going to invite a genius to be your friend, can it be that you’d seat yourself in your carriage, then have him fly alongside it? That would be a show of absolute disrespect to such a peerless genius. Am I right?”
Ning could only let out a helpless laugh.
“Don’t go take up residence in the Raindragon Guard headquarters. Although it’s safe there, there’s too many people and too many eyes. The Raindragon Guards of the Youngflame clan will definitely be keeping watch over you, and all of your actions will be under complete surveillance. Better to come to King Yan’s Estate. There will be absolutely no one who will make trouble for you,” Princess Xiyue sent mentally.
“Alright.” Ning nodded. It was true that his earlier plan had been to live at the Raindragon Guard headquarters in the imperial capital. The Raindragon Godpeak was an absolutely secure location; the Godpeak was higher than even the Skylight Palace, which meant that the martial power hidden within it was surely endlessly amazing. Not even Celestial Immortals would dare to act rashly within it.
However… plans never keep pace with events. He had run into his cousin, and so he would now go to the estate of a king of the imperial clan of the Grand Xia. Naturally, it was also extremely safe there.
“The Golden Imperials… two of them are Immortals?” Ning sent mentally.
“Little brother, you truly are impressive. Right; these hundred Golden Imperials include 98 Primal Daoists and two Loose Immortals. These are definitely the most elite soldiers amongst the Imperial Guard of the imperial capital. They had originally been bestowed upon Grandpa, who ordered them to obey my commands. This time, I only brought out two small squads. Every single squad has one Loose Immortal and 49 Primal Daoist who can join together into a Dao-soldier formation. If two squads join forces, even tens of Loose Immortals would find it difficult to defeat them,” Princess Xiyue sent mentally.