Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 669 The Truth (Part 2)

Wang Yun paused, then continued, "The great calamity of demons a thousand years ago created a passage connecting the two realms..."

If it weren't for the bloodline ancestors creating the Blood Dissolving Technique, using the power of bloodline to lock and suppress the passage generation after generation... how could that great calamity possibly have ended?

People say that bloodline families suppress martial arts and deliberately sever various martial arts traditions. I admit that such things do happen, but it was not their intention.

If that great calamity had continued, how could the human race possibly survive now, let alone have any martial arts inheritance?

Therefore, it's not that bloodline families deliberately suppress and balance martial arts, but rather that martial arts have chosen bloodlines. Bloodline families must develop, and they must continue to develop and endure. "So, even if some people sacrifice themselves or lose their lives in this process, it doesn't matter?" Tantai Xunzhen asked rhetorically.

“Of course.” Wang Yunkai replied without hesitation, “As long as the passage remains unbroken, the great calamity will not befall us. The demonic army on the border may seem formidable now, but in reality, the strongest among them is only at the Grandmaster level.”

Once the passage is broken, those demon kings and demon lords... can easily cross over... At that time, it won't be as easy to deal with as it is now.

Perhaps, the great calamity of a thousand years ago will repeat itself...

As he said this, a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.

The air suddenly became quiet.

After a moment, Tantai Xunzhen said softly, "Even so, I still don't understand. They could have easily wiped out the demonic army on the border of Yunzhou, and even within Pingzhou, and reclaimed the lost territory, so why...?"

He remained inactive... allowing an entire province to be overrun by the demon army... how many lives were lost...

Floating corpses for miles, starving people littering the fields… millions displaced… Could he really be so heartless?

The "he" here clearly refers not to an ordinary person, but to the current head of the Tantai family, Emperor Xuanwen, Tantai Wen.

"Emperor Wen's actions were probably based on his own considerations," Wang Yunkai said slowly. "Pingzhou was located on the edge of the country and was small in area. It was the last region to be incorporated into the territory."

In addition, Pingzhou is mountainous with rugged terrain and scarce mineral deposits. For a long time, the extra subsidies provided to the various cities of Pingzhou have been insufficient to cover expenses.

A warehouse deficit is a major problem.

“Of course, if that were all, it would be fine.” He smiled wryly. “The most crucial point is that Pingzhou borders the Southern Barbarians, and the meaning that the Southern Barbarians represent… you should understand.”

Uncivilized barbarians, Nuo religion, Wan Du Men, and so on—each power was like a country, with numerous small states scattered throughout. All sorts of strange Gu worms and Gu techniques originated from the southern barbarians.

They are extremely hostile to our Xuan Kingdom and frequently attempt to launch attacks to retake Pingzhou.

Every year, the cost of defending the Pingzhou border and dealing with those small southern barbarian kingdoms is astronomical.

In addition, in recent years, the Snow God Mountain in the north has also been unstable, frequently crossing the desolate northern grasslands and disturbing the border.

Between the two, the lesser of two evils must be chosen. Compared to Pingzhou, Snow God Mountain poses a greater threat. Therefore, abandoning Pingzhou and using it as a buffer zone with the Southern Barbarians is a reluctant decision.

"What about the border of Yunzhou? Is there a reason to keep those demonic troops here?" Tantai Xunzhen asked rhetorically.

"That's natural." Wang Yunkai smiled. "An army can go a thousand days without being used, but it cannot go a day without being prepared. Keeping those demonic troops around is also for training and tempering the fighting spirit of the army."

Whether they are martial artists or from noble families, they all need to experience the bloodshed of battle to truly grow. If it weren't for this reason, the Yuanmiao Sect could easily wipe out that small demon army with just one expert from the top three peaks. How could they just sit idly by like this?

"Okay, okay, so that means he did nothing wrong, and everything he did was right?" Tears welled up in Tantai Xunzhen's eyes. "What about us children?"

Why did he stand by and watch us kill each other, remaining indifferent, even offering favors and tacitly allowing the winners to take all and the losers to lose everything? Was that really right?

"This..." Wang Yunkai was speechless for a moment, unable to say anything.

Whatever the reason, it is pale and powerless in the face of such truth: to turn a blind eye to one’s own offspring killing each other and to provide them with convenience and assistance.

He sighed deeply: "Xunzhen, you were born into the Tantai family... this is your destiny... your shackles... this is the price you have to pay for guarding the passage..."

"If the bloodline is impure and its concentration is inconsistent, it cannot be sealed. It can only devour each other to create the strongest one, and then..."

"I don't accept it!" Before he could finish speaking, Tantai Xunzhen interrupted him, "Why? Why can others have a happy family reunion and a blissful life?"

"But in our Tantai family, brothers and sisters must kill each other, turning against each other and becoming enemies. This has been the way of our ancestors, generation after generation."

She stood up and said coldly, "If this is fate, I don't accept it."

"Alright, alright, let's talk about this later. There's something else urgent right now." Watching her leave, Wang Yunkai shook his head helplessly and quickly called her back.

"What is it?" Tantai Xunzhen stopped in his tracks.

"Speaking of which, this matter..." Wang Yunkai's expression was somewhat strange, as if he had encountered something incomprehensible, "Do you still remember that young friend Han Yi?"

"Han Yi? I owe him a favor, of course I remember." Tantai Xunzhen nodded. "Didn't you say he was at Yuanmiao Sect? What happened?"

Wang Yunkai's expression grew even stranger: "He seems to be somewhere near Huayang, not at Yuanmiao Sect..."

"Huh?" Tantai Xunzhen was taken aback. "I remember hearing about someone with the same name at the beginning. Could it be...?"

“That’s right, it was him…” Wang Yunkai nodded and said with a wry smile, “When we first entered the city, there was a man who saved a branch of Jingtian Manor and killed the government army’s pursuers, causing quite a stir. It was him who did it.”

"How could this be..." Tantai Xunzhen muttered to himself, "After only a few years apart, a mere martial artist from a small town... can rival a grandmaster..."

Han Yi's exact appearance was already somewhat blurry in her mind; what impressed her most was the favor she owed him. "It's absolutely true. Now that the news has spread, I've had people inquire about it." Wang Yunkai's tone was equally surprised and doubtful. "This Han Yi is the same Han Yi who had my Yuanmiao Sect's letter of recommendation back then."

After the incident at the library, Han Yi's fame spread and he attracted even more attention.

He took down five grandmasters in a row, killing three and capturing two alive, all alone. This would be headline news anywhere.

Han Yi's past deeds were also unearthed and circulated by those with ulterior motives.

Where one was born, family background, life experiences, etc...

One of these incidents involved how he initially held a letter of recommendation, but was driven down the mountain by Yuan Miaozong and forced to join Jingtianzhuang.

This is still the most talked-about part.

After all, layoffs like this, which cut to the very core of the organization, and the fact that the prestigious Yuanmiao Sect was so blind to its own good, are the kind of things that would attract the most discussion. "This... only a few years? Only five or six years?" Tantai Xunzhen was still somewhat incredulous. "Did I hear that right?"

She mentally calculated it, starting from when Han Yi said goodbye.

Han Yi first joined Jingtian Manor, and then suddenly emerged and rose to prominence, all within just five or six years.

In five or six years, one can kill a grandmaster.

This speed is comparable to that of the so-called prodigies and geniuses of the Yuanmiao Sect.

“There’s no mistake.” Wang Yunkai shook his head. “I heard that he possesses a hidden bloodline, which is usually unseen, but once it is awakened, it will be like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, causing earth-shattering changes.”

“Even if the bloodline is hidden, it’s still impossible.” Tantai Xunzhen couldn’t help but say, “As you said, even with my Tantai family’s bloodline, it would take at least three awakenings to defeat five Grandmaster-level experts. Three bloodline awakenings… Teacher, you should know what that means.”

For a scion of a powerful family like Tantai Xunzhen, there is only one way to become stronger.

That is to tap into the potential of the bloodline within the body.

Once one's bloodline awakens, they become an ordinary martial artist in the martial arts world.

A second awakening of bloodline makes one a Grandmaster... a third awakening makes one a Great Grandmaster.

Of course, even if they are both at the third awakening level, their strength will differ due to the difference in the upper and lower limits of their bloodline.

Regardless of the circumstances, having awakened their bloodline three times, they would be considered outstanding elites anywhere, even in the Tantai family, which is known as a royal bloodline clan.

After all, after the third awakening, one can awaken the true spirit of the bloodline and achieve the true spirit half-body.

This is equivalent to a Martial Arts Venerable. Basically, any bloodline scion who can awaken three times indicates that the purity and concentration of their bloodline have reached an outrageous level, and awakening the true spirit of their bloodline is only a matter of time.

Therefore, after three awakenings, he was regarded by the bloodline family as a half-step Venerable and the future successor of the family.

"Besides, if what the teacher said is true, he is still a wandering bloodline," Tantai Xunzhen added. "Without the support of his family, a spontaneous awakening is possible."

However, in the subsequent second and third attempts, without the support of the secret medicine, and because the bloodline had not been purified and the concentration was insufficient, it was simply impossible to survive.

"So, I was also skeptical and didn't dare mention it to you," Wang Yunkai said with a wry smile. "But if we can truly confirm their identity, bringing them into our camp would undoubtedly be a huge help. After all, trouble is just around the corner..."

“No, I owe him a debt of gratitude. It wouldn’t be right of me to drag him into this mess.” Tantai Xunzhen shook her head and refused. “But you’re right, teacher. How to resolve this impending trouble is indeed a worrying question…” She sighed softly.

She looked at the children, in twos and threes, carrying cloth bags filled with textbooks, playing and laughing as they rushed out of the school, and her face was bitter.

If it were possible, how she wished this moment could last forever, and she could live such a peaceful life. How wonderful that would be.

Unfortunately, she hid and ran away until the very end.

Trouble is brewing.

Kou Hu is dead.

His death was definitely not just a simple matter of internal turmoil within the government army.

A large number of people under his protection will be implicated and will have to consider their future.

As a result, she was also filled with uncertainty about the future. "The government troops... who will come here?" Tantai Xunzhen asked softly.

"Someone has already sent me a message," Wang Yunkai said in a low voice. "Dark Star Pavilion, Fan Hongchou. It is said that they are heading straight for Huayang, and their target is probably us."

“Dark Star Pavilion…Big Brother…” Tantai Xunzhen’s expression gradually turned cold. “It seems he still won’t let go…”

“Prince Sheng’s personality… he will never give up until he achieves his goal…” Wang Yunkai said helplessly, “Besides… it also involves the struggle for the throne…”

"How much strength do we have left?" Tantai Xunzhen asked in a low voice.

"Only a portion of the old guard of the government army and a few peripheral forces in Yunzhou remain," Wang Yunkai said with a wry smile. "After Kou Hu's death, our control over the government army has diminished significantly. The support we have now is already our limit." The factional struggle between Kou Hu and Liu Quan was, in fact, rooted in the struggle for the throne.

The nine sons of the royal Tantai family must choose the strongest one to devour the bloodlines of their brothers and sisters, forging the strongest bloodline to take over the throne and suppress the passage.

This is the fateful battle that every generation of the Tantai family must accept.

The officials of the imperial court and the high-ranking officials of various states would choose their allegiance based on their distance from the emperor, their relationship with him, and his potential, thus siding with the promising young talents of the Tantai family.

As for the Emperor, he sat on his throne, tacitly allowing everything to happen, secretly observing the behavior of his nine sons, preventing the situation from escalating, and keeping it within a certain limit.

As Tantai Xunzhen's maternal uncle, Kou Hu's stance was naturally on her side.

Unfortunately, all her efforts were in vain, and she was killed by her elder brother, Tantai Sheng, through a scheme. "Dark Star Pavilion... supposedly claimed to be neutral, but unexpectedly, it also shifted its stance... and sided with my elder brother..." Tantai Xunzhen said in a low voice.

“There’s nothing we can do. Prince Sheng has been famous for a long time and has been handling political affairs for many years. More than 60% of the officials in the imperial court are his faction. Dark Star Pavilion… also made an investment in advance to curry favor with him…” Wang Yunkai sighed.

The Dark Star Pavilion is a type of supervisory agency with the authority to arrest and prosecute, and to oversee all officials; it wields immense power.

Logically, the Dark Star Pavilion should only be accountable to the current Emperor Wen.

But it's obvious to anyone with eyes that Tantai Sheng is the most likely among the nine members of the Tantai family to win the throne.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Dark Star Pavilion surrendered to them early and provided them with great convenience.

“However, there’s no need to worry too much,” Wang Yunkai reassured him. “We have the advantage of being on home ground in Yunzhou, and we’ve made many preparations beforehand. Moreover, the Dark Star Pavilion isn’t a monolithic entity; there are many obstacles within it. So, if we proceed according to plan, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

"..."

Tantai Xunzhen remained silent for a while.

"I hate the fate I was born with, but that doesn't mean I'll accept a destiny where I'm at the mercy of others..."