I have the face of a great demon.

Chief Wu Xueren handed the wooden plaque to Tiezhu, saying, "Take this wooden plaque; it's a keepsake left to you by your father."

Tie Zhu took the wooden plaque, his heart filled with doubt.

He looked at Wu Xueren and asked, "Clan leader, are we just going to take it like this?"

Wu Xueren did not answer, but quickly made a light cut on Tiezhu's hand with her knife.

Tie Zhu winced slightly and instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but Wu Xueren's movements were too fast; he hadn't even had time to react before it was over.

A drop of blood had already dripped onto the wooden sign.

Tie Zhu was stunned. He looked at the wound on his hand, then at the blood dripping onto the wooden sign, and was filled with confusion: "Clan leader, what are you doing?"

Wu Xueren did not answer, but stared intently at the wooden sign.

Tie Zhu and Liu Xingchen also stared nervously at the wooden sign, wondering what would happen next.

The wooden plaque began to emit a faint light, which grew brighter and brighter, as if some magical power was awakening within it.

The surrounding Wu tribespeople also witnessed this scene, their eyes revealing a hint of surprise and excitement.

One of the shamans couldn't help but shout, "This is kinship recognition!"

Tie Zhu was stunned. He stared at the light emanating from the wooden plaque, his heart filled with shock. He asked in a low voice, "Recognizing a lineage? What does this mean?"

A tear glistened in Wu Xueren's eyes as he excitedly said, "That's right, this is the Wu clan's ancestral recognition ceremony. Only the bloodline of the owner of this wooden plaque can make it emit such light. This proves that you are a member of the Wu clan, and that you are Wu Jishan, the son of the old clan chief."

Tie Zhu said in a low voice, "I...I am called Wujishan?"

Wu Xueren nodded, tears welling in her eyes: "That's right, you are Wu Jishan. Your father was Wu Cangting, the former patriarch of the Wu clan. This wooden plaque is a keepsake left to you by your father."

The surrounding Wu tribesmen gathered around, their faces beaming with joy and excitement. They patted Tiezhu on the shoulder and said, "Welcome home, Wuji Mountain!"

Tie Zhu was moved to tears by this sudden joy and acceptance. Looking at the witch people around him, he felt a surge of warmth and belonging. He whispered, "Thank you... I've finally found my home."

Liu Xingchen stood to the side, watching Tie Zhu being accepted by the Wu tribe, his heart filled with relief. He patted Tie Zhu on the shoulder and said, "Tie Zhu, congratulations on finding your people and confirming your origins. This is wonderful!"

Tie Zhu nodded: "Thank you, Brother Xingchen. Without you, I might never have found this place."

The chieftain wiped away his tears and said, "Alright, Tiezhu, you are now a member of the Witch Clan. I will help you learn more about your parents. Your father was a great chieftain, and we will let you know about his deeds."

The clan chief asked everyone to sit down and then began to tell the story of Tiezhu's parents.

He looked at Tiezhu, sighed slightly, and said, "Jishan, your father, Wu Cangting, was a great clan chief whose life was full of legends. Let me tell you the story of your parents."

Tie Zhu gripped the wooden plaque tightly, filled with anticipation and nervousness: "Clan leader, what kind of person is my father?"

"Sacrifice to the Mountain," the clan chief's deep voice echoed in the wooden house. "Your father, Wu Cangting, was the clan chief of the Wu tribe and its most valiant warrior. Your mother, Yuechan, was the most intelligent priestess in the tribe. But to tell their story, we must begin with the calamity that occurred twenty-eight years ago..."

"Back then, the Wu Clan lived for generations on this far northern ice plain, far removed from the strife of the cultivation world. Life was hard, but peaceful." The clan leader's gaze was distant, as if piercing through time.

&34; Until that day, when the clan chief Wu Cangting was out hunting, he found a critically injured and dying cultivator in the snow valley—the man called himself True Man Yunhe. &34;

Tie Zhu frowned: "Master Yunhe? Who is he?"

The clan chief shook his head: "No one knows his origins, only that he possesses extremely high cultivation and extensive knowledge." Clan Chief Wu Cangting, being kind-hearted, took him back to the clan to heal his wounds.

"And then what happened?" Tie Zhu pressed.

At first, everything was peaceful. The clan leader's voice deepened, and Yunhe Zhenren and Clan Leader Wu Cangting discussed scriptures and doctrines, even instructing each other on the Wu clan's cultivation methods. The two quickly became close friends. But while he was recuperating… strange things began to happen.

The torches inside the cabin suddenly flickered, casting distorted shadows on the walls.

First, members of the tribe who went out hunting disappeared one after another; the chieftain gripped his bone staff tightly; later, we found their... remains on the snowfield.

Tie Zhu's pupils contracted: "A mangled body?"

"It wasn't the tearing of wild beasts, nor the wounds of swords." The chieftain's voice was hoarse. "Those corpses seemed to have had their flesh and blood forcibly drained by some force, leaving only skin covering bones, even their eye sockets sunken into black holes."

Liu Xingchen's heart skipped a beat: "An evil cultivator?"

The clan chief nodded. Clan chief Wu Cangting was furious and personally led elite warriors to investigate. Ultimately, they encountered a masked man in black robes beneath the icy abyss.

"The man stood suspended in mid-air, his mask etched with strange runes, and black mist swirling around him." The clan leader's voice tightened. "Clan leader Wu Cangting led the attack, but the black-robed man killed several of our brave warriors with a single, casual sword strike."

Tie Zhu clenched his fist tightly: "So strong? Then my father..."

"Defeat, a crushing defeat." The clan chief closed his eyes. "Of the thirty warriors he led, fewer than five returned alive. Clan Chief Wu Cangting himself was also seriously injured. If it weren't for Master Yunhe's timely rescue, I'm afraid..."

Liu Xingchen keenly sensed something: "Was Master Yunhe present at the time?"

'No,' he had originally advised the clan chief against rash action. The clan chief shook his head. 'After the battle, he strongly urged the entire witch clan to relocate, saying that the black-robed man's strength far exceeded their expectations, and staying here would only lead to certain death.'

Tie Zhu asked urgently: "Did my father agree?"

"No." The clan chief suddenly straightened his back, a hint of pride burning in his eyes. "Clan Chief Wu Cangting said, 'The Wu clan would rather die in battle than flee!'"

Tie Zhu was stunned, his eyes filled with admiration and shock. He asked in a low voice, "So what does he plan to do?"

Wu Xueren smiled slightly and said, "He has decided to use forbidden techniques to awaken the power of the Ancestral Witches."

"The power of the Ancestral Witches?" Tie Zhu's breathing quickened. "What is that?"

"The power of the Ancestral Witches is the strongest power of the Witch Clan. By setting up an altar and calling upon the ancestors, one can draw upon the power of the Ancestral Witches to possess oneself, and one's strength can increase several times over."

Tie Zhu's eyes lit up instantly, and he exclaimed excitedly, "Ah, that means invincible?"

Wu Xueren shook her head: "It's not that easy. This power is strong, but it's also very dangerous. The power of the Ancestral Witches is very strong, and not an ordinary person can withstand it. If the user's strength is insufficient, they may explode and die on the spot."

"It was so dangerous, did my father succeed? Is this how he died?"

The clan chief sighed, his voice tinged with sorrow: "Alas, things are worse than you think."