Starting with the creation of the Immortal Clan through the compilation of the family genealogy.

Chapter 161 Xiao Yan's Two Conditions

"My first condition," Xiao Yan's voice echoed in the hall.

"I want you to forge a true army of body-refining warriors for the Great Li."

He stood up and looked directly at Meng Xihong.

"I will establish a new battalion for you, named 'Divine Martial,' under the command of the Demon Suppression Division, with you personally serving as its chief instructor."

I want you to impart to them the complete techniques of the "Yi Jin Pian" chapter of the "Hong Lu Jing" without reservation, as well as all the realms you deduce thereafter.

"I decree that this mighty army shall be a sword hanging over the heads of all villains, and the most indestructible shield of my Great Li Dynasty!"

Meng Xihong's heart skipped a beat; the conditions had indeed arrived.

This is no longer a collaboration, but rather an attempt to directly bind the Tianyan Sect to the dynasty's military system.

After a moment's thought, Meng Xihong bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty's order is my duty."

This was exactly what he had expected, and it was the price he had to pay to gain the protection of the dynasty.

"Very good." Xiao Yan was very satisfied with his decisiveness.

He rose and paced back and forth, his footsteps echoing clearly in the empty hall.

“My second condition concerns you, your child, and the world.”

Xiao Yan stopped, turned his back to him, and looked out at the vast sky outside the palace. His voice became deep and resonant.

Do you know what your son's curse represents?

Meng Xihong remained silent.

"That means that the evil that has been sealed away for thousands of years has turned its attention back to this land."

That curse was a declaration of war, a provocation, a message from the demonic emperor to our human race that it was about to return.

“Meng Xihong,” Xiao Yan slowly turned around, his dragon eyes burning with a sharp light.

"My second condition is that you must bear the consequences of this."

When that day truly comes, when evil returns, you, and your Tianyan Sect, must stand on the side of humanity, on the side of my Great Li Kingdom!

"I don't care whether you did it to save your son or to pave the way. From the moment you lit up that body-refining star..."
Your fate is now intertwined with the survival of humanity.

"I want you to become the sharpest spear in the hands of humanity!"

These words were like an invisible mountain, crashing down on Meng Xihong's shoulders.

He thought he was just struggling to survive on the chessboard, but he never expected that he had already been pushed to the very center of the chessboard and become a piece in the fight against the overwhelming black tide.

At this moment, he remembered Yun Songzi's worried eyes, the corrupted Great Dao Star, the purest desire for power in Ji Beichuan and the others' eyes, and Meng Yan'an in his arms.

It turns out, there was no way out all along.

"This is simply our duty. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken..." Meng Xihong said, taking a deep breath.

"Hahahaha! Good!" Xiao Yan laughed loudly, his voice filled with joy.

"In that case, I will naturally fulfill my promise. Beichen, take him to the treasury and let him choose three items."

A hint of admiration flashed in Xiao Beichen's eyes, and he nodded to Meng Xihong: "Sect Master Meng, please."

After Xiao Beichen and Meng Xihong left, a phantom figure appeared out of thin air in the empty hall. It was none other than Li Chun, the Director of the Imperial Observatory.

"Supervisor, what do you think of this person?"

"His Majesty's choice is undoubtedly the best. He is brave and resourceful, loyal and righteous; investing in him will never be a loss." Li Chun paused, his brows slightly furrowed.
"However, the secrets of heaven surrounding him are in complete chaos, as if shrouded by an unparalleled power, which this old minister cannot see through."

"Yes." Xiao Yan sighed, standing with his hands behind his back.

"This person is like a fog, appearing out of nowhere. I remember that the royal secret records state that it was your teacher who divined this glimmer of hope back then."

He exhausted his cultivation, sacrificing his life, just to obtain these few words of prophecy.

Xiao Yan looked in the direction Meng Xihong had left, his gaze becoming distant, and he murmured the ancient prophecy.

"When the body regains its brilliance, a demonic calamity will ensue."

"The son of a cursed bloodline, the fate of the nation can be suppressed."

"All things return to their source, and their benefits extend to future generations."

"The cycle of cause and effect ends here."

“The first two lines have already come true.” Xiao Yan frowned. “But what about ‘all laws return to their source, benefiting future generations’? No matter how talented a person is, it’s impossible for them to encompass all the great principles, right?”

Li Chun remained silent, only calculating with his fingers, but the result was still a complete mystery. "Let's take it one step at a time."

"If it weren't for this prophecy, why would I have taken such a gamble? But now it seems that Meng Xihong is indeed a wonderful person who can bring me surprises."

……

Meanwhile, Meng Xihong, along with Meng Yanqing and Meng Yan'an, followed Xiao Beichen through layers of palaces and bypassed the heavy guards, arriving at an inconspicuous bronze gate.

The door is undecorated, bearing only the mottled marks left by time.

Before arriving here, Xiao Beichen had already made arrangements.

He waved away the eunuchs following behind him and said to Meng Xihong, "Sect Master Meng, this is a very important place, and only you are allowed to enter. This is the rule, please understand."

Meng Xihong nodded, then glanced back at Meng Yanqing.

Although Meng Yanqing was filled with curiosity about the treasure trove ahead, she still nodded emphatically to her father, showing her understanding.

He mouthed, "Father, don't worry," and then followed a eunuch to the side hall of the Purple Palace to rest.

After seeing his eldest son off, Meng Xihong's gaze returned to his arms.

Meng Yan'an had just woken up and was full of curiosity about the world. His obsidian-like eyes darted around.

However, his long slumber left his body still weak. The powerful dragon energy and spiritual energy in the palace were both nourishing and an invisible pressure for him.

Before long, the little guy's eyelids started to droop, his head tilted to the side, and he fell into a deep sleep again.

Meng Xihong instinctively wanted to hand the child to the eunuch standing guard nearby, but as soon as he moved his arm...
The little one in her arms stirred restlessly, her brows furrowing slightly, as if she could sense the impending separation even in her sleep.

Meng Xihong froze.

He eventually pulled his arm back and held the child more securely.

Xiao Beichen, who was standing to the side, took in the whole scene. He remained silent for a moment, and finally waved his hand.

"That's enough," he said calmly.
“A sleeping infant cannot be considered ‘a person’.”

"Take him inside; perhaps the precious spiritual energy here will be beneficial to him."

Xiao Beichen took out a dragon-shaped jade pendant and gently pressed it on the door.

Rumble~
The heavy bronze door slowly opened.

A mixture of spiritual energy, precious light, medicinal fragrance, and the vicissitudes of countless years washed over us!

Meng Xihong's breath caught in his throat after just one glance.

Behind the door, instead of mountains of gold and silver, lay a vast space that seemed to exist in its own world.

A broken sword floated silently in mid-air. Although the sword was damaged, the wisps of sword energy emanating from it could still tear through space and cause the surrounding void to distort slightly.

A jade bottle was casually placed in a corner, its mouth plugged with an ordinary wooden stopper, yet the spiritual energy surrounding the bottle was so dense that it had solidified into droplets that flowed slowly.

An ancient scroll made of animal hide, bound by golden chains, lay on the ground.
But Meng Xihong only glanced at it and felt as if his soul was being sucked into the supreme Daoist techniques recorded in the ancient scroll, causing him to have a splitting headache.

Profound-rank magic treasures? Earth-rank cultivation techniques? Here, they're as common as roadside stones.

"My goodness, this is what a real wealthy family looks like!" Meng Xihong thought to himself, utterly exclaiming.

"Compared to this, my Tianyan Sect's treasury is simply a... junkyard."

A hint of shock appeared on Meng Xihong's usually composed expression, though it lasted only a moment, but it did not escape the eyes of Xiao Beichen beside him.

"How is it, Sect Leader Meng?" Xiao Beichen's voice carried a hint of amusement.

"Is the treasure trove of my Great Li Dynasty worthy of your attention?"

"Hmm, acceptable." Meng Xihong instantly regained his composure, cleared his throat without changing his expression, and held the sleeping Meng Yan'an in his arms, his face calm and collected.
"It's barely better than the treasure vault of my Tianyan Sect."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Beichen almost lost his composure, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.

Goodness, that's some serious shamelessness; it could be a powerful weapon.

He didn't point it out, but just smiled meaningfully: "Sect Leader Meng is really... modest."

"Go in." Xiao Beichen stepped aside to make way.

"Within the treasure vault, there are rules of their own. Tell me what you want, and I will remove the restrictions. You can then take it by touching it with your spiritual sense. However, you only have three chances."

Suppressing his shock, Meng Xihong hugged Meng Yan'an and stepped inside.

(End of this chapter)