He fell off a cliff but unexpectedly gained a cultivation inheritance.

Inside the secret chamber, the spiritual energy was like mist, and all was silent. Ye Dechang looked at the shocked expressions of the three people before him. His aged face was filled with weariness and helplessness. He slowly raised his hand, gently rubbed his temples, and a long, heavy sigh echoed in the chamber, carrying a piercing sense of powerlessness: "I am over four hundred years old this year."

This simple sentence, however, was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a storm in the hearts of Ye Zhentian and Ye Qingxue. Although they knew that their ancestor possessed profound cultivation and a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary people, they had never imagined that their ancestor was already over four hundred years old. In the cultivation world, the lifespan of a cultivator in the early stage of Core Formation is generally around five hundred years, so being over four hundred years old was already a sign of advanced age.

Ye Dechang's gaze swept over the spirit stones embedded in the ceiling of the secret chamber. The spiritual light emanating from those stones gradually dimmed in his eyes, and his tone was filled with deep resentment and regret: "This medium-sized spiritual vein, which has nourished the Ye family for thousands of years, is now long since exhausted. The only reason I have been able to maintain my cultivation at the early stage of Core Formation is because of the last bit of spiritual energy in the core of the spiritual vein. But this spiritual energy is dwindling with each use, and my cultivation has not only failed to advance, but has even been slowly regressing in recent years."

He paused, his voice growing increasingly heavy: "In my current state, I have at most fifty years left to live. After fifty years, I will die and my life will end."

"Great-Grandpa!" Ye Qingxue couldn't help but exclaim, her eyes instantly reddening. She had grown up under the loving care of her ancestor since childhood, and had long regarded this dignified yet kind old man as her most solid support. She had never imagined that her ancestor only had fifty years left to live.

Ye Zhentian's body trembled involuntarily, his eyes filled with disbelief. He had always thought that his ancestor's cultivation was profound, enough to keep the Ye family in power for at least another hundred years, but he never expected the situation to be so critical. As the head of the Ye family, he bore the heavy responsibility of passing on the family's legacy, but upon hearing his ancestor's words, his heart was instantly filled with panic.

Ye Dechang waved his hand, signaling Ye Qingxue not to get agitated, and continued, "If the family is united, after I pass away, with the help of a few late-stage Foundation Establishment elders, we might be able to barely maintain the family's stability and safeguard the Ye family's foundation. But the problem is, these late-stage Foundation Establishment elders are all from collateral branches."

"Among my direct blood relatives, you are the only Foundation Establishment cultivator, Zhentian. But you have been stuck in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage for five whole years, unable to break through to the late stage." Ye Dechang's gaze fell on Ye Zhentian, filled with disappointment and frustration, yet also revealing a deep sense of helplessness. "As for those collateral elders, they all appear loyal and amiable to the family on the surface, but in reality, they have long coveted the position of family head, secretly accumulating power and waiting for the opportunity to take their place."

"I am still here, and with my early-stage Core Formation cultivation and centuries of prestige, I am enough to intimidate everyone. No one dares to act recklessly, and I can maintain the family's stability for a time." Ye Dechang's voice carried a hint of sorrow. "But if I were to pass away, losing my deterrent power, the Ye family would instantly disintegrate amidst the power struggles among the collateral elders. At that time, the family would turn on each other, and external forces would take advantage of the situation. This cultivation family, which has been passed down for thousands of years, would cease to exist completely."

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhentian was struck dumb, frozen in place, his heart churning with shock. He had always believed that the Ye family's current harmony and prosperity, with everyone united as one, was all due to his own effective management and governance as the family head. But only now did he realize that the so-called harmony and stability were entirely achieved through his grandfather's prestige and power.

He thought of those distant uncles who were usually so respectful and unassuming. During family meetings, they always remained silent, fully supporting his decisions; in everyday encounters, they were always kind and friendly, showing concern for his well-being. But now, he realized that behind that respect and gentleness, there probably lay hidden ambitions and calculations.

"If Grandpa is gone, those uncles will definitely launch an attack immediately, uniting to oust me and vie for the position of family head. At that time, the Ye family will be plunged into endless chaos, and the tragedy of fathers and sons turning against each other and brothers killing each other will probably be inevitable." Ye Zhentian became more and more terrified as he thought about it. His back was instantly soaked with cold sweat, and his clothes clung tightly to his body, bringing a chill to his bones. He subconsciously clenched his fists, and his knuckles turned slightly white from the force.

Just then, his gaze fell upon Zhang Bufan beside him, and a surge of intense relief welled up within him. Thankfully, Zhang Bufan had appeared. Zhang Bufan was not only the personal disciple of the Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Immortal Sword Sect, but also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and now, his son-in-law. With Zhang Bufan's connection, and with the Immortal Sword Sect as their backing, even if those collateral elders harbored immense ambitions, they would dare not act rashly. It could be said that Zhang Bufan's appearance had indirectly saved the Ye family from its impending crisis.

Seeing Ye Zhentian's changing expression, Ye Dechang naturally guessed what he was thinking. He sighed softly and continued, "Zhentian, you don't need to panic too much. The reason I am so determined to marry Qingxue into the Xiao family is not because I am cold-blooded and heartless and do not care about Qingxue's feelings, but because the Xiao family promised a thousand-year-old ginseng in the betrothal gifts."

"A thousand-year-old ginseng?" Zhang Bufan, Ye Zhentian, and Ye Qingxue were all stunned, their eyes filled with surprise. They all knew that a thousand-year-old ginseng was an extremely rare natural treasure, containing rich spiritual energy, which was of great help to cultivators' cultivation, especially for cultivators who were stuck at a bottleneck, it was a treasure for breaking through to a higher realm.

"That's right, it's a thousand-year-old ginseng." Ye Dechang nodded, his tone carrying a hint of expectation and a touch of helplessness. "That thousand-year-old ginseng is twelve hundred years old, containing pure and abundant spiritual energy. If Zhentian takes it, along with other spiritual herbs treasured by the family, there's a high probability that it will allow you to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage."

"As long as you can break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage and greatly increase your cultivation, even after I pass away, you will have enough strength to keep those collateral elders in check and continue to maintain the stability of the family. At that time, you can also cultivate younger disciples like Qingfeng and help them grow up quickly, which will be enough to extend the life of the Ye family by at least a hundred years." Ye Dechang's eyes were filled with expectations for the future of the family. "For the continuation of the family, I have no choice but to resort to this measure. I'm sorry to have to trouble Qingxue."

Hearing this, Zhang Bufan was speechless. He hadn't expected that Ye Dechang's insistence on marrying Ye Qingxue to Xiao Jiulang was solely for a thousand-year-old ginseng. To sacrifice his great-granddaughter's happiness just to help Ye Zhentian break through his cultivation level—it sounded rather cold-blooded and ruthless.

Upon closer reflection, Zhang Bufan could understand Ye Dechang's predicament. As the patriarch of a cultivation family with a history spanning thousands of years, Ye Dechang's most important concern was undoubtedly the continuation and inheritance of his family. Faced with the life and death of his family, personal happiness and grievances seemed less important. Although Ye Dechang's actions were extreme, his starting point was for the sake of the entire Ye family, and he was not simply heartless.

"Isn't it just getting my father-in-law to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage?" Zhang Bufan thought to himself. "What's so difficult about that? Any silver fish in the Xuanqing Secret Realm contains more spiritual energy than a thousand-year-old ginseng. Just let my father-in-law eat one, and with a small amount of spiritual energy to refine it, breaking through to the late Foundation Establishment stage will be a piece of cake. If that doesn't work, just add a peach. Peaches not only improve cultivation but also improve physique and increase lifespan, with effects far exceeding those of a thousand-year-old ginseng. Adding a peach to a fish is the limit; that's enough for Ye Zhentian to break through."

Unaware of Zhang Bufan's thoughts, Ye Dechang continued, "I originally thought that as long as Qingxue married Xiao Jiulang and obtained the thousand-year-old ginseng, allowing Zhentian to break through his cultivation level, the Ye family could temporarily escape the crisis. But despite all my calculations, I didn't anticipate Qingxue's strong resistance to this marriage, nor did I expect your sudden appearance."

His gaze fell on Zhang Bufan, his eyes filled with relief and gratitude: "Now that I think about it, perhaps this is fate. You are not only Qingxue's ideal man, but also a benefactor to our Ye family. With you here, and with the Immortal Sword Sect as our backing, all the problems will be solved after Qingxue joins the Immortal Sword Sect, and the internal and external troubles of the Ye family will disappear instantly."

"The Xiao family initially looked down on our Ye family because of the thousand-year-old ginseng as a betrothal gift, thinking we were trying to curry favor with them. But now, knowing that you are the personal disciple of Yue Buwei, the patriarch of the Immortal Sword Sect, and that you and Qingxue are officially married, the Xiao family will absolutely not dare to have any more contemptuous thoughts." Ye Dechang's tone was firm. "Even if Zhentian never breaks through to the late Foundation Establishment stage, as long as you and the Immortal Sword Sect protect him, those collateral elders will never dare to make any moves and will still be harmonious elders in the family. When Qingfeng and the other younger generation grow up, especially after Qingxue has achieved something in the Immortal Sword Sect, the future of the Ye family will be even brighter."

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhentian finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. He took a deep breath and bowed respectfully to Ye Dechang: "Grandfather, I was foolish before and failed to perceive the crisis facing the family. Please forgive me. Now, with Zhang Bufan's assistance and the Immortal Sword Sect as our backing, I will definitely improve my cultivation as soon as possible, manage the family affairs well, and never let you down, Grandfather, and protect the Ye family's foundation."

Ye Qingxue bowed to Ye Dechang, her eyes slightly red, and said, "Great-Grandfather, I misunderstood you before. Please don't blame me. I will definitely cultivate diligently and grow up quickly so that I can contribute to the family in the future."

Ye Dechang looked at the two of them, a relieved smile on his face: "Good, good, good! It's good that you understand. I know that Qingxue has been wronged, and Zhentian, you have also been under a lot of pressure. But the continuation of a family requires the efforts and sacrifices of generations. Now that we have young friend Zhang as our mentor, the Ye family finally has hope."

Ye Dechang's eyes were full of praise: "Young friend Zhang is not only highly skilled, but also has a calm and magnanimous temperament. It is Qingxue's blessing to marry you. Alright, it's getting late, and you've all had a long day, so go back and rest."

"Yes, Grandpa (Great-Grandpa)!" Ye Zhentian and Ye Qingxue replied in unison.

Zhang Bufan also cupped his hands in greeting to Ye Dechang: "Then this junior will take his leave first. Ancestor, please go into seclusion and cultivate in peace."

After speaking, the three turned and left the secret room, walking out along the tunnel. The lights inside the tunnel were still dim, but their feelings were completely different from when they came in. Ye Qingxue held Zhang Bufan's arm, her heart filled with happiness and peace of mind.

When the three emerged from the tunnel and returned to the living room, Wang Yuyan and Ye Qingfeng immediately greeted them. Seeing that Ye Qingxue's eyes were slightly red, Wang Yuyan quickly stepped forward and asked with concern, "Qingxue, what's wrong? Did the Ancestor make things difficult for you?"

Ye Qingxue shook her head and gave a bright smile: "Mom, no, Great-Grandpa didn't make things difficult for us. He has already agreed to my marriage with Bufan!"

"Really?!" Wang Yuyan and Ye Qingfeng exclaimed at the same time, their eyes filled with surprise.

The atmosphere in the living room instantly brightened, everyone happy about the event. Ye Zhentian, witnessing this, secretly resolved to break through his cultivation level as soon as possible to protect his family and the Ye family's legacy. Zhang Bufan, meanwhile, knew that his new life with Ye Qingxue was about to officially begin.