Exploding God

Chapter 1115 The Ten Armored Ancestors

The Tantai family, the Gu family, and the Zhao family.

Three of the five great families arrived, and the visitors were all outstanding young talents from their respective families. At this moment, they all respectfully bowed to the mountain gate and requested an audience with one person.

If this scene were to circulate, it would be enough to shake half of the Mist Plains.

"Our ancestor is already waiting at Wenxinzhai. Please come with me, gentlemen."

A young boy dressed in a black veil and white Taoist robe appeared silently, nodded slightly to the crowd, and then turned to lead the way.

Tantai Dongshu, Gu Qixing, and Zhao Feiyu were all delighted. After giving instructions to their respective servants, they hurriedly followed.

The mountain road was winding and shrouded in clouds and mist. Thick moss grew in the cracks of the stone slabs. Occasionally, insects chirped and birds sang from the depths of the forest. The four of them walked deeper and deeper into the secluded place.

The Taoist boy leading the way looked to be only eleven or twelve years old, but his steps were silent and his breathing was long and deep.

After passing a patch of wild orchids that were more than half a person tall, the sound of rushing water suddenly came from the once quiet mountain forest, and even the fog that had been obscured in the distance dissipated.

A building constructed of yellow wood and green bamboo came into view. Upon seeing it, Tantai Dongshu and the other two became solemn and subtly adjusted their clothing.

"Our ancestors are inside," the young Taoist said in a clear voice as he walked to the courtyard gate and stopped.

The three young men are leading figures among the younger generation in their respective families, figures that inspire awe in countless people. They are the very few people who truly stand at the top of the pyramid in this world.

But now they were a little nervous. After taking a deep breath, Tantai Dongshu straightened his body and walked in first.

Gu Qixing and Zhao Feiyu exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with solemnity, and then straightened their posture.

Squeak.

The wooden door closed, and the young Taoist boy, clutching his whisk, closed his eyes. After a couple of seconds, his chin drooped slightly, and he actually started to doze off while standing.

……

【Wenxinzhai】.

The antique huanghuali wood plaque bears the marks of history, and the calligraphy is the elegant and ancient Yan style.

The wooden door was open, and wisps of sandalwood smoke slowly drifted out from beneath the feet.

Tantai Dongshu kept his eyes straight ahead. After crossing the threshold and seeing the hunched back, he bowed slightly and said respectfully, "Tantai Dongshu pays respects to the Ten Jia Ancestors."

"Gu Qixing..."

"Zhao Feiyu..."

All three stood with their legs together, upper bodies slightly bent, eyes fixed on the ground, and expressions solemn.

Such etiquette was never seen even within their own families.

wheeeeeeeeeeeee...

The breathing coming from ahead sounded like a broken bellows being pulled; it was clearly trying to exhale forcefully, but air leaked out everywhere.

"The 42nd generation descendant of Tantai Xian... the 37th generation descendant of Gu Xichao... the 33rd generation descendant of Zhao Zhongliang..." The voice was rough and hoarse, and the hunched figure slowly turned around.

Upon hearing their ancestor's name, the three of them felt a chill run down their spines and simultaneously looked up—

If they hadn't been somewhat prepared beforehand, the first thing they would have done now would have been to retreat quickly.

The ancestor of the Ten Jia clan was indeed an old man, but he did not look like a living person at all!

Who would have thought that this being, who lived for a thousand years in the legends of the Mist Plains and was comparable to a myth, would actually look like a skeleton?

The old man in front of me had deep-set eyes, cloudy eyeballs, and withered muscles clinging tightly to his bones. He looked like a dried-up corpse draped in a brand-new cloth.

Now the "corpse" is emitting a hoarse and unpleasant laugh.

"Am I that scary-looking?"

Tantai Dongshu and the others realized they had just shown their fear, and said solemnly, "No, it's just that we juniors were too attached to appearances."

The Ten Jia Ancestor stared at Tantai Dongshu, making the latter feel uneasy.

Gu Qixing and Zhao Feiyu dared not even breathe, thinking that this ancestor was truly unpredictable.

"You probably think I'm moody, right?" The hoarse voice sent a chill down one's spine.

"Absolutely not." The three said in unison.

"Your family members are really getting worse with each generation..." Ancestor Shijia sighed, put his hands behind his back, walked to the crescent-shaped stool next to him, sat down, and slowly said the second half of the sentence, "This generation doesn't even have the courage to speak the truth anymore... Heh heh."

It was just a simple laugh, but it hurt more than any mockery.

Tantai Dongshu lowered his head, forcibly suppressing the twitching corners of his mouth, and bowed deeply with his hands clasped, "Our ancestors' teachings are correct."

The other two did the same thing.

Faced with this legendary figure, they dared not refute him.

The ancestor of Shijia picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup, and after savoring it for a couple of sips, put the cup down.

"Life can be summed up in nine words: take it up, let it go, and endure it. Your ancestors did the first six words very well, but only so-so about the last three."

These words made the three of them inwardly resentful. Who can live for a thousand years normally? Their ancestors' bones have long since rotted into ashes. No one can compare to you.

The ancestor of the Ten Armors glanced at them with his dim eyes. A thousand years of experience allowed him to instantly see through their thoughts, but he was too lazy to expose them and instead continued to mutter to himself:

"As for you... you couldn't even manage the first three words."

These words made the men's faces turn pale, and a flash of anger crossed their eyes.

They were young after all, and their shrewdness was still lacking compared to those old foxes. In the end, they didn't say anything more.

The ancestor of the Ten Jia clan caught a glimpse of it, his lips curled into a slight smile, but he didn't take it to heart.

His long life and his status on this continent meant he didn't need to care about anyone's opinion.

"Before you came here, did you ever think about why your family sent you?"

"Besides the fact that your family has designated you as heirs, as you imagine, there's another reason: they want this old codger to meet their most outstanding young generation."

"They've passed this opportunity on to you. As for whether you'll pass it on to the next generation... that depends on whether this old codger can live that long, hehe..."

"Ancestor!"

"Lord Ancestor!"

"Our ancestors lived as long as heaven, so they will surely be safe and sound."

The three of them spoke up quickly.

"Just kidding. This old man will tell you in advance before I pass away." The old man laughed heartily and waved his hand dismissively.

The three men's expressions eased slightly, but the thought of what happened after the death of their ancestor, Shijia, still sent chills down their spines.

"I will only see you for one day. I have already arranged for people to prepare the divination ceremony. Now that you are here, there are some things I can say to you."

"How much do you know about the ancient land?" The ancestor of the Ten Jia sat on a crescent-shaped stool with his hands on his knees, a posture that conveyed only the weight of time.

"The ancient land is a forbidden land, the burial ground for the dead of our Wuyuan Continent, and the site of annual sacrificial offerings," Tantai Dongshu answered first.

The old man nodded and then asked, "Why the sacrifice?"

"To prevent the legendary great terror from occurring." Tantai Dongshu answered fluently as always.

The old man nodded in affirmation again. "What is true terror?"

"This..." Tantai Dongshu hesitated. He had not heard from his father or grandfather what kind of terror it was. Perhaps his father had told Tantai Zang, but he really did not know the definite answer.

"Do either of you know?"

"This junior did not know," Gu Qixing said embarrassedly.

"It seems... to be related to the Kirihara Riku." Zhao Feiyu explained, noticing the frowning looks on the two people beside him, "I mean, it's related to the space we're in."

"Who told you that?" The ugly eyes of the Ten Jia Ancestor stared straight at Zhao Feiyu, making the latter feel uneasy.

"No one has said that. It was only from a few words in the ancient books of my family that I obtained some clues. Moreover, because my Zhao family has guarded Jingyang Mountain for hundreds of years, we have had more contact with the beast tide than other families. Regarding the rift, thunderclouds and mist... I have more speculations." Zhao Feiyu answered truthfully, which made Tantai Dongshu and Gu Qixing think.

"Indeed, the current successor of Longyang Fort is quite interesting."

Zhao Feiyu was overjoyed by the words of the Ten Jia Ancestor, because every word and action of today's meeting had to be reported to the clan elders without any error.

That comment he just made will definitely have a great effect on him.

The old man glanced at the group indifferently, and after they became solemn, he said slowly, "The first group of people who came here back then had another name in the mortal world—the Ascended Ones."

"Those who ascend to immortality are all highly accomplished cultivators and exceptionally talented individuals. With a wave of their hand, they possess immense power and terror; with every move, they gather energy and ride the wind. Ordinary people have never seen such a thing, and as the story spreads, they become immortals."

"In fact, whether it's an ascendant or an immortal, these are just worldly titles. In essence, they are still martial arts practitioners, and their strength lies in their control over [Qi]. Actually, the terminology for [Qi] is also evolving. For example, five years ago, the Song family proposed the concept of [Star Source Power]."

"My family name is Gu. The Gu family is not good at cultivation. I have been stuck at the sixth-star realm for more than 500 years, and I cannot advance any further in my current state."

The three people who sat down were shocked, their thoughts in complete disarray.

They never imagined that someone who had lived for a thousand years and was hailed as the ancestor of the Ten Jia would be so ignorant of cultivation!

"My ancient family is most skilled in divination, and we were the only family in the mortal world to enter the Misty Plains through divination. We used divination to help our companions avoid many life-or-death calamities. Over the long years, I have read through all the information I could find in the world, explored countless hidden places, and, with the support of vast knowledge and endless spiritual energy, and after countless experiments, I finally transformed myself into what I am now... a living dead."

The ancestor of the Ten Jia clan grinned, revealing a chilling smile.

"After all, you can only continue your research if you're alive!"

"Not shabby at all."

"Finally, more than five hundred years ago, I found a way to combat the Great Terror."

At this point, the ancestor of the Ten Jia clan yawned, then shook his head with a smile: "If we talk too much, people tend to reminisce about the past as they get old."

He stared at the roof beams, his cloudy eyes obscuring his thoughts, but his hoarse voice held a profound depth at that moment: "What is the Great Terror?"

"A thousand years ago, the secular world was sparsely populated, and spiritual cultivation was incredibly difficult!"

"So can you imagine the excitement and exhilaration they felt when the first group of ascendants arrived here and were pleasantly surprised to find that the air here was dozens of times more concentrated than the outside world, and all the insurmountable barriers blocking their path to cultivation had vanished?"

"This means there are no more obstacles on the path of spiritual practice!"

"The era of great exploration began, and I was born in that crazy time."

"As our exploration of the Mist Plains deepened, we were delighted to discover that the closer we got to the center of the land, the denser the aura became! Until... we discovered that tall tower."

***

P.S.: Um, "Mo Ru Shan" is a friend of mine from the game Wulin Xianxia... I never expected to become a leader in a gaming community, thank you so much! To express my gratitude, I've decided to quit that game.

Thank you to all the brothers who donated: "Don't Add Cilantro to My Meal," "My Name is Bored," "Black Feather Evening Glory," "Mute Little Dragon," "Wild Boar Swings Its Tail," and others... My updates have been terrible these past two months, I'm ashamed of all your kindness.

(End of this chapter)