Just as the old patriarch forced me to my death, I achieved the unity of Dao and fruition.

As night deepened, a secluded peak belonging to the Gu family of Beixuan was bustling with activity.

A dozen or so young clansmen sat around the stone pavilion. The spirit wine on the table had already been replaced twice, but no one had gotten tired of talking about what had happened in the Bai Ri Clan Hall.

"happy!"

A young man picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"I only realized today that our Ancestor Changjin has such a temper."

"The moment those guys from the Holy Land of Yan walked in, they kept saying they wanted the Gu family to be buried alive. On what grounds?"

"This is the Gu family of Beixuan, not the backyard of his Heavenly Evolution Holy Land!"

Immediately, someone nearby echoed his sentiment.

"That's right. I always heard the elders in the clan say that Ancestor Changjin only knew how to cultivate in seclusion his whole life and didn't care about any fighting. I thought..."

He quickly swallowed the rest of his sentence.

Some people laughed and cursed.

"What did you think?"

"Did you think our ancestor had no backbone?"

"That slap I gave you today showed far more guts than anything you've ever done!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

However, soon after, one of the young prodigies of the Gu family, who was sitting in the corner, put down his wine glass.

His Northern Profound Body is not far from being perfected, so he has a deeper understanding of the Northern Profound Spiritual Qi than others.

"Actually, what I can't stand the most is not the attitude of that holy land disciple."

"These are the words of some elders in the clan."

The stone pavilion gradually quieted down, and the man took a deep breath.

"They always say it's just a wisp of Northern Profound Spiritual Energy, once it's given away, it's gone."

"But I fixed that myself!"

"How much suffering and how many years does it take to go from awakening to mastering the Northern Profound Body?"

"Once the Northern Profound Spiritual Energy is truly nurtured, and someone from outside comes along and says, 'I want it,' you're expected to hand it over without hesitation?"

He twitched the corner of his mouth.

"On what grounds?"

"If someone were to kill me with a single blow and then steal the Northern Profound Spiritual Energy, it would be because I am less skilled, and I would accept that."

"But I'm standing right here, alive and well, and you're making me kneel down, tear myself apart, and offer myself up to someone else to heal..."

"I might as well just kill you with a knife."

The expressions of the young clansmen around them gradually became serious.

Someone said in a deep voice:

"That's what I think too. Over the years, the clan has always told us to just be patient."

"Give me a wisp of Northern Profound Spiritual Energy today, and another one tomorrow, and all I get in return is so-called stability."

"If things continue like this, what powerful figures will our Gu family produce?"

"The Northern Profound Body has only just reached its peak, and a piece of its foundation has already been removed. How can it proceed from here?"

Each sentence expressed the sentiments of many young people in the tribe.

They were not unaware of the power of the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, nor were they unaware of the consequences of offending such a supreme lineage.

But young people are ultimately different from those old people who have lived for thousands of years.

They care more about maintaining a facade.

"Anyway, I support Ancestor Changjin."

"Me too."

"I used to think the Ancestor had no presence, always in seclusion, but now I feel..."

A boy laughed.

"Perhaps our Beixuan Gu family can truly start to change from the generation of our ancestor."

Even if I really have to die in the future.

"I don't want to be like those spirit beasts that others raise in their enclosures, fattening them up only to have their blood drained and their flesh cut off."

"I can't bear the shame!"

After a moment of silence, someone raised their glass first.

"Respect the ancestors."

"Respect the ancestors!"

A group of young people tilted their heads back and drank.

Inside the cave in the distance.

Gu Changjin sat cross-legged, not even lifting his eyelids.

He could hear everything the little ones were saying.

However... I'll just listen to it.

What happens to the Gu family in the future has little to do with him now.

As a Saint Realm Ancestor, does he really have to personally go out and have heart-to-heart talks with a group of young people?

What a joke.

I have the time.

It's better to practice a little longer.

Moreover, the voices from the other side are clearly more valuable than the discussions of these young people.

Deep within the ancestral land of the Gu family, in a stone hall sealed by a sacred array, four figures sat in a circle.

The only Saintly Ancestor of the Gu family was among them, along with the other three, who were also Saintly Ancestors of the Gu family.

As for the remaining few, they are either in deep seclusion or have shut down their five senses, making it impossible to awaken them in a short period of time.

One of the elderly men spoke in a deep voice.

"The information has been verified."

"The disciple of the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land who died during the day was a direct disciple of the Holy Land's Elder in charge of punishments."

"His master, Xiao Tianyue, is in charge of the criminal law lineage of the Tianyan Holy Land and wields great power within the Holy Land."

"His cultivation has reached the late stage of Saint King."

These words made the atmosphere inside the stone hall even more oppressive.

The old man continued:

"Moreover, there are rumors that Xiao Tianyue is one of the people in the Tianyan Holy Land with the best chance of entering the Quasi-Emperor realm in the past five hundred years."

The sage King closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"This is troublesome. Do you think I don't know the situation my family has been in all these years?"

"Outsiders come seeking the spiritual energy of the Northern Mystic Realm. They say they're seeking it, but what's the difference between that and actually taking it?"

"But what can we do?"

He shook his head.

"It's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death."

"It's better that the Gu family has survived for so many years than that the whole family was wiped out because of a moment of anger."

An old ancestor with a sharp aura sneered.

"So, they'll just keep raising them like this, generation after generation?"

"How long should we raise it?"

"Having raised me to the point where, after all I care about in my family, no one dares to hold their head high anymore?"

The sage king frowned.

"You want your entire clan to be buried with you?"

"If one lives like this forever, what's the difference between that and being buried alive with the dead?"

The old man's voice was even colder.

Is the Northern Profound Body weak?

"Our clan's Northern Profound Body can be considered a top-tier quality even on this ancient star."

"Why have we been trapped in this corner of Northern Xuan for so many years?"

"It's all because every time a few promising individuals emerge in the clan, just as the Northern Profound Body is fully formed, those guys outside come to 'borrow' the Northern Profound Spiritual Energy!"

"With its foundation repeatedly damaged, it's impossible for it to produce any strong individuals!"

For a moment, no one spoke inside the stone hall.

A moment later, the old ancestor suddenly whispered:

"Moreover, have you really forgotten the true wonders of Northern Profound Spiritual Energy?"

Upon hearing this, the remaining three fell silent.

Gu Changjin, who was inside the cave, slowly opened his eyes.

What are the truly ingenious uses?

Is there anything he doesn't know?

Inside the stone hall, the old ancestor spoke, word by word:

"The Northern Profound Spiritual Energy is not only for healing, it can also prolong life."

The sage king looked around suddenly.

"Be careful what you say!"

"There is a sacred array here."

"That must not be said!"

His voice noticeably lowered.

"If this gets out, the Gu family will truly face annihilation!"

"Those imperial families are alright."

"If those creatures in the forbidden zone of life knew that the Northern Profound Spiritual Energy of my clan could nourish lifespan..."

He didn't say anything more.

But everyone understands.

The emperor's lifespan is only ten thousand years.

What would those supreme beings who cut themselves off and survive in the forbidden zone do in order to prolong their lives?

They really know that the Northern Xuan Gu family's Northern Xuan spiritual energy has the effect of prolonging life.

Then it's not just a matter of occasionally coming to pick up a dish.

The entire Gu family of Bei Xuan will be kept in captivity!

Inside the cave, Gu Changjin finally realized what was happening.

"I see."

No wonder, no wonder the Mortal Immortal in his previously glimpsed destiny, who was in extremely poor condition, recovered so dramatically after only devouring a member of the Bei Xuan Gu family.

So it turns out that besides healing injuries, the Northern Profound Spiritual Energy can also replenish lifespan and vitality, which makes sense now.

Gu Changjin was pondering this matter.

The discussion inside the stone hall had gradually shifted in another direction.

"What's done is done."

"The Heavenly Evolution Holy Land will eventually find this place."

"That disciple died in the Gu family; it can't be kept secret for long."

Someone said in a deep voice:

"If we want to quell Xiao Tianyue's anger... someone has to take responsibility."

The Sage King Ancestor did not speak immediately, but after a long while, he slowly said:

"Chang Jin has been in seclusion for many years and has not had much involvement with the clan."

"This matter did indeed originate from him."

Inside the cave, Gu Changjin's smile slowly faded.

Oh? Interesting.

Is this a discussion about... handing yourself over?

Inside the stone hall, the fierce-tempered patriarch slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

"Are you all crazy?"

"Chang Jin is my Gu family's saint!"

"How dare you say something like that—pushing your own Holy Realm Ancestor out to apologize to the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land?"

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

The other person's voice also rose.

"For him alone, the entire Gu family is to be buried?"

The sounds of arguing continued.

Gu Changjin, however, was too lazy to listen any longer.

The younger generation still has some vigor, but the old fogies above them have already gotten used to living on their knees.

Even after something goes wrong, their first thought is still to use their own people to quell external anger.

"Then don't blame me for playing by myself from now on."

With a thought, Gu Changjin sent the Dao Yuan of the Returning One Dao slowly descending from within the Dao Fruit.

The "Burial of Heaven and Devouring of the Dao Scripture" began to operate with great force.

His cultivation, which had just entered the mid-stage of the Saint Realm, began to rise again.

Until a certain moment, the sacred laws within his body trembled slightly.

Late stage of the Saint Realm!

Gu Changjin slowly exhaled.

His expression was calm.

The next realm is the Saint King.

As for how the Gu family plans to hand him over...

"Ha! Let them discuss it first."