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

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A massive, pitch-black sun rose into the sky, its oppressive aura, belonging to the mid-stage Saint King realm, spreading from Gu Changjin's secluded cultivation location. In an instant, it crossed countless divine peaks, enveloping the entire Gu family of Beixuan.

The voice that had been reprimanding the young clansmen above the ancestral land suddenly stopped.

In the void, the Gu family sage, Ancestor Wang, suddenly turned his head.

The next moment, the expression on his face completely changed.

"That's... Changjin's cave?!"

How could that be? How could he not know Gu Changjin's cultivation level?

Before going into seclusion, he was clearly only at the Saint Realm.

He was even just the most inconspicuous of the several Saint Realm ancestors of the Gu family.

He never fought or grabbed anything in his life, and he was never seen fighting to the death with any powerful enemies.

Other Saint Realm cultivators at least have a few impressive achievements to show for themselves.

Where is Gu Changjin?

Its greatest achievement is probably... living a long life.

But now, the aura that was pressing down on the Holy Laws within his body was clearly at the mid-stage of the Saint King realm!

He's even a minor realm higher than him, the first ancestor of the Gu family!

"this……"

The old man's throat moved.

After the initial shock, a wave of lingering fear followed.

Just a few days ago, they sat down together to discuss whether to push Gu Changjin out to quell the anger of the Tianyan Holy Land.

If I had actually taken action back then... thinking about this.

A layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

Fortunately, it was just a discussion, and things hadn't really gone too far yet.

Meanwhile, in the center of the Gu family's ancestral home.

The young clansmen, whose faces had turned pale from the oppressive aura of the Sage King, all looked up.

"That direction... is where Ancestor Changjin is!"

"Ancestor Changjin has emerged from seclusion!"

"Wait, this aura... is it the Saint King?"

"This is no ordinary Saint King! I once sensed the Great Ancestor's oppressive aura from afar, but Ancestor Changjin's current aura is even stronger than the Great Ancestor's!"

The group of young people, who had already prepared for the worst, suddenly brightened up.

Some people couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"I knew it! Since Ancestor Changjin dared to kill someone from the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, how could it really be an impulsive act!"

"Our ancestor has been concealing his cultivation! With him around, let's see who dares to say we don't understand the greater good of the family!"

"Finally, someone is speaking up for us!"

Why did they dare to gather here just now?

It all comes down to sheer grit and determination.

In terms of true strength, there is a Saint King and several Saint Realm Ancestors above.

Below them is a group of elders who have controlled the family for many years.

What can they use to protest?

To put it bluntly, if those ancestors were truly determined to suppress them, it's hard to say how many of the people gathered here today would actually make it out alive.

But things are different now.

On their side... there is also a Saint King.

Moreover, he is the strongest Saint King in the Gu family!

At that moment, the atmosphere, which had been somewhat tragic, instantly took on an almost fanatical quality.

Soon, the gate to the secluded cave slowly opened.

Gu Changjin stepped out, dressed in a long black robe, his long hair casually tied behind him.

Because of his breakthrough to Saint King, his previously somewhat decaying physical body was revitalized. Although his face still showed signs of age, he no longer looked old.

He simply took a step forward, and the space rippled slightly.

When they reappeared, they were already standing above the ancestral land.

The pitch-black sun hung behind him.

The sacred laws intertwined, and the essence of heaven and earth around him naturally converged towards him, yet there was no deliberate, flamboyant sense of violence.

The more this is the case, the more uneasy one feels.

"Greetings, Ancestor Changjin!"

I don't know who shouted it first.

The next moment, a large number of tribesmen below bowed in respect.

"Greetings, Ancestor!"

"Greetings, Ancestor Changjin!"

The sounds blended together.

At that very moment, several ancient auras revived from the depths of the ancestral land.

boom!

One, two, three—the Gu family patriarchs who had been in seclusion and had not participated in the discussions of the past few days were also completely awakened by today's commotion.

One after another, aged figures emerged from the depths of the sacred peak.

In a short while, all seven patriarchs of the Beixuan Gu family had arrived.

In addition, there were clan heads, elders of various branches, deacons, young prodigies, and even many ordinary clan members, and more and more people gathered here.

Everyone knows that from today onwards, the rules of the Beixuan Gu family will likely change.

Gu Changjin glanced at everyone.

Actually, I'm not as interested as I was a few days ago.

The family is fighting amongst themselves.

Ultimately, it all boils down to different interests and ways of life.

But since things have already escalated to this point, let's just deal with it as it comes.

He stood with his hands behind his back in the void, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"I, Bei Xuan Gu, live by the Bei Xuan Body."

"It is not about offering up the spiritual energy of the Northern Mystic Realm."

Just a simple sentence.

The expressions of countless young people below suddenly brightened.

The position is already very clear.

The Gu family patriarch, who was at the early stage of the Saint King realm, suddenly frowned.

"Long Ashes".

With each step he took, the holy might of the Holy King also rose.

The other two Saint Realm elders behind him exchanged glances and stood beside him.

Another ancestor hesitated for a moment, but finally took a step forward.

Several Saint Realm auras merged with each other, and with the addition of that early Saint King Grand Ancestor, they managed to barely hold up an area under Gu Changjin's Saintly might.

The two sides were locked in a standoff, and the air in the entire Gu family ancestral land seemed to freeze.

The Great Ancestor spoke coldly.

"I thought you had lived for over three thousand years, so you must be a wise person."

"I never expected you to act so impulsively, just like these younger generation."

He looked down at the crowd below.

"You keep talking about dignity and integrity."

"But can backbone withstand a quasi-emperor?"

"Can dignity withstand the might of an imperial weapon?"

"Changjin, your current status as a mid-stage Saint King is truly surprising."

"But so what? Do you really think that a single Saint King can contend with those supreme lineages?"

"Can they rival the powerful imperial families? Can they change the fate of my Beixuan Gu family?"

Many of the young clansmen, who had just been full of excitement, froze for a moment.

Yes, the Saint King is very strong.

But what does it amount to in the grand scheme of the universe?

Among those supreme lineages, there are quasi-emperors, and the imperial clans have the true foundation of great emperors.

They rebelled valiantly today.

and then?

What if it really leads to the extermination of our entire clan?

Passionate enthusiasm cannot ultimately be used as real ability.

The flames in many people's eyes began to flicker.

Just then, a young figure stepped out from the crowd.

This was the young prodigy who had previously achieved mastery of the Northern Profound Body, but was suppressed by the Daoist protector of the supreme lineage with a single palm strike, who forcibly extracted the Northern Profound spiritual energy.

His injuries hadn't healed yet, and he even walked with a slight stagger, but he still managed to walk step by step to the front.

"Ancestor."

He raised his head.

"Those supreme lineages..."

"Were you born with an unparalleled lineage?"

The Great Ancestor frowned.

The voices of young people are getting louder and louder.

"Was the first emperor of the Great Emperor family born an emperor?"

"Were the founding masters of those holy lands protected by quasi-emperors from birth?"

"No! They built it up step by step, one step at a time!"

"Their ancestors also shed blood and died!"

The young man's eyes were red.

"And us? We didn't even try!"

"Every generation of people with even a little talent, just as they've mastered the Northern Profound Body, they hand over their Northern Profound Spiritual Energy!"

"If the foundation is damaged, the path will be severed!"

"And then tell the next generation, just bear with it, just being alive is enough!"

"If this continues for ten thousand or twenty thousand years, will my Gu family of Beixuan be able to produce a quasi-emperor?!"

Each word fell like a hammer blow, plunging the entire ancestral land into a deathly silence.

Even some of the elders who had been silent all along showed changes in their expressions.

The old ancestor of the Holy Realm who had previously argued that things could not continue like this let out a long sigh.

"How did it come to this... How did things get to this point?"

The great ancestor's expression grew increasingly grim.

"Easy for you to say!"

"Bloody? Sacrifice? Who will be sacrificed?"

"Are you prepared to gamble the entire Gu family's future on a future that may or may not even exist!"

"What if you lose the bet?"

"The Manchu people were completely wiped out!"

"Who will take responsibility then!"

Gu Changjin, who was initially a little bored, became somewhat interested upon hearing this.

"Alright."

The sound came out.

Both sides immediately fell silent.

Gu Changjin looked at the Great Ancestor and smiled.

"Stop referring to the family so often."

"The Gu family isn't just your Gu family."

The Great Ancestor frowned.

Gu Changjin looked down at the densely packed clansmen below.

"Since you all think you're doing this for the family."

"That makes things simpler."

"Let the Gu family choose for themselves."

"What do you think?"

"How will the Bei Xuan Gu family survive from now on?"

The surroundings remained quiet for several breaths.

next moment.

The young prodigy at the very front suddenly knelt down.

boom!

His forehead slammed heavily onto the stone steps.

"Ancestor!"

His voice was hoarse, yet it resonated throughout his ancestral homeland.

"On behalf of the younger generation of the Beixuan Gu family, I petition!"

He looked up sharply.

"I am a member of the Gu family of Beixuan..."

"I'd rather die standing than live on my knees!"

"We beseech our ancestor to purge the clan and restore order to its origins!"