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“Why would you say that, sister?” Gu Xuan was puzzled by Yao Qianqian’s words.

Yao Qianqian fixed her gaze on Gu Xuan, hesitated for a moment, then spoke slowly, “Gu Xuan, don’t be anxious just yet. I have a method that might uncover some truths about your mother, but it requires a drop of your blood.”

Gu Xuan was stunned, barely daring to believe his ears. After all, he had known nothing about his mother all this time. Yet, seeing Yao Qianqian’s earnest expression, he nodded.

“Alright. You saved my life, sister. Using a bit of blood won’t hurt.”

Yao Qianqian gently took Gu Xuan’s hand. Before he could react, a small circular wound appeared on her fingertip, and a drop of crimson blood slowly oozed out.

“Follow me,” she said.

She then enveloped the drop of blood with mystical energy and carefully approached Yao Qiong’s skeletal remains.

Gu Xuan nodded, curiosity piqued about what Yao Qianqian intended to do next.

Staring at the skeleton, Yao Qianqian’s expression grew complex. After a moment of hesitation, she made up her mind.

“Forgive me, master.”

She slowly let Gu Xuan’s drop of blood fall onto the bones.

For a while, the surroundings fell into a silence so profound that one could hear a pin drop. Only the occasional breeze from outside gently rustled their clothes.

Gu Xuan’s eyes widened as he fixed his gaze on the skeleton, his heart brimming with confusion and anxiety, as if something was about to happen.

Yet, after a long while, the bones remained still.

“Sister, what are you doing? Why isn’t there any response?” Gu Xuan asked in surprise.

Yao Qianqian frowned, doubts creeping into her mind.

“Could I have been mistaken? But it’s too strange that he could enter this barrier.”

Just as she was lost in thought, a faint mark suddenly appeared on the skeleton’s forehead.

The mark was extremely faint, barely noticeable unless one looked closely.

“Just as I thought!” Yao Qianqian’s eyes gleamed with a hint of joy, and she couldn’t help but whisper.

Gu Xuan, puzzled, leaned closer but couldn’t discern anything.

“Sister, you look happy. What’s going on?”

Taking a deep breath, Yao Qianqian looked at Gu Xuan with certainty.

“Gu Xuan, I know the identity of your mother.”

Hearing this, Gu Xuan’s heart surged with joy. He stood respectfully and bowed.

“Really? Please, sister, tell me.”

“Of course.”

---

Yao Qianqian answered readily.

“But before that, I must tell you that you’ve misunderstood your father. Everything he said and did for you was for your own good.”

Looking at the young man before her, Yao Qianqian couldn’t help but feel moved.

“After waiting so long, it’s not a Yao family member who arrived here, nor those other people, but a descendant unknown even to the Yao clan…”

Her face suddenly grew serious. She motioned for Gu Xuan to sit and began to explain.

“If my guess is correct, your mother is a descendant of the Yao family. And your veins flow with the blood of our Yao clan—that’s why you could enter here.”

Gu Xuan’s face was full of shock, mouth slightly agape as if hearing something unbelievable. But he quickly dismissed Yao Qianqian’s words.

“That’s impossible! Sister, you said Yao descendants possess supreme bloodlines, which means their cultivation should be much faster than ordinary people. Look at me—weak and lowly. I couldn’t possibly be a Yao descendant.”

“Don’t rush. Listen carefully.”

Yao Qianqian’s gaze softened as she shook her head and patiently explained.

“Gu Xuan, as I said, our Yao clan carries the supreme bloodline, a power unparalleled in might. However, because it’s too strong, it subtly defies the natural order. Thus, thousands of years ago, the heavens imposed shackles, sealing it tightly.”

She gently patted Gu Xuan’s shoulder, a soothing gesture.

“These celestial shackles have far-reaching effects. Our Yao kin find the path to cultivation arduous until reaching the level of the Mystics. Their progress is painfully slow, often unable to sense the flow of mystical energy entering their bodies, as if cut off from the path of cultivation itself.”

Yao Qianqian frowned slightly, eyes flickering with sympathy.

“Think carefully—doesn’t your current state mirror ours?”

“I see now!”

Gu Xuan suddenly understood, clenching his fists. The doubts that had long haunted him vanished like mist in the sunlight.

“Still, our family bears supreme bloodlines, with a legacy spanning millennia and profound foundations. The clan preserves unique cultivation techniques and precious mystical pills that help our young to break through barriers and ascend to the Mystics’ realm.”

Yao Qianqian’s tone brimmed with pride as she straightened her back.

“Once one breaks through to the Mystic realm, the clan employs secret methods to awaken the supreme bloodline, breaking those shackles. After awakening, cultivation speeds up like a wild horse unleashed, rapidly advancing day by day. This is the source of our clan’s many powerful figures.”

She glanced at Gu Xuan, who stood dumbfounded, her expression heavy with sympathy.

“I suppose you and your father came here searching for the Spirit-Condensing Herb to improve your cultivation and escape your predicament. Unfortunately, whether you found it or not remains unknown, and you ended up missing.”

Gu Xuan’s brow furrowed deeply, his gaze filled with worry.

The Yao family’s profound heritage and abundant resources aided their scions in breaking through to the Mystic realm.

Yet he, born of a small family and isolated, wondered what he could rely on in this world where strength dominates to improve himself and chase his distant dreams.

He bit his lip unconsciously, overwhelmed by confusion and helplessness.

Yao Qianqian, sensing his thoughts, recalled her own childhood.

Though noble as part of the Dragon clan, she was ostracized for being playful and neglecting cultivation. Angry and frustrated, she ran away.

Later, when in mortal danger, it was Yao Qiong who saved her—giving her a name and teaching her cultivation.

“Qianqian, you are strong enough now. The master-servant marks between us are gone; you are free. Go…”

Yao Qiong’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind. She snapped her head toward the skeleton, eyes misty.

“Master…”

---

Yao Qianqian quickly made a firm decision and turned to Gu Xuan.

Suddenly, several deep purple herbs appeared in her hand, emitting a faint glow, exquisitely beautiful.

“Boy, this is the Spirit-Condensing Herb you’ve been seeking.”

Hearing the name, Gu Xuan leaned in eagerly.

“So this is the Spirit-Condensing Herb! Ling’er was right—it really is beautiful.”

Yao Qianqian stared at the herb in her hand, shaking her head with a solemn expression.

“Gu Xuan, if this herb can be refined into a mystical pill, it will indeed aid your cultivation. But relying solely on its effects is far from enough to change your situation.”

Her words struck Gu Xuan like a thunderclap.

His eyes widened in despair; he stood frozen as if paralyzed.

Yao Qianqian remained silent, quietly observing him with a glint of admiration.

“However, your willingness to risk your life to come to this monster-infested place shows your tenacity and spirit. That determination suits me well.”

She stood, an aura radiating from her, sweeping away the dust in the grand hall.

“Since he could come here and is a descendant of the Yao clan, he cannot be buried in obscurity. After a thousand years, it’s time to see the outside world…”

After a brief silence, Yao Qianqian suddenly raised her voice sternly.

“Boy, kneel down!”

Her words rang like a mighty bell, snapping Gu Xuan out of his deep despair.

Startled, he shivered and fell straight to his knees before Yao Qianqian.

His face was full of confusion, eyes wide as he stared at her.

Yao Qianqian could not help but feel a mix of amusement and helplessness.

“Oh no, not to me. Turn around and kneel before my master!”

Only then did Gu Xuan come to his senses hurriedly, turning around and kneeling respectfully before the white bones in the hall.

Yao Qianqian watched him solemnly, her voice echoing through the empty chamber.

“Boy, do you wish to take my master as your teacher?”

Gu Xuan could hardly believe his ears, wondering if despair had caused him to hallucinate.

He instinctively looked back at Yao Qianqian with questioning eyes, as if seeking confirmation.

Seeing no reply, Yao Qianqian placed her hands on her hips.

“Hey, you brat! My master is a half-step Imperial Mystic, a chance many would kill for. What are you looking at me for? Don’t you want this?”

“I—I do! Of course I do! I want to take your master as my teacher!”