Chapter 61: Jiang Yu, Visitors from the Jiang Family

Jiang Yu knelt before the gates of the Li family estate, his gaze fixed downward upon the earth. Within his chest, his heart was utterly devoid of ripples, tranquil as a stagnant pool. He had reached the very end of his road, a path where no further passage remained.

Originally, he was a scion of the primary branch of the Jiang clan within the Seven Stars Immortal Dynasty, holding the exalted position of the Jiang family’s young master. Following the passing of his mother, his maternal relatives had turned a blind eye to his existence, while his own father had discarded him like a worn-out shoe when he was but a child.

Yet, Heaven never cuts off all avenues of survival. He had been taken in by a foster family, managing to scrape by and endure until the Jiang clan finally tracked him down and brought him back. Little did he know, that homecoming was merely the prologue to his living nightmare.

The Jiang clan had reclaimed him for one sole purpose: to harvest his Exquisite Heart of Seven Apertures!

The Exquisite Heart of Seven Apertures was a divine treasure bestowed by nature, granting one the innate ability to perceive good and evil, transcendent comprehension, and the power to pierce through all illusions and falsehoods. The Jiang clan had ruthlessly ripped the heart from his chest and bestowed it upon his younger brother!

Miraculously, he did not perish. Escaping the clutches of the Jiang clan, he had retreated to the Valley of the Medicine King, only to be struck down by the virulent poison of Nie Mie.

A flash of killing intent crossed Jiang Yu’s eyes. For days, he had been observing the Li family. The clan possessed a Saint-level expert among their ranks, and their overall strength was commendable. He desired to enter their fold, to live out his days as an ordinary mortal, and to consider the future when it arrived. What had drawn him most to the Li family was their code of conduct; even when Li Qingqing had betrayed the clan, they had merely gouged out her eyes to reclaim their ancestral bloodline.

"He went inside??"

A flicker of anger crossed Jiang Yu’s expression, instantly supplanted by a deep, hollow despondency. With his Exquisite Heart of Seven Apertures torn from his body, his very foundation had withered away, reducing him to a cripple. How could he possibly contend with the colossal Jiang clan? How could he ever hope to exact vengeance?

As for his status as the eldest young master—were it not for the sake of preserving superficial appearances, Jiang Yu would have been a dead man long ago!

"Very well."

Suddenly, rays of divine radiance began to emanate from Jiang Yu’s body. Within his flesh, wisps of divine light slithered about in a manner most grotesque and terrifying. From his hollowed-out chest, the distinct sound of a heartbeat suddenly echoed—*thump, thump*—each beat reverberating louder than the last, shaking the firmament.

...

"Short-sighted! Utterly short-sighted! To think the Li family would take in such trash, someone even weaker than myself! Forget it, I won't go to the Li family after all!"

Why on earth would the Li family accept such useless deadwood?

When confronted with the prospect of the Li family, he had hesitated, yet that innate divine sense—the ability to perceive good and evil—urged him forward, telling him he must lay everything bare.

Jiang Yu froze once more.

"Roar!"

Li Xuan chuckled softly. "What? Unwilling?"

Catching sight of the youth wielding a silver spear, Jiang Yu’s complexion turned ghastly pale. The divine guards of the Jiang clan had tracked him down after all!

Jiang Yu’s body stiffened for a fraction of a second before his eyes fell upon a young man clad in dark garments, gazing at him with an expression of utter tranquility.

"Jiang Yu pays respects to the Old Ancestor of the Li family! I beseech the Ancestor to take me in as a disciple, this disciple is willing to—"

Swallowing hard, Jiang Yu dropped straight to his knees. "Ancestor! I am willing to enter the Li family! I am willing to take the surname Li!"

He was not a man ignorant of the ways of the world; regardless of what cultivation realm the Li family's ancestor truly occupied, at this moment, a deep sense of conviction had taken root in his heart!

As the silver-spear-wielding youth spoke, his expression suddenly shifted. He opened his mouth, attempting to turn his body around, but in the next instant, *bang!* Without the slightest warning, he violently exploded into a mist of blood.

A backwater place was truly a backwater place; he had not sensed even the slightest trace of a powerhouse's aura.

...

"No, look at him. His vitality is withered, and he looks like a man whose lifespan is on the verge of exhaustion. How could he possibly be a genius?"

The Li family was proving to be a disappointment as well! For all they knew, this clan might not even be able to handle the three major forces: the Zhou family of Tianshang City and the Earth Dragon Sect!

Divine guards and divine generals—every single one of them was an elite of the Jiang clan!

The overwhelming pressure of the Void-Refining Realm they projected... failed to cause the slightest chill in the air.

"Haha, who knows? Perhaps he truly is a genius?"

Of course, should Jiang Yu ever harbor thoughts of betrayal, Li Xuan certainly wouldn't mind acquiring villain points through an alternative method. In short, everything remained firmly within his grasp.

"Eldest Young Master, the Matriarch has issued an order: you are to return with me."

He had witnessed it with his own eyes—the Ancestor hadn't even lifted a finger, yet the divine guard hailing from the Jiang clan had directly exploded into pieces! That was a divine guard of the Jiang clan! Though merely at the Void-Refining Realm, how could such a person be compared to ordinary cultivators of the same tier?

Li Xuan took a sip of tea and calmly spoke, "I care not whence you came. If you wish to enter my Li family, I must witness your sincerity. I am granting you an opportunity, but I require commensurate returns."

The youth with the silver spear remained entirely oblivious to the surrounding atmosphere. His gaze shifted away from Jiang Yu and landed upon Li Xuan. Seeing the esteemed eldest young master kneeling before a mere mortal, a sneer crossed his face, his tone chillingly cold, "Eldest Young Master, you are a member of the Jiang clan. To kneel before another in this manner... the Matriarch will not be pleased."

Above the Li family estate, a spatial gate materialized out of thin air. With heavy steps, a serpent-headed, kylin-hooved steed trotted out from within. Atop the sacred beast sat a youth clad in shimmering silver armor, gripping a silver spear. His gaze was indifferent as he swept his eyes across the scene, instantly locking onto Jiang Yu.

He rose to his feet and stepped across the threshold into the Li family estate.

Naturally, should the Jiang clan genuinely seek to vent their wrath upon the Li family, he would simply have to cast aside his flesh and bones when the time came!

To the absolute astonishment of the onlookers, someone from the Li family actually originated from some distant domain and powerful faction, while others even traversed spatial gates just to hunt people down?

They watched closely to see if the Li family could withstand the storm!

Jiang Yu knelt upon the floor, respectfully raising an imperial scripture with both hands. "Ancestor, this is an imperial scripture I happened to acquire by chance. It is the supreme manual left behind by the Martial Emperor."

Walking through the grounds of the Li family, Jiang Yu’s heart beat with a mixture of apprehension and surging excitement. Before long, he arrived at Li Xuan’s courtyard, watching as Li Qing delivered a bow and took her leave.

The Jiang clan refused to let him go!

Witnessing Jiang Yu cross into the Li family grounds, the spectators in the distance were left dumbfounded.

"To be at such an advanced age and still wish to join the Li family? Has he lost his mind?"

He was a man of benevolence; his coming here was precisely because he perceived the Li Ancestor to be a gentleman—and a gentleman could always be imposed upon by righteous principles!

Li Xuan spoke with profound meaning, "As long as you provide me with returns that satisfy me, what does the Seven Stars Immortal Dynasty matter? What does the Martial God Marquis Manor of the Jiang clan signify? I shall exact vengeance on your behalf, or, if you prefer to exact it with your own hands, that can be arranged as well!"

Jiang Yu’s body trembled violently as he jerked his head upward. "Understood!"

The disciples of the Li family and the cultivators gathered near the estate all raised their heads simultaneously.

[You have shocked the Son of Destiny, Jiang Yu. Obtained 199,999 villain points, lifespan increased by 19 years!]

In the future, he would inevitably leave the Li family; his personal blood debt was something he intended to settle with his own hands!

The silver-armored youth spoke with flat indifference, "I must ask the Eldest Young Master not to make things difficult for me. Otherwise, everyone present here today shall perish."

He had offered an imperial scripture, trusting that the Li family would accept him into their ranks. The reason he hadn't concealed his origins or intentions was precisely because of his Exquisite Heart of Seven Apertures—even though the physical heart had been excised, he could still perceive the lingering auras of good and evil in his surroundings.

[You have caused the Son of Destiny, Jiang Yu, to feel profound shock. Obtained 99,999 villain points, lifespan increased by 1 year.]

...

Not far from the Li family, cultivators hoping to join the clan shook their heads in unison as they beheld the unfolding scene.

Even if the Jiang clan and the Martial God Marquis Manor were terrifying entities known throughout the Seven Stars Immortal Dynasty!

The silver-armored youth’s tone remained flat, a silent thought crossing his mind that he wouldn't mind teaching the arrogant eldest young master a harsh lesson.

The Li family was currently waging campaigns against Tianshang City, the Zhou family, and the Earth Dragon Sect. Given the circumstances, the onlookers assumed the Li family would undoubtedly reject Jiang Yu!

Jiang Yu was momentarily stunned, but instantly, his expression shifted into one of absolute horror and disbelief. A single droplet of tea entered his body, and in the blink of an eye, his withered frame burst forth with myriad strands of auspicious multicolored light, recovering at a miraculous, frenzied pace!

The eldest young master had truly lost his mind. Rather than remaining within the mighty Jiang clan, he had chosen to flee outside, forcing others to track him down.

Before Jiang Yu could speak, he saw Li Xuan gently raise his chin.

So long as they were granted even a sliver of opportunity, they could instantly turn a desperate crisis into safety!

Jiang Yu fell silent for a brief moment. Was the Ancestor not being a bit... too calm and overbearing?!

They were left bitterly disappointed!

"Exactly! I inspected his cultivation earlier; he’s merely at the Nascent Soul realm. How could he possibly be qualified to enter the Li family? Does he truly believe himself to be some peerless prodigy?"

Jiang Yu could not help letting out a furious roar from the depths of his throat. Li Xuan observed him with a look of genuine amusement; as expected of the Son of Destiny.

The Martial Emperor was a supreme sovereign from a deeply ancient era. With a flick of Li Xuan’s hand, the imperial scripture floated directly into his grasp. He casually snapped his fingers, and a single droplet of tea plummeted into Jiang Yu’s physical vessel.

Just at that moment, Li Qing stepped out from the inner chamber, casting a curious glance at Jiang Yu. "The Ancestor summons you inside."