"Why must I accept fate… why…"
The young boy trembled uncontrollably, despair evident in his eyes.
Above him, the sky was shrouded in dark clouds, as if fate itself had cast a shadow over his life, obscuring the sunlight and hope.
Inside the pavilion, the mysterious woman remained silent, neither offering an answer nor any comfort. She herself had felt the same despair when she first read those words.
She did not resent that man. After all, he had warned her before leaving. But she couldn't resist her family's persuasion and was drawn into the conflicts, ultimately causing her descendants to hide in the deep mountains, lamenting the unfairness of fate in obscurity.
Suddenly, the boy felt a sharp pain in his palm, startling him into instinctively flinging the crumpled paper away.
He looked at his palm and found blood-red patterns etched across it, grotesque and menacing. Sensing something unusual, he quickly turned his gaze toward the blood-stained paper and crawled toward it.
Picking it up with trembling hands, he unfolded it to find that the words "accept fate" had vanished, replaced by three new words.
Tai Xuan Sect!
"Tai Xuan Sect… what does this mean…" The boy frowned, muttering to himself.
He had, of course, heard of the Tai Xuan Sect—the legendary number one sect under heaven, standing above even imperial dynasties.
But with his meager talent, how could he possibly join the Tai Xuan Sect?
A figure suddenly appeared beside him, a woman dressed in a black Daoist robe with flowing white hair, though her face remained youthful and beautiful.
She was none other than Princess Si Yan'er, who had once been engaged to An Hao.
Snatching the paper from the boy's hands, she stared at the words with a tightly furrowed brow and an expression full of conflicting emotions.
"You told me time and time again never to think of relying on him… yet you left this cryptic message, telling our descendants to go to the Tai Xuan Sect? Did you foresee this day, or were you just worried about their safety?"
Si Yan'er muttered to herself, her tone filled with a mixture of surprise, frustration, anger, and lingering resentment.
The boy struggled to stand. His legs, weakened from kneeling for so long, nearly gave out again, but he managed to steady himself after a few moments.
"Grandmother… does this mean I should go to the Tai Xuan Sect?" the boy asked nervously, his eyes full of hope.
Si Yan'er took a deep breath. "Yes, you must go to the Tai Xuan Sect."
The boy's face lit up with joy, and he immediately turned to leave.
"Wait. Do you even know where the Tai Xuan Sect is? Or how far it is from here?" Si Yan'er called out, halting him.
The boy turned back, his face a mix of hesitation and determination. "The Tai Xuan Sect is so famous. If I ask around, I'm sure I can find it."
"With your pace, it would take ten years to get there. By the time you arrive, you might already be dead."
Si Yan'er stared at him, her expression unreadable.
The boy's face fell, his elation replaced by panic.
Turning toward the pavilion, Si Yan'er said without looking back, "Wait here. I'll take you to the Tai Xuan Sect myself."
Overcome with gratitude, the boy dropped to his knees, bowing deeply to Si Yan'er.
Meanwhile, An Hao was cultivating in the Immortal Dynasty, unaware of the trials his descendants were enduring.
He meditated on the edge of a cliff, with a towering, thunderous waterfall before him. The vast lake below, shrouded in mist, made the place look like a scene straight out of a mortal's depiction of paradise.
A figure appeared behind him—a woman in a flowing white dress. Her eyes, filled with admiration, lingered on An Hao.
"An Hao, with the Immortal Dynasty now offering rewards tied to fate, why don't you take advantage of it? With the Dynasty's blessings, your cultivation would progress much faster. It would be far more effective than sitting here and meditating," she said gently, her voice tender and full of emotion.
An Hao, still facing forward, did not open his eyes. He replied calmly, "Using external fate to achieve enlightenment may not be the right path. I trust more in the power I cultivate myself."
The woman in white smiled. "Of course. With your extraordinary talent, you'll reach the peak of the immortal path on your own. It's only a matter of time."
An Hao said nothing more, the only sound between them being the crashing of the waterfall.
The woman remained there, gazing at An Hao, seemingly content just to watch him in silence.
After a long pause, An Hao finally spoke again. "Fairy, I must ask you to leave. Perhaps I misunderstood your intentions, but I will not take another wife in this life. I once had a wife, but for the sake of cultivation, I severed all ties with her. I do not wish to form such connections with another."
His tone was calm but resolute, leaving no room for argument.
The woman's face changed slightly. She wanted to say something, but looking at An Hao's back, the words caught in her throat.
After a long moment, she turned and left in silence.
Once she was gone, An Hao finally opened his eyes. A wistful expression crossed his face.
"So many years have passed. Are you still doing well?"
He murmured to himself, and in his mind, the image of a lively, bright-eyed girl surfaced. Her smiles and playful antics were as vivid in his memory as if they had happened only yesterday, even though centuries had gone by.
A year later, in the forested mountains near the Tai Xuan Sect.
Si Yan'er and the boy were making their way through the dense woodland. The boy carried a massive bundle on his back, so heavy that it made him hunch over as he walked.
Looking at Si Yan'er ahead of him, he couldn't help but complain. "Grandmother, wouldn't it be better if you just taught me cultivation? Otherwise, this journey might actually kill me."
When Si Yan'er brought out a flying artifact, An Yuan was dumbfounded, never expecting his grandmother to possess such impressive abilities.
In his amazement, he even questioned her, asking why she hadn't intervened to save his grandfather and father. Si Yan'er's response was calm but firm, explaining that the distance had been too great, and there hadn't been enough time to act.
As for why she hadn't sought revenge, it was for his sake.
The enemy had been an influential family with immortals among their ranks, a force she couldn't possibly contend with.
Upon learning the reasons, An Yuan's determination to cultivate only grew stronger. He swore to himself: I must become powerful!
"We're almost there. What are you thinking about cultivating for now?" Si Yan'er's voice echoed from ahead.
Hearing this, An Yuan was overjoyed and hurried to catch up.
Curiosity overtaking him, he began asking about their ancestor's connection to the Tai Xuan Sect.
This time, Si Yan'er didn't hold back.
"Your ancestor's name was An Hao. He was the greatest prodigy of his time, and now he ventures in realms far beyond this one. He was the pride of the Tai Xuan Sect…" Si Yan'er explained, her expression softening with a trace of nostalgia.
Her mind wandered to An Hao's youthful and confident face.
She didn't harbor any resentment toward An Hao's decision to leave. After all, it was she who had fallen for him first. Moreover, before he left, he had left behind numerous treasures. Those very treasures were what had allowed the Si family to survive its downfall and enabled her to protect her descendants.
As An Yuan listened to the name "An Hao," it felt strangely familiar. However, instead of admiration, his expression grew darker.
The greater An Hao's achievements, the deeper An Yuan's resentment toward him.
So what if he was the greatest prodigy under heaven?
In An Yuan's eyes, An Hao was nothing more than an irresponsible ancestor. He couldn't be as great as everyone claimed!
The two continued walking as they conversed, though it was mostly Si Yan'er who spoke while An Yuan remained silent.
Eventually, human figures appeared ahead. The first to catch their eye was a man riding a demonic ox, accompanied by a young woman.
Si Yan'er had sensed their presence long before, and one of them was clearly at the Nascent Soul Realm. These individuals had to be disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect, and she hoped to enlist their help to enter the sect.
Quickening her pace, An Yuan followed closely, his eyes fixed on the mighty beast beneath the man.
What a magnificent ox!
Gu An, seated atop the Blood Prison Saint, gently patted the ox's head, signaling it to stop.
An Xin turned her head, her gaze quickly locking onto the approaching youth. Her brows furrowed slightly.
[An Yuan (Qi Refining Realm, First Layer): 17/25/5000]
Gu An observed An Yuan's lifespan, his expression remaining calm, though inwardly, he found it peculiar. Why is his lifespan so short?
Gu An had already predicted the arrival of Si Yan'er and her grandson, as well as the hardships the descendants of An Hao had endured. But seeing An Yuan in person still took him by surprise.
This lifespan is absurdly short, and yet his body shows no signs of illness.
Si Yan'er approached An Xin, raised her hand in greeting, and spoke respectfully, "I am Si Yan'er, from the former Tian Wei region. Might I ask if you two are disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect?"
"You're Si Yan'er?"
An Xin's beautiful eyes widened in shock.
Si Yan'er asked with a hint of suspicion, "Have you heard of me?"
"Of course! My senior brother has mentioned you!"
"Your senior brother is…?" Si Yan'er's tone grew excited. She remembered An Hao mentioning he had a younger sister.
Without hesitation, An Xin revealed her identity. The two women embraced tightly, as if reunited after a long separation.
An Yuan stood dumbfounded, staring at An Xin. He couldn't believe this celestial-like young woman was his ancestor's junior sister.
She looks so young, about my age!
"And this is?" Si Yan'er turned her gaze to Gu An, curiosity evident.
An Xin quickly introduced him. "This is my master. Well, not the same master as my senior brother and me, but my second master."
Si Yan'er nodded in understanding. She knew who An Hao's master was—the renowned Sword Master of the Dao! She decided against revealing this detail to An Yuan.
Gu An smiled and asked, "Are you here to find An Hao? He's joined the Immortal Dynasty, far across the ends of the world. Even a Mahayana Realm cultivator would need decades, perhaps centuries, to reach the Immortal Dynasty."
Immortal Dynasty!
Si Yan'er's mind froze. She had heard of it—the realm from which Yuan Xu, the founder of reincarnation, had hailed.
He's reached such heights…
A wave of relief washed over Si Yan'er. She was grateful she hadn't clung to him back then. If she had stayed on the Tai Cang Continent, would An Hao have achieved such greatness?
"Let's return to the valley first. Rest for a few days, and then we can discuss further," Gu An said.
Si Yan'er immediately bowed in gratitude, urging An Yuan to do the same.
Startled, An Yuan quickly bowed deeply.
The group made their way toward Xuan Valley. An Xin and Si Yan'er walked arm-in-arm at the front, while An Yuan cautiously trailed behind the Blood Prison Saint.
The Blood Prison Saint glanced back at An Yuan, its expression curious.
The intense gaze made An Yuan uneasy. Is this demon beast planning to eat me?
"You do resemble An Hao, though your talent is leagues apart. Who would have thought a prodigy like An Hao would produce such a weak descendant?" The Blood Prison Saint spoke casually.
Hearing this, An Yuan's face flushed with anger, but he dared not retort.
Gu An slapped the Blood Prison Saint's head lightly and said with mock irritation, "Why mock a junior? Shall I show you what it's like to be weaker than him?"
The Blood Prison Saint shuddered, immediately falling silent.
An Yuan glanced at Gu An curiously, finding himself inexplicably drawn to the man. For some reason, Gu An's first impression gave him a deep sense of warmth and kindness.
Gu An waved at An Yuan, motioning for him to approach the Blood Prison Saint.