Chapter Fifty-Six: The Hall of the Ancestral Master

Yang Nan glanced at Bu Xu, and in the end, he was convinced that Bu Xu’s sudden decision to take a disciple this time was closely tied to the task he would face in the future against the six great sects!

He was no fool—why would Bu Xu accept him as a disciple so abruptly?

It was simply because she saw the potential in him! The orthodox disciples of Kunlun had always been awe-inspiring across the world; if one could not stand against ten opponents at once, how could one be worthy of inheriting Kunlun’s legacy?

Kunlun disciples have always possessed a domineering spirit—from Ancestor Qingya to the current sect leader, not one disciple would ever suffer humiliation in silence or allow themselves to be bullied.

Domineering! Arrogant! My will is Heaven’s will! More tyrannical than any legendary weapon!

This is the Kunlun tradition!

‘Limitless potential combined with an aura of supreme self-confidence—such a disciple alone can guarantee Kunlun’s immortality!’ In a sudden moment of clarity, Yang Nan understood that everything he had experienced was Bu Xu testing his worthiness to become the true inheritor of the orthodox line!

Out of tens of thousands of disciples, only a few dozen attained the rank of Venerable, and each was incomparably powerful! Only the orthodox heir could be considered a true disciple of Kunlun!

How difficult, then, was it to become the orthodox successor?

If he could not pacify the Demon Valley, if he showed cowardice before the Li family, if his strength remained stagnant, then even if he died at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, Bu Xu would not spare him another glance!

No doubt, Bu Xu had been watching him from the shadows all along! If Yang Nan had faltered for even a moment, he would have died in vain!

“Very well! Master, I shall visit each of these seven places in turn another day!” Yang Nan lifted his head, his bright eyes filled with fearless resolve. With Bu Xu’s guidance in the days to come, what reason had he to fear the six great sects?

Surely, his master would not let those old monsters kill him?

“You are no longer afraid of the six great sects and the world’s top ten masters?” Bu Xu asked coolly.

Yang Nan laughed heartily. “Why should I fear them? Is my master not also one of the Daoist world’s top ten masters?”

In terms of background and power, could the Kunlun Sect possibly be inferior to the others?

Bu Xu smiled faintly, looking toward Yang Nan. “The Tyrant’s Sword of Xuanhuang is now in my hands. If Kuang Ge wishes to claim it in the future, let him come to Kunlun and try!”

Without so much as a glance at the seven defeated masters sprawled on the ground like dead dogs, Bu Xu turned and lightly took Yang Nan’s hand, flying directly toward the depths of Kunlun Mountain. Yang Nan felt his hand enveloped by a soft, icy palm, cold as snow, and a chill surged through him, making him shiver uncontrollably.

Yet in the next instant, that chill transformed into a warm current of spiritual power, seeping directly into his very soul. Yang Nan’s wounded spirit, left hollow and empty, was suddenly rejuvenated; in a moment, his injuries were half healed!

Startled, Yang Nan looked up at his domineering master, but she remained silent and expressionless.

The immortal mountains lay tranquil; Kunlun’s once lively peaks seemed to have fallen instantly silent, as if utterly deserted.

Bu Xu’s flight was swifter than ever, like lightning streaking across the sky!

‘Where is Master taking me?’ Just as the thought crossed his mind, the lotus beneath Bu Xu’s feet had already descended before the Ancestral Hall atop Lingxiao Peak!

Lingxiao Peak, the Ancestral Hall!

This was the residence of successive Kunlun sect leaders, the very soul of Kunlun, and the resting place of the ancestral spirits of generations past!

For thousands of years, every orthodox successor was revered by future generations as an Ancestor. Each orthodox heir had once shaken the heavens and the earth; whether they ascended or fell, a shrine would be established here for them to be honored.

The mountains of Kunlun stretched like dragons; the Ancestral Hall was the very mouth of this celestial dragon! At the mouth of the dragon, a magnificent palace stood proudly against the wind, so imposing and grand that even the palaces of mortal emperors paled in comparison...

Although Yang Nan had been a member of the Kunlun Sect for several years, it was the first time he had witnessed such a breathtaking immortal palace, and he was awestruck. Only the Kunlun Sect could accomplish such a feat.

This was a place of boundless grandeur—the very heart of Kunlun! Any cultivator who entered could not help but feel reverence rise within.

Bu Xu gently led Yang Nan by the hand into the Ancestral Hall. Noticing his astonished expression, she said calmly, “The Ancestral Hall has been expanded through the efforts of disciples over dozens of generations to reach its present scale. This hall is vast beyond measure, able to expand or contract at will. It surpasses your Heavenly Origin Divine Talisman by several degrees—there’s no need to be surprised.”

Yang Nan nodded. With countless formidable experts, it was unsurprising that thousands of years could yield such an immortal treasure. Had the primordial spiritual energy not been exhausted at the dawn of time, even the forging of innate divine artifacts would not have been out of the ordinary.

Though the Ancestral Hall was immense, Bu Xu chose to walk in from the gate. Seeing the endless layers of pavilions and halls, Yang Nan couldn’t help asking, “Master, why don’t we fly in? With such a long road, how could we ever finish walking?”

Bu Xu turned, a faint smile on her lips. “When the Ancestral Hall was completed, the statues of all Kunlun’s ancestors were erected below—thirteen thousand and fifty-nine in total—forming the ‘Slaughtering Gods Desolation Array.’ Since Kunlun’s founding, no one has dared fly overhead. You may try if you wish.”

‘Try?’ Yang Nan looked up at the rainbow-hued clouds swirling above the hall, sensing faint, terrifying fluctuations of primordial spiritual power. Cold sweat prickled his back, and a chill gripped his heart! He feared he would be obliterated before even reaching mid-air!

“Master, that’s clearly a trap!” Yang Nan’s face was full of grievance. This master he’d just acknowledged had such a devious mind—she was clearly sending him to his death!

Bu Xu remained silent, leading him swiftly forward. Although the hall seemed boundless, each step took them into another pavilion, its marvels making Yang Nan inwardly gasp.

Each ancestral statue was lifelike—some immortal, some mortal, sitting or standing, displaying joy, anger, sorrow, or mirth, gestures and expressions animated as if truly alive. Crossing into a new pavilion, Yang Nan suddenly cried out in surprise, “Wait! This one isn’t a statue—this… this is a real person!”

He pointed to a young man seated cross-legged to the left, eyes closed in meditation. The youth’s face was as fine as jade, his expression delicate and vivid, forming a hand seal as if deep in soul-traveling trance.

While the other statues were lifelike, they were clearly carved from spirit stones or celestial iron—never could they replicate the texture of living flesh and blood!

This ancestral figure’s skin was indistinguishable from a living person’s, as if merely asleep. Startled, Yang Nan blurted out, “Ancestor Qingya!”

Bu Xu stopped gently and led Yang Nan before the statue of the young man, nodding. “Correct. This is the fleshly body of Ancestor Qingya, the greatest master of two thousand years past. Though the ancestor’s soul is lost, his body remains, eternally undying.”

With solemn reverence, Yang Nan pressed his hands together and bowed deeply. “With such dominating deeds thousands of years ago, our Kunlun thrives today. The ancestor’s grace benefits later generations—truly an inspiration to us all.” If anyone in Kunlun’s history commanded Yang Nan’s admiration, apart from the founder, it was this legendary figure who, with one sword, established Kunlun’s supremacy!

Bu Xu smiled quietly. “When you have achieved mastery, journey the world. Should you recover Ancestor Qingya’s soul, the leadership of Kunlun shall be yours.”

‘Sect leader?’ Yang Nan jumped in shock. “Master, you must be joking! Ancestor Qingya vanished over two thousand years ago—how could his soul still be in this world? You’re making things impossible for me!”

Possessing a Xuan Yan Divine Sword had made him an inner disciple; retrieving the ancestor’s soul to become sect leader was not impossible to imagine!

But could a soul, bereft of its body, truly endure for over two thousand years without dissipating?

This was surely an unattainable task…

Bu Xu shook her head. “The Soul Stone remains unbroken; Ancestor Qingya cannot be dead. Yet, despite generations of Kunlun disciples searching the world, his soul has not been found. It is truly vexing.”

These mystical matters did not interest Yang Nan. He chuckled, “If he is not certainly dead, then perhaps someday he’ll be found. What concern is that of ours? At most, we’ll do our best to search.”

Bu Xu turned, fixing her gaze on him until Yang Nan grew puzzled. At last, she slowly said, “Now that you have mastered the Seventy-Two Demon Valley, this matter is closely tied to you, whether you wish it or not.”

Yang Nan cried out in disbelief, “What? Master, you can’t mean for me to seek Ancestor Qingya’s soul? Even after a thousand years, no one has found it—how could I?”

Bu Xu nodded lightly. “You have inherited Demon Valley, and thus you carry the ancestor’s legacy. Seeking his soul is now your duty—this is part of the price for becoming my disciple. However, do your best; perhaps if you become a Venerable soon, you will be spared the search.”

“Uh!” Either retrieve the ancestor’s soul, or attain the rank of Venerable—just one would suffice to become the rightful orthodox heir. Yang Nan swallowed any words of regret, realizing that Bu Xu had paid a heavy price to accept him as her disciple. But what had he done to deserve such favor?

Without Bu Xu, would he even have had the chance to ascend Kunlun Mountain today?

“Master… thank you…”

Bu Xu turned away, and for a moment, a ripple flickered through her icy gaze before vanishing.

In the Ancestral Hall, the Kunlun Sect Leader, the enigmatic Master Xuanmiao, looked upon dozens of Kunlun Venerables and numerous inner disciples. Her expression, so often relaxed, was now grim. The hall was full of Kunlun disciples, yet not one dared utter a word.

Upon the altar, ancestral tablets stood densely packed, each one representing a Kunlun Venerable.

Before the countless ancestral spirits of Kunlun, no disciple dared even breathe loudly.

Li Yun and the others knelt in dejection before the ancestral tablets, already sensing their impending doom.

Sword in hand, Master Xuanxu declared coldly, “Inner disciples Li Yun, Fang Wen, and Ji Han, for colluding with outsiders to harm your fellow disciples, your cultivation is hereby abolished, your spiritual imprints erased, and you are expelled from Kunlun Mountain, never to return. All outer disciples who broke the rules are likewise stricken from the register, and henceforth, are no longer Kunlun disciples.”

The sect leader, usually so genial, was now solemn and stern. The Venerables were silent, the inner disciples’ hearts chilled—who would dare challenge the leader’s decree?

Li Yun and his companions turned ashen; none had expected the sect leader to be so resolute, cutting off all their paths without a single question.

But in the presence of so many elders and ancestors, who would dare utter a word in protest?

“Disciplinary Venerable, you may begin,” Xuanmiao declared, sealing the fate of Li Yun and the others.