154: Recognizing his ancestors and returning to his family lineage? Xiao Fan marries into the family!

"Boom!"

Heavenly Secret Master's Sea of Consciousness shook violently, and he immediately spat out a mouthful of old blood, collapsing to the ground in a state of lethargy.

"I can't calculate it... I simply can't calculate it..."

"This treasure... is outside the Three Realms and not within the Five Elements..."

Heavenly Secret Master gasped for breath, his eyes filled with wariness.

But he was, after all, a deeply calculating person.

Although he couldn't calculate who it specifically was, he had a strong intuition that the emergence of this treasure would likely stir up an unknown variable in the Central Region.

Heavenly Secret Master's expression was slightly unsightly; this feeling of things being beyond his control made him feel irritable.

At this moment, a Disciple ran in hurriedly with a panicked expression.

"Pavilion Master! Something terrible has happened!"

"News just arrived... the soul lamps of Withered Wood Sword Saint and the Seventh Ancestor of the Wang Family, who went to the Eastern Wilderness... have been extinguished!"

"What?"

Heavenly Secret Master's pupils constricted abruptly.

Dead?

Two Integration Stage Great Experts, one of whom was even at the Peak of the Body Integration Stage, actually died in the Eastern Wilderness?

"Good! Well done, Lu Yuan!"

Heavenly Secret Master laughed instead of getting angry, the killing intent in his eyes reaching an extreme.

"You've killed well!"

"The more you kill, the closer your day of death becomes!"

"By killing people from the Wang Family and the Taihao Sword Sect, you are declaring war on the entire Central Region!"

"This time, I'll see how you die!"

...Central Region, Qin Family.

This was a vast immortal land suspended high above the Nine Heavens.

Countless immortal islands were arranged there, with jade buildings and pavilions, auspicious cranes flying about, and Spiritual Qi so dense it had turned into a liquid mist.

The Qin Family hall was solemn and majestic.

At this time, however, the atmosphere inside the hall was somewhat oppressive.

Xiao Fan was dressed in a luxurious purple-gold long robe; although he had changed his attire, his slightly cramped expression still betrayed the unease of a newcomer.

Seated above him was a circle of elders with terrifying auras, all of whom were elders of the Qin Family.

"Returning to the ancestors?"

A voice full of mockery broke the silence.

A young man with a face like carved jade and a dashing appearance walked out. He was dressed in white, holding a folding fan, with a disdainful sneer hanging at the corner of his mouth.

The current God Child of the Qin Family—Qin Hao!

"Ninth Uncle, you aren't joking, are you?"

Qin Hao looked at Qin Jiuyou and pointed at Xiao Fan, his tone biting: "Just based on this bastard who is only at the Foundation Establishment Stage? He also wants to enter our Qin Family's Ancestral Hall?"

"Our Qin Family is a Longevity Immortal Clan with a noble Bloodline; how can we tolerate the existence of such a stain?"

Many of the surrounding young Disciples also chimed in, their gazes toward Xiao Fan filled with contempt.

The reason Qin Hao targeted Xiao Fan so much was not purely for the sake of the Bloodline.

It was because he had adored his cousin since childhood—Qin Mengyao, who was Xiao Fan's mother.

In the Cultivation World, especially among Longevity Families, intermarriage between cousins was a common occurrence to maintain the purity of the Bloodline.

Qin Hao had always regarded Qin Mengyao as his exclusive possession.

But who would have thought that over a decade ago, during a journey outside, Qin Mengyao's purity would be ruined by an unknown Mortal, and she would even give birth to this vile spawn, Xiao Fan!

How could Qin Hao endure this?

He practically wished he could cut Xiao Fan into a thousand pieces!

"You!"

Xiao Fan's face was pale, his fists clenched tight, his face full of humiliation and grievance.

But he did not dare to talk back.

Because the aura of every single person here was countless times stronger than his own.

"Enough!"

Just then.

A voice as cold as ice rang out.

From the depths of the hall, a beautiful woman dressed in palace robes walked out slowly; she was stunningly beautiful but as cold as frost.

Her skin was like snow, and her temperament was noble, like a Nine Heavens Profound Maiden, yet between her brows, there seemed to be a layer of unmelting ice forever locked away.

Qin Mengyao!

"Mother!"

Seeing the newcomer, Xiao Fan's eyes instantly filled with tears, and he trembled all over with excitement.

This was the mother he thought of day and night!

The reason he Cultivated so desperately was so that one day he could see his mother and rescue her from her misery.

However.

Facing Xiao Fan's look of filial devotion, there was not the slightest ripple on Qin Mengyao's face; there was even a hint of... distance and disgust.

She did not step forward to embrace her son, but only gave him a cold look.

"Since you've returned, then follow the Family's arrangements."

This icy attitude was like a bucket of cold water, dousing the enthusiasm in Xiao Fan's heart.

"Mother... I..." Xiao Fan was somewhat at a loss.

Qin Mengyao ignored his emotions and turned around, speaking to the various clan elders:

"Elders, although Xiao Fan is illegitimate, it is an indisputable fact that he possesses the Ancient Desolate Sacred Body."

"I have already arranged a marriage for him."

"As long as he can represent the Qin Family and complete this marriage, he can return to the ancestors and be recorded in the Clan Register."

"Marriage?"

Not only Xiao Fan, but even Qin Hao and the others were stunned.

"Correct."

Qin Mengyao's expression was indifferent, as if she were talking about a transaction that had nothing to do with her.

"The marriage partner is from the Longevity Ji Family, the second daughter of the Family Head—Ji Yaoguang."

"Ji Yaoguang? That genius daughter with the Innate Dao Body?"

Everyone gasped.

The Ji Family was a top-three behemoth Family in the Central Region, with a heritage far deeper than that of the Qin Family!

"However..."

Qin Mengyao paused, her gaze falling on Xiao Fan, her tone calm to the point of being cruel.

"The condition proposed by the Ji Family is... for him to marry into their Family."

"Marry into their Family?!"

Xiao Fan felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his face turning pale instantly.

A dignified possessor of the Ancient Desolate Sacred Body, a seven-foot-tall man, actually had to become a live-in son-in-law?

"Why..." he asked tremblingly.

"Because the Family needs it."

Qin Mengyao looked directly at him: "Our Qin Family's Old Ancestor recently went out to explore an Opportunity for Immortal Ascension and suffered a Dao injury; his Lifespan is nearly exhausted, and the Gu Family is watching us like tigers. We need the support of the Ji Family."

"Furthermore, what the Ji Family values is your Physique."

"They hope that by combining with Ji Yaoguang, you will give birth to the legendary supreme Physique—the Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo."

"As long as you can achieve this, your status in the Ji Family will even exceed your status in the Qin Family."

Listening to his mother's emotionless words, Xiao Fan's heart sank bit by bit.

So... this so-called taking me home was nothing more than using me as a breeding tool?

His heart was filled with bitterness and desolation.

"Agree to it, Fan'er."

Just then, the voice of Venerable Yao rang out in his mind, carrying a hint of urgency.

"This is a massive Opportunity!"

"That Ji Yaoguang possesses the Innate Dao Body; Dual Cultivation with her will be of great benefit to your Sacred Body!"

"Moreover, the Ji Family has countless resources. As long as you endure this humiliation and rise with the help of the Ji Family's power, who will dare to look down on you in the future?"

"This is your only chance to overtake everyone and take your revenge on Lu Yuan!"

Hearing the word 'revenge,' a gleam of light reignited in Xiao Fan's originally dim eyes.

That's right.

As long as he could become stronger, as long as he could kill his way back to the Eastern Wilderness and trample Lu Yuan under his feet.

So what if he had to marry into their Family?

So what if he was a tool?

"Fine!"

Xiao Fan took a deep breath, looked up, and met Qin Mengyao's gaze with determination.

"I agree!"

"I will marry into the Ji Family!"

Hearing this, a trace of an imperceptible ripple finally flashed in Qin Mengyao's eyes, appearing like relief, or perhaps a hint of... guilt?

But very quickly, that trace of emotion was well concealed by her.

"In that case, go and prepare."

"In three days, we set out for the Ji Family."