147: Chapter 147 The Sign of Seizing Heaven

Patriarch Yuan Chongde had never been so embarrassed; he had misjudged Jiang Linyuan's attitude and underestimated the Su Family's toughness.

If the Yuan and Li families had joined forces, Patriarch Yuan Chongde would still have the confidence to flip the table, but now only the Yuan Family remained...

Patriarch Yuan Chongde's expression was very unsightly. Finally, he braced himself and sat back down, pretending as if nothing had happened just now.

He coughed twice and said with a dark face, "Patriarch Su misunderstood. My Yuan Family is also willing to compensate and will certainly offer an apology gift in a few days."

"Make a copy of all your Yuan Family's Daoist techniques; then the matter of Luoxuan City will be written off," Su Yang said coldly.

He wanted to turn hostile just now, but now he wants to sue for peace? How could he expect to settle this without carving out a piece of meat?

"That's impossible!"

Patriarch Yuan Chongde growled, trying his best to suppress the anger in his heart. "Doesn't Patriarch Su think this is too much? The Legacy of Daoist techniques is the foundation of a Family! Aside from extermination, have you ever seen any Family's Daoist techniques being passed to another?"

Su Yang remained unmoved and said in a flat tone, "Either hand over the Daoist techniques, or I will take them myself after exterminating your clan. Choose for yourself!"

"Do you really think my Yuan Family is easy to bully!"

The anger and humiliation accumulated in Patriarch Yuan Chongde's chest finally broke through the critical point. His eyes were bloodshot, and the spiritual power around him suddenly exploded!

Just as he was about to stand up, a palm pressed onto his shoulder without any warning.

"Pfft!"

That seemingly casual touch seemed to carry the weight of ten thousand mountains, forcibly pressing him back down. A mouthful of fresh blood suddenly spurted from his mouth.

Patriarch Yuan Chongde's pupils shrank sharply, his bloodshot eyes filled with disbelief as he stiffly turned his head.

What came into view was Su Yang's handsome face, close at hand, yet so calm it made one's heart turn cold with fear.

He didn't know when he had stood by Patriarch Yuan Chongde's side.

No matter how Patriarch Yuan Chongde circulated his spiritual power, the violent force under this palm was like a clay ox entering the sea, vanishing without a trace. His entire body seemed welded to the stool, motionless.

A few bean-sized beads of cold sweat quietly seeped from Patriarch Yuan Chongde's pale forehead, slowly sliding down his cheek, leaving a cold, wet trail.

Seeing this scene, Jiang Linyuan's heart also quickened.

He hadn't seen Su Yang's movement at all; in an instant, he had appeared beside Patriarch Yuan Chongde. He could feel the spiritual power fluctuations of Patriarch Yuan Chongde's full-force explosion, yet Su Yang looked like nothing had happened, not even a frown on his brow.

"This person is definitely not at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining; at the very least, he is at Qi Refining Perfection!"

Jiang Linyuan thought to himself, while also feeling fortunate that he had made the right choice.

Patriarch Yuan Chongde was already too terrified to speak, his whole person suppressed by a single palm. The huge gap in cultivation left his mind blank at this moment.

Su Yang squinted at him and said with a cold smile, "Head of the Yuan Family, I hope you consider carefully."

"By tomorrow morning, if I don't see you send the Daoist techniques, or if any are missing, the Yuan Family will disappear from the Qingyuan Market."

He lightly patted Patriarch Yuan Chongde's shoulder and then strode away.

Su Xuanxiao looked deeply at his father's back and followed silently.

Leaving Patriarch Yuan Chongde and Jiang Linyuan sitting there stiffly...

...

The next morning.

Just as the Su Family servant opened the residence gate, he saw Patriarch Yuan Chongde standing at the door. He handed a Storage Pouch containing all the Yuan Family's Daoist techniques to the Su Family servant and then turned to leave.

From beginning to end, he didn't say a word, nor did he disturb anyone.

Several more days passed in the blink of an eye.

Su Xinyou broke through to the Qi Refining Second Layer and proposed to the clansmen that he wanted to go to the Yunmeng Ruins. Su Yang granted his wish.

Su Xuanxiao and the others stood in front of the Su Residence, ready to depart. Su Xinyou was reluctantly saying goodbye to his parents.

This was the first time in his life he had left the Su Family; he was both full of anticipation for the world outside and reluctant to leave the warmth of the Family.

"Father and Mother, you must take care!" Su Xinyou said with tearful eyes.

Su Xuanming smiled and waved his hand. "Alright, don't be so sentimental. It's not like we'll never see each other again. When we have time, your mother and I will go to the Yunmeng Ruins to see you."

"What?!"

Only then did Su Xinyou suddenly realize: "That's right! Father and Mother are also Cultivators; they can totally come to the Yunmeng Ruins to see me. I don't need to return to the Su Family from the Yunmeng Ruins!"

Damn it, I was misled by Grandpa's words!

"Grandpa, I'm leaving! Remember to come and see me when you have time."

Su Xinyou shouted to his grandfather again, waving his small hand in farewell.

Su Yang smiled and nodded, saying softly, "Remember to pay more attention on the road. If someone needs help, remember to give them a hand."

"Huh?" Su Xinyou was stunned for a moment. "There are so many refugees in this chaotic world; are we supposed to give all of them a hand?"

This didn't seem to fit the Su Family's teaching philosophy, did it?

Su Yang smiled and said, "Use your intuition to feel. Give a hand to those you find pleasing to the eye, and act as if you didn't see those who aren't."

"Oh, oh! I get it, Grandpa. Goodbye, Grandpa."

Su Xinyou half-understood and slowly moved away with the main group.

Su Xuanming, standing beside Su Yang, was lost in thought and couldn't help but ask, "What did your last words mean, Father? Did you notice something?"

Su family members often went out, and everyone knew to be cautious when away. They would avoid helping strangers if possible, fearing they might encounter a Robber Cultivator's trap.

But today, Su Yang acted out of character, actually instructing Su Xinyou to help passersby on the road. This was completely opposite to the Su Family's usual style.

Su Yang stood with his hands behind his back, watching the departing figures of his clansmen, and said softly, "I performed a Stargazing deduction last night. Xuanxiao and the others will encounter an Opportunity on the road. Missing it wouldn't be a big deal, but seizing it could increase the Su Family's foundation."

Heavenly Secret Arts do not provide precise conclusions; they require Cultivators to deduce and speculate for themselves.

Su Yang didn't know what this Opportunity was either; he only deduced that an Opportunity would pass by on the road. This Opportunity didn't belong to the Su Family, but it wasn't impossible for the Su Family to intercept it.

The reason he reminded Su Xinyou was that this kid possessed the Fate [Inspiration from Fortune]. His intuition could help the Su Family intercept this Opportunity.

Overall, reminding Su Xinyou was just a casual move.

Su Yang didn't know if it would succeed or not. After all, his Heavenly Secret Arts had only just reached the beginner level, so he just left it to Fate.

Su Xuanming pondered with his hand on his chin, and suddenly his lips curled up. "Father, Xinyou has some kind of special talent, doesn't he?"

Su Yang's gaze was deep as he met his son's eyes. "Perhaps. I'm not entirely sure either. I just feel this kid's intuition is quite accurate."

"So his talent is intuition?"

"I didn't say that."

Seeing his father unwilling to admit it, Su Xuanming could only shrug helplessly, though he already had the answer in his heart.

"Father, what do you think the final outcome of the war between Great Qi and Great Wei will be?" Su Xuanming changed the subject and asked casually.

Su Yang turned and walked into the residence, also answering casually, "They might both suffer losses. Stargazing deductions show that the Luck of both countries is declining, but the final outcome is unknown."

He paused slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the firmament, and whispered, "Above the heavens, two stars are dimming together, flickering uncertainly. Yet beside them, a point of faint light is quietly radiating brilliance amidst the darkness, showing an Omen of Usurping Heaven."