365: Chapter 366 The Ye Family Genealogy!

Ye Changge patted her hand and turned to walk toward the study.

He indeed had an urgent matter to attend to.

Just now at the ceremony, the System notified him that he had obtained a new treasure—the "Ye Family Genealogy." At the time, there were too many eyes around, so he hadn't examined it closely. Now that he had returned to the study, he set up a sound-proof Restriction and retrieved the scroll, which emitted a gentle luster, from the System space.

The genealogy was made of an unknown spiritual wood, cool and smooth to the touch. Fine spiritual patterns flowed across its surface, and countless names could faintly be seen flickering within. Ye Changge placed it on the desk and focused his senses for a moment, and three pieces of information flooded into his mind—

First, one can check whether all members whose names are entered in the genealogy are still alive.

Second, one can perceive whether anyone in the Family harbors ulterior motives or intends to betray the Family.

Third, one can separate a wisp of a Family member's true spirit and seal it within the genealogy. Even if they were to die and their path were to end, this true spirit could preserve a sliver of their Divine Soul, awaiting a chance for revival in the future.

Seeing these three functions, Ye Changge's eyes lit up immediately.

Ye Changge looked at the genealogy lying quietly on the desk, his fingertips brushing gently over its smooth surface as thoughts swirled in his mind.

He understood the value of the first function at a single glance.

Previously, he had indeed planned that once the children grew up a bit more, he would make a soul lamp or life tablet for each of them and inject a wisp of their soul into it. That way, no matter where they were, he would know their safety status immediately. If they were to unfortunately pass away, the soul lamp would extinguish or the life tablet would shatter, and he would know in time.

However, the cost of those items was truly exorbitant.

A single ordinary life tablet would cost several thousand Spirit Stones. Those of slightly better quality could easily cost tens of thousands. Although the Ye Family's wealth was gradually increasing, they had many descendants; just equipping all the children with life tablets would be a massive sum that could empty the Family treasury. Even in those large Sects, only Core Disciples were qualified to possess such items.

Now that he had this genealogy, there was no need for such trouble. With just a thought, the life or death of everyone in the genealogy would be clear at a glance. The saved Spirit Stones would be enough to open several more spiritual fields and build several more Puppet assembly lines.

Ye Changge nodded slightly and continued to look down.

The second function made him feel even more at ease.

It could perceive whether a Family member harbored ulterior motives or intended to betray the Family.

As a Family grows, human hearts inevitably become complex. His wives and children were certainly loyal, but as the children grew up, they would eventually marry, start their own careers, and branch out to establish their own small families. By then, the Ye Family would no longer just be "his home," but a true Cultivation Family.

Once a Family is large, it is hard to avoid the infiltration of spies.

Those external retainers, recruited Guest Elders, and in-laws from marriages seemed loyal, but who could guarantee there weren't those with ulterior motives among them? The Li Family had been infiltrated by the Demonic Path for over a hundred years because they trusted outsiders too much, ultimately leading to their total annihilation.

Ye Changge did not want his Ye Family to follow in those footsteps.

With this perception function of the genealogy, if anyone were to harbor thoughts of betrayal, he would be able to detect it immediately. He wouldn't have to wait until disaster struck to regret it; he could nip the danger in the bud.

This function could be called Heaven-Defying.

Ye Changge exhaled a breath of stale air and let his gaze fall on the third function.

Name recorded in the genealogy, true spirit lasts forever.

As long as he, Ye Changge, did not die, even if a Family member—even a Mortal concubine with low cultivation or a young child who had not yet started to Cultivate—met with an accident outside and their Divine Soul was destroyed, a wisp of their true spirit would remain in this genealogy forever.

And this wisp of true spirit was a glimmer of hope.

As long as he was still alive and strong enough, one day, he could use Heaven And Earth Treasure to initiate a sacrificial ritual, using this wisp of true spirit as a guide to call the deceased back from death.

Reversing Yin and Yang, reshaping the Physical Body.

That was a Realm that only the legendary Immortals could touch. The current Ye Changge was merely a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Second Layer, still worlds apart from that level.

But at least... there was a glimmer of hope.

Ye Changge sat before the desk, silent for a long time.

The sound of the children playing came from outside the window. He listened for a while—it was Ye Xiu leading his younger brothers and sisters chasing each other in the courtyard, and Ye Zhi seemed to be teaching Ye Tian how to read, her milky voice coming in intermittent snatches.

His gaze fell back to the genealogy in his hands. Every name flickering within the spiritual patterns was connected to his Bloodline. There were the wives and concubines he loved deeply, the descendants he cherished, and the maids and concubines who contributed silently.

Many of them had poor Spiritual Root Aptitude, only Ninth-Grade or even lower. In their entire lives, they would only reach the Early Stage of Qi refining, with a Lifespan of no more than a hundred years. In this Cultivation World, a hundred years passes in the blink of an eye.

And Ye Changge, relying on the System and his own efforts, had a Lifespan far exceeding ordinary people. When he reached Core Formation, he would have a Lifespan of five hundred years; if he could reach Nascent Soul, he would be Immortal for a thousand years.

Yet, those who accompanied him through his earliest years would quietly age without him noticing.

Xiao Cui, his first woman, gentle and faithful, who bore him his eldest son Bufan, now only had a cultivation level of the third layer of Qi refining. With her Aptitude, without a fortuitous encounter, her Lifespan would be just over a hundred years. A hundred years later, she would age, die, and turn into a handful of dust.

Liu Xiaoxing and Liu Xiaoyue, that pair of lively and quiet twin sisters, also had Ninth-Grade Spiritual Root and equally limited Lifespan.

And there were many more concubines; perhaps their names were not even remembered by outsiders, yet they bore him children and silently guarded this home.

Ye Changge had thought about this problem before. But he deliberately avoided dwelling on it because the more he thought about it, the more powerless he felt. His current cultivation was limited, his resources were limited, and he could not change the destiny of every single person.

But now... there was this genealogy.

He might not be able to resurrect everyone.

Reversing life and death, even if one became an Immortal, might not be easily achieved.

But at least, he had a direction to strive for.

—As long as he was strong enough, strong enough to touch that legendary Realm, he would have the chance to bring them all back by his side.

Ye Changge slowly closed the genealogy and stored it in the System space. The moment the spiritual wood genealogy entered the space, he felt a warm current spread through his Sea of Consciousness, and the connection between him and the genealogy became increasingly clear.

He stood up and walked to the window.

In the courtyard outside, Xia Qingyue was surrounded by a few little ones.

Ye Changge watched this scene, his lips curving upward slightly without realizing it.

Although things in this world were often difficult, it was not without hope.

He raised his hand, his fingertips pressing gently against his brow, as if he could still feel the faint warmth coming from that genealogy.

"Take it slow," he whispered to himself. "No need to rush."

Ye Changge stood with his hands behind his back, feeling more secure than ever before.