39: The Backbone of a Useless Girl

A Jade Slip shimmering with a faint golden luster was gently placed onto the black jade desk in the Purple Heaven Palace.

It emitted a crisp sound.

Su Jingyuan stood before the desk. His usually dignified and steady Face was now flushed with an irrepressible excitement.

He took a deep breath and bowed to the young man on the main seat, who was resting with his eyes closed.

"Old Ancestor."

"The statistics are out."

"Currently, our Su Family has ninety-eight powerhouses in the Eternal Realm and over seven thousand six hundred Cultivators in the Void Breaking Realm."

"As for those of the Tongxuan and Yuan Gang Realms, they are simply too many to count."

Su Jingyuan's voice was trembling slightly.

"With such a foundation, looking across the entire Sacred Ruins Continent, our Su Family is the undisputed top overlord, save for those few reclusive old monsters!"

"Even the Taichu Sect and the Fentian Demon Palace might not be able to firmly suppress us in terms of high-end combat power!"

Su Xuanchen slowly opened his eyes.

In those eyes as black as ink, there was none of the wild joy Su Jingyuan had expected, only a deep calm like an ancient well.

"And so?"

He spoke indifferently.

Su Jingyuan was taken aback, then he straightened his back, sparks of ambition flickering in his eyes.

"Old Ancestor, the time has come."

"We can fully apply for an evaluation from the 'Yongyao Imperial Court' and officially promote to a—top-tier power of the Sacred Ruins Continent!"

The Yongyao Imperial Court.

As soon as these four words were spoken, the air in the hall seemed to grow heavy.

That was the colossus that ruled the entire Yongyao Heaven Realm, the supreme adjudicator above all Sects and families.

The Yongyao Imperial Court was a true Emperor-level power, founded by Great Emperor Yongyao.

The Sacred Ruins Continent was but one of the three thousand continents under the Imperial Court's jurisdiction.

To become a recognized top-tier power and receive the Golden Dragon of Destiny and resource allocation bestowed by the Imperial Court, one had to pass their evaluation.

Su Xuanchen's fingers lightly tapped the armrest.

"Tap, tap, tap."

He was weighing the options.

Although the Su Family seemed to have infinite glory now, he knew very well that compared to a terrifying existence like the Yongyao Imperial Court, which had lasted for a million years, the Su Family was just an infant who had just learned to walk.

The bird that sticks its head out gets shot.

Exposing all one's trump cards too early might not be a good thing.

But if they didn't promote, the Su Family's development would hit a Bottleneck, and their Luck could not further condense.

"Approved."

A moment later, Su Xuanchen stopped tapping.

"Go and submit the application."

"However, remember one thing."

His gaze suddenly became sharp, like an unsheathed sword piercing straight into Su Jingyuan's brow.

"Keep a low profile."

"During the evaluation, only display seventy percent of our strength."

"In this world, never let anyone figure out what color your underwear is."

Su Jingyuan's heart tightened, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

He quickly retracted the arrogance on his Face and respectfully replied:

"Yes! I will follow the Old Ancestor's teachings!"

After saying that, he bowed and withdrew. Although his steps were still light, that sense of floating on air was completely gone.

Silence returned to the hall.

Su Xuanchen leaned against the back of his chair and rubbed his brow.

The matter of the Family's promotion was settled.

But another matter gave him a bit of a headache.

Children.

Or rather, that "Family Offspring System" that inspired both love and hate.

Gu Lingshuang's Myriad Tribulations Indestructible Body was indeed powerful, hitting the mark in one go, but the problem was the long gestation period.

According to the System's prompts, this wasn't a ten-month pregnancy; it was like she was carrying Nezha, taking at least three to five years to be born.

As for Bai Lingxi.

That girl was diligent. Over the past month, the two of them had been intimate almost every night, trying every possible position.

Yet, there was no movement in her belly at all.

"Could it be that I'm too strong?"

Su Xuanchen touched his chin and sighed in a somewhat humblebragging manner.

The higher the cultivation and the stronger the Bloodline, the more difficult reproduction became.

This was the Law of the Heavenly Dao, which no one could avoid.

"No, I can't hang myself on a single tree."

"I need to cast a wide net and catch more fish."

A flash of inspiration struck Su Xuanchen's mind.

He suddenly remembered that in the System's "Family Member List," there seemed to be another potential candidate marked as [Golden Legend].

It was scanned by the System long ago when it was first activated.

The Su Family's Ninth Branch Lineage.

Su Zining.

"Daughter of Destiny..."

Su Xuanchen murmured to himself, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

"I almost forgot about you."

"Since it's destiny, she should have a top-tier Physique, right?"

"Since I'm free anyway, I'll go see this 'lost pearl' and, by the way... ahem, show some care for the Family's younger generation."

His figure flickered.

Su Xuanchen vanished into thin air from the hall... At the outskirts of the Su Family, the Ninth Branch Lineage's station.

This place was far from the core area where Spiritual Qi was dense; it was a somewhat dilapidated complex of buildings.

Most of those living here were collateral members of the Su Family, or clansmen with mediocre talent who had already been marginalized by the Family.

The Resource Hall.

This was a gray stone hall with a long queue at the entrance.

Today was the day for distributing monthly allowances.

At the end of the line stood a young girl wearing a faded green dress.

She was about sixteen or seventeen years old, her frame so thin it looked like a gust of wind could knock her over.

Although her clothes were simple, even a bit shabby, her small Face, devoid of makeup, was so exquisite that one couldn't look away.

But at this moment.

That Face was full of fatigue and paleness, and her eyes, which should have been lively, were dull and lifeless, showing a deadness unbefitting her age.

Su Zining.

Once the most dazzling Genius of the Su Family's Ninth Branch Lineage, a Prodigy who broke through to the Yuan Gang Realm at age twelve.

And now.

She was the Su Family's biggest joke.

"Next!"

An impatient shout came from within the Resource Hall.

Su Zining took a deep breath, gripped the faded hem of her dress, and walked into the hall with her head down.

Behind the counter.

Sat a fat, large-eared middle-aged deacon.

He was sitting with his legs crossed, playing with two Spirit Stones in his hand, his beady eyes glancing sideways at Su Zining as she entered.

"Name."

He asked lazily, his tone carrying unabashed contempt.

"Ninth Branch Lineage, Su Zining."

Su Zining's voice was soft but clear.

"Oh, it's you."

The fat deacon sneered, as if he had heard a funny joke.

"The Genius from three years ago, now a piece of Trash?"

"What? Haven't given up yet?"

Su Zining bit her lip and said nothing.

She had heard this kind of mockery too many times over the past three years; her ears were almost calloused.

She just wanted to take her resources and leave.

"This is yours."

The fat deacon grabbed a small cloth bag and threw it onto the counter like he was tossing Trash.

"Clatter."

The bag landed on the wooden board with a light sound, having no weight at all.

Su Zining was stunned.

With trembling hands, she picked up the cloth bag and opened it.

Inside were only ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

There weren't even any slightly larger pieces; they were all scraps and fragments.

"This isn't right!"

Su Zining suddenly looked up, staring fixedly at the fat deacon, the suppressed anger in her eyes finally exploding.

"According to the Family rules, a direct descendant of the Ninth Branch Lineage receives one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones as a monthly allowance!"

"Why are there only ten?!"

That was her lifeline for cultivation.

It was also the only energy source for her to maintain the Spirit Gathering Array set up by her late father and to nourish her mother's relics.

"Family rules?"

The fat deacon lowered his legs and leaned forward, his greasy Face almost touching Su Zining's.

"Little girl, are you still dreaming?"

"Family rules are for useful people."

"A piece of Trash whose cultivation has regressed to the first level of the Spirit Sea Realm, do you think you're worthy of a hundred Spirit Stones?"

"Giving you ten is only out of respect for your dead father, a form of charity!"

"You—!"

Su Zining was shaking with rage, her nails digging deep into her palms, blood trickling through her fingers.

"My parents died in battle for the Family!"

"How can you treat me like this?!"

Three years ago.

The Gu Family's night raid.

Her parents had both died in battle to cover the Family's retreat, their bodies never recovered.

It was also that night when she was severely injured, and a strange, eerie cold Qi mysteriously appeared in her body.

That cold Qi was like a bottomless pit, not only devouring all her cultivation but also eroding her Meridians day and night.

From the Yuan Gang Realm, she fell all the way to the first level of the Spirit Sea Realm.

Even her magic power was intermittent.

"Died in battle?"

The fat deacon sneered, his eyes full of sarcasm.

"That's just their bad Luck."

"The Su Family doesn't support idle people, let alone Trash."

He pointed a finger as thick as a carrot at the register on the counter.

"It just so happens, I'm here to notify you."

"The Elders of the Resource Hall have already approved it."

"Given that your cultivation hasn't progressed at all for three consecutive years and you've wasted a large amount of Family resources."

"In one week."

"You will be stripped of your status as a direct descendant of the Ninth Branch Lineage and demoted to a commoner of the collateral branch."

"The Family will reclaim your courtyard."

"And..."

The fat deacon paused, a cruel smile appearing on his Face.

"According to the rules, the memorial tablets of ancestors from the collateral branch are not eligible to be enshrined in the side wing of the Ancestral Hall."

"When the time comes, take your parents' tablets with you."

Boom!

These words were like a bolt from the blue, striking Su Zining hard on the top of her head.

She felt as if she had been struck by lightning, staggering back two steps, her Face instantly becoming as pale as paper.

Demoted to the collateral branch?

Reclaiming the courtyard?

She could endure all of these.

But driving her parents' memorial tablets out of the Ancestral Hall?

That would mean they would have no peace even after death; it would turn them into lonely ghosts!

"No... you can't!"

Su Zining suddenly lunged at the counter, her hands gripping the edge tightly, her eyes so red they looked as if they were about to bleed.

"You can't do this!"

"My father was a hero! He died for the Su Family!"

"This is discarding the donkey after the grinding is done! You have no conscience!"

"Get out!"

The fat deacon's Face darkened, and he violently waved his sleeve.

A blast of wind from the Late Stage of the Spirit Sea Realm erupted.

"Bang!"

Su Zining's frail body was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the cold stone floor of the hall.

"Cough, cough..."

She clutched her chest, a trace of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth, and her already worn-out long dress was now covered in dust.

Among the clansmen waiting in line, some were indifferent, some gloated, and some showed a hint of pity, but no one dared to step forward and help her.

This was reality.

This was the world of cultivation.

When a person leaves, the tea grows cold; the strong prey on the weak.

"Conscience?"

The fat deacon looked down at her as if he were looking at an ant.

"In this world, strength is conscience."

"Want to keep your parents' tablets?"

"Fine."

"The triennial Family Grand Competition is about to begin."

"As long as you can break into the top ten or break through to the Yutian Realm."

"Forget the tablets; I'll even kneel down and kowtow to you!"

"However..."

He looked Su Zining's body up and down, which had no spiritual power fluctuations, and let out a piercing laugh.

"With a piece of Trash like you?"

"Maybe in your next life!"

"Someone, throw her out! Don't let her block others from receiving their resources!"

Two Utility Disciples immediately stepped forward, grabbing Su Zining from both sides and dragging her out of the hall like a dead dog.

"Bang!"

The door slammed shut behind her.

It shut out the warmth of the hall and also shut out her last hope.

Su Zining lay on the cold steps.

The late autumn wind, carrying a bone-chilling cold, blew through her thin clothes.

She still tightly gripped the cloth bag containing only ten scraps of Spirit Stones.

That was her only remaining dignity.

"Yutian Realm..."

"Top ten..."

Su Zining murmured to herself, her voice hoarse as if she had swallowed a handful of sand.

She could barely maintain her Spirit Sea Realm now; how could she break through to the Yutian Realm?

How could she compete with those geniuses built up by resources?

Despair.

Endless despair submerged her like a tide.

She wanted to cry.

But her tears had long since run dry.

"I refuse to accept this..."

Su Zining struggled to crawl up from the ground.

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, looked up, and stared at the gray sky.

In those eyes that were originally lifeless, a weak but extremely stubborn flame now burned.

"As long as I don't die..."

"I will never admit defeat!"

"Even if I have to sell my Soul to the devil..."

"I must become stronger!"

She clenched her fists tightly, her nails piercing her palms, and blood dripped into the dust one drop at a time.

Just then.

A tall figure appeared under the ancient tree not far away at some unknown time.

Su Xuanchen stood with his hands behind his back, his starlight robe fluttering in the wind.

He quietly watched the young girl who was shivering in the cold wind but had straightened her back.

"Interesting."

"Isn't this the standard start for a Trash Engagement-Cancellation Trope... oh no, a Trash Counterattack Trope?"