697: Chapter 697 Cai Family Funeral

[At the same time,]

[Inside the Heavenly Palace Elder Hall, twenty-seven Body Integration Elders and nine Body Integration Star Lords gathered together.]

[Of the thirty-seven seats, one was empty—Patriarch Sima Gongzhi's position.]

[Liu Tianxing, his face pale, recounted the events in detail.]

[The hall fell into silence, everyone's expression darkening as they sank into deep thought.]

[Yan Ji, who had originally been in seclusion, had also emerged early upon learning this news.]

[Her Breakthrough to the Mahayana stage had failed this time, and her cultivation had fallen to the Body Integration Perfection.]

[The fall of Patriarch Sima Gongzhi, Yan Ji's failed Breakthrough, and the fall of the Mahayana guest Elder Cai Xingchen—these three sudden incidents forced the Heavenly Palace Elders to worry.]

[Because this concerned Luck—as Heavenly Palace Elders, their Luck was intertwined; they prospered together and suffered together.]

[The result of declining Luck could range from the destruction of the sect and death in severe cases, to difficulties in breaking through cultivation realms, and would also affect countless people in the Heavenly Palace and every Family.]

[If their Luck had been flourishing, Yan Ji might not have failed her Breakthrough.]

[This was the fated determination of the Dao in the unseen.]

[This was also why you set this goal—to kill the isolated Mahayana of the Heavenly Palace, affect their Luck, and drag down the pace of the Heavenly Palace's prosperity.]

[After all, whether it be a Mortal Dynasty or a top Immortal Clan, talent was always the first priority.]

[In this way, the time gained would allow you to focus on improving your strength with peace of mind.]

[In fact, the Heavenly Palace assassinating Prodigies of various forces and the five major forces fighting each other in the lower realms all followed the same principle—weaken Luck, delay growth.]

[After a brief immersion, Yan Ji spoke first: "Tell me, how should we respond?"]

["It has been so many years since a Mahayana fell," Elder Qi frowned. "And it was a Mahayana guest Elder of our Heavenly Palace. This matter has a huge impact on our Luck."]

[According to the rules of the Heavenly Palace, one generally no longer serves as an Elder after breaking through to the Mahayana stage. However, the Qi Family had not yet selected an Elder candidate, so he was still filling the position for the time being.]

[Liu Tianxing was in the same situation—the other Void Refining Cultivators of the Liu Clan either hadn't broken through to Body Integration or had failed their Breakthrough, and the only remaining Body Integration Stage Cultivator was Liu Qingtian, who had to serve as the Liu Clan Chief to guard the safety of the clan grounds.]

["According to what you said, the opponent's strength is likely no less than the late Mahayana stage," Yan Wendao's expression was ugly. "Adding that Yao Beast, it is indeed troublesome."]

[There was no Heavenly Palace Grand Competition this time, so Yan Wendao, an Elder at the Body Integration Early Stage, did not need to lower his cultivation.]

["It seems that the person who impersonated Yun Xiaozi last time is the same one holding the immortal slaying sword," Yan Ji clenched her fists, her voice like ice.]

["The immortal slaying sword, chaos cloak, Ziyang Divine Palm, and a Mahayana Yao Beast," an elderly Elder muttered in a low voice. "That's right, it must be him who impersonated Yun Xiaozi and then saved Ziyang Palace."]

["Fortunately, he is not that Qin Chen who possesses the immortal sword," Elder Qi frowned. "Otherwise, it would be unimaginable."]

["His offensive methods are very strong, so his defense should be weak," a young Star Lord slowly spoke. "If we meet him next time, we should go all out in our attack. What do you all think?"]

["Have you forgotten?" another beautiful young female Elder said in a deep voice. "He also has the chaos cloak. What methods do we have to break through the defense of the chaos cloak?"]

["What should we do then?" the young Star Lord frowned. "Now we don't even know where the opponent's origins lie."]

["We know almost everyone who is at the Mahayana stage in the entire Immortal Domain," Yan Ji muttered in a low voice. "This person seems to have appeared out of thin air, which is truly suspicious."]

["He must have obtained the Legacy of Venerable Ziyang, then laid low for over a thousand years, and now he can no longer restrain himself," Yan Wendao said indifferently.]

["Over at the Demon Suppression Pass, they have already made this person sound like a legend; he is said to be called Qin Tian. Could it be that person from the Qin Immortal Clan who hasn't died yet?" someone asked.]

["Absolutely not, I can be sure of it," Liu Tianxing said in a firm tone. "The way this Qin Tian looked at me, it didn't seem like he knew me at all."]

[Yan Ji scanned the room and lowered her voice: "Then tell me, both this Qin Tian and that Qin Chen appeared suddenly; could they be the same person?"]

["That's not it either," Elder Qi waved his hand. "I received news that this Qin Tian went to find Qin Chen, and the two did not have a pleasant conversation."]

[At this moment,]

[A woman's voice rang out in the hall.]

["No need to guess."]

[Immediately after, Liu Xuerong appeared in the center of the hall.]

[She scanned the room, her tone indifferent: "Who the opponent is does not matter. Just find a way to lure him out."]

["Didn't a strange item appear in that abyss in the Demon Domain? Emperor Yan has already emerged from seclusion; he will personally go there, bring the item back, and then we will spread the news."]

["This person is only at the Mahayana Early Stage; such a strange item will be an irresistible temptation for him. Using the strange item as bait and the Nine Stars Alignment Formation as a trap, even if he has heaven-defying methods, he will not escape his doom."]

[Liu Xuerong looked around, and finally her gaze fell on Liu Tianxing. She raised her hand and tossed a qiankun ring over, saying indifferently: "Focus on your seclusion and recovery recently; you can resign from your miscellaneous Elder duties."]

[Liu Tianxing caught the qiankun ring and nodded: "Yes."]

[The others also nodded one after another: "We understand."]

[Liu Xuerong said nothing more; without moving her body, she had already vanished.]

[At the same time,]

[On a Star Continent named Earth Origin Star, there was the largest immortal city called Qingfeng City.]

[The ancestral grounds of the Cai Family were located here.]

[The entire Earth Origin Star was the Cai Family's territory, and a large number of forces were vassals of the Cai Family.]

[When Cai Xingchen was alive, the Cai Family was the local tyrant on this Earth Origin Star—seizing ore veins, bullying Loose Cultivators, forcibly taking female Cultivators, and massacring sects and clans; they had done plenty of evil deeds.]

[It was just that no one dared to speak of it.]

[At the core of Qingfeng City was a complex of palaces stretching for a hundred miles, with carved beams and painted rafters, and spiritual light soaring into the sky; all the Cultivators in the city knew that this was the face of the Cai Family.]

[Tonight, the Cai Family was holding a funeral sacrifice for Cai Xingchen.]

[Starting from the center of the palace complex, circle after circle, it was filled with members of the Cai Family.]

[Inside a magnificent hall at the center, two Body Integration, a dozen or so Void Refining, and a hundred or so Soul Transformation members of the Cai Family were all kneeling in front of the hall.]

[Everyone looked at Cai Xingchen's spirit tablet, feeling dejected and sorrowful.]

[The Cai Family's Second Old Ancestor, Cai Yuanlang, at the Body Integration Late Stage, knelt at the very front, looking at Cai Xingchen's spirit tablet with furrowed brows.]

["Sigh, Old Ancestor Xingchen, why did you have to force yourself to the front? Now that you are gone, have you never thought about where the Cai Family members will go from here?"]

[The Third Old Ancestor, Cai Yuankui, at the Body Integration Early Stage, knelt behind him, his head lowered and saying nothing.]

["Wuwuwu, Old Ancestor Xingchen, wuwuwu." Someone cried sorrowfully.]

[A young Soul Transformation Cultivator with red eyes gritted his teeth and shouted:]

["Old Ancestor Xingchen, rest assured, when I achieve success in the future, I will definitely kill that Qin Tian to avenge you!"]