Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather Chapter 1293 - 840: Profound Blessings? (Part 2)
Previously on Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather...
A sudden realization dawned on her regarding the peculiar atmosphere of the lake.
The expanse of water appeared entirely devoid of life, lingering like a stagnant pool.
It was undeniably a reservoir saturated with spiritual energy, yet the complete absence of living beings felt deeply suspicious.
It truly was baffling.
A decade prior, Yang Zhenshan had ordered the lake drained and dispatched workers to strip every spiritual artifact and resource from the basin.
Throughout the intervening ten years, while the influx from the Spiritual Spring at the bed had gradually restored the water level, the underlying ecosystem had failed to reclaim the terrain.
While sparse clusters of aquatic flora and schools of fish existed, they were confined strictly to the center.
The banks, having only recently been resubmerged, remained hauntingly barren.
Surveying the surroundings and detecting no immediate peril, the Ghost Lady relaxed, turning her attention to the broader environment.
Utterly desolate!
The forest encircling the lake seemed ravaged, as if trampled by a massive host; deep craters pitted the earth, patches of soil lay scorched, and several peaks stood stripped and bare.
This was the signature of extensive excavation; any flora or fauna of value had been relocated to the Spirit Source Land, especially the ancient, millenary trees which necessitated deep digging for transplantation.
The once-vibrant woods were now riddled with cavities, creating a stark, mournful landscape.
The Ghost Lady stared at the wreckage in complete bewilderment.
Just as her thoughts drifted, a voice pierced the silence: "Ghost Lady!"
She pivoted toward the source, finding one of her subordinates standing there.
"How are you here?"
"I cannot say, Ghost Lady. I was at my residence only yesterday, and yet I suddenly awoke in this place!" the subordinate replied.
Slowly, more figures emerged, drawn by the sound of their discourse.
Scanning the gathering, the Ghost Lady recognized them all as her own subordinates.
She recalled the dark-robed shadow from the day before and the piercing chime of a bell.
Still, the fog in her mind refused to lift.
Where exactly had they been brought?
What was the motive behind this mystery, and how had he managed to locate and abduct all of her followers at once?
Finding no answers, she resolved to cease the futile reflection.
She commanded her people to scout the perimeter for potential threats.
The Ancient Relic Array was entirely secure; beyond their own group, there was no soul to be found, only harmless small creatures.
Three days later, they arrived at the Transmission Hall.
It was the sole structure left standing within the site; all other buildings had been reduced to nothing but rubble and dust.
Hardly a single palace or cave dwelling remained, all having been picked clean by the thieves from the Spirit Source Land.
Staring up at the majestic Transmission Hall, a complex mix of emotions stirred within the Ghost Lady.
Anticipation, anxiety, and a touch of fervor gripped her.
What she had once perceived as her greatest catastrophe now seemed, in the shadow of this hall, to be the greatest opportunity of her life.
"My Lady, the interior is secure," a subordinate reported after emerging from the hall.
A signature expression graced her features—a smile both charming and sinister.
She entered the hall slowly, observing the decor, until her eyes locked onto the stone table before the Mystic Iron Stele.
It was unavoidable; the table stood out far too prominently.
In the vast expanse of the hall, only that stone platform and the table remained.
As she mounted the platform, she noted the surface of the stone table was pristine, devoid of even a speck of dust.
The hall itself was immaculate, as if someone had tidied it only moments prior.
This was no coincidence; during the era when the Spirit Source Land occupied the array, they maintained a crew specifically to clean the Transmission Hall, so that those reaching the Heavenly Gang Stage could receive their inheritance in comfort.
Over ten years, they had secured over a hundred techniques, and though many were duplicates, several were remarkably unique.
She cast a glance at the nine Mystic Iron Steles mounted on the wall, briefly hesitated, and reached out to touch the stone table.
The second her skin made contact, the array flared to life, weaving ribbons of spiritual light and glowing patterns throughout the room.
Though startled, she quickly steadied herself, sensing no hostility from the formation.
As she puzzled over the display, two jade scrolls drifted down before her.
She gingerly retrieved one, directing her spiritual sense inward.
"Mystic Yin Soul Silence Scripture!"
"Clad in shadows, tethered by the soul's essence!"
"Yin is not darkness, and silence is not the end!"
Her surprise quickly blossomed into sheer delight, culminating in a fit of laughter.
"Haha, truly, my fortune is deep! Haha!"
All traces of nervousness vanished, replaced by an intoxicating sense of triumph.
This was a peerless Immortal Dao Skill, perfectly suited to her Yin Soul Path.
More importantly, it offered a clear path to the Golden Core stage, whereas her previous training had dead-ended at Foundation Establishment.
To transition directly toward the Golden Core was a stroke of immense, divine luck.
"Hehehe, I am destined for greatness."
"Three Yin Weaving Net, bind the threads of the Three Yin Array to entangle all causes in the world!"
Upon absorbing the contents of the second scroll, her ecstasy peaked, her manic laughter echoing through the hall and chilling the spines of her subordinates.
"I am going into seclusion. All of you, leave this place immediately!" the Ghost Lady ordered icily.
"Yes!"
Her subordinates scrambled to obey, vacating the hall at once.
Left alone, the Ghost Lady sat cross-legged by the stone table and began her practice.
With a technique that perfectly complemented her aptitude, she felt the urge to discard her old ways entirely.
Remaining rational, she resisted fully abandoning her progress, choosing instead to convert her foundation to the Mystic Yin Soul Silence Scripture.
For the following days, she was consumed by her cultivation, remaining sequestered until the very day the Ancient Relic Array was unsealed.
... Outside the Ancient Relic Array.
The delegations from the Nether Prison Sect, the Lingxiu Three Sects, and the Twelve Families had congregated.
Of the one hundred and twenty available slots, the Nether Prison Sect claimed sixty, the Lingxiu Three Sects secured thirty-six, and the Twelve Families were granted two apiece.
As this was the first opening following the recent treaty, both major powers treated the event with gravity.
The Lingxiu Three Sects and the Twelve Families deployed ten Martial God experts, while the Nether Prison Sect matched their resolve with one Foundation Establishment cultivator and six Martial God experts.
Their meeting was heavy with unspoken tension, swords all but drawn, yet they contained their hostility, keeping their groups strictly divided outside the array entrance.
As the hour approached, hundreds gathered in the valley.
The task of unlocking the array fell to the Lingxiu Three Sects; the method was a guarded secret, with each of the three sects holding only a fragment of the key.
Thus, every opening required the collaborative effort of the Elders from all three sects.