Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather Chapter 1367 - 874: It’s Not Me, It’s Not Me! (Part 2)

The spectral woman employed a hidden technique to mask her face, yet her incantation proved utterly useless against Yang Zhenshan’s vision bolstered by golden power.

"It’s you!"

Yang Zhenshan identified the spectral woman instantly.

He flickered forward and materialized right before her.

"It’s not me, it’s not me!" Startled, the spectral woman backed away repeatedly while protesting.

Yang Zhenshan refused to allow her getaway. With a wave of his hand, vines erupted and swiftly encircled the spectral woman.

"Don’t kill me!" The spectral woman nearly burst into tears. Though she yearned to fight back, her terror of Yang Zhenshan held her in check.

"Why are you here? Where’s Mo Xuanyu?" Yang Zhenshan demanded.

The spectral woman had once served with the Soul-breaking Blade, the faction founded by Mo Xuanyu, and Xuanzhen had revealed that numerous immortal cultivators from the Soul-breaking Blade were ghost soldiers Mo Xuanyu had trained himself, so Yang Zhenshan realized she was one of Mo Xuanyu’s ghost soldiers.

"I-I don’t know where he is!" The spectral woman stuttered.

Yang Zhenshan gazed at her with doubt, "Really don’t know?"

"I really don’t know!" Shaking, the spectral woman hastened to reply, "Since fleeing the Ancient Relic Array, I haven’t encountered him, and I’ve cut all ties with him now!"

"Cut all ties now!" Yang Zhenshan examined her closely, abruptly remembering the two restrictions he’d lifted from the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Jade.

One had been Xuanzhen’s; might the other belong to this woman?

"You ought to thank me; I not only permitted your entry into the Ancient Relic Array but also erased the Divine Soul Restriction from the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Jade!"

The spectral woman’s mouth fell open slightly, "The Divine Soul Restriction was undone by you!"

Yang Zhenshan’s eyes gleamed with a trace of amusement, confirming that the restriction was indeed hers.

"That’s right, it was me!"

The spectral woman found herself speechless; she hadn’t noticed this particular bond linking her to Yang Zhenshan.

Naturally, she harbored no doubts about Yang Zhenshan lying; firstly, her command of the Three Yin Weaving Net remained incomplete, unable to detect subtler links, which was expected. Secondly, few knew of the Divine Soul Restriction on the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Jade, so Yang Zhenshan’s awareness proved he had genuinely interacted with it.

"Thank you, senior, for saving my life!" She bowed gracefully in thanks.

Yang Zhenshan observed her through his golden-flecked eyes and retracted the vines that bound her.

"Now that you’ve changed your cultivation method, turn over a new leaf and stop lingering in that eerie half-human, half-ghost form from before!"

He loathed the Soul-breaking Blade and disapproved of the Unpredictable Ghost Sect’s ways, yet bore no grudge against her personally.

After all, she had never attacked him or the Yang family. In fact, he had hurled her into the Ancient Relic Array, almost dooming her.

In reality, he remained unaware that she had unleashed the malevolent spirit in Ancient County city; had he known, his mercy wouldn’t extend this far.

Yang Zhenshan’s mercy stirred strange feelings in the spectral woman’s heart.

Turn over a new leaf?

His advice struck a chord deep within her.

Though her disposition was playful and wicked, engaging in countless misdeeds, did she truly desire a life of villainy?

Not really; before, she simply had no alternative.

It appeared Yang Zhenshan now offered her a fresh chance to decide, shifting her view of him toward deep admiration.

"Thank you, senior, for your guidance; I won’t squander your good will!" she declared earnestly.

"Are you linked to those folks outside?" Yang Zhenshan changed the subject, barely noting her transformation.

"No, but one resembles Mo Xuanyu, both serving as Blood Pool Stewards in the Unpredictable Ghost Sect!" she answered.

Yang Zhenshan gave a faint nod, "Then come with me!"

She trailed obediently after him, her once-vibrant eyes returning to profound darkness.

"Staring at people like that is rather rude, isn’t it?" Yang Zhenshan pivoted, his gaze shining with golden radiance.

Through the Golden Light Divine Spell in his eyes, he discerned all sorts of Qi flows, like the Three Yin Qi emanating from her.

His superior Divine Soul enabled him to sense her probing him with her odd power.

His soul’s sharp awareness let him detect any who spied on him.

Though he didn’t grasp the full scope of the Three Yin Weaving Net, he felt its potent effect upon him.

Meeting Yang Zhenshan’s golden-glowing eyes, she trembled inwardly, "I admit my error; please forgive me!"

"Hmm, did you obtain this cultivation technique from the Ancient Relic Array?"

"Yes!"

"What cultivation technique is this?"

"Three Yin Weaving Net!"

"Three Yin? Shaoyin, Taiyin, and Mystic Yin?"

"That’s right!"

"Can I take a look at the cultivation technique?" he asked.

She paused for a brief moment before passing the Jade Scroll to him.

Yang Zhenshan sent his spiritual sense into the scroll, swiftly comprehending the intricacies of the Three Yin Weaving Net. In truth, it resembled an art far more than a simple technique or spell.

"Linking cause and effect, employing the ’heart’ as the bridge, peering into fate and affecting the soul."

"What an incredible art!"

Yang Zhenshan couldn’t restrain his awe at the art’s extraordinary nature.

Still, he merely let out a sigh of praise, for he had gathered countless profound cultivation techniques from the Ancient Relic Array. Be it ones he practiced himself or those his disciples followed, none fell short.

They might not match the Three Yin Weaving Net’s mystique, yet they surpassed it greatly in various other ways.

Binding cause and effect seemed enchanting, yet it wasn’t quite as grandiose as it appeared.

The greater the magic in an ability, the stricter its restrictions inevitably became. Concepts like cause and effect or fate were deeply mysterious, nearly impossible to master.

"I must locate someone. Will you help me?"

"Who?"

"My grandson—he’s nearby."

The ghostly woman spoke timidly, "I think I can, but first I need to examine the bond between you two!"

"Proceed then!" Grasping her meaning, Yang Zhenshan flung the scroll back to her, signaling to continue.

She activated the Secret Technique of the Three Yin Weaving Net anew, inspecting the threads around Yang Zhenshan.

Those threads left her stunned, for there were astonishingly few—barely more than a dozen, which was downright abnormal.

Human bonds come in endless varieties: kin, companions, patrons, foes. While numerous ties prove trivial, others etch themselves eternally.

Even the most reclusive person ought to possess dozens or hundreds of such threads. This held especially true for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Yang Zhenshan, entangled in countless relations.

But she detected only a handful.

Her restricted sight arose from Yang Zhenshan’s superior cultivation, letting her spot merely key threads while others eluded her entirely. Moreover, her power lacked the finesse to breach spatial divides or detect links from the Spirit Source Land.

She perceived strands symbolizing his most vital outer connections.

"I’ve got it—three threads, and one leads that way!" she exclaimed joyfully.

Yang Zhenshan promptly scanned with his spiritual sense, confirming Yang Cheng’an’s presence in a thatched hut.

In a flash, he seized her and teleported them right to Yang Cheng’an; in an instant, she stood within the shadowy hut.

Looking upon the steady-breathing Yang Cheng’an, Yang Zhenshan breathed a sigh of relief.

This was his beloved grandson, nurtured since babyhood.

Upon inspecting the wounds, he noted their gravity but saw they had steadied and begun mending, easing his worries.

With one gesture, he shifted Yang Cheng’an to the Spiritual Spring Mountain Plateau.

"Cheng’an’s injured—put him under the Three Yellow Li Tree to recover!" Yang Zhenshan sent the message via sound transmission to Yang Chengye.

In the study, the worried Yang Chengye received the transmission and steadied the abruptly appearing Yang Cheng’an, rushing out at once.

Under the Three Yellow Li Tree, the thick Wood Spirit Qi proved perfect for employing the Wood Transformation Nourishing Body Skill in recovery.

Despite the wounds’ severity, the skill ensured natural healing, though it would drain some primordial qi.