Liu Bai's arrival was destined to stir up a wave of unrest within the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan.
This was not because he was particularly powerful. Rather, it was because Jiu You's attitude toward him was something no one in the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan could afford to ignore, not even Tianhuang the Clan Leader himself.
However, the majority of the elders within the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan held clear hostility toward Liu Bai. This was not because they were inherently malicious, but because they placed far too much importance on Jiu You, the only pure bloodline bearer within the clan who had a chance of awakening the Undying Bird bloodline. Their obsession had already gone beyond Jiu You herself.
When it became clear that none of them could persuade the others, their gazes eventually converged on the golden stone seat at the head of the great hall.
At this moment, a middle aged man with an indifferent expression sat upright upon it. Though he made no deliberate movement, an invisible and terrifying pressure naturally emanated from him, as if even the surrounding space had been frozen solid.
This man was the current Clan Leader of the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan, Tianhuang.
He was also Jiu You's father, and the so called family elder Liu Bai was about to meet.
"Clan Leader, this matter concerns the future of our Nine Nether Sparrow Clan. I ask that you render a decision."
The green robed elder who had shown hostility toward Liu Bai from the beginning looked toward Tianhuang and spoke solemnly.
All the others also turned their attention to him.
Tianhuang's expression remained unchanged, steady like an ancient rock. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "Elder Tianque has already informed me of the situation. This person has rendered great service to Jiu You, and Jiu You herself has feelings for him. If he can truly demonstrate ability worthy of my regard, then I am willing to give him an opportunity."
"Of course, this opportunity only refers to not pursuing the matter of his bloodline linkage with Jiu You. As for anything beyond that, it is far too early to discuss."
Tianhuang naturally considered matters far more deeply, especially after hearing Elder Tianque speak of Liu Bai's talent in Spiritual Arrays.
After all, breaking through to the Heavenly Sovereign Realm was extraordinarily difficult. For spiritual beasts that relied on bloodlines, it was even more so. However, if one could cultivate a powerful Spiritual Array master, that individual could often be more valuable than a Great Perfection Earth Sovereign divine beast.
The premise, of course, was having a Spiritual Array master with sufficient talent to nurture.
Unfortunately, although spiritual beast races possessed powerful bloodlines, they were still regarded as inferior to the human race in the Great Thousand World. The most critical reason was the humans' bizarre and diverse innate talents, which spiritual beasts found extremely difficult to possess.
Existences such as Spiritual Array Masters were exceedingly rare within the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan, nearly as scarce as Nine Netherworld Sparrows themselves.
Because of this, Tianhuang's words aligned with the views of the minority. This caused the elders who had just been angrily rebuked by the green robed elder to relax considerably.
However, the others were not so easily satisfied.
"Clan Leader, is such a decision not somewhat arbitrary?" the green robed elder asked, his dissatisfaction clear though he did not dare show it too overtly.
Tianhuang chuckled softly and replied, "If this boy had not chosen to accompany Jiu You back to the Nine Nether Continent this time, I would never have made such a decision."
"Because our Nine Nether Sparrow Clan will absolutely not allow a weak willed individual to defile our bloodline."
"But since he possesses such resolve, then it is worth meeting this human youth who managed to gain Jiu You's favor."
With Tianhuang's words, the hall fell silent. Yet one by one, anticipation began to surface on their faces.
Of course, not all of that anticipation was friendly.
With an Earth Sovereign accompanying them, even though the Northern Region was quite distant from the Nine Nether Continent, the journey did not take very long.
When Liu Bai followed Jiu You and her group into the Nine Nether Realm within the Nine Nether Continent, he could not help but feel a sense of admiration.
"Directly connecting a lower plane to the Great Thousand World and simultaneously preventing outsiders from entering. This method is truly excellent."
According to the rules of the Great Thousand World, entering a lower plane required an item belonging to that plane as a medium.
This was something clearly demonstrated in the original story when Mu Chen traveled to the White Dragon Continent.
The Nine Nether Sparrow Clan's approach was essentially an innate layer of protection added to their ancestral land.
Just like the Tianxuan Continent to the Martial Realm and the Dou Qi Continent to the Endless Fire Domain. These two lower planes were likewise immune to external invasion, which played a crucial role in allowing the Martial Realm and the Endless Fire Domain to rise so rapidly into top tier super factions.
"Let us go. At present, there are quite a few people within the Nine Nether Realm who wish to meet you."
Elder Tianque smiled faintly, though there was an indescribable meaning hidden within that smile, causing a chill to rise in Liu Bai's heart.
"Heh, I also wish to meet the prodigies of the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan," Liu Bai replied calmly, showing no sign of fear.
This time, they did not arrive at the Nine Nether Palace. Instead, they came to a vast plaza filled with numerous stone seats. Each seat was occupied by an individual radiating formidable aura, none of them weaker than Elder Tianque.
'It seems that although the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan lacks truly top tier experts, they possess a considerable number of Earth Sovereign level powerhouses. This is something human factions of the same tier simply cannot compare to.'
There was no helping it. Spiritual beasts inherently had far longer lifespans than humans, and this only increased as their cultivation rose.
In terms of accumulated foundation alone, the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan, which had existed since ancient times, was indeed far beyond the reach of the various factions of the Northern Region.
Aside from the elders of the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan, several figures stood below them. Powerful spiritual energy surged around these individuals, and pride shone within their brows.
This was not arrogance, but rather the confidence born of firm belief in one's own strength.
The moment Elder Tianque arrived with Liu Bai and Jiu You, countless gazes instantly converged upon them. More precisely, they converged upon Liu Bai.
Despite being the center of attention, Liu Bai's expression remained calm. After all, he was no stranger to such scenes. Back when he had slain ten experts of the Hundred Battle Domain before two opposing armies, the killing intent in their gazes had nearly solidified into substance, yet he had still remained composed.
"So he is Liu Bai? The human who formed a bloodline linkage with Her Highness Jiu You?"
Whispers filled the air, most of them questioning Liu Bai's worth.
"He looks ordinary enough. Just a bit handsome. But in the Great Thousand World, good looks do not put food on the table. Only strength matters."
"He actually dared to come to our Nine Nether Sparrow Clan. Truly seeking death. If not for the Clan Leader's mercy in sparing the innocent and granting him a chance to prove himself, he would have been killed the moment he set foot on the Nine Nether Continent."
"How laughable. A mere human daring to harbor improper thoughts toward Her Highness Jiu You. He truly does not know the immensity of heaven and earth."
"He is nothing more than an overestimating fool. Just wait. He will not have it easy later."
Voices echoed from all directions as Liu Bai listened calmly. He then leaned closer to Jiu You and said softly, "It seems your popularity among the younger generation of the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan is extremely high. I am starting to think that their hostility toward me is mostly because I am the lucky fellow who gained the favor of Her Highness Jiu You."
Seeing him deliberately lean close with such an intimate posture, how could Jiu You fail to understand his intentions. She immediately shot him a charming glare.
"Aren't you afraid that they might really capture you later and beat you senseless? Let me make this clear. I will not intervene then."
"Relax. I will make them completely submit," Liu Bai replied with full confidence.
Sure enough, just as Liu Bai had hoped, seeing him still daring to joke and act intimate with Jiu You at such a moment caused countless eyes below to turn red. It was as if they had suffered a tremendous insult, each one looking ready to rush forward and tear Liu Bai apart on the spot.
However, not everyone harbored hostility toward Liu Bai. Among the younger generation of the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan gathered in the plaza, two individuals were quietly observing the scene.
One was tall and the other short.
The taller man possessed a slender figure and handsome features. However, his expression was cold and indifferent, showing no reaction to the surrounding noise. His entire demeanor gave off an air of detachment, keeping others at a distance.
Although he appeared incompatible with the crowd around him, no one dared to underestimate him. Whenever gazes swept over him, traces of reverence would appear.
This man was the current number one of the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan younger generation, Mo Feng. His strength had already reached the genuine Seventh-Grade Sovereign Realm, making him unrivaled among his peers within the clan.
Beside him stood a petite young woman dressed in purple. She was Mo Feng's younger sister. Her features were delicate, her hair tied into a ponytail, and her entire body radiated youthful vitality.
"Hehe, big brother, how strong do you think that Liu Bai really is? And why does everyone seem so hostile toward him? I think he looks quite handsome. He should be a good person," Mo Ling asked cheerfully as she looked in Liu Bai's direction.
Mo Feng felt rather helpless at his sister's logic. However, in order to maintain his image and also to prevent her from being deceived by such a pretty faced fellow, he kept his expression cold as he spoke, "A person's character and strength are not determined by appearance. If he wishes to stand openly beside Her Highness Jiu You, then he must pass everyone's trials."
"Unless he can display absolute power sufficient to suppress everyone, he will inevitably suffer humiliation today."
Mo Ling nodded, yet she continued watching with a bright smile.
After all, this had nothing to do with her. And if she could watch a show for free, she was more than happy to do so.
At this moment, Tianhuang, who sat in the main seat, observed the interaction between Liu Bai and Jiu You. His brows furrowed slightly as he immediately understood what Liu Bai was doing. Instead of displeasure, a trace of interest arose within him.
Daring to openly provoke everyone at such a moment. Did this boy truly have the confidence to suppress them all?
"Interesting."
Tianhuang did not dislike those who displayed arrogance before him, as long as they possessed the strength to back it up. A little arrogance was only natural. If Liu Bai were a weak willed human, then no matter how great his talent, Tianhuang would not hold him in regard. He would even decisively sever the bloodline linkage between him and Jiu You without hesitation.
"Little Jiu You, after being away for so many years, you return yet do not come greet your father," Tianhuang said, his tone gentle and tinged with indulgence.
Toward his daughter, Tianhuang was extremely satisfied in every aspect. He had cherished her since childhood, and rarely did he forcibly reject any decision she made.
Hearing this, Jiu You cast Liu Bai a glance that clearly meant good luck to you, then walked happily to her father's side.
After being away for so many years and even experiencing a near death Divine Tribulation, the longing she felt for her parents surged forth at this moment.
Fortunately, both father and daughter knew this was not a place to display familial affection. They quickly composed themselves and turned their gazes toward Liu Bai.
"You are Liu Bai?" Tianhuang asked calmly, his voice devoid of ripples.
However, despite having remained composed when first facing Elder Tianque and the gathered experts of the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan, Liu Bai unexpectedly felt a trace of nervousness at this moment.
There was no helping it. This man was Jiu You's father. This was his first time meeting the parents, after all. Feeling a bit uneasy was perfectly normal.
"This junior is Liu Bai. Greetings to Clan Leader Tianhuang," Liu Bai said as he suppressed his nerves and respectfully clasped his fists.
Tianhuang nodded slightly and spoke in a flat tone, "The bloodline linkage between you and Jiu You was forged in a life and death situation, so I do not blame you for it. However, Jiu You's bloodline is of utmost importance to our Nine Nether Sparrow Clan. At present, her bloodline has been contaminated, which may affect her future evolution."
At this point, Tianhuang paused and glanced lightly at Liu Bai, only to find him standing there calmly, seemingly waiting for him to continue.
Tianhuang could not help but smile inwardly. This boy truly had some courage. To remain so steady even after hearing such words.
"However, if you truly possess the ability, talent, and strength to ensure that Jiu You's future evolution proceeds more smoothly, then it is not impossible for me to allow you to truly be together."
The moment these words fell, an uproar instantly erupted throughout the scene.
All the younger generation of the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan below wore expressions of disbelief, unable to understand why their Clan Leader would make such a promise to a human.
"Of course, this is on the condition that you can accomplish what I have stated," Tianhuang emphasized deliberately.
"I have heard Elder Tianque speak of your strength and have also seen your cultivation. Even within our Nine Nether Sparrow Clan, you can be considered an outstanding youth. However, your identity means that being together with Jiu You will involve far greater hardships. If you choose to give up now, then for the sake of having once saved Jiu You's life, I can spare you. But you must remain within our Nine Nether Sparrow Clan for ten years."
Liu Bai smiled inwardly. He did not expect that he too would receive Clan Leader Tianhuang's so called ten year agreement, just like Mu Chen.
Unfortunately for him, Liu Bai would make the same choice Mu Chen once did and walk that more difficult path.
Liu Bai raised his head and under the slightly astonished gazes of several elders, looked directly at Clan Leader Tianhuang as he spoke in a deep voice, "I believe that even now, I already meet the requirements you mentioned. As for assisting Jiu You's future evolution, that is a promise I made to her long ago. And I am not someone who enjoys breaking promises."
.....
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