A piece of news suddenly shook the cultivation world of the Sparrow Plume Pagoda Domain. Seven of their clans had undergone a drastic change overnight. These seven clans had carried out a great purge of several branch lineages within their clans with lightning speed. From Golden Core to Qi Condensation cultivators, the corpses of those killed were piled high. At least a thousand people from each clan had perished overnight.
The fact that seven clans had simultaneously engaged in a massive slaughter, and that nearly ten thousand cultivators had died at once, undoubtedly set off a monstrous wave in the Sparrow Plume Pagoda Domain. The reason for this was not revealed by the seven clans for a time, which made the matter even more alarming and unsettling.
The outside world was rife with speculation about what earth-shattering changes had occurred in these seven clans. Many families and sects that had good relations with the slain cultivators secretly sent people to inquire about the news. And at this time, the Giant Wood Clan welcomed a special group of people. They were old and young, with a few cultivators, but most of them were mortals. However, these people looked extremely miserable, their ragged clothes making them look like beggars.
Everyone's eyes were filled with incomparable vigilance when they looked at the strangers around them, but more than that, they showed terror and fear. It was not until these "beggars" saw A Guxi in his gray robe that a smile of relief appeared on their faces.
And all of this was seen by most of the people of the Giant Wood Clan, and a raging fire appeared in their eyes. Although they already knew the reason, they still could not imagine that their own clansmen could live in such a miserable state, worse than dogs.
More than ten days ago, a gray-robed old man had suddenly come to the clan. He called himself A Guxi and claimed to be from a collateral branch that had been lost. He had come to the Giant Wood Clan this time to seek his ancestors. He stated that he had only come first to try and make contact with his clansmen. If the Giant Wood Clan was sincerely willing to accept their return, then their entire clan would migrate over. Their clan was presided over by a Golden Core realm expert, a force that would sound not weak to anyone.
This kind of ancestor-seeking event occurred in all major clans. The reasons for this were mostly the descendants of clansmen who had gone out for training in their early years and had established their own families, now seeking their roots. Or it was clansmen who had once left the clan to try and establish their own branches and now wanted to return to their own clan due to a lack of cultivation resources. For the former, most clans would accept them again. The latter would require discussion within the clan.
A Guxi's story was one that Li Yan had carefully considered before settling on. In order to be able to meet the current clan chief of the Giant Wood Clan, A Guxi certainly had to show that his branch had considerable strength, so that the other party would attach enough importance to it. But it could not be too much. After consideration, he felt that it was enough to say that there was a Golden Core expert presiding over them. The concern was that the Giant Wood Clan might not actually have a Nascent Soul cultivator in command. If that were the case, claiming to have many experts wouldn't make the other party take them seriously; it would only make them wary.
The Giant Wood Clan first conducted a bloodline test on A Guxi. If he didn't even pass this stage, the newcomer would have to endure a good beating, or even be killed directly. The test, of course, went without any problems. Moreover, A Guxi's bloodline was of a particularly pure kind. It was clear at a glance that his ancestors had not had any intermarriage with other clans and had strictly adhered to the orthodox bloodline inheritance of their own clan.
Next, his cultivation method, magical arts, and so on were tested. The results were equally satisfactory. Not only was the inheritance without any problems, but the purity of his magical arts made the two testing cultivators feel ashamed of their own inferiority. It was clear at a glance that this clansman who had come to seek his ancestors was a fierce warrior, and every casual strike carried a faint scent of blood. Especially every time he attacked, A Guxi's defense was formed at the same time. According to his cultivation, he had already reached a very high level of this realm, with a well-rounded offense and defense, and a natural feel.
Instantly, they thought even more highly of A Guxi, and their attitude also became different. Generally, those who came to seek their ancestors and return to their roots were of mediocre cultivation and looked extremely down and out. It was clear that the situation of this one before them was very different.
After verifying that A Guxi was indeed a member of their own clan without a doubt, then it was time to formally inquire which branch he had been separated from. A Guxi then reported the names of three generations of his ancestors. The two cultivators checked many jade slips, but they could not find his origin at all. Of course, all the names of the so-called elders that A Guxi had reported were fabricated. He couldn't really report the names of the elders of his own branch. Otherwise, a simple check would reveal that he was from the branch that had gone to the Tianlan Prairie.
Seeing that they could not find A Guxi's origin, this could only mean that the other party's ancestors might have left the Giant Wood Clan a very long time ago, which was why his descendants did not appear on the clan register. But at this time, A Guxi said that he had a token left by his ancestors that should be able to prove his origin. It was just that before he came, that Golden Core elder had told him that it must be handed over to the current clan chief of the Giant Wood Clan for inspection, so that its true origin might be known.
This put the two Giant Wood Clan cultivators in a difficult position. The clan chief was not someone just anyone could meet, and the clan chief was often in seclusion. The two discussed for a long time and finally felt that A Guxi's branch had truly formidable combat strength. If they could be recalled to the clan, they would definitely be a strong new force, which would surely raise the overall strength of the Giant Wood Clan by another level. Especially since the other party said there was also a Golden Core realm expert. It was too much of a pity to leave such clansmen outside.
The two Giant Wood Clan cultivators finally decided that they must inform the clan chief of this matter. If they could really pull back a powerful collateral branch, they would also receive a generous reward at that time. Of course, all of this was under the condition that A Guxi himself had no problems, and his own real combat strength was outstanding, that they had made such a decision. Otherwise, if A Guxi's own strength was mediocre, no matter how flowery your words were, these two would have to weigh the matter.
After a report was sent up, A Guxi was not able to see the clan chief immediately. Instead, he was subsequently arranged to stay in a room. And this wait lasted for five days. Every day, A Guxi felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, extremely anxious, and also filled with all sorts of unease. But he could not show it and could only constantly comfort himself in his heart.
It was not until the sixth day that he was finally brought to a great hall. There, A Guxi met the current clan chief of the Giant Wood Clan, as well as four Golden Core realm experts. Facing five Golden Core experts, A Guxi immediately felt an overwhelming pressure. At the same time, he was also certain that the Giant Wood Clan had taken the matter he had reported seriously and attached great importance to it. Otherwise, so many experts would not have appeared at once.
When the clan chief asked A Guxi to produce the token, A Guxi knew that the most critical moment had finally come. This was also the moment that would decide his life and death. But thinking of the many years of unwillingness and humiliation, as well as the old clan chief and those clansmen who had died tragically, A Guxi's heart was filled with resentment, and he immediately put life and death aside. Of course, if there was a better way to achieve his goal, no one would want to use this almost suicidal method.
In the disbelieving gazes of the few people in the great hall, A Guxi not only did not bow in salute but suddenly his tone became grief-stricken and ferocious. He looked directly at the high and mighty clan chief of the Giant Wood Clan, his voice filled with a mournful tone. "Do you all still remember the clansmen on the Tianlan Prairie? Back then, to protect the inheritance of our own clan, a branch of our clan fought a bloody battle with the demon clan, suffering countless casualties. After repelling the demon clan, in order to expand our clan's territory and open up more cultivation resources, they stayed on the Tianlan Prairie, sending back a large amount of cultivation resources every year for you all to cultivate and grow. It was just that when the Tianlan Clan's wings had recovered, they attacked the seven clans. We seven clans suffered countless casualties, but we saw no aid from our clansmen. If it was said that the matter happened suddenly, then generation after generation, for thousands of years, the bones of our seven clans have piled up into mountains. You all do not think of our common origin and have even cast aside your own clansmen like worn-out shoes. I came here to see if the Giant Wood Clan had become as desolate and wretched as the Peacock Clan once was. What has made you all so unrighteous, so numb to the slaughter of your own people? Answer me."
As A Guxi spoke, his face was ferocious, and he was already on the verge of madness. The bits and pieces from his memory, the daily struggle on the verge of death, the mournful cries of his clansmen, the wild laughter of the Tianlan cultivators… As he questioned, countless images flashed before his eyes one by one. The long-term suppression and accumulated resentment had driven him into a frenzy, and he had long since forgotten the suppression of his cultivation by the other party.
The clan chief of the Giant Wood Clan went from surprise at the beginning, to astonishment, then to a surging tide outside his body, until finally he returned to calmness. After A Guxi had finished speaking, he suddenly spoke. "You are from the Tianlan Prairie? Not some so-called ancestor-seeking and returning to the roots?"
"I am from that abandoned branch of the Giant Wood Clan on the Tianlan Prairie, the most orthodox clansman of the Giant Wood Clan. As for whether to seek my ancestors and return to my roots, it depends on whether the root is still there, and whether the ancestors have their eyes open?" Facing the other party's question, A Guxi had already thrown everything to the wind. The bloody qi from his years of warfare shot out and spread, so dense that it was shocking. This made the few people above all extremely surprised. The bloody qi on this little cultivator was so dense that even they could not compare. How many people must he have killed to be like this?
"Where did this madman come from, to be so arrogant! You deserve to die!"
"Nonsense, a pack of lies, you deserve to die! Do you want to throw our clan into chaos? Kill!"
Just as A Guxi had finished his second sentence, among the four Golden Core cultivators below, two were already extremely angry. They stood up abruptly and instantly cast a spell to assassinate A Guxi. Years of walking on the edge of life and death made A Guxi know that something was wrong the moment the two spoke. But the difference in strength between the two sides was too great, not to mention that it was two Golden Core cultivators launching a sudden assassination. A Guxi watched as a virtual palm slapped toward the crown of his head, and another point of cold light was already at the space between his eyebrows in an instant.
He couldn't help but glare, knowing that he had come to the wrong place, and his heart was filled with extreme anger. And at this moment, a sharp cry resounded in the great hall, so loud that everyone's ears were ringing. A Guxi's whole person immediately fell into a daze. "Insolence! What are you trying to do? Are you trying to rebel?"
Amidst the explosive shout, an invisible qi shield suddenly rose up outside A Guxi's body. With two "bangs," the virtual large palm shattered into countless star points, and the point of cold light also disappeared like a clay ox entering the sea the moment it shot into the invisible qi shield. Then, the clan chief of the Giant Wood Clan, who was sitting at the head, had an extremely grim face.
Then, he grabbed A Guxi below and shouted at the other two Golden Core cultivators who were still a little dazed. "Watch them! Don't let them act recklessly!" With that, his figure flashed, and he had already disappeared from the great hall with A Guxi. At the same time, the entire great hall emitted a hazy green light, instantly isolating all external auras and also sealing the escape route of the four Golden Core cultivators in the hall.
The two Golden Core cultivators who had attacked felt their connection with the outside world cut off, and their faces immediately became gloomy…
When A Guxi awoke from his dizziness, he and the clan chief of the Giant Wood Clan were already in a secret chamber. At this time, the clan chief of the Giant Wood Clan's face was also extremely unsightly. He began to question A Guxi about the matter, sentence by sentence. Only then did A Guxi realize that things were not as he had imagined. He then explained in detail what had happened to the Giant Wood Clan and the other six clans on the Tianlan Prairie. The clan chief of the Giant Wood Clan's aura grew colder and colder as he listened.
Although A Guxi could not explain everything that had happened in the past thousands of years one by one, every sentence he spoke was the most tragic end of his clansmen, making the clan chief of the Giant Wood Clan's aura bone-chillingly cold!