Chapter 61: This Child Absolutely Must Not Be Spared!

Having received the mournful news, Yun Zhiqiu dared not delay and hurriedly arrived at a quiet room deep within the ancestral home.

Inside the quiet room, smoke and mist curled upwards. A single candle lamp burned slowly. At first glance, it radiated bright light, but the oil in the lamp was already running out.

The next second, a soft cough came from within the clouds and mist.

“Zhiqiu, come forward…”

As the voice fell, the smoke and mist retreated, revealing an old man sitting upright on a chair. He wore magnificent robes, and his face was aged, yet his back remained perfectly straight.

Yun Zhiqiu immediately bowed: “Greetings, Ancestor…”

“Rise.” The Yun Family Ancestor smiled faintly: “No need to worry. This is my second reincarnation. I have experience, so presumably, no problems will arise.”

“It is just a pity that after I reincarnate, it will take at least twenty years before I have hope of returning. During this period, the family will have no one to preside over it.”

“…Zhiqiu deserves ten thousand deaths!”

Yun Zhiqiu became increasingly dejected. He clearly understood the underlying meaning of the Ancestor’s words… Yun Miaozhen, the most outstanding clansman of the family in nearly a hundred years, a true Foundation Establishment seed.

Such a favored daughter of heaven died at the hands of a demon because of his momentary negligence.

Because of this matter, his prestige within the clan plummeted. Moreover, because the Yun Family lost its Foundation Establishment seed, it intangibly lost much of its prestige.

Over these years, Yun Zhiqiu didn’t know how many times he had traveled back and forth to the battlefield of the Orthodox and Demonic paths, wanting to take revenge on Lu Yang who killed Yun Miaozhen. But in the end, he gained nothing. After careful inquiry, he learned that old turtle had actually stayed in the Saint Sect for a full sixty years! It angered Yun Zhiqiu so much that he couldn’t help but curse loudly.

“You need not blame yourself too much.”

The Yun Family Ancestor looked calm: “Skull Mountain sixty years ago was a trap set by a demon who obscured the heavenly secrets. In the final analysis, it was because I failed to calculate it in advance.”

“Were it not so, I absolutely would not have let you and Miaozhen go to Skull Mountain.”

“In short, Miaozhen is dead, and my Yun Family must now seek another path… Therefore, not long ago, I agreed to a task entrusted by the Sect Master.”

“What…!?”

Yun Zhiqiu was instantly shocked upon hearing this: “Could the Sect Master’s task be to borrow your reincarnated body, Ancestor, to intercept and kill a Foundation Establishment seed of the Demonic Sect?”

Such things were not uncommon on the battlefield between the Orthodox and Demonic paths.

The Yun Family Ancestor nodded: “If I can slay a Foundation Establishment seed of the Demonic Sect, there will certainly be merit, which can also serve as resources for my future cultivation.”

“But Ancestor has already reincarnated once…”

For a Foundation Establishment Perfected One, the first reincarnation is inevitably a one-in-ten-thousand Child of Destiny. Their merit and Qi destiny are unshakable, and they have the highest hope of regaining the Foundation Establishment rank.

However, the second reincarnation is different.

Especially since over these three hundred years, the Yun Family Ancestor’s cultivation hadn’t improved much and remained at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment. This added many variables to the reincarnation.

“Life is but a gamble; one must take a chance.”

The Yun Family Ancestor smiled faintly: “Recently, the Sect Master calculated karma and discovered that the Demonic Sect’s ‘Refining Arts Secret Realm’ has developed variables, perhaps offering an opportunity to exploit.”

“The Demonic Sect’s ‘Refining Arts Secret Realm’ prevents over a hundred million souls from entering reincarnation. The Sect Master has long been dissatisfied with this. This time, he will not only help me be reborn into it after reincarnation but will also personally obscure the heavenly secrets for me, ensuring no one can detect it. Furthermore, he will allow me to awaken my memories as soon as I am born, without the Mystery of the Womb.”

“In this way, I can wait for an opportunity to break open the secret realm and let those living people return to reincarnation.”

At this point, the Yun Family Ancestor also revealed a look of expectation: “If I can succeed this time, it will surely be a great merit, which can also help me return to Foundation Establishment…”

“Such a thing exists? This is truly the fortune of my Yun Family!”

After listening, Yun Zhiqiu’s face finally showed excitement. The most dangerous part of a Foundation Establishment reincarnation is the first few years spent in the phase of the Mystery of the Womb.

However, with the Sect Master’s help, his Ancestor could break the Mystery of the Womb immediately upon reincarnation this time!

Intangibly, this increased the certainty of the Ancestor returning to Foundation Establishment significantly. Once the Ancestor succeeded, the Yun Family could continue its glory for another three hundred years!

Afterward, the Yun Family Ancestor gave careful instructions, including how to forge the illusion that he was still alive after his reincarnation to buy time for his return, and so on. Until the flame of the lamp beside him grew dimmer and dimmer, about to burn out completely, the Yun Family Ancestor waved his hand, still having more to say but unable to continue:

“Everything is ready. You may go.”

Yun Zhiqiu immediately bowed again and said respectfully: “I wish Ancestor a successful return from reincarnation!”

“…”

Yun Zhiqiu waited for a moment but heard no response from the Yun Family Ancestor. When he looked up again, the lamp had gone out, and the Yun Family Ancestor had long lost his breath.

It was the depth of winter; the world was white.

The chaos under heaven decades ago was suppressed because the Heavenly Book emerged, and one volume was mastered by the Haoran Academy, which revered imperial power.

Afterward, the muddle-headed ruler of the Great Zhou died violently, and a new monarch ascended the throne.

Ironically, because too many people died during the chaos, the population pressure was swept away after the chaos settled. As a result, it presented a world of peace and prosperity.

The new monarch was thus called the Restoration Lord of the Great Zhou.

This could be seen from the capital of the Great Zhou, Tianjing City. People did not pick up lost thing on the road, and doors were not locked at night. Even at night, it was a scene of singing and dancing.

And in the northeast corner of Tianjing City, deep within a residence.

In front of the delivery room, a dignified and solemn man was pacing back and forth anxiously until a loud cry suddenly came from inside the room.

“Master! Born! It’s born!”

The next second, the delivery room door opened. A maid walked out quickly and shouted loudly: “Congratulations, Master! Madam has given birth to a boy!”

At these words, the man instantly laughed toward the sky: “Heaven does not extinguish my Wei Family; finally, a male heir is born! Good! Everyone will be rewarded today!”

The man’s name was Wei Tieyi. Rising from humble beginnings twenty years ago, he shone brilliantly in the battle to quell the rebellion in the Great Zhou, establishing illustrious war merits. He was titled the “Marquis of Dingbei” and had some fame throughout Tianjing City, counting as one of the military nobility. Now that the Wei Family had added a male heir, naturally, a grand celebration was needed.

However, meanwhile, inside the delivery room.

Although the newborn baby was still crying loudly, no one could detect that this weak body was currently hosting a massive soul.

“Success…”

The Yun Family Ancestor successfully reincarnated. His true self-memory awakened instantly, but he did not control the body’s instincts. Instead, sitting upright in his sea of consciousness, he began to calculate silently.

“Great Zhou, Heavenly Book… Hehe, so that’s it. It’s The Sage Steals.”

In an instant, the Yun Family Ancestor had already gained insight into part of the truth. After all, as a Foundation Establishment Perfected One of the Sword Pavilion, he was by no means unfamiliar with the various techniques of the Saint Sect.

The Sage Steals was a stunning work among them; naturally, he wouldn’t fail to recognize it.

This was the advantage of a Foundation Establishment reincarnation.

Even if his cultivation base was gone after reincarnation, his powerful soul allowed him to easily calculate karma and stir Qi destiny, which was practically a dimension-reduction strike against Qi Refining cultivators.

However, soon, the Yun Family Ancestor frowned.

Because when he calculated exactly who was cultivating The Sage Steals, it turned out to be a void, as if the web of karma had been cut off on the other party.

“Interesting. A secret treasure to obscure heavenly secrets?”

The next second, the Yun Family Ancestor’s brow relaxed. He had long known that after reincarnating this time, the art of divination would be extremely important, so he attached great importance to it.

Therefore, he also brought a heavenly secret treasure.

“With the ‘Investigating Heaven Instrument’ bestowed by the Sect Master, no secret treasure for obscuring heavenly secrets will be of use…”

With a thought from the Yun Family Ancestor, a sphere-shaped spiritual treasure instantly appeared in his palm. Using it to divine, he instantly broke through the obscured karma.

The next second, the Yun Family Ancestor was stunned.

But soon, he couldn’t help but laugh toward the sky: “Every cause must have an effect; every cause must have an effect. So that’s it! Karma truly brings retribution without fail!”

“Lu Yang…!”

Murmuring the name of the person who killed Yun Miaozhen—in whom he had placed high hopes—and yet still remained free and unfettered for sixty years, the killing intent in the Yun Family Ancestor’s heart increased drastically.

Especially after activating the ‘Investigating Heaven Instrument’ and gaining insight into much of Lu Yang’s intelligence.

“Grand Yin Corpse Liberation Transformation True Method, The Sage Steals, Grade 3 True Qi, Stealing Heaven’s Mystery Secret Art… If all are achieved, this child has a forty percent hope of breaking through to Foundation Establishment!”

Thinking of this, a cold glint suddenly flashed in the Yun Family Ancestor’s eyes.

This child absolutely must not be spared!

Translation notes:

Mystery of the Womb (胎中之谜 – Tāi Zhōng Zhī Mí): A common concept in Buddhism and Xianxia novels. It refers to the phenomenon where a cultivator loses their memories and cultivation awareness upon reincarnation, effectively becoming a “blank slate” infant. Breaking this mystery means regaining one’s past life memories and self-awareness.

Mystery of the Womb (胎中之谜 – Tāi Zhōng Zhī Mí): A common concept in Buddhism and Xianxia novels. It refers to the phenomenon where a cultivator loses their memories and cultivation awareness upon reincarnation, effectively becoming a “blank slate” infant. Breaking this mystery means regaining one’s past life memories and self-awareness.

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