Upon receiving the tragic news, Yun Zhiqiu dared not delay and hurried to a secluded chamber deep within the ancestral residence.

Inside the chamber, smoke curled in the air, and a single candle burned slowly.

At a glance, its light shone brightly, but the oil within the lamp was nearly depleted.

The next moment, a light cough came from within the mist.

“Zhiqiu, come forward.”

As the voice fell, the smoke dissipated, revealing an elderly man seated upright in a chair, dressed in splendid robes, his face aged but his back still straight.

Yun Zhiqiu immediately knelt down and bowed. “Greetings, Ancestor.”

“Rise,” said the Yun Clan Ancestor with a faint smile. “There is no need to worry. This is my second reincarnation, and I have the experience. There should be no problem.”

“It’s just unfortunate that after I reincarnate, it will take at least twenty years before I can return. During that time, no one will hold the fort for our clan.”

“Zhiqiu deserves a thousand deaths!”

Yun Zhiqiu appeared even more dejected, fully understanding the hidden meaning in the Ancestor’s words.

Yun Miaozhen, the clan’s most outstanding descendant in nearly a hundred years and a true Foundation Establishment seed, had died.

Such a heaven-blessed girl had fallen at the hands of a demonic fiend due to his momentary negligence.

Because of this incident, his prestige in the clan had plummeted, and the Yun Clan also lost much of its influence due to the absence of a Foundation Establishment seed.

Over the years, Yun Zhiqiu had made countless trips to the righteous-demonic battlefield in hopes of avenging Yun Miaozhen’s death at the hands of Lü Yang, but all his efforts had come to naught.

Upon thorough inquiry, he found out that the old turtle had actually stayed in the Saint Sect for sixty years!

This infuriated Yun Zhiqiu to the point of cursing aloud.

“You need not blame yourself too much.”

The Yun Clan Ancestor remained calm. “Sixty years ago, Skeleton Mountain was part of the demon’s scheme, obscuring the heavenly will. Ultimately, it was my failure to foresee it.”

“If not for that, I would never have allowed you and Miaozhen to go to Skeleton Mountain.”

“In any case, Miaozhen is dead. Our Yun Clan must now find another path. So not long ago, I agreed to a task entrusted by the Sect Master.”

“What!?”

Yun Zhiqiu was startled. “The Sect Master’s task—is it to use your reincarnated body to assassinate the Foundation Establishment seed of the Demon Sect?”

Such events were not uncommon on the righteous-demonic battlefield.

The Yun Clan Ancestor nodded. “If I can slay the Demon Sect’s Foundation Establishment seed, I will gain great merit. It can also serve as nourishment for my future cultivation.”

“But Ancestor, you’ve already reincarnated once before.”

For Foundation Establishment cultivators, the first reincarnation was the rare fate of a chosen one, with unmatched merit and destiny, offering the best chance of returning to Foundation Establishment.

But a second reincarnation was a different matter.

Especially in the past three hundred years, the Ancestor’s cultivation had seen little progress and remained at early Foundation Establishment, adding many uncertainties to reincarnation.

“In this life, one must dare to gamble.”

The Yun Clan Ancestor smiled faintly. “Recently, the Sect Master divined cause and effect, discovering anomalies in the Demon Sect’s ‘Secret Realm of Law Refinement.’ There may be an opportunity.”

“The Demon Sect’s ‘Secret Realm of Law Refinement’ traps billions of souls outside the cycle of reincarnation. The Sect Master has long disapproved of it.”

“This time, he will not only help me reincarnate within it, but also personally shield me from heavenly detection, ensuring that no one will discover me and allowing me to awaken my past memories at birth without the mystery of the womb.”

“In this way, I can look for a chance to shatter the secret realm and return those souls to reincarnation.”

At this point, the Yun Clan Ancestor revealed a look of anticipation. “If this mission succeeds, it will be a great merit and can assist me in returning to Foundation Establishment.”

“To think such a thing is possible? This is indeed a great fortune for our Yun Clan!”

Upon hearing this, Yun Zhiqiu finally showed a look of excitement.

The most dangerous period for reincarnated Foundation Establishment cultivators was the early years while still trapped in the mystery of the womb.

But with the Sect Master’s help, the Ancestor could break through the mystery immediately after reincarnation!

This invisibly increased the chances of the Ancestor’s successful return to Foundation Establishment by a large margin.

Once the Ancestor succeeded, the Yun Clan would be able to continue its brilliance for another three hundred years!

Afterward, the Yun Clan Ancestor gave detailed instructions on how to forge the illusion that he was still alive after reincarnation to buy time for his return, among other matters.

Not until the oil in the lamp grew dim and was about to extinguish completely did the Yun Clan Ancestor wave his hand with lingering intent.

“Everything is ready. You may go.”

Yun Zhiqiu immediately bowed once again and respectfully said, “I wish Ancestor a successful return through reincarnation!”

Yun Zhiqiu waited for a moment, but did not hear any response from the Yun Clan Ancestor.

When he looked up again, the lamp had gone out, and the Yun Clan Ancestor had already fallen silent.

….

It was the dead of winter, and the world was covered in white.

Decades ago, great chaos erupted in the world due to the emergence of the Heavenly Book.

One scroll of it fell into the hands of the Hao Ran Academy, which revered imperial power, allowing the chaos to be suppressed.

Afterward, the foolish emperor of Great Zhou suddenly died, and a new monarch ascended the throne.

Ironically, the great chaos had caused massive death and wiped out the population pressure.

After the war ended, peace returned, ushering in an era of stability.

Thus, the new emperor was hailed as the restorer of Great Zhou.

This was evident in the capital, Tianjing City, where no one picked up lost items on the road and doors were left unlocked at night.

Even at night, the city remained full of singing and dancing.

And in the northeastern corner of Tianjing City, deep within a mansion—

In front of the birthing room, a dignified man paced anxiously back and forth until a loud cry came from within.

“Master! The child is born! The child is born!”

The next moment, the birthing room door opened and a maid hurried out.

“Congratulations, Master! Congratulations! Madam has given birth to a boy!”

Upon hearing this, the man looked up and laughed heartily. “Heaven has not forsaken my Wei Clan! At last, we have a male heir! Excellent! Everyone shall be rewarded today!”

The man’s name was Wei Tieyi.

He had risen from humble origins twenty years ago and shone brilliantly in the pacification war of Great Zhou, earning immense merit and the title of “Marquis of North Pacification.”

He held some renown in Tianjing City and was considered one of the martial heroes.

Now that the Wei Clan had a new male heir, it was naturally a cause for grand celebration.

Yet at the same time, inside the birthing room—

Though the newborn was still crying loudly, no one could detect the massive soul now residing within the frail body.

“Success.”

The Yun Clan Ancestor had successfully reincarnated.

His true memories instantly awakened, but he did not control the body’s instincts.

Instead, he sat within his sea of consciousness and began divining in silence.

“Great Zhou, Heavenly Book… Hah, so that’s how it is. A Saint’s theft indeed.”

In an instant, the Yun Clan Ancestor discerned part of the truth.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Sword Pavilion, he was extremely familiar with all of the Saint Sect’s techniques.

“Saint’s Theft” was one of the most dazzling among them—of course he would recognize it.

This was the advantage of Foundation Establishment reincarnation.

Even without cultivation after reincarnation, a powerful soul allowed him to divine causality and manipulate fate easily, a dimensional blow to Qi Refining cultivators.

Yet soon, the Yun Clan Ancestor frowned.

Because when he tried to deduce who was cultivating “Saint’s Theft,” he encountered complete emptiness—as if causality had been severed around the person.

“How interesting… a treasure that conceals heavenly secrets?”

The next second, the Yun Clan Ancestor’s brow smoothed.

He had long anticipated the importance of divination in this reincarnation and had thus come prepared.

He had brought with him a secret treasure of destiny.

“With the ‘Heaven Inquiry Instrument’ bestowed by the Sect Master, no heavenly concealment will avail them!”

At his mental command, a spherical magical treasure appeared in his hand.

Using it to divine, he instantly broke through the concealed web of cause and effect.

The next moment, the Yun Clan Ancestor was stunned.

But soon, he couldn’t help but laugh wildly at the sky. “Every cause must have an effect. Every cause must have an effect. So that’s it! Causality truly does not let one off easily!”

“Lü Yang…!”

Muttering the name of the one who had killed Yun Miaozhen—whom he had once placed such hopes on—yet had remained free for sixty years, the Yun Clan Ancestor’s killing intent surged.

Especially after using the “Heaven Inquiry Instrument” to uncover a trove of intelligence on Lü Yang.

“‘Taiyin Body-Shedding Corpse Liberation True Method,’ ‘Saint’s Theft,’ third-grade True Qi, and the ‘Stealing Heaven’s Secrets’ technique… if all are completed, this child has a forty percent chance of breaking through to Foundation Establishment!”

At this thought, a cold glint flashed in the Yun Clan Ancestor’s eyes.

This child… must not be allowed to live!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep