Chapter 112: The Failure of the Junyang Project

"Fan Lihua?" Jun Yang carefully searched his memory, but the name drew a blank. He had already told that old fellow, Fan Wuwei, to keep his juniors in check, but it seemed his warnings had gone unheeded.

It was late into the night when Jun Yang finally returned to his quarters. You Xiyue was already fast asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, he hesitated for a long moment before heading toward Jun Jue's residence.

In the Sacred Realm, sleeping was merely a personal preference for cultivators. Most chose not to, which made the night markets of the Sacred Realm remarkably lively. Jun Jue, naturally, was still awake. Burdened with the responsibility of managing the entire Teng Snake Clan, he was currently scratching his head over a mountain of account books.

Jun Yang pushed the door open and walked straight in. "Busy?"

Jun Jue scrambled to his feet, eager to offer a salute. "Big Brother..."

Jun Yang pressed him back into his chair. "We've known each other for hundreds of thousands of years; are you not tired of saluting me every single day?"

"It is the rule..." Jun Jue looked up at Jun Yang. "Is there something you need, coming to see me so late?"

"There is."

"Please, instruct me, Big Brother." Jun Jue made to rise again.

Jun Yang waved a hand. "Stay seated." He pulled up a chair opposite Jun Jue. His usual languid expression tightened, and he fixed his eyes firmly on his brother. "I want you to become the Patriarch of the Teng Snake Clan."

"Why? That is impossible, Big Brother!" Jun Jue could no longer sit still; he stood up and knelt before Jun Yang. "I simply do not have the capability to lead the Teng Snake Clan. Please, reconsider."

Jun Yang looked down at the resolute man. "You have been the acting patriarch for so long. Why do you say you lack the capability? Have you not done an excellent job?"

"I... my cultivation is too low. I cannot protect our clansmen..."

"The Clan Spirit is here; you have no need to protect them yourself."

"Big Brother!" Jun Jue was adamant. "The position of Patriarch belongs only to you. You have seen how the younger generation worships you; they would never accept anyone else."

Jun Yang stood up and pulled Jun Jue to his feet. "I intend to go to the Taiyi Palace and challenge the Bagua Formation. If I perish inside, the Clan Spirit will be affected by my fate."

"Big Brother... you are going to the Taiyi Palace?"

"Yes. I have thought about it for a long time. The Little Ancestor has always forbidden it, but I want to try."

"Must you go?"

"I must. Therefore, whether I succeed or fail, I can no longer be the Patriarch. If I perish, the clan cannot be left without a leader—you must take up the mantle. If I succeed, I will become a person of the Divine Sacred Land; my name will be struck from the clan genealogy, and I will be even less fit to lead the Teng Snake Clan."

"This..." Jun Jue was still unwilling to agree. "The Little Ancestor has her reasons for forbidding you. Won't you reconsider?"

Jun Yang did not want to remain a burden to You Xiyue. "No need to reconsider. It is decided."

"Decided what?" You Xiyue suddenly poked her head in from the window.

"..." Jun Yang awkwardly scratched his head. "Nothing... nothing at all."

Seeing Jun Yang's guilty demeanor, Jun Jue was genuinely shocked; he had never imagined anyone could make his older brother look so flustered.

You Xiyue hopped inside, sat down next to Jun Yang, and patted the seat beside her. "Come now, explain yourself properly."

Jun Yang shot a pleading look at You Xiyue, his eyes darting toward Jun Jue, implying that his third brother was present and he would appreciate a little dignity.

You Xiyue sighed. "Sit down first."

"Very well." Jun Yang sat, waiting for her to continue. To his surprise, Jun Jue sat down as well.

*...* Jun Jue was usually the most perceptive of them all; shouldn't he have excused himself by now? Jun Yang glared at him, but Jun Jue acted as if he didn't notice, his eyes fixed on You Xiyue, hoping she would stop Jun Yang.

You Xiyue pushed a teacup toward Jun Yang, drawing his attention back. He pulled out a small silver flask and filled her cup with spirit spring water. "Little Ancestor, please drink."

You Xiyue toyed with the cup. "Actually, going to the Divine Sacred Land won't be of much help."

"..." The statement was a heavy blow. Jun Yang looked at her, aggrieved. "What do you mean by that?"

You Xiyue smiled, took a sip of the spirit spring water, and looked away, her eyes dim. "My enemies are not in the Divine Sacred Land."

"What does that mean?" Jun Yang did not know the details of her past, but he had pieced some things together. An incredibly powerful person or clan had destroyed her home and shattered her Nascent Soul. That ancient curse, while a curse, was the only thing holding her soul together, with seven bolts of heavenly lightning trapping her essence in place. He had always assumed the culprit was from the Divine Sacred Land, as everyone in the Sacred Realm—and even those in the Divine Sacred Land—believed that the land was the pinnacle of bloodlines.

"There is a place in this world called the Void Profound Realm."

Jun Jue and Jun Yang exchanged glances; neither had ever heard of it.

You Xiyue shrugged. "It is normal that you haven't heard of it. After all, you haven't even heard of the Dao Realm."

"..." Jun Yang was dumbfounded. "There is a Dao Realm? Is it above the Divine Sacred Land?"

"In a sense..."

The vague answer left Jun Yang confused. "What do you mean 'in a sense'?"

You Xiyue saw their bewilderment. "The Divine Sacred Land is merely a pocket dimension created by those in the Dao Realm, existing between the Sacred Realm and the Dao Realm. People in the Sacred Realm can go directly to the Dao Realm; going through the Divine Sacred Land is an unnecessary detour."

"How does one go there?" Jun Yang had spent time in the Sacred Realm five hundred thousand years ago, and he remembered no special path to the Dao Realm.

"Well... within the Three Thousand Great Daos, if you can attain enlightenment on one, you can reach the Dao Realm."

"Attain enlightenment on my own?" Jun Yang slumped. Wasn't that just a matter of luck? What if some people never attained enlightenment in their entire lives? Did that mean they could never go?

"Yes." You Xiyue stood up and patted Jun Yang on the shoulder. "So... are you still going to the Taiyi Palace?"

"..." Jun Yang looked at her helplessly. You Xiyue waved her hand, jumped back out the window, and left behind a single sentence: "You two chat."

There was nothing left to chat about. Jun Yang exhaled a long breath and said weakly to Jun Jue, "Perhaps..."

Jun Jue, looking quite pleased, pulled Jun Yang up and pushed him toward the door. "Until you attain enlightenment on a Great Dao, you had best continue to serve as the Patriarch of the Teng Snake Clan."

With that, he did the unthinkable and shut the door in Jun Yang's face.

Jun Yang looked up at the moon, which was nearly full, and felt his spirits lift. "There will always be a way to attain enlightenment."

He turned and walked toward his room. He felt lucky, in a way; if not for his circumstances, he would never have met the Little Ancestor. Surely, the Three Thousand Great Daos would not be able to stop him.

Meanwhile, the younger members of the Teng Snake Clan who had gone out to inquire about Daoist treasures happened to run into Fan Lihua while dining at a tavern. She overheard them discussing the "Little Ancestor" by their old ancestor's side and curiously leaned in.

"Is the Little Ancestor you're talking about a teenage girl who is incredibly beautiful?"

"Oh? Fan Lihua, how did you know?" Jun Yupo, who was roughly the same age as Fan Lihua, had become familiar with her after coming to the Sacred Realm.

"She is my little goddess, of course I know! Are you helping her look for something? What is it?" Fan Lihua rubbed her hands together, finally finding an opportunity to be useful.

Jun Yupo did not hide it. "The Little Ancestor wants to find a gossip-related Daoist treasure that can record people's memories and eavesdrop on their inner thoughts."

"Eavesdrop on inner thoughts?" Fan Lihua looked at Jun Yupo with extreme skepticism. "Are you sure? That doesn't sound like something the little goddess would want."

"Naturally," Jun Yupo promised, patting his chest. "Why would I lie to you? The Little Ancestor wants to go to the Glaze Pavilion to find it; she's having us look for invitations."

"So it really is true." Fan Lihua smiled craftily. It was time to go rummaging through her family's treasury again.