Chapter Forty-Two: Disciplining the Unruly Young

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“Chen Yu went to look for it with Senior Junyang. Don’t worry,” Mingzhu comforted.

“Really? If Senior Junyang is willing to help, that’s wonderful.” Although Ming Chengwu had regained consciousness, his breathing was still weak, and regret filled his heart. “It was my shortsightedness, my overconfidence that cost us the family crest.”

Mingzhu sighed. “Anyone would have been caught off guard by something like this. Focus on recovering your health first.”

Ming Chengwu closed his eyes and said nothing more.

Soon, Ming Chenyu and Junyang hurried back and entered Ming Chengwu’s room.

Seeing Mingzhu keeping watch by the bed, Ming Chenyu asked, “Seventh Uncle, how is my father?”

Hearing his son’s voice, Ming Chengwu’s eyes flew open and he tried to sit up in excitement. “Did you find the family crest?”

Ming Chenyu quickly hurried to his side to support him. “Father, please lie back. I retrieved the family crest. It’s damaged, but the ancestral spirit is still intact.”

He presented the crest, its surface covered in cracks, and handed it to Ming Chengwu.

Ming Chengwu took it, rubbing it again and again, still blaming himself.

“Did you find the person who stole it?”

Ming Chenyu shook his head silently. “The crest was discarded at the foot of the Heavenly Tribulation Steps. There was no sign of the culprit.”

“I see…” Ming Chengwu let the matter drop, as if he had already guessed the truth.

Seeing Ming Chengwu close his eyes, Ming Chenyu and Junyang quietly left the room.

“Senior Junyang, is there any reason for an Immortal Clan to come down to the lower realm and steal a family crest?” Ming Chenyu asked.

“By absorbing the faith power of another family’s ancestral spirit, they can strengthen their own,” Junyang explained. “Battles between ancestral spirits are common in both the Immortal and Divine Realms. Their family probably challenged another to such a battle and, afraid of losing, came down to steal extra faith power.”

Ming Chenyu nodded in understanding. “Thank you, Senior Junyang, for everything today.”

Junyang patted Ming Chenyu on the shoulder. “Take care of your father. I’ll go find the little ancestor now.”

“Alright.”

With a step, Junyang vanished from the Ming residence.

Ming Chenyu stood in the courtyard, lost in thought for a long while.

Because the Ming Clan’s ancestral spirit had been suddenly attacked and no suitable replacement could be found, the heads of the other four great families discussed the matter and decided to postpone the Illusory Labyrinth.

When Yan Qingye heard the news, he ran to find You Xiyue and Junyang.

“Little Master, the Illusory Labyrinth can’t be opened. Why don’t you come stay at my place for a few days?”

“What’s there to do at your place?” Junyang asked.

“My father has a cask of immortal monkey wine that’s been aging for thousands of years.”

Junyang looked surprised. “I didn’t expect your family to have such treasures.”

“Of course,” Yan Qingye replied proudly. “We also have celestial pepper flowers.”

Feng Qinghe gave Yan Qingye a complicated look, thankful he was an only child. If Yan Yaofeng found out, he’d probably want to thrash his son for squandering such things.

Junyang looked tempted, coughed, and turned to You Xiyue. “Little ancestor, I’ve been fasting for days now.”

“Oh,” replied You Xiyue.

Seeing Junyang waver, Yan Qingye pressed on. “Little Master, come stay for a couple of days. If we find a family to replace the Ming Clan’s ancestral spirit, the thirty-sixth continent is much closer than the seventeenth.”

You Xiyue glanced up at him. Honestly, the difference between these realms was meaningless to her. “Xueyu is still on the seventeenth continent.”

“I’ll send for him,” Yan Qingye promised eagerly.

“Alright,” You Xiyue agreed at last.

Delighted, Yan Qingye immediately took out a jade slip and summoned his father.

“You little brat, what is it?” At that moment, Yan Yaofeng was preparing to visit Ming Chengwu on the thirty-seventh continent.

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“I invited the Little Master to stay with us for a couple of days. Get the guest rooms ready.”

“Oh? The Young Predecessor is coming?”

“Yes, yes, and don’t forget the monkey wine!”

“You little scoundrel!” Yan Yaofeng cursed through gritted teeth, pained at the thought, but still agreed. “Got it!”

Abandoning his plan to visit the thirty-seventh continent, Yan Yaofeng returned to his main hall. He gave meticulous instructions for You Xiyue’s reception and, together with his steward, waited in the hall for their arrival. He also sent someone to fetch Xueyu from the seventeenth continent.

The scenery on the thirty-sixth continent was the finest in the upper realms: birds sang, flowers bloomed, and spirit beasts roamed the streets, living in harmony with people. As they walked down the street, a spirit deer would occasionally approach a passerby, bowing to beg for food.

“Your thirty-sixth continent really is remarkable,” Junyang said, feeding the deer two stalks of immortal grass.

“Of course,” Yan Qingye responded, “We even have a celestial hot spring in our back garden—so relaxing to soak in.”

Feng Qinghe looked around in awe. No wonder Yan Qingye always called the Feng Clan shabby—there was simply no comparison.

The shops lining the street were all lavishly decorated, and the Yan estate was even more like a fairyland: a spirit spring waterfall exuded fresh spiritual energy, and luminous spirit butterflies flitted about in dazzling beauty.

Even someone as well-traveled as Junyang, who had seen both the Immortal and Divine Realms, couldn’t help but praise, “Your family really knows how to enjoy life.”

Yan Qingye was very satisfied with everyone’s reactions—except for You Xiyue, who remained as indifferent as ever, showing no interest.

Yan Yaofeng, hearing that Yan Qingye had brought the guests directly into the guest courtyard, cursed his son again but hurried to greet them.

“Young Predecessor, you’ve arrived!”

Hearing his voice, You Xiyue turned and nodded. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“It’s our honor. I never imagined you would come. If there’s anything not to your liking, just let me know—I’ll see to it at once.”

You Xiyue smiled. “Everything is lovely.”

“That’s good, that’s good.” Yan Yaofeng relaxed a little. “I’ve sent someone to fetch Xueyu. He’ll be back this afternoon.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re too polite. Well, I’ll leave you to settle in.”

“Thank you, please go about your business,” You Xiyue replied politely.

Yan Yaofeng withdrew.

At noon, Yan Yaofeng set out monkey wine and a variety of spirit fruits in the guest courtyard—a truly thoughtful spread.

The delicacies that Junyang had been craving for days finally satisfied him.

Yan Qingye, who had coveted his father’s wine for a thousand years, was in high spirits as he finally got to taste it.

The two of them drank together for half the day, growing more than a little tipsy.

Just as they were about to retire, Yan Yaofeng rushed over, face filled with anxiety.

“Young Predecessor, I fear something has happened to the Feng Clan.”

“What?” Feng Qinghe stood up in disbelief. “What’s happened?”

Yan Yaofeng explained, “The clansmen sent to fetch Xueyu from the seventeenth continent just sent word: they saw a man and a woman standing on the Feng Clan’s rooftop, demanding the Feng crest from the clan chief.”

“They went to the seventeenth continent?” Even Junyang’s wine-flushed face sobered as he turned to You Xiyue. “Should we go back?”

You Xiyue glanced at Feng Qinghe—the Feng crest had always been hidden with him, Feng Yanhua could never hand it over.

Yan Qingye was perplexed. “Why attack the thirty-seventh continent and then go straight to the Feng Clan? Shouldn’t our family be next?”

Yan Yaofeng wanted to smack his son. Did he think this was a good thing?

Junyang explained, “Your family’s bloodline is too recent. The Feng Clan, like ours, dates back almost as long as the Tengshe Clan. Naturally, their ancestral spirit has far more faith power than yours.”

“But hasn’t the Feng crest been missing for ages? The elders haven’t attended clan meetings in forever,” Yan Qingye said.

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“Master, I… I want to go back and see,” Feng Qinghe suddenly stood, turning to You Xiyue.

“Then let’s go,” You Xiyue said, and set up a teleportation array in the courtyard.

Junyang and Feng Qinghe stepped in without hesitation. Yan Qingye was about to follow when Yan Yaofeng held him back.

Yan Qingye looked at his father in confusion. “I have to protect my brother.”

Yan Yaofeng sighed, a little helpless. “Just take care of yourself.”

“I know, I know, stop fussing.” Yan Qingye shook off his father’s hand and leapt into the teleportation array.

When they arrived at Phoenix Perch Mountain, several peaks had already been leveled. Feng Yanhua lay in a pool of blood, his chest pierced by the sword of a young man.

Feng Qinghe stood frozen, staring blankly at Feng Yanhua, who was barely clinging to life.

The young man quickly sensed the newcomers on the mountain. He turned, the disdain in his eyes shifting as he fixed his gaze on You Xiyue and Junyang.

“And who are you?”

“And who are you?” Junyang countered.

“I am Shangguan Hong of the Shangguan Immortal Clan of the Upper Realm,” the young man replied.

“Oh… never heard of you.”

“Heh… Just a lowborn bloodline from the Upper Realm. Why would you have?” Shangguan Hong sneered at Junyang.

“Are you sure about that?” Junyang raised his head, eyes dangerous as he looked at Shangguan Hong.

It was only then that Shangguan Hong sensed the threat, pulling the maidservant Lan Xing behind him as he retreated. “Who are you? You’re not from the Upper Realm, are you?”

“You aren’t, so why should I be?” Junyang flashed forward, pupils narrowing to slits, his eyes half-closed.

A wave of divine bloodline suppression surged toward the two.

It was too late for Shangguan Hong to run.

With a crash, the ground collapsed beneath him, pinning his body to the earth, unable to move.

“You… you’re from the Tengshe Divine Clan!” Shangguan Hong was filled with regret, his fingers clawing at the dirt, eyes bloodshot as if about to burst, his face twisted with terror.

“Master!” Lan Xing knelt beside Shangguan Hong, utterly lost, and turned to Junyang, kowtowing desperately. “Please, senior, spare my master! I beg you, he’s young and foolish, please!”

“He is indeed a bit foolish,” Junyang said coldly. “So I’ll discipline him for his elders.”

With that, Junyang increased the pressure of his bloodline.

Half of Shangguan Hong’s body sank into the earth, his breathing labored, his face flushed crimson.

Seeing that Junyang had no intention of showing mercy, Lan Xing suddenly straightened, pulling the Shangguan family crest from her sleeve.

“Shangguan ancestral spirit, reveal yourself!”

“Reveal yourself?” Yan Qingye looked at the maid in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Mist began to seep from the crest, a flash of golden light bursting forth.

From the haze emerged a vigorous elder.

“Do not bully the Shangguan Clan!”

With a wave of his sleeve, the elder sent a massive thunder dragon hurtling toward Junyang.

You Xiyue frowned, summoned the Moon Glow Sword, and instantly stepped in front of Junyang, shattering the thunder dragon with a single strike.