Just when it seemed like the situation would devolve into a disaster, the clan chief suddenly frowned. Stopping in place, he produced a jade slip from his bag of holding.
After scanning it with divine sense, his face lit with joy. Moments later, he gave Bai Xiaochun a disdainful glance, looking at him almost as if he were a corpse. Turning, he left, leaving a single sentence ringing in the courtyard behind him.
“You’re going to get yourself killed!”
Bai Xiaochun watched as the clan chief disappeared in a beam of light. Then he looked around at the courtyard, complex emotions playing in his heart and mind. Finally, he sighed.
“Bai Hao. Ah, Bai Hao. If your spirit is out there, I hope you were able to see all of that....” With that, he organized the tattered, crumbling clothes and rotting toys, then looked over at the well.
After sending some divine sense inside, he confirmed that there was no corpse inside, so he quietly left and headed back to the north district....
**
Beneath the Bai Clan were sprawling catacombs, which was where the clan chief now stood. His hands were clasped, and he was bent over in a bow in front of a huge door.
After a long moment passed, the grating voice of an old man echoed out from the door, each word seemingly capable of causing transformations in heaven and earth.
“Your request from earlier is granted!”
“Many thanks, Patriarch!” The clan chief did his best to suppress the excitement he felt in his heart, and even deepened his bow. He was well aware that this patriarch was referring to more than just opening the ancestral land.
He was also agreeing to give the deva soul to Bai Qi!
Of course, it was impossible to open the ancestral land only for Bai Qi. Anyone in the clan who was under the Nascent Soul stage would be allowed to enter. Considering how big the Bai Clan was, the patriarch had to give the auxiliary bloodlines an equal opportunity.
However, he naturally had ways to secretly ensure that only Bai Qi got the deva soul!
“You’re dismissed. The event will begin in one month.”
The clan chief took a deep breath, then respectfully took his leave.
Soon, word about the opening of the ancestral land began to spread through the Bai Clan. All of the clan members who met the requirements to enter were very excited.
That was especially true when people heard that a deva soul was in the ancestral land. All of the chosen from the auxiliary bloodlines began to grow very excited about the prospect of competing amongst each other.
The opening of the ancestral land was a big matter, and the trial by fire which would take place inside was something that left the entire Bai Clan shaken. It was with great fanfare that all the preparations went underway.
Madam Cai was extremely pleased, and couldn’t stop thinking about the wonderful prospects in store for Bai Qi.
Bai Qi was equally delighted. Of course, he kept his mouth shut about certain details that only he was privy to. As for all the other chosen from the auxiliary bloodlines, he couldn’t help but scoff inwardly at how eager they seemed to join in the competition.
“That deva soul belongs to me!”
Although Bai Xiaochun had been aware that the ancestral land would be opened, he hadn’t known any details. However, considering how monumental the event was, he soon learned more.
“Almost a month until it opens....” he thought, his eyes shining with anticipation. He was already fed up with the Bai Clan, but knew he had to suppress his frustration until the time came to truly vent it.
“I'm doing this for you, Bai Hao! I'm going to shock the entire clan when I get into that ancestral land!”
Although he felt confident that the ancestral land wouldn’t be extremely dangerous, he knew that if you stole food from a tiger’s mouth, you almost always ended up with an angry tiger chasing after you. When he made his move in the ancestral land, that would only be the beginning of a very dangerous situation.
Therefore, he needed to be completely prepared to stay safe.
“The Wildlands is a huge place. I’ll just have to wait and see how far the Bai Clan’s deva patriarch will chase me. Detonating my soulhoarding pagoda could change the equilibrium between the Bai Clan and the two other great clans in the area. Let’s see if the deva patriarch dares to keep chasing me when he realizes that!
“Of course, in addition to the patriarch, there will be other members of the Bai Clan to deal with, including Nascent Soul experts. I can’t be lax!” Although Bai Xiaochun was feeling nervous, he had already made up his mind. He would make his move, and then flee immediately!
“Besides, I refuse to believe that the Bai Clan doesn’t have any enemies....” Eyes flickering with cold light, he went back to his cultivation.
Days passed. Nobody paid much attention to him, and he didn’t leave his hut. His medicinal pills were running out rapidly, and yet, one day, he made major progress with his Undying Tendons.
It was a complete breakthrough!!
The instant he completed the third level of the Undying Live Forever Technique, rumbling sounds filled his body, and golden light spread out, piercing through his clothing to fill the area.
At the same time, he could clearly feel something like the weight of an entire mountain pressing down onto him, which was none other than the third shackle!
He desperately wanted to break through that shackle, to destroy the mountainous weight crushing down on him and be transformed into something greater than before.
However, he knew that he needed to wait until he formed a Nascent Soul before doing that. The power he would have access to at that time was the only way he would be able to break the shackle.
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Chapter
594: Assessment During The Ceremony
It had been the same with the first and second levels of the Undying Live Forever Technique. Shortly after making initial contact with the shackle, it was possible to make use of cultivation base power to break it.
As Bai Xiaochun sat there motionless, eyes glittering, a second shadowy figure appeared in the room. That figure was no clone, but rather, an afterimage created by the manifestation of his incredible speed.
In fact, the figure remained in place for a long moment before fading away.
There was no need to perform any more tests. He could tell that his speed had broken through to another level, and although he couldn’t determine exactly how quickly he could move, he knew that it would be difficult for even a deva to catch him.
“The Undying Skin focuses on defenses!
“The Undying Heavenly King focuses on power!
“The Undying Tendons focus on explosive speed....
“In that case, what does the fourth level, the Undying Bones, focus on?” Such thoughts filled Bai Xiaochun with deep anticipation.
“Too bad it’s too difficult to cultivate before reaching the Nascent Soul stage.... Plus, resources in the Wildlands are severely lacking. The Undying Bones will require even more resources than the Undying Tendons....” After a bit more thought, he suppressed his disappointment. Settling his qi and clearing his mind, he set about solidifying his advancement with his Undying Tendons.
Meanwhile, the appointed day to open the ancestral land grew nearer and nearer. At the same time, the clan was preparing to hold a grand ceremony to offer sacrifices to their ancestors.
This was a custom of the Bai Clan; such ceremonies were always held when the ancestral land was to be opened. During the ceremony, all members of the clan, no matter which bloodline they came from, would attend. Furthermore, high-ranking members of the clan would perform assessments of the clan members, and give out rewards to exceptional individuals.
Oftentimes, members of other clans would be invited to attend, and usually, the giant ghost king would send a representative to join the festivities.
After all, it wasn't a simple matter to open the ancestral land, and it only happened once every so often.