Chapter 241 - 238: The Old Ancestor Arrives
"Well said. As a Cultivator, you should have that kind of confidence!"
Just then,
an ancient voice sounded beside him, ringing in Shen Changchuan’s ears.
This made the hair on Shen Changchuan’s body stand on end, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
He hurriedly turned his head to look,
only to see a mysterious old man with a white beard and hair, dressed in simple, ancient robes, who had appeared behind him at some unknown time.
This!
The moment he saw the old man, Shen Changchuan’s pupils constricted.
His gaze then shifted to Shen Tingchu, who stood respectfully behind the elder.
He finally confirmed the identity of the old man before him.
He quickly lowered his head,
cupped his fist in his palm, and performed the salute of a junior:
"This junior, Shen Changchuan, pays his respects to the Ancestor!"
The man before him,
was none other than the stabilizing pillar of the Shen Clan, their only Divine Travel Realm Ancestor!
Shen Changchuan had, of course, never seen the Shen Family Ancestor in person.
But as a blood descendant of the Shen Family,
during major festivals and celebrations,
Shen Changchuan had seen his portrait in the ancestral hall more than once.
Ordinarily, the portrait alone would not have been enough to confirm his identity;
after all, he had never met the Ancestor face-to-face, and there was no shortage of magical techniques in this world for altering one’s appearance.
But with Shen Tingchu, a Soul Emergence Realm Cultivator, standing so respectfully behind him,
who else could this be but the Shen Family Ancestor?
"There is no need for such courtesy."
The Shen Family Ancestor waved his hand casually, and an invisible force lifted Shen Changchuan to his feet.
His profound gaze, which seemed capable of seeing through all things, scanned Shen Changchuan from top to bottom.
Shen Changchuan found himself unable to move, feeling as though the deepest secrets of his heart were being laid bare.
Fortunately, the Shen Family Ancestor did not stare for long.
He nodded,
a hint of approval showing on his face.
Having lived for over three hundred years,
the aptitude and talent Shen Changchuan displayed was definitely among the best he had ever seen among the Shen Family juniors.
"You’re quite something, kid. A place in the Soul Emergence Realm is assuredly yours in the future... It’s a pity. I truly am a bit reluctant..."
A flicker of conflict crossed the Shen Family Ancestor’s brow.
But having lived through more than a dozen generations, he was never one to be indecisive.
He quickly made up his mind.
"I have heard about your situation from young Tingchu... You don’t need to leave. As long as you do one thing for me, I, your Ancestor, will guarantee your birth mother’s safety. Furthermore, this Dawan Village can become your private, hereditary property from this day forward. What do you think?"
the Shen Family Ancestor asked.
His words, however, carried an undertone that permitted no refusal.
"What is it that the Ancestor needs this junior to do?"
Shen Changchuan asked, his expression unreadable.
"I want you... to join the Dragon Cloud Sect..."
....
「Half a day later」
The Shen Family Ancestor departed gracefully with Shen Tingchu.
From start to finish,
besides those directly involved,
no one knew they had been there.
High in the sky,
the Shen Family Ancestor flew swiftly through the heavens with Shen Tingchu, clouds streaking past them.
Dawan Village had long since disappeared from sight behind them.
Shen Tingchu hesitated for a moment,
but ultimately spoke up:
"Ancestor, Shen Changchuan’s talent and comprehension are extraordinary. He’s a prodigy who managed to slay a Soul Emergence Realm expert while only in the Qi Introduction Realm. You yourself judged that he is destined to reach Soul Emergence... Why are we pushing him toward the Dragon Cloud Sect?"
Shen Tingchu truly did not understand.
Shouldn’t a junior descendant like Shen Changchuan, who has demonstrated such talent, be brought into the fold and have resources poured into his development?
Why push him toward another power?
When he was asked to lead the way to Dawan Village just now, he had assumed the Ancestor intended to bring Shen Changchuan back to Tian Nan City to personally cultivate him.
To put it nicely, he was joining the Dragon Cloud Sect out of admiration for its founder’s reputation.
To put it bluntly,
he was essentially a spy.
Shen Tingchu could almost foresee,
that after Shen Changchuan joined the Dragon Cloud Sect, the road ahead for him would not be an easy one.
"The kid is indeed impressive, but his feat of slaying a Soul Emergence Realm expert was largely dependent on that Treasure Artifact, as well as the credit due to you for injuring that Demon Cultivator beforehand."
"His aptitude was also mostly enhanced by acquired Heavenly and Earthly Treasures. He has not yet reached the point where the Shen Family cannot do without him."
The Shen Family Ancestor shook his head slightly,
his voice flat,
showing little emotion.
"While he will most likely advance to Soul Emergence in the future, he possesses neither an Innate Spiritual Body nor extraordinary comprehension. He only managed to forcibly master the Perfection Technique through sheer repetition and some innate talent with his Divine Soul... In the future, he will likely stop at the Soul Emergence Realm."
"And the Shen Family does not lack for a Soul Emergence Realm Cultivator."
So declared the Shen Family Ancestor, delivering his verdict on Shen Changchuan.
His demonstrated talent was good,
but his future potential was limited.
This was his assessment.
It was also one of the most important reasons he had "given up" on Shen Changchuan.
To other, smaller Immortal Cultivation Forces, a Soul Emergence Realm Cultivator might be a figure whose existence is a matter of life and death for their entire force.
But in the eyes of the Shen Family Ancestor, they were nothing special.
The Tian Nan Shen Clan had dozens of Soul Emergence Realm Cultivators within its ranks.
One more, in Shen Changchuan, would not be much.
One less would not be missed.
It was far more useful to have him join the Dragon Cloud Sect to learn more about the intentions and secrets of that Master Wandering Dragon, one of the Seven Immortal Sect Sons from the Yuqing Immortal Sect, and to keep a timely watch on his movements.
"I see. The Ancestor’s calculations are profound. This junior was too dull-witted!"
After the Shen Family Ancestor’s simple explanation,
Shen Tingchu nodded in dawning comprehension.
Their perspectives were on different levels,
so naturally, they saw things differently.
"A genius who might reach Soul Emergence is nothing to speak of."
"The real trouble right now... is that Master Wandering Dragon!"
The Shen Family Ancestor stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon, a trace of worry creasing his brow.
The Seven Immortal Sect Sons of the Yuqing Immortal Sect.
They were truly towering figures of immense renown!
Although he himself was in the Divine Travel Realm,
the gap between him and a peerless prodigy like that, who had hopes of reaching the Profound Pill Realm, was as vast as that between heaven and earth.
’Why would a figure like that come to such a remote place to establish the Dragon Cloud Sect?’
’With the establishment of the Dragon Cloud Sect, will it impact the interests of the Tian Nan Shen Clan?’
’And with our two factions’ headquarters so close, will there be future conflicts over territory?’
’What is the ultimate goal of that Master Wandering Dragon?’
There were too many questions, and the answers were simply too difficult to find.
Over the past few days, he had been traveling everywhere with Shen Tingchu, visiting the other powers led by Divine Travel Realm experts.
The few Divine Travel Realm Cultivators had even held discussions behind closed doors.
But they were all shrewd old foxes, and such discussions never yielded any results.
Alas,
these were difficult times!
He couldn’t help but wonder,
’Can the Tian Nan Shen Clan weather this storm...?’
In comparison,
compared to the great Shen Family,
Shen Changchuan was simply not worth mentioning.