bookbashuk Chapter 115 Bloodline Shackles
Chapter 115 Bloodline Shackles
Feng Wuji's life force was like a candle flickering in the wind; inside his seemingly lifelike body lay a desolate wasteland.
This spirit-gathering array was less about sustaining his life and more about forcibly imprisoning a wisp of his soul that was about to completely dissipate.
"No wonder you let my two arrogant friends out last time, it turns out you sensed your own bloodline."
Zhang Nanshan sighed inwardly. He had planned everything carefully, not wanting anyone from the Feng family to have any contact with Feng Xiaolu, but who knew that Feng Xiaolu would go down to her own family's "ancestral grave"?
Is this fate?
"The Feng family's lineage... cannot be broken." Feng Wuji spoke each word with great difficulty, "I sense that the bloodline within her... is extremely pure, even... surpassing many of the direct descendants of the main branch of the clan..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Nanshan interrupted him, "Senior, don't beat around the bush with me. Let's not beat around the bush. You must know, right, the cultivation method of your descendant..."
A barely perceptible ripple flashed across Feng Wuji's deep, ancient eyes, only to be quickly concealed by endless vicissitudes.
"I never imagined that you, little Celestial Master, would know such secrets." Feng Wuji's voice was even hoarseer, carrying a resigned weariness. "Indeed, this old man does know. That 'Ice Pure Jade Snow Technique' was created by a powerful being in ancient times. Its original purpose was to gather the essence of Taiyin to temper oneself and directly point to the Great Dao. However, the spiritual power cultivated from it is extremely pure and Yin, and closely connected to the cultivator's soul. If one can absorb it through a special method... it can indeed greatly nourish the origin of another's soul, and even heal the damage to the Great Dao."
His frank admission only heightened Zhang Nanshan's vigilance. This old monster's decisiveness meant either he knew his days were numbered and had nothing to fear, or... he still had a backup plan.
"So, your eagerness to regain your bloodline is a pretense; your true intention is to use her as a 'furnace' to prolong your life or strengthen the Feng family with her pure spiritual essence and bloodline power?"
Zhang Nanshan's tone was icy, and faint lightning crackled around him, indicating he was ready to strike at any moment. Even if the opponent was an ancient powerhouse, if they truly intended to commit such an inhuman act, Longhu Mountain would not stand idly by.
Feng Wuji let out an extremely low sigh.
"Extend her life? Heh... My foundation is destroyed, my soul is shattered beyond repair by a mere furnace. Forcibly absorbing her essence would only lead to her and me perishing together, body and soul." He paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through the stone wall, looking towards the unknowable distance. "But the Feng family... needs her."
Zhang Nanshan frowned. "What do you mean by that, senior?"
Feng Wuji slowly closed his eyelids, as if the conversation had exhausted all his pent-up energy. His voice grew increasingly low and ethereal: "The Feng family... has been dormant for too long. With the resurgence of spiritual energy, a great power is about to rise, and heroes are vying for supremacy... If we cannot seize this opportunity, we will face annihilation... She carries the blood of my Feng family, and coincidentally... cultivates the extremely yin and pure 'Ice Pure Jade Snow Technique'..."
He paused for a long time, so long that Zhang Nanshan thought he might have fallen into a deep sleep again, before that dry voice sounded again.
"Her spiritual power, her primordial yin... are invaluable tonics for certain practitioners of extremely yang and yang techniques, or for old folks who have been stuck at a bottleneck for many years. If we could... form a marriage alliance with an equally ancient family, such as... the Ji family, or the Jiang family... this would not only bring us powerful allies, but also allow my Feng family's bloodline to merge with theirs, giving birth to even more powerful offspring... This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for my Feng family."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Nanshan's anger surged, but he forced it down, his voice as cold as ice: "So, senior, you intend to use her as a bargaining chip to trade with other reclusive families, in exchange for the Feng family's revival? Did you even ask her if she was willing? Did you even consider that she is also of the Feng family bloodline?!"
Feng Wuji didn't even lift his eyelids, only a hint of mockery flashing across his cracked lips. "Willing? Bloodline... is responsibility. For the survival and glory of the family, personal wishes... are insignificant. Little Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, you should understand that on this path against the heavens, many times... there is no choice. The descendants of the family are destined to be caged birds. Moreover, this is my family matter, and even Longhu Mountain has no right to interfere."
Zhang Nanshan remained expressionless, no longer bothering to argue with the other party. He slowly stood up and rolled up his sleeves.
"Senior, I have some knowledge of martial arts and would like to ask you for some pointers!"
........................
The night deepened at the Hidden Cloud Sect.
Feng Xiaolu was, after all, an optimist. With the comfort of her senior sisters, junior brothers, and adorable junior nephew, her initial panic subsided, and her carefree spirit returned.
"I don't care about the Feng or Li families!" She slammed her hand on the stone table, making the teacups clang. "They want to take me back? No way! I, Feng Xiaolu, am a member of the Yunyin Sect, and I'll be a Yunyin Sect member in life and in death! If they dare to use force, I'll... I'll beat them up with my junior brother!"
Chen Anran's originally solemn expression was almost ruined by her words. She glanced at her helplessly and said, "Third Senior Sister, we're only in the mid-stage of Qi Refining."
"Their cultivation level is probably similar to ours!" Feng Xiaolu said, hands on her hips, her confidence seemingly returning. "Anyway, we have Junior Brother, Senior Sister, and Second Senior Sister with us, what are we afraid of them for!"
Feng Xiaolu said she wasn't afraid, but in the following days, she still seemed somewhat restless. She, who usually loved running down the mountain, now spent most of her time in the sect, either clinging to Su Wan or following behind Chen Anran, like a wary and uneasy little deer.
Chen Anran saw through Feng Xiaolu's feigned composure and the unease deep in her eyes. He knew that although his third senior sister was usually lively and carefree, she was not without a delicate mind. The pressure brought by this sudden "family reunion" from the hidden family was far from as easy as she appeared on the surface.
A few days later, in the early morning, Chen Anran finished his morning exercise and saw Feng Xiaolu, unusually, staring blankly at a basic Daoist manual in the courtyard, her fingers unconsciously curling the corner of the pages, her eyes wandering.
"Third Senior Sister." Chen Anran walked over and sat down opposite her.
Feng Xiaolu snapped out of her daze and immediately put on her usual carefree smile: "Junior Brother, are you done practicing?"
"Yes. My second senior sister just mentioned going to Guangzhou again."
Feng Xiaolu's eyes lit up, and she immediately perked up. "So, what's your decision? Are you going or not? Let me tell you, there are lots of beautiful girls at university. When you get there, you can buy a sports car and change your clothes. Tsk tsk."
Chen Anran calmly replied, "I'm not interested."
"It would be a big problem if you weren't interested!" Feng Xiaolu looked at Chen Anran with a horrified expression and said, "Don't tell me you're gay..."
Sometimes when I chat with her, I feel like I'm about to have a stroke.
Chen Anran glanced at her helplessly, "Talking about love will only affect my cultivation speed."