Chapter 2232 An Xue Goes to Find Him

“Clan Elders, what’s going on?” An Zheng was puzzled.

The moment he stepped out of the building, he was stopped by two elders of the clan and forcibly escorted back to Rainbow Reflection Mountain.

“Do you really not know?” A middle-aged man in a gray robe frowned, his expression stern. He was An Tianshui, one of the four Emperors tasked with guarding Rainbow Reflection Mountain.

“What did I do?” An Zheng became more and more puzzled.

“Where did you get the treasures you used to bid for the absolute breath water from?” The other old man in a crimson robe questioned coldly, his face hard and unyielding. He was An Tianlin, another Emperor-level figure.

An Zheng stammered, “Is there...a problem with those treasures?”

“A huge problem!” An Tianshui explained, “We received news this morning that the Imperial True Hou Clan suffered a catastrophic disaster, with nearly all of the Emperor-level beings in the clan being slaughtered...”

An Zheng was struck dumb, “Could it be...”

He began to suspect a possibility, and his face paled slightly.

“You’re not stupid. If we’ve guessed correctly, the treasures you recklessly threw away at Heavenly Appraisal House today must have all come from the Imperial True Hou Clan!” An Tianshui said, “Of course, the Imperial True Hou Clan is on the brink of collapse, so they likely won’t be able to investigate this. But I’m curious, how did a junior like you get involved in this matter?”

An Tianlin also stared at An Zheng.

An Zheng’s expression flickered, and just as he was about to speak, a figure appeared out of nowhere, saying calmly, “I asked him to help.”

It was none other than Lin Xun!

Immediately, An Tianshui and An Tianlin narrowed their eyes, studying Lin Xun. In a flash, confusion crossed both of their faces.

Even with their level of cultivation, they failed to identify the person standing before them!

“May I ask who you are, Fellow Daoist?” An Tianshui asked, cupping his fist in a salute, though a trace of vigilance flickered in his eyes. He strongly suspected that this person was the one responsible for nearly wiping out the entire Imperial True Hou Clan.

“Lin Daoyuan,” Lin Xun stated.

In the Ancient Nebula Road, this name would make any clan or sect tremble, but in the True Dragon World, it was completely unknown.

At least, it was the first time that An Tianshui and An Tianlin had heard of it.

“Fellow Daoist, it seems like you are not from the Cloud Spirit Clan.” An Tianshui said thoughtfully, “Of course, that’s not important. I am just curious as to why you would use a junior of our clan?”

As he spoke, he pointed at An Zheng.

“You’re overthinking.” Lin Xun said calmly, “If it wouldn’t cause unnecessary trouble, I wouldn’t have asked Little Friend An Zheng to help me.”

After a pause, he continued, “Gentlemen, can you allow me to talk to An Zheng alone?”

An Tianshui and An Tianlin exchanged a glance, both puzzled by Lin Xun’s intentions, but they finally nodded in agreement.

Lin Xun brought the dazed and confused An Zheng a little further away, then with a wave of his hand, set up a restriction seal to block off any external probing, before he asked, “Now that you know my identity, what are you thinking?”

An Zheng smiled bitterly, “I’m just a junior, I can’t get involved in the affairs of big shots like you.” As he said that, he handed a golden jade bottle to Lin Xun. “Elder, sealed inside is the absolute breath water.”

Lin Xun received it, investigated with his spirit sense and nodded. “Indeed, this is the treasure.”

An Zheng let out a sigh and gave a cupped fist salute, “Elder, this matter is settled then. I kindly ask that you spare me and let me go.”

How would An Zheng dare to have any more contact with a terrifying existence that had almost massacred the entire Imperial True Hou Clan?

Lin Xun thought for a moment and said, “I promised to let you see the true power of the Bi’an Stamp and I never go back on my words.”

He extended his finger and pointed to the space between An Zheng’s brows, and a mark of the great dao seeped in.

Boom!

An Zheng only felt his mind-sea shake as a Bi’an Stamp appeared, radiating an immense power capable of subduing the universe. Vaguely, he seemed to see the stamp transform into the figure of his ancestor, traversing through the starry sky and dominating the world!

It was a power he had never encountered before. He never imagined that the Bi’an Stamp inheritance he had been practicing since he was a child could be so powerful, its might so overwhelming that it seemed almost beyond belief!

After a while, An Zheng was drenched in sweat, his eyes glazed over. He suddenly recalled what Lin Xun had once told him:

It’s not an issue with your cultivation, but the inheritance instead.

Could this really be true?

If so, did that not mean that his dao had always been flawed?

An Zheng’s emotions were in turmoil, and his state of mind began to waver.

Lin Xun patted him on the shoulder. “It’s never too late to mend the pen once the sheep are lost. You can correct the flaw if you study this carefully in the future.”

An Zheng’s state of mind immediately stabilized. With a complex expression in his eyes, he bowed and said, “Thank you for your guidance, Elder.”

After saying that, he walked away, looking absent-minded and distracted.

“What did you do to An Zheng?” An Tianshui’s face darkened. He noticed that something was unusual with An Zheng.

Lin Xun smiled and said nothing, disappearing into thin air.

An Tianlin examined An Zheng from head to toe, then said calmly, “Nothing has been done, his state of mind is just a little unsteady.”

An Tianshui nodded. “Let’s go back to Rainbow Reflection Mountain first.”

......

“If An Xue also practices the flawed Bi’an Stamp like you, then she is doomed to fail in becoming an Emperor...” Lin Xun muttered as he watched An Zheng and the others fade into the distance. Then, he turned around and left, disappearing into the bustling night.

Seven days later.

On Rainbow Reflection Mountain, An Xue, hailed as the pride of the younger generation within the Bi’an Imperial Clan and a supreme Quasi-Emperor, finally emerged from her closed-door cultivation.

As soon as he heard the news, An Zheng rushed over to find her.

“Are you saying that someone who nearly wiped out the Imperial True Hou Clan wants to borrow my power to go to the True Dragon Clan?” An Xue was stunned.

After hearing about An Zheng’s purpose for coming here, An Xue was stunned. She was dressed in martial attire, with glossy black hair just past her ears, revealing delicate, pretty features and a sharp face. Her slender figure stood tall and straight as a spear, exuding a powerful and capable aura.

“That’s right.” An Zheng nodded.

An Xue sneered, “A powerful figure like that actually needs the help of a supreme Quasi-Emperor like me? Who would believe you if you told anyone about it?”

“It’s true.” An Zheng had to spend a lot of time and effort to convince An Xue that it was true.

“I still think this matter is not as simple as it seems,” An Xue frowned. “It might be better not to help this time. What if Lin Daoyuan has evil intentions in going to the True Dragon Clan? Wouldn’t we be aiding the wrongdoer?”

An Zheng was taken aback. “Can’t be. The True Dragon Clan is such a powerful entity. Who in the world would dare to harm them?”

“Don’t forget, this Lin Daoyuan you’re talking about almost wiped out the Imperial True Hou Clan. How could he be compared to an ordinary Emperor?” An Xue’s eyes flashed. “As for this matter, not just me, you must also stay out of it. Sever your ties with Lin Daoyuan as soon as possible.”

“Older Sister, I don’t think that Elder is a bad person.” An Zheng hesitated for a moment before telling her about the ‘guidance’ he had received from Lin Xun, not holding anything back.

An Xue’s eyes widened with disbelief, “Is this true?”

An Zheng said solemnly, “I wouldn’t dare lie about the clan’s inheritance!”

“Can you let me take a look?” An Xue asked. The matter had such a huge impact on her that one moment she was shocked, and the next, she found it absurd. Her emotions were all over the place.

An Zheng smiled wryly and pointed to his head. “It’s in my mind-sea, how can you see it? Only I can study it.” He took a deep breath and said in a serious tone, “Older Sister, I’ve been comprehending it these days, and I’ve grasped some of its essence. Let me show you.”

As he spoke, his body glowed and the Bi’an Stamp formed in front of him. It pulsed with astonishing great dao energy. The phantom of the Bi’an figure on the stamp seemed on the verge of coming alive, exuding a frightening aura.

That was enough for An Xue to fully appreciate the wonders of this Bi’an Stamp. Her expression dramatically changed and she asked, “How much have you comprehended?”

“Less than one ten-thousandth,” An Zheng replied.

An Xue immediately said, “Take me to see him.”

An Zheng shook his head. “But...I don’t know where Elder is now...”

“Go find him then.” An Xue glared at him and snapped, “Fine, I’ll go with you.”

She couldn’t calm her emotions. As a supreme Quasi-Emperor, she was just one step away from breaking through into the Emperor Stage. Yet, despite her efforts over the years, she hadn’t found or comprehended the opportunity needed for this breakthrough. As a result, her cultivation had reached a standstill all this time.

Now, hearing An Zheng’s words, a startling realization struck her: The reason she had been unable to break through all these years might lie in the inheritance she had been practicing all along!

“An Xue, the influential figures from the True Dragon Clan will soon arrive to guide you on breaking through to the next stage. Where are you headed now?”

Just when An Xue and An Zheng were about to leave, An Tianshui appeared not far away, looking at them with a frown.

“I...am going to the market with An Zheng,” An Xue replied. “I’ve been in closed-door cultivation for too long and I want to get some fresh air.”

An Tianshui’s expression softened a little. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Over these years, it’s not just our Bi’an Imperial Clan, among the nine imperial clans, no one has managed to attain the dao and become an Emperor.

“But you don’t need to worry, when the influential figures from the True Dragon Clan come, they will definitely help you overcome this problem.”

An Xue nodded respectfully. “Thank you for your advice, Uncle. We’ll head out now.”

“Off you go.” An Tianshui waved. Watching An Xue and An Zheng leave, a complicated expression flickered across his eyes.

The younger generation was unaware that regardless of how talented or strong the foundation of a descendant of the nine imperial clans might be, without the guidance of the True Dragon Clan, it was impossible to even approach the threshold of the Emperor Stage!

This was a secret that only those who had become Emperors among the nine imperial clans knew about.

And it was precisely through this special guidance that the True Dragon Clan was able to maintain firm control over the nine imperial clans!

“An Xue, in order to give you the chance to become an Emperor, our clan has paid a huge price to secure this opportunity from the True Dragon Clan. I only hope that when you face the tribulation and ascend to the Emperor Stage, nothing goes wrong...” An Tianshui murmured.