Forgive Me, Nine Clans

"Go." Lianshan Xin released his restraint. The divine dragon whipped its tail and soared straight into the azure heights. Yet just as it was about to strike the ceiling, Lianshan Xin spoke again: "Disperse!" The divine dragon's qi force instantly dissolved into nothingness. If an ordinary martial artist of the Qi Condensation realm were to witness this, their worldview would undoubtedly be shattered. Even Lianshan Xin himself, despite being mentally prepared, was profoundly shaken. "Only when I permit the dragon to fly can it take wing. When I bid the dragon die, die it must. Uttering heavenly edicts, standing above emperors—this was the true ecological niche of the Dragon Subduing lineage in ancient times. "At the apex of the food chain stood not the True Dragon Sons of Heaven, but the Dragon Subduing cultivators. "Manipulating dynastic transitions and holding the ultimate power over life and death. Say what you will, but it fits my imagination of supreme immortals in a grand era of cultivating immortality to a tee." Compared to the Dragon Supporting lineage spoken of by Qi Shiyun, what Lianshan Xin had grasped was unmistakably a far more orthodox and potent heritage. This was the true Dragon Subduing immortal art, which one was qualified to cultivate only after coalescing the Dragon Slaying True Intent. Yet a millennium later, immortal traces were scarce while martial arts flourished. Imperial houses stood aloof, Sons of Heaven commanded mighty armies, and the dynamic of strength and weakness had inverted; thus the Dragon Subduing lineage had devolved into the Dragon Supporting lineage, and subsequently into the Heaven's Chosen lineage. Had Lianshan Xin not been audacious enough to use the life of Princess Dai Yueying to forge the Dragon Slaying True Intent, he too would never have uncovered the true legacy of the Dragon Subduing lineage. "By stumbling blindly, I ended up walking the most correct path—and also the hardest. "For me, advancing to the True Intent realm is already a given. But if I want to bring my True Intent to grand mastery and break through further... I'll probably have to keep slaying dragons. "The upside is that if I can see this hardest road through to the end, I'll be utterly invincible among peers of the same realm in the Dragon Supporting lineage. Qi Shiyun ranked Third Under Heaven in her realm without even mastering the Dragon Slaying True Intent; surveying the world, I could easily secure second place and set my sights on first. "The downside is that Qi Shiyun was right—this path burns through far too many nine kinships... "The times truly have changed." Lianshan Xin shook his head helplessly. At this moment, he felt the heavens were remarkably fair. They had pointed out a clear, actionable cultivation path to invincibility. Yet they had also made plain the world's greatest danger along this invincible path. This was not a millennium ago; the millennium-deep foundation of the Great Yu Immortal Dynasty was hardly something a petty Qi Condensation realm martial artist like him could provoke. "The Dragon Subduing lineage's cultivation method got patched out. Today is an era of huddling together with emperors." Lianshan Xin clearly recognized the present environment; his current strength simply could not support restoring the ancient glory of the Dragon Subduing lineage. "Yet my Dragon Slaying True Intent is already formed; the die is cast. If I don't keep slaying dragons, my progress will stall forever at the True Intent realm... "Dai Yueying, you treasure of a girl. Even in death, you keep presenting me with difficult problems." The corner of Lianshan Xin's mouth twitched, but his gaze gradually hardened. "Killing one princess has already depleted my nine-clan quota. I have nothing left to lose. "Forgive me, nine clans. Fortunately, neither my father nor my mother has many relatives." He Miaojun was originally a young lady of a prominent family. Alas, the family fortunes declined, and bandits later massacred them, overturning the entire clan. That she survived at all was a miracle of luck, though it left her gravely injured. According to his mother, other relatives might also have survived, but they were scattered to the ends of the earth with nowhere to be found. As for Lianshan Jingcheng, his story was far more inspiring than Lianshan Xin's. Lianshan Xin was at least born to a father who ran a medical clinic, whereas Lianshan Jingcheng was purely a shepherd boy from the countryside. An outbreak of plague decimated the village and left Lianshan Jingcheng an orphan. Fortunately, a wandering divine doctor happened to pass by, saving the dying Lianshan Jingcheng and teaching him some medicine. Even the name 'Lianshan Jingcheng' had been bestowed by the divine doctor; neither Lianshan Jingcheng nor his parents possessed that level of learning, and back then he had simply been called 'Tiezhu.' Lianshan Xin could only say it was a change for the better; otherwise, the grand surname of Lianshan would have been completely wasted. Later, when the divine doctor departed, Lianshan Jingcheng worked as an apprentice doing odd jobs at various medical clinics to learn, and he even ventured out into the jianghu for a few years. In the end, due to his weak martial strength, he abandoned his dream of becoming a famous jianghu physician. After chancing upon and saving He Miaojun, feelings blossomed between them over time, and they settled down in Jiangzhou City to this day. Precisely because both had experienced the tragic deaths of their entire families, Lianshan Jingcheng and He Miaojun were now content with simple blessings, wishing only that Lianshan Xin would not court danger. But how could a youth who had yet to be beaten down by reality ever be content without witnessing the scenery from greater heights? "Though Mother hasn't spoken of it over the years, I can tell she still misses her kin deeply. Once my standing in Nine Heavens rises, I should still try to see if any other He clan survivors can be found. The massacre of the He family back then needs a thorough investigation as well. "I shouldn't have suspected Mother. She has raised me all these years and never once left Jiangzhou City. The Demon Cult is such an immense organization, and its cult leader is a man; I was being overly sensitive. It isn't as if Mother is the only person who needs the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus to heal her wounds—the Crown Prince needs it too. You can't say the Crown Prince is the Demon Cult Leader as well, can you? It's all because there are too many Demon Cult villains around me, making me jump at shadows. It's entirely their fault. "As for Father's side, that wandering divine doctor never left a name. But according to Father, the divine doctor's medical skills were sublime; teaching him for just a single month gave him knowledge that served him a lifetime. If I look into it thoroughly within Nine Heavens, uncovering the divine doctor's identity shouldn't be difficult—far simpler than Mother's side. "The kindness of saving a life must be repaid handsomely. He isn't just my father's savior; he's mine as well. "A feud of clan extermination, a debt of life-saving grace—ordinary people can repay neither, and both my parents gave up long ago. So, in the end, it all falls on me." After reviewing the situation of his nine kinships, Lianshan Xin firmly made up his mind. He Miaojun had already ingested the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus; could they really expect His Highness the Crown Prince to be magnanimous? It was better for the whole family to be neatly and completely treasonous together. Repay kindness with kindness, repay enmity with vengeance. Naturally, he had to lie low first. Hiding within Nine Heavens, he would cultivate the Dragon Supporting lineage on the surface. Biding his time to slay dragons. Gathering his thoughts, Lianshan Xin slowly rose, bringing his brief seclusion to an end. Pushing open the door, Lianshan Xin was met with the peculiar gazes of He Miaojun and Lianshan Jingcheng. "Dad, aren't you seeing patients today? Why are you so idle?" Lianshan Jingcheng replied exasperatedly, "With something so big happening last night, do you really think I'd be in the mood to sit in the clinic? For the next couple of days, taking care of your mother definitely comes first." His household actually earned quite a bit, but it was almost entirely consumed by Lianshan Xin's martial practice and nursing He Miaojun's health, leaving no money to hire clinic apprentices. Lianshan Xin thought it made sense and gave Lianshan Jingcheng an approving nod. "You're right, Dad. Getting Mother completely nursed back to health comes before anything else." He Miaojun spoke up. "Little Xin, did you... break through again?" "Not that fast. At most, I'm at the peak of Qi Condensation right now—half-step True Intent." Despise Qi Wenbin, become Qi Wenbin. Out in the world, your status is whatever you give yourself. Lianshan Xin felt that if True Intent realm experts held a council now, they would have to invite him. He Miaojun grew even more shocked. "How can your breakthroughs be so fast?" Lianshan Xin thought for a moment and said earnestly, "Mother, this is cultivating immortality. You don't cultivate, so you wouldn't understand." He Miaojun: "..."