Ji Yuan pondered for a moment before flipping his hand and taking out a wooden token. A wisp of his consciousness immediately sank into it.
Before long, two figures appeared near the wooden house, walking towards it at a leisurely pace.
The few异族 (yi zu - foreign races) surrounding them merely glanced, then acted as if they hadn't seen them, their emotional fluctuations almost nonexistent.
It was evident they had long known that two cultivators of the third realm would appear.
Jiang Yunzhou and Tang Muxuan arrived, exchanged pleasantries, and then pulled up chairs to sit. A sudden silence fell among them.
None of them spoke first, each seeming to be lost in thought. Occasionally, their gazes met, but they quickly broke away.
"Since Senior has invited us here, there's no need to beat around the bush. Speak your mind directly," Ji Yuan said with a slight smile, breaking the silence after a long while.
Upon his words, the gazes of the two on his left and right also turned, looking at the old man before them who was nearing the end of his lifespan.
"I am an elder of the Ximu clan... Qingliu," the old man said slowly, introducing himself under their expectant gazes.
He then tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair and said, unhurriedly, "We have presumptuously invited the three of you here because we have a grave matter to request. It concerns the survival of our clan, as well as the lives of all the people in this mountain range and within a radius of ten thousand miles."
At this, a flash of light appeared in the eyes of the three, and their brows furrowed deeply.
Although they had anticipated it, they had not expected that their first words would involve matters concerning countless lives.
If what he said was true, then within a ten-thousand-mile radius centered on this mountain range, there could be at least tens of millions of humans!
If any accident were to occur, it would truly be a devastating catastrophe for all living beings!
"I am not exaggerating, nor do I intend to use this to coerce the three of you," Elder Qingliu sighed. "This matter is of great importance, so please listen patiently."
Hearing this, the three exchanged glances, and then Ji Yuan nodded. "Please speak plainly, Senior."
The elder, now frail with age, did not immediately explain. After shaking his head a few times, he fell silent.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, the three did not rush him, granting him ample patience.
After all, it concerned the lives of nearly ten million humans. Although the three did not possess grand ambitions of saving the world, they would not stand idly by.
"I believe you have heard most of the rumors circulating in the valley by now," Elder Qingliu finally spoke after a long silence.
Seeing the three nod, he inclined his head slightly. "Based on the clues our clan has managed to glean, the problems currently faced by the Yu clan are indeed related to the curse within their bloodline."
Ji Yuan's gaze sharpened, not because of the elder's words, but because his expression showed no trace of reverence or respect towards his own main clan.
Among the four subordinate races, the Ximu clan had worshipped the Yu clan for the longest time, for tens of thousands of years. They had once accompanied the main clan through trials and tribulations.
According to their understanding, the Ximu clan was the most loyal among the four, always prioritizing the Yu clan, even to the point of sacrificing their own kin.
Yet, the elder of this clan, when mentioning the Yu clan, displayed no respect whatsoever, instead conveying a palpable sense of resentment.
"Senior, please elaborate," Ji Yuan said, taking a deep breath and temporarily suppressing his suspicions. The most important matter now was to understand the situation of the Yu clan.
However, as Elder Qingliu spoke again, a tremor went through the hearts of all three present, and their eyes blazed with sharp light.
"But what outsiders do not know is that the agitation of the bloodline curse was intentionally triggered by the Yu clan themselves." His eyes flickered as he looked at the three before him, the haziness in his eyes dissipating considerably.
After more than ten breaths, Elder Qingliu's aura suddenly waned. He then leaned back against the chair, looking somewhat listless, and murmured, "We should have realized it sooner. If it weren't for their willingness, how could a curse that has been suppressed for a hundred thousand years easily spiral out of control?"
Under normal circumstances, even the most potent curse would eventually dissipate after enduring the erosion of time.
Yet, the curse in the Yu clan's bloodline had remained largely unchanged for tens of thousands of years, still possessing immense power.
Everyone had assumed this was because several Heavenly Immortals had joined forces to defy the natural order.
After all, for tens of thousands of years, no Heavenly Immortal had appeared in this world. Even those with immense power could not glimpse the power of that realm.
"What do the Yu clan want?" Ji Yuan's brow furrowed, filled with doubt.
Even Jiang Yunzhou and Tang Muxuan on the side could not fathom why the Yu clan would act this way, not allowing the curse in their bloodline to dissipate, but instead striving to maintain and even strengthen it.
"They wish to use the accumulation of generations to seek an opportunity to transform the curse in their bloodline," Elder Qingliu said somberly. "If successful, the Yu clan will be able to glimpse the power of Heavenly Immortals and incorporate it into the Divine Path, regaining their ancient glory!"
In the distant past, the Divine Path was the master of heaven and earth. Although other Great Daos existed, they could not shake its status.
It was only in the later stages of the ancient era that humanity, by opening up the Immortal Path, could challenge the rule of the Divine Path. Thus, the conflict between these two Great Daos immediately commenced.
After tens of thousands of years of contention, by the end of the ancient era, humanity, in alliance with numerous other races, had pushed the Immortal Path to its peak, seizing considerable authority over the heavens and earth.
From then on, the Divine Path and the Immortal Path engaged in a war that lasted nearly ten thousand years.
In this war, over ninety percent of the ancient hundred clans perished. Races across heaven and earth successively became extinct, and the divine beings who once ruled over all spirits shed their divine blood.
Ultimately, the Immortal Path emerged victorious, becoming the ruler of heaven and earth, casting down the once glorious Divine Path. For a long time thereafter, it was unable to rise again, gradually becoming an appendage to the Immortal Path.
In today's world, aside from fortuitous circumstances, becoming a deity of a specific region requires an imperial decree from a mortal human kingdom.
However, in the Great Dao war that lasted for nearly ten thousand years, although the Immortal Path ultimately triumphed, it paid an extremely heavy price. For tens of thousands of years since, no living being in heaven and earth has achieved Heavenly Immortal status.
"The curse in the Yu clan's bloodline was originally going to dissipate with time. But tens of thousands of years ago, after the world had no Heavenly Immortals, they conceived a bold idea." Elder Qingliu's face darkened. "And to achieve their ambition, they had to maintain the power of the bloodline curse, even causing it to grow stronger under their control, bit by bit."
The price for doing so was the constant contribution of life force.
Only by doing so could the power of the curse, under their control, gradually grow stronger.