Frost Cloud Pavilion – Main Hall
A woman dressed in black sat beside Chu Yao, the daughter of the current Matriarch. Holding a teacup in both hands, she took a delicate sip and said calmly,
"Not bad."
"Not bad?" Chu Yao exploded, abruptly rising from her seat and hurling her teacup toward the black-clad woman. "I gave your Assassination Hall a simple task—to eliminate that bitch Su Lingxue, who just reached the Golden Core stage—yet your damn assassin still failed!"
Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she sneered,
"Why don't you just shut down your so-called Assassination Hall and join our sect? We'll teach your disciples how to actually kill someone. Free trial available—just 7 days—and you might even earn the title of team leader!"
Unbothered, the woman in black gently set her cup down and said coolly,
"This tea has a unique fragrance. It enhances strength—even Nascent Soul cultivators benefit from it. So, not bad indeed."
"Ahh... f**k... this woman." Chu Yao muttered through clenched teeth, exasperated.
Trying to compose herself, she asked in a more serious tone, "What now?"
The black-clad woman merely stared at her, indifferent, as if the question had nothing to do with her.
"I mean, when will your people complete the task?" Chu Yao pressed. "I want a specific time. And once it's done, send me her head—so I can confirm her death."
Without a word, the woman in black stood and calmly raised three fingers.
"Three days... Fine," Chu Yao muttered, nodding. "Don't forget, I need her body as evidence."
Just as she was about to sit down, a cold, flat voice cut through the air:
"Three million mid-grade spirit stones. Pay two million as deposit now—the rest upon completion."
Chu Yao, who had just taken a sip of tea, nearly choked.
"Wait, I have to pay... you and a full 3 f**king millions?" she asked, coughing violently.
"Yes, dear customer," the woman replied with a straight face. "Considering your urgent request and our recent manpower losses, we've upgraded your mission to a premium-tier assassination plan—customized to your exact needs."
Chu Yao spat out the tea she had just sipped, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Why does that sound oddly like some kind of business scam?" she mumbled to herself.
She paused, clenched her fists, then reluctantly reached into her storage pouch. After a few moments of hesitation, she handed over a pouch containing the full three million mid-grade spirit stones.
As the woman in black turned to leave, Chu Yao called out playfully,
"If she's not eliminated this time, then—"
But before she could finish her threat, the woman in black had already vanished, leaving no trace behind.
-----------
In the Upper Realm — Lin Clan
Following their time-honored sacred rituals and celestial offerings, the Lin Clan finally succeeded in contacting their revered ancestor from the Immortal Realm.
Through a rare convergence of divine fate and bloodline resonance, he agreed to descend for a brief period.
As the Immortal Ancestor arrived amidst a cloud of spiritual brilliance, his first gaze swept through the assembled clan members before settling with interest.
"I sense… a slumbering ancient bloodline," he declared calmly.
Gasps of shock echoed through the grand hall.
He explained that this was no ordinary inheritance—
it was a mysterious, unique physique recorded only in myth.
Known for its ability to freeze time itself, this bloodline could, upon achieving a certain level of mastery, command even the flow of fate.
The Lin family elders stood dumbfounded. Many had heard legends, but none had ever believed such a physique could appear within their clan.
The Matriarch of the Lin Clan Lin Xuemei, her presence dignified, stepped forward and respectfully invited the ancestor to sit on the throne of honor.
"No need for such pleasantries."
He declined politely with a gentle wave of his hand.
Just as the hall returned to silence, a ten-year-old boy whispered to his older brother beside him:
"Brother… do Immortals get itching on their butthole?"
The boy whose mind filled with lot of questions asked a genuine question because as a child he has those problems whenever threadworm starts their Cultivation, he can't sit in a same position.
The question floated through the air like a stray pebble tossed into a sacred lake.
One elder, already tense from the divine presence, muttered under his breath,
"F**k, where did this kid come from?"
Another elder nearby leaned closer and whispered,
"He's your great-grandson."
The elder turned as pale as moonlight, sweat pouring from his brow.
"Oh sh*t…" he mumbled, nearly fainting.
Several nearby elders who recognized the boy stifled their laughter. Though their bellies quaked, none dared to laugh aloud in front of the Immortal Ancestor.
Strangely, the ancestor didn't react with annoyance. Instead, he smiled faintly. The boy, like the rest, bore traces of his blood—perhaps one of his great-great-great-grandsons.
The older brother quietly said,
"He's beyond such mundane things. He's an Immortal."
The child nodded in wonder.
"Oh… I see."
Then, the ancestor raised his hand and began performing an ancient art of Divination. Waves of ethereal light gathered, illuminating the skies above the hall as cosmic patterns danced in the void. After several moments, he narrowed his eyes.
"The bloodline has not awakened," he said. "But a subtle fluctuation exists. We are close."
He turned to the elders.
"To locate the true inheritor, we will require a celestial artifact attuned to this bloodline. I own one—but did not bring it. We must wait a few days."
The Lin Clan nodded solemnly.
With that, the crowd dispersed quietly. The Immortal Ancestor retired to the Sacred Ground to prepare for his next phase of ascension, promising to return soon.
As the great hall emptied and the energy faded, that same ten-year-old boy stood in the corridor, looked into the sky, and muttered with complete sincerity:
"Huh....A fake Immortal."