Talisman Emperor

The Nine Spirit World was established within the Primal Chaos Origin, so it was extraordinary, divine, gorgeous, and unlike anything the outside world could compare to. It was like something that even surpassed a miracle of nature.

The Chen Clan resided here, and after the passage of countless years, the resources and reserves were unimaginable as well.

Their group moved forward under Chen Lingkong's lead, and Chen Xi saw continuous mountains, numerous vast lakes, beasts on both the land and sky, divine herbs, picturesque landscapes, and all sorts of grand scenes all along the way.

Row upon row of ancient buildings were situated throughout the boundlessly vast landscape, and they seemed to extend endlessly into the distance. It was an extremely magnificent scene.

However, Chen Xi didn't have the mood to admire all of this right now. He'd been constantly pondering on a single thing.

The criminal Chen Lingjun?

Exactly what crime had father committed all those years ago?

Chen Xi couldn't figure it out. However, the conversation from before had allowed him to confirm that both his father and mother were really being imprisoned within the Chen Clan right now!

On the other hand, based on Chen Lingkong's attitude, he'd clearly roughly guessed Chen Xi's identity, but he just happened to act as if he was unaware. This was quite thought provoking.

No matter what, I have to get them back! Chen Xi muttered in his heart while his determination became firm to the extreme.

Since he'd started cultivating, his greatest wish had been to find his parents, and he'd travelled through the cultivation world for countless years in order to accomplish this wish. From a tiny place like Pine Mist City, he'd overcome all the obstacles before him and killed his way through the southern territory and risen in the Darchu Dynasty. He surmounted the Primeval Battlefield to step into the grand and magnificent Dark Reverie. After that, he ascended into the Immortal Dimension from the Dark Reverie before entering the Ancient God Domain from there….

All along the way, he'd experienced countless bloody battles and frustrations, and he'd even encountered innumerable tribulations of life and death. Wasn't all the hard work he'd put in just so that he could be reunited with his parents?

Now, this wish was right within reach, so Chen Xi would naturally not miss this opportunity that he'd been seeking for so long!

…

10 minutes later, Chen Lingkong who was leading the way ahead had suddenly stopped, and then he smiled as he pointed towards the distance. "Fellow Daoists, please take a look. My clan's Ancestral Worship Ceremony that's held every 10,000 years will be held there 15 days from now."

Chen Xi instantly awoke from his deep thought, and then he raised his eyes to look over. He saw five towering peaks standing extremely far away in the distance.

Those five peaks stood together to form a pentagon of the five elements, and they were enshrouded with divine radiance. If one looked down from the sky, it just happened to form a seemingly complete circle, and it was like the circle of Taichi.

At this moment, these five peaks were jointly protecting an ancient and lofty altar at their center. It covered an area of 30km, towered into the sky, and emanated an aura of ancientness.

Besides that, an extremely brilliant white colored Natural Spirit Flame was burning at the center of the altar. The radiance of the flame shot into the sky, and it seemed extremely divine as it illuminated the world in an expanse of dazzling brilliance.

Even from very afar away, one could hear vast rumbling of the Dao that sounded like the tune of nature spreading out from the altar. It was an enlightening tune that reverberated through the heavens and the earth.

It was the Chen Clan's altar for worship. It was created by the ancestors of the Chen Clan, and it was filled with mighty energy of totems. It represented the dignity and history of the Chen Clan.

Normally, the altar was like a forbidden area, and even the clansmen of the Chen Clan were absolutely prohibited from approaching it.

"So, we can at just the right time. It just happens that we can seize this opportunity to watch and admire the unparalleled splendor of the Chen Clan." Wu Xuechan smiled as he spoke indifferently.

Tang Xian neither agreed nor disagreed to this, and his expression was cold as before.

Chen Lingkong laughed lightheartedly and said, "My Chen Clan is honored to have the Grand Lord and Fellow Daoist Tang Xian watching the ceremony."

He paused for a moment, and then he glanced imperceptibly at Chen Xi before he said to Wu Xuechan while he smiled, "Right, perhaps Grand Lord is unaware of it but my Chen Clan will be selecting a successor for the position of Patriarch during the Ancestral Worship Ceremony. At that time, Grand Lord can help examine those little fellows during the selection. It would be even better if the next successor was able to obtain Grand Lord's favor."

Wu Xuechan smiled, and he waved his hand. "You're too kind, Fellow Daoist."

However, Chen Lingkong sighed with emotion and said, "Alas, actually, since my older brother left without saying a word, the clan has undergone unexpected events in succession. It caused the position of Patriarch to be empty, and we've still been unable to choose a true leading figure for the clan. If it wasn't for that, then my Chen Clan wouldn't have fallen into a gradual decline…."

Wu Xuechan nodded and said, "That's quite bad indeed."

Chen Lingkong roared with laughter and didn't speak further. He led the group and flew forward.

…

It wasn't long before they arrived at a grand hall that was ancient, imposing, and elegantly decorated.

After all of them took their seats, beautiful female attendants had served a superb collection of fine wine and delicacies, and they poured tea for Wu Xuechan, Tang Xian, and Chen Xi as well. They were extremely courteous.

This clearly showed that Chen Lingkong took Wu Xuechan and Tang Xian's visit extremely seriously, and he didn't dare act disrespectfully at all.

It was quite normal. Wu Xuechan was the Eldest Disciple amongst the personal disciples of Oracle Mountain, and he was even an extraordinary Daolord as well. Moreover, if it was in terms of status, then even a great figure from amongst the Divine Dao Protector Clans like Chen Lingkong had to be courteous to Wu Xuechan.

On the other hand, Tang Xian's status was very special as well. He wasn't just a disciple of Oracle Mountain, he was even a descendent of the Tang Clan which was one of the Divine Dao Protector Clans as well, so Chen Lingkong didn't dare treat Tang Xian shabbily as well.

After all, the Tang Clan was a high level clan amongst the Divine Dao Protector Clans, and the Chen Clan was inferior to it in both resources and reserves.

So, under such circumstances, a Supreme Elder of the Chen Clan like Chen Lingkong didn't dare act disrespectfully or be lacking in his treatment towards them.

Besides Chen Lingkong, Chen Xi, Wu Xuechan, and Tang Xian, there were also some other clansmen of the Chen Clan here.

There were both men and woman amongst them. All of them possessed extraordinary imposing auras and natural divine auras. Even though they weren't Daolords, every single one of them was a Region Lord, and there was quite a few of them!

After some time of small talk, Chen Lingkong pointed at those clansmen of the Chen Clan and said with a smile on his face, "Please take a look, these are some descendants of my clan. They'll be participating in the competition to become the successor of the clan during the Ancestral Worship Ceremony as well."

His voice was filled with pride.

Wu Xuechan glanced at them and said, "Not bad, not bad. All of them are extraordinary geniuses indeed."

"Hahaha! Even I feel honored that they were able to obtain such praise from the Grand Lord." Chen Lingkong roared with laughter.

All of those clansmen of the Chen Clan had smiles on their faces, and they were in high spirits.

However, right at this moment, Tang Xian who'd been silent with a cold expression on his face had suddenly spoken. He said, "Even though they are not bad, they haven't matured fully. Perhaps they'll be able to take on heavy responsibility if they're tempered more for some time."

Just these words alone caused the atmosphere in the hall to freeze.

Even though Tang Xian was a disciple of Oracle Mountain, he was a descendent of the Tang Clan. Now that he'd spoken such words, the meaning behind it was slightly different.

If one wasn't aware of the current situation, they would think that Tang Xian was ridiculing and mocking the Chen Clan.

However, even if Tang Xian didn't have such an intention, these words still made Chen Lingkong and the others feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Haha! Fellow Daoist Tang Xian is right. However, as far as I'm concerned, even if they haven't matured fully, it doesn't represent that they won't be able to gain great power in the future. As for tempering, the path of cultivation is filled with constant tempering. So, the Ancestral Worship Ceremony that's being held 15 days from now can be considered as a form of tempering for them as well." Chen Lingkong pondered deeply for a moment, and then he suddenly smiled and said, "Not to mention that this is only a portion of the best descendants of my Chen Clan, and there are some even more formidable descendants who're in closed door cultivation right now. Fellow Daoist Tang Xian would be able to see them once the Ancestral Worship Ceremony begins. Haha! At that time, perhaps they'll be able to pleasantly surprise Fellow Daoist Tang Xian."

His words were neither arrogant nor humble, and it was filled with the style of a great figure.

Tang Xian shook his head instead, and he said, "That's far from being a pleasant surprise. However, I would really be pleasantly surprised if one person was participating in it."

Chen Lingkong said with surprise, "Oh, may I know which clansmen of my Chen Clan that Fellow Daoist Tang Xian looks favorably upon?"

The other clansmen of the Chen Clan felt extremely curious as well.

Right amidst the gazes of everyone, Tang Xian pointed at Chen Xi and said, "Him."

Him?

Chen Lingkong and all the other clansmen of the Chen Clan were astounded when they saw that it was Chen Xi, and they almost doubted their hearing.

But right after that, the corners of Chen Lingkong's mouth twitched imperceptibly, and he seemed to have come to an understanding, causing his countenance to turn slightly gloomy.

At the moment, Chen Xi finally had a faint understanding of his senior brothers' intentions. They seemed to intend for him to participating in the Chen Clan's Ancestral Worship Ceremony!

If it was like that, then it was really possible. After all, if he won the qualifications to become the successor of the Chen Clan, then his hopes of rescuing his parents would definitely be much greater!

The only problem was that he wasn't a true descendant of the Chen Clan, and he was a child of Chen Lingjun's after Chen Lingjun had reincarnated. If the matter of his identity wasn't resolved, then it would be impossible for him to participate in the competition.

Right when Chen Xi's thoughts were flashing through his mind, Chen Lingkong had revealed an emotionless expression as he spoke indifferently. "Fellow Daoist Tang Xian, are you joking?"

Tang Xian frowned and said, "I never joke."

These words alone made Chen Lingkong's face turn gloomy, and he fell into silence. He'd vaguely guessed the objective behind Wu Xuechan and Tang Xian's arrival.

"Senior, the Ancestral Worship Ceremony is an internal matter of my Chen Clan, and all its participants are clansmen of my Chen Clan. Outsiders aren't allowed to participate in it." While Chen Lingkong remained silent, a clansman of the Chen Clan couldn't refrain from speaking first. He was extremely handsome, radiating strength and vitality, and his voice was powerful and resolute. It seemed like he was blaming Tang Xian for Tang Xian's intentions to interfere in the matters of the Chen Clan.

"Yes, Senior's actions are quite inappropriate."

The others spoke in succession, and there were some that even gazed at Chen Xi with a trace of hostility.

"An outsider?" A wisp of a thought provoking arc arose on the corners of Tang Xian's mouth, and he said, "All of you're probably unaware of it but my Little Junior Brother is Chen Lingjun's descendant. So, could it be that it's really inappropriate to allow him to participate in the Ancestral Worship Ceremony that's being held this time?"