Zue Yin’s Preparations
After not only annihilating the Ghu Clan, but also sending a very clear warning to the neighbouring Jyu Clan and Jyu Province, Yaan returned to Heavenly Path Mountain. He raised an eye brow, when upon returning to Elia's temple abode, he found that all of those elites were had left the temple, but the were surrounding Elia whilst continuing to ask her question after question. However, as she stared into the setting sun, their voices fell on deaf ears.
When he saw Elia's weary and bitter forced smile, Yaan decided that he had made her do enough. He only intended for her to provide some more details to these other groups, but they had actually lingered around her for half a day straight, and they were still shouting this and that.
Yaan appeared within between Elia and the 20 Northern elites, and without giving anyone the chance to process his arrival, he released his full aura. After speaking to Elia and easing het tense heart with a few relaxed words, Yaan turned away from Elia, protecting her with his slender yet someone how enormous-feeling back, and directed his aura towards these elites who had been hounding his childhood friends for this and that ever since he set out.
Without exception, all 20 cultivators - these elites who had not lowered their heads in the past hundred years, dropped to their knees as an overbearing pressure filled with tyrannical threat encompassed their minds, souls and Qi.
"I have destroyed the Ghu Clan, the Ghu Province will be renamed to the Heavenly Path Province. The Heavenly Path Sect is the new overlord of this region, and you will all accept this rule. I will not make any drastic changes other than cleaning up these depraved lands and turning this into truly righteous province, you do not need to know anymore than that. It seems to me that you have asked Elia, my good friend, far more the enough questions…so unless you have business with me personally, scram."
His words caused their hearts to shake, and the visible trembling of their bodies could be seen all-too clearly. Even the Zue Clansmen, including the current Zue Clan Head, felt a terrifying suppression when faced with Yaan's order, as if the world itself was under his command, and even attempting to resist this might would be an act of suicide.
Yaan realised his aura, allowing the elites to gasp desperately for breath. They were all soaked with cold sweat, and as they slowly stood up, one by one, they nodded towards Yaan, clasped their hands and bowed respectfully, before turning into beams of light and vanishing without a trace. Yaan didn't mind that they didn't say anything to him; he knew that they were still feeling afraid thanks to his aura from before.
However after 17 of the 20 individuals fled, three were left remaining. Yaan wasn't annoyed that they had stayed behind, and in fact, he had expected this.
Now alone, with just himself and Elia present facing these three terrified experts, Yaan could speak freely without causing any problems.
"Zue Clansmen. It is clear that Zue Yin helped my friend and my homeland to survive for these past hundreds of years, and for that, I am truly grateful. Please tell me…did Zue Yin leave behind any message addressed to myself?"
The front most elder, the Zue Clan Head, forced a dry laugh after being seen through so easily. He was Zue Yin's successor, but he knew that he could not match up to his predecessor; nobody could. She was the most dazzling star of their generation, and she actually succeeded in overcoming Nirvana, something that only 1% of cultivators managed to survive through!
Zue Yin was now the revered ancestor of their Zue Clan, but despite her seemingly immense power, she had left them with a certain warning.
"Reporting to Heavenly Pat Sect Ancestor, Ancestor Zue Yin emphasised the need to maintain a friendly relationship with the Heavenly Path Sect at all costs. The other clansmen know this, but what they do not know…is that all of this was due to her relationship with a person whom she called 'Yaan'. She never so much as described a single thing about you, saying that we would immediately recognise you should you reappear in the Ghu- no, the Heavenly Path Province - should you wish to appear. Everything she did, was to ensure that our Zue Clan could prosper alongside your Heavenly Path Sect, ancestor…"
Towards this explanation, Yaan shook his head.
"I already know all of this. I'm asking if she left a message behind for me specifically."
The Zue Clan Head nodded, but he let out a strange sigh and seemed somewhat pained as he removed a large rolled up scroll from his spatial ring. He was reluctant to part with this treasure which had been imparted by the clan's ancestor and had helped the Zue Clansmen to comprehend the dao of formations, but in the end, he passed the scroll over to Yaan.
"When Ancestor Zue Yin reached the Nirvana Realm, she made her preparations…in case she failed in her Immortal Ascension. She did not fail, but as I'm sure you already know, she is no longer on Planet Yushu, taken away by the Divine Phoenix Clan, given only minutes to say her goodbyes. As such…this scroll belongs to you."
Yaan casually reached out, and before the elderly clan head knew what was going on, Yaan was now holding the scroll.
Before the disbelieving gazes of the Zue Clansmen, Yaan opened the scroll with no effort whatsoever. However, as he did this, he was using Reveal Truth, allowing him to bypass the countless complex formations which Zue Yin had placed upon the scroll.
The Zue Clan Head was feeling shaken in his heart. Ever since this scroll was imparted to him all those years ago, nobody had been able to fully unravel it…and he made it look so easy!
After the opened scroll, Yaan saw that it was completely blank. When everyone else looked at the scroll, it was just a blank piece of large parchment.
However, Yaan could see past these concealment runes, causing him to smile.
"I see, so she anticipated that I would return, but decided to hide these secrets from the rest of the world, and made it such that only I would be able to see through the truth.
This scroll was a map.
Zue Yin hadn't just sat by ideally during her many years spent back at her clan. She had also investigated the geography of the Ghu Province, the surrounding provinces, and beyond, providing her with a clear picture of the world as she knew it.
The map was based up Zue Yin's own experiences in the world, but it was also a conglomeration of many other maps that she had stolen whilst rampaging across the continent.
At the bottom of the scroll, there was a single passage of text, a passage that only Yaan could see.
'Yaan, please study this map carefully. The war between the North and South is impending, but I could not care less about this war. I give you this map in the event that if I fail my Immortal Ascension Tribulation, I hope that you still have the heart to defend out home.
After briefly scanning his gaze across the map, Yaan's eyes shone. He looked up as he placed the map away into his spatial ring, then smiled at the Zue Clan Head, now having a more favourable impression of the old man.
"You held onto this for so many years…thank you. I don't know what Zue Yin told you, about me, or the chaotic state of this world, but I promise you this - for as long as I live, I will protect my home and those dear to me."
After a long pause, during which time the three Zue Clan elites stared at Yaan dazedly, they shared a glance between one another and nodded. When they turned back to face Yaan, the central old man, the current Zue Clan Head, wore a solemn expression.
"You're really that Yaan…the one that Ancestor Zue Yin spoke so highly of?"
"I am." Yaan confirmed and nodded lightly. "My strength alone should be proof enough, but I'm aware that I am quite different compared to the past. Naturally, I have my own circumstances, and I haven't seen Zue Yin for hundreds of years ever since we were separated in the Southern Continent…so I would appreciate it if you didn't question me any further on this matter. The important point is that I will become an immortal in three years time, but before then, I will reform this province…and isolate it from the rest of the world."
The Zue Clan Elders left in something of a daze, feeling a mixture of confusion and anticipation when they recalled Yaan's words.
Reforming the Ghu Province…a drastic change that hadn't been seen for over 2,000 years! And from the looks of it, the Heavenly Path Sect would rule the province with more morally upstanding principles compared to the Ghu Clan, so really, they were more excited than concerned.
Once they were left alone once again, the wooden sword, which Yaan had strapped to his waist using a simple leather belt, glowed with a splendid white light, before transforming into June's humanoid spirit form.
Elia glanced at June and nodded with a smile, before turning back to Yaan with a worried expression.
"Yaan, is this really all right? You're acting like it's no big deal, but you just wiped out the entire Ghu Clan, right? This sort of thing, it must be dangerous, there will definitely be some sort of catastrophic consequences heading our way, we-"
"Elia." Yaan interrupted her before she could get too worked up. When he saw the earnest anxiety that she felt towards Yaan and her sect, he couldn't help but smile.
"Don't worry, Elia. From your perspective, it might seem like I was too brash, but I'm not doing things blindly; I have a plan. I will reinforce the formations protecting Heavenly Path Mountain, making it such that even immortals won't be able to enter without drawing my notice. And as for the Heavenly Path Province…I will do as I said, isolating this province from the rest of the world. So long as I don't wish for others to find us, they will never be able to find our home, unless they are an immortal bold enough to forcefully smash through my defences. But even if we are disturbed by an immortal…I will just kill an immortal."
Elia stared at Yaan with dazed, wide eyes, struggling to process what he was saying. He was speaking of his grand plans as if doing these things was a common occurrence, but she felt certain that no other Nirvana Realm cultivator would be able to achieve the future feats that he spoke of!
However, Elia understood now. Even for a Nirvana Realm cultivator, Yaan was far from ordinary.
Yaan chuckled and shook his head when he saw the cogs turning in her brain.
"Oh Elia, you really have been integrated into the righteous faction, and you are one of the few who actually holds the principles of righteousness in your heart. However, make no mistake…I am a demon. The ways of the righteous do not suit me; I have my own way."
When Elia stared into Yaan's shining green eyes, she couldn't help but blush and nod with a smile.
"I see…I know that I won't be able to dissuade you, so…thank you, Yaan."
"Mm. Anyway, now that the first matter has been settled, I have one last person to visit before I start on strengthening our homes' defences. I will be back by tomorrow; don't worry, after all that I just did, nobody will dare to make trouble for you in this time. In the meantime, I will trust you to deal with any organisational matters that arise, since diplomacy isn't really my forte."
Elia's eyes widened once again, but now for a completely different reason. She stared forwards, at the space where Yaan and June had just been. Despite being an esteemed Peak Origin Soul Realm cultivator, her jaw actually dropped.
"He vanished! He did it again! He shows up, acts overbearingly, then leaves it to me to actually deal with everything!"
Elia's shoulders slumped slightly, but in the end, she straightened up with a smile. With a laugh, she shook her head and looked towards the distance. She naturally knew where Yaan was heading to next…
After all, there were only four people in the entire Ghu Province that he actually wanted to meet with.
His reunion with Elia was a complete success.
Meeting again with Ghu Nadda became impossible, as he had unfortunately died many years ago.
Ghu Lin had been dealt with.
And now, lastly, Yaan finally sought out Aque Li; the middle-aged looking man who had left a deep impression on him back in the 3rd Trial Realm after activating the Goddess of the Seas Spell at the opportune moment.
Of everyone that Yaan had known in the Ghu Province back then…only Elia and Aque Li had managed to survive until now. Yaan's relationship with Aque Li couldn't be considered too deep, but they had once fought side by side as equals. Anyway, he wanted to visit this person, for more reasons than one.